Before we get started I thought I'd post this, just in case you thought I was kidding about Nicki's dress last night.
Boobapalooza... amirite?
Okay, back to tonight. Once there were ten, but we eliminated five guys in a row so now we have Grrl Power. Or maybe we have blatant producer manipulation. One or the other.
Nicki is wearing a tight white tank and tight jeans, and though she didn't actually put them away, there is far less exposed boobage tonight. She also has what I think may be a Gucci belt slung over her shoulder. Mariah is in a pretty coral sleeveless dress with a scoop neck and a dropped waist and pleated skirt. She looks positively schoolgirlish. Randy is in a gray jacket with weird decorations arranged a little like an all-white match-three game.
The girls sing a Donna Summer medley, I suppose in keeping with the whole Diva theme. The harmonies sound fine, Janelle's solo not so much. For all the official, and unofficial, All-Girl Rah-Rah, the show feels the need to back up the Top 5 with an all-male dancing chorus.
They're not even pretending to do anything altruistic with the Ford Fiesta Missions any more. This time they're driving red and blue cars on a scavenger hunt. It's not exactly a competition, it's just a lame excuse to feature shots of Ford Fiestas. I never thought I'd say this, but I miss the old Fordmercials. The girls finally end up in a barbershop, sucking up to that guy from Glee.
We're going to do individual critiques before the rest of the festivities tonight.
Angie (black leather pants, black top with a long shirt tail, and silver arrowheads down the front.)
JI says that Angie is a great technician at the piano but her singing-only performances are not believable.
Candice (black pants and a loose black and silver top).
JI says that Candice was perfect last week, and he worried about Straight Up. But the combo of Candice's two songs were very very smart, and she blew his mind. Ryan asks Randy if he got hold of Paula about Candice's performance, and while Randy says no, Paula herself sneaks out from behind the curtain. Paula's wearing a red dress designed by aliens. There is very little of her original face left, but she still maintains a Hotline to Babbletown. Mariah visits there, but it's just not the same.
Fallout Boy is in the audience. No one cares, even them.
Though I most certainly was not a Claymate, I still have a soft spot for Clay Aiken (and yes, I saw him in concert many years ago). We get a montage of his Idol Journey, and an update on his current life, which includes lots of charity work with disabled kids. Clay's face is thinner and more mature than it was, and his eyebrows are startlingly sculpted. He's back to tall, red hair. Tonight he's singing Bridge Over Troubled Water, which tells me that he's not working on anything new right now. But if he's going to recycle an old song, this is a great one, especially with the gospel choir arrangement. Clay still has the same wonderful voice, though his vibrato is a little out of control. He's still firmly in charge of the Glory Note, though. I'd go see him again in a flash.
More critiques:
Janelle (black blouson strappy top and long mullet skirt with a wide white hem, fringey booties).
JI says that Janelle was sleepy and her song choices were a strike-out. Ryan reads a weird but encouraging message to Janelle from Dolly Parton (which includes the news that Janelle is not really a blonde).
Amber (black shortie short shorts, black square-necked tank top, sparkly silver booties).
JI says that Amber is brilliant every week and yet she still ends up in the Bottom 3. He has no idea why but he thinks she took a huge risk last night and succeeded.
Kree (loose white blouse, black jeans).
JI says that Kree made the wrong song choices and did not show enough emotion while performing, but he loved Nicki and Mariah's disputes.
Next, for no reason other than it happened during Fantasia's season, we get a recap of the first Huff (when poor George Huff was forced to choose which group of three finalists he belonged with, the twist being that the former top vote-getters were all in the bottom. That was the night that Jennifer Hudson was eliminated, and we all know how much that hurt her career). We also check in with LaToya London, the third member of The Huff. LaToya lives in Oakland and has been busy in plays and is now recording again. She sounds sad yet hopeful, though maybe just a tad bitter about being lost in the shuffle. All of this is leading to a performance by Fantasia herself, the winner of Season 3.
Fantasia now has short, red hair, and is wearing a one-shouldered white toga dress which features her shoulder tattoo nicely. She has on good makeup, though her eyes are very very wide open. She's singing her new song (no reprises of old stuff for 'Tasia, nosiree) called Lose to Win. I was not a fan of Fantasia, or of anyone in her season, but her talent is undeniable. The song starts out slow and restrained, but since this is Fantasia, we know it's going to go batshit eventually. I can't understand a word of this song, but by damn, she means every single shouted syllable. The audience goes batshit as well.
So with ten minutes left, we finally get down to it. Ryan announces, in no particular order, the safe girls:
Candice (YAY!)
Angie (okay)
Amber... uh oh....
So it's Kree and Janelle in the bottom Janelle looks like she's handling it just fine, Kree might throw up right on stage. But Janelle knows what's coming and she comforts Kree who can barely believe that she's safe. Janelle sings for the possible Judge's Save, and she sounds fine, but I really don't think they'll keep her around because doing so could endanger one of the better performers.
And nope, for the first time ever, the judges will not use their Save. And why should they? The eliminations happened in pretty much the right order. Janelle is a sweet girl with a good voice, a couple of years on her and she'll be a powerhouse. I wish her luck.
Next week, we'll be getting down to the Nitty Gritty, and any one of them could go home. It'll be interesting.
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