"but right now it sure does look like a Bo/Carrie sing-off is in our future."

It sure as hell better be. VONZELL has been in AI for 3 weeks longer than she should have been.

VONZELL can't be allowed into the finals, because she'll automatically win because when you put a white vs. black in ANYTHING, people are going to favor the black over the white, even if the white outdoes the black, for fear of being called racist if you support the white person.

That's the biggest reason VONZELL HAS TO GO NOW. If Vonzell goes to the final, and Bo or Carrie doesn't, it WILL be the biggest travesty on AI since Ruben "beating" Clay.

A single tear rolls down my cheek... If only we were all as poetic as you, Sticker. It scares me how in sync we are!
Vonzell was good but still not steady and sure enough for superstardom. Hope she gets her packing done before tomorrow night!
Carrie's come a long way for a small
town country girl and she's got a great set of vocals for particular songs but lately she's been sounding a little like fingernails on a chalkboard.
The Shania Twain song was so wrong! She started out way too low and sounded like someone doing laundry on one of those old washboards! I actually felt bad for her - what was Randy thinking?!
Bo-dacious! Clearly tonight's performance gave us serious insight into Bo's inner and outer karma - he's a star. To be brave and bold enough to go a capella! His voice was like pure syrup tonight and when he wins I'm havin' pancakes!

When Bo was finished with that accapella song, all I could say was "WOW". That was just an unbelievable delivery. How smart of him to do it with out the band and really showcase his voice!

That ranks there with Fantasia doing "Summertime" as far as gut-wrenching, balls-to-the-walls, soulful, knock-em-dead (you get the drift?) performances ever.

Tyler: "for fear of being called racist" - by who? yourself? No one knows who you did or didn't vote for. Why would anyone fear being called a racist when the voting is anonymous? Your line of reasoning is total racist psycho shit and I am really fucking sick of it.

Great job Sticker - you rule!!

oh, and re the show, Bo's a capella was a little too close to me me me showy ostentation for me - use the band, buddy, that's why they're there.

Great column, Sticker. I couldn't agree more about Bo, clearly the class of this season's show. Just in case people are wondering who the heck Badlands (the band he covered for his second song) was, they were a bluesy hard rock band from England that emerged during the height of hair metal. Their lead singer, Ray Gillen, who has passed away, was phenomenal. I found this "Twilight Zone"-style post on the website of Badlands' guitarist, Jake E. Lee: "I just about shit the first time I saw Bo Bice on American Idol. That guy is the first REAL rock singer (ie:Paul Rodgers/RayGillen) I've heard in years! Ray Gillen is irreplacable, but Bo Bice could be the next best thing! Man that dude could KILL on some Badlands tunes!" This comment was posted on April 20. How's that for seeing the future?

Eric--I agree. It was like some fucking coronation. He's got this sort of swagger now like he expects your neverending adulation.

tn-

please go away.

Leslie,

I'll join you in having pancakes when Bo wins!

Aaron,

GREAT catch on the Badlands site! Thanks!

Although not in the predictive mode, Bo also got kudos from the Ides of March when he sang "Vehicle" (more here)

Very telling.

Excellent review, Sticker.

Bo Vs. Carrie - rock vs. country - watch the sparks fly.

voting on weather you are black or white is just plain stupid ..Vonzell is so cute and has a great voice and personality and she will be a star even if she is voted off..same goes for Carrie...I was really pissed off at the judges for showing who they really want to be the winner,...but is the winner really the winner..look at Josh Gracin..I couldn't stand him and now he was up for best new talent on Country awards last night..go figure..and while I am on winners ..hell I can't even remember her name was voted best vocal of the year over such stars as Sara Evans and Tina Mc Bride..what are they thinking..I smell a bunch of Teenies doing the voting..As far as Bo goes I thought his Capella performance was stupid and only his first song was good..I can't stand the seedy look he has with the way too long hair and dirty looking face oh well I just hate rockers and can;t stand the acrobatics with the Mic while running around on the stage..But all that said I think all three will be stars in the future along with Erica Jo from Nashville Star..

Really enjoyed your article Sticker as well as the show last night. Bo really brought it. I was disappointed by the Randy/Paula/Simon choices of songs. All three songs really didn't showcase their singing abilities and the choruses were too repetitive. But Bo was the clear winner, of course. Vonzell, love you and can't wait to hear more from you in the near future. But... She may have been outsung last night.

Carrie Underwood=Best American Booty since the Divine Ms. Kelly C!

And on this, there can be no debate.

thanks, Aaman - Ithink it will be Bo v. Carrie.

I just hope it doesn't end up like the typical Super Bowl, with one team unraveling and the other trouncing them with their eyes shut.

thanks, keefer

I thought Clive Davis' song choices were not so hot, either.

And this is hilarious out of people who week after week harp on song choice---then Randy comes out with "Man, I Feel Like a Woman"? Ugh.

Fine then. I guess I am the ONLY person in America who see that if the final is Vonzell vs. Bo, Vonzell will win.

Or if the final is Vonzell vs. Carrie, Vonzell will win.

Remember, it is socially acceptable to favor a black person over a white person, even if the white person is more talented. This is the state of affairs here in the USA these days. It is not socially acceptable to like Carrie OVER Vonzell, or Bo OVER Vonzell, because Vonzell is black.

THIS AFFECTS VOTING. Too bad I am the person in America who sees this.

Eric: I am fucking sick of you never trying to understand anything I am saying. I have tried repeatedly to explain the dynamics of AI (And American society as it relates to race relations), and you ignore it.

You seem to start with the supposition that I am wrong, and prove it. NEVER ONCE have you given ANY CREDENCE to my ideas.

Thanks for being closed-minded Eric Olsen. I thought so much better of you.

What do you lot think of our simon cowell then we in the uk love to hate him.

I read quite a few articles about the "song competition" last night of AI. This one is the best so far. You eloquently and accurately described what happened and what is was like when Bo sang a cappella. This shows what an intelligent and thoughtful person you are. Most other writers and people I've talked to and comments I've read are so jaded or whatever that they are incapable of describing it as "a thing of beauty" as you wrote.

I'm warming the griddle Sticker!
I think Bo going a capella was not a show of arrogance on his part but more like a defining characteristic of the confidence in himself. I think it was Randy who commented that it's clear Bo is in this to win and it's the reason he WILL win. I got a little bent lastnight as I watched one of my local newscasts from Portland, OR - they were doing a poll about who'd come out the winner. Bo was at 39%, Vonzell at 12% and Carrie at 49% by the program's end. I had to remember people in Oregon are mostly counrified folk so obviously Carrie would be their choice. Oregonians are not best known for the contents of their brains - no offense. I'm betting my fellow Californian comrades are Bo all the way. I think it would be interesting to actually see the geographics of the votes.

Mr. Newton, you have stated your theory over and over again. And over and over again. And over and over again. We hear you! Many of us have disagreed. It isn't that we don't understand what you are saying -- we get your message all too well! -- the fact is, however, that we reject it and find your theory disgusting. Why can't you accept that?

I wish I could say that I thought so much better of you, but that would be a lie.

Regarding polls, the many I have seen (before last night's astounding Bo performances) are about split -- half go to Bo and half to Carrie.

Personally, I think Bo's singing last night (described wonderfully by the poster) did the job. As the final note of his a cappella rendition of Badlands' tune died away, I said to Spousal Unit, "Bo just won this thing." And I believe he did: Bo Bice, in my mind, IS the American Idol, and perhaps the best of the bunch.

Rose,

Thank you for your kind words. I think many writers think they are extra-cool and so end up the opposite.

But, anyway, I just do my thing, call it as I see it, and I'm glad you and others enjoy reading what I write.

Leslie,

There were people who thought the a cappella version was a gambit of some sort and some people just don't dig a cappella singing.

There will always be a variety of opinions and that's good. But I took it the same way you did: Bo declaring that he wants to win, here, here's how I sing.

bo is the first person in this contest ever to deserve to be called 'idol." it is like he is true olympic gold and all the rest are special olympic bronze, at best. kelly, clay, fantasia, ruben, vonz -- might be good enough to earn solos in their high school choirs, but get off the world stage, losers.

Sticker,

So right on about the song choices. Before, I was complaining, "why are they letting these guys pick their own songs?" After last night, I was complaining, "why did they let the judges pick these songs?" Oh well, damned if they do and damned if they don't... LOL At least it seemed as though the competition factor was stepped up notwithstanding the song choices.

Keefer,

I think there's another prob with the judges picking songs (besides that, except for Satisfaction---which how could that ever go horribly wrong?) is that it's another way the judges can influence---or BE PERCEIVED to influence the competition.

A really stupid song could torpedo a contestant's chance of winning, while a really great song certainly wouldn't hurt.

I know Mr. Jackson would say, "Dude, dawg, the thang is that the mark of a great singer is the ability to sing anything well."

True enough.

But then why are they always carping on song choice?

Yes, a really great singer might have been able to do something with "Man, I Feel Like A Woman," but even so, it was the wrong song at the wrong time on the wrong contestant at the wrong point in the competition.

I'm not suggesting the judges were doing anything other than trying to pick a "good" song for the contestants, but they sure leave themselves open to rumblings about their motives if the song choice seems obviously bad to the whole rest of the world.

I totally agree with you, Sticker. I think that both Paula and Randy are guilty of telling the contestants "bad choice of song" because it's a "wimp out" when they should just tell the contestant they weren't good at all. Former contestants like Nadia and Constantine made interesting and brave choices in their songs and pulled their performances off brilliantly (or at least the majority of their performances in my opinion). This leads me to believe that AI does have their song lists up to par, however... Maybe having judges pick this late in the game is not a wise decision. I was just wondering if that fax to Bo had Paula's number on it... hardee har har

oh, you bad, keefer! tee hee

I have been watching AI for a long time now , and honestly speaking Bo is by far the best singer in the history of this competition. If there was a contest between the winners of the past AI contests and Bo , Bo would win.

However , that does not necessarily mean that Bo will win this competition. Why ? The winner of this competition is decided by a voting system in which a person is allowed to vote as many times as he or she would like to.

Now , as a student working part time I hardly get to vote once. And I am sure there are a lot of people like me who like the show but cannot be bothered to vote.

So that means the fate of Bo lies in the hands of the section of the population that lays greater stress on the 'likeablity' factor rather than on pure singing ability.

Going by singing ability alone , Bo is a total pro compared to the two girls who really are just kids. No contest there. But as far as the 'l' factor goes , who would you pick ? The cute little girl with the sunday school face or the dirty hairy bearded rocker guy ?

I agree with you about Bo. I can't wait to buy his CD whether he wins the competition or not. His singing on Tuesday was fantastic!!!

Bo is definately my pick... be real though...none of the contestants are losers or they wouldn't have come as far as they have. We tend to forget somthing...just because we tune in to see them sing doesn't mean it's all fun and games's . these folks have been on one hell of a journey and must be worn the hell out not to mention stressed to the max .. i'm sure it can't be easy learning songs you've never heard before and then trying to perfect them and then put yourself out there for all the world to judge you. When it comes down to talent, stage presence, marketing, ... I can't help but think Bo is the best bet. He is a true star and hey, he's got one fine personality to boot.. ever notice he never forgets to acknowledge the band and back up singers after each time he performs.. Bo is a true man!

Karin,

It's always good to remember how incredibly stressful this competition must be. Makes you more appreciative of what the contestants do deliver.

There's a joke in the industry that P. Diddy needs 3 days notice before he can get on stage to sing "Old MacDonald Had a Farm."

I bet there are a lot of established artists who could not go on stage with a song, out of their genre, that they had to learn in 2 days.

There's a lot of current artists who wouldn't make it past the first auditions.

Count me in for pancakes! I'll enjoy them whatever happens: to celebrate a Bo victory or to console in the event of America choosing a lovely, sweet-voiced child over a polished, soulful, American-roots-music-revering rocker.

Do the right thing, America. Vote Bo.

I'm late writing in here. Sorry!
I'm just glad to see that I am not the only person who said, "wow", when Bo finished singing Tuesday night. I looked at my family members, who had all gathered at my house to watch it, and said, "Thats it. The competition is over. Bo has won." Thats exactly how I felt and continue to feel. If you can go out and do an acapella version of that song and nail it?? You are worthy of many titles, including, The Next American Idol.
Peace Out!

As I have said in the past, Sticker, you rock!

Bo brought it home--showing all he's got. The main thing he's had over all the contestants is S-O-U-L. And that has nothing to do with Olympic riffing, dog whistle notes, or volume. It's about letting your true insides emanate outward for all to see. Oh yeah, & he's got TALENT, too. If he didn't have both talent & soul, he would never have been able to pull off that a capella song. No way.

My problem with Carrie has always been her utter lack of soul. She's so wooden! But slowly her voice has been creeping up & annoying the hell out of me lately---for all the reasons you cite...but one more. Clive, for the most part, seemed overly sedated until he noticed that "Crying" was missing falsetto. Bingo! I'm sure she has one--but it seems to be virtually unused. Instead of using her head voice, she opts to belt instead--which in the long run is death to a singer. I hope she gets with a good voice teacher SOON! I think Carrie is young & sheltered & it shows in her singing. Perhaps in 10 years or even 5, she'll develop her own style & have full use of her voice. But for now she's a bit of a Barbie. At least Vonzell brought more soul to the table. I'll miss her.

But Bo's got my vote & always has...

As I have said in the past, Sticker, you rock!

Bo brought it home--showing all he's got. The main thing he's had over all the contestants is S-O-U-L. And that has nothing to do with Olympic riffing, dog whistle notes, or volume. It's about letting your true insides emanate outward for all to see. Oh yeah, & he's got TALENT, too. If he didn't have both talent & soul, he would never have been able to pull off that a capella song. No way.

My problem with Carrie has always been her utter lack of soul. She's so wooden! But slowly her voice has been creeping up & annoying the hell out of me lately---for all the reasons you cite...but one more. Clive, for the most part, seemed overly sedated until he noticed that "Crying" was missing falsetto. Bingo! I'm sure she has one--but it seems to be virtually unused. Instead of using her head voice, she opts to belt instead--which in the long run is death to a singer. I hope she gets with a good voice teacher SOON! I think Carrie is young & sheltered & it shows in her singing. Perhaps in 10 years or even 5, she'll develop her own style & have full use of her voice. But for now she's a bit of a Barbie. At least Vonzell brought more soul to the table. I'll miss her.

But Bo's got my vote & always has...

narisha-

re your observation about Carrie and her mostly non-existent falsetto:

I'm convinced that's why I keyed in on what I called the "window-breaker note" she hit on the national anthem in her homecoming vid.

She's got it in her.

I think all of her deficiencies can be corrected with time. If she does that, she'll be a star.

Sticker,
Have you watched every season of American Idol? If you have, you might remember that Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Clay Aiken and Fantasia did not have any deficiencies to overcome vocally. They were giving people goosebump performances early on in the season. This year basically was the weakest by far. I only pick Bo as the potential winner, as I think within his genre, he actually is a very good singer. It just doesn't happen to be my taste in music. Also don't like the shades, hair or clothing choices. Having said that, he pulled at my heartstrings on his trip back home when he got very, very emotional. I kinda like that in a guy; especially a rocker.

Sarah,

Yep, I've watched every season of American Idol. I just came a little late to the party in Season One because I had to be hogtied first.

After that, I got hooked. Don't think I missed an ep yet, although I have to admit to it being a chore mostly last season.

In my book, there have been relatively few goosebump-inducing performances over the years. Of course, by definition they don't come around every day anyway.

You are right: Kelly and Clay regularly lifted the forearm hairs, Ruben and Fantasia more often than not (for me). I especially loved Ruben's voice, but I couldn't dig his debut cd too much, precisely because I felt cheated on it not highlighting his vocals. I felt I could hear any singer dish that stuff.

If the suits get smart (please read my piece here - and I would love to know your musical bio, too), they will find a stream for Bo that reaches a LOT of people.

They won't confine him to one genre, but let the beautiful waters of pop and rock and on and on mix together in that big baritone of his.

anyway , i love carrie more .. she is beautiful , kind , talented ... i love her the most because of her friendly ...i will support you forever carrie , you are always the 1st idol for me ! i love you

calist---

Carrie will have a great career with fans like you