This finale was jam packed with celebrities. Not a bad show, tho I could have done without the Golden Idol Awards... Granted, we would have missed Miss Canary planting a big wet one on Ryan, which, I have to admit, was pretty darn funny!!!
The night starts with "I Saw Her Standing There", by Blake and Jordin. "Well, she was just 17... You know what I mean..." Aaaaaaaaaaaaaand they have just given away the winner. Blech. Blake is looking mighty fine, and he seems to be having a lot of fun.
I didn't care for Gwen and fast forwarded through her performance. I have to say I hate when performances are pre-taped or from another location like that. I don't know why exactly, I just don't like it.
The Top 6 Guys performed a good number I thought. Blake was barely seen tho - I found that rather odd. In other seasons, the group numbers for the finale are there to sort of highlight the finalists.... not so much in this year's case. I gotta say, Phil Stacey sounded really good.
Now for my first highlight of the night! Blake performing with Doug E. Fresh! This really isn't my kind of music, but this performance of Blake made me smile from ear to ear. Soooooooo freaking cool to see Blake do HIS thing!!! Fuck he's good. I enjoyed that performance entirely too much! *LOL*
Top 6 Girls were good. I miss Gina! I like her new shorter hair, and she sounded awesome.
All of the past winners, except for Fantasia, had their turn in the American Idol sun. I kinda liked Kelly Clarkson's new song. Actually, I should say her voice - I like the grit she's added - but I could care less for the song, really. Carrie Underwood was great. I'm no fan of hers, but her rendition of "I'll Stand By You" was beautiful. Damn she's a pretty woman! Ruben was ok, I guess. Taylor.... Taylor Hicks! I've missed Taylor, and I was reminded tonight about how much I've missed his voice. I really loved him last year. This song was not half bad, I feel so bad for him. AI really is not supporting him. I'd be mighty pissed if I was Taylor.
And now, for my second highlight of the night - The African Choir!!! These kids make me smile so much... Their energy is infectious, their smiles are simply radiating joy throughout and they are so damn cute! I loved seeing them on Idol Gives Back, and American Idol couldn't have done a better tribute to that special show. Those little kids rule!!!!!!!!
Sanjaya performing with Joe Perry was actually not half bad! I won't comment on the voice, but the performance has certainly improved. Sanjaya seems to be embracing his new found fame... and seems more confident by the minute!
The show ran long, and the winner was announced around 10:05 or so. Blake was all smiles, Jordin looked nervous. Jordin is crowned the winner... Blake congratulates her, hugs her, picks her up from the floor... *L* He's being a true gentleman with it all. I really do love Blake!
I wish Jordin all the best.
I wish Blake all the success in the world. I hope for him he'll be able to make the kind of record he wants, and stay true to himself. He's said in interviews that he already has 6-7 songs ready... I hope we get to hear some of his original stuff on his album. As he sang earlier this season:
"Punk" the nay-sayers 'cause they don't mean a thing...
The judges were all over the place tonight. Randy was nauseating with his "just only 17" stich, and his comments on the last song "It's about singing, it's all about you baby". *throwing up*
Paula couldn't commit to anything to save her life. Bless her heart, she lets it all out to the viewers.
Simon suprised me tonight. On the first two songs, he couln't really commit either, but he did give Blake the advantage! I couldn't believe it. But then, he totally handed the crown to Jordin on the last song. But came around to his original comments at the end: "Best performer, Blake. Best singer, Jordin".
Round 1: Blake - You Give Love a Bad Name
He performed it even better than the first time. But I agree with Simon, his voice was a bit flat in places. But it didn't really matter, it was awesome.
Jordin - Fighter. This bored me to death. She was rushed in her phrasing, no life on stage, and she was screaming in places.
I loved that song for him. PERFECT, just like This Love last week. GORGEOUS falsetto that gives me chills. His voice was beautiful on this.
Jordin - Broken Wing - Jordin did this one well. Last week, when she did I Who Have Nothing again, I thought her performance was not as good as the first time. Tonight, her performance was BETTER than the first time she sang that song. She did well.
Round 2: I want to say tie, but I guess Jordin gets the edge. By only tiny little bit!
OMFG.... *vomit* That song couldn't have been cheesier even if they tried. What an awful, awful, awful song! Blake did the best he could with it, but you could tell he was NOT feeling it AT ALL. He was way too loose with it. And I agree with Simon, he really looked uncomfortable. Poor Blake. Kuddos to him for having sung it tho - I would have flipped the bird to everyone and gone home. I really wish Blake said something about it tho. He could have said, it's a nice song, but really outside my box, I did what I could with it... Ya know? He definetely was biting his tongue at the end, and I wish he would have just said something. But he's a gentleman, so he probably didn't want to say anythign bad.
Jordin - This Is My Now - OMFG, she is screaming. OMFG, she's pitchy. OMFG, she is shaking. OMFG, the water works. *gag, vomit*
Yep, tomorrow will be interesting.
On the bright side - Blake gave us two beautiful, wonderful performances, and we had Daughtry there at the end! Nice treat!
Jordin was pitchy, screaming, not to be heard on the low parts on that last song. BUT... She sang the money note.... So of COURSE she's fantastic!!! [/sarcasm]
Yes, I'm bitter. This is Carrie/Bo all over again, and Jordin is clearly the one they want at the end. I don't dislike Jordin for a second - she's great, she's a wonderful singer and all that jazz. But it really pisses me off the way they just write Blake off at the end - yes, DAWG, I'm looking at you!!! GRRRRRRR...
Simon actually looks like he wants to save Blake somehow... I've never seen him so undecided before.
Here are some old songs from Jim McGorman. Thanks to allmusic.fan from rockbandlounge.com for "Maybe" and "Want You To Come Over"!!! And of course, thanks to Jimmy for allowing these to be posted!
It's getting down to the wire! Tonight, Jordin, Blake and Melinda sang three songs each. It was a good night...
Round 1 - Judges choice:
Jordin Sparks - Wishing on a Star - She did well. Boy am I happy to see her go first... Anyway. This genre of music suited her surprisingly well. But I thought it was pretty "old" for her.
Blake - Roxanne
He did awesome with it! His vocals where great, and I was happy he sang it up straight. They sped up the tempo, and as such, I felt Blake was rushing and missing entrances. But all in all... Loved it!
Melinda Doolittle- I believe in you and me - Hard song to sing. Really hard. Melinda did amazing technically. But she didn't wow me with her performance. She was still really good.
Round 1 to... Objectivelly.... Melinda. I still prefered Blake's song, but Melinda was probably better.
Round 2 - Producers pick:
Jordin Sparks - She works hard for the money - I dind't like that at all. The first half of it was booooooooooring... She sounded and looked like she was phoning it in. the second half was good - she kicked into gear nd it was much better.
Blake Lewis - This Love
I LOVED THIS ONE!!!! This was totally perfect for him. In his range, great style, great genre, AWESOME! His voice was perfect on that one. Just enough of the beatboxing to remind us who he is.... LOVED IT! Did I say I loved it? :)
Melinda Doolittle - Nutbush City Limits - HATED the song, but LOVED Melinda's voice and performance. I think it's my favorite of hers. And I don't even like the song! She sounded great, and looked so comfortable up there, prancing the stage, mike stand in hand. Awesome!
Round 2 goes to ... Tie with Blake and Melinda. Jordin was totally out of this one.
Round 3 - Personal choice:
Jordin Sparks - I Who Have Nothing - She totally oversang that song. She nailed it the first time she sang it, she didn't nail it tonight. Bad choice.
Blake Lewis - When I Get You Alone
I was pleasantly surprised. I was really hoping he wouldn't come out and sing in falsetto... Thank goodness he didn't. It was not as good as the M5 song, but it was still awesome. He seemed rushed in his wording tho... But I love that style of music for him, and as usual, stellar stage presence. I hope Simon didn't give him the kiss of death with his comment at the end.
Melinda Doolittle - Woman - It was good - I too loved the little striptease at the top. But other than that... Like Jordin, she didn't nail it tonight the way she had previously in the season. So it was kinda just ok I felt.
Round 3: Tie between Melinda and Blake again, maybe with a slight Blake advantage.
Simon totally pimped Melinda at the end - about time someone other than Jordin is pimped. It kinda surprised me tho - I was expecting a much bigger pimping job on Jordin, but no.
One thing to be said about Blake... Simon was right - Blake never compromised, always stayed true to who he is, and took risks after risks after risks throughout the competition. He made it fresh, he made it current, he made if fun! He ws the only one to choose a different song for his personal choice. That takes courage to do something like that at the end of the competition. Good for you Blake!
So who will go on to the Finale? Who will go home? Stay tune...
AND VOTE FOR BLAKE!!!!!
*****EDITED*****
Well, well, well...
Blake makes it to the finals!
I cannot believe it! I'm so happy for him! But I really thought that he was going home, especially when it was down to him and Melinda. But when Ryan called Melinda first... I knew Blake would be safe. Wow!
I still think Jordin should have been the one to go home, based on last night's performances. She was the worst of the three. I guess at this point, it all comes down to popularity... From the homecoming videos, Blake seems to have had the most people coming to see him, while Melinda seems to have a much smaller crowd welcoming her home.
I thought Elliott was great, although I didn't love this song. It's good to see him up there nd doing his thing. Maroon 5 was ok... Didn't love the song, but they sounded good.
I'm not sure what to make of this season. It started out so freaking boring... One of the most lackluster season I had seen. But then things changed, Yau made things so much more interesting with his bold moves... It was seriously so exciting! It had been a long time since I was that interested in Survivor, and would watch Tribal Council biting my nails.
Then Yau was voted off... I was really dissapointed and sad. I totally get that Dreamz kept the Immunity Necklace - he would have been gone otherwise. He did do the right move, but I was still cursing at him for not giving it to Yau, because obvisouly Yau was going to be voted off. Damn. Earl did do the right thing. As much as I would have liked him to keep Yau around, he would have lost the million. Yau's only chance was to win immunity, and he didn't.
After that, honestly, it got boring again for me... The only thing I wanted was for Earl to win. Well, that's not true. What I wanted was for Dreamz and Cassandra NOT to win.
The jury was brutal. Really, what's up with these people? I honestly never liked that part of the show. People get crazy and so bitter and mean. If I was in the F2 (or F3), I would honestly loose any chance of winning, because I would never be able to let people talk to me that way. Ever. Fucking Alex with his "stop stop stop stop". Lisi making everyone feel stupid by... well... not saying much. Fucking Mookie with his "advice". Those three in particular were highly unlikeable to me. And not the love to hate them kind. I just plain disliked them. Bo surprised me with his christian question. Am I the only one who had not seen that one coming? I don't think we've seen that side of him during the show at all.
The reunion show was good. Yau was very gracious, I love that man, really. Cassandra was almost non-existent... They really have to stop that F3 non-sense. It is NOT interesting. Earl and Boo were looking MIGHTY fine all cleaned up and with a bit of weight back on. Yum!
China looks REALLY interesting. I am very much looking forward to it
Randy: You don't have to beatbox on everything, dude...
So, here's the list of Blake's performances:
Blake Lewis - This Is Where I Came In - beatbox Blake Lewis - You Should Be Dancing - beatbox Blake Lewis - You Give Love a Bad Name - beatbox Blake Lewis - Imagine - NO Blake Lewis - When The Stars Go Blue - NO Blake Lewis - I Need to Know - NO Blake Lewis - Mack The Knife - NO Blake Lewis - Love Song - NO Blake Lewis - Time of the Seasons - beatbox Blake Lewis - You Keep Me Hanging On - beatbox Blake Lewis — Virtual Insanity - beatbox Blake Lewis - All Mixed Up - beatbox Blake Lewis — Somewhere Only We Know - NO
So 7 beatboxing performances VS 6 without. Randy, dawg... SHUT UP!!!
And may I remind everyone of Randy's comments on Blake's performance of "Somewhere Only We Know":
You surprised me, man... No beatboxing, I think you should always keep that a part of your thing...
Such a letdown of a night. After last week, which was really good, this week was really... Blah. For everyone. Jordin probably takes the night, since she had the better performance (the first one), but she was not that much better than the others I feel. She did look totally beautiful tonight tho. I felt like all the contestants had a tired voice tonight.
Also...
*vent*
Why the hell did Jordin have the pimp spot AGAIN??? It should have been LaKisha's. Jordin had it twice, if not three times (I think it's three). LaKisha? 0. Nada. She never had the pimp spot. That really pisses me off.
Ok... *breathing*
Melinda Doolittle — Love You Inside Out - Blah. Very blah. The singing was technically very good. But the whole performance felt tired, old, lacking energy and conviction. Blah.
The start was rough... Love his falsetto, I thought that was great. But the "You should be dancing hehehehehehehehehe" really didn't sound good. That was poor use of his beatboxing abilities. LOVED the scatting in the middle. That was great and fitted really well. The problem with this song is that it is so not a singer's song - it really is aall about the performance. Blake is an awesome, awesome performer, but he was not quite there on this one tonight. It still was much better than what the judges gave him credit for. Listening to the audio only, it is much better than on the show.
LaKisha Jones — Stayin’ Alive - I actually don't hate the slower tempo. Makes the song a bit more sexy. Unfortunately, LaKisha was not sexy. If she gets the boot tomorrow night, the lyrics will have been very prophetic.
Jordin Sparks — To Love Somebody - This was great when she was not screaming. I love her lower voice, it's beautiful and soft and mature. But she was screaming again on the higher notes.
Melinda Doolittle — How Can You Mend A Broken Heart - Better than her first song. But that felt really, really old. Her maneurism were back to really bothering me. That last note? Not good.
Oh Blake. What did you do? The style and the feel of that song suited him PERFECTLY. But OMFG... Amongst all the Bee Gees songs, this was the one he chose? Choosing an unknown song at this stage of the game can be deadly. And the lyrics "This is the danger zone" really bothered me for some reason. I hope they are not prophetic... He did this song better than the first one, but it left a strange taste in my mouth. I'm scared for Blake. After listening to the audio only, I can see really, REALLY liking this song after a few listens. It was well done! But the first time you hear it, you go, huh????
LaKisha Jones — Run To Me - The beginning was not bad at all. It was very pleasant even. But OMFG she started to scream again... And it went all downhill from there. Stop screaming LaKisha! And of course, that last note was baaaaaaaaaaaad.
Jordin Sparks — Woman in Love - I've always hated that song. So that doesn't help. I absolutely hated the times when Jordin slowed down the lyrics, holding on to notes... I felt she was behind the beat all the way to the first chorus. She was so pitchy on that song, I've never heard her be that pitchy before. And she was back to breathing really loudly. Not good at all.
So of course, the top 2 will be Melinda and Jordin, and the Bottom 2 will be Blake and LaKisha. I am hoping LaKisha will be the one to go... VOTE FOR BLAKE!!!
*****EDITED*****
Another strange show... Why do they insist on filling up an hour and stretchhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing it all... So annoying...
The group sing was pretty bad. There were rumors that they would sing "How deep is your love" with Blake beatboxing on it, so I was dissapointed they didn't do it. But, I can understand if they changed it at the last minute, given the beating Blake took from the judges last night.
Barry Gibb... I love the Bee Gees and all, but I'm sorry, the guy looked like he had dentures two sizes too big for him. His voice is not even a 10th of what it was... Not very good.
The F4 standing center stage, not wanting to let anyone go was kinda cute. Goes to show how really close they are.
And omg, is Blake getting a bit of preferential treatment? He's the one in the B2 with LaKisha... A little extra exposure, to wake up his fans to vote even more next week? I certainly hope so. Not only does he deserve it, but it's about time the judges pimp him a bit!
LaKisha's sent off was touching. Especially the images of her and her daughter.
That was the best show this season. I really dreaded it - after all, none of the last 6 are rockers... But they all did well, some better than others, but it was a really good show tonight. I actually really enjoyed ALL the performances, because each and everyone of the singers give it their all. They just threw themselves in there and went for it. :)
Jon Bon Jovi was awesome. He seemed truly interested in all the contestants, he had great advice, he was enthusiastic and helpful. LOVED HIM!
Phil Stacey — Blaze of Glory - Excellent choice for Phil. It's the third week in a row that I enjoy his performance a lot. Tonight, he was awesome. His voice really suited the song, the song really suited his voice and the new little country flavor he's adding to his voice. It's just too bad he went first. This was his best performance of the season, I loved it! When he starts with the chorus again - "Shut down!" - wow, that was awesome!
Jordin Sparks — Livin’ on a Prayer - This was a bad performance for Jordin. Wow was she out of her element! It really was all kinds of bad. But I didn't hate it, because as I've said before, she still totally went for it. I loved the interaction with the guitar players, that was great. I didn't like her look.
LaKisha Jones — This Ain't a Love Song - At fist, I thought Lakisha was in trouble. But then she regained control of her song and she delivered a very believable performance. Her vocals were great, and finally she performed the way we know she can. Loved Simon's reaction to it all! And the kiss of course. :)
Blake Lewis — You Give Love a Bad Name
"Take these songs and make them your own" - Jon Bon Jovi
If there was ever an advice that a mentor gave and was followed by the pupil, this was it. OMFG, fucking Blake Lewis was fucking amazing! I was SO freaking nervous when I heard Jon's comments... I got even more nervous when I saw Blake's fucking black hair!!! The second he opened his mouth - a huge, fucking big ass grin appeared on my face and never left during the whole performance. I actually got tears in my eyes it made me so happy. LOVED the drummer! This song is HUGE, HUGE, HUGE for any Bon Jovi fan - I love Richie's guitar on it. I didn't even miss that tonight. Fucking Blake Lewis is fucking back! I have not read any comments yet, and I don't care if any of you hated it. I FUCKING LOVED IT!!!!!
Chris Richardson — Wanted Dead or Alive - What a downer after the high of Blake performance... Chris was so totally out of his element, it was not even funny. Like Jordin tho, I didn't completely hate it, as Chris really swung for the fences and went for it.
Melinda Doolittle — Have a Nice Day - Melinda showed us tonight that she can sing anything. ANYTHING! I agree with Randy and Simon - shades of Tina Turner right there. For the first time tho she was a bit pitchy here and there. Again, loved the interaction with the guitarist. Melinda worked the song within her own style, and it worked. She was great!
VERY good night tonight!
Best: BLAKE BLAKE BLAKE! Worst: Chris and Jordin
Going home: What a tough call, what with one of the best night of the season AND the freaking votes from last week counting! I'd guess Chris and Lakisha, but seriously, who knows???
*****EDITED*****
I don't know how this happened, but I was actually sad to see Phil and Chris go tonight. Phil went out on a really high note. And he sang the heck out of that song tonight. I loved the raspy note he held at the end. :) I thought Chris did awesome on his song tonight. I felt last night he was trying way too hard to be someone he's not... And tonight, he really did the song HIS way, and it worked much better, IMO. Poor Blake was crying. :( They were both total class acts in how they handled their elimination.
On another note - how often are they gonna beat us over the head with "poor jordin was punked last week about her elimination"? Boo freaking Hoo!!! Get over it already. Geez.
What is the deal between Simon and Paula? He can't stop teasing her!
I think it's very sweet how great friends Chris and Blake have become, and how open they are about it all.
Maybe that's why I felt a bit sad to see Phil and Chris go - the remaining 6 are very likable, have great personalities, and they all seem to get along so well.
Mom Has Stacked Dinner Party Roster
-
GOLDEN, CO—Their eyes widening in amazement as the 43-year-old rattled off
the names of heavy hitter after heavy hitter, impressed members of the
Dreesh...
