Survivor, Ep. 32.11

Days 28-30

Dara Camp - After Tribal
Tai is proud of himself for being the smallest guy and taking out the biggest guy. Tai took control of the game because Scot and Jason talked over him.

Jason tells the group they will never get Tai out now. He applauded their move as a fan, but being the one blindsided - "argh!". Jason is super bummed that he lost his partner and his idol in the same moment. He is now all alone. He said he may just go nuts because he has nothing to lose.

Julia and Michele were frustrated that they were not part of the plan. They realize they are on the bottom of the totem pole now.

Tai told the group that Jason no longer has his idol. Tai, Aubry, and Cydney are a tight 3-some and plan to take out the rest.

Dara Camp 

The Voice, Ep. 10.16 & 10.17

Top 11

Team Adam

Shalyah Fearing - "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus
Right off the bat, she sounded a little off. Something felt disjointed about the whole song. I'm not sure what it was, but something just didn't work. She has a big voice, but the background music almost drowned her out somehow. She really sounded strained as she tried to sing louder at the end of the song. She has a lot of growing to do and I don't think she's going to get there in this competition. There were some really off notes at the end, and it was kind of painful. I'm sure the coaches didn't hear any of it and they will say how perfect it was. I disagree.
My Grade: B-

Owen Danoff - "Fire and Rain" by James Taylor
I wondered how long it was going to take for him to sing a James Taylor song because he looks and kind of sounds like James. This was a nice performance, but again, it's just so dull. He needs o do something more dynamic and memorable. No one is going to remember this performance after tonight. There's a reason he was in the bottom 2 last week, and this will probably put him back there again tomorrow night. This performance seemed like it was 20 minutes long and was never going to end.
My Grade: B

Laith Al-Saadi - "Make it Rain" by Ed Sheeran
And just when I'm ready to right him off...he goes and does one of my favorite songs. While he did a nice job, he didn't add anything to this song that hasn't been done by anyone else. He added his signature growl, but it wasn't enough for me to be totally blown away. I prefer, obviously Ed Sheeran's version, and Matt McAndrew's version on The Voice was pretty epic. Clark Beckham did a great version on American Idol. I don't think Laith's version matches up to any of those versions. It was good, but not great. The growl can only take you so far.
My Grade: B

Team Blake

Paxton Ingram - "Break Every Chain" by Tasha Cobbs
I'm not familiar with this song, but dang...he sounded amazing and what a powerful song! If he could sing like this every week, he would be around until the end. He can be very inconsistent, and with this song, he brought back the Paxton we saw early on. Just when you think he couldn't bring it any harder, he took it up another notch. Those modulations were unexpected, but in a good way. Wow, this was amazing! And that last note was incredible.
My Grade: A

Mary Sarah - "Johnny & June" by Heidi Newfield
She's got a decent voice. I don't think she really stands out as an amazing country singer like some female country singers on previous seasons. To me, to be a good female country singer, you can't sound like anyone else. I don't know that she has a very distinctive voice. I don't know that this song was great for her voice. She had quite a few pitch issues, especially at the end.
My Grade: C+

Adam Wakefield - "Lights" by Journey
OK, so slowly, but surely, Adam is making me more of a fan each week. I like that he's willing to sing different songs than just country. This was a great song choice, and I think he did a great version of it. I think he could have done a little more with it toward the end. It kind of stayed on the same level through the whole song and got a little boring at the end because it didn't really go anywhere.
My Grade: A

Team Christina

Alisan Porter - "Stay with Me Baby" by Lorraine Ellison
Oh no, not this song again. They forced La'Porsha to sing this song on Idol a few weeks ago. I wasn't a fan of it when La'Porsha did it, and I'm not loving it now. It's just too old fashioned. I will say that I probably prefer Alisan's version to La'Porsha's. She can sing anything. She's still at the top of the pack for sure. She rocked the heck out of it. Can we just crown her the winner now? No one else comes anywhere close to being as good as she is. Are you kidding me?!
My Grade: A+

Bryan Bautista - "Just the Way You Are" by Bruno Mars
Nice song choice. I don't know that I love the arrangement he did though. It was a little too disco lounge. He sounded great, but I wish he would have done it a little more like the original. It was the background music that really annoyed me. It was so distracting.
My Grade: A-

Nick Hagelin - "Your Body is a Wonderland" by John Mayer
I didn't remember he played the guitar! Not one of my favorite John Mayer songs, but I think it should be good for his voice. His voice on the word "porcelain" just made me melt. I know he loves his falsetto, but I love his regular voice so much more. And he doesn't always nail the notes when he goes to his falsetto. He really started getting into it on the 2nd verse, and man, it started getting really good. I started to feel like this was his song. His voice sounded so smooth and combine that with his guitar playing...loved it! I liked how he got the crowd into it at the end. Really great performance - one of his best!
My Grade: A-

Team Pharrell

Daniel Passino - "True Colors" by Cyndi Lauper
This was a really sweet performance. I liked some of the subtle changes he made to the song. I don't know that it was super innovative or dynamic and it was maybe a little boring. He's got a good voice and I really wanted to love this. I'm not sure why I didn't. It was definitely good, but it wasn't all that memorable.
My Grade: A-

Hannah Huston - "I Can't Make You Love Me" by Bonnie Raitt
Can we ban this song, please? This song has been done to death on reality singing competitions. I will say that I don't know that I've ever heard someone with her kind of voice sing this song. It was beautiful and you could tell she was really connected to the lyrics, which made the performance that much better. She really soared and her vibrato was really pretty toward the end. There were even some interesting note changes in there that was really pretty.
My Grade: A

Results

Bottom 2: Daniel and Owen
Not really surprised at all with this bottom 2.

Daniel - "Jealous" by Nick Jonas
Much, much better than last night. Great, popular song choice. I don't know what Owen is singing yet, but unless he does something popular or upbeat, he's a goner. There wasn't anything wrong with this performance. It was pretty solid. He used his falsetto in the right spot and it really worked.
My Grade: A

Owen - "Burning House" by Cam
Ooh, interesting song choice. I'm sure his version will not compare to Emily's last season. It's a great song, but I don't think it's the right song for him. He sounds very pitchy and very nasally. I think...nope, I know he messed up the words. Poor guy...definitely not the kind of performance you want to have when you're singing for your life. Oops...more and more missed lyrics. Sorry for the pun, but he's going down in flames here. I don't think anything can save him now. He got lucky last week when he had a great performance to give him the edge over whatsername last week. It was close last week. It's not going to be close this week.
My Grade: C-

OK, so the percentages were about as close as last week, surprisingly. I'm not sure who is voting for Owen at this point. I love that Pharrell was so supportive of Daniel and he was really begging, for the first time this season, for people to vote for his artist.

Saved by America: Daniel
Going Home: Owen

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Dancing with the Stars, Ep. 22.6

Theme: Famous Dances

Kim & Sasha - Jive
Dance: "You Can't Stop the Beat" from "Hairspray"
Poor Kim has stress fractures in her ankles. She begged Sasha not to change the choreography because of it. She was warned that she should sit out rehearsals, but she pushed through. I've gotta hand it to her, that dance was fasst and so many steps. She did a great job. She had some great kicks, but her legs did look a little sleepy and not as strong throughout the whole dance. Overall though, it was pretty great. And with all the troupe dancers, it really was a Broadway production. Years ago, this could pass for a finale freestyle.
Score: 24

Von & Witney - Jazz
Dance: "Bad" by Michael Jackson
This is going to be really interesting. Look at that cool swagger! This actually suits him really well!! There might just be a little Michael in there. You could tell he was loving this choreography. He was really smiling. Usually you can tell he's just really focused, but I think he was letting loose and having fun. Good job, Von!
Score: 24

Jodie & Keo - Contemporary
Dance: Pink's "Try" video
Her injury looked so painful! Keo came down with his full weight on top of her ankle - right smack on the hard floor. Then not to mention getting smacked in the face. Poor girl! Keo, stop beating this poor girl up. Right away she was worried she would be done dancing. Luckily, it was only a deep bone bruise. This video was incredibly cool and so difficult. I can't wait to see how they pull this off. Right away, I recognized a lot of the dance moves from the video. They even incorporated the colorful powders that were on the mattress when he throws her down. She really threw herself - and Keo - into this dance and it was a great follow-up to her awesome dance last week. She brought all of the emotion into this and it was great! You could feel all of the angst and tension with every move. I'm glad Keo was able to step up and make this a great routine. Loved it!
Score: 25

Paige & Mark - Jazz
Dance: opening scene from "Austin Powers"
Poor Mark. They pulled his song and dance style at the last minute and he had to start over. I don't care what he had before, because I literally can't WAIT to see him as Austin Powers. Everyone knows that character and that opening dance number is so iconic. This is going to be so awesome! Oh...my...goodness! I'm dying...he IS Austin Powers! I want to watch Paige, but I can't stop staring at Mark! Paige made a great Heather Graham. Mark is totally nailing the faces! Holy crap! Paige wanted to show off her athleticism and she sure did that. They did a huge cheerleader toss at the end and she kind of did a spread eagle. It was awesome! That was so much fun!
Score: 28 (10 from Len!!!)

Nyle & Peta - Quickstep
Dance: The Mask
The mask is great, but you can't hide that beautiful face of his! If I didn't know better, I would say that's Jim Carrey out there! He's a perfect combo of Jim Carrey and Helio Castroneves who also danced to this dance in a yellow suit. That routine was one that will always be remembered. I think this one could be as well. I think Nyle might have been a little too cocky about this one. He got a little wild on his throw spins of Peta, but man was it entertaining! Wow! That was so fast!!! I hope the judges liked it. I'm afraid it might have been too fast for him to keep the technique on point. He totally brought the character to life. Awesome as always.
Score: 25

Ginger & Val - Jazz
Dance: "Nasty" by Janet Jackson
Interesting. If I remember right, Val and Tamar did Janet Jackson's "Rhythm Nation". He must really like Janet Jackson. She nailed all the moves, but I think she was a little too sweet to be nasty Janet. Those guys were hot, though! Great routine! What's a girl got to do to get a guy squad like that?!
Score: 24

Doug & Karina - Bollywood
Dance: "Jai Ho" from Slumdog Millionaire
This is one of my favorite Pussycat Dolls songs. I love watching Bollywood. I don't think I'm going to particularly like seeing Doug do it. But maybe he will surprise us all. Look at Doug go! He's got the right hand placemeents. He's even got some speed going! He looked a litle silly, but I think he wasn't doing too bad. Gotta hand it to him for really going for it. It wasn't perfect, but it was fun to watch!
Score: 21

Wanya & Lindsay - Jazz
Dance: *NSync's "Bye Bye Bye" from the VMAs
YES! This is going to be awesome! Couldn't they clear the original version of the song? Come on! At least they didn't totally ruin the song. Wanya was owning those boyband moves! I loved the opening with their heads on the video screens. Very cool routine! And look Lance and Joey are there to give him some love. That was awesome!
Score: 29

Antonio & Sharna - Jive
Dance: prom scene from "Footloose"
Perfect dance for the lovable and fun-loving Antonio. He got those feet really moving. Definitely had those classic moves from the movie - and even included the glitter confetti! He was maybe a little too "loose", but man, did he have a good time and give an awesome performance! That was so much fun! I hope he had enough kicks and flicks to satisfy the judges.
Score: 27

Week 6 Leaderboard

Wanya & Lindsay - 29
Paige & Mark - 28
Antonio & Sharna - 27
Jodie & Keo - 25
Nyle & Peta - 25
Ginger & Val - 24
Kim & Sasha - 24
Von & Witney - 24
Doug & Karina - 21

Results

In Jeopardy: Paige & Mark (wait, what?!), Doug & Karina, Von & Witney
Going Home: Doug & Karina

We love you, Doug! But it was your time to go. So sorry!

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Survivor, Ep. 32.10

Days 25-27

Dara Camp - After Tribal
Scot is ecstatic about how well Tribal went. None of them had to play their idol and the other side went after one of their own.

Tai gives Jason the idol that he gave him, back to him. He said he doesn't have room for it. Wow. Tai could have had ALL the power!

Jason said their psychological warfare did exactly what they wanted. I'm worried - these 3 are way too cocky and they feel way too safe.

Dara Camp
Tai tells Scot that they should try to bring the camp back together and extend an olive branch. Scot agrees. He never wanted to be like Russell Hantz and do the kinds of things that he did, but he had to make a point that they weren't going to succeed without them.

He talks to Aubry and tells her that they want Cydney gone because she turned on them for no reason. He said if that's what everyone else can get on board with, things at camp can go back to normal. She said this was a soft command from him, saying basically that things will be good if he gets what he wants. It was served up like a birthday cake with lots of sugar to make it come off sweeter than the actual message really was. She said she is not going to work with them, but she will let them think she is going along with it.

Reward Challenge
Challenge: balance a board with their foot; on the board is a pot that they have to balance
Reward: choose to play for food, love (letters from home), or for an advantage (mystery)

They will only be playing against people who are playing for the same reward. So there will be 3 winners.
Advantage: Tai, Cydney, Aubry
Food: Scot, Jason, Michele
Love: Julia, Joe

Love: Joe is out first, and Julia wins her letters

Food: Scot is out first in the food category. Jason is out, so Michele wins food

Advantage: All 3 people in this category are the only ones left. Come on Tai, we don't want Cydney or Aubry getting this advantage! And Cydney is out! Aubry said she wants to win this to prove to herself that she can win this game. 10 minutes in, and it's still Tai and Aubry. Aubry is moving her board up and down quite a lot almost on purpose to stretch. She then wobbles and saves it more than once, very incredibly. Finally, it was too much for her, and her pot drops. Tai wins!

Dara Camp

The Voice, Ep. 10.14 & 10.15

Top 12

Team Adam

Laith Al-Saadi - "Born Under a Bad Sign" by Albert King
I did not care for this song at all. I don't like how when he does his growl it sounds like he is gargling water - it's kind of annoying. I wasn't really impressed with this.
My Score: B-

Owen Danoff - "7 Years" by Lukas Graham
This is a very interesting song choice for him - not one that I would have expected at all. Funny how a more current song choice can change my mind about someone. He always sings old and very boring songs. This song is current and it allowed him to really dig deep with some feeling - and what an improvement! If he could stick with stuff like this, I could really get behind him. This was a very nice performance. I didn't know he had this type of performance in him.
My Score: A-

Shalyah Fearing - "Up to the Mountain" by Kelly Clarkson
My problem with Shalyah is that she isn't very consistent. She shows signs of being great, but I think just her young age shows at times. She can be pitchy and she can scream way too much. I don't quite see what a lot of others do. She's good, but she's got some growing to do. I was glad to see that one of the recappers I read from TVLine totally agreed with me on her last performance. The coaches and the audience went absolutely bonkers for her, but there were so many pitch issues that it was painful at times. This performance was a lot better, I will give her that.
My Score: B

Team Blake

Mary Sarah - "So Small" by Carrie Underwood
I can't believe that she is the only female country singer left in the competition at the top 12. This was a nice song choice. It's not normal for female country singers on this show to sing something so current (even if it is an older Carrie song). I thought she did a really nice job with it. It was a really strong performance. She added a little bit of her own twist on some of the note combinations.
My Score: A-

Adam Wakefield - "Soulshine" by The Allman Brothers
I haven't been super impressed with him throughout this competition, but he is kind of growing on me every week. I think he actually has one of the best voices in the competition. He's really consistent and rarely hits a bad note. I don't always care for his song choices or style of music, but this one was probably one of his best. Vocally he was superb. I really enjoyed this performance. I could see him having a hit with that song.
My Score: A+

Paxton Ingram - "Hands to Myself" by Selena Gomez
This song, really? Interesting song choice. It makes more sense now that I hear him singing it. He kind of stripped it down and slowed it down. It sounds way more R&B than the original. I'm glad to see that he found his pitch, because he really went off the rails last week. This is the Ingram from the first couple weeks. This was actually a lot better than I thought it was going to be. I actually liked it better than the original.
My Score: A

Team Christina

Nick Hagelin - "Mine Would Be You" by Blake Shelton
I love that he chose this song for his wife. I would not have guessed he would go for a Blake country song from him, so this should be interesting. I love that he is playing the piano for this. He definitely made it sound like an R&B song instead of a country song. When he stepped away from the piano, his voice just soared. I like his falsetto, but I love his normal singing voice. It was a really sweet performance. He might not be the strongest or most consistent singer, but I always enjoy his performances.
My Score: A-

Bryan Bautista - "Kiss from a Rose" by Seal
I love this song choice for him. I think he's going to sound great, and it's just a great song. Right from the beginning, he sounds just like Seal! Like I mean, JUST like him! I didn't notice that about him before. This was just the absolute perfect song for him. It might have been nice to hear him change up the song a little bit so it didn't sound so much like a copycat version, but he sang it so well. He did change up the end a little bit and it was very nice. I really liked this a lot! He really rocked the ending. He might have shouted a little too much at the end, but that's the only complaint I have.
My Score: A

Alisan Porter - "Stone Cold" by Demi Lovato
Whoa, this is a big song and I think she is going to rock it. This is a perfect song for her. She really gave so much emotion and depth to this song. For all of the run-of-the-mill mediocre singers this season, she stands out as the CLEAR front-runner. Each week she takes another step above all the others and really distances herself. Clearly the best performance of the night. This was so ridiculously good. She was big and loud, but she didn't scream or shout it. It was flat-out belted and it was incredible. She is absolutely Christina's best chance to break the girl coach losing curse.
My Score: A+

Team Pharrell

Daniel Passino - "Human Nature" by Michael Jackson
This is not my favorite song choice for him - it was actually more terrible the longer it went. I've liked him in the past, but this song choice didn't really do anything for him. I hope he can stick around despite this boring and mediocre performance. The long high notes at the end were kind of like nails on a chalkboard for me. He wasn't necessarily out of pitch, but it was just really annoying notes that he held out way too long.
My Score: B+

Emily Keener - "Lilac Wine" by Jeff Buckley
The only Jeff Buckley song that I know is "Hallelujah", so I wasn't sure what to expect. Turns out this was nowhere as good as "Hallelujah". BORING! Painfully boring. I don't get the song at all. I don't think she sounded that great at all. Whoa, there was a VERY big crack in her voice on a note that was not all that difficult to hit. Since I don't know the original, I don't know if this was all her or if the original was that bad, but wow. I did NOT like that at all.
My Score: D

Hannah Huston - "Something's Got a Hold on Me" by Etta James
This was an interesting performance. A very different version of the song, but it was actually kind of good. She really rocked it out. She had a really great stage presence and really performed the heck out of it.
My Score: A

Results

Bottom 2: Emily Keener and Owen Danoff
Wow, that is a totally appropriate bottom 2, I will say. Won't really be sad to see either go.

Emily
Well, this song is NOT going to win it for her, I can guarantee. This is just as slow and boring as the one she did the night before. BORING! You can't sing songs like this when you are singing for your life and expecting people to vote for you. The only way she wins this is if Owen sings a similar song, then it will probably be about even. She showed a little bit of life at the end, but again, she had a "honk" where her voice cracked. Yuck.
My Score: D

Owen
I love the song choice - Ed Sheeran's "Lego House". A popular song by a popular artist, so this should easily win this battle for him. Emily sang a song no one knows and it was boring as all get-out, so, you win Owen. He sang this pretty well, including the really fast lyrics. He's definitely not the best singer, but singing a popular song goes a long, long way in a competition like this.
My Score: B

Saved by America: Owen
Going Home: Emily

Right choice, America. Right choice. The voting looked a little closer than I thought it would, but it happened just like I said it would.

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Dancing with the Stars, Ep. 22.5

Theme: Switch-up
Based on viewer's votes, the couples have been switched this week. Guest judge this week is Maks Cherkovskiy. This week there is no elimination!

Wanya (Lindsay) & Witney - Tango
With Witney and Lindsay being so similar and best friends, I don't think his transition was too difficult. This is the first ballroom dance for him (at least I think it is). He seemed to have a really good hold, but it did look like he wanted to slip out of it every now and then and do his own thing. I really enjoyed this dance. Very nice!
Score: 30



Kim (Sasha) & Keo - Viennese Waltz
I really, really like this pair together! The song was horrible, but they were so cute! They seemed very in-tune with each other. The dance flowed and had a very beautiful story. Kim is still impressing me every single week. Maks really called Keo out for not choreographing a Viennese Waltz. Keo said that the big height difference made it hard for him to choreograph a proper dance.
Score: 28

The Voice, Ep. 10.13: Top 12

24 becomes 12. Each team is now down to 3 singers each, as we head into the Live Playoffs.

Here are the results of this week's performances:

Team Adam

Saved by America: Shalyah Fearing, Laith Al-Saadi
Saved by Adam: Owen Danoff
Going Home: Nate Butler (meh), Brian Nhira (noooo!), Caroline Burns (nooooooooo!). Not too happy about this.

Team Blake

Saved by America: Adam Wakefield, Mary Sarah
Saved by Blake: Paxton Ingram (what?! seriously?!)
Going Home: Katie Basden (meh), Joe Maye (no!), Justin Whisnant (noooooooo!). I seriously can't believe he saved Paxton (not country) over Justin (country). Furthermore, I can't believe I was rooting for this country guy - I actually liked him!

Team Christina

Saved by America: Alisan Porter (no surprise at all), Nick Hagelin (yes!)
Saved by Christina: Bryan Bautista (yes!)
Going Home: Kata Hay (heck, yeah!!!!!), Tamar Davis (whoa, really, really surprised, but glad), Ryan Quinn (nooooooooooooooooo!) I can't believe I'm saying this, but I love Christina's team, and I think she by far has the strongest team this season.

Team Pharrell

Saved by America: Hannah Huston, Daniel Passino (yes!)
Saved by Pharrell: Emily Keener
Going Home: Lacy Mandigo (meh), Moushumi (meh), Caity Peters (meh)
I honestly don't remember much about Emily, Lacy, or Caity. Pharrell's team is very weak.

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Survivor , Ep. 32.9

Dara Camp
Tai realizes his big mistake about talking about the Super Idol. Scot realizes that there is no more Brawn alliance, and it's just him, Jason, and Tai. Tai said he panicked after he made his mistake, and just decided to vote for Jason, Then he said he knew he couldn't lie very well, but he said he voted for Debbie. Jason and Scot decide to mess with the women and make them weak by taking the machete and ax and make camp life miserable. They won't help the women find food or anything. This makes Tai uncomfortable because that's not the kind of person he is. Unfortunately, he can't control what they do.

So, it the early morning hours, Scot and Jason find the machete and sneak off with it while Joe is tending to the fire in the dark. They take the machete and ax and walk deep into the jungle to find a good place to find them. This is their way of fighting back after the blindside.

Debbie sees that the guys are pissed off and are making everything uncomfortable. She said they are not gentlemen, and they are bad sportsman. Debbie is the first to notice the missing tools. Michele and Debbie realize what has happened. They are determined to find food without the tools. They used a saw to open a coconut...much to Scot's dismay. He was steaming, so he decided to do something stupid. He poured water all over the fire. Oh boy, this is not good, Scot. Michele was able to get the fire going again, so Scot said..."let's think of some other fun stuff to do."

Reward Challenge

The Voice, Ep. 10.13

The Live Playoffs, Top 24 continue...

Team Adam

Laith Al-Saadi - "With A Little Help From My Friends" by Joe Cocker
Ugh, hate this song! Very predictable song for him. It was another fine performance. Just not for me.
My Grade: A-

Owen Danoff - "Hero" by Family of the Year
He's got a really good voice, but he is also borderline boring. I'm not sure what this needed, but it needed something. I liked what he did with the end of the song, but it was a little too late.
My Grade: B+

Shalyah Fearing - "Listen" by Beyonce
It's so hard to believe that she is only 16. She flew off the handle a few times, but with a little work, I think she could be really good. There were a few too many pitch issues to make this a truly powerful performance. Her loud, booming voice was ridiculous. It would have been insane if she was in tune. I'm sure the coaches will all be over the moon with this, but my ears heard too many problems and it was just way too over dramatic for my taste.
My Grade: B

Caroline Burns - "All I Want" by Kodaline
I seriously love this song. It is just so incredibly good. Her voice is so pretty. She looks like she's 10 years old, but she sounds so much more mature than that. She slayed this song. It was incredible. By far my favorite of the night. And not just because it was the best song choice of the night. She gave me goosebumps! The last 2 notes were gorgeous and very haunting. Loved it! That performance should have gotten a 4-chair resounding standing ovation - not Shalyah's.
My Grade: A+

Brian Nhira - "Alive" by Sia
Love this song - this should be good. I really like this guy - he seems so grounded and down to earth. He was a little under pitch, but it was still enjoyable. He was getting a little emotional, but he held it together pretty well. I was really hoping he would stay in pitch, because if he would have, this could have been a truly incredible performance. He was just a little too strained because he was forcing it too much.
My Grade: B

COMEBACK ARTIST: Nate Butler - "Sara Smile" by Hall and Oates
Yuck! This is why I'm not that crazy about Nate - his old song choices. Yet another really boring performance tonight. He does know that he is singing to earn people's votes, right? No one is going to remember this, let alone say, "I just have to vote for this guy".
My Grade: B-

Team Pharrell

Emily Keener - "Still Crazy After All These Years" by Paul Simon
Boring and unmemorable. I didn't think her vocals sounded that great. I'm not sure what they see in her. Mediocre at best. Lots of pitch issues at the end when she struggled to hit the high notes.
My Grade: C+

Moushumi - "Love Yourself" by Justin Bieber
Love this song. I liked her soft and tender approach to this song. She has one of the softest, fluffiest voices I've ever heard. I like that she had the song really keep building throughout. She added a little power toward the end. I think she could have taken it a little bit further. It was a little on the boring side, even though it sounded really pretty.
My Grade: B

Lacy Mandigo - "Love is a Battlefield" by Pat Benatar
This is a big song to tackle, but she did an amazing job. She was very powerful and very into the performance. I don't really care for her deep tone. I like her voice when it is more open, but when she gets kind of gutteral and deep, I don't like it.
My Grade: B+

Caity Peters - "I'll Be Waiting" by Adele
I don't know this Adele song. Either it's not that great, or it's just the way she's singing it. I'm not loving this at all. It seems like it's all over the place. She's definitely sounded better. She just sounds like she's shouting, not singing.
My Grade: B-

Hannah Huston - "Ain't No Way" by Aretha Franklin
Yuck, awful song choice. I like Hannah, but I hated this song for her. She sounded pretty good until the end. It got way too screechy and strained. That seemed to be the common theme tonight.
My Grade: B-

COMEBACK ARTIST: Daniel Passino - "When I Was Your Man" by Bruno Mars
Great pick, Pharrell! This is a great song for him. He sounds great. His high notes were very strong. He really got into it at the end, and that big high falsetto note was incredible.
My Grade: A

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The Voice, Ep. 10.12

The Live Playoffs begin!

Tonight is the first of the live shows. There will be 3 episodes this week. 2 coaches' teams perform tonight, the other 2 groups sing tomorrow night, and then on Thursday we will find out the results. We will be left with 3 singers on each team.


Team Blake

Paxton Ingram - "How Deep is Your Love" by Calvin Harris & Disciples
Well, he's really into the song, but it's kind of all over the place. I'm not a fan of the song. I've heard him be better. At one point it didn't sound like hi mic was on. He actually sounded really off, the further he got into the song. I started out with his grade being a B-, but it got worse. I didn't care for this at all.That's a shame, because I did kind of like him early on.
My Grade: C-

Katie Basden - "Georgia Rain" by Trisha Yearwood
She started out pretty, but on her way down to some lower notes, she fell really flat. I didn't really love this. It was kind of boring. She sang it pretty well, but there were quite a few pitch problems.
My Grade: B-

Joe Maye - "Long Train Runnin'" by The Doobie Brothers
The way he sang this song, it sounded very different that the original that we're used to. I really liked it. He sang this really well. He had great stage presence and a lot of energy as he jumped and moved around the stage. It was a very good performance, and it just kept building and building.
My Grade: A

Adam Wakefield - "Seven Spanish Angels" by Willie Nelson & Ray Charles
He really does have a good voice. I just wish he would do some better songs. It was a good song for his voice, though. Not a whole lot wrong with this performance. He sang it very well. He used just enough grit every now and then to give it some character. It's nice that he doesn't overdo it.
My Grade: A-

Mary Sarah - "Rose Garden" by Lynn Anderson
I don't know what it was about this, but I didn't really care for it. I've heard her sound a lot better. I didn't love the song choice. It was an OK performance, but nothing special.
My Grade: B

COMEBACK ARTIST: Justin Whisnant - "Here's a Quarter (Call Someone Who Cares)" by Travis Tritt
Thank you, Blake! I was devastated when Blake let this guy get away! He was the best guy on Blake's team! I am so glad he's back! He might be country, but I absolutely love his voice. This was another great performance. I didn't care for the song, but his voice sounded great. I loved when he really let loose.
My Grade: A-

Team Christina

Ryan Quinn - "I'm Not the Only One" by Sam Smith
I love him and I'm so glad that Christina saved. Wow, he looks even cuter without his glasses! His voice sounds great on this song. I love how connected he seems to the song. Everything about this was great. Flawless. Gorgeous. If he doesn't stay, I will be devastated. He's one of the ONLY good ones left this season.
My Grade: A+

Kata Hay - "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" by Aretha Franklin
Yuck, yuck, yuck. I don't like this song, and Kata annoys me. So, this was pretty much just the perfect storm of yuck. I will say that it's nice to hear her do something different than what we've seen from her so far. I did not care for all of the extra deep growls. If she could just tone it back a few notches, it would be a lot easier to tolerate. I will say that vocally, it was probably one of her best, but man, I had a headache by the time she was done.
My Grade: B

Tamar Davis - "Rise Up" by Andra Day
This song is showing up everywhere. Sonika and Avalon sang it on American Idol, Andra sang it live last week on Dancing with the Songs, and now it's here. This was a good song choice for her. She was really able to soar on those high notes. I wish she would reign in her vibrato at times. Sometimes she sounds like she's sitting on a jackhammer. It's a little annoying. Her one big high note was not on pitch.
My Grade: B+

Bryan Bautista - "Pillow Talk" by Zayn
He's another one of my favorite singers this season. His voice is just amazing, and so beautiful. He knows how to pick really good songs for his voice, as well. He has a great presence on stage and he really connected with the audience. I love when he shoots up to his falsetto. I love that he doesn't spend the whole song up there, but every once in a while, he surprises you and goes way up high - higher than you think he can go. This was another terrific performance. Another great artist on Christina's team.
My Grade: A+

Alisan Porter - "Cry Baby" by Janis Joplin
They are really pushing her as the winner, aren't they? She seems to always sing near the end of the show, and here she is closing the show again. That voice really is incredible, isn't it?! I hated the song choice, but she brought the house down with it, as usual. I didn't like the way her voice sounded kind of whiny and childlike in certain parts.
My Grade: A

COMEBACK ARTIST: Nick Hagelin - "Stay" by Rihanna
Christina is really making things interesting this season. She brought back a good one...who wasn't even on her team at any point. He definitely deserved another chance. I was sad to see him go. He picked a great song. When he was eliminated, the song he chose had way too much falsetto. He does so much better when he just floats up there occasionally. This song was perfect for that. He sounded amazing! There were a lot of really nice moments. His long drawn out "stay"s were so strong.
My Grade: A

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Dancing with the Stars, Ep. 22.4

Theme: Disney!
I love Disney week! The pros always come up with the neatest routines for these.

We have a guest judge this week, and it is former DWTS celebrity, Zendaya. She was season 16's runner-up. Note about the scores: since there are 4 judges, there will be a total of 40 points possible tonight.

Antonio & Sharna - Jazz
Theme: Aladdin, "Friend Like Me"
He's got a tall order, as he is dancing with 4 male pros. I think he's going to kill it! He's such a cool cat! I don't think he's dressed like Aladdin at all, but Sharna's definitely Jasmine. I love watching him because he's always having such a good time. Boomin'!
Score: 35

Marla & Tony - Waltz
Theme: Ariel from Little Mermaid, "Part of Your World"
The special effects always amaze me. How do they make all those bubble look so real?! I figured she would do well with this dance. It's right up her alley. Other than the special effects, it was kind of boring though. I didn't think it was as fluid as Zendaya did. It seemed a little clunky in places.
Score: 28

Nyle & Peta - Samba
Theme: Tarzan
Yes! VERY shirtless Nyle...and not much covering down below! He's got some extensions and he's totally in character. He found a way to really connect to the character, and he said he's actually always connected with Tarzan. His rehearsal was hilarious as he was storming around the set. This is the most acting we've seen him do all season. He is KILLING it!!!! Was there any doubt? Look at those hips swivel! And we say it every week...HE CAN'T HEAR! There is so much beat to this song, and his is nailing every single one of them. Love the booty shake! He's having a blast!
Score: 34

Doug & Karina - Jazz
Theme: Mary Poppins, "Spoon Full of Sugar"
Uh oh, we know what happens when you try to use props. He busted one of his canes in rehearsal. OK, so how did they get Doug to come out of that carpet bag that Karina carried out?! He started out very out of sync with Karina and the cane-work, but he eventually found the beat. Definitely a fun routine! They ended up right on the judges' table and then he went back into the bag. How are they doing that?!
Score: 24

An Ode to 15 Years of American Idol

It's hard to believe that after 15 seasons and 14 years, American Idol is finished. We've seen hundreds of singers audition and dozens upon dozens of singers rise to fame - even if they didn't win or even make the live shows. It just proves the impact that this show has had on the music business. I wanted to take this time to take a look at the last 15 seasons, now that it's officially over. I have so many fond memories of the show, and I am truly going to miss it.

Let's look at the winners. I'm pretty proud to say that I completed this from memory without looking at anything! (Of course, I did check to make sure I actually had them right.)

Season 1 (2002): Kelly Clarkson Season 2 (2003): Ruben Studdard Season 3 (2004): Fantasia Barrino Season 4 (2005): Carrie Underwood Season 5 (2006): Taylor Hicks Season 6 (2007): Jordin Sparks Season 7 (2008): David Cook Season 8 (2009): Kris Allen

Season 9 (2010):   Lee DeWyze Season 10 (2011): Scotty McCreery Season 11 (2012): Phillip Phillips Season 12 (2013): Candice Glover Season 13 (2014): Caleb Johnson Season 14 (2015): Nick Fradiani Season 15 (2016): Trent Harmon

Winner Breakdown:

American Idol, Ep. 15.24: The Final Finale

Tonight, Kieran will "dim the lights" for one final time. It's kind of cool that the final 2 are both from Mississippi - how odd is that? They have really bonded through this competition and they seem to be really good friends, and I think each of them would be so happy if the other one won. That's so great to see.

If you think you have it figured out who is going to be the 15th and final American Idol, think again. This is just how close it's going to be:

We have 2 hours of great performances by TONS of former Idols. I am going to probably cry through this whole thing! It's been so fun to see behind-the-scenes videos and photos posted from the Idols that I follow on Facebook.

FINALE PERFORMANCES

American Idol, Ep. 15.23

Tonight - the last time to vote on American Idol! The last performance episode. The last elimination before the finale and the end of it all. It makes me sad just to think about it! At the end of the night, one will be eliminated, and we will find out who the Final 2 will be.

In a rare group performance, we get to see our Top 3 perform together doing "Stole the Show" by Kygo. They sounded so amazing together, and this was the perfect song! The only bad thing was that it wasn't long enough! We only got to hear a little snippet of it.



Round 1: "Winner" Song

Trent - "Falling"
The has the feeling of a Weeknd song. It is very much the anti-Idol-winning song. Usually the winning song is an upbeat anthem. This is a slow and sexy little ditty that really suits Trent's personality. He clearly connects with it and he's singing the heck out of it. Uh oh - he must really be in the zone because we're seeing the strained faces that plagued him in the early weeks of the competition. He's done so well to focus and keep his face under control, but he lost it a little in this performance. That might not be a bad thing. His vocals were great, and if he falls back into "the face" every now and then, it's not a big deal. The problem was when he could do nothing BUT that face.
My Grade: A




Dalton - "Strike a Match"
I can't wait to hear this! Another interesting song for a "winner's song", but it's a great song for him. He was a little pitchy at the beginning, but at the chorus, his voice just soared. I don't know if his whole heart was in this song, but he just makes me smile.
My Grade: B




La'Porsha - "Battles"
I'm really sad to see La'Porsha's big hair back. I can't believe she ditched the braids that took 15 hours to do. I'm guessing it could have taken 15 hours to undo that! The title of this song says everything. This is clearly her anthem this entire season. It started out way too low for her. This is maybe the closest thing to the normal "winner's song" that we're used to. It's a great song, with a great message. It clearly fits her style very well. I was maybe expecting a little more from her given the song and it's meaning to her. It was a great performance, but it didn't give me chills and it wasn't really epic.
My Grade: A-




Results

Survivor, Ep. 32.8

Days 19-21

Dara Camp
Everyone is still reeling from Neal's departure. Joe is worried about the numbers without Neal.

Scot does a great impression of Forrest Gump - ha!

Jason is wearing weird girl pigtail buns! Yuck!

Jason wants to make sure if Neal gave an idol to Aubry that it gets flushed. They will keep voting for Debbie until she goes home.

Aubry sees that the camp is like high school. The jocks and the pretty people are close with each other. The smart nerds are on the outside. However, eventually, the misfits get their revenge. She hopes to look for a crack to work her way in.

Jason gets a little personal and shares his story. He shared that his daughter has autism and it's pretty severe. He was very sincere talking about her. He also shared about the burden it has been on his family financially. Even though he said he wouldn't use his daughters to get ahead in the game, he said if people ask about his daughters, he's going to be honest and share. Cydney thinks this was a good time for him so show his human side. She said she now sees him as more of a threat in the end because people would want to give him the money to help him out. She has some decisions to think about for her game.

Reward Challenge

The Voice, Ep. 10.11

The last of the Knockout Round

Team Adam

Brian Nhira vs. Nate Butler

Brian - "Grenade" by Bruno Mars
I love this song, and it is perfect for Bruno. He hasn't sounded this good in a long time. He totally rocked this. Ooh, until he hit some really wonky notes. His voice kind of gave out on him there. Those couple of notes aside, the rest of the performance was stellar. His high notes toward the end were really good. I hope he comes away with the win. I didn't think Pharrell should have let him go in the first place.

Nate - "Let's Stay Together" by Al Green
Seriously, come on...what is with people and these ancient songs. There are so many songs out there. Why do we need to continue to recycle the bottom of the barrel? I hate this song! Boring, boring, boring. I used to like Nate, but this song choice shows me what kind of an artist he wants to be, and it's not someone I want to hear anything more from. He sang it fine, but it was nothing special by any means. I couldn't wait for it to be over. Very mediocre at best. It's disturbing how much the coaches are in awe of this.

WINNER: Brian

Jessica Crosbie vs. Laith Al-Saadi

Jessica - "Wake Me Up" by Avicii
This was a nice performance. I don't know that it was anything spectacular or memorable. She has a very effortless voice that is very light and airy. Maybe not quite the right song for that type of voice.

Laith - "In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel
It sure is nice to see him do a little different. This actually made me kind of like him for the first time. He actually sounded really great on this song. He hit the high notes flawlessly, which really surprised me. We're so used to his gravely voice, but the high notes were really smooth and crystal-clear. The pitch was perfect. I really enjoyed this performance a lot.

WINNER: Laith

Caroline Burns vs. Katherine Ho - we didn't get to see
WINNER: Caroline

Team Blake

Brittany Kennell vs. Mary Sarah

Mary Sarah - "You Ain't Woman Enough (To Take My Man)" by Loretta Lynn
Ugh! Bad song choice. Just too country for me. I've liked her voice when she has sung other songs, but this is too country. There were parts that were too low for her. I had a little bit of trouble understanding what she was singing. I did like her last line of the song, it was really pretty.

Brittany Kennell - "You're Still the One" by Shania Twain
Great song choice! She really didn't do as well with this song as I would have hoped. I didn't really think her voice sounded that great. There were some OK moments, but she sounded pretty off for the whole song. I think this is a no-brainer for Blake. He always picks the younger, blonde country girls over anyone else, anyway. I would be shocked if he doesn't pick Mary Sarah. Side note: I loved what Miley did when she sang in rehearsals!

WINNER: Mary 

Team Christina

Bryan Bautista vs. Trey O'Dell
I don't want to lose either of these guys!

Bryan - "Sorry" by Justin Bieber
Like the song choice! I love the reggae thing he did with it. His voice is so beautiful! I've got goosebumps already! The more I see of him, the more I love him. He really knows how to work the stage and give a great performance. He made some really smart and surprising choices that really worked for the song. Wow, that was really, really good!

Trey - "I Live" by OneRepublic
Also a great song choice! This is going to be tough! He did a really good job, but it kind of felt a little bit disjointed. There were some pitch issues, but overall, it was pretty good.

WINNER: Bryan

Joe Maye vs.  Kata Hay
This is the last Knockout, and Blake has 1 steal left. That means Kata will be staying one way or another. Ugh!

Joe - "Earned It" by The Weeknd
I hope he wins this! This was a pretty good performance. He did some nice things with the song. He might have been a little sketchy on the falsetto in a couple places. It sounded like nerves. We know he can sing because - just look at his audition when he sang with Christina. Enough said.

Kata - "Why Haven't I Heard From You" by Reba McIntyre
I haven't liked her from the beginning. Her personality is just annoying, and she's even more annoying when she starts singing. I hate her song choices and I hate how over-the-top she performs. I will say that this was probably her best performance so far, but I'm still not a fan.I really hope Christina sticks with Joe and lets Blake have Kata. We all know she belongs on his team anyway.

WINNER: Kata
STEAL: Joe is stolen by Blake

Team Pharrell

Abby Celso vs. Caity Peters

Abby - "Rich Girl" by Hall & Oates
Not a fan of this song at all. It did not sound great with her very low and deep voice. It just sounded odd. Once she got to the chorus, and it was a little higher, it got much better.

Caity - "Leave Your Lover" by Sam Smith
I'm not familiar with this song. I know Sam Smith, and I've heard of this song before, but I've never actually heard it, so I'm not sure how to compare it to the original. I will say that I liked what she did with it. The end was a bit too low for her, but the rest of the song was really lovely.

WINNER: Caity

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Dancing with the Stars, Ep. 22.3

Theme: Most Memorable Year

Ginger & Val - Contemporary
Most Memorable Year: 2013 - she got engaged
Stupid house band is ruining Phillip Phillip's song "Home". This singer is just painful! But how cute were they in this dance?! So adorable! Her smile just lights up the room. Val, please lose he stupid little ponytail on top of your head, it looks ridiculous! The dance seemed way too short!
Score: 21



Doug & Karina - Waltz
Most Memorable Year: 2015 - his dad passed away, and his mother died minutes after
What a beautiful dance, dedicated to his parents' love story. He was much smoother than his first week, but not quite as solid and technically good as last week. But it was beautiful...up until he was spinning her on the floor and tripped over her :( The rest of it was beautiful, though and he didn't let it throw him off too much. It definitely brought a lot of tears for everyone.
Score: 20



Kim & Sasha - Foxtrot
Most Memorable Year: 1976 - she booked her first commercial (Mrs. Butterworths), which led to sitcoms
Not a surprise that they are dancing to the theme of "The Facts of Life". A very nostalgic piece, complete with her signature pigtails. No roller skates like she mentioned last week, though. I think she did a great job. It looked like a very classic foxtrot, but the theme made it a lot more fun. At the judges' panel, Bruno started to lose it a little bit (more than normal) - that was a hoot!
Score: 22