AI Season 12 - 5 Remain - Who Run the World?

     Five remain, and it's the girls running the show. Of course, as I said from the start, the producers stacked the decks that way so as to avoid another male winner, since their biggest hitmakers to date have been two girls, Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood. Deck as it is, I was glad to see Lazaro finally leave, because that was getting disturbingly painful.

     I actually hope that the boys' demise is not only because of the stacked deck. I'd like to think this generation of teens is losing their catty, competitive bitchiness and have growing numbers of wistful, aspiring dreamers. It just makes for a happier future.

     Ryan gives a poor "we care" pantomime to acknowledge the Boston Marathon bombings. I don't know if I've taken the time to say it, but this year it really hit me (if it hasn't before) that although Ryan tries his best to do a spot-on Dick Clark impersonation in every way, he fails no matter what, because Dick Clark's Dick Clarkiness was original and innate. There was a sincerity and natural ease about him that Ryan can never duplicate, because his Dick Clarkiness is a carefully studied pose, and carefully thought-out presentation. That's why he has trouble ad-libbing or going off script for any reason, and isn't the best at interacting with contestants on a level that shows real caring and connection. Anyone who used to watch American Bandstand knows exactly what I mean. I think anyone who would truly compare with Dick Clark would have to come by it by talent, heart, work, and smart planning coincidentally equal to his. Ryan is more like a smiley echo. I don't believe there's substance at the heart f it. Smarts and drive, for sure; heart and soul, I don't feel it.

     Back to the real show! It's another doubleheader, songs from your birth year and diva songs. Candice is up first with "Straight Up" from 1989. Somehow she knows what the year was like, even though she was born in November. Coaching to song choice, anyone? I know this is obvious by now, but I wish they would just admit to it on the show. She's going cool jazzy in her version of it. It sounds way updated, like an Erykah Badu version or something. I like it. I feel like she could release it as a successful remake. It's different enough to make it worthwhile, more current, and her vocals are spot-on.
     It's funny how Candice looks so relaxed and confident when she sings, then immediately looks humble and a little nervous when she stops to wait for judgment. No worries, Candice!
     Keith says he never realized it was such a great song. (Paula Abdul says "Thanks, Keith!") Nicki congratulates Candice on making it to the top 5 and makes a note of the fact that she failed to make it last season and was strong enough to keep trying. Nicki feels te song was always good, but liked this version of it too. Randy liked the arrangement and like me, felt it was more modern. Mariah always seems to be last. She thought it was unpredictable, smart, and a genius song to use. Feel-good, Candified. And Ryan prompts Candice to credit Janelle with helping her pick the song. Anything that helps Janelle is fine by me, and I hope this does, and doesn't hurt her since Candice was so fantastic!

     A new element is added here that I've wished for before: Jimmy Iovine comments, not on elimination night when it's too late to consider them, but right after the judges, so you can think about what he has to say. He thought she should have chosen a bigger song that shows the range of her capability. I disagree. She did a lot with a little, and showing that she could do that was impressive.

     Janelle is next, with Vince Gill's "When I Call Your Name." She's got her guitar as the judges requested, but this time I don't think she really needs it. She's just got it. Maybe having it relaxes her a little, though, because she really is going for it. The louder, higher parts of the song sound terrific, but the lower, quieter few words almost sound like a little talking whisper. I don't know if it's too low for her or if she's just singing too quietly. It's only the occasional word at the end of a line, though (maybe 4 words total), so it's not too much of a detraction. The performance on the whole was liltingly beautiful.
     Nicki has the same thought that I did about the guitar providing a level of relaxation that makes the performance go more smoothly. She points out there is something inauthenticity when the guitar is replaced by other movements. Randy agrees, and feels it was beautiful, completely honest and open. Mariah believed it, and heard her singing with her whole heart. She suggests there were little things to pick apart, but doesn't think they're worth bothering with. Yikes! Keith didn't get emotion from her. I don't see how. Yes, she put more runs into it, but I felt emotion in the runs, and they seemed completely natural. I don't know what he's talking about. I do know what he means about the guitar, in the fact that she didn't really use it and could have just sat there or stood there and sung. But without it, I don't think she would have, and that's key. Mariah cuts in to have the last word in Janelle's favor, repeating vehemently that the performance brought her to tears.
     Jimmy doesn't want to work with Janelle, and his assessment of her performance as "Row Row Row Your Boat" showed that to the height of cruelty. It's not enough, he complains, because he would find it easier to market Amber, and he knows they are the two most likely to bottom this week.

     Kree is up next, the Snow White baby of 1990. She looks just like her mother! That would be a nice thing to carry with you if you lost your mother. I was obsessed with my own cowboy boots at about the same age as Kree, but mine were regular saddle brown, not red. They were AWESOME, though. I think we still have them around the house somewhere, or did before my cousin threw out everything.
     Kree has made the brilliant choice of singing "She Talks to Angels" by the Black Crowes. It kind of weirds me out that she was born the year this came out, because she seems so mature but that tells me how young she really is (although she's older than many contestants). It also bothers me that she says "whoever wrote this song." Well, the Robinson brothers did, right? Or do you not really know the song? I credited her with choosing it, because I am loath to buy that any producer would suggest she sing it, but then that statement confused me.
     She doesn't think people would expect her to sing this song, but I totally would. The Black Crowes sound very bluesy, but blues is close to country in many areas, and this song could easily cross over. Plus Kree can easily cross over to blues, or even rock.
     I think she's singing this a little too upbeat and emptily. It's weird to me, because I never have this issue with her. The delivery is fine, but I don't like the performance at all. I don't think she does know the song, or if she does, she isn't thinking about what it means. The vocals are great, but I think the connection sucked, and even the connection to the audience seemed forced and fake. This was the worst performance I've seen from her.
     Randy had the opposite reaction to me. He felt emotion, but didn't think the vocals were flawless. I think Mariah saw a bit of what I did: Kree was trying very hard to "perform" this, with the awkward calling out to the audience "where you at?" and all that. Oy. Tonight was not organic and authentic. I agree that the way she usually sings is better and what would keep her here. Keith agrees, but excuses the false front and awkwardness to the restrictions and demands of the show. Nicki sides with Randy, and says it was the best performance of the night. Well, I do like Kree, and think she should win (or Candice), so I guess that's good. But for the first time, I'm not 100% about her anymore. I really don't like that she couldn't see this song for what it is and present it that way. It's almost like she never heard the original.
     Jimmy is booed until nearly unintelligible as he says Kree's performance wasn't enough. Surprisingly, he blames it on the song! Lame, Jimmy. The song is awesome, and she could have made it legendary.

     Ryan took us out to the break with a photo of a white baby, asking if you could guess who it was. Hmm . . . Amber and Angie are left to perform. . . which one of them was a white baby. . . I give up, Ryan. Angie's mother looks less pretty than ever before in the year of birth package. Oddly, she looks a little forest elfin, and then Angie comes on to say that when she was born, she looked like an elf! So you got it from your mom, Angie. but your mom is prettier than you now, because you got the Miley mouth from somewhere. Oh! Mom kind of has the Miley mouth. So you'll probably grow into it nicely.
     There is an awkward pause accented by a little snare drum zazzle before Angie's version of "I'll Stand By You" begins. She still deftly dedicates it to her home, Boston (her small town is a suburb), and starts on point. Her voice is higher and thinner than it's sounded in the past, and the starts to sing the wrong line at "when the night falls on you," but covers so seamlessly it almost sounds like she sings over her own voice! The way she phrases the lines sounds a little like someone who learned it in a second language. Did Celine Dion cover this? The "nothing you confess" sounds like her phrasing. "If you're mad geT mad" is way too overpronounced. She was slow on the cue at "standing at the crossroads." I feel like this is under-rehearsed, and though she's doing a good job singing it, I don't feel the emotion that should be there. If she really felt it, she should hardly be able to sing. But no, like the dedication, it's robot time, as if she practiced in the mirror last night trying to say "home" mournfully. You got it to sound like the Quantum Leap intro, Angie, which I did always think sounded mournful. But the song didn't sound full of much emotion. It did feel strong, which is good, but not a compassionate strong. Of course the judges aren't going to say much for a dedicated performance.
     Mariah praises Chrissie Hynde, but refers to her in the past tense for some reason. Keith praises the piano and the song choice, and wants her to hit the road. Nicki praises the piano, the outfit, and the dedication. Randy calls the "shout out" amazing, and says all the girls of the top five are incredible.
     Jimmy claims "I'll Stand By You" is a "subtle record," and that only Angie's performance of it made it into a power ballad. News to me! I always thought it was that on its own. Jimmy just wants Angie to score well, and I don't blame him. I find her incredibly marketable.

     Amber stands uncomfortably next to Jonelle, a fan she is pretending to connect with. Good thought, producers who want Amber to stay, but it plays fake, fake, fake, SETUP! Amber, coincidentally a Houston baby ("What?! Oh my god! Houston! She's Whitney Houston?! Oh. . . born in Houston? Hmm. . . that's like, the same thing though, right?"), explains how she was the most beautiful baby in the world. No surprise, considering she's still so beautiful now, right, right, right? Selfie!
     Amber's doing the cheat move in singing a cover from the year she was born, "Without You" as covered by Mariah Carey. No surprise she has to fall upon a cheat to get the effect she's aiming for. But I don't think she's really getting it. She's singing too softly, and the low end of the key she's in is too low for her. The chorus gets boggy because it starts too low for her, and the vocalistics she uses in the end of it make her soar off key. Bleh. This is the worst she's done in a while. It wasn't that shouty, except at the end, but it was very pitchy, as they like to say on this show.
     Of course, the judges all stand.Keith says it was beautiful, and calls the nasal, off-key shouts of the end "blooms." Nicki is shameless in confessing she only knows Mariah's version of the song (what?!), but points out there was something missing in the low end. She says it was emotion, I say it was singing. She excuses it as a bit of nerves, but says she was restricted and unimpressive. Wow, thanks Nicki, for telling the truth. Randy admits it wasn't perfect, but then somehow excuses it because it was done in front of Mariah. Not an excuse in my book. And why did you stand, then, Randy? because you're a suckup to Amber? I think so. Randy and Mariah agree it was a damn good job, and Mariah agrees with an audience member that people should vote for Amber. I never think these blatant orders from the judges are appropriate, no matter the reason. Mariah goes on to talk about herself for a while, and how she brilliantly realized this song could be an international hit (because it already had been?) At least she credits Harry Nilsson for having written it.
     Jimmy comes on to say he agrees with Nicki that the lower register wasn't emotive enough (it's called no voice, people!) but somehow still gives Amber the second spot of the night! He must be smoking something. No, of course not, he's just going by what he wants, not by what is. So far tonight the ranking has been Candice, Angie or Janelle, Kree, and Amber easily comes in last.

     Round two is the Divas (female powerhouse) songs. Candice has chosen "When You Believe," the Mariah-Whitney duet. I expect she'll get Mariah much better than Amber did. She reminds me of Natasha Bedingfield as she starts off. It's haunting and strong. I don't really love this song, I find it Disney-esque, but Candice does a professional job with it. Her voice is shown off well, and the backup singers compliment without overshadowing her at all. There's maybe one moment of wiggle in the vocal gymnastics, but otherwise it's perfect.
     The judges agree, and this time they really all stand, even the girls. I'm glad she's done this, because she's just shown that you can sing a Mariah song in front of Mariah, and it doesn't have to be the fail Amber just perpetrated. Nicki says how she used to cry singing along with that song as a little girl, while Mariah stands by stoically thinking "not too little!!" Nicki then throws her a bone by saying it was a pairing of divas that has never happened since. Randy says Candice's voice is one of the best in the known world. Mariah gives high praise, Keith praises Mariah's praise, and swathes Candice with love and compliments.
     
     Janelle is going with her personal diva of Dolly Parton, singing "Dumb Blonde." The dedication is sweet, but Janelle is all power as she enters the stage. She quavers off key on "don't try to make me," but it could have been a quirk of her voice. Until she does it again with "flew too high." There's something going wrong with that set of notes for some reason. Then it sounds like the timing went a little off. It sounded like the band's fault, but but I really don't know. There's also times when a lot of vibrato is in her voice that usually isn't there. Could be nerves. But the performance was actually one of her best, really strong and confident and natural and fun. It reminded me a little of Lauren Alaina when she was on the show. It was a fun set, but it didn't raise or lower her for the show, in my opinion.
     Randy seems to agree with me almost exactly. Mariah understands, but found it "pow," but agreed that America should get to hear her vocal chops. Keith thirds the opinion, saying that he doesn't place Dumb Blonde high up in the Dolly Parton catalog. He praises her voice and her unique abilities, but says this choice didn't let them shine. I know Nicki's going to say Amber doesn't belong in the same tier as the others, no matter how "careful" she's claiming to be. She says Janelle is in danger of going home, which is true, because she's third or fourth overall no matter how you call tonight. I guess Nicki is doing her a small favor by possibly inspiring people to vote to help her out, and praising what she'll be able to do in the real world no matter how she ultimately places in the competition.
     Let's see how Jimmy's going to knock her down now. Oh, wait, there was no Jimmy after Candice's last performance. I guess they only used him for round one.

     Kree is singing "Have You Ever Been In Love" by Celine Dion. She steps on the opening cue by starting while the audience is still clapping. Here she has the solemnity and gravity she should have had for She Talks to Angels, but here it's a downer. Her dress is beautiful, but her pink lipstick is horrible. Her voice is lovely and strong, but her expression is pained. It's emotional, but it looks like she hasn't ever been in love like that, or if she has she lost it and she's pissed. I didn't hear the mystery and promise that is in the Celine Dion version. This was better than the first performance, but it's still not up to Kree standard tonight, and Candice has just solidly staked her top spot position.
     Looks like the standing judges disagree with me. Mariah calls it a smart choice, but does point out the little flaw somewhere. Keith thought it was beautiful, and felt she was in control. Nicki says Kree is a worldly icon-level star with longevity. I agree, but i didn't favor that performance. The dress and hairdo were very Adele, and I think that's where Nicki pulled that from.

     Angie comes back with a Beyoncé song ("Halo") and Rose McGowan's Oscar dress from 1998 (with a black liner). I always thought this song was Rihanna because it's just as repetitive as Umbrella, and I wondered why she sang it well when she really doesn't have a great voice. By being Beyoncé, I guess. Angie is highlighting her flaws here, missing low end notes and getting breathy in quiet moments. She will never stop overpronouncing, either. WriTTen. It's slightly out of control at points, but it's pretty damn good. She got that gargle from last week in her voice again just in the last notes of "fade away," but apart from that a the few little messy bits in the slow beginning, it was good. She's got second place for me tonight.
     Keith proclaims "top three," Nicki says she's back and it was like a queen, Randy says she's in it to win it, and Mariah praises her ability to sing the idiosyncratic Beyoncé's tune.

     Ryan announced Amber's performance as a showstopper even before she was onstage. Interesting. Amber is doing Barbra Streisand's "What Are You Doing With the Rest of Your Life." I think she's set a task for herself, but it's a fun one. She goes flat or off here and there, and to me it's showing exactly the problem with her being here. I think she's just too young and inexperienced, vocally. She has a good voice. It sounds pretty a lot here. But she can't use it to its full potential, and while this is pretty, it's only too obvious that she just doesn't have what a real diva and what some of the girls here have. And she's still just not producing sound on the low end (for example, on "asleep" in "what's asleep in your eyes"). It was fine, very good for a high-end gala of some kind, or when a pop singer does a serious song. But she's no iconic diva vocalist. There was nothing particularly special or incredible about what she did. It was just fine.
     As usual, the suckup judges are here to stand and say "ohhh, the best!, ohhh, ohh!!" Luckily, America has ears and they are the ones voting. Nicki calls it perfection, and says America may not get this beautiful human being or give Amber the credit she deserves. Dumbass Amber nods righteously. Now that insures you'll get what you deserve, Amber! Randy agrees, then calls her a young Rihanna. That's pretty hilarious. I won't disagree, Randy, since Rihanna sucks. Mariah calls it classic and beautiful, says she's "potentially a massive star" (faint praise in my book), and once again unfairly urges America (i.e., all Mariah's fans) to vote for Amber. Keith claims it was such a difficult song to sing and says she knocked it out of the park. What are they all doing? Why do they all push Amber so much? I guess the producers have told them to. I don't understand it, but I guess they have their reasons. But I would think it would be better for them to get real votes, not culled votes, so they know who will really sell singles. Mariah's not going to be there with every one of Amber's singles saying "PLEASE pay 99¢ for this."

     Tonight was weird, but at this point, it's no longer just about each show's performance, it's a lot about liking the contestant as a whole. So there's the ranking for the night, but then there's still the solid top two (Candice and Kree) and the next tier of Angie and Janelle, followed by the unimpressive Amber. So even though Kree's unforgivable performance of "She Talks to Angels" landed her fourth in my ranking, she's still one of my top two favorites overall.


Tonight's Ranking:

1. Candice
2. Angie
3. Janelle
4. Kree
5. Amber

Who should go? Amber, definitely. She's America's least favorite, and with reason, whatever the producers think or the judges say. I would say Janelle is next closest in danger, but it really should be Amber who leaves.