American Idol Season 8, Top 10 Mow Down Motown

The cameras flashed on the somber faces of the Top 10 as Ryan Seacrest asked “What happens when you mix the most talked about singers in the nation with some of the most influential songs in the world?” Maybe it was meant to be a rhetorical question, but if he was asking me (after seeing last night’s performances) …I’d have to answer: “Not that much.”

The judges were introduced and made their not-so-original-anymore entrance from behind the screens on-stage, as Ryan teleported himself to the top of the magic staircase and galloped down them, not on cue. While I did appreciate the chuckle I got from seeing the full view of Paula Abdul wearing a tutu, I’m over this whole introduction/walk/staircase thang each week. It’s time to break out the Jonas Brothers’ slides or something more entertaining…like trapezes. Yeah, let’s do THAT next week! No? *sigh*

Last night’s theme was The Music of Motown. And once again (flashback to Michael Jackson week), I felt sort of ho-hum about the performances (except a couple). Not because the singers didn’t perform well, but we can probably blame the song choices. I just wasn’t feelin’ it, Dawg.
Smokey Robinson was though. He mentored the contestants this week, and Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown was in Detroit when the Top 10 (minus a sick Michael Sarver) took a trip to Hitsville, USA. {Note: Smokey Robinson could possibly be the worst AI mentor in history…he told 8 out of 10 contestants to just “do what they just did” for him in rehearsal, and “not to change a thing…” Would it be inappropriate to say he was blowin’ smoke? Well, he was! It wasn’t really a mentoring session, more like a let-Smokey-listen-to-your-song-and-hug-you-in-front-of-this-bearded-man-playing-the-piano session. That’s it.} Anywhoooooooo…

Matt Giraud ~ “Let’s Get It On” by Marvin Gaye
Clearly, Matt has let the whole Paula-thinks-I’m-sexy-like-Justin-Timberlake thang go to his head. I cannot believe this guy chose THIS song. Okay, maybe I can…a little. He’s always had a cocky demeanor that I find very annoying, so when he chose this song, and to play at the piano, I wasn’t surprised. I WAS surprised, however, when he got up from his piano to sing the rest of the song after the first verse. Oh, and the tightness of his pants was a little surprising as well! If you’re a Matt Giraud-lover…you probably liked this performance.

Randy: Thought Matt ‘set this off’ and that he’s challenging the other front-running males for the top spot.
Kara: Said she thinks ‘there are a lot of girls out there going “Ya, let’s get it on. Let’s do it.”’ She liked that he’s ‘coming outta his shell’ and thought it was a ‘solid performance.’
Paula: Told him he showed a ‘sexy {see, there she goes again with that word!}, cool, vibe,’ that his riffing is ‘tasteful, classy, and spot-on,’ and ‘it’s like wearing a great old pair of worn in jeans.’ At least she didn’t call him a “package” artist {*snicker*}
Simon: Apparently agrees, because he called it ‘a brilliant choice of song,’ ‘a cool performance,’ told Matt that his ‘voice absolutely suits that kind of song,’ and told us Randy repeated something Simon had said last week, ‘you are one of the front-runners now in this competition.’
I: Don’t enjoy Matt at all. There’s still time for him to grow on me, I guess…but honestly, I can’t see him doing anything more than creeping me out. Sorry!


Kris Allen ~ “How Sweet It Is” by Marvin Gaye
Kris pulled out his guitar for this rather upbeat song. He kept the melody quite the same as the original, but still made the song his own. I was glad to not hear him end the song on a super high note! And while my husband wants to give him an upper left hook to the jaw, I wonder if people think it’s cute that Kris sings outta that side of his mouth, or if they’re finding it distracting like we do. Either way, it was another solid Kris Allen song choice.

Kara: Exclaimed ‘You didn’t do James Taylor, you didn’t do Marvin Gaye, you did Kris.’ She told Kris he made his ‘mark’ on that song through ‘different phrasing…different rhythms…riffs…dynamics…started low, got high,’ and ‘did everything right on that performance.’
Paula: Commented Kris’ ‘comfort level on stage,’ mentioned his ‘personality was infectious,’ told him he ‘picked a great strong,’ and then she tried to get all ‘technically speaking’ about his last note being a ‘high A or something.’
Simon: Told Kris he is ‘having a good competition right now,’ and thinks he’s ‘starting to believe in yourself,’ but hasn’t yet ‘got that kind of swagger and confidence’ that some of the other contestants have. And scolded that ‘even the way you’re standing now, you could be a bus stop.’
Randy: Complimented Kris for being ‘very consistent,’ thinks he’s ‘hit your zone,’ and added he ‘ain’t doing nothing wrong, it’s all good right now, baby.’
I: Think Paula should keep the technically speaking crap for someone who stutters less. I really like Kris, this wasn’t his best performance (last week was, imo) but it was good!


Scott MacIntyre ~ “You Can’t Hurry Love” by Diana Ross
When the heck is Ryan gonna learn to stay on script? In Scott’s pre-performance interview, he said “Good to see you,” to Scott, who then replied, “You, too.” Was I the only one slapping my forehead?! Doh. Scott’s video showed him at the piano again, and he told the judges that he was going to take risks in other ways than ditching the piano. And his video got all weirdly match-dot-com on us when he announced to America that he is single right now and said the song reminds him about his own philosophy to wait to find the perfect fit. Maybe his next love is one of the three backup singers he had next to the piano with him.

Paula: Told Scott he ‘did bring something different by having the singers surround you at the piano brought a whole new light to his performance.’ She liked the beginning bravado part and reminded Scott, ‘when you feel it, the audience feels it, too.’ {How profound. *eye roll*}
Simon: Started ‘Oh dear, uh, there was a line in the song when you sang how much more can you take?’ {Commence booing from the audience and squeals of joy from me!} He continued to tell Scott it ‘wasn’t a great version of the song,’ that his piano playing was ‘all kind of honky tonk piano,’ dissed the backup singers, called it ‘completely the wrong song for you,’ and said it was ‘a bit cheap, the whole thing, for me.’ Simon apologized and said he thinks that ‘you’re better than that as an artist,’ and claimed that ‘week after week, for whatever reason, you are choosing the wrong song.’ He continued, ‘it doesn’t matter if your sitting at the piano or on the piano,’ it’s about the ‘emotion, choice of song, and standing out as a relevant artist today. That, as a stand-alone performance, I’ve heard that a million-billion times.’
Randy: Agreed it was a very ‘hotel kind of performance,’ and ‘wasn’t the right song.’ He told Scott he ‘could challenge bigger songs,’ and this one was ‘very average.’
Kara: Thought Scott ‘brought tempo tonight,’ which is what she had wanted to see from him. She thought he ‘had some good ideas, but the execution was not perfect.’ Scott had his usual rebuttal testimony when Ryan came up to read his numbers, which apparently is going to be an every performance kind of thang.
I: Was glad to hear Simon tell it like it really is! And I feel that if Scott thinks he needs to justify or explain his performance after each one, he should just quit. The song should speak for itself, just like it does for most of the others, but for some {obvious} reason, he gets to try to tell America why they should vote for him, and I think that’s unfair.

Ryan asked Paula how she thinks Scott compares to the other two male performers so far last night and she stammered around a bit while Simon did the whole “Answer the question, Answer the question” parrot bit. Paula then stopped, went under the table, and came back with crayons and coloring books for Simon because he was acting like a ‘6yr old.’ So, she got to avoid the answer…once again! Ryan read the numbers and Scott beat me to a crack about his pink pants, which he said they didn’t tell him about until ten minutes before. Hmpf. It’s not so funny when he says it.


Megan Joy ~ “For Once in My Life” by Stevie Wonder
Rocking an updated and much more colorful version of Wilma Flintstone’s bedrock necklace, Megan matched her turquoise dress to the colors of her tattoo, and apparently forgot to change out of her house slippers when she crooned this rather predictable song. The second half of which, she actually sang and got away from the nasally Megan-style crooning we’re all so used to. It was nice not to hear so much of that…imo anyway; I guess the judges didn’t think so.

Randy: ‘Yo, um, you know I’ve got mad love for you, right? I like the outfit…but Dude, that song was a train wreck for me, man. That song that fast doesn’t really fit what you do with the whole jazzy thing. So rushed and hectic and like mad crazy, I don’t know Dude, I didn’t feel that one, dude.’
Kara: Agreed with Randy, and suggested “My Guy” would have been a better song choice. {hindsight is most definitely 20/20! That would have been great!} She told Megan there were ‘bad notes all over the place,’ ‘the phrasing was weird,’ and ‘the song took you over.’
Paula: Complimented Megan that her ‘stunning beauty just takes my breath away.’ But, she did agree it was ‘not the right song.’ She thought it was ‘very confusing,’ and Megan wasn’t ‘as comfortable as you usually are.’
Simon: ‘Oh dear, Oh dear dear dear.’ He told Megan the good news is you look good; bad news is it was ‘horrible.’ And then he told her ‘whoever is advising you, I would fire,’ it was an ‘atrocious song, horrible arrangement,’ and he said ‘I think you could be in serious trouble after tonight’s performance.’ {Yikes!}
I: Am surprised Megan got the kiss of death from Simon. She’s another one who you either love or you don’t. I’m on the fence right now. Megan seemed very nonchalant about the negative feedback from the judges, saying “My fans are still there, so give a call guys.” I think it’s a little too early to be THAT cocky!


Anoop Desai ~ “Ooh Baby, Baby” by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
Starting out sitting on the steps, Anoop kept the tempo low again this week. He had some great moments when he put some effort into it. His “baby, baby” was much too frail for my taste. I prefer the low tones of his voice more than his high falsetto, but according to the judges, Anoop pulled it off.

Kara: Told Anoop she ‘is starting to see, these past two weeks, that you can sing,’ and ‘that you have a skill set,’ but she would like him to be ‘a little bit more creative with how you change up the melodies.’
Paula: Likes his ‘newfound confidence,’ but she wants to see more confidence. She called his phrasing, delivery and falsetto ‘not only spot on, it’s sweet.’
Simon: Thought it was a ‘great vocal,’ but told Anoop he ‘looked like you were half asleep singing it.’ And he wants Anoop to work on his ‘showmanship.’
Randy: Wants Anoop to ‘turn it back up, give me that energy with the great vocals now.’ He said it’s ‘nice to hear you croon and swoon it up,’ but told Anoop to ‘bring it on next week, get the party on!’ Ryan asked Anoop, Do you feel you can win this competition? And he answered, “Sure, I think you shouldn’t be here if you don’t want to win it.”
I: Am missing the funky Anoop myself, but am worried that if he changes it up again, his voice will be lost behind the beats…I’m looking forward to seeing his attempt next week. I think that’ll be make or break time for him.


Michael Sarver ~ “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg” by the Temptations
Michael was too sick to go on the tour of Detroit, but was still able to get feedback from Smokey when he came back to the house. Smokey told Michael the background behind the song, that it was a man begging his woman not to leave and he told him to “pound it.” Michael was rehearsing the song as a ballad and Smokey told him to get stronger with his vocals and really beg…I think Michael might be begging the judges for their “Judges’ Save” tonight because of it (which of course they won’t give to him).

Paula: ‘For me, this was a tough performance; it kinda felt a little Las Vegas lounge-y for me.’ She told Michael ‘you need to be dominating that song…some of the notes…I guess the A notes, you weren’t always reaching.’ {What is it with Paula and those A notes tonight?}
Simon: Said what we all were thinking when he told Paula ‘I have no idea what you just said.’ He then told Michael he ‘couldn’t wait for it to end.’ And laid it out for him: ‘here’s the problem with you right now…you are TAKING PART in this competition, you have NO chance of winning it, based on that performance.’ Simon continued, ‘in the real world, it just isn’t good enough. Forget about this nonsense about domination…it’s about just choosing your song, finding what’s gonna suit you, and try and be as good as everybody else. But that was below par.’ {Ouch.}
Randy: Tried to help Michael and told him the ‘song was just a little too big for you,’ and that he’s ‘not an R&B kinda dude,’ which ‘made it a little bit corny.’
Kara: Told Michael, it’s ‘not about singing, it’s about artistry.’ She offered that the judges are looking for ‘what can you do that’s different to that song that makes us go now THAT is hot…That’s what we need from you.’
I: Liked this performance better the second time I watched it, but agree with the judges overall. Michael’s kind of the filler guy who you keep around to make you look that much better. It’s inevitable with the hugeness of the other’s voices that he’s going to be going home…now it’s just a matter of when. The only thing that might keep him around if he doesn’t get voted off tonight, will be if he returns to his country roots and plays that card. The judges’ advice is to show us what you can bring, and none of the other contestants bring country, so that should be his angle, imo.


Lil Rounds ~ “ Heat Wave” by Martha Reeves & The Vandellas
Sporting some six or so inch hair extensions, Lil’s hair was a bad mix between a poodle and the Queen (or maybe even King) of England. It was just styled BAD. But her flapper-style fringe dress minimized her booty, so that was a plus. Lil had promised us to bring back the R&B vibes that she had when she sang Mary J. Blige, but I just didn’t see that last night. It was all very predictable and unoriginal.

Randy: ‘This song for me for you, like you’ve got mad crazy vocals right…but the front of the song was really a little bit torture for me…felt like you were rushing through the whole song…Not my best performance for me for you.’
Kara: Told Lil ‘you look great,’ but then told her ‘you were the diva tonight, that everyone was waiting to hear, this is YOUR week, if you don’t nail this week, Mmmm, I don’t know.’ She continued, ‘I gotta tell ya, I don’t think it was the right song,’ and mentioned there was ‘screaming at certain parts, and I don’t wanna ever hear you screaming, you’re an effortless singer, and I didn’t get that from you.’
Paula: Disagreed completely. She said that Lil ‘didn’t change anything musically, but it’s what you do vocally that feels fresh,’ and she thought Lil ‘owned that song.’
Simon: Thought what Lil did was an ‘authentic tribute to the sound of Motown. ‘However,’ he said, ‘I wouldn’t have chosen that song.’ Simon didn’t ‘believe it gives you a moment.’ He agreed with Randy that it was ‘too fast.’ And suggested she should have done something like “I Heard It Through The Grape Vine.” {How corny would THAT have been?!} He did remind everybody that Lil is ‘one of the best singers we’ve got in this competition,’ and said he is ‘dying for you to do what you did a few weeks ago…just blow everyone away.’
I: Am waiting for that, too…but I wonder how long is TOO long to wait?! Lil was a little flat tonight.


Adam Lambert ~ “The Tracks of My Tears” by Smokey Robinson
Holy Elvis! I thought when I saw that hair and suit! (You know, if Elvis had double ear piercings and huge black diamond studs in his ears.) The rehearsal showed a slow song, and I was very excited to hear this. Adam “went unplugged” tonight, with just a few instruments with him up on stage. He dialed down the heavy foundation, I didn’t see any eyeliner, and no nail polish. Wow. It was just what we’ve been waiting to hear…a little less screeching, a little more heart. Thank you, Adam.

Kara: Said ‘I don’t stand up a lot, but I gotta stand up for that,’ while taking part in Adam’s standing ovation. Then she pulled a Paula and said I have six words for you…‘one of the best performances of the night.” {Yeah, I counted eight, too.} ‘You showed artistry on that stage, awesome.’
Paula: Called Adam ‘completely in his own league,’ having that ‘element of surprise.’ She ‘loved the clean look,’ and told him the whole thing was ‘exciting. You are IT.’
Simon: “Disagreed” with Kara, because he said ‘it was THE best performance of the night.’ He said Adam was ‘able to sum up everything we’ve been trying to say {song choice, etc}, and ‘emerged as a star’ to him, last night.
Randy: Said a lot, but it all came down to: ‘Unbelievably hot, da bomb tonight.’
I: Was glad to finally hear Adam doing less screeching. He did great!! And I won’t even fault him for looking like Robbie Rotten on LazyTown. (Look it up, you’ll see what I mean. That hair!)


Danny Gokey ~ “Get Ready” by The Temptations
Danny’s pre-performance video showed him pausing during rehearsal to let the backup singers sing parts like “You’re alright” and “You’re outta sight.” And because he was one of the only couple of contestants that Smokey Robinson ACTUALLY offered mentoring to (not just saying “do it just like that”), I think it’s worth mentioning that Danny totally did the opposite of what Smokey offered for advice, which was to sing those parts…essentially b-slapping Smokey freakin’ Robinson! What the…?! He was lucky the judges were pressed for time and no one could call him out on it.

Paula: Called him ‘undeniable, identifiable and you’re always reliable on giving us a first-class performance every week.’
Simon: ‘We know you’re a good singer, but I thought that was clumsy and amateurish.’
Randy: Thinks Danny has ‘definitely a dope voice; it wasn’t your best performance, but I just loved the energy and just the feel of it.
Kara: ‘Good, not great, but I’m still a huge Danny fan.’
I: Would have LOVED to see Smokey’s face when Danny ended the first verse, darn it. The Danny lovers are gonna love it. I thought it was a little hurried, and the whole dance moves with the backup singers were corny, but I may have just been distracted by my mouth hanging open because he dissed Smokey that way. I also think he should keep his glasses ON…He had them off during the rehearsal video, and maybe he’s trying to get away from the whole Lens Crafters thang, but his glasses are part of his brand, I think, and to change that now would just be trying too hard.



Allison Iraheta ~ “Papa Was A Rolling Stone” by the Temptations
I will admit I groaned when I heard she was singing this song, but Allison brought out her funky side and did SO well! Her pre-performance video showed us that she didn’t have the lyrics down as of yesterday morning, and I think she did fill the verses with some noises, not words, but it was such a cool vibe, no one really noticed. She ended big, and rightfully deserved last night’s “Pimp Spot.”

Randy: Called her ‘one of the dopest singers in this whole thing this season.’
Kara: Thought is was ‘amazing,’ and told Allison ‘you sing like you’ve been singing for 400 years.’
Paula: (With a freshly drawn mustache from Simon) commended Allison for keeping her ‘rocker edge,’ called her ‘awesome,’ told her she does ‘belong in the competition,’ and added ‘amazing, beautiful.’
Simon: (Still giggling at Paula) Told Allison ‘you are a survivor, you had a terrible week last week, it was a very difficult song to do,’ and called it ‘one of your best performances you’ve ever done.’
I: Think Simon is an ars for doing that to Paula, but agree with what he said to Allison. If we jumped right to the finals of AI8--after tonight’s performances--I’d have to say it would be between Allison and Adam.


My Predictions ~
Bottom Three: Based on all performances, I’d have to go with Scott MacIntyre, Megan Joy, and Michael Sarver…but I think America could surprise us again and throw Lil Rounds in there. Ideally, I wouldn’t have to see Matt Giraud anymore, but I don’t think y’all are gonna let him go just yet.
Judges’ Save: I hope that they don’t waste it on Megan if she’s voted off, and I’m pretty certain they wouldn’t use it for Michael or Scott. Anyone else would be saved, though, for sure…well, maybe not Anoop :o(

I’d love to hear some of your own predictions if you’d like to leave them in the comments below!
Tune in tonight at 8pm for the results, a duet from Smokey Robinson and Joss Stone, Season 2 winner Reuben Studdard, and a medley from Stevie Wonder.