Adam Lambert - Feeling Good.

Disclaimer: Still lifeless. Shut up. I love Idol. I'm still with Kradison ftw. This week marks the week that I bash on Simon for the first time in awhile and also marks the first week EVER in all my years of watching Idol, that I have been on the verge of having a heart attack and/or aneurysm. Exciting? Not when it involves my physical or mental well-being.

American Idol Top 5 [29th April 2009].

Theme: Rat Pack Standards aka Jazz Week.
Mystery Mentor: Jamie Foxx. I actually like him a little more now because he did give good advice (especially to Danny and Allison) regarding the songs and how it should be delivered. I was a little skeptical about him mentoring initially since the name Jamie Foxx usually does not come to mind when you think of the Rat Pack. But, he proved me wrong (is now going to go download that song which goes "blame it on the a-a-a-a-a-alcohol" because I really think he can sing).

Before I begin, I would like to note that I am unhappy about the fact that Fox publicized and promoted a 10-song show, when they really aired a 5-song show, which means there was only... 10 to 15 minutes worth of actual singing. Like srlsy. Don't promote something if you can't deliver! I got excited for nothing. Okay, that's not really true, this week made me scream like a little girl, but there were too many commercial breaks. I do not like wasting 45 minutes of my life on commercials. But, thank you very much for bringing back the pre-performance clips because these clips, are what makes the show tick.

Also, just when I decide that I am finally HAPPY with my header, Adam has to wear THAT:

Ya like hai, killing me softly with your white suit, Adam.
(Further spazzing in his commentary. You have been warned.)

This. Is. "American Idol". -cue music-
(YOU WILL SEE WHY I AM NOT REFERRING TO THIS AS TALS ANYMORE LATER ON AS MUCH AS I STILL WANT TO CALL THE SHOW THAT. THERE IS AN EXPLANATION).

Here's what happened before the performances:

• Ryan looks like he spent too much time in the tanning salon.
• What the hell are you wearing, Paula?
• Rickey Minor conducts a swing band. Funky.
• Top 5 are introduced. Boys look very snazzy in their suits and Allison looks very nice with soft waves and a cute cocktail dress.
• Clip introducing the mystery mentor, with the contestants scratching their heads over who it might be. Kris astutely points out, "The theme is Rat Pack, and all those people are ... dead."
  
• Jamie Foxx walks in the room, everyone freaks out. I am amused by how spazztastic this scene is.
  
• Jamie gets pimped, blah blah blah. Jamie talks.
  
• Go away, Jamie.
• Bai Jamie. On with the show.
  

Live Performance Review: Kris starts off the show with a beautiful rendition of "The Way You Look Tonight". Jamie says that he isn't doing the "throat Olympics" and that he'd do a record with Kris if things don't work out with Idol. Kris being the humble thing he is, is extremely flattered and says he thinks that he doesn't match up to anyone vocally in the competition. Shut up, Kris. If you didn't match up, you wouldn't still be here.

There's some beautiful phrasing going on with the song, the transitions from verse to bridge to chorus to end is lovely despite a botchy falsetto at one point. Although, his last falsetto note was perfect. This week, the song really brings out his crooner side and there's an emotional connection going on, contrary to what Simon says. Kris might not have the best vocals or a wide range, but his ability to interpret every song he does, is one of his greatest strengths.

Randy calls it Kris' "best performance of the season". Kara says that he's "set the technical standards for the night so incredibly high" with his "impeccable phrasing, diction, rhythm and timing" and calls him the "dark horse" of the competition. Like hello? Haven't I been saying that for a long time? Not in said term but somewhere along those lines. Thank you, Kara for shining a light on someone who deserves the light! Paula comments on Kris' transformation from "boy next door to sophisticated gentleman" with an air of quiet confidence and Simon calls it "wet. Like taking a very well trained spaniel for a walk…I didn’t get the feeling from you tonight that you can win this competition".

This is the first time in a long time that I disagree with Simon about the performance being "wet". I mean, what's that supposed to mean? "Not dry". "Well-trained spaniel"? Does not get it. Shush, Simon.

Studio Version Review: Starts off with a slow-tempo and a traditional jazz arrangement. Picks up on the tempo midway into the song, yet still stays true to the genre. This is a beautiful, beautiful rendition and he connects with the song so well. His voice is like a breath of fresh air on a rainy day and as my sister points out, his voice adds a more pop-commercial value to the song. He adds something new to the plate while keeping all the good stuff in the chicken pot pie. Kris, you are my number 2. :D

Live Performance Review: Allison is up next with "Someone To Watch Over Me". Her interview with Ryan is totally adorable as she's describing her surprise party (happy 17th birthday, Allison!). Jamie gives out awesome advice and suggests that she think about her family while singing as she's "too young to be in love", because she's only "12, 13?" to which Allison answers, "I'm about 5, yes :D". I love her. That made me laugh out loud.

Her vocals were amazing as usual. She starts off slow and rather delicately while maintaining that rough, grittiness to her voice that makes her so unique. However, she did have a little problem with enunciation, but that's probably due to her husky voice. Instead of singing something that's supposed to sound like, "Someone to watch over me", it sounded like, "Someone to hwatch hovah heeee" :\. Like Kris, she's got very pretty phrasing and I love that she went traditional with the arrangement. It borders on being slightly dull if you aren't already a fan of her voice, but since I'm a fan already, I will not stop gushing about how brilliant she is.

Randy compares her to Pink but with "9000 more octaves". Kara says she's no longer worried about Allison and believes she might be in the finals, Paula calls the performance "alluring and tender". Finally, Simon asks if she thinks she can win. Allison says, "I think I can, but we all have a shot at this." Wrong answer, Allison, you're supposed to say "yes" straight out when it comes to Simon. Simon doesn't think she does want to win and thinks she might be in trouble.

Again, shush Simon, even if you speak the truth since Allison's been in the Bottom 3 three times already (God knows why). I don't know what you're on but this will not be the last time that I disagree with you this week (see Matt G. and Danny Gokey commentary below and previous commentary on Kris Allen).

Studio Version Review: Try putting this song on while thinking about someone you love. The lyrics are so apt for the feeling you get. Again, vocals are impeccable but much like her live performance, her enunciation is still a slight problem. But, I expect that from Allison. There is actually a fair bit of emotion going on here (good advice, Jamie!) although I don't expect her to be able to be able to connect completely with songs like these because she's just so young. But imagine what she'd be like in a few years, with more confidence and more experience up her sleeve.

Live Performance Review: Matt G. did "My Funny Valentine". Reveals to Ryan that he's been waiting for this week as he took Jazz in college and got a "B". Roll clip, Jamie is all, "Why you worried?!" but then calls Matt back, asks him to change the key and sing it in "full voice". Wrong move, Matt G. It actually sounded better in the higher key.

Dear Matt, you don't have to do vocal runs with every song or throw that many falsettos into the mix. Too much of a good thing = bad thing. He starts off badly because of the low key and is pitchy throughout the first 20 seconds but it gets better as the song progresses and as he gets into the glory notes near the end. I am so not happy about the lower key. It makes me so iffy because I actually like Matt G. and he just blew his chances of even making it through this week BECAUSE of that lower key. I WILL NOT STOP REITERATING THAT I AM UNHAPPY ABOUT THE LOWER KEY.

Randy makes sense for once, saying it was "pitchy" and that "it didn't come together". Kara says there's no emotional connection (I disagree), Paula actually likes the lower key (NO) and Simon, sounding like he's on complete and utter crack tonight, calls it the "only believable and authentic" performance with "Nat King Cole kind of phrasing".

Did Paula slip him something this week? Did someone spike his drink? IS HE EVEN SOBER? I like Matt, I do. But, he was by far, the worst this week by the night's standards even if it was an alright performance. But this is the Top 5. An alright performance isn't going to get you to the finals. Shut up, Simon.

Studio Version Review: The lower key actually sounds really, really good here! Again, traditional jazz arrangement, Matt throws in a few scats midway through the song, adds some oomph to it. Emotional connection present. It so isn't easy to sing a song about an ugly chick and mean it. I would really like Matt to make a jazz album. He sounds like the kind of guy who'd do well with the genre. A whole lot better than the live version.

Live Performance Review: Danny Gokey takes on a more bluesier version of "Come Rain, Come Shine", finally putting an end to his monotonous song arrangements. Jamie invades his personal space by getting as close as he possibly can to Danny's face, saying that Danny is at his "purest and truest" with someone right up in his grille.

The brass in the beginning of the song is so pretty. His voice really suits the theme but it's pretty restrained even after Jamie got all up in his face like that. Still good however. He starts off well and maintains a really nice tone throughout the song, showcasing his gravelly voice. I was actually enjoying his performance for once, but then, towards the end, he ruined it for me by growling a little too much.

Randy says, "You are the only one I heard so far that could actually have an amble of songs like that and win…forget the connection stuff…this is a singing competition and you can sing." Kara says its got swagger and that it's the "most creative he's ever been with the melody". Paula thinks it's a "stellar, stellar performance", predicts he will be in the Finals (NO). Simon says, “You had a swagger and a confidence…I felt tonight you come out to prove a point, unlike the first two people who came out. That was outstanding.”

Is not amused about the pimping. But, I give credit where it's given because he finally did something different and his voice did not suck. This is definitely my favorite Gokey performance of the whole season. Just no more growling for Rock Week. Please.

Studio Version Review: Thank you for not doing the OTT growling thing here. It still has that rough quality to it that I've come to associate with him though. I actually like his live version more despite the growling. The arrangement is so pretty and although I can't see him making a jazz album like I do with Matt, it's still enjoyable.

Live Performance Review: And this man here, is the reason I watch Idol so religiously every week. No interview with Ryan, but he gets the pimp spot. Used Muse's arrangement of "Feeling Good" giving it a rock edge. I found it strange that he didn't mention that, so I'm hoping that it doesn't give him problems like what happened with David Cook last year. Jamie says that Adam's going to "knock everybody's heads off". Damn straight.

And like, hello? Best entrance in the entire history of Idol. Judging from the pink lighting draping the staircase that Adam descends from with that rock-star strut, it's pretty obvious he's going to put on an amazing show. Thank you for killing me with your sex-stare. Call me. Still single.

This is definitely the most unconventional performance of the entire night He is the only one this week who actually took a risk by doing something like what he did, but it might have alienated some people, mainly because it didn't stay completely true to the theme of the night. It's interesting how he picks verses that contain lyrics which have a sort of hidden subtext or meaning to it. For example, this week with "Freedom is mine"; Michael Jackson week with "And I told them about equality", emphasizing the word "equality"; and birth year week with "Went to school & I was very nervous. No one knew me, no one knew me". Maybe I'm over analyzing it but it sounds like he's doing that.

Again, impeccable vocals, used his lower register a little more this week, which I love. His pitch was spot on (people have actually put a tuner up to his performances and swear that every note he sings is perfect) and that penultimate note he holds (for twelve seconds. I counted) before bringing everything back down with a tender final note was so fucking amazing, like who the hell holds a note that long? Oh wait, Adam does. He did it with a 17 second note in Brigadoon (fast forward to 3:23. Currently holds record for longest note he's ever held. He continues singing without taking a breath) and did it again with this 12 second note.

That note alone, showcased an extraordinary amount of vocal control which is proven in this video floating around the internet which I will post below, comparing the actual performance and the dress rehearsal one side by side. In both, he holds the note for the the same length of time. Again, extraordinary vocal control. Not one of his best performances (nothing beats Mad World. srsly), he looked like he was holding himself back. Maybe he didn't want to be too over the top. Or maybe he was trying to suppress the sexual undertones of the song. Or maybe he was just tired. I haven't the slightest clue, but it was definitely not his best performance.

Here's the crazy vocal video!

Insane vocal control. Tell me if you find someone as amazing as him.

My marriage proposal still stands, Adam.

Randy calls it "theatrical" but still thinks it's a great performance. Kara gives the best comment of the night with, "Again, my mouth drops open every time you perform. Its like "Is he really doing that?" It's shocking! You're shocking in a good way! You're shocking and sleazy and superb and way over the top, but I don't know. I like you! Craziness!". Paula says Adam makes her feel better than good (mmmm) and dubs him the "Michael Phelps" of the competition. Simon says, "Randy talking about you being theatrical is like complaining that cows moo," (hell yeah) and that “Winning is important, I feel that you want to win. That you want to prove a point every week and you want to entertain... Ryan, you are no longer using that staircase.” He thinks that only 3 contestants tonight really want to win. :\

Studio Version Review: One of the sexiest versions of "Feeling Good" I have ever heard. Muse's arrangement really works in Adam's case and I'm glad he took an unconventional route. I love his lower register and it still astounds me when he manages to jump from a low note to a spine-chilling falsetto note.

Overall: This week kicked last weeks ass and made me want to fly to the moon (Frank Sinatra reference!). The competition is so stiff now that it's difficult to predict what might happen. A shock elimination is possible. Simon sounds like he's on crack with all the Kris + Allison de-pimping. Kara actually said some good things this week, Paula is back to her loopy self and Randy sounds like a broken record.

Studio tracks are awesome. Love them all.

Prediction: I liked everyone this week! But judging things overall, I say that Matt's going home. With Kris and Allison in the Bottom 3. Because Simon's stupid comments are influential that way. >=[

Actual Results: The results show damn near gave me a freaking heart attack. Simon takes back whatever he says and calls this the "best show he's seen so far". At least he sounds decent this time.

Top 5 sing a medley of "It Don't Mean A Thing" and "I've Got Rhythm". Loved it.

Ryan Seacrest, being the messenger for the evil producers upstairs, calls all 5 contestants to stand in the middle of the stage. Asks Matt and Kris to stand to the right and Allison and Danny to stand to the left of the stage, leaving Adam in the middle. Adam is asked to pick which side he thinks he's on like how David Archuleta was asked to last year (ball of sunshine just sat down in the middle of the stage. adorable). Adam clearly looks uncomfortable about this and says that he "loves everybody" and has that look on his face that goes, "WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME?!" But, "based on last night?", he goes to Allison and Danny.

Ryan Seacrest, still being the messenger for the evil producers upstairs, tells Adam that he belongs on the other side and this is the result:

And this is where I nearly died. Because Adam Lambert, does NOT belong in the Bottom 3. Let alone the Bottom 2, which he eventually ended up in along with Matt Giraud.

There's loads of speculation going around that the producers are doing this to guarantee that Adam wins the entire competition by placing him in a danger zone so that people will vote for him more. Then again, this could be a reflection of fans getting complacent because they keep believing that Adam's going to be safe every week. This far into the competition, splitting votes is a no go. As far as I'm aware, Kris, Adam and Allison share a lot of mutual fans and most of them are rooting for them to be in the Top 3. But now everyone has to vote for who they want to win and not anyone else.

Although my prediction about Matt going home tonight was spot on, I felt a pang when they were playing his video clip. His final performance was so good. He sounded so much better than the previous night. Much more relaxed and he was really into it. I really, really like Matt. He seems like a really nice guy and he really is talented in his own way. I would listen to his stuff if he came out with something in the future. I haven't seen the last of you, Matt. Blow my mind with a good album. Don't make me eat my words.

Now, on to Adam. Making Adam choose a side is STUPID. Period. They made him look like a complete and utter douche bag because of it. He can't do what David Archuleta did. It wouldn't have been professional, I mean, he's not exactly 18 or anything, then people would call him out as a "coward" because he didn't pick. On the other hand, because he made a choice, people are now going to think he's "arrogant". I don't blame him for making a choice especially after making it clear that he is basing his decision on the performances from the previous night.

But seriously. Doing that to Adam was just cruel. Messing around with someone's mind like that.

I am going to give him the benefit of the doubt here because I don't want to jump to conclusions. and I will try my utter best to be as objective as I can with this. Yes, Adam Lambert practically oozes charisma and confidence with every performance he does. He owns that stage like nobody's business and he has been getting good reviews from nearly everyone since "Satisfaction". Therefore, it wouldn't be surprising if the praise got to his head. But, I have to bring up Top 13 week in order to rebut the idea that he might be "arrogant". He was so clearly overwhelmed by all of the good critique that the judges gave, he was on the verge of tears. Don't believe me? Here:

Overwhelmed enough for you?

Yes, I have pictorial evidence.

Bur seriously. Never once has he talked back to the judges. Not even when they called him out on being "theatrical" or "indulgent". He looks them straight in the eyes, takes their critique like the professional he is with a pinch of salt and works on it in order to improve week after week.

And regarding the "choosing of sides" thing, here's what Matt Giraud thought about it:

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Now that we've gotten to the bottom of that, we can talk about Ryan making Adam choose between the two groups last night. What was going through your mind? Come to my side! Come to my side!
MATT GIRAUD: I really didn't care what side he was gonna come on. If I was him, though, I probably would have sat down. I would have pulled an Archuleta and not said anything. But Adam was just being real. He'll tell you what he thinks. He's not afraid of hurtin' you. Our feelings weren't hurt. Kris and I joked about it with him. ''Why didn't you pick us, dude?''

You Final Five really did seem genuinely close. How did that happen?
We're all really different, and we could all do things that the other ones couldn't do. I genuinely think that none of us thought that we were better than any of the others. Obviously some people were aware of how popular they were. [Laughs] But I don't think we went around thinking we were better than anyone. We respected each other.

If that doesn't disprove the argument, I don't know what will.

Still. I am still trying to be as objective as I can and see it in the bigger picture. If he has gotten a little bit big-headed, which I really hope isn't the case, this week will definitely prove to be one of the most humbling experiences he will ever have. A scare like that will definitely do things to your mental well-being and make you think about what you're doing wrong. But, I still think the fact that he dealt with his position this week so calmly and professionally only disproves the "arrogant" argument. He was clearly worried for the other two as well, offering them moral support and giant bear hugs.

Again, I must reiterate, Adam Lambert, does not, and I repeat, does NOT belong in the Bottom 2. He does not deserve it at all, even if I'm aware that he would still do well with an early boot, but NO, TOUCH WOOD HE IS WINNING THE DAMN THING.

Besides, if there's no Adam, there's no Kradam. And the world knows Kradam = Win.

Do you feel the love?

I do!

There is no such thing as not enough Kris + Adam love.

KRADAM FINALE THANK YOU.
I AM STILL STANDING BY THIS.

Next week is Rock Week featuring Slash from G&R as the week's mentor.

Adam Lambert - If I Can't Have You.

Disclaimer: I am perfectly aware that no one cares about Idol other than me. Shut up. Don't deprive me of my only source of enjoyment right now. I actually like watching and talking about it, thank you very much. Because this is what my life amounts to right now other than A2. So, shut up and let me be wordy and lifeless. Not that me talking about Idol would affect your life in any way.

Idol Top 7 (Redux) [April 22, 2009]

Last week, history was made when Matt was saved from elimination despite Simon saying that “you’re not going to win the competition”. So, Matt survives another week and this week, the Top 7 tackle “Songs From The Disco", which is in my opinion, an extremely difficult thing to pull off. What's more, 2 eliminations = DANGEROUS FOR EVERYONE EXCEPT ADAM.

"Tyra loves me 'coz I'm fierce." (ily2)

This. Is. American Idol "The Adam Lambert Show". -cue music-

As all Idol watchers know, the show has been running on overtime for the last couple of weeks. 2 weeks ago, fans threw a hissy fit at their TiVo’s during “Songs From The Year I Was Born” when Adam’s chilling, Simon-Standing-Ovation-Inducing performance of “Mad World” got cut off before it even began, which resulted in an uproar and massive Googling of said performance. Then last week, the producers decided to try out “tag-team judging” which was a stupid idea from the get-go since the only person everyone listens to is Simon. This week, producers learned their lesson and completely cut the pre-performance clips out (which I personally love) of the show which allowed the show to run within the allotted time frame of one hour. I am very bitter about this because they are depriving me of Adam and his pocket-sized-roommate, Kris goodness.

Lil opened up the show with Chaka Khan’s “I’m Every Woman”. Although it was better than last week (reminder of one-note verse), it lacked spark and was so copycat-ish. I commend her on her effort to work up the crowd, but it seemed somewhat like a performance you’d see on a cruise ship. That, and the music drowned out her voice really badly (Paula said Lil’s voice had gone out the day before). She really has no idea as to what she's doing, like Kara said, she's been "every woman but herself". But meh! I never liked her to begin with so all this does is give me more reason to dislike her, because I don't think she's as good as what the judges and even she thinks.

I felt sorry for her during the critique though. The judges have been rather hard on her lately, so I can’t blame her for feeling confused. Heck, she doesn’t even have a clue about what the judges want from her. BUT, I felt sorry for her. Not feel. The pity just vanished into thin air when she opened her mouth and talked back, again. Like, shut up. Seriously. I'm not even going to bother with her studio recording.

Hay bb number two (corresponds with his performance slot (: ). Kris performed next and to be honest, I thought he was going to have a lot of trouble this week finding a song, to which he admitted. But, genius-wonky-smile turned a classic disco track (Donna Summer’s “She Works Hard For The Money”) into this jazzy, pop-acoustic track and brought out his acoustic guitar again.

Kris made a very clever move, switching the song up like that, adding the bongos in was also a very nice touch. Kris hasn’t been getting much credit from the judges, but this time around, all agreed that he was brilliant. I agree with Kara about it sounding like something that would be on Kris’ record in the future. It was smooth, distinctive and more importantly, one of the most original performances of the night. Also, Kris gets brownie points for singing about female empowerment (is a closet feminist).

While his live performance was completely acoustic, the studio version's got a similar, yet different kind of groove going on. It's still along the lines of what he did live, but with a more rock feel. I think that they should have kept it acoustic. It was so much more special. They totally did to Kris what they did to Adam with ToMT. Not funky.

On the bright side, Kris is definitely improving week after week and I think he might be Adam's biggest contender in the competition as I've said before. Ooh, Kris has got his A-Game on. I'm squealing just thinking about an Adam+Kris finale. This is going to be, wait for it... Legendary (yay Barney!) !

Btw, Wonky-smile's smile was particularly wonky this week. :D Love.

Danny "Put The Go In" Gokey did Earth, Wind and Fire's "September".

It wasn't a very powerful performance, in my opinion. He scared me when he screamed out his first note once the song began.

Again, Danny's over-hyped. I will not deny the fact that he has a really nice earthiness to his tone and he can definitely sing, but he sounded like a wedding singer this week. He's good, but he's not good enough. It wasn't amazing, yet it didn't fail in ways that would land him in the Bottom 3.

Overall, it was a very neutral performance. It lacked the originality that we're supposed to be seeing this far into the competition but, the judges over-praised him AGAIN (shut up Paula. Kradam final. They don't even have a name for Danny/Adam. Which shows how much Kradam wins.) like they ALWAYS do. They have issues. Srsly.

Although, I am rather amused by his dancing. Watching Danny dancing is absolutely L0ltastic. I did enjoy his energy and his dance moves have improved considerably, thank God (is reminded of horrible incident when he did hand-rolly-thing with backup singers -shudders-). But what is up with the scruff? Ew. No. Fail. Bring clean-cut Gokey back.

STUDIO VERSION ALSO MAKES ME LOL when he starts off with the intro: "C'MON PUT YOUR HANDS TOGETHA". GOKEY BRINGS THE LULZ WITH MORE TALKING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SONG. Totally better than watching him live.

Allison brought the glitter for Adam! :D Maybe Adam was like, "Okay. This week, I'm going to be sleek and classy. YOU have to bring the glitter for me. :D" My imagination just loves running wild and free. I loved her heels, by the way, but that's not the point.

Another Donna Summer song "Hot Stuff", but get this. Allison minor keyed it and turned it into a rock track. I mean, who on earth minor-keys "Hot Stuff"? NO ONE. I disagree with the judges about the arrangement, I LOVED it. SRSLY. WHO MINOR-KEYS "HOT STUFF"?

She started off sitting down on the stairs and her first few notes sounded a little rough, but as the song progressed, her vocals really shone through and the last note, was just fan-freaking-tastic. She brings the fiyah that makes you wanna throw yo hands in the ayer. KRADALISON FOR FINAL 3.

The studio recording wins. Like really, it kicks ass. SAVE THE ROCKER.

Hay again bb. This was by far, the most emotional performance I have ever seen out of Adam. I completely agree with Paula's comments (she's being surprisingly coherent and relevant this season) on how he ripped his heart out and left it on stage. I didn't get the chills I had with "Mad World" or the tenderness of "Tracks Of My Tears", but his version of "If I Can't Have You" was so original, so maddeningly touching that I was on the verge of tears. Honestly.

Simon tried to be cheeky saying, "I would've bet $10,000 that you were going to do a Donna Summer song" and also said that he's never heard the song arranged that way before, that it was original and that Adam's performance/song choice was completely unpredictable.

I actually really like the original take of the song, but to hear the way Adam sang it, it struck a chord in me that I can't even describe. It was relevant and it was personal. It's something that every person, one way or another, will experience and Adam drew out those emotions so well and I believed that he poured his whole being, heart and soul into the song.

Again, his pitch was perfect. Just like it is every single week. He used his lower register a bit more this week, but I would still love to see him do something more with it, because while his falsetto exhibits an extraordinary amount of control, there is no doubt that his lower register is just as amazing (see "Quiet Desperation"). Also, I loved how he gave credit to Michael Orland for the arrangement. Classy, Adam, very classy.

As for the studio version of the track, I'm completely and utterly hooked like I usually am, but that's another story for another day. I love that they didn't pull a ToMT and made Adam do the original take of the song. Now, if that were to happen, I would've torn them apart. With my words. Okay, that sounded more menacing in my head than it does out loud. The heavy guitar riffs right at the beginning of the song startled me a little bit but it somehow manages to seamlessly flow into slower territory.

Live version still wins though. I can appreciate his voice more there.

On to superficial comments now. Excuse me while I freak out.
Dear Adam, that suit is the death of a million fan girls all over the world. And that hair. Let me go find my white dress and we can get married with you in that suit and that hair and we'll live happily ever after, bb.

CALL ME. I AM SINGLE.

Matt G. brought the JT with the Bee Gee's "Stayin' Alive". I knew someone was going to do the Bee Gee's! It's unavoidable! Disco night, hello? How can anyone NOT do the Bee Gee's for disco night when they are the very embodiment of disco?! That's right. No one. Not even Justin Timberfake. Oops. I mean, Matt Giraud. I take back every insult I ever threw at Matt.

This was better than last week's performance. His vocals were really good and he didn't botch his falsettos like he did last week. It was a decent performance. Nothing that will guarantee him a place in the finals or even the Top 4, but it was good enough to keep him for another week. I thought it was a little tacky though. What with the arrangement being kinda similar to the original that it was on the verge of karaoke kingdom.

I take it all back. After looking back at the performance again and actually listening instead of just hearing, he did change the arrangement, throwing a hip-hop beat in and confirmed it during the results show. MATT GIRAUD, THANK MICHAEL SLEZAK FOR MAKING ME AN OFFICIAL FANGIRL. ALBUM SOON PLZ.

Man can move though. Better than Gokey -shudders-.

The studio recording made me l0l. It starts off with this funny little falsetto, "Ah~". LOLTASTIC MATT G. This is so much better recorded. Much more funkier. I can't help but sing along! "Ah, ah, ah, ah. Stayin' alive. Stayin' alive. Ah, ah, ah, ah. STAYIN' ALIVEEEE." Ahem.

Oh, Anoop. What, in all that is holy, is that growing on your face? Does Disco Week automatically mean "Let's-Grow-Some-Scruff-&-Act-Like-The-Rockstars-We-Are Week"? NO. It does not work. Nasty, nasty. Am so tempted to rip that thing off (that includes you, Gokey. Why are there so many Gokey references today? Stop it!).

Sang "Dim All The Lights". Damn straight, I wanted to dim all the lights, what with that growth on your face. The performance was bad. Worse than last week. I thought it was boring and messy. I really, really love his voice and all, but this is by far, his worst performance ever.

Vocals were good for most part of the song, but he chickened out on the last note. I think he wanted to kill it with a high note, but probably backed-out realizing that he couldn't hit it. It's really disappointing to see that despite the fact that he's a strong vocalist, he's inconsistent. I haven't seen him pull off a fast, uptempo song since "My Prerogative" and for an artiste to not be able to pull of an uptempo song, is extremely dangerous.

The studio version of it sounds so much better though. I think shortening the song was a disadvantage. I actually prefer this one over his live performance.

Overall: I expected Disco Week to be yet another failed night of cheap, tacky karaoke and synchronized dance moves. On the contrary. It was actually pretty bearable! DISCO WEEK = WIN. Well, mostly the studio tracks win. I like the studio tracks this week! SRLSY. IT BRINGS THE LULZ.

The Good: Kris with his pop-ified version of "She Works Hard For The Money", Adam's emotional take on "If I Can't Have You" and Allison's rocked-out remake of "Hot Stuff".

The Blah: Danny. He's not going to the finals if he continues delivering average performances; Matt. The save wasn't put completely to waste, but he is also in danger of being cut next week if he doesn't do something special.

The Bad and Not So Good: Lil(Bad) and Anoop(Not So Good). It's been a long time coming, what with Lil consistently delivering lousy performances since the Top 13 and Anoop's been in the Bottom 3 for the past couple of weeks, despite several good performances, so what does that say? (coughracistscoughIjokeIjoke.)

Actual Results: Adam, Kris, Danny and Matt(?!) are safe.
Allison(?!?!?!?!?!?! LIKE WHUT? SAVE THE ROCKER.), Anoop and Lil in the Bottom 3.

Anoop and Lil are eliminated with Lil being cut right at the beginning of the show. Ouch. That must have been painful and unpleasant, even as much as I don't like her. I actually felt a pang when Anoop was eliminated. I've actually liked the guy since he turned up at the auditions in that plaid shirt and khaki shorts. So seeing him go after so long is somewhat sad for me.

On to the group performance.

Choreography by Paula Abdul? Check.
Was it good? Check.
Clip of Adam Lambert doing sit-ups and Kris doing push ups while they were warming up? Check. LOVE.
Clip of Top 7 rehearsing for dance with silly moments from Matt Giraud (guy uses his own song as ringtone lol)? Check.
Cheese factor on high as they got their groove on? Check.
The Jackson 5's "Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground)"? Check.
Lip syncing and very well synchronized dancing from Top 7, some of whom are unfamiliar with the concept (Note: Kris' chicken dance and Anoop's Thriller dance)? Check.
Adam hip thrusting? CHECK CHECK CHECK.
Conclusion: FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC. I LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT. Tacky, yes. But it was so gosh darn fantastic. DISCO WEEK IS A WIN.

Next week's theme: Rat Pack Standards! Jazz week! Top 5 week also means, 2 songs from each contestant! Which means, DOUBLE THE KRADAM LOVE. Jazz hands!

Adam Lambert - Born To Be Wild.

It's official.

American Idol is no longer American Idol, it will now be known as "The Adam Lambert Show" until he officially wins.

This week's theme is "Songs Of The Cinema", with Quentin Tarantino mentoring. And if the world does not know who Quentin Tarantino is, shame on you! The man's made some good movies (has actually only seen Kill Bill, but that's not the point. loved it btw.) and if you haven't heard of them, you must have been hiding under a rock for the past ten years. Srsly.

Personally, I was setting the bar really high this week mainly because of Adam's amazing track record, but sadly, I am somewhat disappointed with how the night turned out. Only one person sang an upbeat song (adamftw) and the rest of the night was just ballad night. So, that was somewhat of a damper because there are so many songs to choose from and almost everyone had to pick a slow song. Sigh.

So first up, is Allison with "I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing" by Aerosmith from the movie Armageddon. Personally, I think this is a beautiful song and in all my years of watching AI, no one really manages to pull this off completely, with most falling FLAT on their faces in the process. Truly. Simon says that she's the "girls only hope in this competition" and I have to agree, since Lil is most probably going to be eliminated, which leaves Allison as the only girl left (GASP SURROUNDED BY 5 GUYS INCLUDING ADAM AND KRIS LSKFJLASFJ). But I don't know if she's good enough to win the entire thing.

This wasn't her best vocal and she's done better in previous weeks with "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" and "I Can't Make You Love Me", but it was good enough. Her lower register notes was a bit strange for me, but her belty notes were really, really good. Having said all of that, I still think that Aerosmith, Queen and the like are untouchable unless someone comes up with a foolproof way to pull it all off.

Idol Prediction: Safe, but might end up in the Bottom 3. Not her best performance and because voters are PMS-y like that, she might be in danger.

Idol Outcome: Safe, thank you.

Oh joy! Anoop is back. :D

For the past couple of weeks, this guy has been flailing around with mediocre performances that didn't do justice to his soulful voice. But, he made a comeback last week with Cyndi Lauper's "True Colours", making a totally pop tune, sound like something that just came out of a Motown record. And he did it again this week with Bryan Adam's "Everything I Do" from the movie Robin Hood.

This song is huge in epic proportions and for someone to be able to pull it off and to be able to infuse some soul into the mix, really impressed me. Unlike previous weeks, he showed a lot more emotion this week and I personally thought he really felt the song. He didn't rough it up per Quention Tarantino's request, but he still did well doing what he did.

Idol Prediction: Bottom 3. He did well last week, but that didn't stop him from getting into the Bottom 2. Might repeat itself this week and he could be eliminated.

Idol Outcome: Safe. But, was in the Bottom 3. Not cool.

This man has been a yo-yo all season, to be honest. In a good way, that is. One week he's doing something totally stripped down and emotional, the next he's rocking out on stage like Freddie Mercury. Such a chameleon.

I thought Adam would do something from Velvet Goldmine since it's something that's so totally up his lane with it being completely glamrock and stuff. But no! Guy chose Steppenwolf's "Born To Be Wild" from Easy Rider. He didn't get a pimp spot this week which surprised me, but who cares, man doesn't need a pimp spot to get votes, his talent alone suffices.

Apparently, "Born To Be Wild" is considered to be one of the first metal songs to be written, so being me, I just HAD to Youtube the original and I can tell that there's a lot of difference between it and Adam's version. Adam threw in a little electro, really upped the pitch of the song and upped the tempo along with it. By far, the most electrifying performance of the night (it WAS the only upbeat one...) with his trademark rock-wails thrown into the mix. The studio version of "Born To Be Wild" is just as insane. If you compared it to the original track, you can tell that its been flipped 180 degrees.

The funny thing about Adam's remake is that you'll either love it or hate it. It's still got the rock elements that makes it a classic metal song with the wailing guitars and guitar solo, but Adam's turned into some kind of modern day electro-rock track, which according to some fans sounds like "Lady Gaga had a baby with the entirety of classic rock and left it on the stoop of a west Hollywood dance club". Purists might dislike what he's done with the song while people who haven't heard this song before (like me) will just go gaga over it.

But, I dunno. This song didn't seem to do him justice as much as I love the man. It was good. But it wasn't nearly as good as ToMT and MW.

He looked amazing by the way, the whole black leather jacket, eyeliner and glammed-up hair is back after 4 weeks of absence. Love it. Also, whatever he's done with his hair, I approve. (Y)

Idol Prediction: Safe. Wasn't as good as "Mad World" but it was still amazing.

Idol Outcome: Safe. Duh.

Matt did another Bryan Adam's song "Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman" from the movie Don Juan.

Ehhhhhhh. Matt's a good pianist and all, but oh God, this week's performance was a train wreck. He started out alright but then midway, he started crashing. Like CRASHING. It was so pitchy and it was so weird what he was doing to the song that it completely destroyed whatever hope I had for this guy. HE KILLED A GOOD SONG.

He was good with "Part Time Lover" last week, but this guy has been doing weird stuff all season. One minute he wants to be an R&B artist and the next he wants to "rock out" like The Fray. This guy confuses me. Honestly. It's like he hasn't a clue about what he wants to do.

Idol Prediction: Bottom 3. I have no sympathy whatsoever. You're a nice guy, but you're disappointing me more and more each week.

Idol Outcome: ELIMINATED. But judges used their save, so he'll be back next week. Please do well. Don't make me bust out saying that it the save wasn't worth it because some people seem to deserve it more.

Really. Danny "Put The Go In" Gokey, is no fun for me. I did like him when he first auditioned with that story about his wife and stuff (was on the verge of tears) but then the wife-pimping seemed like overkill. I don't blame the man for pimping his dead wife, may she rest in peace, but I cannot see the spark that I saw when he first auditioned.

This week, he did "Endless Love" by Lionel Richie from the movie of the same name. Now, Danny has vocal chops, that I admit. But this week, I have to agree with Paula that the song was too low for him. His voice is already gravelly enough, so lowering the pitch of the original song made it a little strange for my taste. And Simon HAD to bring in the obligatory David Cook reference by saying that Danny should have done what David did with "Hello" instead of keeping the traditional song arrangement.

I have to give him some credit though. It was a genuine performance and I think he was secretly singing it to his wife. Towards the end, he looked like he was on the verge of tears. So yes, I will give him credit for feeling the song. But, Danny is over-hyped. I'm sorry, but he is. I genuinely like the guy's personality, he seems like a super nice person but he is not a potential winner.

Also, he does not look like Robert Downey Jr who is infinitely much more good looking. (Obligatory due to sister's obsession with the man.)

Idol Prediction: Safe. He's got a huge fan base, so I wouldn't be surprised to see him in the Top 3.

Idol Outcome: Safe. Told you.

Kris, you are the cutest thing I have ever seen on Idol with your wonky smile and the wonky way you sing and I love you even more now for singing one of my favorite songs.

Adorable wonky-smile did "Falling Slowly" by Glen Hansard and Marketa Iglova from the movie Once. Randy, didn't like it. Said he was "pitchy from note one". I DISAGREE. SHUT UP, RANDY.

So what if a few notes were a little wonky like his smile? The moment he hit the chorus I dismissed all of that and was squealing in my seat because it was just so good. I had to re-watch the video again in order to get an idea about whether I liked it or not and I have to say, that I did! It was emotional, raw and you could tell that he meant every single word he was singing.

He was actually contemplating whether or not to play his guitar and in the end, he didn't. I thought he should have played his guitar, it would have added a more personal touch and Kris himself admits, that playing an instrument helps him connect more to the song.

Idol Prediction: Safe. But a teeny, tiny part of me thinks he'll be in the Bottom 3. Boohiss.

Idol Outcome: Safe. Completely and utterly safe.

Final performance of the night and my least favorite.

Lil did "The Rose" by Bette Midler and I did not like it AT ALL. The entire first half of the song sounded like she was singing the same note. It was that bad. The second half of the song was a little, but just a little bit better than the first half.

I didn't like the fact that she talked back to Simon. I mean, Simon's been trying to save her for the past couple of weeks, giving out very good advice in the process. But Lil kept trying to defend herself, saying that she's done what the judges told her to do by adding a little gospel to the song. But, just because you add something doesn't mean it's going to taste good. IT'S LIKE CUPCAKES. If you add something delicious like.... pineapple essence to a chocolate mix, you're going to ruin the taste, because things like that just don't go together.

What's more, she totally blew her chances despite having the pimp spot. A pimp spot is only deserving to those who are able to end the night with a bang. Which is why it is known as a pimp spot.

I really, really hope that they don't save her after last night's fiasco.

Idol Prediction: GOING HOME.

Idol Outcome: Bottom 2. Safe. >=[

I do not get why Matt was saved. I mean, sure he's got talent but I agree with Simon when he says that Matt is NOT going to win the competition so, why the save was used, I have no idea.

On to next week's theme, it's time to put on your white suits, dig out that old pair of platform boots, slick back your hair and get ready for a trip way back to the 1970's, the era of Disco.

This is going to be interesting. Adam's already done something from then so I'm curious as to what he's going to do next. I'm also dying to see how the more soulful singers are going to pull this off. Very interesting, indeed.

Yes, there is some trace of bias-ness in this post since Adam's review was longer, but that' s because his is the only studio track that I've managed to lay my paws on. I will find Kris' and Anoop's. Eventually.

David Archuleta - Smoky Mountain Memories.

Hello there Effie. We meet again.
I will never drop that nickname for him. Ever. Never ever. It's too classic.

So, yesterday I was granted the pleasure of seeing Archie live at Sunway Lagoon, courtesy of Yvonne (I love you long time).

Yes, that is a cheap attempt to make myself feel better about not being able to see him properly up close because all I got was this:
From my seat, that cute ball of sunshine was that tiny. Still. My adorable-radar was on overdrive the entire time he was on stage.

Here's a quick run-through of my day:
Got to Pyramid at about 12pm. Parked my car. Took a taxi to the Amphitheater. Stood in the sun for about half an hour or so, waiting in line to get into the damn place. Long walk all the way down to said damned place. Waited for about... let's say...3 hours or so, give or take for Archie to turn up. Show supposed to start at 3pm, ended up being delayed by an hour.

Delayed by another half an hour watching 3 opening acts, one being this year's winner for Astro's Talent Quest (dude can dance), 2nd runner up for One In A Million Season 1 (dude stood on speaker, nice) and Daniel from Malaysian Idol (dude sounds better live and with my eyes closed). JJ & Ean gives goodie bags out to rabid fangirls.

Archie comes on stage, nearly went deaf from the screaming and such from 296820358023 fangirls. So anyway, Archie-boy, being the gracious Little Ball Of Sunshine he is, thanks crowd for coming, sings 4 songs and for his encore, sang another 2. One funny thing the Little Ball Of Sunshine did, he was trying to act real cool during "A Little Too Not Over You", started posing for the cameras up front (adorable much), but his attempt to look awesome and cool ended in him backing up into the mic stand all flustered while trying to fix it right. That is when my adorable-radar went on hyper drive. And he does adorable hand movements while he's talking which made my radar tingle.

Little Ball Of Sunshine actually sounds amazing live, by the way. He sounds just like his Idol performances (which I religiously downloaded nearly every week last year) and plays the piano pretty-like. Overall, it was a pretty enjoyable experience, seeing Archie. Not amazing, but it was good enough. I liked how he was so into the songs, especially for "Angels" which is pretty much one of the most beautiful songs to ever have existed. I cannot stop gushing about how cutely adorable he is, him with his weird laugh and skippy moments.

Lesson of the day?
Go to the venue a little later in order to avoid crazy lines despite the fact that you might be sitting in the back of the Amphitheater, but that doesn't really matter when all the Little Ball of Sunshine has to do is giggle and BOOM! he's melted your Swedish heart so you don't really mind. Also, do not get in the way of fangirls who all believe that they are "Mrs. Archuleta" or the only one who has a "crush" on Archie.

Now. How exactly do we get Cook to come down? ;)

Kris Allen - Ain't No Sunshine.

After Wednesday night's show, I have reevaluate my stand on who might win.

Clearly, I've been an Adam Lambert supporter from the beginning.

Hay sexy face.

His soaring vocals, dynamic stage presence and endearing personality were what first drew me to him. Plus, he's extremely original and manages to somehow make songs his own. Again, he didn't disappoint with his version of "Play That Funky Music" by Wild Cherry. Although the ending note was a bit screechy, he was still pitch perfect and delivered a riveting performance complete with funky dance moves. He even changed it up by slowing down a section before the chorus, giving it a surprising twist that actually worked to his advantage. Plus, I found it extremely endearing of him to give a shout-out to the band who, in his words, "hooked me up with a great arrangement". He also ditched his usual emo-rocker look for a slicked back updo much like the one he had for Motown week. WHICH MAKES HIM FRESH AND FUNKY IN MY BOOKS (bias). Another thing I have to point out about this week's performance. Although it wasn't as good as "Tracks of My Tears", I have to salute the man for choosing PTFM. Apparently, he wanted to do Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" (his version of it is crazy. Amazing sort of crazy), but Fox couldn't get the rights for the song in time, so he only had 24 hours to pick another song, rework it and rehearse it. I think that's why Simon didn't say anything much about the song other than it being "brave".

But now, this one other contestant who before this, managed to somehow slip past my radar, just wowed me to no end this week with his rendition of Bill Wither's "Ain't No Sunshine".

I've known about Kris Allen for awhile now, but I've been taking him for granted for the duration of the competition. I first saw him in the Top 36 singing Michael Jackson's "Man In The Mirror", it was good and original, but it didn't wow me as much as Adam's performance of The Rolling Stone's classic "Satisfaction". Then, during Country and Motown week, I never got to see his performances because I kept missing the show and only bothered to watch Glambert online. But, looking back at those performances now, you can clearly tell that he keeps upping the bar every week, getting better and better with time. This week, his performance showcased his husky voice and also made him the only AI contestant to ever to play two instruments on the show: the guitar and piano. It wasn't just original, it was emotionally driven. And that emotion is what made him so appealing. The only problem I had was his ending note as well, his falsetto was a little pitchy but other than that, it was an amazing end to the night. What I have to commend him for though, is the fact that he managed to hold his own in a post-Lambert spot. For someone to be able to shine even after what Adam does, is an amazing feat in its own. So, good on ya, Kris.

Where Adam is flamboyant and dramatic, Kris is much more grounded when it comes to his performances, choosing to play his guitar onstage on many occasions. In many ways, he's what people call the anti-Lambert. A complete antithesis of everything that Adam is. He has a much more boy-next-door kind of vibe and seems to be the most commercial contestant right now as it would be more likely for him to put out a mainstream pop record, much like his self-produced album, Brand New Shoes that was released in 2007. Right now, Kris seems to have the upper-hand over Adam since he's already established himself as a songwriter and plays so many instruments. On the other hand, Adam puts on a better show and is entertaining all the way through. This is where his background in theater gives him an edge as he would know what an audience wants and will be able to reach out to more diverse audiences.

Kris and Adam talk nail polish.

This should be interesting. Two friends, battling it out for the crown. Both have the talent and the chops to survive in the music industry. Both have the looks to draw in crazy, rabid fangirls and both of them are extremely lovable and have great personalities. Yet both are different in so many ways that it's hard to tell who's better or if they're on par with one another.

As of now, I can't really tell who's going to win. But, I really hope both of them end up in the finals together. It'll be like a Cook vs. Archuleta showdown all over again. What an exciting prospect. I can't wait to see what the two of them do to keep themselves in the race.