Sunday, February 28, 2010

American Idol Top 24 Review

NOTE: If u dont watch Idol..then this might be a boring post for u...lol.....

As many of u may surprise to know, i am not just a tennis fanatic but also an American Idol fans!! I have been watching the show since season 3 and it is on its 9th season now....So, last week the top 24 hit the stage as the live show began. I was kinda disappointed to be honest. The talent this yr is certainly not as good as last yr talent-pack season, but anyway the show must go on@_@

Theme: Hits from billboard charts

The Girls


from right,bck row: siobhan, michelle, lilly, didi, katelyn, paige & crystal

from right,front row:katie, lacey, haeley, ashley & janell

Still running:


*Paige Miles ~ "All right now" by Free

Paige was really unfortunate to kick off the show 1st. She didnt has much screen time throughout hollywood week and by the end of the night, ppl wont remember that performance unless she totally killed it (in a good way), AND, she didnt.....Simon said she has the best voice among all the girls...????!!!seriously????there were flaws everywhere throughout the performance!! But most of the judges did agree that it was a weak song choice except Kara.Sorry, Kara...but it was seriously a bad song choice...as Simon pointed it out "a cheap style of song"....especially when she sang the chorus...i thought she wasnt even there in the chorus!!It was that weak....This girl really nid to step it up BIGTIME if she wanna continue her idol run or else she could be done this week...


*Lilly Scott ~ "Fixing a Hole" by The Beatles

The biggest mistake Lilly did in her life is dying her hair grey....It really put ppl offf....lol..but she was lucky as her voice was quirky and interesting enough for ppl to remember..(a bit like Duffy or Adele's voice)..AND wat was Kara talking bout the best thing u can do as an artist is standing on the street and singing to make a living???!!!THAT doesnt make sense!!..she was here to provide herself a better life...not juz singing on the subway or watever...lol..Her perfomance was good but not great though...but i think she can do better as she had shown in Hollywood week...Her only problem is she might be a bit too cool for ppl to vote for her...lol..This show is all about who Americas like..and like i said, dying her hair grey isnt going to do her any favour...


*Katelyn Epperly ~ "Oh Darling" by The Beatles

That performance was juz simply old fashion!!!i m surprised the judges didnt point it out!!!AND, like Kara said , her makeup was so overdone..I dont wanna say the word starts with p*******..lol..but she seriously looked like 1 that nite....sorry@_@ Having said that, her singing was actually surprisingly good that nite....I wasnt expecting it to be good since she kinda failed to impress in Hollywood week but she definitely did improve on her singing...


*Haeley Vaughn ~ "I Want To Hold Ur Hand" by The Beatles


I actually thought it was going to be horrible when i heard she was going to do that song...but surprisingly..i thought she did quite well...it was kinda like a 'love it or hate it' performance but I did like it....all the judges thought it was a good performance except for Simon...but I did agree with Simon on 1 thing: SHE NVR STOP SMILLING!!!lol....it kinda get annoying at times....


*Lacey Brown ~ "Landslide' by Fleetwood Mac

It was a nice song and i thought this song will fit Lacey but IT WAS HORRIBLE!!..It was painful to listen to especially the last 20 seconds...i think she was the only one to get a TERRIBLE from Randy...lol...the good thing is ppl are definitely gonna remember that ...cos it was juz TOO BAD TO FORGET...perhaps that was the only reason she was safe rather than ppl who did better than her as they r not that good/bad to remember...Anyway..she definitely has to bring IT this week or else she is heading bck home..


*Michelle Delamor ~ "Fallin" by Alicia Keys

I m starting to get sick of Alicia Keys' song...Dont get me wrong..i like her song but after hearing it so many times, kinda get a bit bored of it .....Ellen said she did fantastic and amazing...=_=" I thought that was just OK...she did look a bit like Leona Lewis...but only the looks , not the singing....Plus, for some reason, i felt like she didnt let go of her personality and that could be her downfall....She nid to do better than just OK this week...


*Didi Benami ~ "The Way I Am" by Ingrid Michaelson

I like Didi in Hollywood week. She was like this season Brooke White with more vocal range....I thought she is a lock for top 12 after Hollywood week but not so sure after last week....she did sing quite well..but i found it a bit forgettable and like Ellen said, it was a bit low key....this week is definitely going to be a deciding factor for her...if she killed it in a good way...it gonna be a huge plus for her..if she falter..it gonna be hard for her to go all the way to top 12...


*Siobhan Magnus ~ "Wicked Game" by Chris Isaak

She was the only one last week that makes me wanna download this song after her performance.That song was so haunting and mysterious....AND like Simon pointed out she might be this season dark horse...i m glad she decided to sing a softer song last week as she always shows all those weird and angry facial expression when she sang high notes like she did in Hollywood week...(i think we will see it this week..lol)..but thats no doubt she has a killer voice...AND she really need to work on her interview....she sound and look emotionless when she speaks... plus: The look on Simon face was funny when Ryan said Siobhan could BLOW as she was an apprentice(glass blowing apprentice).....i am sure wat Simon was thinking was the other meaning of 'BLOW'..LOL


*Crystal Bowersox ~ "Hand In My Pocket" by Alanis Morrisette

Crystal is definitely on the driver seat among the ladies since Hollywood week. She definitely delivered performance after performance. I thought this was not her best but still better than most of the night. Simon was right about a lot of ppl like her singing in the subway station but luckily for her, they didnt audition for American Idol..lol..therefore she actually standout among the rest of the field. The only thing that might keep her from going all the way is her look...lol...swt..i m so mean...but seriously she doesnt look like 23/24 ...she looks like a lady in her 40s..


* Katie Stevens ~ "Feeling Good" by Michael Buble

Katie has a voice that doesnt match her age...the judges want her to be young and more current, but seriously her voice is more suitable to all those old ballads. About her perfomance, I thought it was a stupid song choice....hasnt she been watching idol???..she must have known this song has been cursed!!!Most of the ppl who sang it on Idol will either go home or in danger at least...even Adam Lambert also nearly eliminated when he sang it..and for one moment, when it was between her and janell during the results show..i thought she might be going home...but she was fortunate to escape...lol..good for her....


Eliminated:


*Janell Wheller ~ 'What About Love' by Heart

WHAT ON EARTH MAKES HER THINK SHE CAN BELT OUT A HEART SONG??????I mean seriously her voice isnt anywhere near rock at all...Nevertheless, i m kinda surprised to see her go as i thought her pretty face might manage to gain her enough votes...but like i said b4, her perfomance might not be too good/bad for ppl to remember...so she kinda lost in the mix...


* Ashley Rodriguez ~ "Happy" by Leona Lewis

Another pretty face but also another stupid song choice.....AGAIN..hasnt she been watching idol??NVR PICK A LEONA LEWIS 'S SONG UNLESS U CAN DO AS GOOD OR BETTER THAN HER.....lol....and clearly she failed to do either...she sang it well but 'well' just isnt enough for a Leona' s song and it made her day when she had to sing a song called HAPPY when she was elimanated.lol...It was ashamed she was eliminated bcos she actually sang better than some of them. I dint expect it cos she was considered as a front runner by most of the ppl but the song choice seriously sealed her fate..

The Guys


From right, bck row: Alex, John, Casey, Tyler, Michael, Jermaine, Tim
From right, front row: Todrick, Andrew, Joe, Aaron, Lee


Still running:

*Todrick Hall ~ 'Since U Been Gone' by Kelly Clarkson

MAN OH MAN....he totally murdered the song like Simon said...I think he thinks too much about originality / own version and overdid it...The 1st time i heard it, it was like he just took the lyrics and put it in other song...Ellen said she didnt like the chorus...WHAT??the chorus was the only part that made me knew which song he was singing!!!LOL.....But obviously he is safe as he is definitely a good entertainer so that was what actually got him through , not the song..


*Aaron Kelly ~ "Here Comes Goodbye" by Rascall Flatts

I really like Rascall Flatts song....although i m not a fan of country music, rascall flatts 's songs are juz simply great....I thought Aaron did a pretty good job singing it and i think he had already booked his spot in top 12 unless he screw up really bad this coming weeks...I like his attitude and he definitely appeal more to young teens and most of the voters are this category.....so, good for him..


*Jermaine Seller ~ "Get Here" by Oleta Adams

I think the only perfomance that he did well so far was his audition. After that things didnt go so well for him, although he sang 'Man in the Mirror' quite good in Hollywood week, the diva move he did after that song was wat we r going to remember. On this perfomance, i thought the low notes were too low until i have to adjust my volume and the high notes were juz so high until it got really annoying!!!I thought he killed the song ..IN A BAD WAY...lol...He is lucky to still be in the competition...and he really nid to follow Randy's advice on singing a Neyo song.....


*Tim Urban ~ "Apologize" by One Republic

He certainly didnt make good use of his second chance...THAT RENDITION WAS AWFULLLLL.........This song was all about the falsetto and he juz couldnt hit it...AND the judges juz tore him apart...I m amazed how he handled himself on stage listening to all the harsh comments...Basically they were saying the only chance he will make it through was he looked good...and he did get through....LOL....i m not sure whether it is a good news for him...if he blew it again this week, i dunno how many more harsher comments he has to endure...


*Lee Dewyze ~ "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol

For some reason, he looked a bit cocky when he is not singing...lol..but his perfomance was actually not bad...the only part i like about the song was the chorus...but i thought he sang pretty well..Simon is obviously a fan of him...i dont think it was as good as Simon describe it to be but i think Lee could surprise us in this competition and do really well.


*John Park ~ "God Bless The Child" by Billie Holiday

I thought he would do quite well but his song choice totally killed him...It was so boring at parts...I guess the only reason he got through was because ppl remember his audition which Shania Twain clearly had a crush on him...lol..That was hillarious..AND Ryan was right..i thought he was going to say he is doing this just for the money...LOL...i m sure some of them did though...haha.

*Michael Lynche ~ "This Love" by Maroon 5

Finally they didnt screen so much bout how his wife gave birth to their 1st baby girl and bla bla bla.....It was just so into details when they did it in Hollywood week...I thought Mike picked the right song for him...he is heading towards more like a John Mayer..Jason Mraz type singer...Kinda weird to see him holding a guitar as he is so huge and it juz made the guitar looked like a ukulele.

*Alex Lambert ~ "Wonderful World" by James Morrison

This guy just didnt look comfortable on stage at all...like Simon said, he was just holding his microphone with his both hands and staring into the camera in pain...lol..i thought he almost ran away at some points...I like the comment that Ellen made...saying he was like an unripe banana..lol..The positive thing is he really has a good voice...but his looks was so dreary. I wonder how he is going to do this week...should be fun to watch...haha

*Casey James ~ "Heaven" by Bryan Adams

Casey definitely surprised us throughout Hollywood week. None of us would think he would make it this far after his "out of control" audition in Denver.LOL...But, he did really well..i think he is a lock for top 12. About this perfomance, if he wasnt singing this song to Kara, i dont think the judges would describe it that great..BUT..as Simon said, this perfomance was really sincere and honest...I thought the judges were kinda rude by making fun of Kara when Casey sang it...he almost laugh his heart out while singing..

*Andrew Garcia ~ "Sugar, We Are Going Down" by Fallout Boy

He was definitely the front runner but his perfomance that night was disappointing. AND it was starting to get a bit boring because he juz pulled out his guitar and played it acoustic everytime he sang...It worked for Kris Allen, but I dont think it will work for Andrew...he nid to perform without his guitar at least for once..LOL...However, there is no doubt he can sing....his tone is juz simply great....

Elimated:

*Joe Munoz ~ "You And I Both" by Jason Mraz

He basically got no screen time prior to this perfomance. AND he didnt deliver anything special in his perfomance besides his Mexican slang so it was a bit forgettable..he wasnt bad but wasnt great so he kind of fell in the middle zone which is also a danger zone....So there was no surprise that he was elimated.

*Tyler Grady ~ "American Woman" by The Guess Who

I am so glad he was out. He just looked and acted like a psycho killer in a movie. I didnt like his singing , style and perfomance at all....I felt creepy looking at him...lol...

WOW...wat a long post....should go to sleep now........bb...

Monday, February 22, 2010

Oz Open 2010 ~ Part 2

4th Round - 25 Jan - Rod Laver Arena ~ Night session

concession: $99.90 / adult: $109.90

(accesible to all other courts except Hisense Arena)



Main entrance. The board on the top is 2009 men (Rafael Nadal) and women (Serena Williams) single champions


Interior View


BLOCKBUSTER MATCH : ROGER FEDERER vs LLEYTON HEWITT


FEDERER


Preparing to serve


Serving

Backhand


Federer was in fine form that night. Hewitt needed to bring his A game....

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After 2 hrs


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HEWITT


He tried

BUT


He simply had no answers for Federer 's stunning display @~@

p/s: remember to check out the post below ~ Oz Open 2010, part 1. I wrote 2 post within half day which is an extremely rare case for me.



OZ Open 2010 ~ Part 1

EVENT: AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2010
VENUE : MELBOURNE PARK
DATE: 18 - 31 JAN 2010

TENNIS FEVER @_@!!!!!!!

It's the 1st grand slam of the year & FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME...i was there to experience the whole live atmosphere...Of course i didnt go to watch everyday....tat would be too costly...I went for the 3rd round matches on hisense arena (2nd main court) and 4th round matches onRod Laver Arena (centre court).

3rd Round - Fri 22 Jan -Hisense Arena ~Day session

Consession (student included): $44.90 / Adult: $49.90

* ticket holders are accessible to all other courts except Rod Laver Arena


HISENSE ARENA

Jelena Jankovic vs Alona Bondarenko

Went to other court 1st as we couldnt careless bout how jankovic @ drama queen match went....by the time we got there....well....she was upset by bondarenko..HOORAY...only got to see her bck as she walks into the tunnle...LOL....AND as expected she pulled out another page from her drama book - blaming this n that .basically wat she said was she lost the match more than bondarenko won it.

p/s: at least she was not saying she almost faint like she did in Wimbledon 2009 and breathless in US open 2008. Owh yeah..and feels like killing herself after losing in French Open 2008.

Justine Henin vs Alisa Kleybanova

The comebck queen!!!!! she was down a set and a break in the 2nd set...but somehow she managed to pull off a victory!!MIND MY WORDS, Jankovic, tats wat a true champion usually does -find a way to win even on their bad day.

Andy Murray vs Florent Serra

Last match of the day session on hisense. Ntg dramatic. Easy win for him. Couldnt find any photo of him from my camera..only videos...but i m too lazy to upload 1 now..but i m sure all tennis fans know how he looked like....isnt he looked like a vampire or smtg...dude,u really need to fix ur teeth!!

Anyway, here are some of the photos from other courts:

Reigning French Open Champ- Svetlana Kuznetsova

(also arguably the most underrated player in WTA..lol)


Nadia Petrova (practising b4 she demolished clijsters!!6-0 ,6-1)


Carrying the australian hope is Lleyton Hewitt


Gael Monfils and his coach


Daniela Hantuchova

Marin Cilic ~Darkhorse of the tournament

(wat is he looking at?????)