Idol Chatter 3-6-08: The Top 8 Ladies - Too Close to Call?
A full recap of Ladies' Night, predictions and more fun from Clyde and Artie.
Collins: Well, Julie Heart's still not here, but I'm sure she sends her love. And if she were here, she'd probably still be gloating about how David Cook wasn't entirely awful Tuesday night. But we're here now to talk about Ladies' Night!
Funk: Oh, shoot. That was last night?! I didn't even see it...
Collins: What? Are you bloody serious?!!
Funk: Naw, dogg. Just messin' with you! Of COURSE I watched, and it's gonna' be tough saying good-bye to 2 more of them this week.
Collins: Less tough for at least one, I think. But, more on that after we recap the performances!
THE IDOL EXPERTS ON...THE TOP 10 GIRLS
Asia'h Epperson Performed: "I Wanna' Dance with Somebody" by Whitney Houston
Funk: It was fun. Really showed off her solid vocals. Wasn't diggin' her pants, though.
Collins: Would you rather she had performed without pants?
Funk: Ha ha, don't take that the wrong way, cats! And Clyde takes EVERYTHING the wrong way!
Collins: Guilty, as charged.
Funk: Anyway, good job by Asia'h. She took on Whitney Houston and survived!
Collins: She's no Whitney, but...well, neither is Whitney anymore, frankly. Look, it was a good, peppy performance to start the show. She should be safe, deserves to come back.
Kady Malloy Performed: "Who Wants to Live Forever" by Queen
Collins: Kady, darling...the writing was on the wall from the start. You had to kill, and you didn't. You'll be going home this week, sorry. America will not be voting for your "lack of personality," as Seacrest so aptly called it.
Funk: Remember that feedback she was talking about in her "embarrassing" story? Yeah, she just recreated that sound VOCALLY.
Collins: HA! Love it!
Funk: She did NOT do well, at all. She pretty much slaughtered it.
Collins: Here's how that song is SUPPOSED to sound. I checked this out, because I didn't know it, and wanted to know what she was butchering. Listen to even the first few NOTES Mr. Mercury sings, and you'll know the true extent to which she failed his memory...
Amanda Overmyer Performed: "I Hate Myself for Loving You" by Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
Collins: She was a complete trainwreck, last week. Not much better the week before. So, I had VERY low expectations, going in. Ready to write her off...she pulled out the first GOOD rock performance of the season, guys included. David Cook, here's how it's done. She'll go home, sooner or later, though. I think this strong performance was a fluke, and the big voices around will swallow her up. She does bring something unique to the competition, but...it's just a matter of time!
Funk: I still don't get her appeal. I don't like her even a LITTLE bit! Maybe...a TINY bit. But...no. She's not going to win, and if she DOES, I quit. I get it -- she did well for what she NEEDED to do, but I don't think honking and grunting are good for this competition! She's not even a rockin' kind of personality onstage! She feels like she's STUCK in this competition, and she just can't get out!
Collins: To be fair, she should have been out after last week's performance. But...for what it's worth, this wasn't the worst. I guess it's the week of the sort-of-rocker on American Idol. My nightmare comes alive!
Carly Smithson Performed: "I Drove All Night" by Celine Dion
Funk: Yeah, it was a good performance! I liked it! She keeps proving she's Top 3 material, and that didn't stop her. I was FEELIN' those high notes, but I still hate Celine Dion.
Collins: She did a fine job with a slightly-weak song, but I actually liked it a lot more than the ballads she's forced us to sit through. She was very good, to be expected. And I wasn't bored by it, this week, unlike Michael Johns.
Kristy Lee Cook Performed: "Faithfully" by Journey
Collins: I hate the 80s, but she took a song I normally would've detested and gave it a nice twist. I didn't hate it! Is it enough to keep her in it for another week? Don't know, because she's not really the best. She hit some ugly notes, to be sure. She's in danger, even it was a fine-to-good performance and an interesting arangement.
Funk: It was pretty good...better than Kady! Shaky in a couple parts, but felt more stylized, like she kinda' did her own thing with Steve Perry's vocal part. It was a'ight!
Collins: Is it just me, or were Simon and Paula cuddling or making out or something while Randy was proclaiming his love for dogs and Journey? Creepy...
Ramiele Malubay Performed: "Against All Odds" by Phil Collins
Collins: For those of you who don't know our set-up, here...we watch the show as it airs, then have a DVR recording of it in front of us for reference while writing the column. Well, I think Ramiele's going home...solely because her embarrassing story wasn't as memorable as Kristy Lee's dog thing.
Funk: She's so cute, though!
Collins: Sorry, Artie. I wasn't a fan of the song choice, and she didn't really prove much with it.
Funk: I grew up listening to a lot of Phil Collins and Genesis stuff...I like that song, but it was a questionable song choice for her -- not a lot of emotion in it! It was a good vocal, she's got a good voice, but...she was lacking 'zazz. Better than the blondes, I thought. And, as I said, she's cute. So, I like her.
Collins: Cute does go a long way, which is why I'm torn between Kristy Lee and Ramiele for the second person going home tonight...spoiler, the next two are better than them.
Funk: Paula is quickly going more and more insane all the time. Like they said on Seinfeld, it's like her mouth is falling down the stairs.
Brooke White Performed: "Love is a Battlefield" by Pat Benetar
Collins: I liked it. This song is usually another 80s turnoff, for me...but she made it her own, made it original. She should be returning next week. I hope America doesn't drop the ball with her, she's probably the most interesting and freshest of the female talent. Take her to the finale, people! Ignore than she had one or two bad notes. Everything else was great.
Funk: That was AWESOME. Really good, I liked it a lot. I would buy her album when it comes out! I think the whole "dowplaying it to an acoustic Folk song, sitting down" thing shows she put a lot of thought into the performance, and she pulled it off well!
Collins: We were talking before, and neither of us is a particularly big fan of the original version...I have to wonder, because I always like the way they redo these cheesy, over-the-top 80s songs, whether or not someone who really loves the music from that decade would feel differently. I hope people embrace it, because, again, she's quickly becoming my favorite female singer in the competiton, if she hasn't already reached that lofty status.
Syesha Mercado Performed: "Saving All My Love for You" by Whitney Houston
Collins: Again, a bit weak compared to Whitney in her prime, but...still, a solid performance. Didn't blow me away, sadly, and I think they wanted her to, if she's singing at the end. They keep setting them up for that big, memorable moment...and the unexpected singers are stealing the spotlight a bit, this season. I hope that trend continues, and we get a nice, diverse Top 10, heading into a SURPRISING finale, which isn't just Michael Johns vs. Carly Smithson for the Best Imported American Idol title. Just not feeling that kind of predictable thing, this time...though I'd rather see Carly there than several of the others, truthfully. I'll stop now. Good, not great. Thanks, Syesha.
Funk: Not her best performance. I think she's trying too hard, trying to knock it out of the park...and it's too early to be taking such big risks. She'll CLEARLY be safe, don't risk it. And, please, STOP SINGING CELINE DION AND WHITNEY HOUSTON SONGS! EVERYONE!
Collins: I'm with you on that! I do think she tried to do too much with it. Too many attempted runs, and she missed some big notes. When you're comparing it with the original...I don't know, it doesn't stand up. Good not great.
THE NIGHT'S BEST
Funk: Brooke WAS the best! Not only did she do a solid vocal, but she did it in her own kind of style, which puts her one-up over Carly at this point, because Carly just did the BIG VOICE thing.
Collins: Brooke White was the best of the night. There, I said it.
THE NIGHT'S WORST
Funk: Kady Malloy and Amanda Overmyer are tied. I can't STAND her. No...wait. Just Kady. I guess, technically, Amanda did well for what she does...but I still don't like her.
Collins: Kady Malloy, easily the worst. No contest. It's picking the SECOND who's going home that'll be the tough part...
WHO'S GOING HOME THIS WEEK?
Funk: Kady Malloy and...it's not gonna' be Amanda, as much as I wish it would be. I think Kristy Lee did OK...man. If it comes down to the second spot being between Ramiele and Kristy Lee...it'll be Ramiele, sadly. She just phoned in a solid performance instead of something special.
Collins: So difficult...but, I'll say Kady Malloy and Ramiele Malubay are out. Kristy Lee Cook, you're on notice.
OVERALL STANDINGS
TOP GAL/MOST LIKEY TO WIN RIGHT NOW
Funk: Carly's still on top. I still don't count Asia'h as making it very far.
Collins: Changing my allegiance, I'm going with the TRUE DARK HORSE TO WIN IT ALL...Brooke White. She's it. She's the David Archuleta for the ladies. Not the obvious choice, but surprising us and pulling off great vocals every week.
GAL ON THE RISE
Funk: Asia'h did real well this week. I'll give it to her! Her performance will keep her around at least another week.
Collins: I don't think I can put Brook here, anymore. She's improved too much, and become my official frontrunner...so, I'll say Asia'h, as well. Honorable mention, I know you'll hate this, Artie, to Amanda Overmyer. She saved herself, probably...but I doubt her momentum lasts very long.
SLIPPING
Funk: Syesha, dogg! I'm sorry to say it, but...she put too much effort into it, and she got snubbed by the judges for real criticism pretty much because of time constraints, I think. Add that in with the fact that it wasn't her best vocal, and she's SLIPPIN', yo.
Collins: Kristy Lee Cook, you're on the way out. She was my first prediction to win it all, in the auditions...but, I just don't think she'll last. And if she DOES...well, Idol's broken.
Funk: Well, that's all of 'em, dude! It's been a crazy week, and Julie's gonna' come back to a whole different ballgame in terms of frontrunners and who's been sent home.
Collins: I'm sure she's been following the show, even though she's away, fans. Thanks for reading...and check in tomorrow for the quick results recap, and to see how we did on our predictions! We could easily be surprised by something like, oh, I don't know, Amanda Overmyer going home on the ONE week she doesn't REALLY deserve it.
Funk: No big loss for me, there!
Collins: See you then, everyone.
***** DISCLAIMER *****
The opinions expressed by the three "FOX43 Idol Experts" do not necessarily reflect the opinions of FOX43, Tribune Broadcasting or FOX. ***************************
I have to agree with you guys on Brooke White. She is fantastic. As a Pat Benatar fan, and being incredibly "anti-cover songs", I think Brooke's version of Love is a Battlefield was the most genious thing I have ever seen on American Idol. I want this girl to hurry up and put out an album already!
Clyde Collins: Spot-on, Shelby! As I'm sure you read, Brooke's my new female frontrunner. She's the total package...let's hope America sees it our way (the RIGHT way)! Cheers, and thanks for answering the question of how a big fan of the original version felt about Brooke's cover!
Comments
I have to agree with you guys on Brooke White. She is fantastic. As a Pat Benatar fan, and being incredibly "anti-cover songs", I think Brooke's version of Love is a Battlefield was the most genious thing I have ever seen on American Idol. I want this girl to hurry up and put out an album already!
Posted by: Shelby | March 6, 2008 4:07 PM
Clyde Collins: Spot-on, Shelby! As I'm sure you read, Brooke's my new female frontrunner. She's the total package...let's hope America sees it our way (the RIGHT way)! Cheers, and thanks for answering the question of how a big fan of the original version felt about Brooke's cover!
Posted by: Clyde Collins | March 6, 2008 4:11 PM