Diana wasn't horrible tonight. She sang I'm Still Standing with all the energy and poise she's maintained throughout the competition. But there was no doubt something off for her. The judges and the audience both reacted to it, with Simon even refusing to comment at all on the performance. Diana didn't even seem to know exactly what was off, but she knew even as she performed that she still didn't have the connection with the audience that Simon said she needed last week. If she doesn't have that connection with the voters, there's an outside chance she could see the bottom three tomorrow night. I wouldn't peg her as this week's reject, though she'll need a strong return to form next week if she wants to continue to compete.
THE LOSERS
JPL's slow, steady spiral continued tonight with an abysmal rendition of Rocket Man. Whether at the advice of the judges or at his own initiative, Jon Peter has excised everything from his performances that got him voted into the finals as America's Wild Card choice in the first place. There was nothing fun about watching JPL tonight, no enjoyment to be garnered from his off-key and lackluster performance. However, he clearly has a devoted fan base that will vote regardless of the actual quality of his singing. Eventually, that base will begin to erode. When it does, JPL is toast.
It's becoming increasingly clear each week that John does not belong in this competition. He could very well be the next Sinatra, no doubt. He's got the voice and the style. But that is not what this competition is about. While his vocals on Crocodile Rock were adequate, it was almost painful to watch him attempt to dance in time to the music. His execrable performance last week somehow kept him out of the bottom three, but for how much longer will his fans put up with this nonsense?
Instead of commenting on Miss Velasco's brutal butchering of Goodbye Yellow Brick Road tonight, I'd like to focus instead on what would have happened last week if the majority of AI3 voters had two brain cells to rub together. The bottom three would have been Jennifer Hudson, John Stevens, and Miss Velasco. Jennifer would have been safe, but just barely. Middle America would likewise save John from the clutches of expulsion, and America would have bid a fond farewell to Miss Velasco. Had things gone as they should, we would have been spared her screeching, halting performance tonight. Had things gone as they should, Amy Adams would have been around to sing tonight. I'd like to think she would have sung I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues with her trademark energy and showmanship, ending in a standing ovation and thunderous applause. So, a moment of silence if you will, for the one AI3 finalist who should have been there tonight, but wasn't.
Article comments
1 - Mark Saleski
i like john stevens' voice but i just couldn't get over the song selection.
Crocodile Rock? what the hell was he thinking?
2 - Scott Pepper
Agreed--that choice was just disasterous. Elton John has no shortage of slower songs (like "Daniel" or "Mona Lisas & Mad Hatters") that would have been much better for John.
3 - IluvIdol
Good link to that MSNBC article about voting.
Considering how the voting works (we get to vote people to remain in the competition, and not vote people off)
I predict that JPL and John Stevens fans will try to save him. I cannot see how Camille, Jon, and JPL will be the bottom 3 when you taking the voting system into account.
Also, I think Jon's fans are like Nikki McKibben fans of AI1. Nikki's fans saved her when she did bad, and then when it was down to 4, Nikki brought her A game, did better than Tamayra, and her fans continued to vote like crazy insuring Tamayra's doom. Jon's fans are saving him, hoping an "old school [big band]" night is coming where Jon will shine and his fans will vote like crazy for him and someone else will be off.
I think the bottom three will be:
Camille, JPL, and Diana Diguarmo, with the final 2 coming down to Camille and Diana. I say Camille because I don't think her fans are strong enough to keep voting for her, and I think more Jon Stevens fans will try to keep him alive over JPL. I don't think Diana has a strong enough fan base yet. This has nothing to do with Diana's performance, but I see her as the Amy Adams of this week: the voting system could cause Diana to fall through the cracks.
The final two will be Diana and Camille, with this being Camille's last night. Watch and see.
4 - Scott Pepper
I cannot see how Camille, Jon, and JPL will be the bottom 3 when you taking the voting system into account.
Wishful thinking? Actually, the voters appear to be quite fickle this season. Having LaToya and Jennifer in the bottom 3 last week could be a call to action for their fans to overtake the JPL and John Stevens groupies. I mean, really, how many of them can there actually be?
5 - Eric Olsen
Good job Scott, thanks! I think the winners were George, Jennifer, LaToya and Fantasia. Jasmine was pushing too hard the whole song, as Paula noted.
Overall, the night was a diasaster, probably the worst I have ever seen in a finals. I understand the judges' exasperation - even Paula - and poor Elton John: his songs were brutalized for the most part. It shows you how good and flexible a singer her is - those huge jumps in so many of his songs are just about impossible to bring off. What were they thinking in the song selection?
No wonder Sir Elton didn't want to sit through the mess.
6 - boomcrashbaby
Diana DeGarmo -But there was no doubt something off for her....Diana didn't even seem to know exactly what was off
Paula Abdul's comments on her were, 'I know that you aren't healthy but...' leading me to believe that Diana was sick with the flu or something.
I imagine when Camile was performing, Amy was in the audience crying because life isn't fair.
Fantasia is a star, I just love the uniqueness of her voice and I can't wait to hear her single/album whether or not she becomes an Idol.
7 - Eric Olsen
I agree Fantasia is the class of the group, although George is growing so much each week, he may end up in her class himself. I think the final will (and absolutely SHOULD) be between those two.
8 - Michelle
i think Fantasia Barrino was the best of the night, and i fear Camile is gonna drop out, but i like her very much and the tone of her voice.
9 - IluvIdol
"I cannot see how Camille, Jon, and JPL will be the bottom 3 when you taking the voting system into account.
Wishful thinking? Actually, the voters appear to be quite fickle this season. Having LaToya and Jennifer in the bottom 3 last week could be a call to action for their fans to overtake the JPL and John Stevens groupies. I mean, really, how many of them can there actually be?"
So who was that with the Wishful thinking? I predicted (based on how voting works, not who "should" be in the bottom 3) 2 out of the 3 that were actually in the bottom. Jasmine to me is no surprise because she is doing good, but not in the same class as George/LaToya/Fantasia. Thus she isn't getting nearly as many votes as the stars or the other people who happen to have a large loyal following.
I thought JPL fans would finally die out, but I guess not. It looks like no matter what Jon and JPL are here to stay. Thus one can't help but think that with the two Jon's and their fan base (And the voting system where you vote who you want to remain in the competition), next week's bottom 3, regardless of the singing, will be:
Jennifer Hudson (already a bottom 3 person before)
Diana Diguarmo (already a bottom 3 person before)
Jasmine Trias (already a bottom 3 person before).
If people have already proven they will not rally around these 3 before, what makes anyone so sure that this isn't next week's bottom 3 even before the show airs?
We already know JPL and Jon Stevens fans will vote like crazy so they won't be in the bottom 3, and George and Fantasia always get enough votes to avoid the bottom 3, and LaToya hasn't been in the bottom for a while now, thus leaving Jennifer/Jasmine/Diana.
10 - MONALISA
jENNIFER HUDSON CAN REALLY SING, NOMATTER WHAT EVERYONE SAYS ,SHE'S A SOULFUL SINGER.HOPE SOMEONE AGREES WITH ME