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Thursday, March 8, 2007
And then there were 12 …
She’s gone. She’s GONE! SHE’S GONE!!!
We’re talking, of course, about Antonella Barba, who has finally been voted off “American Idol.” And not a moment too soon.
Sadly, Antonella’s departure was the only one that didn’t leave us scratching our heads Thursday night. Others to get the boot were Sabrina Sloan, Jared Cotter and Texan Sundance Head.
Haley Scarnato, also a Texan, managed to stick around another week, but few expect her to go the distance.
America has spoken and, truth be told, “Idol” is more of a popularity contest than a talent competition. Case in point: Sanjaya Malakar. There’s no way in the world he made it to the final 12 based on his singing skills. We’re guessing hordes of giggly pre-teen girls helped put him over the top.
The judges seemed especially shocked at the final tallies. Randy Jackson, in particular, was aghast after Sabrina was sent packing: “America got that one wrong, dog.”
What do you think of the final 12? Are you pleased? Displeased? We want to hear from you.
Idol chatter …
- Ryan Seacrest and Simon Cowell in Africa?
No, it’s not the plot of some cheesy Hollywood flick.
The two will journey to some of the world’s poorest locales in the coming weeks as part of the “Idol” Gives Back fundraising campaign announced Thursday night. The two-part event will air next month.
On April 24, the finalists will perform songs of “compassion and hope,” according to a Fox news release, and the show’s sponsors will make a donation for each vote cast. The next night, April 25, a number of performers — Gwen Stefani, Josh Groban, Pink, Michael Buble, Annie Lennox, Il Divo and Sacha Baron Cohen — will stop by and encourage viewers to make contributions via a toll-free number.
Funds raised will be split between the needy here in America and in Africa.
- Be sure to check out Diane Holloway’s TV blog for even more “Idol” chatter.
Girls are in it to win it
Guest blogger Rodney Ho from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution guides us through Wednesday night’s “American Idol,” ranking the female finalists from first to worst:
We got what we hoped: an entertaining evening!
The best? Melinda is by far the winner tonight. It’s a close call for second.
Who’s out? It should be Haley and Antonella. Who will it be? Haley is the easy one (though I said that the past two weeks, too) and poor Sabrina is the weakest of the big voices. Antonella will survive and there will be much kvetching but isn’t that what makes “Idol” great?
1- Melinda Doolittle (Peggy Lee’s “I’m a Woman”) She’s obsessive compulsive! That’s fun! And she’s delightful. She’s so likable and the song is a perfect capper for the evening. Randy: “The hottest one of the night, you deserve it. You are the consummate pro!” Paula: “You’re lovable. I can’t wait to see what rabbit you pull out of the hat.” Simon: “You little tiger! I thought we had a pussycat. It is very nice you are actually enjoying every second you’re having on this show.”
2-Stephanie Edwards (Mary J. Blige/Chaka Khan “Sweet Thing” ) The once shy singer shows off her confidence. I’m not that familiar with the song but I thought she sung it with grace and maturity. Randy: “I give you an A for a valiant effort. When you started, I’m thinking Chaka. It was just okay for me. Some pitchy problems.” Paula: “I thought you were darn near flawless. You have to watch slightly falling behind the music. But you have a beautiful voice and great showmanship.” Simon: “You are one of the best you got. You have a tendency to go a little bit copycat. We are trying to find your individuality. You have sung your way into the final 12.”
3-LaKisha Jones (Whitney Houston’s “I Have Nothing”) - LaKisha is terrified of animals. And I’m terrifyingly tired of this song, which several “Idol” divas have tackled already (memorably, it’s Vonzell Solomon’s favorite.). It’s like LaKisha is picking a way too obvious choice that she knows she can do in her sleep. Given the standards she has raised from week one, I have to say it was a nice job but not her best. Of course, her okay is better than six of the others. Randy: “Another great performance.” Paula: “You’re going to stay right here and work on being the next ‘Idol.’ ” Simon: “You brought passion, talent, believability and just picking up on what I mentioned last week about the outfit. Tonight, you look beautiful.”
4-Gina Glocksen (Evanescence’s “Call Me When You’re Sober” ) She’s back to the rocker thang, taking the judges’ suggestions from last week. It works better much better. I almost like her tonight, at least more than I ever have before. Her notes were all over the place but it worked for her. It might have saved her. Randy: “Finally, the real Gina comes out. There were some pitch problems but what I like about you, it’s you. Keep the edge alive. Keep the yo going.” Paula: “This is more or less who I imagined you to be.” Simon: “First time I’ve seen you look comfortable. This was the girl we wanted. I really really hope you make it through.”
5-Jordin Sparks (Pat Benatar’s “Heartbreaker”) The football fanatic takes a difficult Pat Benatar song, throws in enough attitude, misses a few notes but ultimately started the night with a touchdown. Randy: “It’s like a different show when the girls come in. That was hot. There was some pitchy spots but it’s still better than any of the boys.” Paula: “You are coming your own. You are going to be here for a long long time.” Simon: “I’m not quite as enthusiastic as these two. A bit manic, a bit shrieky. You’ve done well. You’re showing personality. You will 100% be here next week. It wasn’t your strongest performance.”
6-Sabrina Sloan (En Vogue’s “Don’t Let Go”) The former broadcaster wannabe is technically great and pretty to boot. But her personality is a wee bit ordinary despite a good performance. Melinda, LaKisha and Jordin are simply more interesting. Randy: “I’m not sure I love the song choice… I wish that song had more melody for me.” Paula: “You can sing, sing sing. Your voice just soars.” Simon: “You’re a great singer but i think I know where Randy is coming from. It lacks the emotion of your main competitors. It was a little bit robotic. It reminded me of a hotel resort performance.”
7-Antonella Barba (Corinne Bailey Rae’s “Put Your Record On”) The violinist finally picks a song that is within her abilities. She actually did okay, for once. Randy: “That’s a cool song. It was a nice ending but still a little pitchy in the middle. I think you are a better singer than you’ve shown” Paula: “It was the right song choice for you. Bottom notes you have to watch. When you hit the higher range, the magic was there.” Simon: “You’ve gone as far as you can go. The reality is you are surrounded by pretty amazing girl singers. Your voice isn’t going to get any better. You’ve taken a lot of stick in the media and held yourself well and nobody should be placed in that situation. But I won’t patronage you. It wasn’t your worst. I just wish you could sing better.” Antonella’s defense: “I know I’m surrounded by very talented people, but I wish nobody would compare me with anybody else.”
8-Haley Scarnato (Faith Hill’s “If My Heart Wings”) The former gymnast sings a rather poppy Faith Hill song and … zzzzzz. Oh, is she done? She’s truly a Six Flags level singer. Adequate vocals, zip personality. Randy: “An interesting song cohice at this point of the competition. Tha’ts kind of who you are. It’s okay. I wasn’t jumping up and down. It was pretty much in tune. It had no pizzazz or wow or yo!” Paula: “It’s the kind of artist you are. It’s the kind of song you sing well.” Simon: “I thought it was horrible, just horrible, like some ghastly high school performance. You haven’t left enough an impression on this competition.” zzzz…. When Haley said Simon didn’t like her, he said, “I like you. There are better people. I don’t think that performance did you any favors. Nothing personal.”
