Top i-tune Downloads Night

Well, maybe I'm getting jaded or something. but I wasn't that thrilled with the show tonight; though I thoroughly enjoyed Adam Lambert as usual. I got goosebumps when I heard his name. Now that's anticipation! Danny Gokey moved me with his passion. Lil Rounds sang her heart out- she is a powerhouse, alright. Those are consistently my 3 favorites in that order, and I haven't really strayed from them since the beginning of this contest. Megan's got to go. She just isn't chooosing the right songs for her highly stylized voice. Who do you think should go?

Here's my take on the performances tonight:


Anoop Desai-Hold On Me-Lots of confidence and energy.
Megan Joy-Turn Your Lights Down Low-her voice was really irritating me, pitchy, wrong song for her. I think she's next to go.
Danny Gokey-What Hurts the Most-I thought it was too high for him, he had some control/pitch problems, but his stage presence, charm and soul won me over. One of my favorites!
Allison Iraheta-Don't Speak-Nice guitar playing, didn't know she played.
Scott MacIntyre-Just the Way You Are-He has a lot of talent, but every week he comes across to me like Barry Manilow. Kind of schmaltzy. Nice voice, beuatiful piano playing, and a sweet person to boot. Not my taste.
Matt Giraud-You Found Me-The beginning was shaky, and then it got better as it went. Where was his soul tonight? I couldn't really feel him in this song.
Lil Rounds-I Surrender-Good singing, pitchy at times, but what a voice! I missed her spunk tonight.
Adam Lambert-Play that Funky Music-Wow!!!! He's in a class by himself. Truly the most original performer I've ever seen on American Idol. What a singer/performer/persona! I'm speechless. He actully missed a couple of notes. Good to know he is human!
Kris Allen-Ain't No Sunshine-Nice singing, good piano playing, nice arrangement. He really didn't move me, but he did a good job.

Results from Motown Week

Well, Michael is out. I think America got that right. Megan is next to be leaving. She's quirky, pretty, interesting, but too stylized a singer for this contest. I'm looking forward to seeing what next week's show has in store for us.
Do you think America got it right?

Motown Week

This was a disappointing week. With such great singers, the show seemed to lack energy somehow. I wondered if it was because Motown is Motown and hard to really do any other way. Then you have Adam Lambert, who always keeps things fresh, interesting and unique.(Did anyone else think he looked a lot like KD Lang tonight?) His was my favorite performance of the evening, followed by Danny Gokey and Matt Geraud. Allison Iraheta had a dynamite performance, but it hurts to listen to her tearing up her voice more and more every week. Lil Rounds had great vocals and energy, but it was too much like the original to be anything memorable.
My prediction of the bottom 3 tonight is:
Scott MacIntyre, Megan Joy, and Micahel Sarver.
I think it's time for Scott to go. Wish he had broken out of the Barry Manilow mold. Not that Barry isn't talented, but we hoped for more edge from Scott. I really wanted him to stay in as long as he could.

Here were my reactions as I watched the show.

Matt Giraud-Let's Get It On-Good performance! He's got soul and great control. Confident.
Kris Allen-How Sweet It Is-Nice singing!
Scott MacIntyre-You Can't Hurry Love-Nice chord changes, good singing, nice. It didn't do anything for me. He might go after tonight.
Megan Joy-For Once In My Life-Pushed her voice, lots of missed notes. Poor Megan. She might go tonight.
Anoop Desai-Ooh Baby, Baby-Good performance. A few bad notes, but great control. Hard song!
Michael Sarver-Ain't Too Proud to Beg-It wasn't my favorite performance. Nice voice, nothing that stood out in his performance.
Lil Rounds-Heat Wave-Good performance, too much like the original to really be remembered.
Adam Lambert-Tracks of My Tears-Wow, amazing as always! What a range, what control, unique. My favorite tonight.
Danny Gokey-Get Ready-Great Performance! Always from the heart, touches me everytime. So organic!
Allison Iraheta-Papa Was a Rolling Stone-What soul! Always a great perfomrer! Ouch my throat! Get this girl out of the competition before it's too late!

Who do you think should be sent home?

Grand Ole' Opry Result Night

I predicted 2 out of the 3 bottom contestants correctly. Dumb luck.
I think it's a good thing that Alexis was voted out. From the beginning of this season, I thought she'd been pushing her voice way too hard. She has a delicate voice and was on the way to wrecking it. I hope she gets signed to a country label and gets some major vocal guidance before she records and has to go on the road for a long tour. She is quite talented and beautiful as well. Country music seems to suit her best in my opinion. I look forward to seeing where her career takes her.
Carrie Underwood was amazing tonight: what a voice! I liked the new song she and Randy Travis sang together; although, next to her vocals and stunning looks, he seemed almost invisible. I wouldn't have matched those two up for a duet. Two different ends of the spectrum!
I think America got it right tonight. What do you think?

The bottom 3 tonight were:
Alexis Grace, Michael Sarver and Allison Iraheta (surprising!)

Grand Ole' Opry Night

This is by far the most interesting Idol season I have witnessed. Everyone is an excellent singer; I mean REALLY good. Adam is still my favoirite because he has a KILLER voice and range and he's so confident and solid. I love Lil Rounds because of her solid voice as well. But there were some other pleasing surprises tonight; Anoop was better than I thought he could be, Kris Allen blew me away. Allison and Matt had great performances as well. Danny is always wonderful to watch.
The weakest performances tonight were Scott, Michael, and Alexis. I think Scott or Michael will go soon. I'd hate to see Scott voted off because he's had such a challenging life but he is probably the weakest of all the singers. He just seems to lack some umph. We'll see who America votes for. Who do you think should be voted off?

My take on the individual performances tonight:

Michael Sarver-Ain't Goin' Down Till the Sun Comes Up-Fun song, but he didn't really stand out tonight.
Allison Iraheta-Great performance as usual! gives it her all; what a powerhouse!
Kris Allen-To Make You Feel My Love-Nice performance, beautiful voice, nice control, good singing!
Lil Rounds-Indepenence Day-Great performance. She is an amazing singer!
Adam Lambert-Ring of Fire-Amazing, wow! My favorite performance so far! So unique.
Scott MacIntyre-Wild Angels-Nice playing, nice singing, it didn't blow me away. A little boring.
Alexis Grace-Joelyn-A little sharp the whole song. This is the right style for her. Less pushing vocally than her rock stuff.
Danny Gokey-Jesus Take the Wheel-Great singing, good song for him, but the beginning was a little pitchy. Not his best singing night. But, soulful, yes!
Anoop Desai-Always on my Mind-Great job singing, very original. Great vocals, incredible control. HIs best performance yet.
Megan Joy-Walkin' After Midnight-She was her own quirky self. She's not my favorite singer, but it was fun. Amazing that she could get up there and sing after being so sick from the flu. What a trooper.
Matt Giraud-Soulful, great singing and musicianship, impressive, real talent there.

Week 1 results-Jorge and Jasmine Go Home

I thought that Jorge might get sent home tonight. What a likable guy and good singer. It's so hard to see anyone leave; everyone is exceptional this season. Jasmine is very likable and talented for someone so young. It seems to me she is so marketable that someone is going to grab her right up and sign her to a Disney deal or something better. Jorge too! They are lucky not to have to deal with the pressure from the insanity of the show. This show is really about exposure, and they have had weeks of that already; enough to give them the push they need for their careers. Good luck to them!
I'm glad Anoop is still in the running. Hopefully he can prove he can be more original and unique next week. Did America get it right? I think so. What do you think?

I'll be on the radio tomorrow morning talking about this week's show with the wild and crazy Bob Miller. Tune in at 7:35 AM on the morning mix @ 97.7 FM. http://www.mix97fm.com/

Check out my website packed with songs, video and photos!
www.vickierussell.com

Top 13-songs of Michael Jackson

Tonight's show was exciting! So far, I am sincerely enjoying this season due to so many exceptional singers. What a pleasure for this singer! I am sticking with my favorite performers; tonight being no exception: Lil Rounds, Adam Lambert, and Danny Gokey. Micahel Jackson has a huge catolog of great songs, with a huge variety in style, from R&B to soul, to rock to pop, and the contestants utilized the styles to their advantage. I was most disappointed with Anoop. He is such a likable guy, but that was such a bad song choice for him. Michael Sarver was a pleasant surprise tonight. Scott MacIntyre was a bit sleepy. Well, you can check my critiques below. Who will be voted out tomorrow? Maybe Anoop and Megan.

Lil Rounds-The Way You Make Me Feel-She makes it all look so easy. Great performer! Great singer! She's so unique and herself. There were moments where my mind wandered, which I thought was strange.There seemed to be a lull in the middle of the song.
Scott MacIntyre-Keep the Faith-Almost seemed in the beginning, a little Barry Manilow-ish, got more fiery toward the end, though.
Danny Gokey-PYT-Wow great performance! So much energy, great voice, Lot's of soul. Love him. A little bit of oversinging and pitchiness, but what energy!
Michael Sarver-You Are Not Alone- That was really great singing and he made it his own style. I didn't know he could sing that well. Impressive!
Jasmine Murray-I'll Be There-She sang well. A few unsure notes, but nice. She really didn't do anything different from the original except for the last note.
Kris Allen-Remember the Time-Jazzy rendition, interesting take on the song. Different, original. I liked it. Good singing!
Allison Iraheta-Give In to Me, Great Performer! She's only 16????? Amazing! She's a rocker alright. But, she's pushing her voice too hard, hope her voice lasts through the competition. I can hear her hoarseness when she speaks. Not a good sign.
Anoop Desai-Beat It-Fun, good singer. Not a great song choice for him. kind of corny.
Jorge Nunez-Never Can Say Goodbye-Nice singing, a little out of control tonight, not a great song for him, a bit corny.
Megan Joy Corkrey-Rockin' Robin-Made it her own, she's got her own style. It was fun. She seemed a little awkward in moving around. Not a great song for her voice.
Adam Lambert-Black or White-Great performer! Made it his own. Wow. What energy! Sang great. Last note was off. Wow, wow, wow. That's all I can say.
Matt Giraud-Human Nature-Nice, unique, good song choice. He can really riff. Soulful.
Alexis Grace-Dirty Diana-She pushes her voice too much. good attitude, but I think she chooses songs that are way bigger than her voice is capable. I think she should be a country artist.

Who do you think had the best performance? I think Adam.

Wild Card Show

Well, we are finally ready to get on with this contest! The 12, no 13 finalists have been chosen. I guess they can bend the rules and make it 13 finalists if they want. Simon's the boss after all. He can reinvent the show whenever he feels like it. Hey why not 30 finalists and just let it go on all year round? No, I take it back. I'm gonna need a rest after this season is over.
So glad that some of my favorites got chosen:
Yeah, Anoop!!! Love him; he's the ordinary guy that can really sing and work the crowd!
Jasmine, yes, very commercial choice. Young, pretty, talented.
Megan, well, also very commmercial choice. Pretty, quirky, unique singer.
Matt Giraud really sang great tonight. He deserves to be a finalist after his performance.
I am disappointed that Von didn't make it in, he is a great singer! But he was shaky tonight. (Do you blame him?)
Thank goodness Tatianna is out. I can't bear watching anymore breakdowns.

I think the judges made some good decisions.
The best technical singer of the 13: Adam Lambert.
Best all around singer/performer: Lil Rounds.
Most likable and soulful, with a great voice: Danny Gorkey.

So much talent this year, it's really impressive. This should be an exciting season.


My take on the performances tonight:

Jesse Langseth-Tell Me Somethng Good-Nice singing. Very soulful, sultry.
Matt Giraud-Who's Lovin'You-Well, that was as bluesy as you can get. Good job!
Megan Joy Corkrey-You're not the one for me-Bluesy, jazzy, she's got a lot of style. Pitchy, her voice isn't that strong, but she is a good performer.
Von Smith-Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word-I could really feel his nerves. But he can really sing. I hope he gets through because he should be in the top 12.
Jasmine Murray-Reflection-Nice singing! Great for 16!
Ricky Braddy-Superstition-It was a bit corny. Not the right song for him. Good singer.
Tatianna Del Toro-Saving All My Love For You-Good singer, not a great performance. Her drama is too much for me. Next!
Anoop Desai-My Prerogative-Confident performance, good singing. Really fun to watch. Can't help but love him.

Jasmine, Megan, Anoop and Matt.

See you next week!
I'll be on the radio tomorrow morning at 8:15 AM to comment on the show's results. Tune in:
Morning Mix 97.7 FM

Did the judges get it right?

Third Round Finals with Wild Card Selections

Well, they picked some good singers tonight from the third round of twelve: Scott MacIntyre, Lil Rounds and Jorge Nunez. I was surprised that Von Smith wasn't one of them, but these were all great choices. As I said last night, Lil Rounds is one of my 3 favorites from the whole group (the other 2 favorites being Adam and Danny).
Tomorrow night the judges choose the final 3 of the 12 from:
Von Smith (yeah!)
Jasmine (possible)
Rick (possible)
Megan
Tatianna (oy, more drama!)
Matt Giraud (possible)
Anoop (yeah!)
Jesse

So sad Norman Gentle is out. He was a lot of fun, but didn't necessarily belong in this particular competition. He is just so entertaining. I hope he got a jump start from the exposure on this show and becomes some famous quirky celebrity and has his own TV show or Broadway musical.
For tomorrow night, I'm rooting for Anoop and Von Smith. As for the third choice, either Matt or Jasmine. I'm kind of unsure about who is as talented and interesting as Anoop and Von. I'm curious who the judges will choose. Looking forward to the top 12. Let's get to it already.

So, did America get it right tonight? Who do you think the judges will choose for the final 3 tomorow?

Third Round of 12

There is so much that goes into these performances: the technical aspect of the vocals, stage presence, the outfit, the persona, calming the nerves. There were some great performances tonight. This group had more outstanding talent than the first two groups. Hard to predict who will be the 3 finalists out of this group.
My favorites of the evening were:
Lil Rounds, Von Smith and I also liked:
Ju'Not Joyner, Felicia Barton, Nathaniel Marshall, Scott MacIntyre and Jorge Nunez
If had to pick one from these 5, I would have to choose Felicia Barton. Really a hard choice. Glad I don't have to choose. This is going to be a good season. There is major talent here.
My take on the performances:


Von Smith-sounded great, wow! He took Simon's advice to heart and sang with more dynamics . He seems less manic, more balanced and has great stage presence. And he can really sing! Fantastic performance. One of the finalists for sure.
Taylor Vaifanua-If I Ain't Got You-She sang really well for a 17 year old, but her energy seemed a little low. I thought the key was a little low for her also. She could have chosen a bit higher key to put some zing into her vocals. I think she played it too safe. Good singer.
Alex Wagner -Trugman-I Guess Why They Call it the Blues-Wrong song for him, he's got a lot of soul and this song doesn't have a whole lot of soul.
Arianna Afsar-The Winner Takes it All-Bad song choice, she riffed too much on the song, but she really has a great voice. She pushed her voice a bit too much. Not bad for a 17 year old.
Ju'Not Joyner-Hey Delilah-Nice vocals. He's a good singer. Nice performance!
Kristen MacNamara-Give Me One Reason-Somehow it was corny, old fashioned ; even though she can really sing. She has a little identity problem. She is a likable person.
Nathaniel Marshall-I Would Do Anythin For Love-Confident performer, not a great song choice. Good singer! Fun person, hope he gets another chance.
Felicia Barton-No One-Good voice, she pushed her voice a bit, but she has a lot of talent. Impressive. The song was very similar to the original, but it was fun just the same.
Scott MacIntyre-Mandolin Rain-Nice singing, I just want him to be a finalist. He's so likable.
Kendall Beard-This One's for the Girl-Not a great vocal performance, pitchy, out of control, but she knows who she is, and that's a good thing.
Jorge Nunez-Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me-pitchy at the beginning, got better as he went. Nice voice. Very passionate performance. (And I really don't like that song-but he made it enjoyable to listen to)
Lil Rounds-Great performance! Wow, my favorite performance of the evening, confident, great stage presence.

Who do you think should be the 3 chosen from tonight?