so we lost four...

i guessed the guys, not so much on the girls...

or did i?

something tells me one of my girl predictions will come true before next tuesday.

i'll give you a couple hints as to who:







much more damming evidence here, where you can see an idol hopeful going PG-13 wild, and here and where you can see that same idol hopeful going XXX rated down.

***someone with a hell of a lot of time on their hands has perhaps 'debunked' the knob gobblin' pics here, and there's a story on it here.***

after the description above it should go without saying that the links are ABSOLUTELY NOT SAFE FOR WORK or for those that don't want to see her falsettoing some guy. (that's the technical term for giving head, right?)
so stay away if you don't want to see it. i warned you.


jim, click away.

ah, that was a lot better... a LOT better

there really should be 8 girls and 4 guys in the top 12 this year. a lot of really strong performances tonight, but they definitely saved the best for last...

lakisha - and i'm telling you i'm not going
holy shit. i was gonna be all snarky and call this girl mantasia or fandisa, but fuck that. she's LaKisha!! this was just awesome... she put her all into it and delivered one of the best idol performances ever. a little weird when she was done - she seemed like a different person, quiet and looked even a little scared. girl, just a minute ago you brought the fucking house down! relax and smile...
simon said it best: "i am very tempted to say to 23 people book your plane tickets home...that was in a different league"


and i liked these three a lot:


stephanie - how come you don't call me?
there really were a bunch of great one tonight - this started 'em off and i hope it didn't get lost in all the goodness. total pro, great range and a very polished (in a good way) stage presence. i liked her a lot. again, simon sums it up best: "a million times better than any performance last night."

melinda - since you've been gone
this would have been my favorite of the night if lakisha hadn't kicked everyone's ass off the stage a few minutes later. huge controlled voice, great energy, this was really really awesome. oddly she reminds me of taylor in a weird way. and similar to lakisha, she's tearing up the stage, then when the song is over she gets all meek and self-concious. relax, you were frigging great!! paula not only thinks you're a frontrunner, but a firecracker too! man, paula sucks.

jordin - gimmie one reason
to quote kip winger... "she's only seventeen?" (i don't think he used the question mark.) another great performance. really really good... ended very strong. randy really wants her to challenge herself, 'cause he thinks no song would be too big for her. i hear him. she'll be a lot of fun to watch and listen to.


some of the rest, in no real order whatsoever:


sabrina - i never loved a man(the way i love you)
the judges and my wife really liked her... i wasn't that into it, but can certainly appreciate that she was pretty good (especially after last night). she was just kinda too shrill for me. not my thang, dawg.

leslie - you make me feel like a natural woman
i actually thought this was pretty good, decent voice and pretty energetic. she does have some crazy fucking eyes, this girl... simon made a comment that ryan had to translate as "you're out of your comfort zone". whatever. i liked it.

amy - i can't make you love me
damn, simon made me laugh out loud when he told her she has the personality of a candle! i'm laughing again now... decent enough voice, but a really boring performance.

gina - all by myself
um. i dunno. something about this girl rubs me the wrong way, i can't really explain it. started off kinda shaky but a huge finish helped her out. good job, i'm just not into her. oh well. i don't think she'll last too long anyway.

haley - it's all coming back to me now
another good voice, but not much inspirado behind it. chalk it up to nerves, maybe? did anyone else find it odd that she affected shakira's accent during the choruses? it was still a lot better than 90% of the guys last night. decent entertainment for a reasonably priced hotel, i guess.

nicole - stay
i kinda liked this... she's got a lot to her voice, even if she came across as trying a little too hard or something. i hope she sticks around for a couple more weeks, i want to hear her try something else...


and the two i think should go:


antonella - i don't want to miss a thing
what the fuck was this? remember that hot twin from last year that got booted before the top 12? she was cuter than this joisey girl and it didn't save her. this was just bad, period. not entirely painful, but bad.

alaina - brass in pocket
oooh, great song choice! and that was the only thing great about it. most karaoke-ish job of the night.

wow, we really have to pick six of these guys?!?

ouch. rough, to say the least... not that fun to watch.
i couldn't pick 6 i really liked, so here are my top three for now. maybe next week i'll have at least 6 good ones to choose from?

phil - could not ask for more
freaky looking dude - if moby and moon unit had a kid it'd probably look like this - but after a rough start he picks it up and gives one of the best performances of the night. not that that's saying too much...
simon tells him that the beginning was monstrous. heh heh.

blake - somewhere only we know
nice voice - this was probably overall my favorite tonight. new vocal style enters idol - at least i don't remember anyone that's sounded like this guy in the past. weird that randy was missing the beatboxing... this is a singing competition, no?
he also seemed surprised that he liked it, saying it was "a really good job."

chris s - typical
strong voice, good performer, totally got the crowd into it. and then got to rag on simon for helping spawn the teletubbies and a 'popera' group... what's not to love? you know, aside from the fact that he looks like sideshow jack osbourne.
actual quote from randy: "i liked it; i love you!"
and this only seconds before the sweetheart brouhaha! looks like ryan's been rubbing off on those guys...no, wait, that came out wrong...


some of the rest (in no particular order)- there were some good spots, but it was pretty damn mediocre.



jared - back to one
so it wasn't too exciting, but it was pretty damn spot on. not the easiest song, but i thought he did a good job with it.

chris r - i don't wanna be
you gotta compare it to bo's version, and, well... there really is no comparision. good performance, weak-ass voice.

sundance - nights in white satin
oof. looked uncomfortable and out of place - i like the song, but it was a bad choice for the show. i heard good stuff about this guy, too.

brandon - rock with you
man, he shoulda stuck with the slow arrangement, it was working until it kicked in, if that makes any sense. i really like his voice though.

nick - now and forever
richard marx! they should get that guy on this year. this guy is from near my hometown - i think he has a good voice (that's the way to sing falsetto, paul), but a very karaoke delivery/stage presence. maybe he'll hang on for another week?

sanjaya - knocks me off my feet
he did bore me with it. he's like the bollywood ace - just watching the clips i wish his sister had made it instead of him, and i didn't even hear her sing.

a.j. - never too much
the choruses were really pitchy, but other than that it was good and had a lot of energy. mildly forgettable, though.


the two that i think should go:



paul - careless whisper
started out boring, then was approaching great in the middle, but fucked up the falsetto so bad at the end that the overall result was a trainwreck. but not an exciting one. (as i would imagine a trainwreck would be.)

rudy - free ride
i dunno...herky-jerky? something about this guy just seemed off or forced or something - maybe it was nerves? decent voice, but really forgettable performance + first spot of the night could send him home thursday

soul patrol!

soul patrol! soul patrol! soul patrol! soul patrol! soul patrol! soul patrol!

and a big "woooooooooooo!"

congrats, taylor.

there can be only one!

katharine - "black horse and a cherry tree"
randy: "you sang it better this time"
paula: "it was a fun opening"
simon: "good with a small g...the occassion tonight is bigger than that song"

ah, i disagree with randy, it was not as good as the first time she sang it. i agree with simon and paula though. it was fun, but i think at this point we're beyond cutesy. that performance didn't get her any new votes.

taylor - "living for the city"
randy: "you always make it your own...america, that was a hot one right there"
paula: "way to go, way to open up the show"
simon: "a great way to start the show...round one to you"

that was...funner than kats, and vocally better. oh yeah, and the song is a classic most everyone knows. i agree with simon, he's taken the first round of songs.

katharine - "over the rainbow"
randy: "you worked it out...that was hot"
paula: "you've made everyone proud...you owned it up there"
simon: "this was your best performance of the competition so far"

now this was better than the first time she sang it, and that's saying a lot. this was great, and easily her best vocal of the year. kudos for singing acapella in key with no guide, and handling it like a pro. she probably got some new votes with this performance.

taylor - "levon"
randy: "it was a little pitchy"
paula: "i don't think it was pitchy"
simon: "katharine has taken the second round"

i didn't hear any pitchiness here. this actually wasn't as good as it was the first time he sang it, but it still rocked. he seemed to be straining at times though... i'm sure they're both losing their voices at this point. again, i agree with simon, though she hardly won by the margin taylor took the first round with.

katharine - "my destiny"
randy: "you look amazing...you sounded really good...i did not like the song"
paula: "you are brilliant"
simon: "you went from brilliant to quite good within one song"

ummmm, judges? judge. no pitch comments?!?! she was off the entire song... if she wasn't off key, she was ahead or behind the music. plus the key was NOT a good one for her; how can it be the end of the competition and they haven't figured out what key to put her damn songs in yet? terrible vocal, MUCH, MUCH, worse song.

taylor - "do i make you proud"
randy: "no matter what the song is, you know how to make it into a taylor hicks vehicle"
paula: "i couldn't agree with randy more...soul patrol!"
simon: "assuming i was right and the show was tied, then you have just won american idol"

another fucking horrible song, but when he was singing the first few lines, taylor gave a grin that seemed to say he knew it. once it kicked in as a 'taylor vehicle', this was another great performance from him. he finally went all out like elliot had been doing all along, and shit, taylor sounded better doing it.



soul patrol!!! taylor had two and a half good performances to katharines one, and that's just counting this show. through the entire competition, taylor stayed true to himself, and managed to inject at least a little bit of soul into every song he sang. I love katharine's voice, but i don't think she was nearly good enough to win this thing... i'm sure the vote will be 'closer than it's ever been', but after last night, it should be taylor in a landslide.
(i still think it should have been between taylor and elliot, but now i sound like one of those chris fans that is still upset he's gone, so i'll shut up about that)
i know they need to sell their singles, but they really need to rethink this finale crap. throughout the entire season the judges harp on the song choices, and those choices certainly lead to some early exits from great singers.
after all that, they end the show by serving up two of the cheesiest pieces of shit i've ever heard, with the grand specatcle of a gospel choir serving as the silk hat on the pig. after the judges reaction to the songs tonight, maybe this will all change.

SOUL PATROL! SOUL PATROL!

ell-ee-ot!

aw, man, i was really hoping for a sing-off between you and taylor.
you're the poster boy for how listening to the judges can get you far. took every bit of constructive (and not-so-constructive) criticism, and worked on it, and it made you a much better singer.

come out with a decent first album, okay?

the top 3 vs. clive davis, the judges, and themselves

elliot - "open arms"
randy: "you worked it out...feel free to take chances"
paula: "excellent voice tonight...you did a great job"
simon: "you have got to loosen up"

this was an awesome vocal for a tough song, and i agree with simon, he seemed stiff again, like the first few weeks of the top twelve. nerves, i'm sure.

katharine - "i believe i can fly"
randy: "it wasn't quite the right thing for you"
paula: "you look beautiful"
simon: "you kind of created a bit of a moment for yourself"

well, she certainly made it her own. it didn't sound anything like the original. i thought the arrangement was terrible, though, and the band was loud as hell over her again.

taylor - "dancing in the dark"
randy: "that was hot"
paula: "you're incredible"
simon: "that was okay"

very cool, i enjoyed it a lot. but paula is no courtney cox.

elliot - "what you won't do for love"
randy: "you were a little sharp most of the song"
paula: "you've got amazing soul"
simon: "i thought you sang that pretty good"

whats up with the hating, randy? this was awesome. i love that he always gives it his all... he took the criticism and loosened right up for this one, too.

katharine - "somewhere over the rainbow"
randy: "the best vocal of the season for you...that was brilliant"
paula: "you tapped into your beautiful, natural self"
simon: "the single best performance of the competition to date"

amazing. maybe a little forced, but finally a showstopper from this season.

taylor - "you are so beautiful"
randy: "you did the song proud"
paula: "you are a star"
simon: "far and away your best performance...loved it"

my favorite performance of the entire season. i've been waiting for some cocker from him.

elliot - "i believe it to my soul"
randy: "you can definitely sing, man"
paula: "soulful...you're a funky white boy"
simon: "you are a great singer"

great, great vocal. i really wish the finale coulda been between him and taylor.

katharine - "i ain't got nothing but the blues"
randy: "this was okay..."
paula: "you still did a great job"
simon: "it was okay"

yeah, it was okay. maybe a little better than just okay. doesn't matter, somewhere over the rainbow was good enough.

taylor - "try a little tenderness"
randy: "your new name is 'have a good time funky taylor'"
paula: "i waited all season for you to sing this song and you did an incredible job"
simon: "good performance...i'll see you next tuesday"

this guy rocks. i want him to win it all... everyone performing music should have this much fun.



well, we know what's happened by now...
what i woulda wrote (and will anyway), is that i thought all three songs from both taylor and elliot were great; but the two standout performances of the night were you are so beautiful and somewhere over the rainbow.

shock and awwwww

hey chris, i know you were surprised, but a little humility would have been classy.
maybe thank your millions of fans for getting you this far?

i really don't think idol treated you fairly - they pushed you so hard i think it turned some people off (well, least one that i know of), and made you think you were a shoo-in. america felt you were safe too, and didn't cast enough votes for ya.

i think elliot and kat have better voices, and taylor is a better performer, but dude, you got nothing to worry about. you'll be able to live in comfort with your wife and step-kids for the rest of your life thanks to idol. i can't feel that sorry for you.

again though, that whole lack of humility thing. not cool - a seventeen year old handled it better than you last week.

the top 4 vs. the king

taylor - "jailhouse rock"
randy: "that felt good, didn't it?"
paula: "you were phenomenal"
simon: "a terrible impersonation of elvis presley"

terrible impersonation? huh? this actually sounded like taylor to me, singing an elvis song. you know, like they were supposed to do. i loved it, even though it's one of my least favorite elvis songs.

chris - "suspicious minds"
randy: "it was kinda nice"
paula: "see you in the finals"
simon: "i thought that was great"

how can you call taylor's performance karaoke, and not this one? at least taylor was mixing it up. this is one of my favorite elvis songs, and it sounded like a total karaoke performance to me. he's got a good voice, but this was boring. however, i'm tired of chris and am probably not being fair to him, as i've said before.

elliot - "if i could dream"
randy: "that was hot, baby!"
paula: "the best vocal performance you've done this entire season"
simon: "that was the best performance so far"

simon was right at the beginning of the season. elliot is the best male vocalist they've had on the show so far. this was outstanding. sure, he sweats a lot and ain't too pretty, but he can sing his ass off. and he does it every chance he gets, unlike some of the others.

katharine - "hound dog/all shook up"
randy: "what happened in the middle?"
paula: "it was really fun"
simon: "a desperate manic audition"

a decent idea, blending the songs... wasn't executed too great, though. she's at a disadvantage tonight, the only female left, and she has to sing elvis against a few guys. not her best vocal, but not her worst either.

taylor - "in the ghetto"
randy: "that was hot, america!"
paula: "showed how well rounded of an artist you are"
simon: "you have just sung your way into the semi-finals"

another of my favorite elvis songs, and i'd buy this single from taylor. awesome. my favorite performance of the night.

chris - "a little less conversation"
randy: "that was hot" (how much does randy get paid for this, anyway?)
paula: "i adore you"
simon: "i thought your first song was a lot stronger"

blah. and the rock screams at the end didn't help. at all. he also seems to be getting arrogant. it's probably just me...

elliot - "trouble"
randy: "that was your best performance ever"
paula: "this was your best performance ever"
simon: "you deserve to go through to the next round"

i love taylor, and i really wish he would go all out the way elliot is tonight. elliot is batting 1.000 with his game on the line. sadly, that probably won't be enough to save him. do the right thing, america, please? get this guy to the top three.

katharine - "can't help falling in love"
randy: "that was better than the first song"
paula: "you have a lovely voice"
simon: "it was too much"

yet another of my favorites (they sang my top three tonight, very cool). i thought this was a great vocal that was totally overshadowed by a loud, crappy arrangement. will being the only girl left help or hurt her?


if we're just going by tonights performances, then it should be the end of the road for katharine, (as much as i - and probably every guy that watches this show - would hate to see her go) or chris. I felt this was his worst week overall, but i'm afraid america will end up voting off the best male singer the competition has ever had. i'd love to see a taylor/elliot final, but i'll probably have to settle for a taylor/chris final.
you know who i'll be voting for.

i guess we won't always have paris...

seeya, pipsqueak!