Judges Use the Save, Idol Remains at 7

Next week two will go.

Lil and who else?

I thought it was somewhat of a waste. Matt is not good enough to win this thing. I think by now, many believe it will be Danny or Adam. The girls really stink. Anoop and Matt are mediocre, at best. It's a 3-man race....Danny, Kris and Adam.

I don't think Kris, Danny, or Adam have to worry about being voted off.  they are the final 3.  Although I would love to see Adam win it, i won't be upset if it is Danny or Kris.   In my opinion the final placings are:

1)Adam

2)Kris

3)Danny

4)Alison

5)Matt

6)Lil

7)Anoop

Some thoughts

1. I know that the producers have admitted that the group sings are lip-synced, but I wonder if they went live with tonight's... It didn't sound as polished as previous group sings, plus when Anoop was on his way down the stairs on the left, he tripped just a little bit and had to move his mic hand for balance and I could swear his vocals went down a bit at the same time. If that wasn't live, then the guys in the booth do a fantastic job to make it sound live.
2. Speaking of the group sing, Danny Gokey's little solo in it was actually really good. Where is that voice during his performances? It was so much fuller, had life and actually sounded like the soul his voice is claimed to have.
3. Off tangent, but since Idol was plugging Zach Effron's new movie (which looks downright terrible, what happened to you Matt Perry?), I'll just add that he was actually pretty decent on Saturday Night Live this past week. Made just the right amount of self deprecating humor about himself. He was no Justin Timberlake (who I believe will actually be back on SNL in a week or two), but he wasn't as terrible as I thought he could be.
4. While I've obviously heard of Miley Cyrus before, not being a 14 year old girl, I've never actually seen her before and could not have picked her out of a police lineup. But wow, damn. She is a gorgeous little thing. Though her voice, while good, isn't the greatest. She may want to eventually follow the Mandy Moore path into movie making more so than singing, especially when her tween audience moves on to the next thing.
5. I like how Simon made sure to comment about every contestant he was not allowed to last night. Take that new rules!
6. I didn't think Simon would have saved Lil, even if that was the purpose we didn't think he would. So I had hope he would save Matt when his turn came up, especially since I think Matt's been getting the least amount of attention of the remaining seven, so he definitely has underdog status.
7. If Simone doesn't believe that Matt can win this, and I tend to agree with him, then why did he save him? Or did the other three judges finally just strong arm him?
8. Man, disco ... this could end very badly
9. However, disco can actually save Matt for yet another week. I actually expect the bottom three to be the same next week unless one of the top four really screw up (and even then, I figure Danny and Adam would be safe). Now Lil will probably do something stupid like sing an Olivia Newton John song, that could be the final straw there. Since this is disco, it will be hard for Anoop to pull out one of his ballads, so he could have another Michael Jackson-round disasters. Can he actually sing an uptempo song? So if Matt can really pull something out, and Lil and Anoop just continue to be themselves, then Matt could save his ass.
10. Disco and Adam, what will come form that... It seems that for the past few weeks he's been alternating stripped down and slow "Mad World" and "The Tracks of My Tears" with uptempo rockers like "Born to Be Wild", "Play that Funky Music (White Boy)", and "Ring of Fire". So that would leave disco week for a slower, stripped down song this week... which could be freaking awesome. Or maybe that's just all a coincidence and he goes all out wacky on this. Either way, a lot of people will be waiting for his performance next week.

Wow. I did not expect them to use the save on Matt. Or Lil. I tend to think it was wasted, given Simon's comments. I agree that I don't think he has a chance of winning.

Somehow, I didn't care for Jennifer Hudson's song. But she sure looked gorgeous!

Disco? This WILL be interesting.

BTW, I checked to see if Danny was wearing his wedding ring, and he was. He also didn't annoy me quite as much tonight, for some reason.

Also didn't care for the group number.

Maybe it's just an off night for moi....

So, Adam Hobson, I find myself agreeing with you on most everything. But either I wasn't paying attention, or it didn't impress me much....but I don't recall Danny's solo. I'll go back and relisten.

Erm for people that are attacking matt, matt is a far more versitile singer than kris , kris is boring and average, hes there because of his looks, matt is soulful and there is a place for someone like him in the industry , unlike danny who is just a good singer, he has no place in the music industry , adam obviously does as hes different, american idol is there to find someone who is an idol someone who fits in with the music stars, danny and kris would not stand a chance and would end up like taylor hicks

I'm surprised Lil didn't home last night but I'm even more surprised the judges used the Save on Matt. Simon even said he can't win the competition (and I agree) so why use it on him? It made no sense at all.

The save was a complete waste in my opinion. I thought that the whole idea was to salvage someone who the judges thought had a shot of winning the show and ended up voted out due to voters missing the boat. This was not the case. Matt is a nice guy and a decent but not great singer. He's been skirting the bottom for some time now and Simon was right - he doesn't have a chance of winning this competition. The one thing I'm glad about is that the save, which I never thought should have been introduced, is now off the table. There are very few performers on this show that I think warrent a second chance after elimination and none of those who were in the bottom three this week fit that bill.

Disco next week, huh? That's going to be rough on most of them. The only one I think will really do well is Adam because it's a genre that demands the theatrical flamboyancy that we've seen out of Adam, and we've seen him pull off disco already. I see many trainwreaks in our future.

The thing to remember about the save is that they had to use it before it got down to the final 5, and you had to know they were going to use it just for the gimmick. This was probably their last shot to sneak it in there.

Matt's got a great deal of talent, but he hasn't been as fortunate as Adam or Allison at finding that exact sound that defines him as an artist. It's a little tough for him, because I think he would like to me more of a pop-rock artist, but his strengths lie in the jazz-blues-pop area instead. That's a tougher row to hoe, because Americans don't seem to groove into jazz as much as they should considering that jazz is an American music form. But I do take heart from the music lately being more eclectic (not nearly so much as during the 80s, but more then it's been since), and that might open some opportunities for Matt even if an Idol win is not in the cards. His studio recordings have been absolutely gorgeous.

I really thought they would save the "Save" until next week, but the decision may have already been made before the showed aired. I think they were not shocked to see who was in the bottom three.....

I honestly hope Danny nor Adam win, I had rather it be Kris...Adam is over the top and Danny, well to me he is predictable.

Disco will be hard for Allison next week. Her voice is more rough and tumble then dance.

Matt might do okay as will Kris. Lil will probably skate thru. Don't know about Anoop.

Can't picture Danny doing The Hustle.

I like Miley Cyrus! I think she has a nice voice.

Jennifer Hudson does nothing for me. I close my eyes and hear every other black singer. There's nothing about her that stands out.

And aren't we all just sitting on the edge of our seats waiting to see what Adam dishes up? I know I am!

Being from Kalamazoo, I can tell you that Matt in-person is a remarkable talent and well worth the save. He has been a dualing piano player at the Monaco Bay night club for quite awhile and never disappoints, he has grown during the competition and I think that the best is yet to come!

I am happy about Matt's save. He is not going to be #1. I think Adam will win, he is very talented. I won't be buying his CDs. I don't know what people hear in Danny. I think Kris is adorable, I probably would not buy his CDs either. The person taking the hit this year was Alexis Grace. How Megan and Lil stayed on so long is beyond me. Allison is very talented also. I will buy Alexis's, Matt's and probably Anoop's CDs if Anoop sings slow songs. Adam said it right--you either like it or you don't--thats what music is!! By the way, everyone should listen to Simon's Susan from Scotland. She is 47 years old and awesome. I cried. So long Adam---HELLO SUSAN!!!!!!!!!

my thoughts...

MATT- has probably been the most uneven performer this season, in that he's had INCREDIBLE weeks where everything came together, and weeks where vocally he fell apart. For some reason, his vocals seem to falter when he's not behind the piano. I do think he's been criminally underrated, and honestly, if the save needed to be used on either him or Lil, it was used on the right person. I'm rooting for the man, but he MUST bring his A+++++ game this coming week.

LIL- I'm sorry, but it's time to go. Does she have a voice? Yes, but unfortunately she also has SEVERE problems controlling her breathing and her tone. I can hear her gasping for air at times, struggling through most songs until she gets to the power note (which still sounds like she barely has control of it). I was hoping Kara (being an actual singer) might have addressed this, but instead we've been hearing the whole "wrong song choice" foolishness. I'm terrified she's going to do something like "Don't Leave Me This Way" next week and completely fall apart.

ANOOP- poor kid can't catch a break. No, I don't think he's going to win, but he's got talent, and it must be hard on the morale to be giving your best, getting raves from judges, and still landing in the bottom 3. I'm worried about him on disco night. And he really needs a new hairstyle- he's starting to have this TV anchorman/Ken doll helmet look going.

ALISON- I like her, I really do. Really can't think of anything else to say, except her outfits sometimes look like she got into Mommy's closet and went nuts. I think her chances of winning are remote, but I got a thing for any girl with a rasp. Maybe they'll let her do "Bette Davis Eyes" next week. Does that qualify as disco?

DANNY- I don't understand the big deal about Danny. The dude can sing, but he's really not all THAT amazing. At times he sounds a bit like Taylor Hicks...enough said. BUT...he did sound good last night.

this brings me to the two who I think are the superior talents, Kris and Adam.

KRIS- c'mon, how can you not love this kid? Shockingly handsome, unceasingly nice and cheery, a multi-intstrumentalist and a great singer who can imbue FEELING into a song. I think the judges and a big part of the online crowd have neglected to recognize how extraordinary this kid really is. He hasn't had a 'bad' night yet. I still think he can win this.

ADAM- Adam and Kris are near-polar opposites. Understated, meet bombastic. Is Adam self-indulgent at times? Of course he is! With a voice like that, a look like that and a background in 'the theatah', would you expect anything less? I LOVED his take on "Ring of Fire"- even knowing he didn't originate the exotic slant on the song- but knew he'd get criticized for it. Regardless if you like him or hate him, it cannot be denied that Adam has probably the widest, most flexible vocal range of any man who's ever been on this show. Not only that, he can also CONTROL his vocals, even when they're in the stratosphere (yes, Lil...I'm looking at you). It'll probably stick in Simon's craw, but I think he's got this...we'll see...

that's my 25 cents...

my thoughts...

MATT- has probably been the most uneven performer this season, in that he's had INCREDIBLE weeks where everything came together, and weeks where vocally he fell apart. For some reason, his vocals seem to falter when he's not behind the piano. I do think he's been criminally underrated, and honestly, if the save needed to be used on either him or Lil, it was used on the right person. I'm rooting for the man, but he MUST bring his A+++++ game this coming week.

LIL- I'm sorry, but it's time to go. Does she have a voice? Yes, but unfortunately she also has SEVERE problems controlling her breathing and her tone. I can hear her gasping for air at times, struggling through most songs until she gets to the power note (which still sounds like she barely has control of it). I was hoping Kara (being an actual singer) might have addressed this, but instead we've been hearing the whole "wrong song choice" foolishness. I'm terrified she's going to do something like "Don't Leave Me This Way" next week and completely fall apart.

ANOOP- poor kid can't catch a break. No, I don't think he's going to win, but he's got talent, and it must be hard on the morale to be giving your best, getting raves from judges, and still landing in the bottom 3. I'm worried about him on disco night. And he really needs a new hairstyle- he's starting to have this TV anchorman/Ken doll helmet look going.

ALISON- I like her, I really do. Really can't think of anything else to say, except her outfits sometimes look like she got into Mommy's closet and went nuts. I think her chances of winning are remote, but I got a thing for any girl with a rasp. Maybe they'll let her do "Bette Davis Eyes" next week. Does that qualify as disco?

DANNY- I don't understand the big deal about Danny. The dude can sing, but he's really not all THAT amazing. At times he sounds a bit like Taylor Hicks...enough said. BUT...he did sound good last night.

this brings me to the two who I think are the superior talents, Kris and Adam.

KRIS- c'mon, how can you not love this kid? Shockingly handsome, unceasingly nice and cheery, a multi-intstrumentalist and a great singer who can imbue FEELING into a song. I think the judges and a big part of the online crowd have neglected to recognize how extraordinary this kid really is. He hasn't had a 'bad' night yet. I still think he can win this.

ADAM- Adam and Kris are near-polar opposites. Understated, meet bombastic. Is Adam self-indulgent at times? Of course he is! With a voice like that, a look like that and a background in 'the theatah', would you expect anything less? I LOVED his take on "Ring of Fire"- even knowing he didn't originate the exotic slant on the song- but knew he'd get criticized for it. Regardless if you like him or hate him, it cannot be denied that Adam has probably the widest, most flexible vocal range of any man who's ever been on this show. Not only that, he can also CONTROL his vocals, even when they're in the stratosphere (yes, Lil...I'm looking at you). It'll probably stick in Simon's craw, but I think he's got this...we'll see...

that's my 25 cents...

Love Danny. Hope he wins the whole thing. I think Kris is so overrated. He is just ok to me. Lil definitely needs to go. Would not be upset if Adam or Allison wins, both enormously talented. The best idol contestants to me ever, ( no comparisons as far as voice) are David Archaletta, Melinda Doolittle, Alliison and Adam.

Are you kidding? This save was totally wasted on Matt. He wasn't the worst tonight, but this new gimmick (er, I mean, save) should have been used later on someone with a legitimate shot at winning, not at giving a mediocre performer a free pass.

Wait, did the author and I watch the same Miley Cyrus performance? The singing was nasal the entire way through--I would love to hear Simon's thoughts on her singing. The lyrics were lame. Her dress WAS beautiful, but head banging during a country song is not only painfull incompatible, it looked awful with her evening wear. I bet each of the 7 Idols (and probably a lot of the at-home and in-theater audience) wished that they were the cute daughter of a washed-up-connected-country-star so they could have a huge career, too. And they'd probably do it better.

Her dress WAS beautiful, but head banging during a country song is not only painfull incompatible, it looked awful with her evening wear.

I do like Miley for who she is especially mainly popular with the tweens. I know she is growing up and they are trying to further her career, don't know she can make it or not, with her money and wise investing (???) she may never be broke...but getting back to talent, I don't think she is all that great, but I do understand the fascination that the kids have with her and I also agree with the statement that I copied (above) I thought the same thing, she has a lot of changing to do if she wants to go country and also wants to grow up...

I think Simon is totally bored by American Idol and would not be surprised if he leaves the show after this year. I also think the only performances he looks forward to are Adam's. Adam seems to make Simon laugh.

I honesty believe that Simon did not want to use the save card, and it is going to bite them this coming week. All they need is for one of the top 3 to be voted off and they will kick themselves in the tookas. You by now should know who the top 3 are and who the winner of American Idol is going to be. If not...then your an idiot. I was always in hopes that this show was not fixed..but alas it is. They showed that several weeks ago.  Rumor has it one judge needs to go..Simon's contract is up in a year but they want to slim down to 3 before then. If Paula Abdul's dresses get any shorter or more revealing she is going to have to wear extra make-up. They are not appriopriate for a "Family" program.

My critique:

Anoop - I like him, but he's boring at times. Anoop's best performances are on ballads. You can tell that he's not used to criticism.

Matt - There are times that he's very good, but when he's bad...he's really bad. Last night was worse than the performance night. I see a lack of confidence because he has been in the bottom more than once.

Lil - I was never on the Lil bandwagon. I just don't think she can sing all that well. When she did the Mary J Blige song that all the judges raved about, I though it was terrible. Lil is a copycat singer with a big, loud voice that she doesn't know how to use. It works in church with a choir but not when you have sing various genres in a competition. Lil could benefit from vocal coaching because she needs help in using her voice. I've been disappointed in all of her peformances.

Kris - Kris is very good and is a sleeper in the competition. My downside with Kris is that he is a one song type of singer. He's good on the ballands; not so much on the uptempo songs. Disco could be hard for him similar to country being hard for Adam.

Danny - Taylor Hicks in nicer packaging is what Danny represents. With the exception of PYT, it seems like every song is tribute to his late wife. I can see them trying to package him as the new Michael McDonald, but it doesn't work for me. Several of his songs have been off-key and he hasn't been called on it. I though Stand By Me was a trainwreck.

Allison - This chick has potential but being as young as she is, its too easy to pick the wrong song. Last weeks, Bonnie Raitt song was a good example. She needs to pick a song that is fun and all about dancing for disco night. I didn't think Tuesday's performance was one of her best and judges didn't talk about the performance. I'm guessing it's because they've started the Idol pimp mobile for her inclusion as one of the final two.

Adam - I don't where to start when it comes to him. He is so much better than any of the others. The professional background really comes through on his performances. The way he works the stage, especially on Tuesday was phenomenal. Adam treats every performance like an audition and goes full out on stage. He leaves nothing behind and that's what I like to see. I love a good ballad (Tracks of my Tears, Mad World), but when you can get on that stage and completely own like he does, then you deserve to win. Adam also displays a versatility that the others don't have; that keeps the anticipation level high for his performance. The downside is that it makes everyone else appear even weaker.

I can't wait for disco!!

While I like Matt, he was in my personal bottom three this week. I would not have used the Judge's Save on him as I agree with Simon that he has NO chance of winning the competition. I would have saved it for next week just in case one of the big three (Adam, Allison, and Danny, does poorly on Disco Week and gets the boot. Let's hope that does not happen.