The Top 8 perform Tuesday, 4/8/08. I read that this will be inspirational songs, no doubt to tie in with Idol Gives Back on Wednesday.

Top 8 - Inspirational Songs

Michael - "Dream On" - I am going to say this was good - "ish", as Simon might say. I didn't buy it as an inspirational song, but whatever. I would put Carly and David C in the same "iffy" category. But I digress. Michael's falsetto was better than I was expecting it to be, but it was not great (certainly not as good as our board's main man - Ace). For me, just as a Whitney song is inexorably compared to her, so does this Steven Tyler piece, and he wasn't up to that. Last week, Michael had the best performance. Why? The song was bluesy which suits him and his vocal sound perfectly. He should look for those types of songs - they sound great on him - and stay away from Aerosmith.

Syesha - "I Believe" - This was a very nice vocal. Not a good idea to pick a Fantasia song because the judges are so inexplicably in love with her and they would never allow anyone to do one of her songs better. I personally liked Syesha's rendition better, but I also do not like Fantasia pretty much AT ALL so maybe I am not a good judge of that. I do think that she is in trouble because the judges made it sound like she can't hold a candle to the Season 3 winner.

Jason - "Over The Rainbow" - I love this version of the song and it was PERFECT for him. His was my favorite of the night. He has had a trip to the bottom 3, but this week, he is SO SAFE.

Kristi - "Anyway" - I can't believe I'm saying this -- Kristi was one of the best 3 of the night - maybe 2nd best. I've been dying for her to leave since the Top 12, and now she goes and sings really well. Best she has done. I think she is safe again.

David C - "Innocent" - This was just kind of OK for me. He was really off his game. For this night at least, the song was just too big for him. Hopefully his past truly excellent performances will keep him in.

Carly - "Show Must Go On" - I couldn't put my finger on what seemed off until Simon said she looked angry during the song - she did. I didn't feel very inspired. And the end section was just plain awful. Carly is in some trouble tonight - I'm guessing bottom 3 at the very least, and she could be going home. I think she has had trouble connecting with the home viewers (in other words, voters) and she may not be forgiven a mistake.

David A - "Angels" - Great song, really good vocal as always, though not as good as last week. The ending was very strong. Totally safe.

Brooke - "You've Got A Friend" - It was OK - typical Brooke; the right song for her. Simon actually tagged it - it was "pleasant".

Hard to predict Idol lots of times. but I am thinking Carly, Syesha, and Brooke in the bottom 3. Apparently we won't find out until Thursday. Wednesday night is "Idol Gives Back" for 3-1/2 hours.

Bottom 3:

Syesha Mercado

Carly Smithson

Michael Johns


Michael Johns sent home.

For the record Tina is gonna throw a shit fit

I've been thinking about her all night. :cheekkiss:

haha well frankly I thought he was a cheap imitation of a really good artist..it was like string cheese when all you wanted was mozarella or provolone..He screamed most of the time he sang, and I think good looks only get you so far...No love lost for me, but i was sick of him before he even started competing..lol

I can surely sympathize with how you are feeling T. 2 years ago at this week in the competition, we watched our dear, sweet Ace get the boot, and before that, I spent (too many) hours of my time supporting and voting for Bo Bice and Clay Aiken (both of whom were runnersup, so they were long, emotional seasons that ended in disappointment). These are the only 3 contestants I have ever felt passionately about, enough to put in the time necessary to vote, to keep a forum updated, go to the Idol Tour showing support, and all the rest.


All that said - in the other seasons there have been people I have liked and some I didn't. But it is a lot easier to watch when you don't have a horse in the race. Despite the level of interest I have had, I really do not believe that American Idol is rigged, at least in terms of the actual vote count. I do believe that they are very manipulative. They hardly veil the fact that they want certain people in and some out and often conduct themselves in such a way that it frustrates the fans. For instance, in Ace's year, they had Taylor Hicks reprise one of his performances on the results night. This was unprecedented and extremely unfair to the other singers. I also believe that sometimes the bottom 3 isn't the actual bottom 3. If a singer they like isn't getting the votes they need to stay in, I believe they ocassionally stick them in the last 2 to energize the supporters. But the person going home -- is really the person with the least votes. I can't believe that they would allow Chris Daughtry to go home in 4th unless they had no choice. If he had won, they would be rolling in his profits instead of drawing a pittance from Taylor Hicks (who I predicted would be the worst Idol winner ever).

So to apply this thinking to Michael Johns -- Since I was not invested in him in particular, I perhaps can give a viewpoint of someone who was an observer hoping for great performances, and my "hearing" was not influenced by my affection for the singer (as they were with Ace - I heard some of his performances better than they actually were ;)). MJ had huge promise from the beginning and I expected him to be in for the long haul. However, much as what happened with Ace (whom I adore, but I must be honest), he didn't live up to the hype. MJ's performances were uneven most of the time. That is not to say they were bad - they just weren't great. And I'm also not saying that there weren't other contestants more deserving of the boot. But clearly he didn't have the fan base we once thought he would have, and there must be a reason for that. He had a very appealing quality to his voice, and when he took a bluesy take on a Dolly Parton song, it was fabulous. Song choice is always key on Idol, and when he sang this one, I thought that he had finally found true appeal and he would capitalize on it and go very deep into the competition. If he had chosen another bluesy song last week, I think he would still be there as the meld of his voice and that style is very appealing. But - he went to hard rock instead.

To some extent, his good looks helped him, but I don't think MJ put his personality out there and this caused a disconnect with the home audience. I just don't feel like I know who he is. David A has a quiet innocence and goodness that just shines through; Brooke is very sweet and bubbly; Jason is quirkily charming. My point is not that these traits in the others are better or even good or that people like those traits in particular - only that you do know them and can assess accordingly. Other people that I speak to on all-things-Idol have felt the same disconnect.

T - this is only my opinion, one that I am sure many people will disagree with; others will agree. My point is that I do not think the fix is in. I will also say that Idol doesn't surprise me much anymore, but this surprised me. I was expecting Carly to go home. She clearly has had problems connecting, and her most recent performance was odd, and not at all solid. So when they indicated it was Michael, I was surprised. Even at that, in the spirit of Idol Gives Back and based on last year, I thought he would be saved. I suppose they didn't want it to be predictable that there would be no elimination on IGB week every year. That said, Ryan Secrest totally bungled this elimination. It was unnecessarily cruel, hinting that he would be saved, and then slitting his throat. One of the worst eliminations ever (there have been other bad ones as we all know).

T - I luv ya g/f and understand your hurt and frustration. Michael will do the tour, he will have a chance to meet the fans, show them who he really is, build his fanbase, and he will prosper. We all know that winning Idol isn't the only path to success, and MJ will find his. :ace5: