American Idol ~ Hello Top 13!

I haven't watched AI for about 3 years. The talent just wasn't up to par - in my opinion, Simon had become a characature and the new judges were just not interesting. And, I missed the "ooh whoa whoa."

The addition of J-Lo and Steven Tyler did not appeal to me, at first. However, throughout the audition process, nothing but good things were said about both. So, I started watching 'Hollywood Week.'

Saw some amazing and talented singers. Cringed and cried when some chick said she didn't know the Beatles. Cringed and cried once more when the top 24 were announced.

2 nights and 40 million votes later, we get our Top 13. dun dun dun!

Oh, wait ~ Steven Tyler in pink ruffled shirt and leather jacket? Yes, please.

Scotty ~ deep voice kid. Country singer. I'm out.

Jacob Lusk ~ God Bless the Child. Done. Over. The end. I'm IN!

Paul McDonald ~ the whitest teeth I've ever seen. His Beatles duet with Kendra (who didn't make it) was fantastic. I'm IN!

James ~ Judas. Priest. Hell. Yeah. I'm IN!

Casey ~ Stand up bass? Aww, yeah. I dig him all the way. I'm IN!

Stefano ~ Not as impressed as J-Lo. I'm out.

Lauren ~ isn't she 16 or something? I'm in.

Pia ~ I have no recollection of her singing. At all.

Thia ~ I dig her all the way. I'm in.

Ashton ~ got lucky with the Wild Card. She was good.

Karen ~ I knew she was in when she sang Mariah Carey's Hero in English and Spanish. She got the demographic right.

Naima ~ Steven loves her. My jury's still out.

Hayley ~ I got nothing.

I think the guys are strong in this season; wide variety of styles and appeal. I'm sure someone can (and will) say the same about the girls; just not impressed yet.

What say you?

ooh whoa whoa ~ Idol Top 12 03.11.08

New set ~ oooh!

(I'm sick of snarky Simon and Ryan. Mean is not funny.)

Lennon/McCartney night has me scared: this could be absolutely amazing or completely horrendous...

Syesha ~ Got To Get You Into My Life ~ Yes, she can sing. Just not this. Rough start. And she needs to make friends with the show stylist.

Chikeze ~ She's a Woman ~ Wow. How different. I think I like it. No, really. I like it. Very tent revival-esque at the end. Nice! He actually took a risk, mixed it up and it worked. Whew.

Ramiele ~ In My Life ~ Ohh, this is a sentimental, special song to me. OK, seriously? What's with the cheesy stare on the stairs? It's a center-stage, mic stand only type of song. Not blown away. She sounds out of breath. Stylist. Where's the stylist?

Jason ~ If I Fell ~ He's very sweet. I like it and him.

Carly ~ Come Together ~ I totally agree with Quernzy & Greeblemonkey - Carly went up a coupla notches in my book. I liked her and the song. However, I think Amanda woulda rocked it harder and better.

David C ~ Eleanor Rigby ~ another sentimental, special song to me. Nice groove goin' on...and, as much as I hate to admit, I like it. Jury's still out on him but diggin' the song.

Brooke ~ Let It Be ~ I tuned out.

David H ~ Saw Her Standing There ~ for a former 'dancer' he's got lousy moves. Might I suggest the audience wave dollar bills, y'all. OK. The song - Tiffany, in all her mall wisdom, performed it much better.

Amanda ~ Can't Do That ~ I really like her; she's very Grace Slick-ish. She woulda rocked it out on 'Come Together' but did well on this song (even if she sorta mumbled a lot).

Michael ~ Across the Universe ~ Didn't do it for me, dawg. He still hasn't found THE SONG. I'm waiting...

Kristy Lee (who?) ~ 8 Days a Week ~ OMG. Country?! I reject that totally! Horrible. Just horrible, Carrie Underwood Jr. :::shiver:::

David A ~ We Can Work It Out ~ ooh, he messed up the lyrics, tsk tsk. It was okay. Too much pressure on the kid?

Bottom 3? Ramiele, Carrie Underwood Jr, Syesha?

ooh whoa whoa - Top 8 Idol Boys 03.04.08

The rumor mill (read: the internet) was churrrning this week, what with 'rocker' Robbie ('I used to date Brit-Brit') wearing a wig, then getting the boot; Danny ('I'm Hannah Montana') and his holiday video surfacing; and, of course, David the Stripper. Who needs singing?! I do! I do!

80s week...this is sacred ground to me. A lot of great and not-so-great songs to be sung. So, let's see who surprises and who disappoints.

Luke ~ Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go ~ OMG. I reject that totally! Of alllll the 80s songs...shoulda worn the shorts & day-glo...or shoulda sang 'Careless Whisper' instead. Ai yi yi.

David A ~ Another Day in Paradise ~ Forgot he plays the piano. Nice surprise. He almost makes me like this song. Surprise again. He's adorable.

Danny ~ Tainted Love ~ I reject that totally! :::shiver::: WHAT was that? Seriously. What WAS that?!

David H ~ It's All Coming Back to Me ~ I like when guys sing girls songs and vice versa. I was aiight for me tonight, Dawg. Perhaps if he unbuttoned just a couple more...

Michael ~ Don't You Forget About Me ~ Quernzy loved him. I like him. And sorta liked his interpretation of the song, though it isn't one of my faves. Uh...Randy, it's not Michael Hutchence/INXS, dawg...it's Jim Kerr and Simple Minds. Oooh, Simon. I agree - haven't found the right song with that connection yet. He will. And he'll explode!

David C ~ Hello ~ Yeah, the Lionel Richie song. Sorry, I reject that totally. No no no no no no no no no no no no. Emo? Bah!

Jason ~ Hallelujah ~ like everyone, Jeff Buckley's version rips you to shreds and is a favorite. I was intrigued...this interpretation was strange and sweet and simple.

Chikeze ~ some Whitney song that I forgot ~ I liked it okay, I guess. He sings quite nicely...not sure why Simon is so harsh on him...

Apologies for the quick/brief recap ~ I have homework *and* am so very exhausted.

ooh whoa whoa ~ Top 10 Boys 02.26.08

We've gone from 24 to 20: 10 men, 10 women. Let's hope those who can, bring it. Tonight is Songs from the 70s. This...


is American Idol.

~ Michael Johns - Go Your Own Way by Fleetwood Mac. Ohhhh. Not doin' it for me, Dawg. He's very...bouncy. But not too impressive with the vocals tonight. He'll be around cuz he's hot. Simon agrees with me.

~ Jason Castro - Be Your Everything by Andy Gibb. Yes, I said Andy Gibb. Jason rocked Andy Gibb tonight. I liked it. Seriously, I did. Sorta sweet and sorta strange. I think singing with his guitar is some sort of protection thing...would like to see if his vocals get stronger without it.

~ Luke Mendard - Killer Queen by Queen. Interesting choice. He totally lacks the sass that Freddie has on the song (OK, yeah, it *is* Freddie...but still). Not doin' it for me, Dawg.

~ Robbie Carrico - Hot Blooded by Foreigner. He's not 'rocker.' Bo Bice and Chris Daughtry were 'rocker' ~ ooh, speak on it, Randy (he agrees with me). He looks like Justin Timberlake.

~ Danny Noriega - Superstar by the Carpenters. He really does look like Hannah Montana. Hard to hear this song because 1) Ruuuuben auditioned with it and killed it. Killed. And, 2) it's the Carpenters. *sigh* Anyway, not doin' it for me, Dawg.

~ David Hernandez - Papa Was a Rolling Stone by the Temptations. I really like this. He could use more grit...overall, I'm surprised by how much I like this.

~ Jason Yeager - Long Train Runnin' by the Doobie Bros. He makes the song sound lounge-y. Deanna from RockStar INXS did this song much better. Ohhh, you are not long for this competition, my dear. Not doin' it for me, Dawg. Damn, Simon - brutal.

~ Chikeze - I Believe to My Soul by Donny Hathaway. Another of my favorite songs! When Ryan teased 'Donny Hathaway' going into commercial, I was scared. Surprisingly, not scary at all! I like it. Get funky now! Sad that he let others bastardize his name when he was growing up...

~ David Cook - Alright Now by Free. He's rockin' it. This is how I expect Robbie and Jason to sound. He blew the lyrics throughout the whole song, no one called him on it. He should lose the guitar, engage the audience more. Don't think Simon likes David much - Simon blew David's retort out of proportion.

~ David Archuleta - Imagine by John Lennon. Very nice interpretation. Wow. That is doin' it for me, Dawg. :::chills:::

The girls sing tomorrow night ~ and I'm going to miss it, once again. Read Aimee Greeblemonkey's recap.

I'm thinkin' Jason Yeager, David Cook or DannyMontanny will be goin their own way...

ooh whoa whoa ~ Top 12 Boys 02.19.08

OMG! I am *soooo* excited!
I really love American Idol!
I really wish I had TiVo.
iTunes?! *sigh* It's all about the sponsorship, isn't it?

It's Music of the 60s night (I love theme nights!), so let's go:

• David Hernandez ~ In the Midnight Hour ~ I loved his rendition of "Love the One You're With" during Hollywood week, so I'm pretty excited to hear him tonight. Hmm - digg the gospel-esque start (complete with organ). I'm not connecting with him, though. Move, dude! Good singing, but I'm not engaged.
• Chikeze ~ More Today Than Yesterday ~ OMG! My favorite song of all time! And he's not doing it very well. He sings really well, he really does. But not this arrangement of the song. OK, Simon - you're just mean! (Calling him 'jacuzzi or whatever' and really, what does clothing have to do with singing? Nothing. Boooooo, Simon!)
• David Cook ~ Happy Together ~ another of my favorite songs of all time! I'm not on board. I don't know why. I get why RPS like it...I'm just not feelin' it, dawg.
• Jason Yeager ~ Moon River ~ He's sitting down. Facing the judges. Really? Hmm. Ooh, shaky bit right there in the middle. Ended fairly well. :::shoulder shrug:::
• Robbie Carrico ~ One ~ Eh. Okay. Not blown away. I really don't understand the judges and their 'logic' or whatever it is. (Sidebar: Robbie previously had a recording contract. Hmm...)
• David Archuleta ~ Shop Around ~ to paraphrase Kip Winger 'he's only seventeen' - he's so darling! The perfect song interpretation for this competition - fun, appealing. This kid'll go far this year...
• Danny Noriega ~ Jailhouse Rock ~ He looks like Hannah Montana with Zac Efron hair. Music is playing faster than he's singing. WTF is Paula talking about?! Eh. Not impressed.
• Luke Menard ~ Everybody's Talking At Me ~ Is it Rissa's Favorite Songs night? I think it is! ;) I love love love this song, from the movie Midnight Cowboy. I think Luke is totally hot. He's a bit too dressed 'down' for my taste - c'mon, he's on TV - but maybe he's relating to the movie? Anyway, it was nicely done singing-wise; but a bit flat.
• Colton Perry ~ Suspicious Minds ~ Who is this kid? Ugh.
• Garret Haley ~ Breaking Up is Hard to Do ~ What's American Idol without a Neil Sedaka-penned song? Nothing, I tell you. Nothing! This kid and David Archuleta will be fighting for the teens and tweens votes - they're dreamy. The song? Eh. Simon is brutal. Make him stop.
• Jason Castro ~ I forgot which song he sang. He's totally darling!
• Michael Johns ~ Light My Fire ~ another guy with a recording contract. Hmm. He's hot, he's shouting/trying too hard, but he'll get through.
• I'm guessing Chikeze, Blue Moon guy or Luke will be out tonight.

ooh whoa whoa ~ American Idol Top 24

50 kids to be whittled down to 24 ~ 12 boys, 12 girls...let's get it started:

• Yep. I am so done with Ryan Seacrest.
• I'm soooo nervous! :::squeal:::
• First guy in is the first rejection of the day. I'm sad.
• No.
• No.
• No.
• Irish/Scottish girl, Carly Smithson. Geez, Paula! Just effing tell her already! Good, Simon agreed with me. She's in! Yay :)
• OMG, I'm totally crying! Dorkus Maximus.
• David Cook - in!
• Oooh! The rocker nurse/Light My Fire/Grace Slick-esque chick, Amanda is in! Yay! :) :)
• And another one gone.
• And another one gone.
• Another one bites the dust.
• David Archuleta - he's 16. Good grief. Oh, good - he's in.
• commercial - 4 Idols (2 boys, 2 girls)
• Kristy Lee Cook? Who? She's in.
• ooh, Carole King singing girl, Brooke...she's crying in the waiting room...how nerve-wracking (for her, too)...she's in! Yay!
• I'm crying again.
• Danny, the kid with Zac Efron hair and sounds like Clay is in.
• a couple more are in - but WTF are they?!
• Ramiele (who?!) is in.
• Commercial break - oooh, ballroom dancing competition on PBS :)
• Australian rocker Michael Johns is in, of course. (Uhh, does it matter that this American Idol contestant isn't American?)
• Lost my voice girl who sang Chain of Fools and killed it (no, it's a good thing!) is in! Syesha...
• long hair rocker dude Robbie is in.
• Who?
• Who?
• Who?
• Who? Oh well, they're in.
• Girl with blue eye shadow who sang Mary J is in - yay!
• Yay - Love The One You're With dude, David, is in!
• Josiah. He dismissed the band in the final round. Paula said he had 'spirit' (yes he do, he got spirit, how 'bout you?). Not in. Damn - there goes our drinking game, Ash. Boo hoo.
• Shut up, Ryan. He's devastated. You're not helping.
• OK...I hate this: 2 slots left, 4 people left.
• For the guys - some dude I've never seen and the future President/Sanjaya version 2.0 are left. And, it's Colton Berry. Who?
• OK, Simon - got a bone to pick with you! If it isn't about having a good voice, you should have let more bad singers but better entertainers in the competition. Boooo to you Simon.
• OK - 2 girls, last spot. Who? Plus size model and a skinny girl. I was thinking skinny girl until the plus size girl started talking. She said she fell out of love with singing because of all the roadblocks she encountered in the 'business' due to her size. Simon looked at her and said out loud - oh, that shouldn't matter at all. WTF?! Simon, Simon, Simon. Hypocrite. What about all of the girls you've told to lose weight to make it in the competition? Tsk tsk tsk. I like you a little bit less.
• Whoa, wait a minute! Who's Luke? Who is this guy? Yowza!

America starts voting next week! :::squeal::: Thank you AT&T for unlimited text messaging plan :)

Rissa out.