Crisis

7 to 5: Viral TikTok and Mother's Day Like Disney, Mother’s Day is a staple theme for ABC Idol so not much to say here. Viral TikTok Songs is an interesting theme to say the least. I’m not on TikTok, so I have no idea what’s popular there. It appears whatever song is used in a TikTok video is eligible. Lastly, congratulations to Lionel for his Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction. I thought The Commodores were already in the hall, so colored me surprised to see they weren’t. However, as cool as the cake looked, the judges eating a slice after another made me squeamish. I don’t like eating after people anyway but seeing that emphasized everything especially with COVID still going on (even more so considering two contestants tested positive for it). Speaking of the contestants… The Contestants: Leah Marlene Electric Love (TikTok) I have never heard of this song before, so I listened to it before rewatching Leah’s rendition. Verdict: I can’t say I’m a fan. Leah tried to do as much as she could with it, but the song doesn’t really go anywhere. This was the first time Leah moved around on stage without a guitar, and she gave it a great effort. However, it wasn’t impressive vocally, but again that has to do more with the song than Leah’s abilities. This is my least favorite Leah performance by far. Sanctuary (Mother's Day) Now this is more like it! Leah looked and sounded absolutely angelic in this performance. The song is a bit on the boring side; however, that can be overlooked if the singer genuinely connects to it. Leah did exactly that here, especially on the chorus. Leah showed two different sides as an artist and although the results were mixed, it makes her interesting to watch and curious what she may do next. Fritz Hager All My Friends (Original) (TikTok) First, get well soon. As for the performance, for an original this wasn’t too bad. It sounded like something one of the popular emo bands in the 2000s would write. The melodies were fine, and the lyrics were relatable. The main criticism is the band was too loud on the chorus (what else is new). I wonder how this would’ve sounded live and in front of a crowd. I do think this is one of the better originals that has been performed on Idol (for the record, Jessica Meuse’s Blue-Eyed Lie and Alex Preston’s Fairytales are my top two in this department). The Ocean (Original) (Mother's Day) Not Fritz doing another original. Does he think he’s Alejandro or something? While the first original was more uptempo, this one is more subdued. It reminded me of Ed Sheeran stylistically. This one grew on me upon rewatch because I thought it was boring the first time around. I like the sentimental meaning behind it, as it’s obviously a song that means a lot to him. Fritz is difficult to assess because he didn’t perform any of his songs live (though no fault of his) and thus, it will be hard to rank him this week. Huntergirl you broke me first (TikTok) Before getting to HG, I must say I am no fan of Tate McRae’s voice. I can’t stand the baby sounding vocals; it sounds so affected and makes me wonder how people think that sounds good. As for HG, this is a song I never expected her to pick. She didn’t do her usual smiling and tried to capture the mood of the song. Also, the key change at the end was rather interesting as it’s not in the original song. With all of this said, this was not very good vocally. There were some pitch issues and that suddenly line during the key change was really rough. As with Leah, the effort was there, but it didn’t come together overall. Like My Mother Does (Mother's Day) Ugh, I can’t stand this song, so Hunter is already behind on that front. She would’ve had to do something special to make me appreciate this performance. Unfortunately, she was unable to do so. The emotional connection was there, but it was shaky vocally. There were parts where she sounded like a goat. As someone who hasn’t been all that impressed with her vocally, I believe in this case her voice suffered because she was too emotional and tried too hard to convey the emotion. Regardless, I don’t think HG had a strong night overall. Noah Thompson Painted Blue (TikTok) As with Fritz, here’s to a full and speedy recovery. As for his performance, despite being sick this is the best he’s sounded all season. It helped that it was just him and an acoustic guitar and the song suited the acoustic arrangement. I’ve pointed out how he looked in pain while singing in the past; however, it was appropriate in this case because of the song’s nature and subject matter. Well, it was either he connected with the song, or he was feeling the effects of COVID. Nonetheless, this was one of his strongest performances of the season. Landslide (Mother's Day) On the flip side, this was his weakest performance of the season. Landslide is one of the most beautiful songs ever written and one that requires a tender approach towards it. Noah’s approach, however, was too aggressive. His tone was too harsh, and it looked like he was trying to force the notes. In addition, the guitar arrangement was too loud and didn’t do him any favors. I appreciate the sentiment behind the song choice (dedicating it to his grandmother), but this was not a great performance by any means. All in all, a mixed night for Noah. Nicolina Bozzo Alone (TikTok) Alone is one of Heart’s signature songs, not to mention one that has been done many times in the past with some performances having great results. Thus, Nicolina had some big shoes to fill taking on this song. She did OK for the most part. The verse was nice, and she did the smart thing by taking a softer approach with the chorus because it would’ve been disastrous if she tried to belt it out. However, this performance is like Katyrah’s Through the Fire in that it was sung fine but can’t help but be compared to the original. Ann Wilson has one of the great power rock voices, and it’s hard to think of this song without her belting out the chorus. Despite that, this was a solid performance. Light in the Hallway (Mother's Day) A Pentatonix song on Idol? The most fascinating part was seeing how the song would be arranged since Pentatonix is an a cappella group. I doubt the band had anyone who could match the harmonies, so the simple piano was the way to go. I’d say this was Nicolina’s best pure vocal of the season. While it may not have been the most dynamic performance, it was subtle, heartfelt, and on pitch, and sometimes that’s all that’s needed. Overall, I’d say Nicolina had a solid night. The Eliminated: Christian Guardino Lonely (TikTok) This was a performance of two halves. The beginning was nice, and I hoped either the performance stayed that way all the way through, or he’d gradually build it up to where the belting came across as more natural. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case as the chorus exploded like a soda can being opened after being shaken. With that said, this was the first time I really saw him trying to connect to the song instead of cramming in as many notes as possible. Dear God (Mother's Day) When I heard Smokie Norful, I expected I Need You Now. As for the actual Smokie song, I’ve been one who’s constantly complained about his oversinging. However, here it’s not a problem; furthermore, I’d say oversinging is encouraged in Gospel music. This was his best and most genuinely connected performance of the season. It was obvious this song meant a lot to him and his mother. He took what he tried to do with Lonely and improved tenfold on it. With that said, it was too little too late for him. Outside of his focus on showing off his vocal prowess over connecting to the songs, Christian’s biggest problem is that he was an old school Idol contestant. By that I mean Idol is more focused on originality and artistry over the pure singing and has been that way since S7, and while Christian has an impressive set of pipes, there was nothing much more to him. At least he went out on a strong note and gets to perform a duet with Michael Bublé at the finale (his reaction to the news was great). Jay Copeland I Have Nothing Sigh, there’s no escaping this song is there? The best part about it was the more modern arrangement. Vocally, Jay was over the place. The beginning was shaky as he didn’t sound sure of himself. He smoothed things out somewhat in the pre-chorus before sounding shaky again in the chorus. He ended it somewhat decent with the falsetto, but it didn’t make up for the vocals before it. In addition, like Nicolina’s Alone, it’s difficult to compare to the original version without hearing the power of the original singer, who in this case is the late Whitney Houston. Outside of the arrangement, the most memorable thing was him being the first male to sing this song. A Song for Mama I’m not the biggest Boyz II Men fan; however, I do like A Song for Mama. I can’t say I enjoyed Jay’s rendition unfortunately. The way the song was arranged was weird to say the least. The most jarring part was the omission of a few lines in the both the pre-chorus and chorus. In addition to this, I felt Jay could’ve connected to the song more. With that said, some of the things I did like were the improvisation during the last chorus and the way he sang the verse. As for Jay’s Idol run, he was someone who tried to do too much both vocally and performance wise, with Believer being his lowest point (this is a polarizing performance because it’s enjoyed by others; I just don’t happen to be one of them). Like Christian, he focused on showing off his voice more than connecting to songs. However, Just the Way You Are was the beginning of the turning point for him, and Lilac Wine was what appeared to be the performance that turned the page for him. Nonetheless, his performances after that were inconsistent and he never got back to the Lilac Wine level. Him making it as far as he did after being a WC when their odds have been slim at best during the ABC years is impressive. Good luck to him and Christian and will see them again at the finale. Personal Ranking: I've decided not to rank Fritz because his performances weren't live. TikTok 1. Noah 2. Nicolina 3. Christian 4. Leah 5. Jay 6. Huntergirl Mother's Day 1. Christian 2. Nicolina 3. Leah 4. Jay 5. Noah 6. Huntergirl Overall 1. Nicolina 2. Christian 3. Noah 4. Leah 5. Jay 6. Huntergirl

That's one positive way to look at the cancellation! - I need to go back and watch it myself. I remember it being long and looking difficult to pronounce. - It's probably better not to see them. - They didn't name all of the winners. I'm not sure, but I believed they skipped Taylor as well and went straight to Jordin and David after Carrie. - OK that's hilarious! I wonder if they accepted his apology. - Alejandro already appeared this season, so maybe they didn't get him for that reason. I'm not sure about Madison. Seeing how much the show talks about him and tries to bring him on at every opportunity, Adam probably had other requirements. My other guess for who Kris could have sung with is Allison.

(Cut that Soulja Boy) Now watch me youuuu (cut that Soulja Boy) Now watch me youuuu (cut that Soulja Boy) Now watch me youuuu (cut that Soulja Boy) Also, I didn't realize Rei is such a huge Soulja Boy fan.

QK and I are cutting: "What Goes Around...Comes Around" – Justin Timberlake "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" – Soulja Boy Tell 'Em

@.Rei, I'm trying to send my rankings, but it says you can't receive messages.

"I Tried" – Bone Thugs-n-Harmony feat. Akon "Bubbly" – Colbie Caillat "Wait for You" – Elliott Yamin "Cupid's Chokehold" – Gym Class Heroes feat. Patrick Stump I'm here for any of these if anyone's interested.

"I Tried" – Bone Thugs-n-Harmony feat. Akon "Make Me Better" – Fabolous feat. Ne-Yo "Paralyzer" – Finger Eleven "Cupid's Chokehold" – Gym Class Heroes feat. Patrick Stump

One queen paying homage to three other queens. You love to see it!

While I was disappointed "Feel Good Inc." didn't make the 2005 finals, I wasn't too pressed because I saw it was eligible for 2006 and would try again. "1 Thing" not making the finals, however, really hurt. My main goal for '05 was to get that in the finals. I gambled by not fighting too hard for it and didn't expect it to be cut in the petty round. That one hurt more than "Diary" because at least "Diary" fell short from a lack of support and not being cut outright.

I haven't enjoyed this season as much as the others, but this was a fun episode. I had a feeling Prince was going to be in the finale. After my original theory of each group having at least one act in the finale went to pot, my next theory was having the finale consist of only Team Good members. I didn't post it, however, in case it turned out to be wrong as my previous one. I called Space Bunny, although I admittedly had my doubts because the clues were too obvious. He did a great job disguising his voice because his real one would've easily given him away. He was a hoot after he was unmasked. Something told me Queen Cobras were En Vogue during their performance. I thought I recognized Terry Ellis's voice while they were singing and completely flipped out. I was and still am a huge En Vogue fan, so I rooted for them, plus it reignited my crush on Cindy Herron. Now I'm disappointed they didn't make the finals although Prince was great in his own right. The harmonies in their unmasked performance show they still have it. The only thing that would've made it better is if Dawn and Maxine were there. For the finale, right now I'm giving Ringmaster the edge. She's the best technical singer of the group. However, Prince and Firefly have great showmanship, so that could be a wildcard.

Nice to see her first two albums are the most nostalgic for you. For Archie, at least you got to see and meet him multiple times, so the cancellation didn't seem to be too heartbreaking. Seeing that Disney owns ABC, there's no chance this theme will go away in the reboot. It would've been a missed opportunity if there was no group performance of it. Agree with the last sentence. I completely agree about the same songs being picked. That was my major complaint about the night. I knew you would catch that subtle hint regarding Derek; it was just for you. Yeah, I rolled my eyes at the whole getting Katy into her seat and her falling out of her chair. - I can see the point about his smile being rehearsed yet genuine at the same time. - Her sister had a long and weird last name. I assumed her last name is the same. Glad you agree about the performance. I can only imagine the last sentence. - Maybe a bunch of dancers dressed like tentacles flailing about on stage. - Agree here. - At least one person agrees with me about his performance. - Seeing she was one of the more vulnerable contestants, it was a bit risky picking an unfamiliar song. She went out on a somewhat good note at least. - Can't say I disagree with this. He needed to have a strong performance to have a chance, but while not terrible he didn't quite have that. Spending a lot of time in the Rankdowns subforum has helped me develop message board calluses. Now I'm at the point of being barely affected. - Yes it was annoying not to get any good looks at who was in the lounge. They could've at least briefly introduced them. Well, they told everyone who performed how much of a star they were, which is pretty much all of their critiques are now. - They played audio clips of Ryan announcing Kelly's and Ruben's wins but skipped Fantasia and went straight to Carrie. I caught it immediately. - I shouldn't but I can't help but enjoy whenever he comes out and sings She Bangs. Too bad about not being able to see it with your dad. - It was just the way everything went down, especially with how Idol gave (and continues to give) Gabby the royal treatment even after all of the things she and her family said about the show. Regardless, it was good to see Maddie after it appeared she wanted to wash her hands of Idol. Too bad we disagree about her look. I did compliment Caleb even while saying that. I guess it's the songs they sing that don't highlight their voices the best. - Sorry, but I couldn't resist. He actually tweeted that? Good for him. I see your point about them still not being friends after being apart for so long. It was cool they got to meet Archie. Speaking of whom, hopefully he recovers well from his surgery too. at the last sentence. - Yeah - I expected to see he and Grace sing a ballad, so it was surprising to hear the opening chords to Rather Be. Maybe he wanted to silence those who criticized him for not doing uptempo songs. At least you enjoyed the duet. - I completely expected it to be Dunkleman and was somewhat disappointed it wasn't. - Sorry. At least the two still are friends and have a number of people who support them. - Yes! - Good point about Laci. Outside of Alejandro, the only other person who could've dueted with Laine if they followed the pattern of the other duets was Madison. Yeah, I could've definitely see Archie and Cook duet if not for the former's surgery. As for Kris, they probably would've paired him with Adam if he were to perform a duet.

The Great American Idol Reunion I normally write my thoughts in Word or Google Docs before posting them. However, I'm going to free write for this episode because there aren't any performances or eliminations to review. First, we can have a three hour episode of the Top 20 performing yet only one hour to celebrate some of the past Idol alums? If any episode deserved three hours, it's this one. Second, what's with the show not acknowledging the alums who sat in the lounge? They were paid dust compared to the ones who performed. Last, the judges's critiquing the duets weren't necessary. They're not competing for anything, so a few words of how well they've come along should have sufficed. Now for the episode... Ryan's monotone announcement of Kelly's win still cracks me up to this day. While on the subject, no they didn't skip Ryan announcing Fantasia's win. They really went from Ruben to Carrie. Who did Fantasia offend for them to gloss over her like that? I was at them putting the "Previously Recorded" disclaimer under Laine. They really wanted to let everyone know they don't condone what's going with Laine and that this was recorded before his legal issues (speaking of such, yikes). With that said, I'm glad they aired the duet because it wouldn't have been fair to punish Laci because of her partner's transgressions. While on the subject of Laci, I always thought she was pretty; however, she looked really beautiful that night. It helped she didn't have that orange spray tan all over her. Plus, she sounded really nice in the duet. Ruben and Jordin were a lot of fun to watch. They worked really well together just like they did in the S6 Finale, and both of them look good. I loved that clip of Lionel being a guest judge during S2. He really has aged since then. On the other hand, Paula virtually looks the same as she did then. Either she's had some good surgery or she's really been taken good care of herself. I watched Randy on Name That Tune, so I knew he's been skinny for a while. However, he didn't look too hot there. I'm going to say it: the William Hung segment may have been my favorite part of the show. Him singing She Bangs will never get old. Also, it made me long for other bad auditioners such as Tamika Bush, Keith Beukalaer, Leroy Wells, Milo Turk, General Larry Platt, etc. It seems Maddie has buried the hatchet with Idol for the time being if she agreed to appear in the reunion. The show shoving her aside and promoting Gabby is still one of the more unfortunate things to happen on Idol. Back to the reunion, I'm kind of digging her new look. Also, it's great to see she and Caleb are still together (speaking of Caleb, he's let himself go over the years; however, it doesn't look too bad on him). With that said, I've always felt their voices don't go well together, and their duet showed that. Regardless, it was good to see them. They actually invited the fangirls who melted down after David Cook's win? That video still cracks me up to this day (apologies to any Arch Angels). Speaking of Archie, it was cool for them to meet him in person and see they're huge fans of his. The only thing that would've been better is if David Cook appeared and asked them if he was still a loser who doesn't shave. Archie had another surgery on his vocal cords? I don't know what's up, but him having recurring vocal issues has to be really concerning. Finally, he resembled Justin Bieber with the blonde hair. On the subject of David Cook, his and Kris's duet was the most disappointing. Dreams is a great song, but their performance of it didn't wow me or anything. I'm going to look out my window and see if unicorns are flying because either that was a mirage or Willie finally did an uptempo song. Maybe the complaints can finally be put to rest. His and Grace's duet was kind of a mess, though. Oh, and Willie being invited to sing the National Anthem in front of the Queen has to have been a huge privilege for him. Ryan coming out with the blond tips was a highlight. It would've been better if Justin came out with the curly afro in their segment. Speaking of which, I thought Brian Dunkleman was coming through the door. Justin was a natural in the brief segment he did. Maybe he could be a substitution should Ryan leave or take time off. He couldn't be any worse than Bobby Bones (who by the way has not appeared at all this season, not that I'm complaining). I'm on record saying Scotty and Lauren are my least favorite Idol Top 2, and I still feel that way. However, there's no denying the two have great chemistry together and both have grown immensely since their time on Idol. Their duet was one of the better ones during the night. I wonder if there's still hope the two will get together some day (it won't be any time soon because Scotty is married). Yes, we get a Seacrest out at the end of the show! Ryan needs to bring that back. Overall, it was fine for what it was, but it could've been a lot better. I was disappointed Tamyra, Elliott, Brooke, and Pia didn't sing, mainly because those are four of my favorite Idol contestants (and ones I recognized immediately). I don't know how long Idol will last, but it would be cool if they did something like this on a yearly basis with different contestants. Now I'm wondering if they'll do something on a larger scale for the season finale. If they do, hopefully the S20 crew aren't completely ignored like the S15 cast was.

10 to 7: Disney Night Ah yes, Disney. An Idol staple ever since the show resurrected on ABC. First, I am still living for the We Don’t Talk About Bruno group number. I was kind of joking when I said I’d hope we get that for Disney Night. I expected it to be a complete train wreck, especially with all the intricate parts and complex rhythms. However, that was very good. It was cool to see two of the voice actors from the movie sing with them on stage. The part that surprised me the most was the end when everyone sang their own lines because that is the most complex part. Either they rehearsed well, or it was lip synced; I’m hoping it’s the former. As for the rest of the night, although it was one of the better Disney Nights, it was still a disappointment in a way. The main reason is the song choices. Outside of two songs, these have been done before and not only that, nothing new was brought to most of them. At least they were sung well for the most part. Next, what was with Derek Hough being the mentor? I thought Ben Platt was supposed to mentor the contestants. Well, at least I have a feeling someone was happy to see him (I’m not talking about Huntergirl). Finally, Katy’s Ariel costume was ridiculous. Her costumes in the past were fun, but this was just bad. Why didn’t she get a red wig or dye her hair red instead of putting that…whatever it was on her head? Also, the fins, while thoughtful, were more of a hindrance. She could’ve had a skirt flared out to look like fins so she could at least walk. The Contestants: Noah Thompson – You’ve Got a Friend in Me The most predictable song choice of the night goes to…Noah! I knew it would be this or something from Cars. Anyway, this is the most upbeat song Noah has sung this season. He sounded like he usually does, competent but nothing earth shattering (I feel like I’m saying this about him every week, lol). One difference, however, is showed some personality. He was smiling and looking like he was enjoying himself on stage, which is a far cry from him looking like he’s in pain in his previous performances. Huntergirl – I See the Light OK, now I see why she goes by a stage name. That last name must be a pain to pronounce and spell. As for her performance, for the first time this season she didn’t come across as a karaoke bar performer in some fashion. This was her best performance from a vocal standpoint, plus her stage presence was solid despite little movement. The key change towards the end was handled really well and although there are still some things in her voice, I’m not too fond of, she sounded strong throughout. Finally, there was some connection in the song although it’s still something she needs to work on (with this said, she’s not anywhere near as bad as Christian in this department). Easily my favorite performance of hers so far. Oh, and her fangirling over Derek Hough was cute. Jay Copeland – Remember Me While it would’ve been nice for him to sing something uptempo after his previous two performances and I’m tired of hearing Remember Me in these settings, he made the right song choice between this and I 2 I, as the latter isn’t really fit for a singing competition (ask Uché). He is on an impressive three song streak of reining in his voice and interpreting songs. With that said, this was the weakest of the three. He sounded OK until the ending when he overdid the falsetto. If he used the softer falsetto at the end instead of the higher pitched one at the beginning of the segment, the performance would’ve been better off. Still, it wasn’t terrible by any means. With that said, Michelle Sussett still has my favorite version of the song on Idol. One thing that’s interesting is how long he is lasting after being a WC pick. If only this happened for Jurnee… Leah Marlene – When She Loved Me Here is another song I’m bored of hearing. Anyway, Leah was smart not to be at the piano for this performance. She didn’t look comfortable with the idea in the pre-performance video; I say don’t go with something if you’re not fully confident with it. When She Loved Me is normally a sad song, but I liked her approach to it. She struck a delicate balance between remembering the good times and being sad it’s all over. Finally, she had her usual strong vocals. This is my favorite rendition of the song on Idol, although I hope it’s retired at some point. Nicolina Bozzo – Poor Unfortunate Souls I’ve waited for someone to sing this song ever since Disney Night has become a staple! This is what is wished Ada sang instead of Circle of Life. I hope other Disney villain songs such as Be Prepared and/or Hellfire are performed in future seasons should there be any. Nicolina was on point both vocally and her outfit. The performance was theatrical, but it was perfect for a song of this nature. With this said, as unpopular as this may be, I wanted more from her. I would’ve liked her to move on stage more. She didn’t have to dance or anything, but she could’ve really owned the stage if she walked around a bit and showed off a bigger than life presence, especially after starting the performance with her singing on screen before coming on stage. Outside of that tidbit, this was a strong performance from her. Oh yeah, Katy getting into character and acting terrified during the performance was funny. Christian Guardino – Circle of Life Speaking of Circle of Life, here is yet another song that has been done to death. I won’t say much about this because it was a typical Christian performance; one in which he sings the song by blasting his way through it with zero connection to what he’s singing. It was easy to see this would happen once I saw the song choice because it allows him to do so. Fritz Hager – Go the Distance Go the Distance is one of my favorite Disney songs. However, I did not care for Fritz’s rendition. Like Wonderwall, he completely made the song different from the original to where it was unrecognizable. However, this performance did not grow on me unlike Wonderwall; in fact, I liked it even less the second time around. The arrangement sucked the essence out of the song, and Fritz pretty much did the same thing vocally. This was hands down my least favorite performance of his and for an unpopular opinion, I prefer Cassandra Coleman’s version to his as messy as hers was. Eliminated: Emyrson Flora – Carried Me with You I don’t believe Onward is one of Disney’s most well-known movies and by extension Carried Me with You one of their known songs. Still, it was cool to see someone pick something out of the box. It was also cool to see her sing something more uptempo after doing ballads all season. She sounded fine and it appeared she had more fun on stage. While it wasn’t her best performance, it wasn’t too bad. She’s still growing into her voice and needs to understand where her strengths are. Her upper register is the weakest part of her voice, and she was in that range more than she needed to be. She stumbled in the middle, but at least she went out with two above average showings. Lady K – How Far I’ll Go And the award for the biggest glow up of the season goes to Lady K. She looked stunning in both the We Don’t Talk About Bruno and her solo performances. For the latter, while it was better than traitor, it still wasn’t very strong all things considered. It looked like she had some timing issues at the beginning, for it appeared she didn’t know what her next line was a couple of times. The rest of the song was better, but it wasn’t enough. She was intriguing in both personality and voice, but she was way too inconsistent to have a chance to go any further. Barring a showstopper, her time was eventually up after having to be saved the week before. Mike Parker – You’ll Be in My Heart Another overdone song. I would’ve loved for him to sing It’s All Right or anything from Soul for that matter. The thing with Mike is that his performances grew on me upon rewatching them, and this was no different. With this said, this was not one of his best efforts. The verses were fine; however, the choruses – especially the last one with the key change – left something to be desired. Nonetheless, with him out, I have a confession: Mike’s voice was my favorite this season (note I said he has my favorite voice, not that he’s my favorite contestant – there is a difference). The problem was the show forcing him into the country box when he comes across more as an R&B singer. I don’t know what he’ll do now, but if he decides to continue to go the country route, I hope he’s authentic and serious about it and wish him the best of luck. Best of luck to Emyrson and Lady K as well. Personal Rankings: 1. Leah 2. Nicolina 3. Huntergirl 4. Noah 5. Jay 6. Emyrson 7. Mike 8. Lady K 9. Christian 10. Fritz (bring on the confusion and flames) I'll post my thoughts on the reunion episode some time tomorrow at the earliest.

I'm making progress in that. I've listened to everything up to Blown Away. We're going to will this into existence! Oof, that's rough about the Archie concert. From the looks of it, he won't be touring any time soon either. I'm about to post my Disney Night review, so we'll see... Yeah, one I couldn't get rid of and caught myself singing at the most inappropriate times. I guess in a way it's a good thing because at great as it was at times, their banter detracted from the contestants as well. at these last two sentences.

Yes, no surprise about her. It was a great surprise indeed. Someone who understands me! I never shared it but thought this would be the perfect time to do so. I definitely understand the jealousy part. Maybe about the younger guy; after all, she dated her Scorpion co-star for a while after her first marriage and he (the co-star) is only a year older than her. But as Clint Barton said in Avengers: Endgame "don't give me hope". Thank you for the words about my thoughts. I was hesitant to share them at first, but I thought they'd tie in with the concert and review. Understandable for not forgiving him for constantly forgetting TGS title. . I guess he was trying to really show David his talent. Yeah, we can only guess what happened from there. It was absolutely devastating. True about anticipating her the most seeing where we are. I didn't blame everyone for wanting pictures of him either. Yeah, 15 years is a long time. Still, it was great to see it in person for myself. at the first sentence. It would've been great to see Loren sing more, but she was great the times she did sing. Who can forget the dress? It was great. to this last sentence.

Tier 1: Sceptile Tier 2: Absol, Latias Tier 3: Altaria

Battle 1: Blaziken vs Mudkip Blaziken - 3 (Derek, Steven, Crisis) Mudkip - 4 (Rei, Sola, Nico, Hayden) Battle 2: Cacturne vs Latios Cacturne - 4 (Sola, Derek, Nico, Hayden) Latios - 3 (Rei, Steven, Crisis)

I decided to take my co-worker up on her offer and will go see Carrie in concert. The show isn't until near the end of May though. This gives me some time to reacquaint myself with her music. I listened to her first two albums at work today and remembered how much I loved I Know You Won't and how amused I was by The More Boys I Meet. Maybe after her next album drops she may tour in your neck of the woods. This is probably one of the few things we can agree on this season. - Poor Adam and Subway? How about poor me for the torture they put me through. - Yeah, it does seem so long ago. The days when Ryan would stand up to Simon after the latter was harsh with the contestants. We won't be seeing much of that with this panel, although Luke has come close a couple of times. - Fair enough - Yeah, Luke was enjoying himself too much. He seemed to embrace being the "villain" so to speak. Oh, it's good to see the two patch things up although that video appears to be something. Glad to provide amusement! It wouldn't surprise me if it's one of those instances in which he was so caught up in the moment in that he didn't feel anything immediately but did so once the adrenaline wore off.

It was a treat to see so many guests. I know David's shows are known for having special guest singers, but it was still cool to see who they were. With that said, I had no idea who the other guests were. I all but said "take my money" and purchased a ticket immediately after learning Katharine would join him in concert. This, however, made Pia's appearance more special. Yeah, him saying that killed any chances of me considering singing. To deviate some, I have a confession to make: I was not a fan of his and Kat's marriage. It's not because I was disappointed she didn't marry me (zero chance of that happening; I'm a realist and besides, I'm about 20-30 years too young for her ). It's mostly because Kat is his fifth wife and his other marriages didn't end on the best terms. Foster himself admitted to being a lousy husband to his previous wives, so I was concerned about the whole thing (although Kat herself doesn't have the best track record; I adore her but I'm well aware of most of her flaws). However, it appears the two do have a special bond, and David credits Kat for mellowing him out some. It also helps his daughters accepted Kat despite some of them being older than her. I mention all of this because I saw and felt the love the two had for each other during the concert. He was hilarious throughout the evening, and him not remembering The Greatest Showman title was something. I knew you'd love it. Yeah, the guy was pretty good, although he was going to sing even longer before David stopped him. It was neat to be around those people. What was even better was the audience didn't bother them and treated them like they were normal people. As I said, in my review, I don't know if the two people who sang impressed David enough to where he would follow through. It would be cool they did. Yeah, her not coming out as Split was a huge disappointment. It was one of my favorite parts because that was the first time she took the stage. As much as I enjoyed everyone who came before her (including Pia), I was anticipating her appearance the most; after all, she's the main reason I attended the concert. She definitely made a grand entrance with that song. As for Michael, I certainly didn't recognize him at first, although it was hard to see him when he was in the crowd because most of the people around me were standing and waving their phones around trying to get pictures of him. I didn't get a good look until he headed towards the stage to sing. Yeah she has definitely come a long way. The first time I saw her live, while she sung beautifully she didn't have the best stage presence. She looked tentative and kind of unsure of herself. The Kat I saw last Saturday night was a completely different person. She was confident, loose, and engaging with the audience. She came across as a seasoned pro. David is an accomplished producer, writer, and musician; however, singing is definitely not his forte. When the opening chords of IHN were played, I thought Kat would sing it but was not disappointed it was Pia. I also expected Loren to sing something, such as Run To You. The yellow dress is synonymous with the song for Kat, so I had to reference it. I don't think I could ever get bored of Kat singing The Prayer no matter who's she with, and that night was no exception. Fernando complimented her well, which was no easy task after following Andrea Bocelli even on video. It was a lot of fun! Thank you and it was! You're welcome and am glad you enjoyed my review. From the looks of it. you did see Pia's photos.

There may be some people (OK, maybe the one or two posters who lurk in this thread ) who are wondering where these professional quality photos of Katharine came from. Well, in my S20 thread I mentioned I was going to attend a David Foster concert at the Encore Theater located in the Wynn Casino Resort in Las Vegas this past weekend, and these pictures of Katharine are from that show. As anyone can see, I tried to take as many pictures of her as possible (I have a few more, but they came out poor, so I didn’t bother posting them). These pictures are a preview of my concert summary I promised to write for @miss denise. So, after this introduction and without further ado… Crisis’s David Foster (and Katharine McPhee) Concert Review First, I will say the arena was smaller than I thought it would be. However, I didn’t mind it because it provided a more intimate experience as the performers were closer to the audience. Anyway, on the show! The evening started with a video of clips of songs David wrote and/or produced over his lengthy career. Afterwards, his backing band played some music before Foster himself came out and joined them on the piano. After their music introduction, David then talked about one of the songs he produced, a little-known ditty called St. Elmo’s Fire, which would be followed by a guy named Fernando Varela appearing on stage and singing some of the song. I wasn’t familiar with the guy, but he apparently was on America’s Got Talent as part of a group called the Forte Tenors, placing fourth in S8. He sung well, and he and David encouraged the audience to sing the chorus with them. It helped the lyrics to the song were on screen. I knew the song but didn’t participate. Following that performance, David and company played another song, this time with Kenny G joining them on screen. He (Kenny) wasn’t there in person because he was in the studio recording his next album. It was a short performance but a solid one, nonetheless. After that segment, David then talked to the audience for a bit. One thing mentioned was him announcing later in the show he and a couple of attendees would have 30 seconds to sing what they want. He had two main rules: stay on key and know the lyrics. Other than that, he was self-deprecating about his accomplishments, and he ribbed on the audience a bit, mainly asking us how much we paid for our tickets (which would be a recurring gag throughout the evening). Next, Fernando came back out to sing a really nice version of You Raise Me Up. Prior to that, David talked about how he dragged Josh Groban out of high school to record that song. The crowd, including myself, gave Fernando a standing ovation following his rendition. Next, David showed a clip of a scene from The Greatest Showman which had Hugh Jackman’s character introducing the woman who sang Never Enough in the movie. Speaking of TGS, David couldn’t remember the name of the movie throughout the night, and someone had to remind him every time. After the introduction, Loren Allred herself came out and sang the song along with the character. I have to say Loren’s voice is really impressive and beautiful in person. Up to that point, that the most well-received performance. Following Loren’s vocal exhibition, David pointed out Joe Torre, who was sitting in the audience that night. I was about a couple of rows behind him and didn’t recognize him until he was pointed out. He received a nice ovation. David then talked (or humble bragged) about him working with Celine Dion for a bit. Afterwards, Pia Toscano came on stage to sing The Power of Love and All By Myself. Before getting into the performances, for anyone (or in this case one person) who’s read through my S20 thread, I mentioned I took pictures of another AI contestant who was at the show and posted them in her fan thread. Well, that contestant was none other than Pia. I know Pia’s worked with David in the past, but it was still a pleasant surprise to see her, as it was the first time I’ve done so. I have to say the videos and pictures of her don’t do her justice. She is absolutely stunning in person, and so is her voice. She sounded fantastic on both songs, especially All By Myself. The part where she hit that infamous key change was a thing of beauty, and just about everyone in the place, me included, gave her a standing ovation at that part alone. Speaking of ABM, there was a video of a Celine interview in which she talked about how big of an David was to work with before Pia’s performance, in particular the key change. To David’s credit, he owned it and made a joke about it; however, I can’t exactly remember what it was. After introducing his son-in-law former professional tennis player Tommy Haas and his grandchildren, who also attended the show, Grégoire Maret, a jazz harmonica player, came from the audience and had a very impressive harmonica solo. It ranged from jazz to blues and brought a lot of energy to the place. It looked like he went through four harmonicas on that performance alone. Following that, the segment in which the audience sang came about. David picked two people from the audience to sing. The first was a guy who sang El Rey completely in Spanish. He was only supposed to sing for 30 seconds, but he went for a full minute. To his credit, he did sound good. The second person was Brennan Allred, Loren’s sister, and she sang the Kelly Clarkson song Anytime. I’ll say there is a lot of talent in that family because she sounded outstanding. She was about two rows in front of me, so I got to hear her very well. One thing David mentioned was if whoever sang impressed him enough, he may help them get a record deal. I don’t know if that happened, however, but it was a cool incentive if he followed through. While the first sets were great, the real star finally her appearance. Katharine comes out and sings a powerful version of Cry Me A River (unfortunately for Denise, there were no Banana Split costumes ). Afterwards, there was some cute banter between her and David for a minute or so. Suddenly David decided he wanted to call Michael Bublé and after a bit in which David pretended like he didn’t know how to use a cell phone and Kath helped him out, they talk to Michael who was attending the show in person. This was probably the loudest ovation anyone received during the show. He wore a black beanie and a low-key outfit, so it was difficult to recognize him. He went on stage to sing a couple of verses of Feeling Good after David and the band played a few measures of the song. A couple of pictures of him (apologies for the quality in advance ): After that, he and David plugged his residency here in Vegas, which I believe started already and is supposed to last until mid-May (I’ll have to look it up) before he went back to his seat. Following that, Kat came back on stage and sang Redneck Woman in her country accent she used for Country Comfort (I’m still disappointed that was canceled ). I first saw Kat in person around fifteen years ago and I have to say she has come a long way as a performer. This performance was a lot of fun. She took off her jacket, walked off stage, and engaged with some of the audience in some of the front rows. I wasn’t jealous or anything like that, no not me (note to self, next time spend a little more money to get closer seats should I have another chance to see Kat in person). There was a part where someone from the crowd tossed her a cowboy hat, which of course she dropped and tried to play off (she is such a dork). Unfortunately, Kat left the stage after that, but that was definitely not the last we saw of her. After that rousing performance, David talked about the time he worked with Barbra Streisand (more humble bragging). After his talk, Loren returned to the stage to sing Happy Days Are Here Again, which was a lovely performance. Following that, Pia joined her on stage to sing Tell Him. The two voices blended well together, and the performance was riveting. Next, the main headliner (Kat for anyone who don’t know who I’m talking about) came out to sing a powerful version of Somewhere to wrap up the Barbra Streisand segment. I literally got goosebumps hearing her sing that. The next segment was David talking about his work with Chicago and later Peter Cetera as a solo artist. This was followed by him engaging the audience to sing Hard For Me To Say I’m Sorry with the words on the screen. Afterwards David sang You’re The Inspiration, and let’s just say he was smart enough to let Kat do all of the singing during their time on The Masked Singer. This segued into him talking about how he and Peter Cetera wrote The Glory Of Love for The Karate Kid II soundtrack. He then talked (or in this case pouted) about how he never won an Oscar. He griped about how TGoL lost to Take My Breath Away from Top Gun; this was followed by his band trolling him by playing the first couple of measures of TMBA. He then talked about how he didn’t win an Oscar for The Bodyguard, which surprised me. I thought that won some awards for the soundtrack. This was followed first by Pia coming out to sing I Have Nothing, in which she sounded fantastic. Next, Kat came out to sing I Will Always Love You. Those who know me here know I am not a fan of the Whitney Houston version, which Kat did, but she sounded really nice with the song, especially in the lower parts. A part of me wished she did I Have Nothing, if only to redeem herself in her eyes (in one of her live feeds she did with David during the pandemic, she herself said she was horrible on the song during her time on Idol, though I personally didn’t think she was THAT bad ). Doing so with the infamous yellow dress wouldn’t have hurt either, though I’ve said that the yellow dress wasn’t one of my favorite looks of hers (which reminds me, I may still rank my favorite Idol looks of hers should I have the time). Right after that, Kat sang The Prayer by herself in the beginning. Later she was joined by Andrea Bocelli via video. After his part, Andrea apologized for not being there in person but hoped everyone was enjoying themselves. The performance closed with Fernando joining Kat on stage to sing the final parts, and the two voices harmonized very well together. Sadly, Kat left the stage and Fernando had the final solo performance of the night with an opera song whose name alludes me at the moment. While I would’ve loved to see Kat have the last solo spot, Fernando sounded incredible. It was a definitely worthy of the final solo spot. After this the final performance of the evening was everyone coming back on stage to sing Got To Be Real: This was a lot of fun, and just about everyone was out of their seats dancing. I believe either Pia or Loren got the most parts, and Loren was the best dancer of the group. Following the performance, David thanked everyone participating in the show and the audience for coming out before he and the performers left the stage for the final time. The band played for a little while afterwards before they left the stage on their own. Overall, it was a great experience and one I would do again in a heartbeat. It was great to see Kat in person again and see how much she has grown as both a singer and performer over the years. Seeing Pia there was a great bonus; it was such a treat to see two of my favorite Idol beauties on the same night. If there was one thing I would’ve like to see, it would be a spot in which Kat, Pia, and Loren performed together. One thing I wished I would’ve done was record video of the performances. In my defense, I was so much into the performances that it really didn’t cross my mind. Hopefully, Kat will perform live in my area in the future, and I will definitely make it a point to see her again if possible.

Thank you. And that she does!

I'm here for Blaziken.