Summary
"American Idol" - Top Eight Ladies Perform - March 9, 2010
After Ryan opens the show, Ellen is sitting on Simon's lap, nuzzling his ear. There is no explanation for this. Simon says the stakes are high.
Contestant #1: Katie Stevens
Song: "Breakaway," Kelly Clarkson
Performance: She sounds fine although the key feels low and her voice sounds oddly dry. She belts out the high part well. It's fine but just not connecting quite right.
Randy: Calls it karaoke and that it's hard to compete with such a stylized a singer as Clarkson. It didn't work for him.
Ellen: Likes that she took their notes and thought it was the right song. But then she says she didn't feel the words, she wasn't feeling the "breaking" away.
Kara: Says she has a great radio voice but what's going on this year is there are people who know themselves and those who don't and Katie is one that doesn't. She says she'll get where she needed and the singing needed to be perfect and it wasn't.
Simon: Says it must be confusing for her but she looks much better than she did and says she made it a bit gloomy and sucked the energy out of the end of it, gives her ten out of ten for trying.
She tells Ryan she did try to take the notes and she did feel the lyrics and was sorry that didn't come across and that is the kind of artist she wants to be.
Contestant #2: Siobhan Magnus In Ryan red room chat she says she picked her song because it's one of her dad's favorites that he used to sing to her. Apparently, he's very good also.
Song: "House of the Rising Sun," The Animals
Performance: She starts a cappella, and very slow. The guitar comes in behind her. And then the band follows. I don't love the song but she's singing it well.
Randy: He loves what she does and that she takes risks and doesn't listen to them.
Ellen: She says Siobhan is why she loves music, she says she made it current and she's spectacular.
Kara: Loved the a cappella vibe at the front. Loves that she's unique and different.
Simon: Thinks it's all a bit weird and if it was the first time he'd seen her he'd have doubts. He was under-impressed, there were no cool moments in it.
Contestant #3: Lacey Brown
Song: "The Story," Brandi Carlile
Performance: From maybe the fifth note it sounds like mimicry again. Good mimicry but not as strong as the original. It's fine, a little yawn-y.
Randy: Thought it was a little sleepy but thought it was her best performance in a long time.
Ellen: Agrees it was her best to date, thought it was a perfect song choice.
Kara: She says performances like this are what got her here. Thought it was a great choice and she's back on her path.
Simon: He didn't love, love the song but thought she sang it well. Thinks she's very good with cameras and image. He still hasn't heard the right song connection yet.
Contestant #4: Katelyn Epperly
Song: "I Feel the Earth Move," Carole King
Performance: Standing behind a keyboard she sounds good but very hotel lounge-y for me. Great pitch and energy. It just feels a little light given what we know she can do.
Randy: Didn't feel a connection between the song and her, it wasn't special. Sang it fine but it was kind of boring.
Ellen: Thought it wasn't the right song choice but thinks she has a great voice and look.
Kara: She didn't feel like she was competing, she felt she was just going through the motions.
Simon: Likes her hair but thought the song was like request night in a Friday night in a restaurant. Sung well but not competitively.
Contestant #5: Didi Benami
Song: "Rhiannon," Fleetwood Mac
Performance: She starts accompanied only by her acoustic. She switches up the rhythms a bit. Again it's sung fine, but it's kind of muted.
Randy: Says it was a whole lot better than last week. There was no wow moment but he wants to hear her again.
Ellen: She says yes, indeedy. Says after being torn apart last week she admires her fearlessness.
Kara: Says it's one of her favorite moments of the show so far this season. Doubted the song choice but she surprised them.
Simon: Agrees with Kara and that it was 10 shoulders above anything else tonight. He thinks the wow moment was the whole song and thought it was a great choice.
Contestant #6: Paige Miles
Song: "Smile," Charlie Chaplin
Performance: Weird choice. It's tender and slow and sounds like a jazz standard. She looks like she's going to cry not smile though. It gets stronger and louder but something about it feels more like a high school recital.
Randy: It's one of his favorite songs of all time and it didn't work for him and the bossa nova arrangement didn't work for him.
Ellen: Says it's supposed to be inspiring and uplifting and it was sad and heavy. She thinks it was the wrong song.
Kara: Says it was all wrong and this was not the night to do it. She asks if she knows it was wrong. She has trouble explaining and apologizes for it not working.
Simon: Calls it a horrible choice and the arrangement was awful and hotel lounge-y. He calls it such a shame because she has so much potential with her great voice and he's afraid this is the end of the road.
Contestant #7: Crystal Bowersox
Song: "Give Me One Reason," Tracy Chapman
Performance: Armed with her electric she does a pretty faithful version. The band kicks in and she lets if fly. It's nicely funky. She injects some nice life into it.
Randy: Says this is what this show is about, loved her, loved the song, calls it hot.
Ellen: Says she needs new adjectives and calls it the best performance of the night.
Kara: Says this is what they are talking about knowing who you are.
Simon: He says she's one million, billion percent going to be in the top 12. He thinks it's hers to lose.
Contestant #8: Lilly Scott
Song: "I Fall to Pieces," Patsy Cline
Performance: Rocking a mandolin she does a pretty straight up version of this country classic. She's a little shaky in places, not so much pitch wise but with breath support. Her crazy huge earrings are distracting though. It's a little cutesy.
Randy: Loved the mandolin and that song and that she's in the zone.
Ellen: Love her voice, originality, and style.
Kara: She says she made Patsy Cline current.
Simon: Thinks she's brave for choosing that song on a night like this and it was cute and quirky but it didn't have the wow factor.
Directed : Unknown
Written : Unknown
Stars : Simon Cowell Mark Thompson Ryan Seacrest Randy Jackson
Genres : Music Documentary Game-Show Reality-TV
Release date : Mar 8, 2010
Countries of origin : United States
Official sites : ABC American Idol
Language : English
Filming locations : Dolby Theatre, Hollywood, California, USA
Production companies : Fremantle FremantleMedia 19 Television
Summary
"American Idol" - Top Eight Ladies Perform - March 9, 2010
After Ryan opens the show, Ellen is sitting on Simon's lap, nuzzling his ear. There is no explanation for this. Simon says the stakes are high.
Contestant #1: Katie Stevens
Song: "Breakaway," Kelly Clarkson
Performance: She sounds fine although the key feels low and her voice sounds oddly dry. She belts out the high part well. It's fine but just not connecting quite right.
Randy: Calls it karaoke and that it's hard to compete with such a stylized a singer as Clarkson. It didn't work for him.
Ellen: Likes that she took their notes and thought it was the right song. But then she says she didn't feel the words, she wasn't feeling the "breaking" away.
Kara: Says she has a great radio voice but what's going on this year is there are people who know themselves and those who don't and Katie is one that doesn't. She says she'll get where she needed and the singing needed to be perfect and it wasn't.
Simon: Says it must be confusing for her but she looks much better than she did and says she made it a bit gloomy and sucked the energy out of the end of it, gives her ten out of ten for trying.
She tells Ryan she did try to take the notes and she did feel the lyrics and was sorry that didn't come across and that is the kind of artist she wants to be.
Contestant #2: Siobhan Magnus In Ryan red room chat she says she picked her song because it's one of her dad's favorites that he used to sing to her. Apparently, he's very good also.
Song: "House of the Rising Sun," The Animals
Performance: She starts a cappella, and very slow. The guitar comes in behind her. And then the band follows. I don't love the song but she's singing it well.
Randy: He loves what she does and that she takes risks and doesn't listen to them.
Ellen: She says Siobhan is why she loves music, she says she made it current and she's spectacular.
Kara: Loved the a cappella vibe at the front. Loves that she's unique and different.
Simon: Thinks it's all a bit weird and if it was the first time he'd seen her he'd have doubts. He was under-impressed, there were no cool moments in it.
Contestant #3: Lacey Brown
Song: "The Story," Brandi Carlile
Performance: From maybe the fifth note it sounds like mimicry again. Good mimicry but not as strong as the original. It's fine, a little yawn-y.
Randy: Thought it was a little sleepy but thought it was her best performance in a long time.
Ellen: Agrees it was her best to date, thought it was a perfect song choice.
Kara: She says performances like this are what got her here. Thought it was a great choice and she's back on her path.
Simon: He didn't love, love the song but thought she sang it well. Thinks she's very good with cameras and image. He still hasn't heard the right song connection yet.
Contestant #4: Katelyn Epperly
Song: "I Feel the Earth Move," Carole King
Performance: Standing behind a keyboard she sounds good but very hotel lounge-y for me. Great pitch and energy. It just feels a little light given what we know she can do.
Randy: Didn't feel a connection between the song and her, it wasn't special. Sang it fine but it was kind of boring.
Ellen: Thought it wasn't the right song choice but thinks she has a great voice and look.
Kara: She didn't feel like she was competing, she felt she was just going through the motions.
Simon: Likes her hair but thought the song was like request night in a Friday night in a restaurant. Sung well but not competitively.
Contestant #5: Didi Benami
Song: "Rhiannon," Fleetwood Mac
Performance: She starts accompanied only by her acoustic. She switches up the rhythms a bit. Again it's sung fine, but it's kind of muted.
Randy: Says it was a whole lot better than last week. There was no wow moment but he wants to hear her again.
Ellen: She says yes, indeedy. Says after being torn apart last week she admires her fearlessness.
Kara: Says it's one of her favorite moments of the show so far this season. Doubted the song choice but she surprised them.
Simon: Agrees with Kara and that it was 10 shoulders above anything else tonight. He thinks the wow moment was the whole song and thought it was a great choice.
Contestant #6: Paige Miles
Song: "Smile," Charlie Chaplin
Performance: Weird choice. It's tender and slow and sounds like a jazz standard. She looks like she's going to cry not smile though. It gets stronger and louder but something about it feels more like a high school recital.
Randy: It's one of his favorite songs of all time and it didn't work for him and the bossa nova arrangement didn't work for him.
Ellen: Says it's supposed to be inspiring and uplifting and it was sad and heavy. She thinks it was the wrong song.
Kara: Says it was all wrong and this was not the night to do it. She asks if she knows it was wrong. She has trouble explaining and apologizes for it not working.
Simon: Calls it a horrible choice and the arrangement was awful and hotel lounge-y. He calls it such a shame because she has so much potential with her great voice and he's afraid this is the end of the road.
Contestant #7: Crystal Bowersox
Song: "Give Me One Reason," Tracy Chapman
Performance: Armed with her electric she does a pretty faithful version. The band kicks in and she lets if fly. It's nicely funky. She injects some nice life into it.
Randy: Says this is what this show is about, loved her, loved the song, calls it hot.
Ellen: Says she needs new adjectives and calls it the best performance of the night.
Kara: Says this is what they are talking about knowing who you are.
Simon: He says she's one million, billion percent going to be in the top 12. He thinks it's hers to lose.
Contestant #8: Lilly Scott
Song: "I Fall to Pieces," Patsy Cline
Performance: Rocking a mandolin she does a pretty straight up version of this country classic. She's a little shaky in places, not so much pitch wise but with breath support. Her crazy huge earrings are distracting though. It's a little cutesy.
Randy: Loved the mandolin and that song and that she's in the zone.
Ellen: Love her voice, originality, and style.
Kara: She says she made Patsy Cline current.
Simon: Thinks she's brave for choosing that song on a night like this and it was cute and quirky but it didn't have the wow factor.
Genres : Music Documentary Game-Show Reality-TV
Release date : Mar 8, 2010
Countries of origin : United States
Official sites : ABC American Idol
Language : English
Filming locations : Dolby Theatre, Hollywood, California, USA
Production companies : Fremantle FremantleMedia 19 Television
