American Idol 2010 - Season Nine

[Rockmeister]

Siobhan has to avoid the Adam Lambert screaming syndrome - I started to hate Adam last year because of the predictable end of song scream. But, she is so fascinating. The way she can go from mega-dork to smokin hot between rehearsal and performance - that is intriguing. I like her.

Crystal - well she is just a real pro, and you could tell by her casual mannerisms a few shows ago - I've never seen such swagger from anybody including Daughtry or Adam or anybody. I would love to hear Crystal and Melissa Etheridge together - or even as a trio with Joss Stone.

A Crystal/Siobhan finale would be good. Big Mike (who just eats Reuben Studdard for breakfast) rounds out the top three.

I don't think Siobhan is anything like Adam Lambert. Sure she can hit the high notes, but its not a "screaming" high note like Adam and she sure in the heck doesn't stick out her tongue like him either.

I think having Crystal and Siobhan in the final 2 would be really good.

I am not a fan of Big Mike's although he has a nice voice.

 

[VF21]

The right person went home tonight. I've got to agree with Rockmeister about Siobhan. I don't think her "scream" is anything like Adam's...and I liked Adam a lot last season. I think she did a good job of explaining her rationale tonight and I'm really looking forward to next week's performances.

I've got some reasl problems with some of the "advice" the judges are giving the AI hopefuls. They've got at least one person - Didi - so confused, she doesn't know if she's coming or going.

I like hearing what Kara has to say for the most part, and I can usually follow Simon's train of thought even though I might not agree with him, but I'm not buying much of what Ellen has to say and Randy seems as pitchy in his critiques as he calls some of the singers...

Siobhan and Crystal, Big Mike and Lee are my hopes for the final four.

 

[Rockmeister]

Paige Miles just sang on the Ellen show and she sang sooooooo much better. Man, I wish she would have sang like that on Idol.

 

[John Galt]

The dark horse to me is that guy who went first last night (forget his name). He has plain stage mannerisms, but he is one of the very best singers I've heard on the show. If he could get boosted by the producers or mentors into a little more interesting personality... he could be a good #4. Maybe the most recordable voice along with Crystal. Put him in Third Eye Blind or The Wallflowers or something... he'd fit right in.

I will claim credit as the first to peg Lee as a contender (but I was puckered up a little based on the last round where Crystal slaughtered him performance wise).

Congrats Mr Dark Horse!

PS: still seriously hot for Sibhoan i hope she gets famous somehow too

 

[VF21]

I think tonight's finale was the best in the history of the show. I'll miss Simon and am very skeptical about who they'll get to be the "mean" judge...

I would have been happy with either Lee or Crystal winning, but I agree with Kara who said Lee epitomized what the show was really all about.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

I can't say a good thing about Lee winning after the final round of performances it is unfathomable in my mind.

 

[John Galt]

It had to be on the whole season's body of work, not just the finale.

When he had to do Beautiful Day I just cringed. I mean Bono is like this gigantic showman, and Lee needed to go a capella or do something different - he is not a grandiose stadium rock guy. I thought he was done for after that.

But the universe gave him a break.

 

[kennadog]

I liked both Lee and Crystal, so I couldn't have been unhappy. Its mostly young girrls who vote for this, so I'm not totally shocked that Lee won, even though Crystal out-sang him in the finale. He just has that "cuteness" and "sweet guy" thing going for him.

As for the show? It felt like announcing the winner was almost anticlimatic. Also, when you heard some of the guest vocalists, it kind of shone the spotlight on the weaknesses of the contestants.

Hopefully, when out from under the intensity of being minutely judged, Crystal and Lee will both have time to polish things up. Both seem to be really nice people. I hope they both do well with their musical careers.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

The whole season's body of work still was shifted heavily towards Crystal imho, but the final performance when it was head to head and you weren't looking at other people who were even worse than Lee made the talent differential stand out that much more. That Beautiful Day was so awful that they cut him off in his coronation song. I think that's the first time that I have ever seen that (normally it's the DVR that cuts off!).

The bottom line for me is this is the first time I can honestly say with a straight face to myself that the winner of this show is a worse singer and performer than I am. Maybe that's a good thing for the post-Simon era. I know I'll be watching X-Factor from now on.

As for the finale show itself, I thought it was good from a production standpoint but it was a complete contradiction in what the show is supposed to be about - for one thing it was all about Simon (and since this is his last show, rightfully so) but it was supposed to be about the new Idol. The actual announcement seemed like an afterthought and as I mentioned above they even cut him off mid coronation song. Secondly, they constantly tell the performers to be more current and then they trotted out a bunch of dinosaurs on stage to sing with them. Now these guys may be heavier hitters than the majority of guests they regularly bring on the show but I don't think Christina has had a hit since before her baby and then Janet Jackson may be the only other performer that sang a song produced in the last decade. On the other hand bringing out all those past contestants was a great touch. But I do think most of last night's show would have been better suited to a separate show just for a goodbye to Simon and let the winner truly have his own night.

 

[Purple Reign]

David Cook - 2008
Kris Allen - 2009
Lee DeWyze - 2010

The past three seasons basically tell what the American Idol brand has been relegated too.

In the past seasons you had a diverse sample of music, people, entertainment value that basically touched all of America.

From the R and B style of Fantasia Barrino and Ruben Studdard, to the Country Charm and Beauty of Carrie Underwood. From the Disney personality of Jordan Sparks to the Bluesy grit of Taylor Hicks. And I will not forget Kelly Clarkston, the original Idol who represents "The Pop Demographic". It blows my mind that the last two years the alternative artists of Adam Lambert and Crystal Bowersox (clearly with more talent in my opinion) did not win.

Now for three seasons you have the same guy winning. The guitar holding, middle of the road, non threatenting, "Bring Them Home to Your Mom" guy is the American Idol. The music is homogonized, the talent is middle of the road, the judges are middle of the road and lacks personality now that Abdul and Cowell are gone. American Idol has lost it's edginess.

Simon Cowell said it best, "I am bored", and so am I Simon

 

[kennadog]

David Cook - 2008
Kris Allen - 2009
Lee DeWyze - 2010

The past three seasons basically tell what the American Idol brand has been relegated too.

Now for three seasons you have the same guy winning. The guitar holding, middle of the road, non threatenting, "Bring Them Home to Your Mom" guy is the American Idol. The music is homogonized, the talent is middle of the road.....

Since this is not actually a best singer contest and the fans pick the winner, why would this surprise you? This is what likely appeals to the mainstream majority and is particularly a description of the typical, teenybopper dream idol.

And, IMHO, Cowell contributes to this sometimes by pushing the contestants to be "current," which is just a way of saying be commercial and appeal to the broadest audience.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

David Cook - 2008
Kris Allen - 2009
Lee DeWyze - 2010

The important distinction for me is that 2 of those 3 could actually sing on key. With Lee's victory the singing part of the contest has been thrown out the window. I found it more than a little amusing that he had two lines during the 3 way between Lee, Crystal and Cocker and that the first was "What would you do if I sang out of tune" and that he apparently missed his cue and forgot to sing the other.

This season was the bizarro world version of Season 1 in many respects so it is only fitting that it would conclude with the Justin winning, Simon being celebrated as a hero and people actually listening to anything Paula had to say.

 

[John Galt]

well what you have against Lee is beyond me - I think he is a very fine singer and in the style I prefer (same with Cook).

Maybe when Daughtry got surprise bounced, the mainstream folk/rock fan core vowed never to let it happen again.

And if you are indeed a better singer than Lee I will come to your show and pay the cover charge, or put a dollar in your hat, or whatever. I'm not kidding.

Crystal... I think she got smug part way along the path and did not charm her way back in time. I did like her very much too.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

I can't believe you don't hear his voice going off pitch all over the place since that's not something I really consider subjective. Besides Beautiful Day it was hugely evident on The Boxer every time he sang it. While I don't care for his genre, or Daughtry's or Cook's for that matter, they are light years beyond him both in terms of stage presence and singing ability and I can at least respect what they do, at least as much as possible for what I consider watered down commercial rock.

I gave up on my dreams of rock stardom long ago so you can save your money.

 

[John Galt]

It was a little pitchy here and there dawg but you WORKED IT OUT in the end we got a HOT ONE TONIGHT baby...

off pitch? My favorite music is sort of drunken masculine caterwauling like Rolling Stones Exile on Main Street stuff, so I guess I'm not a big stickler for pitch.

But yeah, ok I get what you don't like about him now - I see what you are referring to.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

I love DIRTY rock and roll, Stones aren't really my favorite but they are probably my fave of the Big 4 Brit invasion bands, though the Kinks are close. I'm not gonna say that the bands I like generally have fantastic singers, but they usually know their limitations and work within them. You don't have to be pitch perfect if you can control your screams and yells, and if you have the swagger like Jagger had you're golden. I just go back to the Stones SuperBowl a few years back, technically they sounded terrible but they still had their swagger which was enough to convince you that they had just gone punk rock and wanted to sound that way. As opposed to the Who who came off like old geezers.