Last week's no-elimination wasn't much of a surprise, but the way they manipulated it was. There's never been a time when the judges didn't use their save precisely because they had the limit of having to use it by the Final Five, so they did then if they hadn't before. This years, the producers are pushing Amber as much as possible, so they decided if in the Final Five Janelle got the lowest votes, she'd go, and if Amber did, the judges would use the save. Then they could keep Amber on an extra week anyway, which would either garner her more votes an an unwarranted spot in the Top Three, or at least get her one more week of exposure. Why? I don't know. You can say someone is marketable up and down, you can even believe they are marketable, but if you have to use so much manipulation and do so much work to market them, it's clearly not a natural marketability. In my opinion, 19E would do better capitalizing on the natural marketability of the other contestants rather than forcing Amber down unwilling throats. And personally, if someone tells me to do something, I'm deliberately not going to do it. Sorry, but nobody tells me what to do! Unless they know me and successfully trick me into doing what they want by telling me the opposite, but that's probably going to be obvious, and therefore fail. So nope, nobody's going to tell me what to do.
On a serious note, you really can't tell people what to like. You can try all you want; you can make things look cool and trendy, and have others say they like them. But ultimately, unless a product is really worthwhile, no amount of marketing can make it a lasting success. And Amber, as she is now and in comparison to the other contestants, is not worthwhile.
Unfortunately, I didn't get to vote on this show. I am fairly upset, because I know sometimes the results are really close, and my family can usually get in 500-600 votes or even more. At the same time, I largely depend on other viewers to make the "right" selections. I hope that, like last week, they agreed with my estimations and put the Top Three who belong into the Top Three. I hope it wasn't a huge mistake, because I have a feeling the reasons the judges chose to combine the votes from this week and last week is because it was close enough so that Amber wouldn't be too far behind.
Songs from 2013 is one of the dumbest themes, considering we're only four months in. But I guess it's offset by the second round, Standards. And any show that gets Harry Connick, Jr. in is a winner in my book.
Angie is back with another Rihanna song, "Diamonds," which is from 2013? Wasn't it from 2012? It's already so overplayed. And I hardly listen to the radio. But it sounds like she has a good plan for it, involving actual singing, unlike Rihanna's version. It's much better than the original, because it's like a real song and less like a robotic nasal chant. Angie does the weird effect stopping her voice coming through her throat at points (in the "diamond" of the first "shine bright like a diamond"with the band/percussion and again on a later one), and her vibrato is often very pronounced, but it's okay. The only big problem was the majorly off key "tonight," which she couldn't fix. But it was only one note. The rest was down to taste. For mine, there was a little too much vibrato and runs. But the arrangement was terrific, and showed Angie recognizes the potential in and can capitalize on opportunities in songs. I thought it was a solid and pleasing performance that will stand up well to competition.
Of course, Keith disagrees with me. He likes the trash original version with no musicality. Shut up, Keith. What dumbass commentary. She did change the melody, because the original has no melody! Nicki is here to knock her down further, claiming it was forced, bland, and lackluster. Hmm, are we preparing for a huge Amber push by crushing everyone else? Randy says the song gave her nowhere to go, compliments her leather shorts, and says he didn't love it. Mariah reminds us Rihanna is a superstar and says it's dangerous to change a hit of a superstar. Really? I'll bet that's news to Joe Cocker, Naked Eyes, Frente, The Byrds, Pet Shop Boys, Jimi Hendrix, The Clash, Jeff Buckley, Gary Jules, and others. No, I see what's coming. It's called "been told to praise Amber and diminish everyone else." Playing to the camera more than the usual Angie?! She'd have to physically grab the camera and tongue it to do that. This girl is an unrelenting camera hogging camera flirt. But at least Mariah said "great job."
Amber is coming up with her gummy smile and the current Billboard number one hit. Somehow Amber feels she has to "redeem" herself from last week even though the judges gave her such high, butt-kissing praise. Perhaps she read what people actually think of her? Yet Ryan says "that WILL be fun" when referring to going to Amber's hometown and sampling some barbecue. Setup? Looks like it.
Amber has selected (supposedly) Pink's "Just Give Me A Reason," even though she's "iffy on the lyrics." Ah, wise choice, then. Harry Connick, Jr. is ever so diplomatic in saying "Amber is a very sweet young lady, and charismatic. You look at her and you like to see her onstage." Hmm. . . what's missing here? Commentary on her vocals, maybe? Then he actually says he doesn't care about her not knowing the words (though he then says it's important) and goes on to suggest she just hum and snap through the while thing. Is he serious? At this point, I think the producers would still want her, even if that's all she did. So maybe he's right. Or maybe he's having a laugh on the people who paid him and told him to encourage her no matter what he thought. He did notice that she uses her voice better when she's singing shorter, on-beat phrases, so maybe that will work in her favor. Let's see.
It doesn't sound like she's listening. She's singing like she always has, like she's a lazy performer in a Disney park show. We get a stellar example of her missing low notes with an inaudible "pretty" in the "let you see the parts of me that weren't all that pretty." She doesn't sound quite on beat in this slower opening. She's flat again as she goes into the faster part of the song ("just a little bit's enough"), but then has a short portion that's okay until her painful "will come clean" shriek. Augh! She remembers to snap for the beginning of the last bit, but she's alternately a mess and okay with a worried grimace. It was first week elimination stuff, not Final Four quality at all. Of course the judges will disagree! That's what they're paid to do---push Amber! On a final note I keep omitting because I think it's just too petty: Amber needs to stop making those tooth-licking and pursing facing to remoisten her mouth. It's really ugly, and unprofessional in an industry where you're going to be photographed constantly. She has to have a glycerin drop before singing or use a mouth moistening spray or something.
Nicki is going to give slight criticism by pointing out how Amber was nervous. Well, that was understandable, since they gave her a song she wasn't comfortable with. I think the pathetic singing was of more importance. Randy claims it's something that happens to all contestants every season. He says it was not stellar, which it needs to be. Mariah agrees it needs to be, but says it must have been hard for her to learn. She also predicts Amber will go on, and that her second song will be beyond stellar. Interesting, since Mariah hasn't heard it yet. Keith says Pink songs are incredibly challenging to sing (really?) and says it takes years to be comfortable with yourself and performing. Funny that the other contestants can do it just fine. But Keith breaks it all down to the fact that he hears "the bell" in her voice and hears (in his imagination, presumably) it in a song she has written (insert laughter here for that one---maybe has written
for her), and that's fantastic. So in effect, Keith is judging her on the tone she is capable of, not any of her performance or actual delivery. Odd way to judge, Keith.
Candice is singing a Bruno Mars song, "When I Was Your Man." Harry has a problem with her not changing the gender of the pronoun, but does that really matter? I don't think it should. A lot of times you can't change it without making a mess of the song, and does that mean only men can sing it?What if a song was supposed to be from the point of view of an animal? That would be a toughie.
Candice sounds sweet and beautiful and touching. I think I'd like a lighter voice on this song, but hers is strong, rich, and classic. She has such an incredible voice. I hope looking back it's obvious to her how much better she is than Amber, no matter how the judges treat her. It was a great performance from her, though not a super-memorable best. It definitely rivaled Angie's first offering.
The judges are going to make up for the disgraceful way they treated Candice last week. Randy says if you can sing, you can sing anything (thereby proving to us Amber cannot sing, since she strangled MacArthur Park), and Candice was amazing. Mariah agrees and explains that Candice has the musicality to change a song to suit her and that "is what separates [her] from almost everybody else in the competition" (or just Amber). Keith feels the way I do about the male speaker of the song and specifically cites a giraffe as a possible speaker who Candice could sing for. He rightly points out that girls sing along to that on the radio anyway, and says it's a winning performance. Now that Nicki has heard what all the other judges had to say, she says it was a standing O-worthy song, so all the judges stand (Mariah included, though delayed). Nicki then brings up past criticism, which she claims was from last week (it wasn't), about Candice's face and song connection, and Candice's sound being old-fashioned (that one was last week, on the Drake song). Sounds like a compliment is coming. Nicki now sees her as a possible current artist (is this for the first time? I don't get it), and then insults Candice by saying "I don't know if you lost weight, but you look good"---unbelievable! Especially from someone with a body like Nicki Minaj, who is no stick herself. In other words, you can't be a current R&B artist if you weigh 10 pounds or more than Candice does? What the hell. The rest of Nicki's commentary is effusive compliments on assets the rest of America has seen since she auditioned last year. Too bad Nicki's the one getting paid for judging when she's only just now seeing that Candice has the natural ability and instincts to be a diva-level singer. Suck it, Nicki. You're one of the "divas" who's going to go sooner rather than later.
Kree is taking on Carrie Underwood's "See You Again," which she just sang on Idol a couple weeks ago. When she talks to Ryan, she promises that she's thought about why she's here and wants to connect to the audience. She says last week was rough, and it shows how hard the judges' criticisms can be, even if you win the viewers' vote. Luckily, as she works with Harry, she shows her incredible voice to its full potential and sounds chillingly amazing. She brings tears to my eyes! Harry calls it "smokin" and says he would buy her record and most importantly, that if she called him and asked for help, he'd help her record an album right now. And he prefers her version of this song to Carrie Underwood's. Hah! Take that, evil judges! I'm so excited to hear it.
It's just Kree sitting on a stool, as Keith suggested she or Janelle do a couple shows ago. Happily, she is lost in the meaning of the song but also paying attention to the camera. She makes me cry again at the first "this is not where it ends." I agree that this version is much more touching. The Baltimora Tarzan's Boy "oohOhohhs" are in there a little, but barely audible, and it's a much more intimate song without them. Wow. That was my favorite so far, because it was heartfelt and her voice is so gorgeous. It's something I'd actually buy, not just appreciate.
I wish I didn't even have to listen to what the judges say, but of course I do. At least Mariah has a big smile. Mariah felt it, and was happy. She seems like it may have disappointed some people that Kree didn't go for "a complete vocal tirade for laughs" at the end, but I don't know why any singer or listener would ever want that. Very weird comment. Keith, as usual, claims he didn't connect to Kree. He blames it on the fact that there's no power in the "power ballad," but this arrangement wasn't power ballad. Plus the fact she was doing exactly what you said to do, just sit there on a stool and not move. He does admit her voice was faultless, and always is. Nicki loved it, though she says it may be biased. Biased how, I don't know, since they all rag on her. She says Kree sang with her eyes and the technical things Keith mentioned don't matter. Actually Nicki, those weren't technical things, they were more setting things. There was nothing technically wrong with Kree's performance. Randy says Kree has an amazing voice and it was a great vocal he felt. He loves the sound of her voice, and says Carrie Underwood's career is a good diagram for where Kree's career could go. Hilarious---one of the top two Idol winning contestants ever, and yet they're not pushing Kree, they're pushing Amber? Shows the idiocy in its full light.
Harry Connick, Jr. is not going to let this stand without coming out to say Kree killed it and sounded great. Thank god someone is willing to stand up and say the obvious.
Ryan and Keith exchange a conversation that seems to imply Keith doesn't understand his own shirt.
Harry Connick Jr. keeps up the joke that he doesn't like Angie. He does it a little too well for my taste, knowing how suggestible some of the audience is. But let's hope they know he's kidding.
Angie is singing "Someone to Watch Over Me" for her standard. Lucky her! That's a good one. I don't see Angie as much of a standard singer, but I'm sure she'll do a decent job. Sounds like she's going to serve it up high school musical style, though. She gives a sort of pathetic tribute to her mom "for the many times she's sung it around the house," making her mother sound like a sad Cinderella.
Angie's performance shows her ability just fine, but it also highlights everything I dislike about her. It's very Osmond Hour, variety-show pleasing and pleading and fake-charming and camera-eying. Technically good, but too put on and practiced in presentation. She's a little flat on her last "over me" before the "he may not be the man." I really don't get the vocal stoppage thing she does, here in the "how" of "oh how I need." It sounds like a CD starting to skip. It's interesting, but definitely not something that enhances the sound. I'm just interested in how a human does that. I felt like that final "me" was a little late. But in general, she does a good job on the vocal end of things. As usual, there are a few minor glitches, but otherwise, she's strong. I just don't like the style of performing she offers, and it really hasn't changed much throughout the season.
Keith asks why Angie chose the song, as if it wasn't completely obvious and stated a few times in her package. He seems to think that the song was too old and old fashioned, but thought it was beautiful. Nicki echoes my feelings of Angie as a Broadway, Disney performer. Randy finds the humor in Keith's "does 'then' have to be so 'then'?" and says he didn't like the arrangement. Still, he felt Angie overcame the arrangement difficulties and sang well. Mariah points out her own mother in the audience (apparently next to her brother) and mentions the fact that it was theatrical and performance-based, and that was in Angie's wheelhouse. Mariah then disagrees with Nicki's earlier comment about being at the top of the register, and a small dustup ensues until Ryan breaks it up like the kid trying to get divorcing parents to kiss.
Amber is up next, cheating by redoing the song she sang in auditions, "My Funny Valentine." It is so funny to watch her start, with a ridiculous look on her face and head tilted so the camera is looking up her nose. Harry stops her three words in because he can see the emptiness in her head as she's delivering the words. He asks her what the song is about, because he can tell she has no clue. She claims it's about "A guy, who I guess. . . they're being really funny and weird." Smile.See, this is part of the problem. The girl is either immature and too self-involved to care (and I'm trying to be nice allowing that), or is just not very smart. Harry goes line by line showing just how stupid she is, though, so it's hard to think anything but the obvious. Harry is diplomatic once again in letting us all know how hard it is to be publicly embarrassed when you're showing your ignorance, which is totally true. He admires the fact she just takes it in stride, but I think she does because once again, she doesn't really care---she's more concerned with other things, like Tweeting and her Selfies and lipstick. She's a dumb, uninterested teenaged girl. And other teenaged girls may be interested in that, but I'm certainly not, and I wasn't even as a teenager. Harry's advice for her to research the song and make sure she really understands the lyrics is damned good advice for someone who could really do that, but I think if Amber were that kind of person who'd take that advice on board, it's something she'd have already done herself. I expect the outcome will be a delivery where Amber tries to show she knows what she's singing, but still really doesn't.
It sounds very like the auditions, plus some extra strange runs and a distractingly spitty snare drum percussion. I don't see any particular new understanding in her delivery. She looks pained, and there are too many runs. She saves her strained "stay" by breaking into falsetto. Her voice still has a childlike sound to it at points. The arrangement is repetitive. Her makeup and hair is nicely done. It's weird the way she always takes a little tongue-touch half-closed mouth when she takes a breath, as shown right before she says the second-to-last "day" (unless that last vocalization was not a "day." Then it was right before the last "day.")
Of course the judges are standing---they told us this was going to be great earlier, remember? They knew in advance, without hearing it. Somehow. Nicki says it was so beautiful. From the set to the outfit to her poise (no mention of the vocals). Then Amber starts crying, probably because she knows this should be her last performance. Well, it should be. I'm sorry for the girl, but they did this to her, they built her up into something she's not, and she should go. Even if she doesn't go, they've still created something in her mind and hopes that isn't true, and it was as cruel to her as it was stupid for them. Nicki knows she's crying over votes, but encourages her that she still has a whole lifetime to make music. Randy thinks Amber made a believer out of some people on the fence (not me) and that the end was unbelievable. He again claims it's a hard song to sing, says she added "new wrinkles" (that's good?) and that it was stellar. Mariah reminds Amber that she's always loved the spirit in Amber when she sings this song, and it was there tonight. Well, as we saw, Amber never knew what the song was about, so whatever was there before was blankness, and if that's still there, I guess Mariah like blankness. What I think she really saw in Amber both times was te sadness that sometimes comes of total desperate longing. I could see a little of that in Amber tonight, which I think is why she looked so pained. It adds some complexity to what you hear, but it doesn't make the singing truly better. Keith blames it on the quiet audience. Amber looks really bummed, even though Ryan tells her they should be tears of accomplishment on her face. They show her dad crying as well, trying to drum up as many sympathy votes as possible. Pathetic. Yes, because everybody knows sympathy sells records.
Ryan is out in the audience with Harry after the commercial, and Harry points out that the standards of the evening don't need runs. An interesting comment to make directly after Amber's run-heavy performance. In fact, he specifically points out that the high note at the end of My Funny Valentine makes no sense (plus a tempering aside that Amber will be a big star). Let's see if Candice listens.
Candice is singing "You've Changed" by Billie Holiday. Harry encourages her to sing the song calm and heartfelt, in spite of possibly disappointing children. I hope she listens.
Candice sounds incredible, but I don't see sincerity and understanding in her eyes. She sounds really good, though. The arrangement gets a little loud and heavy-handed at points, and again it ends on the high note. But it sounded fine. It could be recorded and played. I prefer it when Candice really looks like she's feeling it, but I didn't notice a lack in the sound at all. If I'd have closed my eyes, I would have thought she was feeling it.
Thankfully, the judges stand. Randy is enthusiastic and says once again she's in it to win it. He then disagrees with Harry Connick Jr. by saying exactly what Harry Connick Jr. just said, but attributing it to Miles Davis. He also claims church girls can't not sing runs. Mariah says there is no critiquing, and she's going to download the song, and declares Candice anointed. Keith says the power and control were beautiful, and that he loved watching Mariah watch Candice. Nicki has nothing to add, so Ryan comes out and tells Candice she looks lovely.
Kree is coming up with what Ryan calls "a moody selection," which they feel they must counteract with a goofy backstage look of her applying makeup to the makeup artist. Wild! Fun! Ugh. Kree's moody selection is "Stormy Weather," which is awesome. I forgot how much Harry Connick Jr. was on her side, and he of course had had this exchange with her as well when he said he'd help her record an album. So he must have enjoyed this as well. It's no surprise Kree grew up listening to the Etta James version of the song (the season has established she had a nicely curated family music environment). It's a good version to work with, and she sings best when she sings simply. Harry reiterates his mentoring mantra that with standards, the melody is key, and steers Kree back to it by showing how her ornamentation detracts and distracts. He is more intense with her than with anyone else, and I hope it works. He directs her back to the Lena Horne version of the song, since it's the first and plainest. Harry tells Kree that she has a frickin' great voice, that he loves her, his wife loves her, and urges her to "sing that son of a gun." He thinks she can learn the melody well enough for the show, but will the show's producers really let her do a simple version, or they g to over-arrange her like they did everyone else?
She opens with the same Crystal Gayle simplicity I've loved on previous occasions. The song sounds slightly low for her, and she seems a little sleepy. There are several line repeats with runs added, and runs interjected throughout. Yes, it seems like this is another AI-arranged run-filled version. I guess that's the only way they'll let them do it. It didn't work that well for Kree, in my opinion. Nicki is slow clapping, Keith looks bored, and then the two of them share a smile when Mariah says "couldn't hear yourself?" Mariah goes on to say it was an interesting choice, and that Kree looks great. Mariah thought that perhaps should have chosen a grittier, bluesier standard, and prods Randy until he agrees. But she says Kree did a beautiful presentation and a great vocal, though now Mariah's been swayed by Harry in terms of arrangement, though she thought the vocal was clear as a bell. Keith's suddenly on Harry's bandwagon now too (funny it's different than for Amber and Candice), and encourages Kree to sing with her instincts, and that they're beautiful. Nicki says that Harry's mentoring must have been a little bit startling, and feels like the song choice could have been livelier. Randy feels like Kree should have gone with herself and stuck to the Etta version, but that she still did a good job. Ryan coaxes and Keith drags Harry up to the judges' podium, where Harry points out that going with herself means Kree would be singing her own version, not anyone else's. That seemed to be what hes trying to get her to do when he was saying his "map" was the actual song. I think at that point, Kree was just very entangled in the Idol way of doing things, where they go with a version, not the song. Harry mocks Randy by saying "we want you to be Kree, but choose the Etta James version." Well, hopefully this confusion draws attention away from any lack of energy in Kree's performance.
The show closes with an extremely weird Final Four performance with dancers/backup singers from 1989. You can't hear anything good of anyone's individual voice, and there is a sirenlike blare pulsing throughout. It was all very cheesy and strange.
The numbers display Angie's voice cracking and CD skipping talents, but they don't do Amber many favors, either. Candice came out looking best, if you were only going by the recaps. They really couldn't have found anything to mess her with. Kree sounded pretty awesome as well. It's easier to not get a bad sample when you have flawless vocals.
Tonight's ranking:
1. Candice
2. Kree (very close, almost tied with Candice because of how amazing the first round was.)
3. Angie
4. Amber
Who should go? I repeat last week's mantra: AMBER AMBER AMBER AMBER.
Labels: American Idol, music, reality shows, television
