Bon Jovi week

(Click the idol talk button to see more reviews!)

I enjoy the master class sessions and seeing the artist coaching the idol hopefuls. You get to see a side that you don’t see on stage or in music videos. I’ve never been a huge fan of Bon Jovi, but I grew up with their music (and their big hair) and had many memories pop into my thoughts.

Jon told the idols that they needed to “wrap their arms around the lyrics ’cause they all told stories to a lot of people”. I loved that statement. And, I guess I have enough memories around a couple of these songs for that statement to resonate true with me.

After a “bye” week in eliminations, the Idol hopefuls were singing for keeps tonight to make sure they weren’t part of this week’s double-elimination.

Phil
“Blaze of Glory”
Strong vocals for Phil. His confidence was soaring (must feel good to sing in front of an audience with a mic instead of a mirror with a comb ). He’s really singing to win this week. Decent outfit. Nice guy. Pretty wife. Still don’t see him as The Idol. Kind of like Elliot Yamin – I liked his singing, but couldn’t see him as the final contestant.

Jordin
“Living on a Prayer”
Nice guitarist bookends, but they couldn’t distract me from Jordin’s rough notes. I was really pulling for her, but she and the “3 needy children” were right – this was just a tough week for her. Maybe a big-hair, power ballad would have suited her voice better.

Lakisha
“This Ain’t a Love Song”
Better control with her vocals this week. Still felt a little robotic and disconnected at first, but one of her performances I’ve liked this season. Poor Simon always gets cut off, and he was trying to say something positive. Never thought he’d tell a contestant “Nice Lips” as part of his critique…

Blake
“You Give Love a Bad Name”
It was good to see the unique Blake personality that we all love! Especially after last week’s bland performance. The boy can rock out. Ingenious performance. I’m glad he did a total remix rather than a little beat-boxing for effect. He needed the total transformation to make his version work. Extra points to Simon for appreciating a complete remake of a song.

Chris
“Wanted Dead or Alive”
Okay performance; I was getting tired of the repetitious chorus at the end. My inner-teenager actually likes Chris (not the nasally Chris, but the Geek in the Pink Chris) and I’m afraid this performance wasn’t strong enough to compete this week.

Melinda
“Have a Nice Day”
Reminded me of Tina Turner with her rocking vocals, her confidence, her attitude and her strut across the stage. (I typed that before Randy mentioned Tina.) She certainly knows how to sell her performance.

Hey look, it’s even GW and Laura getting in on the American Idol action.

In last week’s poll, Lakisha (6 votes) and Chris R. (5 votes) were in the “bottom 2″. What are your thoughts this week?

Click on post title to read more.

By TVJunkie Jenn | 1 Comment »
Filed under: American Idol, Blake Lewis, Chris Richardson, Jordin Sparks, Lakisha Jones, Melinda Doolittle, Phil Stacey

Country Music Night with mentor Martina McBride

(Click the idol talk button to see more reviews!)

Phil Stacey
Where the Blacktop Ends
Country has been the best genre for Phil this far. I thought he had a good performance (no goose pimples though) and I definitely prefer the all-black shirt and pants look for him. If this were Country Idol, Phil would be a contender. He looked so comfortable on the stage tonight.

Jordin Sparks
Broken Wing
I did get goose pimples with Jordin though! Wow, what a great performance. She looked beautiful and has such a great presence (Oh wait, did I say that last week?!?) Really, she does. She has a great singing style and personality.

Sanjaya Malakar
Let’s Give Them Something to Talk About
Bandana Boy did his usual voodoo. And that’s all the written space I’m devoting to Sanjaya.

Lakisha Jones
Jesus Take the Wheel
Such a big, powerful voice. My comment to DH during the chorus was that her big, awesome voice was actually too big for the song. I like that she had an emotional connection to the song because her performance felt more connected. It just lacked some vocal control.

Chris Richardson
Mayberry
Poor Chris was off his game tonight and visibly disconnected – but understandably so as a Virgina resident after yesterday’s rampage.

Melinda Doolittle
Trouble is a Woman
I loved this performance. Melinda always exudes confidence, but this week her performance really popped! As Martina said, her mannerisms and delivery draw you into the “story” and her vocals are always perfect. Simon telling her to quit looking surprised made us laugh.

Blake Lewis
When the Stars Go Blue
A little rough in some places, but an okay performance overall. It did not have the wow factor that last week’s performance had though. His voice reminds me of the lead singer of an old group… The Smiths, I think? I can’t quite place it…

I never thought I’d say it, but I missed Haley this week. Despite her showgirl appearance, at least she was more interesting than the other showgirl Sanjaya. Darn Fanjayas!

Best of the Night: Jordin and Melinda

Bottom two: Chris and Phil (Maybe if I don’t say Sanjaya, I’ll be delightfully surprised.)

Who is the next American Idol to go home? (Top 7) Blake Chris R. Jordin LaKisha Melinda Phil Sanjaya

See Results

Click on post title to read more.

By TVJunkie Jenn | 4 Comments »
Filed under: American Idol, Chris Richardson, Haley Scarnato, Jordin Sparks, Lakisha Jones, Melinda Doolittle, Phil Stacey, Sanjaya Malakar

Latin Night
Master Class with J-Lo

Melinda Doolittle
“Sway”
Didn’t her hair look cute? When swept up and “poofed out”, it adds more height and lengthens her look (if you know what I mean). Every week I say the same thing – technically sound performance I somewhat agree with Simon that it was lacking a little bit of “wow”, but it was still a good performance for me.

LaKisha Jones
“Conga”
My favorite performance from LaKisha this far (I’m not a big LaKisha fan). I think she engaged the audience and had fun. Her annunciation of the fast, moving parts of the chorus sounded clear and on beat. Even though she was moving around the stage, she didn’t lose her breath or fall behind the rhythm. For me, it was a better performance from her this week.

Chris Richardson
“Smooth”
Chris sounded “smooth” tonight. I like that his tone wasn’t so nasal sounding. Each week, he manages to take a song from the genre and turn it uniquely into his own while still keeping the best of the original version. To me, that takes talent and I think Chris pulls it off well.

Haley Scarnato
“Turn the Beat Around”
Randy called her a “dude”? Must have been a pretty bad performance for him or he wasn’t falling for the short shorts and stilettos routine. Simon voiced what everyone else is thinking.

Sweet Haley, dressed like that while prancing and jiggling around the stage, you look like you are in the wrong competition. I have a difficult time taking you seriously. However, I realize that being taken seriously isn’t what sells CDs…

Phil Stacey
“Maria, Maria”
I still don’t think he is THE American Idol, but I do think that he has improved since the beginning. This week’s vocal sounded warm from start to finish unlike previous weeks when he started kind of rough. I like the tone of Phil’s voice when he is at his best, but he lacks the “Yo” factor needed to win this competition.

Jordin Sparks
“Rhythm is gonna get you”
Fun and sassy song choice for Jordin. I like that she stays true to her youth and enjoys each performance to the fullest. Jordin is a true performer and a true idol contender. I imagine we’ll continue to see a lot of Jordin in the next few weeks and beyond.

Blake Lewis
“Need to Know”
I thought this was his best vocal performance this week – really showing off fullness and richness in his singing tones. I’ve liked Blake from the beginning, but began to get bored when we were down to the top 10-12. The last few weeks have been redeeming to hear Blake move into different genres and show off his style and talent.

Sanjaya Malakar
“???”
Please, don’t fall for his sexy-eyes attempt. Probably his best vocals thus far. (Not saying much over past performances, but still scary!) Simon’s comments cracked me up, especially the one that he couldn’t understand him.

Best of the night: Blake, Jordin, Chris

Bottom Three: Haley, Phil, Sanjaya (wishful thinking – hope it works!)

So, what did you think of tonight’s performances? Did you agree with the judges? Who were your favorites?

Thanks to BooMama and Beth, the Laundress for the graphics!

Technorati tags: American Idol, Blake, Haley, Jordin, LaKisha, Sanjaya

Click on post title to read more.

By TVJunkie Jenn | 3 Comments »
Filed under: American Idol, Blake Lewis, Chris Richardson, Haley Scarnato, Jordin Sparks, Lakisha Jones, Melinda Doolittle, Phil Stacey, Sanjaya Malakar