Quote:Haley Reinhart: Big, booming voice on “Oh Darlin,” but girl threw in more runs than an IBS sufferer at Taco Bell. Needs fewer gimmicks, more emotion.

Quote:Haley Reinhart (sell): I know the judges raved about Haley’s cover of ”God Bless the Child,” but to me, this caterwauling wreck of a performance was like a movie that’s all special effects and no dialogue: By the time you reach the midway mark, you’re just praying for some respite from the relentless aural and visual assault. Haley comes across like one of those singers who uses every trick she’s got on every song she sings, without ever stopping to understand that greatness isn’t a point system tallying the number of runs, growls, and high notes you deliver, but rather, it’s about the emotional connection you forge with both song and audience. Plus, a little respect for the melody never hurt.

Quote:Haley’s affected, slurred delivery included the made-up word “Beef-oh-oh-oh-oh” where a simple “before” would’ve sufficed.

...The second half of tonight’s episode saw five singers advance to the semifinals, and five singers fall painfully short of their goal...Let’s review how the drama played out:

Haley Reinhart – YES (GAH!): For her final solo, Haley chose to forgo the pedestrian combination of words and notes, and instead ran together a whole bunch of vowels and consonants while caterwauling like a woman with jumper cables attached to her pinky toes. Haley is far and away the front-runner for Season 10 Contestant I Do Not Get. She’s a “happy girl,” noted Steven. J.Lo’s ominous response? “Today, she is.” Wonder who Jennifer woulda swapped out for Hollie Cavanagh, eh?

Quote:I have to say, as a whole, this group of semifinalists is pretty dang promising. Even the obvious cannon fodder (hello, Haley Reinhart!) should be interesting in a Paige Miles “Against All Odds” kinda way, no?

Quote:...Queen of All Idol Affectations, Haley Reinhart. Before we talk about Haley’s shameless mugging and gyrating and oh-oh-ohing, though, can we please acknowledge how she explained in her intro how she wants to be “an inspiration” and “a visionary”? Oh, Haley! In the girl’s defense, though, she managed to hit most of the notes of Alicia Keys’ “Fallin’,” and even displayed a little restraint on the first verse (there’s always a first time for everything!).

[He then completely omitted including a more detailed Haley recap]

Haley Reinhart: C

Quote:In announcement order, these five men and five women included: Scotty “Baby Lock Them Doors” McCreery; Lauren “Chosen One” Alaina; America’s Next Top Pia Toscano; Karen Rodriguez Brought To You By MySpace; Jacob “Don’t Listen to Randy!” Lusk; Casey “Slappin’ Da Bass” Abrams; Thia “Death Stare” Megia; Paul “Chicken Arm” McDonald; Haley “Wait! How’d She Get In Here?!” Reinhart; and James “Na’vi Tail” Durbin. (The three picks for Wild Cards would turn out to be Top American Designer Naima Adedapo; Stefano “Hot For J.Lo, Or Is It The Other Way Around?” Langone; and Ashthon “Respect the Hair” Jones.)

Quote:...As I said in my recap last night, I was half-expecting either Karen Rodriguez or Haley Reinhart to sneak into the top 10 under Clause No. 387 of the American Idol Handbook: “Each season shall include one incredibly maddening member of the Top 12 who outlasts far more talented vocalists through the twin powers of good looks and unparalleled determination. (See: Cook, Kristy Lee.)” But seriously, Haley AND Karen, yet no love for Kendra Chantelle, Naima Adedapo, Lauren Turner, or Ashthon Jones. Phooey!

Quote:...What was great about the Wild Card — and what should serve as an important lesson to every member of the top 13 — is the fact that, faced with sudden-death elimination, all six vocalists esentially performed psychic surgery on themselves, hurled their hearts, souls, and other major organs onto the stage, and left no doubt about their desire to keep going where Haley Reinhart will be daring to tread in the coming months weeks days.

Quote:13. Haley Reinhart (newly ranked this week) | Curvaceous blonde has a big, brassy voice but has yet to show she’s got any idea what to do with it. Her semifinal take on “Fallin’” was mostly in tune, but was marred by shameless mugging, gyrating, and showboating (issues that marred her almost unrecognizable “God Bless the Child” in Hollywood Week, too). Needs a crash course in enunciation, restraint, and lyrical comprehension from mentor Jimmy Iovine.

Quote:Should Be Thankful for Their Competitors’ Stumbles: Lauren Alaina, Haley Reinhart

As for Haley, well, let’s start with a positive. There really weren’t any missed notes on her rendition of LeAnn Rimes’ “Blue,” and her country yodel — while incongruous with everything we’ve heard from the buxom blonde all season — wasn’t out of place on this ditty. Now if she could just stop believing that every song needs to be delivered with the come-hitherness of Michelle Pfeiffer writhing on a piano top in The Fabulous Baker Boys. If there’s a “shock boot” on Thursday, it would probably be Haley, since whatever fan base she has may erroneously assume she’s safe and not speed-dial accordingly.

Haley Reinhart: B-

Quote:Bottom Three
MySpace Contestant Karen Rodriguez
Ashthon Jones and Her Magnificent Hair
That Haley Reinhart!

Quote:Joining Ashthon and Karen in the bottom three this week was Haley Reinhart, who greeted the bad news (also presented by Ryan in cruel fake-out fashion) with a full-body slouch and a one-word response: “Cool.” (Somewhere in my brain, I could hear Modern Family‘s Cam asking, “Is it cool, Haley? Is it?”)

Quote:9. Haley Reinhart (Last Week No. 13) | Landed in the bottom three last week after a strongly sung but dimly interpreted “Blue.” (Not everything is a slurry come-on, girl!) Still, she seems to have a stronger hold on pitch and stage presence than Thia or Karen, and that might be enough to make the Idol Tour.

Quote:I think America was annoyed because they bought an Alicia Keyes CD and they brought it home and there was a Leann Rhymes disc inside. Haley is one of those contestants who doesn't really have any sophistication, or artistry. She doesn't really understand what she is singing, so every song gets delivered...like a come-on. She's working these songs like a stripper works a pole. [guest commenter: "She slurs her words like a drunk"] There are moments where I want the Idol medic to come out and check her for a concussion. I will say this for Haley, she doesn't miss a lot of notes.

Quote:...As God as my witness, a woman is going to win this season. If it's not Pia, it'll have to be Lauren, and if it's not Lauren, it would have to be Naima. I don't really think Haley, or Karen or Thia has any chance of winning.

Quote:Jimmy Iovine essentially gave Haley Reinhart a photocopied “Season 10 Certificate of Participation” and a $25 iTunes gift certificate before asking her to put down her mic and go fetch lunch for Lauren Alaina.

Haley Reinhart, “I’m Your Baby Tonight”: C+

If Karen’s mom managed to get out the vote, it could spell trouble for Haley, who flagrantly disobeyed an important Idol bylaw of her own: Never Cover a Midtempo Whitney Houston Track (also known as the “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” Statute). Now, look, I need to be fair here: All season long, I’ve struggled to understand Haley — both existentially and because of her marbles-in-mouth pronunciation — but I dare say she’s kind of growing on me. There were moments on “I’m Your Baby” where the kid’s signature growl actually worked, as did those jazzy riffs she inserted toward the end of the number. Plus, as usual, Haley stayed on pitch consistently from start to finish (even if she couldn’t quite match strides with Whitney’s rapid-fire wordplay). But J.Lo was right in pointing out the awkwardness of Haley’s body language. The way she repeatedly turns sideways, bends her knees, and dips her derriere toward the floor, Haley resembles an adolescent flightless bird shaking her tail feathers in some sort of botched mating ritual. The vaguely tragic vibe was not helped by the sight of Haley accidentally touching her mic to her severely painted lips, then subsequently leaving red, mic-patterned blotches on her cheek and chin. Or by Ryan using a handkerchief and his saliva-dabbed finger to wipe the offending smudges off Haley’s face. “It’s my first red-lipstick disaster!” Haley said delightedly, then later added this unfortunate bon mot to her collection: “I let my mouth go with the flow!”

Still, seeing how Haley was born on at 9 a.m. on 9/9/90, perhaps she’s destined for a ninth place finish (even if it’s not Season 9). Let’s be honest, with her loopy lack of polish, Haley is infinitely more entertaining than, say, Karen or Thia. But how to explain Jimmy Iovine’s “thanks for playing” comments? “This year there is gonna be a winner of American Idol, but there are gonna be other winners — ’cause of the kind of talent that is being shown that will go on and should have successful careers,” he said. “Everything you do is being watched and monitored both by the audience and by us. And work ethic is a big thing, you know?” Did Haley just get her commitment questioned on national television? Ouch. That said, while Haley has now covered contemporary R&B, country, and early ’90s pop, if she survives another week, I think she should zero in on Steven’s request that she shift her focus to blues rock.

Quote:Of course, the centerpiece of Top 12 results night was the debut of Nigel Lythgoe’s rigidly choreographed new piece called “Journey to the Bottom Three,” in which Haley Reinhart, Naima Adedapo, and Karen Rodriguez skittered away from their more popular/talented/hyped counterparts and onto the silver stools of doom. Naima (in character as a funky robot) stutter-stepped her way back to safety, followed by Haley’s slouchy shuffle into the Top 11. (I really thought Jacob Lusk or maybe Thia should’ve been called off the bench to take over Haley’s bottom-dweller role, but I’m not sure The Lady Reinhart’s “I’m over it!” brand of possibly sarcastic grinning won her any new fans. As Jimmy Iovine warned her in her performance-night package: YOU ARE FOREVER BEING WATCHED!)

Bottom Three
Haley ‘Scarnato Shorts’ Reinhart
MySpace Contestant Karen Rodriguez
Naima ‘Robo-Strut’ Adedapo

A comment that was made: "Haley! Slezak! Good call – She was rolling her eyes and acting like a jerk last night and last week too. Lost MY vote!" (Wow. They were hating on her "attitude" conveyed by a look back when she was in the bottom three)

Quote:Well, Haley certainly pulled out something this week, she pulled out the legs on the results show. It took Haley Scarnato seven or eight weeks to get that much leg showing. Haley Reinhart on the other hand, who gives serious Haley Scarnato vibes, is having none of it. She's like, "I am breaking out the legs." In Haley Reinhart's defense, I think she's a much better singer than Haley Scarnato. You cannot say that Haley Reinhart has missed a lot of notes over the course of this competition. We can question whether or not she understands what she's singing, we can question her enunciation for sure. This week kind of made me just a little bit of a fan of hers. At the very least, she's not boring...Haley has a little bit of a sense of humor...she's now old friends with the B3 stool, but I think vocally if we look at her performance of I'm Your Baby Tonight...she gave it interesting little riffs on the melody at the end, and I think that's what gave Steven Tyler the light bulb ["we want to hear more blues"] and I think that might actually work for her. Maybe that's where that voice needs to live...I don't know that I would ever buy her album, but I think she has sort of proven she deserves to stay in this competition a little bit longer than Karen, Thia or Jacob Lusk. From a TV perspective, I'm interested to see what she is going to do. At the very least, I'm interested.

Quote:Haley Reinhart: The Miracles’ “You’ve Really Got a Hold On Me”

It’s Haley’s stated goal not to be in the bottom three this week, and if American Idol took place only on the radio, the girl might see all her wishes come true. Haley’s loose, growly interpretation of the song didn’t have a note out of tune, and was oozing with sexual longing — a vibe that made sense for a song about the inability to break free from a not-so-healthy relationship. The problem with Haley’s performance was more of a visual one: Clad in a white blazer, black hotpants, and a tight black vest that showed a hint of midriff, Haley came teetering down the Idol staircase on extremely high heels, then proceeded to bend her knees and stomp around like a combination of early Mariah Carey and a second-grader who needs to go pee-pee. I kind of agree with J.Lo, though, that Haley possesses the “most soulful voice in the competition.” And while I’m not always convinced she knows what to do with it, I’m hoping she gets a few more weeks to try to prove her case.

Haley Reinhart: B-

Quote:For the first time in three weeks — praise Haley’s ability to sing on pitch, and maybe her booty shorts! — the bottom three wasn’t completely comprised of female contestants.

(Casey eliminated/saved)

Quote:Motown Week on Season 10 of American Idol was downright legendary. The judges saved Casey Abrams, while America saved Haley Reinhart.

Quote:Onscreen: "But first, the most important thing of all" followed by title credits that read: "A Guess Who Survived Production"..."In Association with Haley Reinhart VS The World Inc." inter-cut with a brief video montage of Haley.

Quote:...The big question now becomes "who did the judge's save put at risk" because now two people are going home next week. I'm a little bit worried for Haley. Somehow, somewhere, in the last fourteen days I got on that bandwagon. And I can't get off of it. And I should be off the bandwagon! This is a girl who wore hot pants, a midriff-revealing vest, was teetering around on heels, and like crouching her whole way through a performance...I find her endearing. I find her entertaining. And I think her vocals are pretty good...[guest makes comment about show's edits] and I think that makes us want to rally behind her. The show could clearly not give a crap if she survives another week or is on the tour...It makes you want to get behind her. My God, the girl rocked a side ponytail during the results show. And again, everything that shouldn't work, just makes me like her more.

Quote:6. Haley Reinhart (Last Week No. 8 ) | Okay, so the producers’ punching bag is probably higher up this list than she has any right to be, but there’s no denying she misses very few notes, and her growling, bluesy tone gives her one of the season’s most easily identifiable voices. Minus her awkward crouch-and-twist body language, “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me” was actually quite good.

Quote:And now…speaking of things that need to be verbalized (and things that happened on top of a piano), can we get a slow clap in the house? HAY-LEE! HAY-LEE! HAY-LEE! That’s right everyone, it’s time to discuss The Emancipation of Haley Reinhart, by virtue of her robust, loose, growling, bluesy, absolutely delightful take on “Bennie and the Jets.” Haley kicked things off Michelle Pfeiffer-in-Fabulous Baker Boys style, sprawled across a red piano, and giving the number a gin-soaked, late-night lounge vibe. Midway through the song, though, Haley tore into the melody like a lioness into a baby impala’s leg, and while it wasn’t always graceful — Haley clumsily scooching herself off the piano was the opposite of sophisticated and sexy — it was most indubitably enjoyable. It’s been a while since we’ve seen a real Idol underdog literally come into his or her own in the middle of an actual performance, but that’s exactly what Haley did with “Bennie.” Maybe her choices could’ve been more nuanced, maybe her crouch-and-wave antics were a little less than polished, but sometimes you have to stop nitpicking, remember that we’re on the hunt for the next undiscovered, inexperienced potential superstar, and simply enjoy the delicious taste of unbridled grit mixed with undeniable vocal horsepower. Have I said too much? Have I gone way over the top? Well, sometimes “hardcore bangage” trumps tasteful restraint.

And now, onto tonight’s grades…

Haley Reinhart: A-

Quote:[itunes]
Haley Reinhart, “Bennie and the Jets”: Cannot. Stop. Playing. On. Repeat. So! Awesome! Grade: A+

Quote:I really don’t know what to make of the Top 3 results last night...Clearly it wasn’t about the voice this season, because if it was, Haley Reinhart would be in that finale. I think she’s got a real sexy tone and I’ve been a fan of hers since jump street. My favorite moment of the whole entire season was that jazzy number she did with Casey Abrams – it showed people that there are cool jazz songs! And I thought she really rocked the Led Zeppelin song...

(11-15-2011, 12:27 AM)Miguel Wrote: Below is a series of Haley-related excerpts from the pieces he published from the beginning of the season up to Haley's Bennie & the Jets performance.