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« American Idol
Episode Recap: Top 10 Guys
Ah, the '70s. Like the judges, I love this era of music (and I was glad no one was tempted to sing disco). This is going to sound crazy, but I think I actually agreed... with... Paula most, of all the judges tonight. She was, dare I say it, sane, wise and insightful.
Simon, meanwhile, went on the record Tuesday afternoon — even before last night's show — to tout David Archuleta as the one to beat this season. (You can read the full news story in our Great American Idol blog.) Young David's take on "Imagine" perhaps only cemented that opinion. But more on that in a bit.
All in all, this was a more successful performance night than the boys had last week, and there were a few standouts. But there are still more than two of these fellas who should definitely get the ax before American Idol heads to the big stage and the eliminations get harder and harder.
As for the performances...
Michael Johns, "Go Your Own Way": I'm trying to figure out what it is about Michael; I really enjoyed this, but when I went back and listened to it again, with my eyes shut, it was just sort of bland. I think he's just got that "thing" that makes him enjoyable to watch (and I'm not just talking about good looks). The vocals were pretty good — I'm not sure I agree with Simon that it was his weakest performance of the competition — but his strong suits are more his persona and delivery.
Jason Castro, "I Just Want to Be Your Everything": His frustration with interviews and having his picture taken was half-endearing, half-"oh, get over yourself," but I'm with the judges: He needs to stop hiding behind his guitar. Simon found it "schmooltzy," by which I think he meant schmaltzy, and I have to say: Jason lost a few points with me tonight.
Luke Menard, "Killer Queen": It makes so much sense that Luke is a member of an a capella group. He just seems so wholesome, and although this week was a heck of a lot better than last, it was an oddly poppy rendition of Queen. "You are always going to be judged with the original," Simon said. "The trouble is that the singer of that song had charisma and personality; you didn't, so therefore you suffered by comparison." By the way, I'm totally with those of you who said that Luke has an Orlando Bloom thing going on. But even Ryan had the same thought I did, that he looks like James Van Der Beek — or at least that's what I assume he was going for with that Dawson's Creek comment.
Robbie Carrico, "Hot Blooded": As you guys know, I really liked Robbie's "One" last week, but I'm jumping off his bandwagon after this one. Paula was right that Robbie played it safe; worse than that, he managed to make a song I really enjoy sound boring. Not good.
Danny Noriega, "Superstar": Danny gave us a pretty vocal, but it wasn't particularly spectacular. Oh, and of course he was in a punk-rock band with his best friend who played drums, and of course they were lousy but enjoyed themselves. I would expect nothing less from him.
David Hernandez, "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone": You can tell he really worked on the performance values — good for David! I stick by my assessment that this guy can sing. Simon even gave him a best-of-the-night (till that point). And he did gymnastics when he was a kid — do you think that means we'll get to see a cartwheel from him sometime this season?
Jason Yeager, "Long Train Runnin'": This is such a pretty song, and, frankly, Jason massacred it. It's cool that he plays piano, guitar and drums, but did anyone else think the sight of him sitting behind the keyboard was beyond cheesy? Said Simon: "The simple truth is, last week was boring; this week was just awkward and ordinary, and that horrific ending, I don't know what you were doing there. It was like you were drunk at a party there." I'm thinking that's the last we'll see of Jason.
Chikezie, "I Believe to My Soul": By making this song choice, Chikezie had to compare to two singers I love: the great Donny Hathaway, who popularized it, and my darling Elliott Yamin. And you know what? I liked it! And it wasn't just me: He got three thumbs-up from the judges. As for his name, Chikezie explained that it's Nigerian, and the proper pronunciation is really beautiful. I also thought it was classy that he pointed out that one of the backup singers, Kenya, is Donny Hathaway's daughter. To the commenter who took offense at what I said about Chikezie's back-talk to Simon, I'll reiterate my response: Personally, I enjoy it when these kids stand up for themselves, but time and again, the voting public has proved that they don't like their contestants too mouthy.
David Cook, "All Right Now": OK, I'm officially onboard with David Cook. That was a rockin' performance. But please, David: no more winking. Robbie, watching from the balcony, looked kind of distressed, like he knew that he really couldn't compare. Plus, David is a "huge word nerd," which Simon thought was boring, but can we geeks of the world please gather together to say that that's actually hot? As Paula said, "Women like smart men." Um, yeah!
David Archuleta, "Imagine": When it started up, I was worried — John Lennon is sacrosanct in this household — but this was gorgeous, original and made Paula cry (granted, not all that hard to do). When she said, "You're destined for superstardom," I had to agree. The scene with him at age 11 singing for Kelly Clarkson was priceless. Plus, on top of everything? I believe his humility. The only catch with him is that the gasping for breath between phrases is somewhat distressing. But the girls are already screeching for him. Yes, folks, we definitely have a front-runner. (Or, as my husband put it tonight, "He's going to win.") For more on David, see our Great American Idol blog (Simon Predicts Idol Winner).
My prediction: Jason and Robbie are going home. And if not this week, then soon, Luke will be out the door, too.
TVGuide.com poll: Is David Archuleta the one to beat?
TVGuide.com poll: Should Simon have spoken publicly about David being the favorite?
Check out all of Simon's best lines of the season in our Simon Says... the Most Quotable Things! blog.
For American Idol clips, visit our Online Video Guide.
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Feb 26, 2008 11:24 PM
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Great recap. And I'm so there with the weirdness that is agreeing with Paula. She gave consistently excellent, insightful advice tonight. Some kind of lunar exclipse must have happened.
Here's my take:
Hunky Australian Guy: Boring. And anything by Fleetwood Mac is usually something I love. Not worthy.
Jason: Cute, nice voice, seemed to lose the tune sometimes, though. Didn't like the "cute" hate interviewing interview.
Luke: I liked it a lot. I want to see him some more. He is definitely Dawson.
Robbie: Nice rocker voice. Nothing new. Bleh.
Danny Noriega. Has potential, but for
now, pleathe go away.
David H: Wow. If this guy really let go, he'd be scary good. Tonight he was
very good. I'm impressed. I voted for him.
Jason: Simon nailed it: a very good
singer who doesn't perform very well.
Jaccuzi: I enjoyed the song, but his
cockiness with the judges really turns
me off.
David C: He's the real rocker. Liked it. His guitar was a little overpowering, though. I want him to stay in just to see what those amazing stylists can do with his hair.
David A: "Imagine". Yuck. But the kid
knocked it out of the park. Like Paula,
I want to squish his head and dangle him
from my rearview mirror.
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Feb 26, 2008 11:38 PM
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Michael Johns - Shaky start, not bad on the chorus. He did not do the song justice, but he's still one of my favorites.
Jason Castro - I actually thought the video package was endearing. To me he sounded better than Michael tonight.
Luke Menard - Not bad at all, didn't even sound like the same guy from last week. My girls say he looks more like Kerr Smith than James VanderBeek. I think he looks like Hugh Jackman.
Robbie Carrico - It wasn't terrible but comparing it to the original it fell far short. I didn't care for his attitude with the judges.
Danny Noriega - He's not one of my favorites.
David Hernandez - He's very comfortable and believable as a performer. His vocals are pretty good too!
Jason Yeager - Not bad, not good. I didn't like his self promoting tirade at the end either.
Chikeze - Way better than last week, though he got a little carried away with a few dance moves...
David Cook - I liked this performance a lot. Again with the back talking, though??
David Archuleta - I know I'm in the minority, but I have always had distinct dislike for this song. This is the first time I actually enjoyed it. This kids' voice is gorgeous.
My pick for the bottom three:
Robbie
Danny
Jason Y.
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Feb 27, 2008 12:04 AM
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This David Archuleta kid is so far ahead of the pack it's not funny. His performance of "Imagine" was masterful, just incredible for a 17 year old. And can he really be as genuine and unspoiled as he seems?
It's also clear that he's winning hearts. The judges love him, the audience loves him, he's striking a very rare chord here.
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Feb 27, 2008 12:51 AM
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She wants to squish him, squeeze his head off and hang himi from her rearview mirror. Paula is a bit pyscho.
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Feb 27, 2008 1:09 AM
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But she's also correct. David A. is destined for superstardom. I never really understood his appeal until tonight. I was very impressed and had to watch it back several times.
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Feb 27, 2008 1:10 AM
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I partly agree with you Debbie. I've always hated that song. But I disagree about David's rendition changing my mind. I didn't like it. But I'll admit I'm biased because I REALLY HATE THAT SONG! (Sorry) And I think the producers should make a list of songs that should be banned from ever being sung on this show again because they've been so completely overused. I get thoroughly sick of hearing some of the same ones over and over and over....
And I agree with you Nina. I like it when the contestants get a lick in to Simon, as long as they do it the right way. I had no problem with Chikezie's comments about "fashion". I actually thought it was pretty funny. And I had no problem with David C.'s remark about not needing to charm Simon but the audience. I don't think he was trying to tell Simon the rules of the show. He was just defending himself. If anyone was out of line, it was Simon. IMO he completely overreacted.
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Feb 27, 2008 1:55 AM
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here's what I think...
Michael Johns: He's definately attractive but I wonder if he would be openning the show if he wasn't so good looking. He's a decent singer but I think he's here more because he looks like the next American Idol than because he sounds like it.
Jason Castro: I actually like him better this week than last week. Apparently the judges disagreed...
Luke: He was better this week but still not good enough. I almost feel like the judges let a few not-so-great people through so that their actual picks are guaranteed to make it to the top 12.
Robbie: There's a way to talk back to the judges that's funny and there's a way to talk back to the judges that just makes people look childish or unwilling to hear something bad about themselves. Robbie looked a little too miffed at the end especially since his performance wasn't that great anyway.
Danny: I thought he had one of the best vocals of the night. Maybe not the best performance but his voice is pretty awesome. Hopefully the coming weeks will result in better song picks.
David H: Randy was right, he was finally back in form. When we first saw him during hollywood round I was hoping for a performance like tonights. He does some odd things with his face when singing but he was pretty good tonight.
Jason Y: Another singer that just isn't right for this competition.
Chikezie: Better vocal tonight but I wish he would dress like a star rather than a contestant at a high school talent show.
David Cook: Screw Simon, being a word nerd is HOT! I love this guy. And his sly smile to the audience while singing suggests he has no lack of charisma.
David A: I usually hate it when contestants try to cover such iconic songs but I felt that he changed it enough that I didn't immediately try to compare it to the original. This was an amazing performance and rightfully closed the show. My only fear is he tried out for this show a little early. In a few years he could make a record that could target a larger audience but right now? There's no way that 25 year old guys are gonna run out to buy any 17 year olds new pop record no matter how good he can sing. While his voice possesses all the maturity it needs, I do wish he was older just so he could have a possible larger fan base as an artist.
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Feb 27, 2008 2:23 AM
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I totally agree with myspoonis2big about David A. hitting the competition too early. I was just sitting here asking my husband how they could possibly market him because he doesn't fit the typical "pop" genre 19 Management thrives on. Clay Aiken became a success not just because of a huge voice, but because he was older and had a certain wit and innocent sex appeal about him that a 17 year old just doesn't have. Still, I enjoy David A and thought he did beautifully tonight.
Jason Castro doesn't have near the vocal range, but he's definitely got charisma and, because he's a few years older, sex appeal. I can completely see him making it in the industry based on just a few performances because he has a fantastic image (in addition to solid talent). He draws me in everytime he's on screen. AND, he's humble just like David A. which I find endearing.
I don't really want to go through each singer, but I will say I thought Michael Johns was bland to the point of being utterly generic. He's supposed to be a frontrunner, so he better get his game back on or he's gonna get dusted.
David Hernandez has a terrific voice, and I hope he goes far. However, he doesnt' FEEL like a star, so I don't know how he would do post Idol.
As for the REAL rocker in the bunch? That title clearly goes to David Cook. He was fabulous tonight and so comfortable on stage. I am jumpin' on his bandwagon for sure. And I TOTALLY think smart guys are sexy! No person is simply one thing, so I love the fact that there's this very calm, intellectual side to David C. Simon doesn't know what he's talking about!
I think the bottom two will be Jason Y. and Daws--, er, Luke. Jason has a really nice voice--better than Luke's--but I agree this is not the competition for him. And Luke just doesn't have "it." Sorry.
That's all I've got for now.
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Feb 27, 2008 3:05 AM
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Here is who I liked:
David Hernandez - great performance, and great vocals. This happens to be one of my favorite songs. And he did knock it out the park.
Chickezie- When I heard he was going to do a Donny Hathaway song, I thought it would be "A song for You"(the one Elliot did 2 years back), but glad he didn't. His vocals great much better than last week. And the same goes for his wardrobe.
David Archuleta- He is cute. I really particulary didn't care for his song choice. But he didn't do quite bad.
Mixed Feelings for: Jason Castro, Luke Menard,Robbie Carrico, and David Cook.
Don't Care for:
Michael Johns - Awful performance.
Jason Yeager-To tell the truth I don't even remember his perfomance....that says a lot that he wasn't all that good.
Danny Noriega- H wasn't all that good. And if he stays for another week....can they please give him a new hairstyle.
I have no idea who is going home on Thursday night. Anything can happen.
As to the no disco thing tonight...you know the ladies will do it. I will be so surprised if someone doesn't do "I will survive", and a Donna Summer song.
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Feb 27, 2008 3:12 AM
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I agree with you that Jason and Robbie are going home. David Cook definitely is the rocker of this group. Last week I really thought Chikezie would be going home, but he got lucky and glad he did. His performance this week was so much better. David Archuleta is by far the front runner. He is top 3 for sure and unless he screws up I think he will win.
I hope next week they move to a better era of songs though.
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Feb 27, 2008 6:02 AM
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I still don't think David A is all that great. His performance was ok, but nothing special. David H was ok, but he had weird emphasis on certain words that just didn't make sense to me. I thought Jason C was better than the judges. Robbie really did himself a disservice, but I don't think he'll be going home. David Cook was pretty good as was Chikezie who really improved, but then was lippy to Simon again. That will hurt him in the long run. Michael also really let me down. He wasn't bad, but his voice seemed pitchy. It was almost like he had a sore throat or some hoarseness. Danny was better than last week, but still not great. Luke and Jason Y will be my picks to go due to their 2 so so performances and that neither had any screen time prior to last week to build any sort of fan base.
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Feb 27, 2008 7:04 AM
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All I have to say is a big, fat "WORD!" to the people above who are showing love to my favorite, David Cook. I was blown away by his charisma while performing last week, and this week was no different - I'm actually shocked by how much more confident he is while performing. His voice sounded incredible this week. And hooray for word nerds!
I voted for him about 30 times last night. Here's hoping he sticks around at least until the top 12! Oh, and David A. was amazing - I'm not believing his innocent schtick, but there is no doubting this kid's talent. I'll be running off to iTunes to buy that song today.
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Feb 27, 2008 8:01 AM
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Last night was a good night to be named David! I really enjoyed both David H and David C's performances - and I thought they were totally forgettable the week before. But little David A was simply amazing! When he started singing Imagine I thought he'd be killed for trying to take on such a legendary song but his arrangement was beautiful and his voice was pefection. For those of you that say he is here at too young of an age - I disagree. I am 38 and have NEVER liked any of the younger contestants enough to contemplate buying their CD's but this kid is hugely talented. And if he can convince a Bo Bice & Chris Daughtry loving gal that he is the real deal then he just might convince others too!
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Feb 27, 2008 8:21 AM
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Great Recap,
Have to agree that David Archuleta is the front runner. This guy is always on. I was also worried with Imagine but he pulled it off quite well.
David Hernandez turned it around really well.
Daniel Noriega needs to go IMHO, he will turn into the Sanjaya of S7.
I don't see the Orlando Bloom or James Van der Beek in Luke Menard but I do see Bruce Campbell.
Jason Yeager looks like a young Tom Cruise.
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Feb 27, 2008 8:28 AM
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