(04-30-2014, 06:12 PM)Miguel Wrote: It's request week and there was apparently a request for "Undone" by Haley Reinhart that aired right at the top of the show.
Spoilers indicate it won't be performed by anyone tonight.

JENA woulda almost nailed it. Certainly not as passionate & beautiful as Haley but it would have been a good showing:

(04-30-2014, 10:16 PM)john Wrote: Some uneven performances tonight with most contestants having a good one and a not so good one. I thought Jessica did really well tonight and Summertime Sadness really did fit her voice. She has gotten better in adding some emotion to her performances. I thought JLo gave Jessica some of her classic reserved for the girls digs. "It left me cold." I agree that Jessica could usually put a little more umph into her performances, but I noticed tonight that she brought up the volume at one point and it was almost too effortless.

Jessica almost always sounds good to me.You mention the word effortless-that's how I would characterize her singing in general.But,for me that doesn't necessarily translate into not putting enough emotion into it vocally.

For the most part-for me and I think,for the judges and the mentors she's had-the disconnect comes from the visual part of it.Last night-even if she's playing guitar which is what she wants to be doing-Jason Mraz had some suggestions for her-little movements here and there that she could try.And when she got onstage she didn't use any of it-or if she did it just looked so-well-stiff.

I've have tried but have had a hard time staying interested in AI this year.

I like Alex, but he's a little boring. Sam, I feel like if you said "BOO" to him, he would jump. I did like his second song last night though. I feel like it's the best he's sounded. Caleb is good, and is likable, but I really don't care for his style of music. Jessica, sounds good, but doesn't have much stage presence, and as kaypea said, even with mentoring , she still looks the same onstage. She's got to feel the music and git in the groove! Jena is probably my favorite, but I'm always thinking she's missing words, or dropping words or something... she has energy and uses the stage well.

Haley may have been a little awkward in her movements in the beginning of her AI journey, but she learned, and got better. She gave it her all every time, and drew us into her performances. She entertained us!!

That being said I was still planning on going to see the AI tour this year.
The contestants always sound better live than what we see on TV, and I'm curious to see them. The 2 times I've seen the tour, the show was very enjoyable. But with prices at about 80$ a pop at Ravinia, in Highland Park IL, (if I can get tickets thru the venue) and starting at 250$ thru ticket brokers, I'm definitely taking a pass.

(05-01-2014, 12:43 PM)Babbs234 Wrote: I've have tried but have had a hard time staying interested in AI this year.

I like Alex, but he's a little boring. Sam, I feel like if you said "BOO" to him, he would jump. I did like his second song last night though. I feel like it's the best he's sounded. Caleb is good, and is likable, but I really don't care for his style of music. Jessica, sounds good, but doesn't have much stage presence, and as kaypea said, even with mentoring , she still looks the same onstage. She's got to feel the music and git in the groove! Jena is probably my favorite, but I'm always thinking she's missing words, or dropping words or something... she has energy and uses the stage well.

Haley may have been a little awkward in her movements in the beginning of her AI journey, but she learned, and got better. She gave it her all every time, and drew us into her performances. She entertained us!!

A year like this makes you wonder about people they may have missed or overlooked in the elimination process.

Part of the problem for me for the past three years is that I'm-,without even having to think about it-probably comparing everyone else to Haley-and they always seem to come up short.And you're right about Haley and her journey and her growth.Compare the videos of her before she was on Idol and compare that to the girl coming down like 15 stairs in 5 inch heels and then rocking out on stage in the final three.Ah well.

(05-01-2014, 01:44 PM)kaypea Wrote: Compare the videos of her before she was on Idol and compare that to the girl coming down like 15 stairs in 5 inch heels and then rocking out on stage in the final three.Ah well.

That part of her performance still scares me! I really don't know how she made it down without falling AND singing at the same time. I hardly ever wear heels but the ones I have are about 1 inch (or less).

Slezak slips in another Haley reference

Jessica Meuse: Lana del Rey’s “Summertime Sadness” — Grade: A-

Quote: I’m gonna go out on a limb (leg? limb? get it?) and also say that with Jess’ husky lower register and her decision to slightly increase the song’s tempo, she actually upgraded it from Lana’s languid original. I loved that Keith pointed out the David Lynch mysticism of the performance, as Jessica’s voice transported me to humid, slightly ominous setting where, indeed, the “telephone wires above were sizzling like a snare.” That’s no small task — especially with the camera cutting to J.Lo’s face every 10 seconds — but Jessica achieved it by virtue of her impeccable phrasing and the way she stretched her voice to its peak on a very tricky bridge. Oh, sure, the whole thing left J.Lo cold, but then again, so did Haley Reinhart’s “Earth Song” and “You and I.” (Uh-huh, I went there.)

Quote:TVLine has learned exclusively that the theme for Top 4 week will be “Love: Break-Ups and Make-Ups.” In other words, the remaining Season 13 finalists will “celebrate the agony and the ecstasy of music’s greatest theme.

It would be a good week for someone to do Undone.

Plot twist: Somebody (Jena?) does sing a Haley break up tune, but it's"Free"

(05-01-2014, 06:47 PM)Tusk Wrote: Plot twist: Somebody (Jena?) does sing a Haley break up tune, but it's"Free"

Jena may be the only female left in an hour or so, but that would be an interesting twist. "Here's Jena doing a Busbee song ..."

The "twist" = Jessica didn't get voted off.

(Producers were trying to save Sam a second time)