What's Alan Watching?: American Idol: Top 7 (Country Night)

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

American Idol: Top 7 (Country Night)

Thoughts on all that twang over at NJ.com, but you can comment here.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...: I agree with you in that Jordin and Melinda were the only clear winners tonight. The rest ranged from almost great to almost singing.

I don't think Lakisha was any different from weeks past. She has been doing the same thing for a while and I think the judges just nailed her because she did Carrie's song. I can't say that I liked either version because it's just so stupid.

Had Blake managed to stay on pitch he might have deserved the pimp spot. Unfortunately, he didn't seem to have the right range for it.

Phil is going to go, but Sanjaya better hit the seal tomorrow; 9:56 PM, April 17, 2007
Anonymous said...: And as for referring to the Virginia Tech tragedy.. I don't think it was necessary. The families truly affected by this tragedy aren't watching American Idol tonight, and those who are, don't need some cursory "time out" by the judges who then go on to insult and critique the contestants. If they really were interested, they would have been watching CNN's coverage.

As for Chris, I don't think he was trying to use it, he is from Virginia after all, but it was a close call.; 10:02 PM, April 17, 2007
Anonymous said...: Didnt Blake end the Gwen Stefani week's episode with the 311, err, Cure cover, or am I remembering wrong?

Though Phil is about as animated as C3P0 (and his head shines as much, to boot) I thought he was one of the better singers tonight. Jordan and Melinda, obviously right up there, and I'm glad you mentioned that Blake was pitchy, since the judges seemed to have missed or ignored his performance and just went on a whim.

Bottom 3 tonight were Lakiesha, who has no control over her power and too big an ego to care, Chris, who has no control OR power and too big an ego to care (and what a lame song, I dont care much for country to begin with, but this was just BAD), and, of course, Bandana-Head. I could *maybe* see Chris or Lakiesha slipping out tomorrow, not undeservedly, but Phil is pretty much toast.; 10:17 PM, April 17, 2007
Anonymous said...: I have mixed feelings about Chris mentioning Virginia Tech. I gave him the benefit of the doubt because in his interview he invoked his Virginia and North Carolina heritage, and that was obviously taped before Monday. It would have seemed even more odd for that to have aired and him not to mention it.

I have to say, this is the first week where I have been wowed by Melinda. I have always acknowledged that she is very good, but I've never found her exciting. This week I found her to be.; 7:19 AM, April 18, 2007
Kristen said...: I am impressed by the ones who really did a good job on Country Week: Melinda, Jordin, Blake (who did the Corrs version, it sounded to me), and yes, I will give it to Phil.

Sanjaya was ridiculous, Chris blew a bunch of notes and made a huge mistake arguing with Simon (although his shout-out to VT was sincere), and LaKisha...I think Kiki peaked in her first week and has been coasting and declining ever since. I would not be surprised if she was the "shocking early boot" of the season, although if we really were voting on just talent, Sanjaya would be going home. I'll be very upset if it's Chris because he's nice eye-candy and I love watching his interaction with the other contestants, who obviously adore him.; 7:45 AM, April 18, 2007
K J Gillenwater said...: Blake has empty holes for eyes. Absolutely NO emotion in his face whatsoever. That drives me crazy...

Jordin & Melinda blew everyone else away.; 7:51 AM, April 18, 2007
Bobman said...: Hahaha, perfect comment on Chris, Alan. I've never liked him, or his nasally whiny voice, and this week he really peaked in his levels of annoying.

Also, in addition to his empty holes for eyes ("he's got black eyes, lifeless eyes, like a doll's eyes") he has no lips whatsoever. I'm a guy and not supposed to notice things like that, but... it's freakish.; 8:15 AM, April 18, 2007
Undercover Black Man said...: ^ My big sis said Blake reminds her of George Bush around the mouth... "thin-lipped and smarmy."

Poor LaKisha is not gonna handle it well when she gets voted off. It won't happen quite yet, but she's definitely going home before Jordin and Melinda.; 10:29 AM, April 18, 2007
velvetcannibal said...: For once, Alan, I don't hold something a contestant said against him. Going into it, I remembered he was from Virginia, and his little tutoring session confirmed it. He goes onstage and sings this song about a sweet, idealistic hometown that he would love to get back to...

Then Simon tears him to shreds.

Rightfully, in a way, because he sang poorly. But when Chris snapped at him, for pretty much the first time in ages, it seemed to me like he was really on edge. I think he had wanted to come out and perform that song well, then dedicate it to his home state, friends at V-Tech, and anyone affected by the tragedy. When the performance didn't go well I think he got totally thrown. It showed in his response to Simon, which was unlike him, and it showed in the awkward transition to talking about the shootings.

I give everyone a pass. It was ugly and awkward all around. Chris was thrown off, and his youth showed with a lack of grace there, but that's it.; 12:07 PM, April 18, 2007
Anonymous said...: Is it possible that the producers prodded Simon to throw in his own VATech shoutout after the camera caught his reaction to Chris's?; 12:31 PM, April 18, 2007
Anonymous said...: I always thought Blake had kind of a Robin Williams thing going.; 3:38 PM, April 18, 2007
dark tyler said...: @anonymous above the anonymous right above me: That's what I thought, too! Not that the eye-rolling wasn't justified. I mean, if anyone wants to offer his support to anyone, then he can pick up a phone and do it, I dunno. Way Chris did it, it reeked of desperation.

I'd love it if LaKisha headed home tonight. It'd make for a 2/2 ousted contestants after performing a former Idol's hit. Whatever happens, LaKisha's performance reminded me once again why I like Carrie so much, even though I'm not really into country music.; 7:02 PM, April 18, 2007
Alan Sepinwall said...: The official story coming out of Team Idol -- and one that I'm inclined to buy, given the notorious acoustic problems at that theater -- is that Simon didn't even hear Chris' Va Tech comment, that he was too busy joking with Pauler about the "Nasally is a kind of singing," and that's what he was rolling his eyes about.

And I love that we've all spent a day analyzing the motives behind an eye roll.; 7:08 PM, April 18, 2007