Janet Jackson Is My American Idol

OMG! I still can’t get myself together. (Breathe and count to 10.) Ladies and gentleman, Christmas has come early this year! What on earth did I do to deserve this wonderful gift? I’ve been complaining about how terrible this season of idol has been and I take it all back. This is the best idol season ever. Well…it was the best Idol finale ever. I have been praying to the baby Jesus for some better days and my prayers have been answered in the form of Janet Jackson. I screamed for a full sixty seconds when she came out. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that Janet would be on this show. Here I was thinking the highlight of the show would be an inevitable “Pants on the Ground” performance. It was really good to see (and hear) Christina Aguilera, the Bee Gees, Michael MacDonald, Hall and Oates, Alanis Morrisette and Joe Cocker. I really enjoyed Carrie Underwood’s new song “Undo it”. It was good to see Bret Michaels perform, but I really think he should be home resting. It was super cool to see all the Idol winners sing together with some of the former contestants. Just when I thought the show was pretty entertaining and was probably coming close to ending, I heard the first five notes of “Again” that I would recognize anywhere. When Janet came out, I just couldn’t contain my glee. I noticed that microphone headset, which could only mean one thing. Janet’s going to dance! What more could a girl ask for? I swear, I don’t think those songs, or her dancing to them, will ever get old to me. How can you not love Janet? I can no longer get involved in conversations with people who can’t give Janet the respect she deserves for all she has done. What an amazing career. Maybe the last CD didn’t sell as many as her first few CDs, but so what. She had thirteen number one hits between Control and Rhythm Nation alone. Who can keep that up on every CD? She’s still making good music and she’s still performing at a high level at age 44. Maybe it’s not as energetic as it used to be, but good lord, who can dance, the way she was dancing for 3 hours straight at age 44? And please don’t even bring up the Super Bowl…that was so a hundred years ago. Janet is the greatest. Case closed.

Click Here to see Janet on Idol if you missed it.

Whitney Houston....We Have A Problem

Everyone is talking about Whitney's comeback. Many were anticipating her return and were routing for her to resurrect her career. When the album came out last year there was enough excitement about the material to garner decent record sales. The album went platinum, though it didn't receive any Grammy nods. There are a few good songs on the album, but the hot topic has been her live performances. We're all aware of her drug abuse, and the wear and tear that can take on a voice was evident even on the studio recordings, so I'm not sure why people expected much from her live performances. Some fans are outraged that they've paid high ticket prices for her European tour dates only to have the show canceled or to show up to a lackluster performance filled with bad vocals and crackish behavior. Disappointed concert attendees have booed and even asked for their money back. I think this is totally unwarranted. Anyone who went to the shows expecting to see Whitney sing "I Will Always Love You" like she did in the 90's has a screw loose. One could only have expected to buy a ticket to the circus to see the spectacle in person, not to hear the voice that in its prime was referred to as a national treasure. Because of the latest concert controversy some are saying that she is destroying her legacy. I question if that is even possible. Yes, its possible to lose fans and maybe you're not as successful as you once were, but doesn't your legacy still stand? Whitney may be living la vida loca, but that doesn't change the fact that she is one of the greatest vocalists of our time.

It happens to the best of them. Michael Jackson got weirder with each passing day and may have molested those kids (though I'm not convinced he did) but he's still the freaking King of Pop! No one will ever surpass all that he's accomplished. Janet may have pulled a boob out once and doesn't break records for album sales with every release anymore, but that doesn't discredit everything she's ever done. She was a trailblazer for female artists and changed the game when it came to dance, video and live performances....and yes she was out before Madonna so don't try to tell me it was Madonna who opened the door. My point is, all good things must come to an end. That's just the way it is. It's sad, but true. I like to reminisce about the good old days to lift my spirits. Click here if you want to take a walk down memory lane with me.

Movie Night on Idol

Jamie Foxx was back this year to help the Idol contestants with songs from major motion pictures. He came up with an idea to give the contestants t-shirts that either said ‘Artist’ or ‘Contestant”. The goal was to show him that you had what it takes to be a true artist and not just a contestant in a talent show. Notice how he gave everyone an Artist shirt except for Big Mike. It’s not like Mike could’ve fit the shirt either way, but obviously Jamie Foxx agrees with me about Mike’s future.

My favorite paint salesman, Lee DeWyze, sang Seal’s “Kiss From A Rose”. It wasn’t his best performance, but I don’t think it matters. Lee is going to be in the finale. His vocals were much better on the duet he did with Bowersox. Her vocals, however, were not so good. This was another example of her inability to harmonize and blend well with another voice. Her key was all over the place. Why on earth would Big Mike sing a song from the movie Free Willy? He’s making it really hard for me to behave. I’ll just say this. He didn’t hit that first low note he opened the song with…just like the high notes he never hits in the other songs. He’s got no range. He sounded like he was whining through most of the song. I must admit he sounded much better singing the duet with Casey. I was upset to see Casey cut his beard off. I will miss it. I hope it returns soon in the form of a five o’clock shadow. I think Casey was just okay last night in his solo performance, but he sounded better during his duet. Bowersox didn’t move me at all last night. I think I’m falling out of love with her.

If I tap into my psychic powers once again, I’m going to predict that Casey is going home….though it really should be Mike. We’ll see.

Elliott Yamin vs Taylor Hicks

Apparently my post about Elliott Yamin caused a bit of controversy with Taylor Hicks fans. Let me take this opportunity to delve a little deeper into the subject. I get that some people are Taylor Hicks fans and may enjoy his music. That is the great thing about music. It comes in so many different flavors and there’s something out there for everyone. He’s just not my cup of tea. Preferences aside, Elliott Yamin can sing better than Taylor Hicks. That’s just a fact. I’m sure even Taylor would agree. I said Taylor didn’t deserve to win because he was not the best singer that season. Up until then the best singers won. Kelly, Reuben, Fantasia and Carrie were the best singers of their seasons. They did not necessarily have the best personality or great stage presence. (Reuben always stood still looking confused about where he was with his eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights. But dude could sing so he won.) I feel that around the fifth season the competition changed. All these other factors came into play and it was no longer about who was the best singer. People voted for Taylor because they enjoyed his personality, his energy, those spastic convulsions that he passed off as dancing and that God awful never-ending Soul Patrol chant. After that season it wasn’t just about the singing, it was about the personality, the stage presence and how cute somebody was. They even started letting contestants play instruments, use props and elaborate lighting displays. There were the dramatic entrances down the spiral staircase and I think someone even dropped down from the ceiling one time. My point is, if the best singer is supposed to win, it should not have been Taylor Hicks. I’ll admit Elliott leaves a little to be desired when it comes to his stage performance, but he gets a pass. His voice is good enough for him to just stand there and sing. One of the comments from the last post suggested that I check out a song on Taylor’s CD featuring Elliott. I decided to give it a chance and see if maybe I was mistaken and should reconsider what I said. Nope. I was right. Elliott is definitely a much better singer than Taylor. I’ll admit Taylor is good on the guitar and has the personality and energy to front a band, but he doesn’t have the vocals. When I listened to the studio recording of the song, Taylor didn’t even sound good on that. He was missing a bunch of notes and usually everyone sounds good on the computer enhanced studio version. I repeat…Elliott is a better singer than Taylor and should have won. I think the real votes, which are cast with the consumer’s dollars, speak for themselves. Billboard recently named the top 24 Idols based on record sales and Elliott came in at #15. Katherine McPhee was #16. Taylor Hicks was down at #19. Why don’t you guys cast your vote over on the right side of the screen so we can settle this? Click on the links below to listen to them both singing together and tell me who sounds the best.

USE ME

TIED TO THE WHIPPING POST

Sing Like Yamin It

Ok, I’m finally ready to talk about Elliott Yamin. I know some of you probably have no idea who that is, but you should. He was the third runner up on Season Five of American Idol, which I find totally offensive because he was way better than both Katherine McPhee and Taylor Hicks. Taylor Hicks was the worst Idol winner ever. That season was the beginning of the end of Idol, in my opinion. It totally discredited the competition. Think about it. Prior to then all the winners were worthy of winning. Kelly, Reuben, Fantasia, Carrie….then came Taylor Hicks and it went down hill from there. I was so irritated during the Idol gives back show and another show the week before when Elliott Yamin was sitting in the audience instead of singing. He’s got such a great voice, why wouldn’t they utilize that. I think it’s a shame he doesn’t get more play. He’s had two good CDs, but for some reason he still isn’t that popular. I know he’s not a heartthrob, but he did get some new teeth. Doesn’t that count for something? I could go on and on about him because I’m such a fan, but I’ll keep it short. In case you’re interested in downloading some of his stuff, the highlights on his first self-titled CD are “Moving On”, “Wait For You”, “One Word” and Donny Hathaway’s “A Song For You”. The best song on his second CD is the title track “Fight For Love”. There are too many good songs on that CD to name them all. I want you guys to give him a try. I think you’ll like him. Click here to hear him singing “You Say”.

Let Me (Sunday) School Ya

Sunday Best is finished with their auditions and have started the stage performances. This season looks like its going to be good. If you haven’t been watching, you should tune in every Sunday night on BET. Last week, to kick off the stage performances. they opened up with the gospel community’s We Are The World type song created to raise funds for Haiti. Yolanda Adams, Donnie McClurkin, Kim Burrell and one of the Marys from Mary Mary were there to sing their parts. Too bad Smokie Norful and J Moss weren’t there to sing their parts, but I guess you can’t have it all. The tone of Kim Burrell’s voice just sounds so great and you can always count on Yolanda Adams to bring it home. Over the past two season’s I’ve tried my best to ignore the host and focus on the contestants, but I can see this season it’s going to be increasingly harder to do so. The Littlest Christian (aka Kirk Franklin) is seriously getting on my last nerve. The first few performances were pretty good. I think they need to send home the guy with the mohawk and the girl from Nigeria. The elderly contestant was the cutest thing ever! He was so good. He showed all the young contestant how its supposed to be done. You have to watch his performance. You won’t see anything like this on American Idol. Watch it all the way through to the end to see the judge’s reaction. Click Here to see what I mean.

GaGa Gag Me With A Spoon

On Idol results night, the contestants sang some of Harry Connick Jr.’s songs. Casey sounded really good. Too bad he didn’t sound like that the night before. Lee sounded great as usual. Anyone ever notice that Bowersox cannot harmonize? She does okay on her own…but man, when she gets with those boys she just goes way too high and is always off key. Then for some reason after Frank Sinatra week and Harry Connick Jr. tunes, they decide to throw Lady GaGa in there. Who is in charge of booking talent? Did they get their dates mixed up? GaGa sat down at the piano and started singing “Bad Romance” and I got super excited thinking this was going to be a great performance with some fun choreography and her amusing quirks. Then she gets up from the piano and switches songs. Hated it. What is up with her and Alejandro? I was just so confused.
Then later she had an issue with Roberto, but she was mostly still stuck on Alejandro.
Click Here to see what I mean.

She always performs in a thong and a bra. Beyonce’s outfits are getting skimpier by the minute too. Don’t even get me started on Erykah Badu. I don’t know why everybody gave Janet such a hard time after her “wardrobe malfunction”. She still had on more clothes than anyone else. The best part of the results show was when they showed the rehearsal video and Harry Connick Jr. called Big Mike an A-Hole. Chicken Little went home. I’m still psychic.

Beyonce...Why Don't You Love Me?

Hey guys, Click Here to check out the new Beyonce video and tell me what you think. (Thanks to KG for sending me the alert.)

I’m not sure how I feel about it. I didn’t care for most of the make-up and was not excited about all the costume changes. She is beautiful, but I’m not into watching a stylist dress her up like a Barbie doll for five minutes. I guess I’m just not satisfied if she doesn’t have some dancers behind her doing some new creative choreography that I can’t wait to try out. I don’t even think I like the song. At least it didn’t do anything for me after listening to it for the first time. Give it a week or two and it’ll probably grow on me like most of her songs. She’s good at playing those Jedi mind tricks on me and making me follow her in whatever direction she goes.

Fly Me To The Moon

Last night Harry Connick Jr. helped the idol contestants with Frank Sinatra songs. Chicken Little sang “Fly Me to the Moon”. I didn’t love the arrangement. I think the song is perfect as it is and you really shouldn’t mess with it. Chicken Little (aka Fivel the Mouse) was okay last night…nothing special. Casey (aka Curly Blonde Hair) did not have a good performance. His vocals were kind of whack, but he sure is cute, so I’m going to give him a pass.  Bowersox sang “Summer Wind” and it was just okay. I’m bored with her. She hasn’t been good for a few weeks and I’m over her. She needs to go back to the grungy, raw, authentic, street performer kind of vibe she started with. Big Mike sang “Just the Way You Look Tonight”….and let me tell you just how he looked last night. He looked like a hot mess with those tight pants on and that teeny tiny hat on his head. In fact, I have a picture of exactly what he looked like.

Actually the first line he sang sounded pretty good. His vocals were okay, but he gets a thumbs down for all that repetitive lip licking. My favorite paint salesman, Lee DeWyze was ok. This was not one of his best performances, but the judges liked it and he’s super cute so it’s all good. I’m thinking Chicken Little and either Curly Blonde Hair or Bowersox will be in the bottom two.

Don’t forget to watch Glee tonight after Idol.

Calling All Gleeks

It’s official. I am a Gleek! I love this show. It’s so fun. The writing is great and super witty. The cheerleading coach is hilarious. There is some good talent on the show that provides several standout performances throughout the series. The best vocals belong to the girl that plays Rachel (the Jewish perfectionist that has her eyes set on a career on Broadway) and the girl that plays Mercedes (the Black girl with the big voice). The teacher, Mister Schuster, and the boy in the wheelchair are pretty good too. They do a great job of picking such a wide variety of musical selections. Some of the highlights of Season One were the football team doing Beyonce’s “Single Ladies”, Mercedes singing “And I Am Telling You” and Rachel singing Barbara Streisand’s “Rain On My Parade”.

If you haven’t given Glee a try yet, open your mind and give it a chance. It really is a feel good show with a bit of an edge. I LOL’d last week when the cheerleading coach called the black guy ReRun two times and again when someone else said they hated the Duke basketball team more than the Nazis. This week’s standout performance was Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful” sung by the character Mercedes. The cast also sang Stephanie Mills version of “Home” from the stage play “The Wiz”. You can go to http://www.fox.com/glee/ to watch full episodes (or just skip through to the musical performances). Glee comes on Fox Tuesdays after American Idol. Give it a shot. Click here to watch the cast of Glee performing on Oprah. (Ignore the guy singing and just pay attention to the two girls.)