This Week In Tonight In American Idol [10 April 2007]

7:55 PM: Top 8 week is upon us. Our guest "mentor" this week is Jennifer Lopez, who apparently is a part-time "singer".

Our theme this week has been described as "Latin Week". That sounds a little weird -- I wouldn't be surprised if it's described differently on air -- something like "the music of Jennifer Lopez and the music that inspired her".

7:58 PM: I have managed to hook up a TiVo-esque recording capability. After the show, I expect to go back and watch the proceedings again, which will probably result in some updates to the live-blog.

Refresh during the show, and come back later tonite and tomorrow for the updates.

UPDATED: some post-show updates have been added. [quotes from judges, contestants, mentors, and Ryan are sometimes "approximate" for clarity -- Ed.]

UPDATED Wed. AM: The DialIdol numbers are now in, and they're leaving me scratching my head.

8:00 PM: I was wrong -- Ryan called it "Latin Nite".

8:02 PM: During the "love letter" to Jennifer Lopez, Ryan says that J.Lo took time out from her "busy rehearsal schedule" [yeah, she needs lots of rehearsal -- Ed.] to mentor the "top ocho". How cute.

8:03 PM: First up tonite is Melinda Doolittle. Melinda is performing "Sway". Many artists have covered this song, including the Pussycat Dolls and...wait for it...MICHAEL FUCKING BUBLE!!!

Which means Melinda's going home this week, obvs.

Seriously, does Michael Buble have a contract with AI this season that requires that at least one of his songs be performed each week???

Melinda's black dress is gorgeous. I think this is the best she's looked all season long.

And, of course, the performance is off the hook.

Randy: "...another solid performance..."
Paula: "...very sultry, very smooth...you look lovely...subtle, and sexy, and beautiful..."
Simon: "...well, it had to happen, Melinda -- i didn't like it...too old...very lounge, cabaret...no 'wow' factor...at this point, you have to do something memorable, and that was not it...a bit lazy, a little bit wooden..."

Ryan asks Melinda about Simon's comments, and Melinda notes that Simon said last week that "we'll never be able to say anything bad about you", but that this week, "he really got the chance"...

Ryan calls Melinda "Sexy" -- as in "Thank you, Sexy" -- as they break...uh, Ryan???

8:12 PM: Next up is LaKisha Jones. So, AI is really blowing its wad early here. KiKi is performing Gloria Estefan's "Conga". This should be interesting.

KiKi's red dress with black stripes is perfect for the song. She's showing Haley-esque cleavage, but with this dress, it would be difficult not to.

KiKi's performance is great, but not "wow".

Randy: "...you were having the best time, you were having fun...you made it your own...that was hot!..."
Paula: "...first, you look lovely...i wasn't feeling it as much as Randy was...it was very safe...it's time to bring out the very best..."
Simon: "...i agree with Paula...you were having fun, but i'm not sure how much fun everyone else was having...it was safe...the dancing wasn't very good..."

GAY BANTER ALERT!!!

Ryan: "what i wouldn't pay to see you try and do that, though"
Simon: "i'm sure you'd pay a lot"

8:17 PM: Melinda and KiKi are both in trouble tonite. They both went very safe, neither "wow"-ed us, and they went 1st and 2d. We'll revisit this later, but, they need to look out.

This could be the week that Sanjaya breaks American Idol.

8:21 PM: Only 2 more weeks 'til "Idol Gives Back". Among the performers joining us that nite: Rascal Flatts, Annie Lennox, Il Divo [!!!], Earth, Wind & Fire, and Kelly Clarkson.

8:22 PM: Next up is Chris Richardson. Chris is performing Santana and Rob Thomas' "Smooth".

I'm not sure if that was a good choice for Chris. He has Paula dancing, but I wasn't "wow"-ed.

Randy: "...you did a really good job...you made it your own at the end..."
Paula: "...that was hot...sexy..."
Simon: "...not the best vocal i've ever heard, but i liked it better than the first two because it sounded contemporary..."

8:30 PM: Next up is Haley Scarnato. Haley is performing Vickie Sue Robinson's "Turn The Beat Around". Which qualifies as "latin" because Gloria covered it.

During the mentoring, J.Lo tells Haley she's not quite getting the beat. She calls Blake in to provide some beat-boxing in support.

Wouldn't it be awesome if Blake did this during Haley's performance???

Haley is wearing the shortest shorts ever worn in the AI finals.








[images courtesy DHMBIB]

[the directors obviously loves the way Haley's ass looked in these shorts -- there are lots more shots "from behind" than usual -- Ed.]

Randy: "...that was really karaoke for me...i didn't get that at all..."
Paula: "...this is a fun song...you had fun up there..."
Simon cuts right to the chase: "i think you have a very good tactic at the moment, Haley -- wear as least amount of clothes as possible, because, look, i'll be honest with you, you can't do well in this competition based on your voice, because there are much better singers, so all you can do is have fun...i agree with randy -- the vocals were rushed...i couldn't understand what you were saying at the end..."

As Simon is making his comments about Haley's outfits, the camera -- right on cue -- does a full on toe-to-head close-up pan...someone smarter than me will YouTube this tomorrow...

8:34 PM: Next up is Phil Stacey. Phil is performing Santana's "Maria Maria".

Phil is wearing a hat this week.

Phil starts off on a stool but gets up halfway through.

Actually, I think this is a good performance. Maybe the best of the nite. Although Phil's voice does crack a bit toward the end.

Randy: "...you didn't quite connect with the passion in that song...most of it was boring...it didn't come together for me..."
Paula: "...with the exception of the end, overall, a good vocal..."
Simon: "...good song choice...but no originality...lifeless...flat...voice cracked at the end...nothing i could get positive or excited about..."

Phil tells Ryan that his baby daughter just got a new "stuffed cow". It's named "Simon COW". Get it???

Phil is safe this week, obvs.

8:43 PM: Next up is Jordin Sparks. Jordin tells Ryan in response to the stupid viewer question that if she could pick a theme it would be "80's Week".

These stupid "viewer questions" segments are just commercials for Coca-Cola. But you knew that. Right???

Jordin is performing Gloria's "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You". J.Lo says Jordin reminds her of Michael Jackson.

It's a great performance, clearly the best of the nite.

Randy: "...you have the 'YO!' factor..."
Paula: "...you're so authentic...you're 'you'...you're adorable..."
Simon: "...i feel the same way i've felt all nite...they're 'okay' performances...there's nothing stunning...i haven't seen a progression tonite, and that's very frustrating to me..."

8:47 PM: Next up is Blake Lewis.

Guess who's performing last tonite? SANJAY-FUCKING-A!!!

Which means Sanjaya is safe this week, obvs.

Blake is performing J.Lo-hubby Marc Anthony's "I Need To Know".

Blake is also wearing a hat tonite.

That was great! Okay, that was the best of the nite. And I'm confident that the next performer will not do better.

Randy: "...best song choice of the nite!...i liked that..."
Paula: "...that really captured the essence of who you are..."
Simon: "...best choice of song of the nite. best performance so far..."

Ryan: "...when we come back, it's the embodiment of 'latin passion' -- SANJAYA!..."

8:54 PM: Last up tonite is Sanjaya Malakar. Sanjaya's sister is in the audience tonite with her boyfriend.

Sanjaya's posse has a sign that reads: "DON'T BE FOOLED BY THE VOTES THAT HE'S GOT / HE'S STILL...HE'S STILL SANJAYA AND HE ROCKS". If I have to explain that to you, you probably shouldn't be reading this.

[Okay, here 'tis:



Back to Sanjaya...]

Sanjaya is performing "Besame Mucho", a classic Spanglish song.

Sanjaya's hair is indescribable. He also has a peach-fuzz moustache and "goatee". [that's "goatee", not "goatse" -- Ed.]

OMG! That was actually very good. This is obviously Sanjaya's natural style.

Randy: "...you're one of the smartest contestants i've ever met...that was actually really good..."
Paula: "...pretty good pitch...smooth...it was nice...very, very nice..."
Simon: "...i couldn't understand a word of it...you sang like a 14-year-old...and i'm gonna hate myself for saying this -- it wasn't horrible..."


[Sanjaya getting the unexpected good news from Simon -- Ed.]

OMG! SANJAYA MALAKAR IS GOING TO WIN THIS COMPETITION!!!

SHOOT ME!!!

*****

Okay, the performances tonite were mostly "okay" and "middle-of-the-pack". It's not really possible to rank them 1-to-8...except for [alphabetically]...

1-2: Blake, Sanjaya -- this really hurts my fingers to type this, but Sanjaya was actually very good tonite...the song he chose fits his natural style...Blake and Sanjaya were the only performers who really "stood out" tonite...

3-6: Chris, Jordin, KiKi, Melinda -- all of these performances were "okay" but not "wow!"...

7-8: Haley, Phil -- unfortunately for these two, these performances did "stand out" as among the "worst" in an otherwise "middle-of-the-pack" week...

I predict that the "Bottom 3" will be composed of 3 of these 4 [alphabetically again]: Haley, KiKi, Melinda, Phil...yes, alas, both KiKi and Melinda are in trouble this week. there was nothing "wrong" with their performances, other than that they were merely "okay". and at this point in the competition, the performers need to be better than "okay" to be "safe"...

This very well could be the week that Sanjaya outlasts 1 of the 3 best singers in the competition...come back later when the DialIdol numbers are in...

UPDATED Wed. AM: The DialIdol numbers are now in, and they're leaving me scratching my head. Check it out: 1) Blake Lewis; 2) Melinda Doolittle; 3) Phil Stacey; 4) Haley Scarnato; 5) Sanjaya Malakar; 6) Chris Richardson; 7) Jordin Sparks; 8) Lakisha Jones.

I have no idea what to make of these numbers. They may result from the overall "middle-of-the-pack"-ness of all of the performances.

Tune in tonite for the 1 HOUR commercial-athon results show to find out.

ciaobaby