American Idol 8 Top 9 Kris Allen Shines

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Michael Giltz: American Idol -- Top 9: Kris Allen Shines http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/emamerican-idolem----top_b_181742.html [4/2/2009 9:09:56 PM] APRIL 2, 2009 HOME POLITICS MEDIA BUSINESS ENTERTAINMENT LIVING STYLE GREEN WORLD CHICAGO COMEDY 23/6 VIDEO BLOGGER INDEX ARCHIVE Make HuffPost Your HomePage Get Email Alerts Twitter: Follow Us BIG NEWS: Madonna | Celebrity Skin | Sex and the City | Brad Pitt | More... LOG IN | SIGN UP Michael Giltz Freelance writer and raconteur Posted April 1, 2009 | 11:27 AM (EST) BIO Become a Fan Get Email Alerts Bloggers' Index American Idol -- Top 9: Kris Allen Shines Read More: American Idol , American Idol Recap , Kara DioGuari , Kris Allen , Paula Abdul, Pop Music , Randy Jackson , Reality TV , Ryan Seacrest , Simon Cowell , Entertainment News In a blessedly brief Idol (anything less than two hours feels like a speeded-up pleasure), the Top 9Idol contestants sang any song that was available for purchase on iTunes, surely the weakest themeever. And as Kara Dio Guardi sparred with theaudience, delivered some bizarre lines (Studio57?) and seemed to reach out to the other judgeswithout success, it's gonna be the audition roundsfor season 9 before we'll know whether she'scoming back or not. According to Marc Berman of Mediaweek, the show scored a 13.3 overnight rating, followed by the dead-on-arrival Osbournes variety show, which lost 63% of its Idol lead-in. The show began with the contestants walking out to center stage with Adam Lambert discretely guiding Scott MacIntyre. Ryan Seacrest mentioned that Idol finalists have scored 29 Top 40 hits. Itwasn't clear to me whether he meant Top 40 on the Billboard charts or Top 40 on iTunes, butsurely the total was low: if you include R&B and country and other charts, I'd say Idol finalists havescored significantly more hit singles. ANOOP DESAI -- Sang Usher's "Caught Up," the final Top 10 hit from the massive, 9 million selling album Confessions . (His most recent album, Here I Stand , was such a flop that Usher is reportedly releasing another album sometime this year.) Anoop was wearing a ridiculous jacket with a chain on it a la Michael Jackson and strode the stage with a suburban swagger. I knew itwas a mistake last week when Randy Jackson urged him to get funky again and indeed Anoop fellflat. Though not because of his vocals, which were servicable, especially if you listened to themwithout watching him. But he just looked like a goof. Kara said rightly that he looked as if somefrat guys had just dared him to sing Usher and Simon called it posturing. For a guy who got intothe Top 13 because of his likability, the more we see of Anoop the less we like. He seemed defiantduring the critique, which never helps. But perhaps some of his annoyance came from the fact that Be the First to Submit This Story to Digg Get Breaking News Alerts Share Print Comments never spam Popular Stories on HuffPost Stephen Colbert Rips Apart Glenn Beck: Building His Career On 9/11 (VIDEO) Stephen Colbert rippedapart Fox News host (andNew York... Sarah Palin Disinvited,Newt Gingrich In For Major GOP Dinner WASHINGTON -- Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is out, and former House Speaker Newt... 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Megan Joy needs to have Christopher Cross produce her debut album because she is the very definition of a studio voice -- someone who has a very limited vocal ability but quirky and intriguing enough that in the studio she might be able to piece together some good work. Certainly she'll never really cut it live. But whereas Anoop sang ok but seemed annoying, Megan Joy sang poorly but still came across as fun and goofy, including that odd moment of pointing towards the sky (or the band). Her vocals were flat and low and shaky throughout but I strongly disagree with the judges who said it was a terrible song choice. Seems well within her range to me; she just isn't that good a singer. DANNY GOKEY -- Sang the Rascal Flatts tune "What Hurts The Most," their biggest pop hit to date. Gokey had a bum last note and oversang in the "big" moments just a tad, but it was a strong performance and a marked improvement over last week. The judges -- relieved to have the guy they've been touting back on form -- praised him to high heaven, with Randy again offering terrible advice that Danny should move more on stage. Uh, no he shouldn't. ALLISON IRAHETA -- Sang No Doubt's massive hit single "Don't Speak" (#1 for 16 weeks!), which counts as a golden oldie for the 16 year old since she was about four when it came out. Yes,her outfit was more appropriate for a Cyndi Lauper cover, but the judges again ignored what a finevocalist Allison is. Her version had some nice touches but was a tad too close to the original for mytaste. Still, she sounded strong again. The judges all spent more time trashing her dress with theresult that Allison again seems overlooked in the talent department. Is she under the radar a laKelly Clarkson or simply being fatally ignored? SCOTT MACINTYRE -- Sang Billy Joel's "Just The Way You Are," the first breakthrough hit of Joel's career. (It hit #3 and stayed there for two weeks and ultimately went gold. Previously, "Piano Man" had only hit #25. Joel went on to have 33 Top 40 hits.) Scott just sat at the piano and playedthe song, which is about as good a showcase for him as you can ask for. But it also highlights hismany weaknesses. He was flat and off key and every time he tried for a vocal run or big note it wasa disaster. Vocally, he's just as bad as Megan Joy but without the quirks to keep it vaguelyinteresting. The entire performance was at a funereal pace, which Paula referred to as "legato." Allthe judges praised him to high heaven so I have to assume he'll be safe for another week, thoughfrankly he belongs in the bottom two. MATT GIRAUD -- Sang the current hit song from The Fray, "You Found Me." He sang the tune at his keyboard surrounded by the anonymous pretty girls who flood the front of the stage, a number of whom seemed more focused on the camera than his performance. It was kind of a mess and reminded me of a bar band covering a Top 40 hit -- serviceable and similar to the original, but soulless. The judges hated it. That combined with Matt looking unconfident and unhappy made for a very bad night. LIL ROUNDS -- Sang Celine Dion's "I Surrender" from A New Day Has Come, which was never a single but has been performed on Idol multiple times. Rounds had a terrible look -- too much makeup and lip gloss that made her seem ready for the prom but not primetime. And her vocalswere strained and flat on the big notes. Paula Abdul nailed it by saying she didn't want Lil to beadult contemporary but r&b and fun. Still, the first three judges were overly friendly when Lil couldhave come in for some serious critiques. Only Simon came down hard, calling it a weddingperformance. I would have predicted the bottom three until Ryan joked with Lil's kids and one ofthem ended up hugging Randy while tears streamed down Lil's face. She'll be safe. ADAM LAMBERT -- Sang Wild Cherry's #1 smash "Play That Funky Music," as good an example of a one-hit wonder as there is. Lambert insisted he would TRY to make it sound contemporary, but I wondered where the problem was. Last week was the first time I truly enjoyed Lambert'sperformance and that good will carried over to this week. I still don't like the vocal histrionics(every time he does a high-pitched vocal riff I think of KISS). But he stayed on melody for most ofthe tune and delivered the song flawlessly. The guy definitely can sing, even if I still think hissensibility is more for faux rock of the Rent kind than actual pop music. I never liked his original people like... Bonnie Fuller Michelle Obama's Lost Her Mind! 3 Reasons She's Suddenly A Fashion Disaster Touching the Queenwasn't the only... April Fools 2009! TheBest Pranks Of This Year (VIDEO) -- Car and Driver is reporting that President Obama has ordered all... 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Terrifying Horse AndRider Fall During English Race (SLIDESHOW) A harrowing horse fall at the John Smith's Fox Hunters' Chase...Michael Giltz: American Idol -- Top 9: Kris Allen Shines http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/emamerican-idolem----top_b_181742.html [4/2/2009 9:09:56 PM] Lee Stranahan: Watch: 5 Benefits To Legal Weed (& The1 Big Thing Stopping It) "BRUNO" TRAILER! Calamity,African Babies, Chase ScenesAnd More (NSFW VIDEO) Alaska Republicans Want RedoElection For Stevens Obama Chia Pet Held Up BehindSantelli On CNBC (VIDEO) Looking For Work with a Knot in... SPOILER: 'American Idol' Boots Another `Idol' Judges Distracted By Iraheta's Outfit, Given... Angie Harmon: Republicans "Don't Point Fingers" And...hair style but it seemed like his real look. The Elvis look of the past two weeks seems more like a wig, like part of a costume, than the spiky look. And proving he's smart, Adam gave a shout out tothe much-maligned house band. It's always a good idea to keep the behind the scenes folk on yourside. And again, he delivered the song very well. That's two weeks in a row where I can applaudAdam. Kara's comment about it being like Studio 57 was truly jaw-dropping. KRIS ALLEN -- Sang the Bill Withers gem "Ain't No Sunshine," his first big hit. If you don't own Just As I Am, do yourself a favor and buy it immediately. ( Paired with his second album, Still Bill, it's a must have. ) I've been a fan of Kris for purely superficial reasons from the get-go. But he keeps getting better and better every week. Tonight's performance was truly sensational. The tunehas a tricky bridge with a string of "I know" repeated over and over. Withers makes it seemeffortless and gripping but many other artists sort of just stumble through that moment. Kris brokeit down very nicely and cleverly in a way that didn't mimic Withers but didn't abuse the melodyeither. He was soulful and intense and just generally great. All the judges rightly praised him but not enough in my book. With Lil stumbling and Danny just repeating himself, Kris looks like the one with the mojo to me. Who belongs in the bottom three? Allison was treated so dismissively that I worry it'll be her. Matt Giraud was treated so roughly and seems so unhappy, it could easily be him. Lil Rounds would also be a contender if it weren't for her cute kids. Scott MacIntyre belongs there but the judges are propping him up right now. But being bad and going early is a deadly combination, so I think Anoop and Megan Joy are definitely in the bottom three. They'll be joined by...Matt Giraud. The bottom two is Anoop and Megan Joy and because there are so few women left, I think Anoop is going home. Go here to read Enetertainment Weekly's Michael Slezak rundown of the show, with another EW journalist reporting on the show from the studio audience. Vote For The Worst (which tries to rally people to support their pick for the weakest singer) continues to bang the drum for Megan Joy. Dial Idol -- which predicts who is going home based on the amount of busy signals their automated dialing system picks up -- says Anoop is in danger. And the Associated Press recaps the show, but can't even be bothered to mention Matt Giraud. Ouch. More in Entertainment... HuffPost Stories Surging Right Now Sponsored Links "My Teeth Are so White" Read the trick, discovered by a mom, to turn yellow teeth white. CathysTeeth.com My Wrinkles Are Gone! Learn how a mom combined 2 products to easily get rid of her wrinkles KathysWrinkles.com Madonna Video Celebrity Skin David Letterman Newspapers Health Rod Blagojevich Real Estate G-20 Summit MORE BIG NEWS PAGES » Books by this author A cabin of one's own: New England's MacDowellColony celebrates 100years of artistic utopia.And the gay and lesbianartists who prosperedthere celebrate ... (Thenational gay & lesbiannewsmagazine) by Michael Giltz Affairs to remember:Farley Granger beddedAva Gardner, ShelleyWinters, and LeonardBernstein. In hisautobiography, IncludeMe Out, Hitchcock's muse... (The national gay &lesbian newsmagazine) by Michael GiltzHUFFPOST'S BIG NEWS PAGES This Blogger's Books from Michael Giltz: American Idol -- Top 9: Kris Allen Shines http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/emamerican-idolem----top_b_181742.html [4/2/2009 9:09:56 PM] Comments 10 Pending Comments 0 Buy a link here JetBlue Cuts Fares, $39+ Fly Across the U.S. this Spring www.travelzoo.com Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to View Comments: Newest First Expand All IntrepidReader See Profile I'm a Fan of IntrepidReader permalink I think the judges have pushed for Allison quite a bit over the run of the show so far. If Dial Idol is to be believed at all, she has never developed a fan base and always hovers right at the bottom in terms ofvotes. Simon has hinted that they would use the "judge's save" to keep her on the show if necessary,and in the results show last night he said only one of the three deserved to stay-- I have no doubt hemeant Allison. I really think if she goes home, the judges can't be faulted; short of outright telling us tovote for the girl they have done about all they can. Itamar See Profile I'm a Fan of Itamar permalink You right. Kris Allen is great MaryscottOConnor See Profile I'm a Fan of MaryscottOConnor permalink Scott should have gone before Megan, but her song choices are uniformly awful; it's her own fault,really. Next to go SHOULD be Scott, then Anoop, then Lil. The Top 5 really are terrific in their own right. Matt should go, then Allison; the Top 3, in a perfect world, would be Danny, Kris (WHY is his name spelled with a K???) and Adam -- in that order. I know Danny has that sentimental, X-tian fan base (not to mention a bizarre resemblance to Robert Downey, Jr -- though no personality resemblance whatsofrigginever) and is banking on it to the hilt, but he doesn't deserve to be Top 2; Chris does. And everyone knows Adam Lambert is a born star, ringer or no. Charity See Profile I'm a Fan of Charity permalink scott and megan are two of the worst singers on idol this season. they remain for purely differentreasons than their ability to sing. i cannot believe the praise that was heaped on scott last night; i quitenearly fell asleep during his "performance." as for megan - good grief. girl couldn't carry a melody if itwas taped to her vocal chords. so naturally, since she is pretty, she'll go far in the recording industrywhere, as you say, her terrible and non existent "range" can be covered up. by the way, whateverhappened to her counterpart, brooke, from last season? LOL. Michael Giltz See Profile I'm a Fan of Michael Giltz permalink Thx for reading. I'm surprised Scott is still around despite the judges' support, frankly. anonimost See Profile I'm a Fan of anonimost permalink I believe that the name of the stage where Idol is taped is known as Studio 57, so possibly that is thereference Kara was using. My grades: Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 06:48 PM on 04/02/2009 Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 05:07 AM on 04/02/2009 Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 03:28 AM on 04/02/2009 Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 07:29 PM on 04/01/2009 Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 07:38 PM on 04/01/2009Michael Giltz: American Idol -- Top 9: Kris Allen Shines http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/emamerican-idolem----top_b_181742.html [4/2/2009 9:09:56 PM] Kris A- Adam Lambert BAllison B- Gokey C+ Lil C Matt G C-Scott C-Megan D Anoop D Overall it was a lackluster night but it really made me notice Kris Allen. I do agree with Michael about Megan Joy. Anoop is very annoying. Michael Giltz See Profile I'm a Fan of Michael Giltz permalink I'll keep an eye out for which venue they're currently taping in. But since Simon audibly corrected her, I doubt it was a reference to the Studio they're in right now or that would makehim more cliueless than she seemed. But at least it would clear that one up and make sense.Thanks for the grades. DCDan See Profile I'm a Fan of DCDan permalink I agree that Allison I is being unfairly maligned, and week in, week out, under appreciated. She andAdam L are the performers I most look forward to (even though, as you point, Adam's shrillness can beannoying and his appearance distracting). I think Allison is the most naturally gifted of the whole bunch.Reminds me of a huskier Dusty Springfield. Would love to hear Allison's softer, sultrier side. If she'sguilty of one thing--and you can easily attribute this to her tender age and lack of experience--it'sbelting a bit too much. I know she's unlikely to go too far, especially since she doesn't seem to have the judges pulling for her, but I still want her to win it all. AI for AI crown! Megan brings-me-no-Joy needs to go bye-bye. She and her oversized, overdone, overexposed tattoo won't be missed. copelli21 See Profile I'm a Fan of copelli21 permalink I completely agree. Allison really has a great voice and they are totally overlooking her. Ibelieve that Adam and she have the best voices out of this group, with Anoop rounding outthe top 3 (and I am not talking about marketability, which I think will be a problem for Anoop). I cannot believe that Scott is still in this competition. It's ridiculous and straight up pandering to the blind. And you can add Danny to the list of people who needs to go too. I am sorry I just do not get the appeal of this guy. His voice is ok, but not that great and he's a cornball. I wish this show was get over all the sob stories and handicaps and stick with trying to find extraordinary singers who need a break. Michael Giltz See Profile I'm a Fan of Michael Giltz permalink I'm sure Allison will improve mightily with a little more experience. And it's a mystery to mewhy they're not more enthused about her. She's certainly very marketable. You must be logged in to reply to this comment. Log in or Ads by Google Idol Adam Lambert Top 10 Watch Adam Lambert's Latest Idol Performance w/ Free Videos Toolbar Videos.alottoolbars.com Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 04:47 PM on 04/01/2009 Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 07:42 PM on 04/01/2009 Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 12:42 PM on 04/01/2009 Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 10:52 AM on 04/02/2009 Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 07:43 PM on 04/01/2009Michael Giltz: American Idol -- Top 9: Kris Allen Shines http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/emamerican-idolem----top_b_181742.html [4/2/2009 9:09:56 PM] HOME POLITICS MEDIA BUSINESS ENTERTAINMENT LIVING GREEN STYLE WORLD CHICAGO COMEDY FUNDRACE ARCHIVE Advertise | Login | Make HuffPost your Home Page | RSS | Jobs | FAQ: Comments & Moderation | FAQ: Huffpost Accounts | Contact Us Copyright © 2009 HuffingtonPost.com, Inc. | Archive | User Agreement | Privacy | Comment Policy | About Us | Powered by Movable Type

American Idol 8 Top 9 Kris Allen Shines

📄 American Idol 8 Top 9 Kris Allen Shines

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