Ring of Fire
AI8 Top 11 Performance Night.
THEME: GRAND OLE OPRY
1) Michael Sarver - "Ain't Goin' Down Til The Sun Comes Up" (6/10)
-- Overall it was a very very fun performance. Reminds me of my 1-week Country Music phase back in college. ROFL
Vocally though... holy trainweck! I like this guy a whole lot. Heck, I even thought he was gonna kill it tonight, but sadly he made a big mistake in choosing that Garth Brooks song. It was -an understatement, I know- too wordy for his own good. This puts him in a very shaky ground; he should've gone with a slower song that would showcase his strengths - y'know heart, passion and all that.
2) Allison Iraheta - "Blame It On Your Heart" (7/10)
-- Pretty solid vocals, although a bit forgettable. Glad to hear her sensitive side. She's starting to grow on me, talent-wise. I'm still not digging her face though, sorry.
3) Kris Allen - "To Make You Feel My Love" (9/10)
-- What a pleasant surprise. He took a huge risk and man did it pay off. It was raw, clean, and vulnerable. I'm at a loss for words because his performance doesn't call for a lot; it was simply just excellent. Definitely one of the best tonight.
4) Lil Rounds - "Independence Day" (7/10)
-- She sang it okay, but it came off as a lil (HAHA) forced, making everything feel uncomfortable. Her RnB style just doesn't suit well with country. She also has a knack for picking songs that are too familiar, making her performances predictable. She'll survive this though. If not, I'm sure the judges will save her.
5) Adam Lambert - "Ring of Fire" (2/10)
-- I understand that artists should never compromise their style if they are to remain authentic, but WHAT IN HEAVEN'S NAME WAS THAT?!! I immediately texted Lex that listening to Adam perform felt like I was burning in hell. He's actually very good; I'll even go out on a limb and say he's gonna make the final 2, but his vocal arrangements and flamboyant nature just annoys the shit out of me.
6) Scott MacIntyre - "Wild Angels" (4/10)
-- Pretty interesting song choice. Guys usually do better when they take on female songs, but this was just meh for me. He doesn't seem to be bringing anything else to the table anymore. Drama? Danny. Instruments? Matt. Kris. Vocals? Everyone else. I'm sorry, I know he works the hardest among all of the contestants, but it's just his time to go.
7) Alexis Grace - "Jolene" (5/10)
-- Vocals were all over the place. Kara's right, she would've been better off with Before He Cheats or Last Name. I know she was trying to sound soft and vulnerable, but the entire performance was lacking soul and personality. I love this girl, heck I even crush her, but I liked Brooke White's version better. And her hair was horrible (I thought she looked like Dolly Parton at some point!)
8) Danny Gokey - "Jesus Take The Wheel" (8.5/10)
-- While I agree with Randy & Kara on his chorus sounding way better than his verses, I still think it was right for him to start slow to build momentum. My only criticism of him at this point is that it's becoming more and more apparent that he can only "power up" for a short while. He runs out of air too quickly, making his phrasing a bit odd.
But I've been a hardcore fan since Day 1, and I still very much am. His vocals are brilliant, his songs inspiring, and I'm quite sure I'll be sticking with this guy till the finale.
(I was LOL-ing at how much "lighting" he got during his performance. The producers went all out on him, pang-finale! Swear, the bright white lights felt like angels were gonna swoop down from above any second. HAHA the heaven to Adam's hell!)
9) Anoop Desai - "You Were Always On My Mind" (7.5/10)
-- While I honestly find his performance to be forgettable, I'm glad that the 'ol Anoop Dogg is back. Decent vocals, earnest charm, but a bit too boyband-ish, IMO. Glad someone had a slice of the humble pie last week. I just hate it that the show's making it too obvious that they're grooming him to be the underdog that everybody loves. "Zero to hero", Simon said it all.
10) Megan Corkrey- "Walkin' After Midnight" (8/10)
-- Once again, I enjoyed her performance. Finally, the Megan I like returns! While her stage presence and movements were still very much awkward, she sounded waaay better this week. I love it when her vocals go all jazzy/bluesy. Weird when coupled with her looks, but compliments her quirkiness well.
11) Matt Giraud - "So Small" (8/10)
-- It was part boring, part interesting. Like I mentioned before, I love his Timberlake/Mayer and recently Buble sensitive singer-songwriter vibe, but I think his vocals still need some work. While I thought he had a winner's aura tonight, I still strongly disagree with Simon's opinion on him having outsung Gokey tonight. It is so not on. Pfffft.
Top 3 - Kris, Danny, Matt
Bottom 3 - Michael, Alexis, Lil/Scott
Goodbye to - Michael :(
But really, I wanna say 'bye' to - Scott
THEME: GRAND OLE OPRY
1) Michael Sarver - "Ain't Goin' Down Til The Sun Comes Up" (6/10)
-- Overall it was a very very fun performance. Reminds me of my 1-week Country Music phase back in college. ROFL
Vocally though... holy trainweck! I like this guy a whole lot. Heck, I even thought he was gonna kill it tonight, but sadly he made a big mistake in choosing that Garth Brooks song. It was -an understatement, I know- too wordy for his own good. This puts him in a very shaky ground; he should've gone with a slower song that would showcase his strengths - y'know heart, passion and all that.
2) Allison Iraheta - "Blame It On Your Heart" (7/10)
-- Pretty solid vocals, although a bit forgettable. Glad to hear her sensitive side. She's starting to grow on me, talent-wise. I'm still not digging her face though, sorry.
3) Kris Allen - "To Make You Feel My Love" (9/10)
-- What a pleasant surprise. He took a huge risk and man did it pay off. It was raw, clean, and vulnerable. I'm at a loss for words because his performance doesn't call for a lot; it was simply just excellent. Definitely one of the best tonight.
4) Lil Rounds - "Independence Day" (7/10)
-- She sang it okay, but it came off as a lil (HAHA) forced, making everything feel uncomfortable. Her RnB style just doesn't suit well with country. She also has a knack for picking songs that are too familiar, making her performances predictable. She'll survive this though. If not, I'm sure the judges will save her.
5) Adam Lambert - "Ring of Fire" (2/10)
-- I understand that artists should never compromise their style if they are to remain authentic, but WHAT IN HEAVEN'S NAME WAS THAT?!! I immediately texted Lex that listening to Adam perform felt like I was burning in hell. He's actually very good; I'll even go out on a limb and say he's gonna make the final 2, but his vocal arrangements and flamboyant nature just annoys the shit out of me.
6) Scott MacIntyre - "Wild Angels" (4/10)
-- Pretty interesting song choice. Guys usually do better when they take on female songs, but this was just meh for me. He doesn't seem to be bringing anything else to the table anymore. Drama? Danny. Instruments? Matt. Kris. Vocals? Everyone else. I'm sorry, I know he works the hardest among all of the contestants, but it's just his time to go.
7) Alexis Grace - "Jolene" (5/10)
-- Vocals were all over the place. Kara's right, she would've been better off with Before He Cheats or Last Name. I know she was trying to sound soft and vulnerable, but the entire performance was lacking soul and personality. I love this girl, heck I even crush her, but I liked Brooke White's version better. And her hair was horrible (I thought she looked like Dolly Parton at some point!)
8) Danny Gokey - "Jesus Take The Wheel" (8.5/10)
-- While I agree with Randy & Kara on his chorus sounding way better than his verses, I still think it was right for him to start slow to build momentum. My only criticism of him at this point is that it's becoming more and more apparent that he can only "power up" for a short while. He runs out of air too quickly, making his phrasing a bit odd.
But I've been a hardcore fan since Day 1, and I still very much am. His vocals are brilliant, his songs inspiring, and I'm quite sure I'll be sticking with this guy till the finale.
(I was LOL-ing at how much "lighting" he got during his performance. The producers went all out on him, pang-finale! Swear, the bright white lights felt like angels were gonna swoop down from above any second. HAHA the heaven to Adam's hell!)
9) Anoop Desai - "You Were Always On My Mind" (7.5/10)
-- While I honestly find his performance to be forgettable, I'm glad that the 'ol Anoop Dogg is back. Decent vocals, earnest charm, but a bit too boyband-ish, IMO. Glad someone had a slice of the humble pie last week. I just hate it that the show's making it too obvious that they're grooming him to be the underdog that everybody loves. "Zero to hero", Simon said it all.
10) Megan Corkrey- "Walkin' After Midnight" (8/10)
-- Once again, I enjoyed her performance. Finally, the Megan I like returns! While her stage presence and movements were still very much awkward, she sounded waaay better this week. I love it when her vocals go all jazzy/bluesy. Weird when coupled with her looks, but compliments her quirkiness well.
11) Matt Giraud - "So Small" (8/10)
-- It was part boring, part interesting. Like I mentioned before, I love his Timberlake/Mayer and recently Buble sensitive singer-songwriter vibe, but I think his vocals still need some work. While I thought he had a winner's aura tonight, I still strongly disagree with Simon's opinion on him having outsung Gokey tonight. It is so not on. Pfffft.
Top 3 - Kris, Danny, Matt
Bottom 3 - Michael, Alexis, Lil/Scott
Goodbye to - Michael :(
But really, I wanna say 'bye' to - Scott