Here are the brand new promo pictures for Glee's next episode, Never Been Kissed, which will be aired November 9, 2010 - yes, NO GLEE next week!
In this episode, Puck is now out of juvie and has to do community service, and apparently, Artie will be his "community service". This might also be the episode where Kurt's love interest, Blane (Darren Criss), will be introduced.
I still can't believe that after more than 4 months, I'm down to my Final 10 American Idol contestants. Unbelievable. Yes, the whole countdown was a lot of work, but I seriously had fun doing this. I also definitely appreciate each one of you for reading this countdown since Day 1, and I thrive off of your comments - they make me feel special. Ha!
So, who do you think will consists the Idol Top 10? Out of the contestants I've already revealed, who do you think is too high? Or too low? Who are you shocked that hasn't shown up yet? What do you think of the list as a whole? I want to hear your thoughts. Keep them coming.
Oh, and if you want, you can guess the Top 10 and their ranking, just for fun!
Hmm. This was a decent episode but no more than that for me. I don't know. Maybe I was just expecting too much from this episode because of the one week Glee hiatus from last week. To be fair, I really enjoyed the musical numbers but I think I'm done with tribute episodes for this season - though this one sort of had a plot unlike Brittany/Britney and The Powers of Madonna. Ha!
I will say though that this episode was NOT my favorite episode in the world and can be filed under one of my leasts. And as I’m not horribly ecstatic about it, this won’t be as long as I normally would have written.
Bottomline: It was generally ok.
THE GOOD:
- I liked how the episode focused on the adults - Will, Emma, Carl and Sue. I thought that it was a decent transition from the last episode, Duets. I mean, not every episode can be about Rachel, Finn, or Kurt. Somehow, it was a nice break from the regular high school storylines.
- It was refreshing that this episode tackled the body image issues for boys. I think this brings a lot of insight into Sam's character as well as Finn's.
- Mercedes killed it this episode. I love how there was a supposed disclaimer before Sweet Transvestite - about how she was going to make it her own. Plus, the song was spot on for her characterization of Frank. I was impressed.
- Sam, I thought, was funny in an awkward way, much like his introduction in Duets. Haha. Wait, is he a dork, a jock, or what?
- Finn and Rachel was, again, good in this episode. I love their honesty in the relationship and how they are making each other better in their respective lives. Rachel has suddenly humbled herself a good bit.
- Sue's Corner made a triumphant return!
- They walk such a fine line with Sue Sylvesters's character, but I like that she occasionally shows that she's also a good teacher. Emphasis on occasionally. Ha!
- Becky really cracked me up in this episode. Who would've thought?
THE BAD:
- Although I liked the idea of the adults getting the spotlight in this episode, I don't think I've ever really hated Will's character this much. I mean, he seemed to never learn anything. Seriously. How many times last season did he screw things up by doing things selfishly? A lot. And now it is back again, first in Britney, and now this. Sure, I somehow like the story of this episode, but Schuester needs to grow up. His motives of doing a Rocky Horror musical was sickening. Somehow, I think Sue might be a better teacher than Will. Sorry.
- The episode was lacking in laugh out loud moments. No really funny Sue or Brittany one-liners. Sad.
- Artie really needs to start getting a clue. That is all.
THE MUSIC:
SCIENCE FICTION/DOUBLE FEATURE. I really loved how they kept it true to the original at the beginning simply because it's a random song so trying to put it into any type of context would be odd. I also loved Santana's voice in this song. Good job!
THERE'S A LIGHT was just way too short! Ha. That being said, I love their take on the song and the set looked amazing. Also, I've said this before and I'll say it again, Rachel and Finn make the perfect Brad and Janet. Really.
DAMMIT JANET was perfect. I thought Finn and Rachel were great playing these characters and their vocals had so much personality. I was giggling the whole time. So cute.
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO SATURDAY NIGHT. Well, I thought that it was interesting that all of a sudden Carl was the one who had to audition for a part. But, I digress as I thought the performance was wonderful! He absolutely killed it. Oh, and I enjoyed the little couple moments with the dancing.
SWEET TRANSVESTITE. This musical performance was fabulous. I thought Mercedes' rendition of the song worked way better in the context of the show and performance than it did solely on audio. She was strutting her stuff pretty well. I also liked how they played out the controversy of Frank-n-Furter. To me, it seemed realistic for a high school setting. But really, one of the best songs of the night.
TOUCH A TOUCH A TOUCH A TOUCH ME was shockingly good. Truth be told, I didn't like it the first time I heard the song but now I thought Emma was wonderful in it. And yes, Will and Emma do still have great chemistry. This musical number proved that.
TIME WARP was probably the best musical performance of this episode, mainly because it was fun to watch and listen. There was no plot development or point being made, it was just pure fun. Also, Quinn and Kurt rocked it!
Download music HERE. Download episode HERE. Watch the preview for next episode HERE.
Ugh! Another week of Glee hiatus. Why do they have to put Election Day on a Tuesday? Haha.
Anyway, here's a preview of Glee's next episode, which will air two weeks from now - yes, NO GLEE next week. Here, Puck is out and Artie is his community service and I think this is the episode where we will all be introduced to Blaine (Darren Criss), a gay student who is a member of a rival show choir and is reported to be Kurt's love interest. This will be exciting - hopefully.
Carrie Underwood, one of American Idol's most successful alumni, sits at #11. Yes, almost part of the Top 10 but not quite. Ha! Well, this might come as a bit of a surprise for some of you to see Carrie this "low", but really I don't consider this an unacceptable position.
I have switched a couple of names at #11 before I was able to finalize the list - it was tough. But then, out of the 11 remaining Idols, Carrie Underwood was the only one I didn't exactly root for an American Idol win. Yes, Carrie is another contestant that I had mixed feelings about during the show. Let me explain.
When Carrie first auditioned, I thought she was quite good - a little lifeless but she had a nice tone to her voice and she sang pretty well. It didn't take long for me to realize that Carrie was an absolute contender to win the whole competition. I mean, when the semifinals started, I thought she started off the show very strong with Could've Been. However, it also didn't take long for her to have a bit of a misstep with Piece of My Heart the next week. Now, was the performance bad? Not at all. It was just not what she needed to do at that time to strengthen her fanbase - well, not that it needed any strengthening. Ha!
The week after that, she was back on again and then off again the next week. Basically, that was my Carrie Underwood experience on American Idol. She, arguably, was the most inconsistent winner - aside from Lee Dewyze, of course!
I think when people hear the name Carrie Underwood, most of them think of performances like Alone, Independence Day, or Making Love Out of Nothing At All. They think of performances she has done since her American Idol stint. They think of songs from her hit albums. But people really forget her rough time on Idol. I mean, she made it absolutely hard for the judges to pimp her just because they had to criticize her every other week, basically. Ha! Oh, and it definitely didn't help that Carrie was completely dull in the personality department. She was easily the most boring winner to come off the show.
The thing that makes someone who was so inconsistent this high on my countdown was the fact that when Carrie is on, she's definitely on. She has such a full and beautiful tone to her voice that it could actually fill a room. So, even though she gave some real stinkers on Idol, she'd always win me back with that beautiful tone on some other song. See, Carrie was quite ambitious on Idol, and it's kind of sweet seeing how hard she tried during her season. On many occasions, she felt the need to "get into character" during her performances, dress like she was from the 80's or 50's - whatever it may be. It's kind of endearing, actually. But she didn't need to do that. All she had to do was sing, and the fans would come.
Now, if I were taking into consideration post-Idol materials when deciding my favorites, Carrie would definitely be a bit higher. I mean, she is a superb recording artist. I admit, I hate country music, but Carrie absolutely can make me enjoy it. Every single she puts out is gold to me: Cowboy Casanova, Temporary Home, Undo It, Last Name, Jesus, Take the Wheel, So Small, Before He Cheats, and Just A Dream. I love them all! That, to me, is an amazing feat - to make someone who hates country music love country music. Oh, and let me just say that her performance of Praying for Time during Idol Gives Back was by far one of the most breathtakingly beautiful performances that I have EVER seen on Idol. Bar none. It was sheer vocal perfection. So, I am quite proud that Carrie has represented American Idol VERY well, and she has made up for any off performances she had 5 years ago in spades.
Favorite performance(s): I'm going to have to be boring and say that Alone is my favorite Carrie Underwood performance. Carrie often tried to step out of the box and deliver some non-country performances or, at the very least, give non-country songs a country spin. But, this was one of maybe two that really worked out beautifully for her. Her voice had never sounded more powerful on the show. I also really loved Independence Day. I think that was the first time she really showed us how great of a modern country artist she could be. I also love Carrie for introducing me to God Bless the Broken Road. I had never heard of it before she sang the song during the Finale, but I instantly fell in love with the song and her performance of it. I must add her performance of Prayer For Time because it's one of the most beautiful guest performances ever!
Oh, Allison.. you, obviously, made it farther, and more fabulously, than I ever thought the show would let you. And yes, I had to take comfort in that because up until this moment, I still can't believe that Danny Gokey's primal scream during his dreadful performance of Dream On really got him more votes than this talented young girl.
Seriously. Just like Syesha Mercado, Allison Iraheta was, arguably, one underrated Idol finalist. Truth be told, she never won Simon Cowell's wholehearted approval and she never got a ''you could make it to the Finale'' critique from any of the judges no matter how fantastic her performances were. It came to a point where I was already tired of her NEVER getting enough credit, while if your name was Adam Lambert or Danny Gokey, you can do no wrong. It was so messed up.
Yes, I never really considered Allison a real contender when the Top 36 was announced. I mean, when the Group 2 finalists were revealed, I absolutely written her off the competition because she seemed to be one of those usual cannon fodders. I also find Group 2 extremely talented that I don't think Allison can pull an upset on any of the front runners that time, namely Megan Joy, Adam Lambert, Matt Giraud and yes, even Jasmine Murray - all of which had ample screentime prior to their first live performances.
But I have to say, she pulled out all the stops during the semifinals rounds. I did think her performance of Alone was a bit overrated, but I have to say that it was one of the better vocals that week. However, if I'm being honest, I was - shoot me! - disappointed when she got a spot in the Finals instead of Megan Joy or Mishavonna Henson because she, to me, appeared to be a one trick pony a la Ramiele Malubay.
Good thing, she proved me wrong when the Top 13 started. Yes, she still struggled a little bit during the first two weeks, but when she belted out Papa Was A Rolling Stone during Motown, I instantly boarded the Allison bandwagon and she suddenly became an obvious threat to the pimpage trifecta - Adam Lambert, Danny Gokey and Lil Rounds. Gorgeous tone, amazing range and her phrasing is probably one of the best of any Idol contestants - her vocal styling actually reminds me so much Pink.
Allison Iraheta became unstoppable, delivering one great performance after the other. I actually think that aside from her decent performance of I Don't Want To Miss A Thing, everything else she performed after Top 10 were all amazing. I still shake my head out of disbelief with the way I prematurely considered Allison as nothing more than a fodder at the beginning. I mean, people had no idea who this girl was and no one would have ever predicted such success she had in the competition. Her reaching the Final 4 was indeed a pleasant surprise.
Now, while I did like the Allison Iraheta during Season 8, her post-Idol album, Just Like You, made me appreciate her even more. I think she's got one of the better Idol debut albums. Sure, it wasn't quite Kelly Clarkson or David Cook or Kris Allen, but it's packed with quality songs. Oh, and when she visited the country a few months ago, I didn't hesitate to see her perform live and, needless to say, I was floored. I'll just say it: She was UNBELIEVABLE. Enough said.
Favorite Performance(s): Hands down, her performance of Cry Baby after she got eliminated was probably one of the best swan songs EVER on the show. With tears streaming, she looked at the judges dead in the eye and wailed “CRYYYY BABAAAYY!!” with power and conviction. I also loved Papa Was A Rolling Stone, her impressive Slow Ride duet with Adam Lambert, the riveting Alone and the totally unexpected Someone To Watch Over Me. Her rendition of Hot Stuff was also really good.
Adam Lambert is to overrated, as Syesha Mercado is to underrated. Seriously. I hated how she would perform so great and show so much personality and then the judges would just rip her to shreds. They threw Syesha under the bus so many times she became part of the wheel.
To be honest, my initial thoughts of Syesha going into the top 24 was that she was very talented, but very generic. Been there, done that to the nth degree. I wanted her to do well - maybe make it to the Top 10 or so, but I saw myself being quite bored with her. Luckily, she proved me VERY wrong.
I'm not going to say that Syesha is someone who's very original or anything - because she's not - but she definitely grabbed my attention at the start of the semifinals. I thought she showed off some made vocal skills with Tobacco Road and that definitely wasn't a predictable song choice. The very next week she showed a beautiful restraint with the VERY underrated Me and Mr. Jones. Her version of Whitney's Saving All My Love For You was pretty darn good as well. Needless to say, Syesha jumped into my Top 6 going into the Top 12.
Now, it seems that most people think that Syesha didn't find herself in the competition until the Top 6 where she performed One Rock N' Roll Too Many, but I think that's a bit ridiculous. I mean, if I had to pick the week where she really started gaining momentum, it was at Top 11 - with the vocally flawless If I Were Your Woman - and basically every single performance after that was top notch. It really pissed me to see Syesha deliver some outstanding vocal performances and get torn apart by the judges right afterwards. It was quite baffling. Clearly, she is one of the most underrated Idol finalist EVER.
But, truth be told, Syesha was born to do Broadway! So, it came as no surprise to me when she knocked Andrew Lloyd Webber week out of the park. Actually, I love that she is the only contestant that has been on the show that has really embraced the Broadway genre and brought it to the viewers weekly. Sure, contestants like Melinda Doolittle or, say, LaToya London sang plenty of Broadway song, but they just sang them. Syesha, on the other hand, brought a different flare to her performances that oozed the personality one might see on a Broadway show - performances like One Rock and Roll Too Many, Thank The Lord for the Night Time, and yes, even Proud Mary.
Frankly, before Season 7, I would never expect someone dare to perform these songs like she did. So, in that regards, she definitely brought something new to the competition. But as much as I loved those performances, I loved most of her prior performances just as much. I'd say she was definitely the most consistently good contestant of the season - of course, with another Idol I'll discuss in the next coming days. Ha!
I kind of wish that Syesha had auditioned for Season 6 or Season 9 instead. I think she could have absolutely been in the running to win for either season. The producers clearly have a certain type of winner they are looking for each season, and Syesha fit the bill - especially Season 9 when they were looking for a girl winner. I think that Syesha is just as equally talented as Jordin Sparks, and maybe as interesting as a performer as Crystal Bowersox.
Currently, she's headlining a Broadway show entitled, Dreamgirls. Yes, the movie that catapulted Jennifer Hudson's career - although Syesha plays the Beyonce role in the Broadway version. I actually heard great reviews with regard to her performance and I'm glad she's getting enough credit for her talent. To me, she deserves a ton of success. Honestly, I know that she will have a hard time getting signed to a major label, and she'll be lucky to even get an indie album out within the next two years, but I'll still cross my fingers and hope that I'm wrong.
Oh, and I would like to share how sad I was when she said in one of her interviews that during Top 3 performance night, she was looking at the audience to find signs with her name on it. She just said "Hey, where are my signs?". Sad.
Favorite performance(s): Part of the reason why Syesha ranked high in this countdown was the simple fact that she really delivered so many great performances during Season 7. My favorite from her would probably be If I Were Your Woman. Yes, I liked Tamyra Gray's version but Syesha took it to another level. By far, one of the most impressive vocal performances of that season. Of course, One Rock N Roll Too Many was a total showstopper. I think she pulled this one out just when she needed it the most because, let's face it, she was expected by many to get the boot that week. Me and Mr. Jones was terribly underrated - shame on you, Simon! - and Proud Mary was possibly one of the sexiest performance EVER. I also have to mention the awesomeness that were Vanishing, Thank The Lord For The Night Time, I Will Always Love You, A Change Is Gonna Come and Yesterday. All of which I really loved.
Remember how I said personality doesn't really factor into my liking of an Idol? Well, after 9 seasons, I think Brooke is kind of the only exception to that for me. Ha!
I mean, how can one not help but just LOVE her personality? She's so sweet, kind and definitely one of the nicest people EVER to come on this show. Oh, and she was always so emotional when faced with elimination - or when she got bad comments or something - my heart just went out to her. Really. If you didn't feel just a little sorry for her during her elimination, you are a cold, human being! Haha.
But of course, I also like Brooke White for her musical identity. Sure, she doesn't have the best voice during Season 7 but she knew her vocal limitations and she knew how to make the songs work in her advantage - and I just love that in an Idol.
If I'm being honest though, when I first saw Brooke's audition I was not impressed. AT ALL. I mean, I still would've put her through to Hollywood, but I didn't think she was that special. Her audition was like three notes over and over again. Yes, her tone to me was pleasant, but she, to me, was just fairly average singer. Then, she got the instruments in Hollywood, and that's when the magic just started happening.
The semifinals then rolled around and I thought she performed shockingly well that I suddenly became a Brooke-man! Haha. I thought Happy Together was pretty good, I thought You're So Vain was refreshingly amazing, and her take on Pat Benatar's Love is a Battlefield was brilliant. She really grew on me and proved that she deserved a spot in the Top 12.
After the semifinals round, her performances during the Finals were extremely inconsistent. Her performances ranged from the unbelievably gorgeous rendition of Let It Be to the disappointment that was I'm A Believer. Haha. But I know Brooke wanted so much to do well, and I could just see her heartbreak every time she got negative feedback from the judges. So, when she got the boot at Top 5 week, she was an emotional wreck. Seriously. I've never seen such a meltdown after someone got the boot like I did with her. Clearly, she had a lot invested in the competition - more than I expected. I thought most of her later performances seemed like she wasn't trying hard, but I must've been wrong. Truth be told, I felt that her elimination was a justified result, but my heart went out to the girl during that moment.
Now, as for her forgetting her lyrics and starting over a couple of songs, I didn't think it was all that bad. It was definitely not something that should've been praised - yes, Simon - but I think that she's human, and that happens. I know some of my favorites have messed up a lot, but it didn't make me like them less. So, it is what it is.
But why did she rank 14 on this countdown even if she wasn't as strong vocally as, say, Melinda Doolittle? Simple, High Hopes and Heartbreak. Her post-Idol album was absolutely fantastic. It had that genuine throwback sound and her voice was just so pure and beautiful. The fact that she didn't resort to make her voice sound too overprocessed that it becomes unrecognizable was admirable. Oh, and one thing that stood out to me was the use of back-up singers. I mean, so much of today's music is all about layering the voice of the lead singer only. Here, I really enjoyed hearing actual back-up vocals. Needless to say, I genuinely adored her album.
Favorite Performance(s): I really loved Brooke's take on Love is a Battlefield. It was such a different direction from the original and it worked beautifully. It seemed emotional, raw, heartfelt and it was very good. I don't know what Randy was smoking when he said she didn't bring anything new to the performance. Really Randy? Have you heard the original version of this song? Ugh. Of course, I loved the gorgeous Let it Be and the lovely You're So Vain. These songs really seem to be a great niche for her as an artist.
X Factor UK's production makes me absolutely giddy! Can't wait for the American version. Bring it on Simon! Haha.
Anyway, this week's theme is Guilty Pleasure and I must say, almost everyone - except for a few, of course - did really good. I was impressed with Cher Lloyd's mash up because it was creative and almost genius. Matt Cardle, again, delivered a solid performance and this time with a Britney Spears classic. I also loved Aiden Grimshaw's version of Diamonds Are Forever - so intense. He made the song unexpectedly contemporary. Oh, and I enjoyed watching Katie Waissel. Her performance was the most fun.
Now, as for the trainwrecks, Wagner absolutely needs to go home! Seriously. I still can’t believe what my eyes just saw. Haha. Heck, he's even worse than Jedward from last season - and they were ridiculous, mind you. Mary Byrne, on the other hand, just bored me to death I want to stab myself. Jordin Sparks version was so much better and she managed to make it sound contemporary.
Anyway, here's how I rate each performance after the jump!
Ok. Don't freak out everybody! Yes, Melinda is just at #15 and I'll discuss about that later..
When I first saw Melinda's audition, I already fell in love with her. I found her adorable, and even better, she could sing her face off! I love me some good gospel singers, and I could tell that she had a nice gospel flair to her voice. Oh, and when she said she was a backup singer I was even more intrigued. Seriously? Just from her audition alone, I definitely thought that she would be a serious contender for the win.
So, going into the semifinals, Melinda definitely did not disappoint - and that's a huge understatement. She undeniably destroyed everyone in the competition during the semifinals, and soon became one of the biggest forces in Idol history. Frankly, I think she - by a comfortable mile - had the best semifinal rounds of any Idol contestant EVER. Her voice was always extremely strong, and she was quite the performer. She really just came alive while she sang and then shrink down to her little self as soon as she finished and humbly take in the judges comments. How could you not love her? Then, the Finals came and I was pretty certain that a Melinda win was inevitable, and I was absolutely fine with that.
However, while I know that Melinda was often hailed as the contestant with the best run on Idol EVER - without a single bad performance - it certainly doesn't mean she didn't have any flaws. I think the only problem I had with her was that fact that she could be extremely predictable. She loved to sing very old fashioned songs, and rarely sang anything modern. I mean, it wasn't until Top 7 night that she sang any song that had been written beyond the 70's, and most of her modern choices were due to themes that required modern songs. She actually had a four week run of singing songs from musicals, for crying out loud!
Don't get me wrong, she sang them brilliantly, but American Idol is supposed to be the search for the next superstar. Not the next Broadway act. So, it became more clear as the weeks went on that she was doomed to fail. Oh, and I think the other problem that worked against her was the fact that she peaked too soon. Clearly, Melinda gave us her seven best performances within the first seven weeks of the competition. Yes, she was still great the last several weeks, but she just had an unbelievably strong start to even maintain the high quality of her first performances.
Now, was she the most relevant contestant of Season 6? Of course not. That said, I think that she dominated the show week after week to such a degree that she absolutely was the only rightful winner for Season 6 - though I wouldn't say Jordin Sparks didn't deserve the win. I'll get into her someday. Ha!
Favorite performance(s):My Funny Valentine would have to be my favorite. This was, by far, one of the most brilliant performances I have ever seen on the Idol stage. I can't even begin to tell you how much I love every note of this performance. I'm a Woman was pretty much within the same caliber as the previous one. I love the sassy demeanor she had and all of the grit in her voice. I've Got Rhythm was also really good. This, to me, definitely highlighted everything that's great about her voice and performance skills. I might as well throw in Melinda's other semifinal performance, Since You've Been Gone. Oh, and her audition was also really good.
I think when people hear the name Carrie Underwood, most of them think of performances like Alone, Independence Day, or Making Love Out of Nothing At All. They think of performances she has done since her American Idol stint. They think of songs from her hit albums. But people really forget her rough time on Idol. I mean, she made it absolutely hard for the judges to pimp her just because they had to criticize her every other week, basically. Ha! Oh, and it definitely didn't help that Carrie was completely dull in the personality department. She was easily the most boring winner to come off the show.
I'm not going to say that Syesha is someone who's very original or anything - because she's not - but she definitely grabbed my attention at the start of the semifinals. I thought she showed off some made vocal skills with Tobacco Road and that definitely wasn't a predictable song choice. The very next week she showed a beautiful restraint with the VERY underrated Me and Mr. Jones. Her version of Whitney's Saving All My Love For You was pretty darn good as well. Needless to say, Syesha jumped into my Top 6 going into the Top 12.
But, truth be told, Syesha was born to do Broadway! So, it came as no surprise to me when she knocked Andrew Lloyd Webber week out of the park. Actually, I love that she is the only contestant that has been on the show that has really embraced the Broadway genre and brought it to the viewers weekly. Sure, contestants like Melinda Doolittle or, say, LaToya London sang plenty of Broadway song, but they just sang them. Syesha, on the other hand, brought a different flare to her performances that oozed the personality one might see on a Broadway show - performances like One Rock and Roll Too Many, Thank The Lord for the Night Time, and yes, even Proud Mary.
