The much hyped American Idol Gives Back started tonight. Tomorrow night will be the big show with all the money-raising and the guest performances. Tonight we were stuck with just the Top 6 contestants, along with the talents of Ryan Secrest and the judges. Actually tonight's show was rather good, so being "stuck" was okay with me.
First up was news that News Corp would be giving 10 cents for each call up to 50 million calls to the charity. That means that if they get 50 million calls, they donate 5 million dollars. Ryan said that the votes tonight would save your favorite contestant, and save lives. Then we got a clip of Ryan and Simon Cowell's trip to Africa. They visited clinics in the region, where they are treating malaria. Malaria is the number one killer in Africa. Simon was visibily upset over the conditions. It was odd to see even Simon getting a little emotional.
Chris Richardson was the first to perform. He chose to sing "Change the World" by Eric Clapton. He liked that the song is about how one person has the will to change someone else's life. As usual Chris was pitchy and completely sucked. Also as usual the judges fawned all over him. Randy Jackson thought it was the first time Chris was in it to win it. Paula Abdul said it was a great song choice and done very well. Simon thought it was a good vocal, and had more soul than when he had performed before.
The next promotional footage featured clips of where the judges and Ryan had been in the US. They felt it was important to spread the money not just to the world, but to hungry people in the US too. Randy went to Louisiana. They also traveled to rural Kentucky, off to Navajo country in Arizona, and to Atlanta.
Melinda Doolittle was up next, with her performance of the Faith Hill song "There Will Come A Day." Melinda likes that the song speaks about the problems in the world today but also about hope for tomorrow. She said that is what tonight is all about. Her performance was great as usual. She keeps gaining confidence every week and that's showing as well. Randy said she's got it all together, and he doesn't know what to say to her anymore. Paula said it must feel great to get the love, praise and support every week. Simon told her it wasn't a copycat vocal, instead she made him believe he had recorded the original. He added that it was a vocal masterclass.
Blake Lewis was asked what the biggest sacrifice he had made since joining Idols. He said the worst was missing his family and friend. He chose to sing "Imagine" by John Lennon, as it is all about coming together in an ideal world. I thought it was his best performance yet. Naturally the judges didn't like it. Randy thought it was a great choice, but on the performance side it was just alright. He wanted Blake to do more with the song. Paula said she thought that at the beginning, but then was reminded of how beautiful and sensitive the song is. She thought it was the first beautiful performance from him. Simon said that because Blake chose one of the biggest songs of all time, there will always be a comparison. He felt that Paula was right in that he was sincere. But he also thought that it didn't go anywhere. Simon added that it was most important that he was sincere.
Another promotional clip took them back to Africa again, this time to a feeding center. They found it amazing that despite their hunger, each child waited until everyone was served before taking their first bite.
Lakisha Jones chose to sing "I Believe" by Fantasia. Honestly as much as I disliked Fantasia - her version was better. It was pitchy and just not good at all. Randy thought it was pitchy and difficult to sing after someone like Fantasia did it. Paula said that Fantasia is so unigue, you have a hard time singing something like she does. Simon translated Paula's comments as she liked Fantasia's version better. He had an issue with the shouting too.
Phil Stacey was asked what he missed most about home. He too the opportunity to pimp his children again, who are with their grandparents and not their with him and his wife. He chose to sing "The Change" by Garth Brooks, which was released after the Oklahoma City bombings. There were a couple of pitchy notes at the beginning, but beyond that it was awesome. He had the right emotion to the song and everything. Randy was happy since he came back with another strong performance. Paula felt like he found his comfort zone. Simon really likes Phil. He likes that he has a spring in his step again. He would like Phil to connect the confidence with the country sound he had in his voice last week though.
The last promotional clip had Simon going to a food shelter just 20 minutes from where he lives. He had no idea that places like that existed in this country. He joked around with some of the people there that he's never met nice people before.
Last up was Jordin Sparks, who sang "You'll Never Walk Alone." She wanted to convey a message of hope that would be comforting to people. She had a couple of bad notes at the beginning, but after that it was a wonderful performance. Randy said it was one of the best vocals by any contestant in six seasons. Paula said it was an amazing song to close the night. Simon thought it was fantastic. Even though the song was 60 years old, she'd have a hit if she recorded it.
My ranking in order from best to worst:
1. Melinda / Jordin
2. Phil / Blake
3. Lakisha
4. Chris
Random Thoughts:
1. I still feel like the loser kid in school who wants to be in the cool crowd and just isn't. I want to be cool like Randy, Paula, and Simon. I want to get Chris Richardson. I want to be in, hip and cool - like him. Why can't I?
2. What exactly did Randy want Blake to do with "Imagine"? Was Blake supposed to start off all soft and sweet, then sudden: "Boombaboomshaboom Imagine all the people chicachicaboom Living life in ppppeace brotha!" Was he supposed to add beatboxing to the song? It's the type of song you sit and sing and just let the words and emotion do the "boomboomboom" for you.
3. Totally over Lakisha. She's past her prime. She'll be the shocker leaving tomorrow.
I have no idea what they see in Chris. Keep pimping Blake into the top 3!
I've always thought Phil was good and not deserving of a lot of the bad comments he gets, so I'm glad he's having a resurgence in popularity. Melinda rocked again, and I feel Jordin, Blake, and Phil were on the same level. Jordin's big notes weren't as solid as they were on Broken Wing or I Who Have Nothing (both equally her best performances yet :).
Lakisha...oh Lakisha - why has she started to pick songs from previous winners...not a good strategy, especially when your specialty is NOT country or r&b'ish gospel...use your upper range!
I agree, bye Lakisha...you have the talent to be in the top 2, but you're just not stepping up. Though I wish Chris would just QUIT please..just go
I think tomorrow night's shocker will be Blake going home, not LaKisha. And I disagree I thought this show was one of THE most boring AIs we've endured and I don't have great expectations for tomorrow night either.
Again, Chris sucked. Not as much as usual, a bit less sucky than before, but, yuk, nonetheless.
Again, judges swoon.
I agree. Don't get it, never will.
Again, Lakisha oversang a song, yelling much of it.
Bad choice to do something by Fantasia. Pales in comparison. Maybe this will finally do her in. She peaked early and has struggled to keep up with Melinda and now Jordin ever since.
Doesn't help that she has no personality to distract like Sanjaya did.
Jordin and Melinda were again a notch above and seem to be heading for a final 2 showdown. The only one who may prevent that is Blake.
He sang the athiest anthem the way is was supposed to be sung. Just thought it was too safe a choice.
Jordin was smart to pick a song that, if sung right, is a knockout. Its custom made for a show like this.
Download the Righteous Brothers version.
I thought she struggled a bit with a few notes in the high range early on and screamed a bit, but still brought a lump in my throat.
Or maybe i was choking on the pepperoni and crackers. But, that's another story.
Phil is stepping it up just at the right time. He was on the cusp before last week and may have kept himself out of the bottom three again.
Top 3, Melinda/Jordin and Phil.
Bottom 3, Lakisha, Chris and Blake.
Fine with either Lakisha or Chris. A bit concerned about Blake since he was in the bottom 3 last week.
I'd say, since Lakisha was there last week and the judges skewered her and showered Chris, its her.
So, what is the big "Shocking" performance tomorrow night that they're promoting?
Simon & Garfunkel? Garfunkel was on the Idol Extra at the show last week for no apparent reason.
A promo a few days ago showed a silhouette of a man and woman entering the stage.
Trying to think of what couple who were formerly together but haven't been in awhile would be "shocking" to see again.
Good show, a big improvement over the past couple of weeks. This makes me wonder if the AI powers-that-be intentionally scheduled the themes that have historically been "trainwrecks" for the two weeks before this show.
Chris - still don't like the guy, but I wasn't as offended as I have been by his previous two performances.
Melinda - perfection, simply perfection. I love this girl. Commercially successful, probably not, but definately someone who belongs on the same stage with Chaka Khan, Aretha, Shirley Caesar, to name but a few.
Blake - good performance. I thought his performance on Latin night was better, but this was pretty darn good.
LaKisha - gets my "most disappointing" award. I expected her to put this one "out of the park". Instead, she made Fantasia look good. The past 3-4 weeks, I just don't think her heart is in the competition anymore. She seems worn down and is a far cry from the commanding singer that belted "And I'm Telling You..."
Phil - I didn't like his performance. I agree with what Simon said, he sounded like a crooner trying to sing Country.
Jordin - I might be the only person in the country that thought that her performance was just "okay". I've heard the song a bazillion times, and her version didn't even make the top five versions that I've heard, including two live on stage. For those who didn't know, "You'll Never Walk Alone" is from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical "Carousel".
Top - Melinda
Middle - Jordin, Blake
Bottom -Phil, Chris, LaKisha, with LaKisha going home
I wish everyone would stop assuming that Melinda is going to be the best and just listen. Jordin is by far the strongest vocal and would make a far more long term American Idol. She presents well in all her music forms and sings to all age groups.
"The last promotional clip had Simon going to a food shelter just 20 minutes from where he lives. He had no idea that places like that existed"
Who the %&* has their head so far up their @$$ that they don't know that food banks exist?!? Even the "Christmas-only" donors still know that they exist! This caused me to lose all respect for Simon.
"Another promotional clip took them back to Africa again, this time to a feeding center." Ryan made a comment to the effect that more feeding centers are needed. In a perfect world, yes, but Africa is far from a perfect world. Go and read about the history of the feeding centers, particularly the ones built with the money given through "Band Aid". In the past, the political ruling parties have used them as a way to lure in their enemies with food and slaughter or imprison them.
I just don't hear anything special in Phil's or Chris' voices. Average. Lakisha has concentrated on trying to show she is better than former Idol winners/finalists--and, except for that Jennifer Hudson song, she has failed miserably. I think Blake would have won during a different season. But, this year we have Melinda and Jordin. I can't decide which one is better. Melinda has a little bit better control whereas Jordin has a little bit prettier quality. The past several weeks I have alternated between the two of them. This week I give the nod to Jordin because I liked the song more. Other than that, I don't care which one wins as long as they are both in the final.
Possible spoiler here. I read somewhere (and it may have been here) that the big surprise tomorrow night is that Celine Dion is singing with Elvis. They are going to do one of those things like they did with Natalie Cole and Nat King Cole with "Unforgetable" (I think that is the song) Then I also read something about an Elvis impersonator so take that for what you will.
On with tonights show:
You know this year has not rocked my world like in years past. So my passion is not there. Anywho.....
Chris- Again, didn't like it, don't get it, won't buy it.
Melinda- She is consistantly the best
Blake- I liked it. And it hit me tonight. He looks and sings a lot like Howard Jones from the 80's
Lakisha- When she started I thought she is going to knock it out of the park, then I realized she hadn't even made it to the park.
Then my daughter had a major melt down, and I missed the rest of the show.
My guess is that the bottom three with be Chris, Blake and Lakisha with Blake or Lakisha going home.
I just hope Blake gets to hang around awhile. I really like Howard Jones.
edit: shellybean - 2007-04-25 01:00:04 GMT - late night
edit: shellybean - 2007-04-25 17:11:49 GMT - correction
If you can't be a good example, then be a horrible warning!
I think that everyone is giving Lakisha a hard time. She sang the hardest song of the night and sounded pretty good to me. I think Chris should be going home because he was the worst one tonight. Phil song was boring. I didn't like Jordin song .
Idol's getting so caught up in "ohh, look how great we are to help these poor black people" that they don't even bother telling us which COUNTRIES they went to in Africa. It's like asking a contestant where they're from and they answer, "North America."
The video clips were just too darn generic. And what's that about a 12 year old boy already being a father with a family to feed?! Yikes!
And just wondering, but why are the children all bald?
I should probably stop saying "I'm not a fan of Jordin's but..." because after "I Who Have Nothing" and tonight, I think I've moved over to the fan column. When I heard her song choice, I smiled, thinking, "Oh, yeah. This is gonna be the best one yet," and it was. In both of the aforementioned song choices, she really believed in what she was singing. She was emotional singing "You'll Never Walk Alone." If I was one of the judges, I would've asked her what she was thinking of. It moved me to tears. (But then again, Jerry Lewis does that when he sings it at the end of his telethons every year and he more talks than sings it- sorry. I meant this to be a compliment to Jordin).
Simon was right about "Imagine"- you can't do anything with it. If you put in melisma crap, it just becomes irritating. So the only way someone was going to win singing it was if they had a great quality voice to begin with, and no one in the competition has that. Sanjaya would've pulled it off the best.
Lakisha- I just can't look at her anymore. She's just too darn fat and ugly.
Oh, and Shellybean, Howard Jones sang "No One Is To Blame." Thomas Dolby did "She Blinded Me With Science."
Well .................. it wasn't that great a performance by anyone , and the show was a teeny-weeny bit boring , but other than that , there were some surprises and no-surprises !!!!!
SURPRISES-
1) Phil CAN SING !!!!
I still hate him 'cause he ain't idol material , but he can survive .............. for a little longer ( hehehe) !!!
2) Melinda is PERFECTION !!!
She's just a great singer ! And she has a great way of singing her songs. Infact , she can be just as bubbly and young 'n hip as Jordin ( minus Jordin's stupid and irritating personality )
NO-SURPRISES -
1) Another dissapointing vocals by our resident singer Chris R. !!! And of course , our beloved judges just LUVED it and called it " Just Dandy !!! " ! YUCK !! I'm afraid he's gonna be staying ....................
2) I TOLD U SO ................... BLAKE AIN'T THE GREAT SINGER HE'S CRACKED UP TO BE !!!! He really is bland !!
AS SIMON WOULD HAVE PUT IT , " IT'S LIKE HAVING THAI FOOD WITHOUT THE CHILIES ........ " (lol)
3) Lakisha's shouting again .............. she'l probably be going ............... I don't want her to , but none the less she'll probably go. She wasn't as bad as Blake or Chris .......
For some reason , as much as I like Jordin's singing , I find her extremely irritating , especially when she opens her mouth to talk !!! And she does this stupid heart thing every @#$@! time !!!! GAWD !!!! Diana DeGarmo was far more lovable !!!!
Oh , and Phil would look hideous if he had hair on his head .So thank God for us that he's bald !!!!!!!!!!
Man , it's a bit depressing that I cannot talk about widdle Sanjaya ................ WAH !!!! But no matter , HE"S GUEST STAR ( I hope ....... and beg ..................PLEASE GOD !!! ) for tomorrow's show.
Overall from worst to best ( well I tried something different.......... Everyone does best to worst , so I did worst to best !!!! ) would be -
1) Chris
2)Blake
3)Lakisha
4)Phil( he won my " BEST HAIRDO" award)
5)Jordin ( she also won my " MOST IRRITATING" award)
6)Melinda ( like DUH !!! )
the thing i like about blake is that he has his own sound. its different and as was mentioned previously he may have actually won this. not this year. my guess is that it is he or lakisha to go this week. shame really.
jordin did have problems with her vocal. my take on it is that she had a few pinched emotional notes. singing and crying - not a good combo. she was my favorite because she leaves the impression that she is in the song - part of it, feeling it and expressing it. sharing it. i like that. it has an impact on me. moved to tears? no. played over again 3 times - yes.
chris actually did ok. do not appreciate his style. a bit of a whatever. phil is my secret crush. i like the guy and i like his singing. i would pick him over melinda any day.
welll.... after last week i relli likd Phill even though i waz nt a fan of hiz he waz gudd today alsoo .... Melinda waz as usual interestingly nice Lakisha rockd da houz wid her vocalz n Jordan waz da best n now every1 would belive in da thin save da best 4 da last den Chris waz preety nicee n Blake iz nt makin da show hiz own but it would be betta if he concentrates on da competition more ! wel otherwiz i wish da ppl who r sufferin best of luck n america iz wid u ll n wel thtz it it waz a Gud show.................................................................. ...................
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I have to be a voice of dissidence (along with Zayra) on this Blake love fest. Blake is about the biggest cabaret lounge signer ever. He is the equivalent to Danny Gans, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_Gans , the impressionist in Las Vegas. Blake used a cheesy gimmick to get onto the show, the beat boxing. He showed off his goofy character Cooter Cletus or whatever the heck that was. Then, he imitates Keane, Jamiroquai, and others instead of singing in his own voice. I think there is a 12 - 2 slot waiting for him at the Tropicana. Last night, he employed this fake Keane British accent again and literally made me lose interest in the rest of the show because I was so bored with it. And he would have beaten my baby for the "Most Unkempt Hair" award as well. With Lakisha doing badly and Chris still around, Blake will survive for a few more weeks. But, he needs to be exposed for the phony that he is - a very good lounge-singing impressionist.
edit: ben1974 - 2007-04-25 08:39:08 GMT - comma in URl
I'm with you Shenova (about your rant). I think it's great that AI is giving all this money to hungry kids in Africa and the States. But what countries in Africa were they in exactly? I was wondering, is it Somalia? Ethiopia? Sierra Leone? Hello???
And food banks. Come on!!!!!!!! They're all over the place. I live in Montreal, and I know where the food banks are and that they have drives for people to bring in non-perishables and other food stuff. Rich people, sheesh.
Okay, on with the show. Melinda all the way. She is phenomenal, I can actually say that if she wins and comes out with a CD equalling some of the songs she sang on the show, I would go out and buy it. Something I can't say about any of the others.
Chris wasn't as heinous as I thought he would be, I didn't cringe once, well maybe when I opened my eyes and saw him dancing.
LaKisha, oh, LaKisha, I'm very afraid for this woman. Yes, she's got an amazing voice, but her song choices this past weeks has sucked big time.
Phil, I think he has a nice soothing voice, and I agree with the judges, he would have a great career in country.
Blake I kind of like. He reminds me of a British singer from the 80's. Pet Shop Boys, someone mentioned Howard Jones, that's pretty accurate. I loved British bands from the 80's (yes, I'm that old) so therein lies my love of Blake (don't think he should win this though).
Now, Jordin. I may be the only person who did not like her performance that much. I had my eyes closed, and I really thought she had alot of pitch problems and off key notes. She was probably a little too emotional while singing it, so I'll forgive her, cause I like her.
Final thoughts, unfortunately I think LaKisha may be voted off tonight.
Here is my two cents worth: Blake and Jordin made the best song CHOICES. Jordin doesn't have nearly the control in her singing that Melinda does; Lakisha continues to disappoint, even though her performance was not as bad as the judges would want to imply.
Chris still does not impress me; Blake picks songs that camouflage his weak vocal skills; Phil was not as good as the judges made him out to be, I was actually bored. Jordin is a phenomenon for just 17 years old, but she has to work harder on controlling her voice when she hits those high notes.
Top two: Melinda and Jordin. (Jordin song choice was better, Melinda sang better)
Middle two: Phil and Blake
Bottom two: Lakisha and Chris.
If my memory serves me right I think it will only be a "bottom two" tonight, not three, but I stand corrected.
I really hope it is Chris going home, but I can live with Lakisha leaving.
"The last promotional clip had Simon going to a food shelter just 20 minutes from where he lives. He had no idea that places like that existed"
Who the %&* has their head so far up their @$$ that they don't know that food banks exist?!? Even the "Christmas-only" donors still know that they exist! This caused me to lose all respect for Simon.
Honestly you'd be amazed how many idiots there are in the world. I don't think Simon is an idiot, just rich - probably born that way, and he would have no idea how much need there is out there or how much help there is out there. Come to work with me for a few days and you'll hear plenty of true idiots - the kind that call up groups like Feed the Children to ask why they don't help US children (the short answer to that by the way is simply "They do.")
MusicExpert said: Idol's getting so caught up in "ohh, look how great we are to help these poor black people" that they don't even bother telling us which COUNTRIES they went to in Africa. It's like asking a contestant where they're from and they answer, "North America."
The video clips were just too darn generic. And what's that about a 12 year old boy already being a father with a family to feed?! Yikes!
To clarify first of all on the 12 year old boy - They meant that he is the man of the family, so "the father" because his parents aren't there (either dead or gone both happen frequently in all parts of Africa). He has to take care of his younger brothers and sisters.
As for why they didn't say where in Africa they had been - to be brutally honest most Americans wouldn't have understood that Mozambique is a country in Africa. I don't think the AI target audience is too familiar with African nations, so they really were better off just sticking to "Africa" though I agree they could have tossed in a "we visited a feeding center in Sierra Leone, Africa".
"Now you know why lions eat their young" Capt. Phil Harris
My curiosity is focused today on how they will handle the tacky send off at the end of the show? They normally torture the singers and try to be cute with their mis-direction and showmanship, but will they do it tonite? I guess torturing starving children wouldn't be politically correct so how will they handle the transition or will they attempt to be humane, inquiring minds want to know? Will
The VFTW sight has Melinda just above Chris near the bottom. Man, I hope their inbuilt statistical sampling flaws are really off this time, I definitely think Melinda should be in the finals. Will
I am not a big variety show fan, I would rather hear all the finalists sing three songs each chosen by the judges or the audience, to show off their skills. They could have had and Idol special on a different night or something like that. Blending starving people with a singing contest is just a bit strange.
I mean, you know, what if the cast of lost came over to the screen at the end of a show in character and said, he you know how all this is just fake and what we really want is for you to send five bucks each to save the seals. It would be a good thing to save the seals but it kind of takes away from the play "Lost" and the magic it wields in our need for such facing a world like the one we live in. I would love your thoughts on this, peeps??
Me!!
edit: Will - 2007-04-25 10:32:52 GMT - edit: Will - 2007-04-25 10:33:35 GMT - edit: Will - 2007-04-25 10:34:17 GMT - edit: Will - 2007-04-25 10:39:57 GMT -
Will said: The VFTW sight has Melinda just above Chris near the bottom. Man, I hope their inbuilt statistical sampling flaws are really off this time, I definitely think Melinda should be in the finals. Will
DialIdol always gets worse when we get two numbers to vote on. Technically they don't have a bottom 2 or 3, they have a bottom 6, statistically speaking. Statistical error in polls is 3-5%, the wider margin even keeps Jordin on the bottom or it places all 6 on Top, take your pick.
"Now you know why lions eat their young" Capt. Phil Harris
Just watched the contestants again on Utube. The background singers for Melinda were fantastic. LISTENED to both Chris and Phil; Chris was worse than I thought, and Phil was better. Blake sings almost all his songs in the same key. Jordin was not as good as the judges made her out to be. Best AI performance ever? Please.
This wasn't nearly as good as "I who have nothing." I really think she is the annointed one the way the judges are promoting her.
Hope it is a Melinda/ Jordin/Blake final three. When they have to sing more than one song the same night you will see Jordin's and particularly Blake's shortcomings.
If this were based solely on merit Melinda would be a clear winner. However, I must admit that Jordin has shown the most improvement over the past four weeks. Unfortunately, Melinda has very little room for improvement.
"The last promotional clip had Simon going to a food shelter just 20 minutes from where he lives. He had no idea that places like that existed"
Who the %&* has their head so far up their @$$ that they don't know that food banks exist?!? Even the "Christmas-only" donors still know that they exist! This caused me to lose all respect for Simon.
[..]
I'd like to mention that **I** never heard from a foodbank until I came to the USA. We just have nothing like it in Europe.
The much hyped American Idol Gives Back started tonight. Tomorrow night will be the big show with all the money-raising and the guest performances. Tonight we were stuck with just the Top 6 contestants, along with the talents of Ryan Secrest and the judges. Actually tonight's show was rather good, so being "stuck" was okay with me.
First up was news that News Corp would be giving 10 cents for each call up to 50 million calls to the charity. That means that if they get 50 million calls, they donate 5 million dollars. Ryan said that the votes tonight would save your favorite contestant, and save lives. Then we got a clip of Ryan and Simon Cowell's trip to Africa. They visited clinics in the region, where they are treating malaria. Malaria is the number one killer in Africa. Simon was visibily upset over the conditions. It was odd to see even Simon getting a little emotional.
Chris Richardson was the first to perform. He chose to sing "Change the World" by Eric Clapton. He liked that the song is about how one person has the will to change someone else's life. As usual Chris was pitchy and completely sucked. Also as usual the judges fawned all over him. Randy Jackson thought it was the first time Chris was in it to win it. Paula Abdul said it was a great song choice and done very well. Simon thought it was a good vocal, and had more soul than when he had performed before.
Melinda Doolittle was up next, with her performance of the Faith Hill song "There Will Come A Day." Melinda likes that the song speaks about the problems in the world today but also about hope for tomorrow. She said that is what tonight is all about. Her performance was great as usual. She keeps gaining confidence every week and that's showing as well. Randy said she's got it all together, and he doesn't know what to say to her anymore. Paula said it must feel great to get the love, praise and support every week. Simon told her it wasn't a copycat vocal, instead she made him believe he had recorded the original. He added that it was a vocal masterclass.
Blake Lewis was asked what the biggest sacrifice he had made since joining Idols. He said the worst was missing his family and friend. He chose to sing "Imagine" by John Lennon, as it is all about coming together in an ideal world. I thought it was his best performance yet. Naturally the judges didn't like it. Randy thought it was a great choice, but on the performance side it was just alright. He wanted Blake to do more with the song. Paula said she thought that at the beginning, but then was reminded of how beautiful and sensitive the song is. She thought it was the first beautiful performance from him. Simon said that because Blake chose one of the biggest songs of all time, there will always be a comparison. He felt that Paula was right in that he was sincere. But he also thought that it didn't go anywhere. Simon added that it was most important that he was sincere.
Lakisha Jones chose to sing "I Believe" by Fantasia. Honestly as much as I disliked Fantasia - her version was better. It was pitchy and just not good at all. Randy thought it was pitchy and difficult to sing after someone like Fantasia did it. Paula said that Fantasia is so unigue, you have a hard time singing something like she does. Simon translated Paula's comments as she liked Fantasia's version better. He had an issue with the shouting too.
Phil Stacey was asked what he missed most about home. He too the opportunity to pimp his children again, who are with their grandparents and not their with him and his wife. He chose to sing "The Change" by Garth Brooks, which was released after the Oklahoma City bombings. There were a couple of pitchy notes at the beginning, but beyond that it was awesome. He had the right emotion to the song and everything. Randy was happy since he came back with another strong performance. Paula felt like he found his comfort zone. Simon really likes Phil. He likes that he has a spring in his step again. He would like Phil to connect the confidence with the country sound he had in his voice last week though.
Last up was Jordin Sparks, who sang "You'll Never Walk Alone." She wanted to convey a message of hope that would be comforting to people. She had a couple of bad notes at the beginning, but after that it was a wonderful performance. Randy said it was one of the best vocals by any contestant in six seasons. Paula said it was an amazing song to close the night. Simon thought it was fantastic. Even though the song was 60 years old, she'd have a hit if she recorded it.
My ranking in order from best to worst:
