American Idol - Top 4
How I ranked the Top 4:
Top 36 - Group 1Top 36 - Group 2Top 36 - Group 3Top 36 - Wild Card1. Ricky Braddy
2. Danny Gokey
3. Alexis Grace
4. Jackie Tohn
5. Brent Keith
6. Tatiana Del Toro
7. Anne Marie Boskowich
8. Michael Sarver
9. Stephen Fowler
10. Casey Carlson
11. Anoop Desai
12. Stevie Wright1. Adam Lambert
2. Mishavonna Henson
3. Nick Mitchell
4. Kris Allen
5. Matt Breitzke
6. Jesse Langseth
7. Megan Joy Corkrey
8. Allison Iraheta
9. Matt Giraud
10. Kai Kalama
11. Jasmine Murray
12. Jeanine Vailes1. Jorge Nuñez
2. Kristen McNamara
3. Lil Rounds
4. Ju'not Joyner
5. Von Smith
6. Felicia Barton
7. Kendall Beard
8. Scott MacIntyre
9. Taylor Vaifana
10. Alex Wagner-Truman
11. Nathaniel Marshall
12. Arianna Afsar1. Matt Giraud
2. Tatiana Del Toro
3. Ricky Braddy
4. Jasmine Murray
5. Anoop Desai
6. Von Smith
7. Jesse Langseth
8. Megan Joy Corkrey
In blue: voted into the Top 13
Italics: recalled for the Wild Card Group
In green: chosen by judges into Top 13
Top 13Top 11Top 10Top 91. Adam Lambert
2. Lil Rounds
3. Danny Gokey
4. Alexis Grace
5. Allison Iraheta
6. Jorge Nuñez
7. Scott MacIntyre
8. Kris Allen
9. Matt Giraud
10. Megan Joy Corkrey
11. Michael Sarver
12. Anoop Desai
13. Jasmine Murray1. Adam Lambert
2. Danny Gokey
3. Kris Allen
4. Lil Rounds
5. Matt Giraud
6. Anoop Desai
7. Allison Iraheta
8. Scott MacIntyre
9. Megan Joy Corkrey
10. Alexis Grace
11. Michael Sarver
1. Adam Lambert
2. Allison Iraheta
3. Kris Allen
4. Danny Gokey
5. Michael Sarver
6. Scott MacIntyre
7. Matt Giraud
8. Lil Rounds
9. Anoop Desai
10. Megan Joy Corkrey
1. Danny Gokey
2. Adam Lambert
3. Scott MacIntyre
4. Kris Allen
5. Allison Iraheta
6. Anoop Desai
7. Matt Giraud
8. Megan Joy Corkrey
9. Lil Rounds
Top 8Top 7aTop 7bTop 51. Adam Lambert
2. Danny Gokey
3. Allison Iraheta
4. Anoop Desai
5. Kris Allen
6. Matt Giraud
7. Scott MacIntyre
8. Lil Rounds 1. Adam Lambert
2. Anoop Desai
3. Allison Iraheta
4. Danny Gokey
5. Kris Allen
6. Matt Giraud *
7. Lil Rounds
1. Adam Lambert
2. Kris Allen
3. Allison Iraheta
4. Danny Gokey
5. Matt Giraud
6. Anoop Desai
7. Lil Rounds
1. Adam Lambert
2. Allison Iraheta
3. Danny Gokey
4. Kris Allen
5. Matt Giraud
Top 4Top 3Finale1. Adam Lambert
2. Allison Iraheta
3. Kris Allen
4. Danny GokeyIn red: eliminated
In purple: in the bottom three/four
*saved by the Judges' Save Rule
What does it say about American Idol that we had to wait eight seasons and for an Adam Lambert to see a Led Zeppelin song in the show?
For me, it says a lot, both about AI and about Adam. That was not my favourite performance from him, but it was my favourite solo performance of the night, and just another reason why I think it's past the time to see someone like Adam win the competition.
I loved Allison's performance as well, almost just as much as Adam's, actually. And sorry, judges, but I did feel that that was a great song choice for her. It's so sad to see her leave, she would have made the Top 3 (and the finale) much more interesting. Because of my little "same demographics" theory, I don't think Allison had any chance though, no matter how well she sang. Her fate was decided when Adam ended up in the bottom two the previous week. That scared Adam/Allison's fans, and they responded by voting massively for him, leaving her in a precarious situation. I suspect her elimination will make things much easier for Adam this week, as her votes migrate to Adam, and the rest gets split between Kris and Danny.
I liked Kris' arrangement of Come Together, but his vocals weren't very impressive. I got the feeling that he was so worried about sounding like a rock singer that he forgot to actually sing. My bet is that he would have done better if he had relaxed and just been himself.
And what in the name of god was that, Danny? The best reaction I've seen to it was from someone at the vanhansis.net forum: "What did we do to Gokey to deserve that last note?" ^__^ But good for him that he was able to laugh at himself later.
I was pretty sure he would pick something from Aerosmith, but that song? When he started, his pitch was all over the place, and he concluded with what I can only describe as a scream of agony. Only the middle part was tolerable. Last week he said something about watching other people's performances to learn stuff. Now I can't help wondering if he was referring to Adam's. Unfortunately for Danny, despite what some people say, what Adam does is not really "screaming". There's technique behind it, technique you don't learn from one day to the other. Anyway, regardless of who or what Danny's inspiration was, that solo performance was simply excruciating. If he had sung like that in the auditions, I doubt he would have made it to Hollywood.
Kris and Danny's duet was okay. The harmonies were indeed the best part. The rest was so and so. Again Kris tried too much to be a rock singer, and his vocals failed him. Danny did a little better. I got the impression that they were both feeling very uncomfortable, and not only with the week's theme. When not singing the cool harmonies, it was like they didn't quite know how to share the stage or the song.
Adam and Allison were just the opposite. They played with each other, they had a clear dialogue, and one made the other look and sound even better. Her low, hoarse tone found a perfect partner in his higher, sharper voice, and their pitch as they joined for the chorus was so impeccable that it hurt. And they clearly had a lot of fun. I want to watch them do more duets, lots and lots of them.
So, Adam for the win, of course. Who would I like to see with him in the finale? Probably Kris. Danny is the better singer, I think, but I get the feeling that's all he is. Kris is more of a musician, many of his arrangements have been truly inspired. Danny is just not very inventive, neither does he show much capacity to adapt. After all, he does have a great voice for rock; he just didn't figure out how to use it that way.
(By the way, if Chris Daughtry keeps on screaming like he did on results night, his vocal chords will be in serious need of medical treatment in the near future. He really should take better care of his work tools.)
Top 36 - Group 1Top 36 - Group 2Top 36 - Group 3Top 36 - Wild Card1. Ricky Braddy
2. Danny Gokey
3. Alexis Grace
4. Jackie Tohn
5. Brent Keith
6. Tatiana Del Toro
7. Anne Marie Boskowich
8. Michael Sarver
9. Stephen Fowler
10. Casey Carlson
11. Anoop Desai
12. Stevie Wright1. Adam Lambert
2. Mishavonna Henson
3. Nick Mitchell
4. Kris Allen
5. Matt Breitzke
6. Jesse Langseth
7. Megan Joy Corkrey
8. Allison Iraheta
9. Matt Giraud
10. Kai Kalama
11. Jasmine Murray
12. Jeanine Vailes1. Jorge Nuñez
2. Kristen McNamara
3. Lil Rounds
4. Ju'not Joyner
5. Von Smith
6. Felicia Barton
7. Kendall Beard
8. Scott MacIntyre
9. Taylor Vaifana
10. Alex Wagner-Truman
11. Nathaniel Marshall
12. Arianna Afsar1. Matt Giraud
2. Tatiana Del Toro
3. Ricky Braddy
4. Jasmine Murray
5. Anoop Desai
6. Von Smith
7. Jesse Langseth
8. Megan Joy Corkrey
In blue: voted into the Top 13
Italics: recalled for the Wild Card Group
In green: chosen by judges into Top 13
Top 13Top 11Top 10Top 91. Adam Lambert
2. Lil Rounds
3. Danny Gokey
4. Alexis Grace
5. Allison Iraheta
6. Jorge Nuñez
7. Scott MacIntyre
8. Kris Allen
9. Matt Giraud
10. Megan Joy Corkrey
11. Michael Sarver
12. Anoop Desai
13. Jasmine Murray1. Adam Lambert
2. Danny Gokey
3. Kris Allen
4. Lil Rounds
5. Matt Giraud
6. Anoop Desai
7. Allison Iraheta
8. Scott MacIntyre
9. Megan Joy Corkrey
10. Alexis Grace
11. Michael Sarver
1. Adam Lambert
2. Allison Iraheta
3. Kris Allen
4. Danny Gokey
5. Michael Sarver
6. Scott MacIntyre
7. Matt Giraud
8. Lil Rounds
9. Anoop Desai
10. Megan Joy Corkrey
1. Danny Gokey
2. Adam Lambert
3. Scott MacIntyre
4. Kris Allen
5. Allison Iraheta
6. Anoop Desai
7. Matt Giraud
8. Megan Joy Corkrey
9. Lil Rounds
Top 8Top 7aTop 7bTop 51. Adam Lambert
2. Danny Gokey
3. Allison Iraheta
4. Anoop Desai
5. Kris Allen
6. Matt Giraud
7. Scott MacIntyre
8. Lil Rounds 1. Adam Lambert
2. Anoop Desai
3. Allison Iraheta
4. Danny Gokey
5. Kris Allen
6. Matt Giraud *
7. Lil Rounds
1. Adam Lambert
2. Kris Allen
3. Allison Iraheta
4. Danny Gokey
5. Matt Giraud
6. Anoop Desai
7. Lil Rounds
1. Adam Lambert
2. Allison Iraheta
3. Danny Gokey
4. Kris Allen
5. Matt Giraud
Top 4Top 3Finale1. Adam Lambert
2. Allison Iraheta
3. Kris Allen
4. Danny GokeyIn red: eliminated
In purple: in the bottom three/four
*saved by the Judges' Save Rule
What does it say about American Idol that we had to wait eight seasons and for an Adam Lambert to see a Led Zeppelin song in the show?
For me, it says a lot, both about AI and about Adam. That was not my favourite performance from him, but it was my favourite solo performance of the night, and just another reason why I think it's past the time to see someone like Adam win the competition.
I loved Allison's performance as well, almost just as much as Adam's, actually. And sorry, judges, but I did feel that that was a great song choice for her. It's so sad to see her leave, she would have made the Top 3 (and the finale) much more interesting. Because of my little "same demographics" theory, I don't think Allison had any chance though, no matter how well she sang. Her fate was decided when Adam ended up in the bottom two the previous week. That scared Adam/Allison's fans, and they responded by voting massively for him, leaving her in a precarious situation. I suspect her elimination will make things much easier for Adam this week, as her votes migrate to Adam, and the rest gets split between Kris and Danny.
I liked Kris' arrangement of Come Together, but his vocals weren't very impressive. I got the feeling that he was so worried about sounding like a rock singer that he forgot to actually sing. My bet is that he would have done better if he had relaxed and just been himself.
And what in the name of god was that, Danny? The best reaction I've seen to it was from someone at the vanhansis.net forum: "What did we do to Gokey to deserve that last note?" ^__^ But good for him that he was able to laugh at himself later.
I was pretty sure he would pick something from Aerosmith, but that song? When he started, his pitch was all over the place, and he concluded with what I can only describe as a scream of agony. Only the middle part was tolerable. Last week he said something about watching other people's performances to learn stuff. Now I can't help wondering if he was referring to Adam's. Unfortunately for Danny, despite what some people say, what Adam does is not really "screaming". There's technique behind it, technique you don't learn from one day to the other. Anyway, regardless of who or what Danny's inspiration was, that solo performance was simply excruciating. If he had sung like that in the auditions, I doubt he would have made it to Hollywood.
Kris and Danny's duet was okay. The harmonies were indeed the best part. The rest was so and so. Again Kris tried too much to be a rock singer, and his vocals failed him. Danny did a little better. I got the impression that they were both feeling very uncomfortable, and not only with the week's theme. When not singing the cool harmonies, it was like they didn't quite know how to share the stage or the song.
Adam and Allison were just the opposite. They played with each other, they had a clear dialogue, and one made the other look and sound even better. Her low, hoarse tone found a perfect partner in his higher, sharper voice, and their pitch as they joined for the chorus was so impeccable that it hurt. And they clearly had a lot of fun. I want to watch them do more duets, lots and lots of them.
So, Adam for the win, of course. Who would I like to see with him in the finale? Probably Kris. Danny is the better singer, I think, but I get the feeling that's all he is. Kris is more of a musician, many of his arrangements have been truly inspired. Danny is just not very inventive, neither does he show much capacity to adapt. After all, he does have a great voice for rock; he just didn't figure out how to use it that way.
(By the way, if Chris Daughtry keeps on screaming like he did on results night, his vocal chords will be in serious need of medical treatment in the near future. He really should take better care of his work tools.)