American Idol Top 7 results

Bottom three were Syesha Mercado, Brooke White, and Kristy Lee Cook. After almost 36 million votes, Kristy Lee Cook is finally eliminated. Wow, this was kind of a shocker for me, since I thought she was better than usual this week, but I’m glad she’s finally gone! This is what should have happened weeks ago. Too bad so many others, including Michael Johns, went before her!

–

Mariah Carey and Elliot Yamin were the musical guests tonite. Elliot was great, as usual.

American Idol Top 7 performances

The mentor for this week was Mariah Carey, and the Top 7 performed her songs tonite.

-

David Archuleta “When You Believe” I don’t think this was his best performance, but it was predictable and the same as every week past — technically very good. Randy said it was the bomb, Paula said he made her proud, and Simon thought it was very, very good and that he performed the song very well.

-

Carly Smithson - “Without You” She started out slowly and in her lower range and then she got kind of shouty to me. It was just okay. Randy said it was pretty good, Paula thought she made it her own, and Simon said he didn’t think she pulled it off. He said she was capable, but she overthinks. I think she, like Syesha, oversings.

-

Syesha Mercado - “Vanishing” I thought this was very good, except for the screamy parts. She always oversings, and I always feel like she thinks she’s better than the original. Randy said she did a good job on a difficult song, Paula said it was extremely smart song choice and it was magical tonite. Simon said it was technically very, very good but that it was risky for her to choose a song that’s not well known.

-

At this point, Ryan asked Simon what he thought of tonite’s theme. Simon said that he was in the middle and that so far, David Archuleta had stolen the show and he is the one to beat.

-

Brooke White - “Hero” She started out shaky and got a little better, but overall, not so good. I like Brooke, but she’s not had a good performance in awhile and I think she’s in trouble this week. Randy liked it until she got to the bridge and said she lost her confidence. Paula said “every ounce of you is authentic to who you are”. Simon said it was like ordering a hamburger and only getting the bun, the vital part was missing in her performance and that her voice wasn’t strong enough to pull it off.

-

Kristy Lee Cook - “Forever” This was pretty good for Kristy Lee, probably the best she’s ever sounded to me. Good, but not great. Randy said it wasn’t amazing but she started to step it up towards the end. Paula said Kristy Lee is very smart in her choices and she was proud of her tonite. Simon said it didn’t give him chills and he thought it was a little whiny, quite smart but not great.

-

David Cook - “Always Be My Baby” Another brilliant performance by David Cook. I think he could have a hit with this right now. It was very good, best of the night. Randy gave him a standing ovation and said it was the most brilliant performance yet. Paula loved it and says he has the whole package. Simon agreed and said that hearing David Cook tonite was like coming out of karaoke hell and into the fresh air. He went on to say that this is a great artist — someone who takes risks.

-

Jason Castro - “I Don’t Wanna Cry” This was great, his best performance for me. It was very, very nice, I loved it! Randy said he didn’t love it and felt like he was at a beach luau and someone was playing weird music in the background. Paula said she would love to be at that luau. Simon agreed with Paula and said it was a cool version of the song, and that the boys absolutely won the night.

-

Best of the night for me by far were David Cook and Jason Castro. Worst of the night for me was Brooke White, followed by (in any order) Syesha and Carly.

-

What do you think? Who will go home this week?

-

americanidol.com

——

American Idol top 8 results

Sometimes I hate this show. In the alternate, bizarro universe that is American Idol, after more than 31 million votes Tuesday night, Kristy Lee Cook is safe for another week and yet another contestant is eliminated. After sending Brooke White, David Cook, David Archuleta, Jason Castro, and Kristy Lee Cook to the “safe” couches, the bottom three tonite were Michael Johns, Syesha Mercado, and Carly Smithson. Carly and Syesha are sent to safety … and, Michael Johns is sent home. Unbelievable. This was a shocker to me, as I felt sure Michael would at least make Top 4. And, what was with Ryan Seacrest cruelly implying that, like last season’s Idol Gives Back week, there might not be an elimination this week? It was shameful for Ryan to give Michael false hope like that, if even for a second. Michael Johns deserved better treatment. All the contestants should beware of Kristy Lee Cook…

American Idol Top 8 performances

Tonite kicked off Idol Gives Back week, with three consecutive nights of American Idol this week. Tonite’s them for the final eight contestants was “Inspirational Songs”. This will be followed by the two and a half hour charity special from 7:30-10:00pm tomorrow night, with results and elimination on Thursday night this week. The special on Wednesday night features many stars and former Idol contestants, and seeks to raise money and awareness for the Children’s Defense Fund, The Global Fund, Make It Right, Malaria No More, Save The Children, U.S. Programs and the Children’s Health Fund. Viewers will be able to call in and make donations over the toll-free phone lines or give via the internet during the show.

-

Michael Johns - “Dream On”  Very, very good performance by Michael. I thought this was the best performance of the night by far. The song really showed off his great voice, especially the high notes, he totally hit them all! He looked and sounded great. I loved it! Randy said it was a little pitchy, and to him it was just alright. Paula disagreed and said it was a perfect song for Michael and that he sounded as good as he looked. Simon said it was a very good performance but that he prefers a more bluesy sound for Michael, and that tonite it was a little “wanna-be”. I don’t understand why Michael never seems to get the credit he deserves from the judges..

-

Syesha Mercado - “I Believe”  Another big diva ballad by Syesha, and to me, she failed to connect at all with this song. I love Fantasia’s original version of this, and Syesha wasn’t even close tonite. Fantasia’s talent and emotion are so far above this.. no, Syesha, just no. Randy said he gave her credit for taking on another tiger, and it was okay, just okay. Paula said she made it her own and it was one of her most shining nights, and it was beautiful. Simon said that technically she sang it very well but it lacked the big wave of emotion that Fantasia had. I agree with Simon, there was no emotion there at all for me. Syesha may be in trouble.

-

Jason Castro - “Somewhere Over The Rainbow”  Jason played the ukelele and did an alternate version of this classic song. It was good, he has a nice, recognizable voice and style. This wasn’t a “wow” moment for Jason for me, but I liked it. Randy said it was the hottest of the night, blazing, molten hot! Paula said he had the most definitive sound, it was a perfect song for Jason, and he did a great job. SImon loved it, and said it was fantastic!

-

Kristy Lee Cook - “Anyway”  This is the best she’s ever sounded to me.. which isn’t saying much, but it was actually okay. Not something I would buy, it was nowhere near Martina McBride’s version, and I felt no emotional connection at all, but she did better than her usual with it. For some reason, I’m completely put off by Kristy Lee’s personality and it gets in the way of her voice. Something phony and conniving about her to me.. I could be wrong, but that’s the way she comes across to me… like she just wants to be famous, and will do whatever it takes… Randy said she had a couple of pitch problems but he loved it. Paula said she outdid herself tonite, and it was by far her best. Simon said it was very, very good indeed, and that tonite, Kristy looked like a star.

-

David Cook - “Innocent”  Oh, David. It pains me to say this, but this was not good for me. I didn’t like it, I didn’t like the song at all. I love David’s voice and he’s still my favorite, but this is definitely one I won’t be buying. It did nothing to show off his great voice, I couldn’t understand the lyrics, and I didn’t like it all. After all the great performances he’s had though, he’s already proved himself to me.. and he’s allowed one less than stellar night. :) Randy said “yo, baby, check it out. I’m a huge fan of yours, but I’m not sure this was one of your strongest, it fell short to me”. Paula said David is the whole package and she believes in him. Simon said he didn’t like it all, it was a little pompous, and he didn’t like the white jacket. He said it wasn’t anywhere near as good as David’s last two weeks. I agree that it was nowhere near as good as any of his previous performances.

-

Carly Smithson - “The Show Must Go On”  A great song choice, and while this was a little disjointed and she oversang it at times, I still think she gave a very good performance. She really does have a beautiful voice, and for the most part, I loved it and felt a connection. Randy said she started out good, the middle was a little pitchy, and the end wasn’t good. Paula said her voice was totally perfect but she didn’t feel connected or engaged with her during this song. Simon said she looked good, it was an unusual song choice, and that she oversang it and lost control of the song towards the end. He said Carly might be in a little trouble with this one.

-

David Archuleta “Angels”  David played piano during his performance. Well, to me, this was so not great. He sounded okay to me on some of the high notes, otherwise, not so much. Definitely not one of his best performances to me, it was boring and predictable, and I felt nothing at all. Randy loved the runs, said it was his hottest performance. Paula said it was fantastic, and Simon said it was the best song choice so far and that David will sail through to the next level.

-

Brooke White - “You’ve Got A Friend”  This was just okay for me.. not great, just okay. I like Brooke a lot, but she hasn’t had a good performance in a couple of weeks now. Randy said it was not her best and it was just okay. Paula said it was the perfect way to close the evening, Brooke is “definitive”, and Paula loves her. Simon said it was like a pleasant walk in the park, pleasant but nothing original.

-

Who’s going home this week?

Overall, the show was completely lackluster to me tonite, no one had a truly WOW performance except maybe Michael Johns. I think he was amazing, the best of the night by far, followed by Carly Smithson. Next would be Jason Castro, Kristy Lee Cook.. surprisingly, and Brooke White. The worst of the night for me were David Cook (oh. that hurts.), David Archuleta, and Syesha Mercado, although I don’t think for a moment that either of the David’s will actually be in the bottom three… maybe Syesha, Kristy Lee, and Brooke or Jason Castro.. or maybe even Carly. I don’t know. This wasn’t a good night. The bottom three may be a huge surprise this week. What do you think? Who’s going home this week?

americanidol.com

American Idol Top 9 results

Bottom three tonite:

• Ramiele Malubay
• Kristy Lee Cook
• Brooke White

Eliminated: Ramiele Malubay
It’s always sad to see any of them go at this point, and I think Ramiele had the worst performance last night, but still.. overall, Kristy Lee Cook has never had an outstanding performance in my opinion… and yet another one goes home while she’s still there.

–

americanidol.com

American Idol Top 9 performances

Tonite, with Dolly Parton as the mentor, the contestants performed songs that Dolly has written and/or recorded. I enjoyed this show but it seemed very rushed to me tonite - I think they need more than an hour for 9 performances plus time with a mentor.

-

Brooke White - “Jolene” She started out a little shaky, but I thought it was a pretty good performance overall. I liked it okay, although Brooke seemed a little disconnected throughout the song, and I was a little disappointed that she didn’t do more with this great song. Randy said it was not stellar, she had some pitch problems, but it was alright. Paula said she was consistent, she has an emotional connection with the audience, and it was excellent and wonderful. Simon disagreed, and said he felt emotion was lacking, they were odd together onstage as a group (Brooke, backup singer, musicians), and it wasn’t one of her best. Brooke babbled on and on again.. she must do that when she’s nervous.

-

David Cook - “Little Sparrow” Doing his own arrangement tonite, this was awesome and brilliant. He has such an incredible voice. I absolutely loved it. I love this guy every single week! I could listen to him sing for hours. I’ve already bought his Analog Heart cd (which is really great, by the way) and all his Itunes singles. I don’t care whose arrangement he does, he sings it better. Randy said it was another hot, consistent performance. Paula said she loved his haircut (me too, but I loved it last week too), it was fantastic, and tonite shows how well rounded a performer he is. Simon said that while it wasn’t as good as last week, if David could make a song about a sparrow sound good, and he did, congratulations.

-

Ramiele Malubay - “Do I Ever Cross Your Mind” This was a very weak performance. I could barely hear her voice except during the big notes towards the end of the song.. overall, it was weak and so forgettable. She’s too timid and doesn’t have the range I had first thought she had, and I think she’s way out of her league. Randy said he wasn’t jumping up and down, it was alright, and he gave it a 6 and a half out of ten. Paula said she was proud of Ramiele, she really connected and was having fun. Simon said we won’t remember this in ten years. (Ten years? I barely remembered it ten minutes later!) He said it was forgettable and reminiscent of something we would hear on a cruise ship.

-

Jason Castro - “Travelin’ Thru” It was good, a very nice performance.. but not very memorable. Jason really needs to have a breakthrough performance. Randy said he started rough and unsure but picked it up by the middle of the song and it was pretty good. Paula said it was one of his strongest, he was confident, and she loved it. Simon said he didn’t like it at all, said he didn’t sing it particularly well and that the song didn’t suit him.

-

Carly Smithson - “Here You Come Again” She sang this very slowly, it was consistently good but again, very forgettable to me until she got to the last part of the song. Great ending. Randy said it was probably one of the better performances of the night, it was great. Paula said it was glorious, and she has amazing talent, and “that voice –omg!!” Simon thought it was good but not great. He said she needed to have a word with whoever was dressing her and that at this point in the competition she needs to start looking like a star. I felt kinda bad for her at this point, Simon was an ass for criticizing her looks.

-

David Archuleta “Smoky Mountain Memories” This is a very beautiful song and David sang it extremely well. This was the best I’ve heard him sing. I still wouldn’t buy a cd by him though. He has a really nice voice, but there’s no connection. He still seems like a little kid singing adult songs to me, and I don’t ever feel any desire to hear more from him. Randy said it was the best of the night. Paula said he has an amazing voice and a beautiful tone. Simon said although he had issues with last weeks song choice, tonite it was absolutely on the money.

-

Kristy Lee Cook - “Coat Of Many Colors” Barefoot Kristy Lee sang this song in what sounded like a monotone to me. It was bland, boring, and monotonous, and she has no charisma whatsoever. I hated it. Randy said it was a very nice performance, and that country music is defintely her. Paula said she looked stunning and this was her best performance. Simon said it was pleasant but forgettable.. and maybe something else that I didn’t hear. Kristy Lee blowed kisses to Simon and told him she loved him. I must have missed something there…? Or was Kristy Lee just being a smart ass after Simon’s criticism? I was distracted for a couple moments at this point in the show and didn’t quite get the gist of it.

-

Syesha Mercado - “I Will Always Love You” Of course, Syesha chose the big diva ballad. It started out okay for me, until the big notes. I just don’t think she’s as good as she thinks she is. Randy said it was pretty good, it was alright. Paula said she has a velvety tone to her voice and she is growing and growing and connecting with the audience and Paula loved it. Simon said it was one of the best pop songs ever written, the first part was good but the second part paled in comparison to the Whitney version and that it was good but not great. Why does anyone ever sing a Whitney Houston song on this show? Not that I love Whitney Houston, but it’s obvious that, to the judges, she is the talent that no one else can ever, ever come close to matching…

-

Michael Johns - “It’s All Wrong But It’s All Right” Wow, this was a beautiful performance! I loved it, and I think it was his absolute best so far. He has charisma, great looks, and a great voice. I really loved this performance, and for me it was one of the best of the night. Randy said he keeps bringing it up and up every week, nice job. Paula said “you’re a star, a rock star, a blues star, gorgeous!”. Simon said it was the best he had heard him sing.

–

_{This studio version of David Cook’s “Little Sparrow” is now available for download at Itunes.}

–

Best of the night for me were David Cook, Michael Johns, and David Archuleta. David Cook is the most consistently good performer I’ve ever seen on the show — he has a good performance every single week! Michael Johns was great tonite and I most definitely would buy his cd. David Archuleta, while technically one of the best of the night, still just does not connect to me. Worst of the night for me were Ramiele Malubay, Kristy Lee Cook, and Syesha Mercado. I wouldn’t be surprised though if either Jason or Brooke ended up in the bottom three. What did you think? Who was best tonite?

Results show tomorrow night, 9pm-10:00pm, Fox, one contestant voted off.

americanidol.com