Phil Stacey Blog: Round 2 cuts bring one surprise

Well it was no surprise to me that Adam Lambert got through. And to me, Allison Iraheta was the best of the night. So I predicted that we would see both of them in the finals.

However, Kris Allen was a bit surprising to me. I had actually forgotten his performance by the end of the night. But after reviewing it, I remembered that I liked him. He performed the song ["Man in the Mirror"] pretty well. There were rough spots and that's what made me forget about him. 

I was thinking Norman Gentle [aka Nicholas Mitchell] may pull one out, but at the end of the day, he is going home. I think it was time. He was entertaining, my wife loved him, but he was taking the spot of someone who had not only dreamed of a recording career, but has the chops to pull it off.  Goodbye Norman. I'm sure we'll see him again at the wild card round.

Speaking of wild cards, I have a feeling none of the wild cards that make it into the finals will come from this week.

Last week was just full of great singers. It's not that these guys weren't great, they just had a hard time showing it to America. 

And if you want to deny their raw ability, remember that these contestants all outshined 103,000 other auditioners this past year. They all have the goods. Whether or not we actually see that is up to them.

I think next week, we will all know who the top finalists will be.  Or at least we will each have our own opinions. Until then, be blessed.

-- Phil Stacey

Photo: Allison Iraheta  Credit: Fox

Comments

[Lisa]

As a professional singer in LA, I am always shocked by the lack of talent on Idol. I could name 50 people walking around LA who have insane voices, where are they?? Until last night...Adam Lambert is the real deal..When he started to sing I thought, that is what a true singer sounds like, his control, his range, his power...To make it here in LA you have to be GOOD, Adam good..not Brook White who shocked me every week that she was still in it last year barely kareoke okay good...
This competition is strange in many ways but at least with the darling red headed Allison with a great voice and Adam we are finally seeing some true talent...

[cami]

Hi - Is Phil Stacey a real "journalist" or just some curbside flak (maybe the guy that sells newspapers on the street corner because this kind of info is why people DON'T buy newspapers anymore?)....

Why am I asking?
Hmmmm......girl he interviews says she just "sang around the community"....maybe just a "day in school" with a couple of kids....
yeah.....right?

Doesn't ANYONE ever bother to check someone's facts first?
Was there any preparation to this so-called "interview" at all???????

It took me all of 30 seconds to find out this oh....yawn.....fudge.....hedge....sometime community singer actually WON A $50,000 singing contest about three years ago!

Sounds to me like more than the occasional doo-wap on the street corner.

I just HATE it when people LIE and try to fudge the truth.

There are NOT supposed to be any professional singers in this show and this girl won a recording contract. What happened to it? Those are the kind of "interview" questions I would like asked.

Anyone else notice the supposedly amatuer singers (like Lambert - - who's been with a professional musical theatrical show for quite some time now) are all bunched around LA?
Wonder why? Maybe because the kinda, sorta, really ARE professional!?

Well -- I'm still glad they are getting their chance -- as both are AWESOME talents -- but a 16 year-old should be taught better than to LIE about herself and the blog flakky who wrote this little piece outta get a spanking and a little lesson in due diligence.
very, very poor work -- i would be so embarrased as doing such a sham job if i were you.

(but knowing how "professional" some of these singers really are made me feel bad for the other young girl let go -- supposedly because of some "professional" thing -- and she was once in a broadway show.....i don't get their "rules)

just quit LYING about your background people -- esp if you're only 16 -- something very shady about that girl (watch her performance on youtube -- a little more grown-up than a "normal" 13 or 14-year old should be behaving)

[George]

"It's not that these guys weren't great, they just had a hard time showing it to America."

What kind of inane comment was that?

[T-Rizz]

I slightly disagree with you. I am also in the music industry. I don't know how I feel about Lambert. Something about him feels fake and his image feels like its been recently adopted. I think people are going to love him or hate him. Your remarks about Brooke White, who I found refreshing and very talented, were really strange. She might not have the most original appearance, but she had some soul. She was the best female on AI last year. If you were shocked by anyone remaining week after week, I think you might of had better comparisons in Kristy Lee Cook, Ramiele or even Carly.

[Melissa]

I loved Kai Kalama during Hollywood week and the auditions. He is the only one from this week I like enough for a wild card pick. Like Kendra, I loved Norman Gentle, but this isn't where he belongs. He should go on America's Got Talent or something like that. Allison and Adam were nobrainers. I like Kris. He has a pleasant voice, a nice smile, and my twelve year old daughter thinks he's cute. It will be interesting to see him in the coming weeks.

None of the singers for next week interest me. I'm sure Lil Rounds will pull off a great performance, but other than that, I have no idea.

[Amber]

Oh C'mon Megan should've been voted through! She sounds great and is different!

[Elma]

Phil - I totally agree with you that Kris was pretty forgettable. He does have a good voice, but isn't really any better than some of the others (eg the bluesy guy who didn't get through and the welder guy who didn't get through). I really like Megan - maybe she'll make it through in the wild card round? (Same for Anoop, I hope). I think Adam has an amazing voice but I thought his rendition of Satisfaction was awful! Way too shouty and OTT. But, like I say, great voice. Next week's group looks kind of boring, but we'll see… They can't do any worse than these two groups (who, like you say, have great voices but didn't really show it. Awful song choices).

[exsinger]

Everything done on this show is to maximize ratings. Changing the format has people abuzz all over the internet and on TV. The fact that 75% of the contestants each week get cut is a huge source of drama. I actually thought that Adam was going home last night, even though, as Lisa says above, he is the best technical singer in the entire Top 36. No one reaches the high notes like he does without massive training. For God's sake, the guy (!) hit a high "A" an octave above middle C, without sounding strained or forced. The guy's got a serious instrument. Now he needs to learn how to control it better. Perhaps his lower registers need more attention.

Anyway, I think Phil's work on this blog, while pleasant enough, needs improvement. Don't phone it in, Phil. Do a little more research, and give us more perspective from where you've been as a contestant.