He Wrote The Music, He Wrote the Words

Kevin Clash, the man behind Elmo for almost thirty years, was caught in a bit of a dust up this week. As soon as it cropped up however, it quickly disappeared.

He was apparently accused of having a sexual relationship with a man when he was sixteen. See those two words right there. The two that immediately tell the story? "when he." So first off it reveals that Kevin is gay. That isn't a problem nor should it be a revelation. He's been open for the most part for a while. It also reveals however, that his occurred some time ago. It in fact occurred seven years ago. The accuser came to Sesame Workshop (and we'll get back to that) in June with the allegations and through investigation they found Kevin to really not do anything other than improperly use the internet. It's unclear if their "policy" applies to internet use on their facilities or a blanket "code of conduct" policy that applies outside of the job. Either way, they dealt with it internally and disciplined Kevin accordingly. That didn't stop the accuser from going public however, and that led Kevin to temporarily leave production of the show to defend his good name. Now he was probably told to leave to protect Sesame Workshop from scores of "WHY DOES HE STILL WORK FOR YOU!" nuts making a big deal out of it. In any case, it wasn't looking good for him. But my how the tables turn.

For one thing, this looked a bit suspicious from the jump. The accuser went to Sesame Workshop, not the police. Why? How would Sesame Workshop properly punish Kevin for the crime you're accusing him of? They wouldn't. They'd fire him and you'd get the satisfaction of knowing you ruined his career. Strike 1.

Second of all, seven years? You wait seven years to reveal this? Why so long? I understand that in some situations people are scared to come out with something like this out of fear for retaliation from the accused or supporters of the accused. But coupling this with going to his place of work puts the wait under severe scrutiny. Strike 2.

And before strike 3 could fall, the accuser has now recanted his story. It is unclear if this was because he knew this was going to be revealed as bull or if he was offered a crap ton of money, but boy was that fast. Kevin did admit that he had a relationship with him, but it was after he had reached the age of consent. Hopefully now, he'll get back to work and that this will fade away as nothing more that scorn from a relationship gone sour (that's my theory, anyway). It was so quick and Sesame Workshop had pretty much said that they agreed with Kevin, that Elmo's reputation won't be adversely affected as they go along. Good for him.

J out.

Dead Heat

I see the polls and things, but I don't find this election to be as much of dead heat as they're saying it is. I like that all the polls are in agreement, but once the people hit the poles it will be a much different picture. I don't think the electoral votes aren't going to be that close once the finally tally is in.

I think Obama is going to capture some of the more important swing states and therefore the win. I hope that comes true and that the Redskins are wrong (they were in 2004, mind you).

Let me say this, however. Don't sit around and not vote. Just because the system is broken and both of the candidates have ideals you don't agree with doesn't mean your voice shouldn't be heard. If everyone thought that way, elections would be controlled by the parties extremely more than they are now. Your power to vote should be treated as importantly as your power to breathe. If a lot of people don't vote, in say...Florida, and one party wins that and it decides the election the wrong person may be presiding over you for four years.

Voting isn't supposed to be a joke. It's supposed to be taken seriously. I'm sad when I hear how some don't treat it as such. Even if you don't vote for the two major parties who currently have a strangle hold on the current electoral college, it still important to know that you wanted to be heard.

Go vote.

J out.

Welp...

I really don't know what to type here.

Summer season at the job kicked in and I pretty much kicked out here.

I'm trying to find stuff to talk about. I've grown exasperated with back-and-forth political rhetoric, so it probably won't be much of that. Maybe a short thing or two leading up to the election. I might, might being the key word, do a little thing about the remaining 8 weeks of the football season.

Welp...let me try getting back into it.

Donna Summer

The Queen of Disco is gone.

Donna Summer passed away at the age of 63 following a battle with cancer. Her music was great. It was more than just the instrumental pieces. Her voice resonated and defined the songs she sang. The songs just wouldn't be the songs without it.

She is a legend and she shall be missed.

Rest In Peace.

Here are a few of my personal favorites after the break.

J out.

America. Still Not Right.

Voices people. We play this game to hear voices.

I must say, I'm happy to see Jessica in, especially after that foolish decision to vote her off, but Joshua clearly deserved that spot. His performance at the end of the night...just fabulous. I guarantee a person watching that would ask "That was who got voted off?" In any case, here comes Phillip the winner. America will continue to prove it is all about looks in the game of singing.

I will say that this finale will definitely be better than last years. I mean I love Scotty and all, but the country/country finale was boring. At least a contrasting finale is nice. And before you all say, "Well wouldn't Jessica and Joshua be a R&B/R&B finale, the same thing you just denounced?", it wouldn't be. There are a ton of contrasting voices and styles in R&B. In country, most of the different styles come in the music.

Anyway, I'm logging my vote next week for Jessica. While I say America didn't get it right, this will still be a good finale anyway and I'm looking forward to it. I have nothing against Phillip, so I'll still enjoy it.

Until then....

J out.

I'm Still Here....Kind Of.

Don't worry, I'm still here. Work is shifting into the busy season, so my hours have been a bit wonky as of late which has made me miss the last three weeks.

I will have a post about the final two following the festivities.

J out.

*Oh and by the way, I didn't even know Lisa Marie Presley still performed. Shows how much I know.

The Royal Top 6

So...after a very hectic 3 weeks at work I've actually made it home in time to review an episode. A lot has happened and I talked about some of it *cough*Jessica*cough*, but here we are to hopefully stay on track.

As we head into this week we mourn the loss of Colton. Now America, I know I said that Colton shouldn't be placed ahead of the crowd because of his looks, but I didn't say he sucks. Really shocking to see him voted off. I am mystified as to how Hollie is still on the show.

In any case, we move onward and upward toward this week. Our Idols will be performing twice this evening. First, they will tackle the songs of Queen, one of the most fun rock groups of the 70s/80s. Then, they will have one of the rare opportunities to sing a song of their choosing.

They choose to start the show off with a Group Medley of Queen songs as they have the absolute privilege to sing alongside Brian May and Roger Taylor. Why in the world are they having the Group Medley tonight? Why seemingly eliminate songs from the pool by performing them first. Kind of annoying to me.

Anywho, to the performances....

Jessica: Um...way to come out the gate singing the biggest Queen song of all-time, "Bohemian Rhapsody." She did well with it. Great job from her. She sang it straight and the slow parts of the song were the absolute best to  show off her voice.

Skylar: Okay...every Queen song is a great one, so I'm going to retire the phrase "(Going with) the great Queen song." Singing "The Show Must Go On." She put her whole voice into this song. She sang it. Way to go. Another great performance.

*Apparently the piano man was still on his break and had to run up just in time to perform here. Oops.*

Joshua: I mean he just broke out the gate with "Crazy Little Thing Call Love." Just started to sing and went with it. I wasn't a huge fan of them singing a medley at the beginning of performance night, but if it is going to inspire this(?), I'm all for it. Great performance. You know, I might have to retire the phrase "great performance."

*I don't know why they don't have the mentor clips before the contestants anymore (or maybe they're saving them for the contestant's own choice song?) but going directly from one performer to another exactly as they've done here makes the show seem rushed.*

Elise: You know, there is something about Elise. At times it seems she isn't into the song, but at the same time her voice tells me that she is. Another good one as she performed "I Want It All", it was perfect for her voice.

Phillip: I don't know if Phillip is a fan of "Fat Bottomed Girls", but he certainly sounded like it as he put his soul into this. Well done.

Hollie: She was just a bit off during "Save Me." There was this one part where she almost lost it, but saved herself. Overall a good performance, one well-suited for a voice.

So now we roll the tape back and start all over again as the contestants sing a song of their choosing.

Jessica: I love Luther Vandross, so her singing one of his last hits while he was alive, "Dance with My Father", already won me over. She did very well. The song meant a lot to her as he father is a-soon-to-be-deployed servicemen and you could tell she meant it. I love this girls taste in music.

Skylar: I tell you. This girls voice was made for country. Going with "Tattoos on This Town" she really proved that she can really sing country. She can really go out and begin singing country now.

Joshua: He slowed it down this time around with "Ready for Love", and he...tore...it...up. Great. Just great. I was waiting for a performance to make my ears really stand up and this was it. Best of the Night. This is what I wanted.

*I don't know what the hell they're doing tonight, but now they aren't telling us what songs they're performing. Really annoying. Really sloppy.*

Elise: She can really sing. Seriously. She tore up "Bold as Love" from Jimmy Hendrix. Great song choice for her, and unlike what Steven was saying, people don't need to know the song if you sing it great.

Phillip: He stuck with his roots with "The Stone" from the Dave Matthews Band. Stand strong young one, that was a good performance. Very smooth. I liked it.

Hollie: She was much better this time around performing "The Climb" from Miley Cyrus. Not bad.

So there you have it. Apparently, Jimmy Iovine took the week off.

Bottom 3: Elise, Hollie, Skylar
Going Home: Hollie

I really don't understand how Hollie is still hanging around. I miss Colton. Go vote. Vote, vote, vote.

J out.

Really America?

I mean really. Honestly?

This is where the little girls make their presence known. How dare you vote off the best singer of the night? Jessica was miles better than your precious Colton or Phillip. I'm not trying to knock either of them; they can both sing, but Jessica is better.

But here comes another boring Boy/Boy, Phillip/Colton finale. Colton the winner. The sad part is the show will only hemorrhage a few viewers, more of the folks who were trying to vote the actual best singer in, and keep the scores of teenage girls to bag another season at #1. Sad.

I am terribly disappointed to see the decline of what used to be one of the best television shows.

J out.

(A Video may follow soon)

The Modern Top 7

(pic coming soon)
So we lost, DeAndre. I'm a bit surprised. I knew he had to go sometime, but I thought his performance last week was one of his best. Oh well.

As we head into this week, we get modern. Songs of the 2010's is the subject and Akon is our mentor. I'm a little mixed on this. I don't think there are a lot of current songs, especially pop, suited well to really showcase a singing voice. But we'll see. These guys are very good at arranging a song for them.

Here we go....

Skylar: Very good performance with "Didn't You Know How Much I Loved You" from AI Alum Kellie "Soap Suds in a Bucket" Pickler. She knows how to pick songs for herself. This was very good.

Colton: Oooooooh buddy....does this man know how to shape a song for his voice or what!? Another excellent arrangement from Colton doing "Love the Way You Lie" by Rhianna and Eminem. I swear he knows how to arrange a song. Great job.

Jessica: Doing Jazmine Sullivan's "Stuttering", she...was...excellent. Great performance. The best of the night. She knew exactly where to go with this song, her arrangement was awesome. Just an amazing performance. I'm telling you, a Top Three of her, Joshua, and Colton and even a Top Four with Skylar included might be one of the best in recent memory.

Joshua: Going with Bruno Mars' jazzy "Runaway Baby", he rocked it out. He was on point...the whole time. Excellent. It is very hard for a fast paced song to go off well on Idol, but he did it very well. Great job. Jessica is still ahead of him for best of the night, but this was pretty damn close.

Hollie: After giving some Bottom 3 performances, she finally gave me something to want. Singing a favorite of mine, "Perfect", she did very well. Much much better than previous weeks.

Phillip: Very good performance doing "Give A Little More" by Maroon 5. He greatly showcased his voice at the beginning and it worked well.

Elise: Welp. She picked another good one for her voice. Another favorite of mine, "You and I" from Lady Gaga was the subject. She has an excellent voice for this. This wasn't her best but with a song like this and a voice like hers, it's hard to notice. I was honestly shocked to see her in the Bottom 3 last week.

It gets REALLY tough now. Tonight was a great night for really everyone. Great performances from everyone. Good luck.

Bottom 3: Hollie, Elise, Skylar
Going Home: Hollie

Wait, Skylar in the Bottom 3!?!? Yes, this will be a tough week to put anyone in the bottom 3, but I think all three guys were good enough to avoid it this week.

Vote.

J out.

The Tubular Top 9

Due to work, I missed the first few performances. I will review the performances as soon as possible (I've already seen snipets from them all) and put them in a Part One post. Due to me also coming in late, I won't review the duets.

Joshua: An overall underwhelming performance. It wasn't bad; far from it. It just wasn't the "WOW" material he had pumped out in weeks past. I was expecting more from him and maybe that's why I found it not as great. Still "If You Don't Know Me By Now" is a great song and he did it well.

Jessica: This is a girl who can really sing. She was born with voice. Going with Whitney's "How Will I Know", she rocked it out. She really used that powerful voice to "give" me the song. Well done.

Hollie: Singing "What a Feeling", this was another underwhelming performance for me. She was all over the place and this certainly doesn't bode well for her.

Colton: Well...Colton wins the competition. If this performance of "Time After Time" doesn't secure him the 12 year old vote (and that's the only one that matters), nothing will. Seriously though, this was a very great arrangement of this song and it fit his voice very well. Well done.

Skylar: I'm very disappointed that she changed her song choice from "9 to 5" to "Wind Beneath My Wings." I was ready to rock out with "9 to 5." But still this was a great performance. I tell you, this girl never seems to disappoint. Very well done.

*I didn't comment on the duets, but Jessica and Joshua were clearly the best of the bunch.

Bottom 3: Hollie, Phillip, DeAndre
Going Home: Hollie

Vote, vote, vote.

Part One to come soon.

J out.

The Idolized Top Nine

As we head into this week we mourn the loss of Erika Van Pelt. A bit of surprise for me; I didn't think they had done that badly. But I can't really disagree or get outraged by this decision.

As we roll into this week, the our future idols will be performing the songs of their idols. Stevie Nicks, an idol in her own right, will be there to mentor.

Also occurring this week, trio-ets! A medley of songs to be sung by the nine contestants in groups of three.

To the stage...

Colton: You want to talk about a man made for rock, Colton is your man. Seriously, a very good performance from him performing "Everything" from Lifehouse. That man puts every piece of emotion into his song. I'm telling you, he is a threat. As much as I love Joshua, Colton is a threat.

Skylar: This theme is really going to give the guys and gals to really spread their wings, and Skylar did that tonight. Going with her idol Miranda Lambert's "Gunpowder & Lead", she rocked the house. While Colton set the bar, Skylar set the tone. She got the audience excited. Again, she is a threat. I'm hoping for a female idol for the first time since Jordan Sparks, and she can do it.

Trio 1: Elise, Colton, and Phillip trotted out as the first trio and sang a mix of Stevie Nicks/Fleetwood Mac hits. They were great. "Landslide", "Edge of Seventeen (Just Like the White Winged Dove)", and "Don't Stop" were the songs they took on and they performed them great. Good job.

Heejun: Coming out after a pretty vocally disastrous performance last week, Heejun went to what he was good at. Performing "A Song For You" from his mentor Donny Hathaway, he got back to that soul and emotion that made him lovable during the top 24. Still not his best, but compared to last week, a mile better.

Hollie: Performing the emotional "Jesus Take the Wheel" from former American Idol (and her idol) Carrie Underwood, she did alright. She had a bit too many spots where she wasn't on the mark. At times, I could here the best in her and at times I couldn't. A weak one for me.

DeAndre: Another shinning example of weeks like this, DeAndre. Going with "Sometimes I Cry" from his idol Eric Benet, this was excellent. He hit all the notes and put some good emotion into it. Very good. Nice to see him roar back after a few lackluster weeks.

Jessica: Her idol is Beyonce (and I am a fan as well). Going with an oft forgotten song from I Am...Sasha Fierce "Sweet Dreams" she slowed it down as Beyonce did when she performed this song on tour. I was happy to hear this because while this song contains some meaningful lyrics, it was a bit fast. You could really tell Jessica is a Beyonce fan because she got this song down pat. Very good performance. Certainly one where she walks through the door.

Trio 2: I don't think I could ask for a better trio than Joshua, DeAndre, and Heejun. They performed some great Michael Jackson hits. "The Lady in My Life", "Rock With You", and "P.Y.T" were the songs of choice and they sung them. A perfect group of songs for a perfect combination. Great.

Phillip: After receiving possibly the best compliment ever from Stevie Nicks, Phillip performed "Still Rainin" from his idol Jonny Lang. He rocked it out and some good fun with the song. Another great performance. Like Jennifer said "It's like we're standing up too much."

Joshua: Going with "Without You" from his idol Mariah Carey, he sang that song (and better than this woman).He knows exactly how to put emotion into his songs. Just when I thought the bar had been set and reset, here comes Joshua to reset it even higher. Excellent. Just excellent. Best of the Night.

Trio 3: Before the last song of the night we're subjected to one more medley from Hollie, Skylar, and Jessica. This time we hear the hits of Madonna. "Like A Prayer", "Borderline" and "Express Yourself" were the songs of choice and I'd consider this one to be the weakest of the bunch. While it was fun to see these three singers take on Madonna (especially Skylar) it is so hard to replicate the sound of Madonna. You don't really hear about great covers of Madonna. Not bad, and although I said it was the weakest I certainly think it was on par for the night.

Elise: Her idol...Led Zepplin. Surprised? I was, sort of. She's going with "Whole Lotta Love", but that was after Elise and Stevie performed a duet of "Dreams" during rehearsal. Onto this song, did Elise put an exclamation point on this evening or what!? Very good performance from here. Who taught her how to raise Janis Joplin from the dead? Everyone thinks she made Robert Plant proud and you know what? I think she did. She rocked it out.

America has a tough job ahead. This was an amazing night for everyone, really.

Bottom 3: Heejun, Hollie, DeAndre
Eliminated: Hollie

Very tough choices to make so go out and vote.

J, out.

*And yes, I have the same bottom three as last week. I just think they didn't fully redeem themselves from last week.

The Top-op-op-op-op 10 (You 'Oughta Know By Know....)

After a dramatic Top 11, we've lost Shannon. I thought she did well last week but she had a ways to go after Whitney week and she just couldn't make it.

As we roll into this week, the Top 10 now must take on the Candy Man's 2nd cousin twice removed, the Piano Man. Billy Joel has had quite a nice range of work, so it will be very interesting how some of the Top 10 will tackle his songs. Diddy is there to offer guidance with Tommy Hilfiger giving out fashion tips.

And now....
DeAndre: Going with the "Only the Good Die Young", I could clearly see how uncomfortable he was. He was uncomfortable during the rehearsal segment and he was uncomfortable here. That being said, he did alright. A nice upbeat song to start the show, but not a general "wow-er" in my eyes.

Erika: Going with one of the 8,392,120 anthems of the Big Apple, "New York State of Mind", she came out with a radical new look from last week and didn't do badly with the song. I think she could've carried it better as there were awkward moments all throughout the song. It would switch from American Idol to Lounge Club.

Joshua: The best of last week is back with "She's Got a Way." He was admittedly nervous as he had never heard the song, but he put that all aside to deliver another great performance. While I don't think he'll be getting any e-mails from Billy Joel like he did from Percy Sledge, but he certainly did well. I could tell he didn't exactly feel it and I hope that he feels more confident next week (yes, I'm that confident).

Skylar: Giving "Shameless" the country treatment. It was really good. Not her best, but really good. She started down low in the beginning and as Randy caught on to it made her a bit flat, but once she came up, she was off and running. I honestly think she could win by making every song sound country, She's that good.

Elise: Going with rarely heard "Vienna", she did great. Absolutely excellent. It was a beautiful song and her voice fit it the best. Best of the Night.

Phillip: Well if you're clever, you should've noticed my reference in the title. That's because Phillip sang the song upon which that title was based "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)." He takes the crown of most original tonight. A great slowed rendition of that song. Very well done.

Hollie: She's going with a magnificent Billy Joel ballad "Honesty." She wasn't terrible, but not great. She seemed to be forcing the song at points and as Steven said "over-thinking" the song. An alright performance, that puts her on the chopping block.

Heejun: Wow. Just wow. You want the definition of surprise, Heejun embodied that. He starts off in a suit and tie singing another slow song. Then he stops. Tells the piano player he's going too slow, breaks into "My Life", and rips off the suit jacket and shirt to reveal a t-shirt. He then proceeds to give a very lively and fun performance. The general energy he put out with this song helped make up for the shaky vocals. Like last week he had a problem controlling the song, only this time due to his high activity around the stage. Certainly not the best of the night, but the most fun.

Jessica: Going with "Everybody Has a Dream", I must say Mentors WIN. When Jessica went into rehearse with them she was pushing this song too hard. And after Diddy was done with her she pulled back and what we got was something excellent. Between her and Elise "Best of the Night" might just be split.

Colton: He went with the often covered "Piano Man." and he left it understated. Not at the level of the original and not overstated. It was smooth, sedated, and fitted his voice very well. Great cover on an excellent arrangement.

So now here's where it gets hard. Time to vote and this won't be easy.

My Bottom 3: DeAndre, Heejun, Hollie
Going Home: Hollie

Frankly a different number of people can be in the bottom 3, but these were the weakest in my opinion. If you don't think so, make sure you get out and vote.

J out.

The Unexpected Top 11?

We go into this week with one less player. As voted off last Thursday, Jeremy wouldn't be joining us this week. His performance last week wasn't his best and he's always been on the fence, so this wasn't a huge shocker.

What was a huge shocker is that we lost ANOTHER competitor BEFORE the show began. Jermaine Jones was disqualified earlier this week. What for? Well, apparently he chose not to disclose a criminal past to the producers and the producers don't take crap very well. He apparently posted about it on Twitter earlier before it was deleted. A very unfortunate situation; he had plenty of potential. More on the situation will be explained during the show.

In any case, as we head into this week it is the always reliable "Year of Birth" theme. The perfect opportunity for the contestants to perform any song they feel like, as I'm expecting heading into this, a lot of the performances will just be covers of older songs.

And Away We Go....

Phillip: Very well performance. Especially after coming off of surgery stemming from kidney problems. He certainly rocked out "Hard to Handle". It fit him well.

Jessica: She decided to go with "Turn the Beat Around" she wasn't bad. Not her best. The song was way too fast for her. She said she had a hard time finding a song, but she could've picked much better.

Heejun: He actually performed a song written and released in his year of birth going with "Right Here Waiting". He had a hard time keeping together for me. It seemed like that any moment he could unfurl into terrible. He thankfully kept it in.

Elise: Now reverting back to cover song mode, she went with a classic, Al Green's love standard "Let's Stay Together." Very good performance. And who can argue with a duet with the President?

DeAndre: He was going to go with "Can You Feel the Love Tonight", but Will.i.am and Jimmy didn't feel it. So he went to a love duet, "Endless Love." I don't think he was going to do well with either song. The judges said he couldn't feel the song, and they weren't completely wrong. Something was just off. Not the worst of the night, but room was definitely there for improvement.

Shannon: Not a bad job at all, certainly a huge improvement of last week. She took on the monster mega hit of 1995/6 "One Sweet Day" and while it's hard to match Mariah and Boys II Men, she certainly didn't disappoint in my mind.

Colton: Great song choice for him doing "Broken Heart." Yeah, a lot of people might not remember it, but still I thought it fit him like a glove (despite what Steven says). Very well done. Colton is slowly but surely becoming one to watch out for.

Erika: Going with "Heaven", she didn't do badly. It was alright for me. Sometimes she was very good, but for the most part he fell flat. Not flat tonally, but just flat. I thought she sounded better in rehearsal.

BREAK
Jermaine Jones did not disclose two arrests that he incurred in 2011, as well as the fact that he had four outstanding warrants out for him. The producers were already hurt that he did not disclose the prior acts to them and that they would've helped him though those had he done so. At that point it didn't seem like things were going to end badly. Then the producers told him that they can't allow someone who is currently wanted to be on the show. And with that statement, they sent him packing. Really unfortunate because the producers had noted that his performance set for this week was one of his best (slightly debatable). Very unfortunate situation; that his stupidity, blinded from himself by age, cost him a great shot to get into not only the Top 10, but perhaps Top 6. A lesson to be learned indeed.
BREAK

Skylar: She's back from her phenomenal performance last week going with "Love Sneakin' Up on You" and as per usual, she rocked it. Another great performance. Not as good as last week, but I'm ready to vault her to best of the night anyway.

*Apparently, Jermaine's pre-show elimination left the show a bit short on time. Ryan, Joshua, and the girls come back from break and go over the fine art of eating craw fish. Okay....*

Joshua: So...I just gave Skylar the best of the night....well....I'M TAKING IT BACK. This was AMAZING. GREAT performance. The BEST so far this season at anytime. Singing "When A Man Loves A Woman" he tore....it...a...part. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. And HE was in the bottom three last week? Surely America this won you over. I better not see him AT ALL close to the bottom 3.

Hollie: "The Power of Love" closes us out tonight and she was pretty good. She had a tough act to follow, but she held her own very well. In all, she performed up to expectations.

In all this was another good night. Usually these Top 7-13 shows are good because of the variety and tonight proved that. Very sad to see Jermaine go and with the producers not willing to make the competition this week become useless someone still has to go. Who will that be? I don't know. I do know that it better not be Joshua.

Go vote.

J out.

American Idol: The Divided Top 13

Tonight, the Top 13 go out for the first time this season and they have a pretty TOUGH time ahead of them. They guys had to sing the songs of Stevie Wonder, while the girls had to take on...the late Whitney Houston.

Now, this is a problem with me. Simon hated when contestants would sing Whitney songs because they are so hard to sing. So this to me just puts the girls on the track to fail. I hope that isn't true but my hopes aren't high for any of them, even the good ones.

There is also one other slight problem with this program. For this week (and this week only) the show is reverting to Top 24 mode and having the girls and guys voted for separately. You can already color me not a fan of this. So it will go Thursday, they will get the bottom girl and the bottom guy and have the judges make the decision of which will go. Yeah...okay.

Let's Get to the Festivities:
Joshua: He had pretty good control as he sang "I Wish". He was very into it. I felt his excitement as he sang it. A very enjoyable performance for me; he really set the tone right for the night.

Elise: She was spotty at points with "I'm Your Baby Tonight" and you could tell where she lost it. I don't think she would've sung well no matter what song she sang, whether it was this one or her original choice "Greatest Love of All."

Jermaine: He was alright with "Knocks Me Off My Feet". I like his voice, but this performance was a little bit off at points. However, just the overall tone of his voice made up for that.

Erika: Singing "I Believe in You and Me", she was once again, my favorite crutch word, "alright." Her starting in that low register didn't have me wanting more. Not the worst performance, but again she had trouble controlling herself during the latter parts of the song.

Colton: Very, very good singing "Lately." He just sang it and I felt it. He certainly reached the bar that Joshua set. Very good performance. I have no idea what Randy was talking about.

Shannon: Taking on the fabulous "I Have Nothing", Shannon stumbled...badly...in the middle of the song. Very noticeable. Outside of that stumble, she was pretty alright with the song. Just don't deviate. You deviate (and you're nervous), and you're destined to fail.

DeAndre: He sang one of my absolute favorites "Master Blaster (Jammin')", so I was hoping he wouldn't do this song wrong. In all, he was underwhelming for me. I think he could've done more. Make no mistake, I don't think he was bad. I just think for what I was expecting, this song could've been blown out of the water.

Skylar: Excellent. Excellent. Best of the Night. Hands Down. She took "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" and made it a country ballad for her voice. Damn near perfect. Whitney is very hard to do and she stepped up to the challenge well.

Heejun: He came out of left field with "All in Love is Fair." That was one of the last songs I expected someone to do tonight. He was very good as well. Great arrangement and his voice fit it very well. Very good selection of song by him.

Hollie: She decided to take on "All the Man I Need" and well she did well with it. Her voice was powerful enough to tackle it, which is surprising considering how small she is. Good job.

Jeremy: He sang "Ribbon in the Sky" and it wasn't that bad. He was weak at points and towards to the end I could see his nervousness peaking out. There was one problem with this song. That being that this song really needs to be sung in full because there is such a difference from the beginning and the end. And the way Idol's truncated song structuring works for time makes is seem...odd. In all though, he was alright.

Jessica: She performed "I Will Always Love You." This is it. Someone had to do it. The grandaddy of all Whitney songs. The one which you can never compete with (except for the originator of said song Dolly Parton). She did great by Idol standards. Another surprising standout from a night I thought would be rough for the girls. She is definitely going to be one to compete with as well as the weeks roll on.

Phillip: He decided to rock out "Superstition" this go around. And well...this arrangement worked partly for him. He was breaking into yelling a bit too much for my tastes. Still this was another fine example of changing an arrangement for your voice. Once again, alright.

In all, this was a pretty alright show. I, of course, was a fan of all the songs seeing as they're some of my favorite artists. Very surprising show since my expectations were low for them reaching my high expectations.

And what was with Ryan not introducing the contestant and song? It felt weird to go straight into the song.

Get out and vote.

J, out.