American Idol, Ep. 15.22

Tonight we find out the Top 3! I can't believe next week is the finale already! It's all ending too soon. I'm worried about Dalton tonight. As much as I love MacKenzie, I think it's his time to go.

Tonight the singers have prepared 3 songs each: 1 picked by the judges, 1 picked by Scott Borchetta, and 1 song picked by them to represent their hometown. I believe they will all sing 1 song and then we will find out who is eliminated. Again...not fair. I think everyone should get to sing their prepared songs.

Round 1: Hometown songs

MacKenzie  – “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen (Lafayette, Louisiana)
He visited the hospital where he almost lost his life and he shared his words of hope for some kids there. So sweet! It was a very emotional trip for him to say the least.

If you've ever read my blog, you know I love this song, and it doesn't matter how many times I hear it, and by how many artists sing it. Each version is unique and beautiful. Just a couple strums of the guitar and I have goosebumps all over my entire body. Clearly, this is an absolutely perfect song for his style. He sounds great. I think this is by far one of his best performances. He had everyone just captivated. He sings with such a quiet voice, but yet it can be deafening. He had a great moment where he did get louder than I think we've ever heard him. It was very dynamic.
My Grade: A



Dalton – “Calling You” by Blue October (Dallas, Texas)
First stop - his Grandma's hair salon to get his hair done. Awe! A visit home would not be complete without a visit to his school - The School of Rock where he teaches vocals. Seeing him working with the kids = swoon. Seeing him break down just makes me want to cry!

I forgot about this song! Who else would pick this song? No one! And that's why it's so great that he picked it! This is the type of song that he excels at. He sounded great. I know it's not everyone's cup o' tea, though. I like the arrangement he did. It was pretty similar to the original, but I noticed some differences that really worked for him. And of course he just knows how to put on a great performance. I love everything he does, and I thought it was great. The crowd had a great response to it.
My Grade: A-



Trent – “Tennessee Whiskey” by Chris Stapleton (Amory, Mississippi)
He hasn't seen his family since he left because he's really superstitious. His family's restaurant was filled with people! He strapped on the apron and went right back to work! This isn't the first time that I've gotten a real sense of "winner vibes" for him, but that's what I'm getting from this visit. And then add a surprise visit to the stage by his family, whom he thought was still watching from hom...

I didn't love this song choice. I did like his a cappella break in the middle. Vocally, it was perfection as always. The beginning was pretty boring, but overall, it was a pretty good performance.
My Score: B+



La’Porsha – "Glory" by Common and John Legend (McComb, Mississippi)
She stopped by the shelter that she stayed at and she talked to the women there. Powerful stuff.

Her talent is undeniable. Perfect song choice for her. This week the drums actually made sense (not like last week). She absolutely slayed this song. Wow.
My Score: A



RESULTS

Survivor, Ep. 32.7

Days 17-20

Gondol After Tribal
Joe is confused. Scot wanted to make sure Julia made the right choice, and he said Joe didn't vote correctly and that's his own fault. Aubry knows she put a target on her own back as well as Joe's because of writing Julia's name first and then crossing it out and putting Peter's. Scot is ready to just pick off the Brains at this point.

Gondol Camp
Tai is being attacked by the chicken! He keeps jumping on his lap trying to steal his food - so funny! Tai said he likes the coconut.

Chan Loh
Cydney notices a bulge in Neal's pocket. She thinks they need to flush out the idol. Jason knows it must be an idol because he also has one.

A boat shows up and someone hands them a note. The note told them that they have 5 minutes to pack up everything and they are merging over to the Gondol beach.

MERGE!

The Voice, Ep. 10.10

The Knockouts: Night 2

Team Blake

Adam Wakefield vs. Peyton Parker
Adam - "Bring it on Home to Me" by Sam Cooke
I don't really hear anything outstanding going on here. I'm pretty bored with this performance right now. He finally did something with it and hit some high notes. Other than that, and a nice run at the end, it was pretty mediocre.
Peyton - "Traveling Soldier" by The Dixie Chicks
I absolutely love this song. I don't know that I've ever heard anyone else perform it before. I think this suits her voice so well. She's kind of blurring a lot of her words together. I wish her diction was a little more clear. I hear a few pitch issues. I was hoping she would put a little more emotion into it. When she tried to do that, her pitch suffered. This wasn't nearly as good as I'd hoped it would be.
WINNER: Adam

Team Christina

Maya Smith vs. Tamar Davis
Maya - "No One" by Alicia Keys
This song has be done so many times. Ugh! She sounded a little bit nervous at the beginning. She had some pitch issues as she went to some of the higher notes. I felt like she was kind of shrieking and it was actually kind of painful in places.
Tamar - "Lay Me Down" by Sam Smith
I hate the way she started the song. It just kind of seemed like it was all over the place and if I didn't know what song she was singing, I would have no clue. I think she did way too much with her vibrato. Her high notes were pretty incredible. I would say overall, she did much better than Maya. It still wasn't my favorite of hers, though.
WINNER: Tamar

Team Pharrell

Moushumi vs. Nick Hagelin
Moushumi - "New Americana" by Halsey
I love this song. It's fairly new, so I wouldn't be surprised if not a lot of people have heard it before. I love her voice. She's got a quiet kind of mystery to her. Her tone is so crystal clear (which Christina pretty much quoted in her critique). She is killing this song! So good and so beautiful!
Nick - "Lost Without You" by Robin Thicke
I really am afraid to lose Nick. All the good guys I like are dropping like flies. I know he has a great falsetto, but I love his regular singing voice more. I really don't like this song, and mostly because it's pretty much all sung in falsetto. I don't think his pitch was great at the beginning. I couldn't understand much of what he was singing when he was in his falsetto. It just wasn't that good. He's been much better than this. I know this song is perfect for him because he does have a strong falsetto, but he just sounds so much better when he just uses his falsetto sparingly...not for the majority of the song.
WINNER: Moushumi

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The Voice, Ep. 10.9

The Knockout Round: Night 1

This year's key advisor for all 4 teams is Miley Cyrus. I actually think she will have a lot of helpful tips for the singers. On a side note, it was announced that Miley will be joining Adam, Blake, and most likely Alicia Keys next season as a coach! This is very early for them to make an announcement about next season because we're only about halfway through this season.

Team Adam

Owen Danoff vs. Ryan Quinn
Owen - "She's Always a Woman" by Billy Joel
He didn't really do anything different or interesting with the song - it was pretty true to the original. That said, he sang it very well. I don't know that I was excited about it. It was a little on the boring side just because it was so predictable. I'm hoping that will give Ryan the edge. He did get into it a little more towards the end, which was nice to see, but even that was a little boring.
Ryan - "Drops of Jupiter" by Train
I wish he had done a different song, since this one has been done so many times. But really, he can sing anything. I just love the tone of his voice. I feel like he gave this way more emotion than what Owen brought. I love his upper register. Those long held-out notes at the end were incredible. He killed it. Hoping for a Ryan win!!!
WINNER: Owen
STEAL: Ryan is stolen by Christina! Thank you, Christina! He did not deserve to go home yet. Christina is putting together a very strong team for herself this season.

Team Blake

Angie Keilhauer vs. Paxton Ingram
Angie - "Take Your Time" by Sam Hunt
It's interesting the way she tried to sing through what Sam Hunt actually kind of speaks. It sounded better in the rehearsal, I thnk. I like that she tried to make it her own, but I don't know if I loved it. Once she got to the 2nd half of the song, she picked up the tempo and it got a lot better.
Paxton - "Hometown Glory" by Adele
This isn't my favorite performance of his. He sounds pretty good, but he sounds like he's really singing in his throat.
WINNER: Paxton

Katie Basden vs. Lacy Mandigo
Katie - "Gypsy" by Fleetwood Mac
I really like her voice. She did a lot of really great things in that performance. I think she could have even done more with it, though.
Lacy - "Zombie" by The Cranberries
I love this song. This is a very tough song to pull off. There is something really cool about her voice. I think she did a pretty good job with this. Just like Katie, I think she could have taken it just a bit further.
WINNER: Katie
STEAL: Lacy is stolen by Pharrell (Adam also pushed to steal)

Team Christina

Alisan Porter vs. Daniel Passino
I can't believe she put these 2 against each other! They are both way too good to lose. I sure hope there's a steal.
Alisan - "River" by Joni Mitchell
This is the first time we've heard her sing something so slow. She really does have an amazing voice. I didn't love this song, but she sang it well. I will be shocked if she isn't picked. They've kind of been giving her the winner's edit all season long. So even if Christina doesn't pick her, I can gurantee there will be a steal.
Daniel - "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" by The Temptations
Yuck! Another old song that has been done way too much. His charisma on stage really suits this song. It was a great performance, even if I don't like the song. He's been a consistent performer all season, and it's just a shame that Christina had to put him against Alisan.
WINNER: Alisan

Team Pharrell

Hannah Huston vs. Malik Heard
Hannah - "The House of the Rising Sun" by The Animals
This song has been done so many times, but at least it's a good song and it seems like everyone who does it does something new and interesting things with it. She's an incredible vocalist. I loved how she kind of scooped her phrases. I could have done with the weird hand gestures, but man, did her voice make up for it. She absolutely murdered the song from the middle to the end. She belted it out, and for others it would have come out as a scream or a shriek, but she was singing it out full voice. That was an incredible, epic performance. Wow!
Malik - "Isn't She Lovely" by Stevie Wonder
Seriously?! Can we please retire the Stevie Wonder song catalog? I can't handle these songs done over and over and over and over. There are millions of songs out there, people! I've really like  Malik up to this point, but this song just didn't do it for me. And having to follow Hannah was a tough task. I felt like he was pitchy in some places which is not like what we've heard from him before. There is just no way that this was anywhere near as good as what Hannah did.
WINNER: Hannah

Emily Keener vs. Shalyah Fearing
Emily - "A Big Yellow Tax" by Joni Mitchell
Ugh! I hate this song. I didn't think Emily should have won her battle, and I wasn't impressed with this performance either. The song didn't help, but I don't think her voice is that great. I can definitely say that I'm not a fan of Emily's. I really hated what she did at the end. She went extremely high, and then in the next phrase dropped it way to the basement in a weird, fake voice. That was just weird.
Shalyah - "A Broken Wing" by Martina McBride
These singers really need to branch out because the constant repetition of the same songs is getting really old. Just a couple weeks ago, Tristan McIntosh sang this on American Idol. Shalyah's got a great voice, but I think another song would have been better for her. There were too many really low parts. The best part of her voice is her upper notes. Once she got to that part of her voice, she really belted it out and it was really strong.
WINNER: Emily
STEAL: Shalyah is stolen by Adam
I really can't believe that Emily won again. I do not see what they are seeing in her. Adam got a great steal. She beat Emily hands down.

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Dancing with the Stars, Ep. 22.2

Week 2: Latin Night

Jodie & Keo - Samba
She looks amazing in that bright gold! She is workin' it! And look at Keo with that gold paint! They look amazing! She was so hard on herself in rehearsals, but there was no need to be worried because she totally rocked it! Wow! So good! She really had the samba feel and it showed in every movement and how she moved her body. Good for you, Jodie!
Score: 21



Marla & Tony - Argentine Tango
So steamy right from the get-go! She has amazing legs and that will be perfect for this dance. You can really see every little hook and flick perfectly. That seemed so short! I barely got done typing a couple sentences and it was over. I think she did a great job. It could have maybe been a little quicker, it seemed a little sluggish. However, I think she got all of the steps.
Score: 20



Geraldo & Edyta - Salsa
So many wrong things with this. Salsa is going to be not so pretty to watch. Then he goes and dresses up like Donald Trump and does a parody of a "President Trump". Why? I have no idea what this has to do with a salsa. There is nothing related about this at all. He does a horrible Trump impression. Especially in a Hawaiian shirt. Edyta obviously learned from last week and she had him stay in 1 spot for the ENTIRE dance. Oh wait...he moved from behind the desk, to out front, and then behind it again. Other than that, there was some robotic hip movements and some swaying, but that was IT! And he practiced that all week? There was nothing to this dance at all. I can't believe Carrie Ann thinks that there was improvement.
Score: 13



Paige & Mark [Alan Bersten] - Salsa

American Idol, Ep. 15. 21

The Top 5 perform and we find our Top 4. And guess who's performing tonight! One of my faves - David Cook! Woohoo! And also Katharine McPhee! Great night of music! The singers will be doing Sia songs and American rock songs. Sia will also be performing her new single.

David rocked as usual. Katharine sang so beautifully - also as usual - again, proving that she should have been the winner of Season 5.

American Rock Songs

La’Porsha — Bon Jovi’s “Wanted Dead or Alive”
Could be interesting. Look at her hair this week! t took 15 hours to do that! Whoa! I So, what will she do with this song? I think she's proven that she can pretty much sing anything. This would probably never be her first choice to sing, but she did a pretty good job with it. There wasn't much different about her version from the original. It might have been nice to see her do something a little more interesting with it.
My Grade: B+



MacKenzie — Cheap Trick’s “I Want You to Want Me”
OK, so I'm so screwed again with my bracket. I really felt like he was going to be in the bottom 2...up until the episode started, and then I started getting a really bad feeling that it was going to Dalton. Oh dear. I really like this song, so I hope he can do something interesting with it. So far it's starting out too slow and the crowd is trying to clap along and they are really off time. His pitch is a little off, and now it seems really off. Come on MacKenzie...you can do better than this! He changed up the melody a little bit and I'm not sure I liked it that much. This was really just OK for me. It seemed like it was trying to go somewhere but it just didn't.
My Grade: C+



Trent — Z.Z. Top’s “Sharp Dressed Man”
This is going to be very interesting. He turned it into a sort of jazz song. Very, very different than the original. But, it kind of works for him. He stuck with that until the chorus and then it got more like the original, which somehow still worked for him. I actually really liked this performance.
My Grade: A



Bottom 2

Survivor, Ep. 32.6

Days 14-17

Gondol - After Tribal
Everyone rejoiced over saving Tai. They said they are glad he stayed and he was such a valuable member of their tribe. Peter said there is a lot of uncertainty figuring out where they go from here. Peter approached Tai about disbanding the Brains. He knows he was their next vote before the switch. Aubrey and Joe pissed him off by voting out his closest ally, so he thinks now is the time to make a move against them.

Chan Loh Camp
Debbie just never stops talking. Nick just let her talk and complimented her and told her what she wants to hear. He thinks he can read her very well and it will be beneficial for him to be whomever she wants him to be. She thinks he looks like a Greek god because of his chiseled face and ripped abs. She said his face has great angles for photography. And of course, she had to throw in there that "I would know because I've modeled off and on for years and years". You're kidding, right?! Come on! I really think that she has eclipsed Coach with the number of stories about herself and experiences that she's had. There is no way that she has done everything she says she's done. Modeling? What kind of modeling? Hand modeling? Debbie tells Nick that she can start a fire with one match. Really...she just said that. Who can't start a fire with a match? So, at this point, Nick is thinking that she has a crush on him.

Tree mail comes and it is very specific about the type of challenge they will compete in for reward. It specifically mentions shooting baskets. Immediately they know that Scot will be shooting for the other tribe. Debbie says they have a secret weapon in their Adonis...aka Nick. Nick was a point guard in high school. High school. Good luck.

Reward Challenge

The Voice, Ep. 10.8

The Battles: Night 4
This is it! Last night of the Battles and we're on to the Knockouts next week!

Team Adam

Laith Al-Saadi vs. Matt Tedder - "Honky Tonk Blues" by Hank Williams
This should not be something that I like, but you know what? It's pretty entertaining. Matt's got an incredible voice, but Laith is good too. Laith is a bit of an acquired taste and I think hearing him too much woud get annoying, but in small doses wouldn't be too bad. Definitely hoping to see Matt move on.
WINNER: Laith

Team Blake

Brittany Kennell vs. Trey O'Dell - "The Chain" by Fleetwood Mac
I am loving his voice! Did we see his audition? I don't remember him. I liked her but she didn't seem that memorable.
WINNER: Brittany
STEAL: Trey is stolen by Christina

Team Pharrell

Caity Peters vs. Joe Vivona - "Honesty" by Billy Joel
In a weird way, both of them kind of have the same kind of tone and rasp to their voice. Joe seemed a little bit off at the beginning, but he found his rhythm. Their harmonies were gorgeous. Tough call, but I'm guessing Caity will move on.
WINNER: Caity

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The Voice, Ep. 10.7

The Battle Rounds: Night 3

Team Adam

Caroline Burns vs. Mike Schiavo - "Like I'm Gonna Lose You" by Meghan Trainor and John Legend
This is a great matchup and a good song to do as a duet. Mike was my favorite audition this season, I think. I hope he doesn't disappoint. Caroline is so tiny, but she is really overpowering Mike in the rehearsal. Mike started out the song, and he sounded so amazing. But then Caroline sings a verse, and her voice is so pretty. I'm already hoping for a steal on this one. Neither one of these 2 deserves to go home. They worked really hard on their harmonizing and it worked because they sounded pitch-perfect together. The more she sings, the more I am just mesmerized by her. I love her vibrato. And his voice is just stellar. Can't say enough good things about that performance. Seriously...wow!
WINNER: Caroline
Noooooooooooooooo! Why no steal?!?! Come on! That guy is way too talented to not get picked by someone. I really think Adam should have kept Mike and let Blake have Caroline. You know he wanted her. She is better suited for Blake's team. I'm so bummed right now!

Team Blake

Adam Wakefield vs. Jared Harder - "Can't See You" by The Marshall Tucker Band
I really like Jared's voice. But I also like Adam's voice. They have very different voice, but they harmonized very well. This is definitely not my kind of song, but they made it very enjoyable. I have no idea what Blake is going to do. At the end, Jared showed he could hit some really high notes, which was nice. I think maybe he is a little more versatile than Adam. However, Adam has a more unique and more recognizable voice.
WINNER: Adam

Team Christina

Daniel Passino vs. Kristen Marie - "Turning Tables" by Adele
This is such a great song, and it really suits both of them so well. She really does have a lot of Adele qualities. What a beautiful performance by both of them. This is going to be a tough one. I love their voices together. I really hope one of them gets stolen. They're both really different, but both so special. They both need to be in the competition. The end of the song was absolutely gorgeous harmony!
WINNER: Daniel

Alisan Porter vs. Lacy Mandigo - "California Dreamin'" by The Mama's and the Papa's (and later by Sia)
Lacy has such a dark tone to her voice and she's got quite a bit of grit. Alisan's got a very strong voice. They're a great match-up. Wow, this was such an incrediible performance by both of them. I really don't know who Christina is going to pick.
WINNER: Alisan
STEAL: Lacy gets stolen by Blake

Team Pharrell

Emily Keener vs. Jonathan Bach - "Explosion" by Ellie Goulding
I don't think I know this Ellie Goulding song, but it's really pretty. Jonathan has an amazing range. He improved so much from the rehearsal to this performance. He was so clear and so strong. She has a pretty good voice, but I'm not drawn to her as much as I am to him.
WINNER: Emily

Abby Celso vs. Brian Nhira - "Sugar" by Maroon 5
This is an interesting arrangement of the song. I'm not sure I like it as much slowed down like this. I do like that they went back to the normal tempo starting at the chorus. They have such different voices, but they really work well together. I really don't know which one is better. I like them both!
WINNER: Abby
STEAL:  Brian gets stolen by Adam (Christina also pushed to steal)

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Dancing with the Stars, Ep. 22.1

Woohoo! Season 22! I'm so excited to have Dancing with the Stars back on again! Looking forward to a great season as always.

Kim Fields & Sasha Farber - Cha Cha 
"Sax" by Fleur East
So glad to see Sasha as a pro again! I wasn't sure what their chemistry would be like, but they look like they are having a blast and totally get each other. She seemed a little flat-footed, but she had some moves! I think he gave her some aggressive choreography for the first night out and I don't think she missed a step. That was fun!
Score: 20

American Idol, Ep. 15.20

This week's theme: America's Choice

If you, like me, thought that tonight there would be no more judges' save, and we would actually see the lowest vote-getter go home, well...we'd all be wrong. Apparently the judges will again be saving someone. Rumor has it that we will see the Top 6 all perform 1 song. Then we will find out who the bottom 2 and who is going home. Then the remaining 5 will perform their second song. And Ryan confirms this at the top of the show. The bottom 2 will actually be revealed and they will perform for the judges' save. He does say that this will be the last judges' save...but they seem to be making things up as they go along this season, so we'll see if this is true.

So, let's get to it! Who else is incredibly excited to watch Adam Lambert perform his new song tonight?! Can't wait! And here he is right at the top of the show performing one of his best songs from Idol and one of my absolute favorites!!!!! "Mad World" - it just doesn't get much better than that! I ♥ Adam Lambert! The only thing that's changed since Season 8 is that he's even better than he was back then. But why did they have to cut it so short! I wanted so much more! Click here to watch his epic performance back then. His new song is amazing...can't wait to download it. He is the epitome of a great performer. This is what Dalton needs to strive to match if he has any chance of winning this season. And can I just say how hot Adam is looking right now?! Seriously wish he was batting for our team, if you know what I mean.

Not only are we treated to Adam Lambert, but also Jussie Smollet and Yazz from Empire performing a new song from the show. Love Empire and this song is amazing! Can't wait for it to come back from hiatus!

Just a note here...I'm grouping both performances of each singer together for easier comparison...this doesn't reflect the order they were performed. One last note before my recap: apparently I'm feeling very nostalgic tonight with Adam's return, because I immediately was reminded of previous Idol performances, so you will find links to those original videos inside my recaps of this season's contestants.

Survivor, Ep. 32.5

Days 12-15

Brains Camp
Uh oh...next one down. Joe has a boo-boo on his finger. It's starting to swell and is beginning to look infected. Dr. Peter says that it's bad because he can't bend his finger because of the swelling. He starts using what looks like a fish hook to dig around. His prognosis is: he will live.

Neal begins looking for an idol. Neal: I sure hope you've been looking before now. Luckily for him, he just found the clue! He found the box with the lock and the 2nd clue. He scampers around looking for the hidden cylinder with the key, and voila! We have an idol! Neal is the only one on that tribe that I would want to have an idol in his hands. So, way to go Neal! Perfect timing right before the tribe swap. We now have 3 idols in play.

Tribe Swap!
Jeff tells the group that they had always planned to do a tribe swap at this stage of the game - 7 to a tribe. However, with Caleb's evacuation, they are now an uneven 13. So, this is the new plan: 6 blue buffs, 6 yellow buffs...and 1 lonely red buff. The unlucky soul to grab the red buff will go all by their lonesome, back to the Brawn beach to fend for themselves. Wow! How incredibly harsh! Hasn't this season been tough enough already?! They will not participate in the next Immunity Challenge, so they won't go to Tribal Council, and they can't be voted out. They also won't be able to strategize and make connections while they are there. They will return to the game on the losing tribe. Wow! Fingers crossed that that person is either Debbie or maybe Peter.

New "Brains" - Chan Loh: 2 Brains (Debbie, Neal), 2 Brawn (Jason, Cydney), 2 Beauty (Michelle, Nick)

New "Beauty" - Gondol: 1 Brawn (Scot), 3 Brains (Peter, Joe, Aubrey), 2 Beauty (Tai, Anna)

Flying Solo back to Brawn Beach: Julia (former Beauty)

Gondol Camp

The Voice, Ep. 10.6

The Battle Round continues - Night 2

Team Adam

Natalie Yacovazzi vs. Nate Butler - "Hollow" by Tori Kelly
This song sounds like it would be incredibly difficult to sing. The runs are ridiculous and you could really get pitchy very fast if you don't hit every single note dead on. I remember not being overly impressed with Nate's audition, but he is killing this song! I think what it was with him was his song choice more than anythng last time. They both nailed the runs and did a great job harmonizing. I am loving this performance! Natalie did a great job with really showing the emotion in the song.
WINNER: Nate

Team Blake

Justin Whisnant vs. Mary Sarah - "Louisiana Woman and Mississippi Man" by Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn
This is about as country as you can get. Normally I would puke listening to this, but they actually made me like the song and they made it seem more modern somehow. However, their voices are great. I absolutely love his voice. He has perfect pitch which is often lost on male country singers because of their twang. I seriously could listen to him singing all day long.
WINNER: Mary
Noooooo! Figures, I actually like a country singer and he doesn't go past the Battles - I knew he would go for the cute little girl over the one I liked. I thought there was a slight chance Adam might steal him because he turned for him. This would have been the perfect revenge on Blake - stealing one of (if not THE) best singer on Blake's team.

Team Christina

Shalyah Fearing vs. Tamar Davis - "Lady Marmalade" by Patti LaBelle (and later Christina Aguilera, Pink, Mya, and Li'l Kim)
This was a pretty perfect song for these two. It would have ben nice to see them start out a little more subdued so they had somewhere to take the song. They started out at level 100. Vocally, they are pretty similar and I didn't really see much of a difference between them. If I heard either one on the radio, I wouldn't be able to distinguish them. They both definitely brought the house down and fought hard for this one. I have no idea who Christina will pick.
WINNER: Tamar
STEAL: Shalyah stolen by Pharrell (that's already his 2nd and final steal)

Chelsea Gann vs. Kata Hay - "I'm The Only One" by Melissa Etheridge
I just do not care for Kata at all - her voice, her personality. Her voice is just so affected and she seems like she is trying way, way, way too hard.Chelsea sounds great. Kata's run was like diarrhea of the mouth at the end. There was no need to do like 500 notes all over the place in random order. Really hoping for a Chelsea win on this one.
WINNER: Kata (Booooo!)

Team Pharrell
Advisor: P. Diddy

Jessica Crosbie vs. Nick Hagelin - "Electric Feel" by MGMT
I love this song and I can't wait to hear Nick sing it! I loved his audition, I hope he is that good again. I am really impressed with Jessica. I didn't think her audition was that fantastic, but she sounds great on this song. Nick sounds amazing! His falsetto is so sexy! And his pitch is incredible. It might not even be falsetto, he might just be using his full voice and going that high! They gave a great performance. How in the world is Pharrell going to pick? This was incredible! There have been so many steals already, will they risk it again?
WINNER: Nick (Woohoo!!!!!!)
STEAL: Jessica stolen by Adam

Hannah Huston vs. Maya Smith - "Elastic Heart" by Sia
I love this song, but Sia is a tough one to sing well. I like Maya a lot better on this song that I did in her audition. Their diction on all of the fast words are great...I can actually understand them better than Sia on the original! Their emotion and gut-wrenching feeling was performed on such a high level. What a performance! Just when you think Maya is running away with it, Hannah comes in and totally matches her. This was beautiful and haunting and just incredible! Whoa!
WINNER: Hannah (Wow! I really thought he would go with Maya)
STEAL: Maya stolen by Christina (not surprised by that steal at all...but I am surprised Blake tried to get in there too!)

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The Voice, Ep. 10.5

For the first time ever, we're finishing up the last of the Blind Auditions and moving right into the first of the Battle Round. I don't know about anyone else, but these Blind Auditions seemed to be the shortest we've ever had.


Blind Auditions: Night 5

Team Adam

Katie Basden, 23
Adam and Pharrell wasted no time turning around. I'm not sure what they heard so early on. She has a nice voice, but I'm not blown away. Maybe it's just because I don't know the song. I was really hoping that she wouldn't pick Adam :(
Chair Turns: 3 (Blake's team was full)

Team Blake

Jared Harder, 22
Decent voice, but really nothing outstanding, I don't think. I wouldn't have been surprised if no one turned around. He had a nice moment at the end of the song, but I wasn't wowed.
Chair Turns: 1

Team Christina

Ayanna Jannee, 20
The hair is way too much - yikes! She's got a good voice, but I do not really care for female singers with such a deep voice. I did like that she could sing up in a much higher register. I liked the higher parts, but the lower parts, not so much.
Chair Turns: 1 (all other coaches' teams were full)

Team Pharrell

Moushumi, 22
She has a very breathy voice. When she got to the chorus her voice really filled out. I love her version of this song! Beautiful.
Chair Turns: 3 (Blake's team was full)

Jonathan Hutcherson, 16
He has an absolutely beautiful voice. His voice is pretty mature-sounding for only being 16. He had a few wavering notes which seemed to be because of nerves. I hate that Adam picked Katie, because this would have been a good one for him. He wished he could turn around.
Chair Turns: 1 (Blake and Adam's teams were full)


Battle Round
All of the teams are now full of 12 singers each, The final 48 will now battle each other.

Team Adam
Advisor: Tori Kelly

Katie Basden vs. Ryan Quinn - "Maybe I'm Amazed" by Paul McCartney
Right away, I know I am 100% #TeamRyan. I just love his voice. This was the perfect song for him and his upper register. Katie sounded great as well, but I'm in love with Ryan and his voice. He sings like this song was made for him. His pitch is absolutely perfect, it's so ridiculous! He did so many awesome things with his voice. Katie sounded great, but I was not really "amazed" by her. The end of the song was phenomenal! Wow!
WINNER: Ryan
STEAL: Katie is stolen by Blake (Christina also pushed to steal)

Team Blake
Advisor: Gwen Stefani (shocker!)

Brittney Lawrence vs. Paxton Ingram - "I Know What You Did Last Summer" by Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello
I think this is a really good song for both of them. I really like the way his voice sounds on this. I loved his audition, and I'm still loving him, so I hope he wins. They really sound great. They both have so much energy. Those long held out notes, and quick runs are incredible! Brittney is so strong. I have a feeling Blake might pick her. This is so tough because that was a true battle. Wow!
WINNER: Paxton

Team Christina
Advisor: Patti LaBelle

Bryan Bautista vs. Malik Heard - "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" by James Brown
This song needs to go on a list of songs to never, ever be done on another singing competition. It's ridiculous the number of times this song has been done. Holy crap are these 2 guys GOOD!!!! And so evenly matched! I thought Malik was going to win, but now, I have absolutely no idea! The runs, the pitch - so good! The harmony is ridiculous! They are actually making me kind of like this song. Amazing!!! There best be a steal on this one! It's hilarious that the coaches are begging for them to pick them without even knowing who Christina picks.
WINNER: Bryan
STEAL: Malik is stolen by Pharrell (all 3 other coaches pushed to steal)

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The Bachelor, Ep. 20.11: Finale

We've come to the end of Ben's journey. Tonight he chooses either Lauren or JoJo. If you've read the spoilers, you know who he chose months ago. If you haven't read the spoilers, chances are it's pretty obvious who he's picking.

This could end up being the MOST DRAMATIC finale ever...Chris says they are ready to do the wedding on After the Final Rose. On the "Women Tell All", Ben said he was ready to get married "tomorrow" to the girl he proposed to. So, we'll see! Ben's pastor and both his family and her (no spoiler) family are all there.

We start the night off back in Jamaica. The girls recap where they're at. Long story short: they both feel amazing that Ben told them that he loves them. They both are on the same page with Ben. JoJo has 0 doubts and she feels the best she ever has. Meanwhile, Ben's head is a mess. He's in love with 2 women and he doesn't know what he's going to do. He can picture a life with both of them. He meant what he said to both of them. He doesn't see how he can propose to one while still being in love with the other one.

Ben prepares his parents for meeting Lauren and JoJo and the fact that he is in love with both of them. His mom was very worried about this.

Meet the Parents: Lauren

Dancing with the Stars Season 22 Cast Bios

The Season 22 cast for Dancing with the Stars has officially been released! We have a wide range of celebrities this season, including not 1, not 2, but 3 NFL/former NFL players.

I'm most excited to see Nyle, the mysterious, dark, and dreamy winner of Season 22 of America's Next Top Model. He's an amazing role model, and has overcome a lot with his deafness. I'm excited to see how he tackles this next obstacle. What an accomplishment it would be for him to first win the 22nd season of one reality competition, only to win the 22nd season - the following year, on another show.

On the female side, I'm excited to see Mischa Barton and Jodie Sweetin. I know Jodie will be amazing, as we've seen her do some dancing on both Full House shows. Mischa could have a lot of potential, but I could see her possibly struggle from lack of rhythm and the stiffness that has plagued other models. Mischa is most known for her acting role in The O.C., but she has also done some modeling.

Check out the cast here...

American Idol, Ep. 15.19

Updated post with performance videos!

Tonight's Theme: "Most Performed Songs"
2 words: "Um....why?" Seriously? They couldn't come up with anything better? Looking at the list of songs each singer will be performing, I'm only really excited to see Dalton take on "Eleanor Rigby". David Cook anyone? I remember very clearly how well David slayed that song, and I can only hope that it will be great for Dalton as well. MacKenzie choosing "You Are So Beautiful" makes me so sad. I absolutely hate that song. He better rearrange the heck out of this song if he wants it to be any good. He's in danger of going home, and a slow, unimpressive song like this could be what sends him out the door. Heaven forbid he should end up in the bottom 3, the song sung like the original will never be enough to save him  - especially since the judges told him he should have done more with his Whitney song last week. I'm a little worried because he was excited about that song and how much he changed it, and then they said he should have done more. Last week he teased another exciting song choice for this week, and then I see what it is. I don't know...crossing my fingers and hoping for the best.

So, there are 8 singers left, and 3 of them are doing the Beatles - that's almost half!

Before we get to the performances, I have to ask - and I never comment on the judges' clothes - but what on earth is J. Lo wearing! She's basically wearing a silk bra, and I'm not even joking. The bra had a tiny piece of fabric covering her stomach, but there are cutouts on both sides, so it's not much. Wow, really J. Lo?

Duets

Survivor, Ep. 32.4

Tonight's gonna be a scary one! We've seen and heard about the numerous injuries and evacuations that take place this season. Tonight is the first one. Well, technically not the first one as it turns out. Apparently, the first happened after Liz was voted out. She suffered from a staph infection that later required plastic surgery back in the U.S. In an interview, she said: "A few days after I was voted out, they sent me to the hospital [where] they had all the infected staph tissue cut out of my shoulder, my back, my armpit, my knee. I had these big gaping holes, like four inches down to the muscle.”

It's not fun to see anyone get hurt or have to be removed from the game for any reason, however, I'm really hoping it's not one of my favorites: Caleb or Tai. I've read that this evacuation comes during a challenge, in which possibly up to 3 people have issues related to the heat. Of the 3, one of them needs to be taken out by medevac. In the previews, we see a very emotional Tai and someone getting an IV. Tai's close relationship with Caleb would make sense, but we also know that Tai is a very sensitive individual, so he could be emotional over anyone being removed from the game. Crossing my fingers that Caleb will be OK!

So, with that preface out of the way, let's get to tonight's episode!

Brains Camp

The Voice, Ep. 10.4

The Blind Auditions: Night 4

Joe Maye, 24
I didn't remember him from Season 9 until they showed his audition. I really liked him last season. He really dug deep right from the beginning and all the way to the end just like they told him to do last season. This was a great song choice for him. I loved pretty much everything about this. He's a great singer. And then he dueted with Christina?! What?! These early blind audition coach/contestant duets are killing!! Goosebumps! I guess there's no way he's picking Blake, right?!
Chair Turns: 2 (Christina and Blake)

Team Adam

Owen Danoff, 25
So, his dad was in a band in the 70s, and had a hit that probably everyone knows - "Afternoon Delight". He's got a really interesting voice. His musical influences are really evident in the way he sings. It was a little on the boring side, but I think he's got a pretty good voice. I really liked the end of the song.
Chair Turns: 4

Lily Green, 16

Matt Tedder, 20
He looks really familiar. I wonder if he's any relation to Ryan Tedder. Really interesting voice and style. I'm not sold on the song, but I think he has potential. He's also a really talented guitar player!
Chair Turns: 1

Team Blake

Justin Whisnant, 28
Classic male country singer voice and style. He's got a really nice voice. He really knows how to work the stage. I actually like him more than I thought I would. He's already better than last season's Barrett Baber.
Chair Turns: 2 (Adam and Blake)

Brittney Lawrence, 21
Beautiful voice! Very nice performance.
Chair Turns: 2 (Christina and Blake)

Teresa Gidry, 21


Team Christina

Tamar Davis, 35
Her experience in the very first incarnation of Destiny's Child is very evident. She's so comfortable on stage. She's very strong and has a lot of soul.
Chair Turns: 2 (Blake and Christina)

Daniel Passino, 21
I love this song. He can really sing! That was really good.
Chair Turns: 2 (Christina and Blake)

Chelsea Gann, 27

Team Pharrell

Jessica Crosbie, 21
Interesting song choice, and an interesting arrangement. I've never heard the song done that way. There's something very easy about her voice. I really like her tone. I think there's a lot of potential inside of her. It kind of felt like she was really holding back from showing us what she can really do.
Chair Turns: 3 (Adam, Pharrell, and Christina)

Maya Smith, 31
There were some really great things with her voice, but I also heard quite a bit of nerves and shakiness at times. Granted, they mostly came after the chairs turned and she got a little too giddy.
Chair Turns: 2 (Pharrell and Christina)


Honorable Mention...
Nolan Neal, 35
Whoa...I did NOT expect that voice! Or that song choice! Who sings Incubus's "Drive"? How refreshing! Very cool! I literally CANNOT believe that no one turned around! And the fact that they all said they wished they would have pushed doesn't help after the fact. I disagree with them that that wasn't the right song! I thought it was a great song choice and he killed it! They told him to come back, so I really, really hope he does! They really screwed the pooch on that one! I usually don't care one way or another about people who don't get picked, and i'm not usually surprised by the ones who get chair turns and which ones don't. But this one really baffles me.

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The Voice, Ep. 10.3

Blind Auditions: Night 3

Team Adam

Natalie Yacovazzi
She tried out last season. I don't remember her at all. I think did pretty well, but she is still not memorable at all.
Chair Turns: 1

Nate Butler, 19
Ugh, why such old songs? No...just no. Boring. Terrible song choice aside, I don't really hear anything that great about his voice. We got so close to no chairs turning, and then at the very last second, 3 of them turned. I don't know what they were thinking. And then he picks Adam...what a wasted spot, Adam.
Chair Turns: 3 (Adam, Blake, Pharrell)

Ryan Quinn, 25
I am not crazy about the song choice. I'm not really sure what that was. I think he's got a pretty good voice. I like his normal voice much better than his falsetto. He sang way too long with his falsetto at the beginning. When he came back down into his chest voice, he belted it and it was very, very strong. I can't wait to hear him on a good, well-known, modern, popular song! He's got skills! Him picking Adam makes up for the previous bad choice of Nate.
Chair Turns: 4

Team Blake

Brittany Kennell, 26
She has a really interesting tone. I don't know if I like her or not. I think she might be one of those singers who starts out really interesting, and then after 2 performances, you can't stand her voice and it just gets more annoying every time you hear it.
Chair Turns: 2 (Blake and Pharrell)

Peyton Parker, 20
She's got a great voice. She rocked this classic song. I wouldn't say it was spectacular, but she's got a very easy-breezy way about her voice.
Chair Turns: 3 (Pharrell, Christina, Blake)

Team Christina

Malik Heard, 19
He picked a perfect song for his voice. He's got a lot of soul! His vibrato is beautiful. And those runs! Loved this performance!
Chair Turns: 2 (Christina and Pharrell)

Kristen Marie, 20
I love this song! She's got a very different voice than I thought she would. Her deep tone suits this song very well because it's a very dark song. I liked that she showed that she can sing higher, too. There were a few unnecessary things she did. Interesting risks and most of them paid off. With some coaching, she could be really good.
Chair Turns: 2 (Blake and Christina)

Team Pharrell

Hannah Huston, 24
Didn't really care for the song choice, but she's got a very nice voice. She was really strong at the end. She was forceful without being to screetchy or screaming. I didn't think anyone was going to turn around, but 3 did at the very last second.
Chair Turns: 3 (Pharrell, Christina, Blake)

Brian Nhira, 23
I found myself pretty bored by this performance. The song was "Happy", but it just didn't go anywhere. He did turn it up a notch at the end and just squeaked out 2 chairs. I have to say I loved his "Jesus Loves Me" even better than his "Happy"!
Chair Turns: 2 (Blake and Pharrell)

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American Idol, Ep. 15.17

UPDATED! Post now includes last night's performance videos!

From the Top 10 to the Top 8 in one night...that's what we're in for tonight.

Before the show tonight, it was spoiled that there is a twist tonight. It was previously reported that 2 singers would be eliminated at the top of the show. However, it sounds like now, all 10 singers will perform. The bottom 3 singers from last week's voting will perform. At the end of the show, the JUDGES will then SAVE one singer, sending the other 2 home. This could have a big effect on my bracket. Picking the 2 going home was one thing, but taking into effect who the judges might want to keep around is another.

On my bracket, we picked a bottom 4 (since we didn't know if they would do a bottom 3 or possibly 4 since 2 are going home). My bottom 4 picks are: Lee, Gianna, Tristan, and Avalon. The 2 singers I picked as going home are: Lee and Gianna

With this new information about the judges saving someone from the bottom 3, I'm not sure if I should change my picks or not. I think the judges have been pretty critical of Lee and like other singers better, so I think if he's in the bottom 3, he's still going home. Gianna on the other hand...they've continued to praise her even when she's not that good, although they thought she maybe should have picked a different song last time. Depending on who else is in the bottom, she might get the save. Too hard to tell, but I think I'm sticking with my picks.

Also, in case you're wondering. After MUCH consideration (it's never been this difficult for me to choose a winner), I finally made my winner prediction for my bracket. Drum roll please...DALTON! I finally just decided I want to pick someone I like and who I hope will win. I didn't want my last season of Idol to be spent "rooting" for someone just because I picked them in my bracket. I wanted to pick someone I feel who's worth rooting for. Also, as my co-worker pointed out - I should pick him because I'm from Dalton...Ohio that is. That must be a sign. So with that interesting point, it's worth noting that I consciously have to think before I pronounce Dalton's name because we don't say our town the way he says his name.

So, let's get to it! The song list was leaked yesterday, and I can say I'm pretty excited to see some of these. There are some surprises and also some very expected choices. The theme is based on The Grammys.

First one through is....none other than my boy, Dalton! I told you, it's a sign! I feel good about this year!

American Idol Predictions - Help!

Calling all American Idol viewers! As you know if you've read this blog, every year for the last 4 years, some friends from work and I have created our own American Idol bracket we call "Queen of the Idol Picks". When we get to the Top 10, we each choose who we think will win it all. Each week, we pick who we think will be in the bottom 3 and who will go home. Points are assigned to each pick we get right. A 10-point bonus is awarded at the end if the person we picked at the beginning wins it all. I've won it twice, and I REALLY want to win the final one to bring home the final trophy!

Every year, I have a pretty good feeling who is going to win. I've won twice, with the help of my winner picks of Phillip Phillips and Caleb Johnson! In the years I didn't win, I picked the runner-up or final 3 singer (Clark Beckham-2nd and Angie Miller-3rd). So, as you can see, I have a pretty good track record. This year, I just have no idea which direction to go! I normally feel like someone I love is going to win, so I feel good about my choice. This year, I seem to be in the minority of people not #TeamLa'Porsha. I feel like this season could go so many directions depending on who ends up against who.

I need help! I've even gone so far as to put together a list of pros and cons for the people I'm sure are going to make it to the final weeks. There's clearly a case for why each of these singers could be our final American Idol. I would love to hear some other opinions to help me make my choice. I need to make my decision my show time tomorrow. And go!

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Survivor, Ep. 32.3

Days 7-9

Brawn Camp
After Tribal, Scot told Alecia that he wrote her name down. He said he promised Jenny that he wouldn't write her name down and he knew that there were 3 votes for her. Alecia said that was the stupidest thing she's ever heard. She said he needs to go because he can't be trusted. Alecia feels close to Cydney and Cydney keeps letting her think they are close. Scot thinks they made a mistake voting out Jenny and he's not only lost a good friend, but he lost one of his original alliance members. He thinks by voting out Jenny they have now put Alecia in power.

Everyone is wanting to find the idol. None of them want Alecia to find it, obviously. Alecia and Cydney are together and Alecia finds a clue that says it's buried at the bottom of the tree.. Jason sees them digging and he knows what's up. They see Jason watching. Alecia walks away (not sure why). Cydney stays behind because she saw the idol. But...she actually found the box with the lock. They didn't find the key first. Cydney quick covered everything back up, so Alecia has no idea. Back at camp, Cydney shares with Jason and Scot. She told them what the clue said so that they will trust her. They immediately take off for the tree where Jason saw them digging. Jason's a bounty hunter and he smells blood. Jason found the clue and the map and he takes off running. Everyone is chasing him. Alecia gave up the chase, so he and Scot continued. He found the box in the tree. They fashioned a tool similar to Tai's. By now, Alecia shows up again. Jason is bound and determined not to let her catch it when it falls out. It sure was close, but Jason's a big guy and he wrestled it away from her. Jason and Scot read the details about the Super Idol. All I can say is - thank goodness they didn't let Alecia weasel in and get that idol. That would have just been awful!

Brains Camp
Joe is working out. Elizabeth thinks it would not be smart to vote out Debbie or Joe. Debbie doesn't have the drive to make a big move and Joe seems to be loyal. There's a clear divide between Joe and Debbie, and the other 4 - Peter, Elizabeth, Aubrey, and Neil.

Debbie is sitting back and observing. She thinks that Liz is the clear pick to go first. She bitches a lot and she is too close with Peter. Debbie tells Joe exactly what they need to do. She approaches Aubrey and they agree that they trust Neal, so she thinks they could make a strong foursome.

Beauty Camp

The Voice, Ep. 10.2

Blind Auditions: Part 2



Team Adam

Caroline Burns, 15
She tried out last season. I don't really remember her. She definitely sounds her age. Her voice is so light and airy. What a horrible song choice. Yuck! I think she has a pretty good voice, but I'm not blown away. I was really, really bored during this performance.
Chair Turns: 2 (Adam, Blake)

Laith Al-Saadi, 38
He looks 58. With long hair and a ZZ Top beard, you could kind of expect what we were going to hear. He's not much to look at, but he's got an interesting voice. He had some mad guitar skills, too!
Chair Turns: 2 (Adam, Blake)

Catherine Pope

Team Blake

Adam Wakefield, 33
Come on Adam, he only sang a couple words...what are you turning around for? He's clearly meant for Blake. Classic old-fashioned country. I think he's got a decent voice, but I'd love to hear him sing something different.
Chair Turns: 2 (Adam, Blake)

Angie Ketlhauer, 24
I'm not really sure how I feel about her. I think she's got an interesting voice. I couldn't really get into the song. I did kind of like the rocker chick thing she brought to the country song.
Chair Turns: 3 (Adam, Pharrell, Blake)

Team Christina

Shalyah Fearing, 15
She has a really strong voice. Great pitch, great stage presence. She has quite a range, too. I cannot believe she is only 15 with a voice like that. She sounds so incredibly mature. Not surprising that Christina was the only one to turn around for her.

Lacy Mandigo

Kata Hay, 28
Turn it down about 10 notches, please. She's very over-the-top and way too intense. Not my cup o' tea. 3 chair turns in the last second. I was kind of hoping for no turns, but they saved her for last on the show, so you know she's getting on the show.
Chair Turns: 3 (Adam, Pharrell, Blake)

Team Pharrell

Joe Vivona, 27
It started out pretty slow, but I really started to enjoy the 2nd half.I'm not sure he's going to be very memorable.
Chair Turns: 3 (Adam, Pharrell, Blake)

Emily Keener, 16
Shoutout Ohio! I've never heard of her town, but it sounds like a lot of little towns in Ohio. She sounded like she got a little bit off when the first chair turned. The low parts were too low and she had some really iffy notes going higher. Suddenly all the chairs turned? Really? She is doing so many weird things with her voice. So strange. There were some nice things and then some just really off things. Not sure what to make of that, but the coaches all liked it for some reason.
Chair Turns: 4

Jonathan Bach

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