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Buzz about American Idol — Season 8

By Dr Matt 

Top 6 Contestants

Dr Matt's weekly review of American Idol from the Top Thirty Six Singers to the Final Two:

36 - 1       36 - 2       36 - 3       Wild Card     13     11     10  
  9       8       7       6       5       4       3       Final 2
 

Dear American Idolaters:

Of course this week is NOT really "6" contestants week. This is because the Judges invoked their power to "save" a contestant for last week (Matt Giraud); so, we are really having a "7" contestant night . . . again. But 2 contestants will be kicked to the curb in tomorrow's results show!

Top 7 Contestants sing two weeks in a Row!

Tuesday, April 21th, 8:00 pm EDT

America Online Poll - Pre-show
The Popular Vote — from Lowest to Mowest:  

          13.  Jasmine Murray          
   12.  Jorge Nunez           
  11.  Alexis Grace           
10.  Michael Sarver   
         9.  Megan Corkrey        
       
8.  Scott MacIntyre         
  
        7.
 Lil Rounds = 0               
      6.  Anoop Desai = 0      
        5.  Matt Giraud = 0        
       4.  Kris Allen = 0             
  3.  Danny Gokey = 0   
      2.  Allison Iraheta = 0  
      1.  Adam Lambert = 0 

Dr Matt's Red-Hot Reflections:

The AOL Poll has not moved in the past week, nor has it changed 12 hours after the show. Matt Giraud continues to be more popular than Anoop and Lil. With last weeks "elimination that wasn't" . . . we'll see if Matt Giraud supporters will back up their opinion with votes via telephone. On that note, let's look at the Dial Idol Results:

Amazingly, the person at the BOTTOM of the AOL Poll is at the top of the Dial Idol Poll

Dial Idol Results for the Second Top 7
from Less to Best:

    7.  Allison Iraheta - 2  
   6.  Kris Allen + 1          

     5.  Matt Giraud + 1      
      4.  Anoop Desai = 0      
  3.  Danny Gokey - 2  
      2.  Adam Lambert + 1  
        1.  Lil Rounds + 1           

According to Dial Idol, Lil and Adam are the only contestants who would be "safe" under normal elimination. But with two (2) singers being kicked out of the competition, even Lil and Adam have a statistical chance of being in the number six (6) position, and therefore, going home. But the higher probabilities for going home, according to Dial Idol, are with Allison, Kris, Matt, and Annop — in that order.

SHOCK: For the first time in a long time, Dial Idol was wrong last week, which is a fact that American Idol Producers must be delighted about. On the other hand, the AmIdol Producers may well have manipulated last week's results to fit their agenda. After all, America has chosen the Top 7, and who goes home, and in what particular order, doesn't make a huge difference: The top 7 singers are all winners.

BUT the AmIdol Producers may want to tweak the promotion of certain singers, over others, to fit their future money/marketing designs. Consider how Am Idol has promoted Michael Johns sincen his early elimination. In retrospect, the Producers may have learned a lesson: override the popular vote just a little, to give certain "preferred singers" a marketing edge for the future — marketing that benefits the American Idol Organization.

Special Note: This week's Rank from Less to Best is based upon each contestant's Audio Performance Only. Because my DVR malfunctioned big-time, I completely missed the visual show. Which creates an interesting opportunity for me to evaluate the contestant's singing quality. Ultimately, these singers will become prominent based upon their listen-ability.

Last week's elimination that wasn't:

 7 - Matt Giraud"Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman"
        Home Town: Kalamazoo, Michigan

Extremely talented piano player, and excellent soulful singer. I liked his performance, even though the Judges criticized it a bit! Matt was supposed to be eliminated under normal AmIdol operating conditions, but the Judges "save" was invoked.

If Allison Iraheta gets booted tonight, the Judges may wish they had saved their "one-time save" power for a singer who will clearly be prominent in American Idol's future plans.

Dr Matt's Red-Hot Rankings from Less to Best
* Songs from the Disco Era*

 7 - Lil Rounds"I'm Every Woman"
        Home Town: Memphis, Tennessee

Lil has an annoying warbling quality to her voice. Different from what I consider the best female singers on the planet, Lil does not have classic control over her vibrato; instead, she slides around innaccurately, singing notes that shouldn't be. But most of the time, you don't notice it, because her "shouting" draws attention away.

Needless to say, I didn't enjoy listening to her performance.

 6 - Adam Lambert"If I Can't Have You"
        Home Town: Los Angeles, California

Speaking of NOT enjoying an audio-only performance, I really did NOT like Adam's song choice this week. I think Adam Lambert sang it well. But this song does nothing for me. In contrast, the song "Semptember" makes me want to shake my booty.

Formerly, we used to think that Adam could sing the "phone book," but . . . now we learn that "song choice" applies to Adam Lambert too.

Finally, because my evaluation was "audio only," what was removed from Adam's performance, is part of his strength: Stage Presence! So, I got none of that this week!

 5 - Matt Giraud"Staying Alive"
        Home Town: Kalamazoo, Michigan

Matt has all the riffs working in this number. It was a good song choice. He didn't sing bad; there were just 4 performers who delivered at a higher level — in my opinion.

 4 - Kris Allen "She Works Hard For The Money"
        Home Town: Conway, Arkansas

NOT seeing Kris Allen screw his mouth into ugly contortions was a PLUS in my "audio-only" evaluation. As I listened, I thought that Kris will do very well as a recording artist. Different from Matt, who tend to soulfully SLUR his lyric articulation, Kris sing his lyrics quite clearly. Call me crazy, but I think it nice to understand what-in-the-heck a singer is saying in a song.

Overall, Kris did a nice job of chaning up this song, and making it his own.

 3 - Danny Gokey"September"
        Home Town: Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Great song choice. September is one of those songs that gets everyone UP on their feet, ready to boogey! Danny sang the song well enought that a comparison to Lionel Richie never entered my mind.

 2 - Anoop Desai"Dim All The Lights"
        Home Town: Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Loved Anoop's interpretation of this song A LOT! Anoop has turned the corner, he is no longer the "college guy trying to be a professional singer," . . . he comes across believe-able as a singing artist. Considering that Anoop has been in the Bottom Three a few times, and survived, he is definitely gaining momentum in this singing competition. American just may want to champion this dark horse to higher heights?

 1 - Allison Iraheta"Hot Stuff"
        Home Town: Los Angeles, California

Allison's has a distinctive "throaty" quality in her voice. From a pure "audio" stand point, WOW, Allison really delivers. And since I can eveluate nothing else, I am not reminded of Allison's not-so-sparkling personality. The nice thing about Allison is . . . she's a million miles from Karaoke-ville! Nice performance for the Red Head.

Who's going home tonight?

Even though I did not prefer Adam's performance, based upon his body of work, I think he will be waaaaaay safe from elimination. Because Lil WAS in the bottom two last week (even though Dial Idol has her as 2nd safest last week, and MOST safe this week), I've got to think that Lil is vulnerable.

If Lil goes home, the credibility of Dial Idol is shot to pieces this week! If you believe the AOL Poll, then Anoop will join Lil in the Bottom Two that gets eliminated. But if you believe Dial Idol, . . . it will be Allison Iraheta and Kris Allen. Based upon performances, I don't think Allison is going home (even if she gets the lowest votes). American Idol Producers are very invested in this girl, and want to keep promoting her star-power.

American Idol Producers wants to keep American guessing: hence glued to their TV sets and watching! They can do this by simply NOT going with the Dial Idol results. What a Devilish Idea?! Is there any evidence of these kinds of Shenanigans? Yes!

Every now and then, notice how Ryan Seacrest will NOT use the direct verbage "Bottom Three" or "Bottom Two" . . . instead, he will say something vague like "come out on the floor and join So&So in the Bottom — as three people stand on the stage, we simply ASSUME that the Bottom Three is before our eyes.

In contrast, Dancing with the Stars are more up front about the final two contestants that stand upon the stage, waiting for elimination. They will say "the couple that is not eliminated is not necessarily the second lowest vote getters."

Even though Matt was "saved" last week, his elimination is inevitable, if not this week, next week for sure; simply because all the other contestants around him are very solid performers.

*    *    *    *    *    *    *

Lil Rounds, Queen of Bad-Song Choice,
finally Kicked to the Curb with Anoop Dog
Dial Idol Credibility shot to pieces!

The Second Top 7 Results Show: the Contestants Tossed in the Trash

Lil Rounds is called out right from the top of the show. Ryan Seacrest does his typical "fake out" word game: "I'm sorry to say . . . but you'll will have to . . . put up with . . . us for a few more weeks . . . via the telephone . . . you'll be calling us from Tennessee (Something like that). They HAD TO eliminate Lil right off, so they could have her sing at the top of the show.

Prior to Lil's departure, the Recycled 7 sang a Jackson-5 classic "Shake Your Body," while doing Paula Abdul choreography. Hey for a bunch of singers, they dance pretty good! Of course, it was LIP-Synch city again. What's up with that? PLuuuuuuuueeeeese give me a live performance.

Then again, the 3 stars from the Disco Era SHOULD HAVE lip-synched their songs. Were you as embarrassed as I was at these performances? Freda Payne singing "Band of Gold" was weak. Poor girl was barely hitting the right notes, and she sounded out of breath through out.

Thelma Houston has still got the pipes to sing "Don't Leave Me This Way," but for Heaven's Sake girl, . . . showing cleavage at this age is NOT a good fashion choice! KC looked like a deer in the headlight throughout, and without his harem of disco chick heaving and gyrating around him, this number would have been a total Snore-fest!

And to finish with KC without his Sunshine Band . . . BAD move. The rule of thumb is this: Save the BEST for last! HELLO! Does the word "Crescendo" have any relevance here? They should have put Thelma in the Pimp Spot, and given her a dress 1 size larger to sing in. That would have worked.

And with KC, they needed to disorient the audience with flashing strobe lights, so they could quite perceive the pathetic-ness before them. And Freda, . . . lip snyching a good recording would have been a plus.

While I'm totally trashing the Am Idol Results Show, the David Archeleta performance? . . . Can you say "Song Choice?" It's just the wrong song for him. And those lyrics, GAG: "Trying to reach out to you, touch my hand . . . Reach out as far as you can . . . Only me, only you, and the band . . . Trying to reach out to you, touch my hand" Archie's voice sounded strange. This song does NOT show off his talents very well. The performance was a big let down for me.

Anoop Desai and Allison Iraheta are presented as the Bottom Three (along with previously departed Lil). It was good drama to imagine Allison leaving the show, but the more obvious result happened: Bye Bye Anoop Dog!

:o)
Dr Matt

Read next week's American Idol review -----> Top 5

     
 


The Greatest Prize
for Life's labors isn't
in material possessions
or impressive accomplishments,
but in the progress of personal character.
You labor for your own becoming, this is your richest reward.
Who You Become is your greatest possession,
make it your Masterpiece!

(Changing Your Stripes, 2nd Edition, page 274)
.

"Changing Your Stripes" presents principles for getting out of
the ditch in which you've been dumped (the difficulties of which you are a victim),
and the ditch in which you've jumped (the difficulties for which you volunteer).

"Mastering a challenging situation
is ultimately a matter of
mastering yourself!"

- Matt Moody 

"Changing Your Stripes," teaches you the principles that lead to lasting change,
making you a new kind of creature capable of communicating
with calm, even as storms of contention swirl.

If these ideas resonate and ring true,
then . . . this book is for you!


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