I was thinking Carol Channing.
How does James get to be Lead off man and the Clean up Man? Does AI want him to win or what?
If James had had the first and fifth performance, I would absolutely be predicting him to go a la Daughtry. But then they had to go give him the pimp slot? What? There’s a huge movement to save Haley tonight (and she’ll get a boost for VFTW as well), but having performances #2 and #5 is not going to help her vote total. I guess there’s a shadow of a chance Lauren gets the boot, but if Haley goes, season might as well be over IMO.
Haley for the win…
I’m tired of James’ facial tics. I know I’m shallow, but i can’t help it.
I have lowered my tolerance for Scotty from 15 seconds to about 3. I just hate twangy singing sooo much. HATE it. Makes my skin crawl. Everything about his voice makes me want to bleach my ears.
Haley growled way too much.
I’m hoping James wins, but I’m not emotionally invested in any of them at this point.
Haley is the best singer on this show, by a good margin.
Have a listen to the studio version of House of the Rising Sun. Here’s the difference between that performance and the typical AI singer: She adds texture to the song by changing the dynamics, the modulation in her voice, the tone, and the phrasing. Lesser singers would try to add to the song with a bunch of jazz runs, like stupid Randy told Haley she should have done tonight. But you don’t need melisma to make a song interesting if you can make your voice scream with anger or crack in sorrow in the same song. Very few other AI contestants have been able to do that. David Cook is another example of that kind of singer.
She’s also got impeccable taste. It doesn’t always show on the live performances (she oversings her growls sometimes and overdoes a few other affectations from time to time), but she knows when to lay it out and when to dial it back.
She knows who she is as an artist. From day one she has said that she wants to be a jazz/blues/rock singer, and her idols are people like Etta James and Corinne Bailey Rae. And every week she tries to pick songs that reflect that and she sings them in that style. And like clockwork, stupid Randy comes down on her because she’s not singing like Celine freaking Dion, while at the same time telling her that she has to find out who she is as an artist.
Maybe that’s why they’re hard on her: She’s got an indy vibe, and they’re looking for a diva or a big country star who can sell millions of records. Haley will probably sign with a jazz or blues label and put out decent niche records and tour blues clubs, and that’s just not big enough for the 19 entertainment machine.
This is the stuff that’s in her wheelhouse: Moanin’, with Casey Abrams.
Anyway, on with the others:
James has a high range. We know that. But other than the required range, ‘Don’t Stop Believing’ is not a high degree of difficulty song. Any of us who grew up listening to the radio know every nuance of that vocal, and all James did was mimic it. He’s probably been singing that song to a hairbrush since he was ten years old. He didn’t add anything new to it. He got props because he can hit the high notes, but that’s only one part of being a great singer. I think James is a good singer, and he’s got amazing range, but he’s not great. At least, not yet. The stuff he does is rather predictable and simple, and he doesn’t bring a lot new to the performance.
Also, he’s always right on the ragged edge of ‘poser’ with me. He never feels quite authentic in the ‘rocker’ role. He’s more like a guy acting like a rocker than someone who actually is. Or at least that’s the way it comes across. For all I know he snorts coke in the dressing room and trashes his hotel suite after banging four groupies under the stage. But it comes across as a little fake, or at least like a tribute to real rock rather than actually being real rock, if you know what I mean. He’d be great in the lead of “RockMania! The Rock Experience!”.
Scotty is actually more authentic. I buy him as a country artist - I think it’s in his bones. And he does fine when he stays right in his wheelhouse. But when he tries to step out, he turns in cheesy performances that are this far from being a trainwreck, like he did with his second song tonight. In what universe did that performance merit raves while Haley’s first number was panned?
Lauren shouldn’t even be there. She’s a good singer technically, but she’s way too immature and lacks the confidence needed to be a great performer. She doesn’t want to sing the word evil? What the hell is that about? It was just silly, and her performances are flat and lifeless because she doesn’t know how to really let herself go and become a vehicle for the song. She’s just a ‘singer’.
If there’s any justice in the world, Lauren will go home tomorrow. Then between James, Scotty and Haley, I suspect Haley would go next - not because she’s third best, but because the other two have huge fanbases. And if she goes, I don’t really care who wins. I probably won’t listen to either one of them.
I noticed that Haley toned the growl WAAAAAY down on the studio version of “House of the Rising Sun” - good for her (or whoever made her do it). That overused growl is driving me crazy, because she really can sing (just like James’ overused shriek is driving me crazy).
Lady Gaga was right on the money with every suggestion she made to the kids.
Scotty’s choice of Alan Jackson was perfect for him - I don’t like the song, and I don’t like the genre, but he nailed that. The second song was an abomination before the eyes of God.
ETA: Drinking game - chug when Randy says, “In it to win it!” We’re all bombed by 9:30!
My chief complaint from last night’s show is that I ended up downloading Bad Romance to make the kid happy.
Also, I think Jennifer and Randy’s comments about song choice were just asinine. Thanks to Glee, “Don’t Stop Believing” might be the most over-played song of the year. I’m not impressed with James for pulling that out. I love that Haley does things that are a little off the beaten path.
On the plus side, Scotty’s awkwardness with Lady Gaga may have made the whole season worthwhile.
Based on having now seen the performances, I can’t tell who’s in more danger of leaving, Haley or Lauren.
Lauren finally showed up to sing, and Haley’s hurt pride made her seem petty. Haley WAS screaming that MJ song, Randy was right.
Scotty’s cheesy second song probably won’t hurt him. In his genre he’s gold.
James was playing like it was his own show, but not in an annoying way. I liked both of his songs.
Add a shot for every time Steven Tyler says the word “beautiful” and we’ll all die of alcohol poisoning.
Totally agree with this.
If Haley goes home, James will win because the two kids will split the ‘tolerates country’ vote.
If Lauren goes home, I see a very close vote between the two guys.
Whichever girl gets to stay, I doubt they will win.
I was thinking Marilyn Manson.
Haley, but not really based on performances – arguing with the judges and generally acting bitchy and indignant about their critique is the kiss of death on this show. She’s 100% gone after that catfest.
I’m not a big fan of Scotty, but I love me some Young Blood. I was pretty happy when he chose that song.
(On the off chance that you’re not familiar with the song, he sang it the way I’ve always heard it.)
Lady Gaga’s cheek horn implants kinda squick me out, which I’m sure is the goal.
Lauren had a great night, I thought, but her immaturity definitely shows through. If she had a few more years life experience under her belt (singing in country bars, getting her heart broken, etc.), she would probably own this competition.
Haley was good on the first song (though I agree with the criticism that she was just shouting at the end of it) and great on her second song. Her petulance in the face of criticism, though, is pretty childish and will not help her cause.
Scotty is like a caricature of a country crooner. He can sing well, though, within that context.
James made a bad choice with “Don’t Stop Believin’” because that song has been overexposed recently. I like James, but I agree with the criticism that he seems like someone who’s playing a role, starring in a Broadway musical about a rock star.
I’d like to see Scotty go home, but I predict it will be one of the girls.
What did Lady GaGa say to Scotty? I midded it.
James is a good performer, even if he’s a little cocky sometimes.
Haley did sound less than awesome in her first song, but killed the second one. The song choice criticism was completely unfounded. Nobody gives Scotty a hard time for his corny song choices, most of which I’ve never heard.
Speaking of Scotty, he is treading into Jacob territory for annyoing. His second performance was the corniest I’ve seen. Horrible.
Lauren was much better this week, but still a little boring. She could have been just as easily hammered for song choice in her first song, even though she sung it well.
She said he needed to make love to the microphone, to treat it like his girlfriend. And to quit turning away from it, we couldn’t hear him.
I also thought Scotty’s kissing of the cross in response to meeting Lady Gaga was over the top.