Just a general note: There’s a problem — and it’s this way every season — and the problem is the disconnect between the singer and the words, between the singer and the song. It’s 70s night and Robbie Carrico just sang Hot-Blooded as if he were cold-blooded or no-blooded or as if he were channeling Carrie Underwood. I’m sure the show must have vocal coaches, etc., but what about acting coaches? People who can help them connect to the words they’re singing. Something. They’ve gotta be able to perform, not just sing. Especially with the guys, the cultural vibe these days is for them to be so ironic or so detached, off-hand, that they bring that detachment to the songs — to the detriment of the overall performance.
– All right. Just now, with David Hernandez and Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone. THAT’S how to do it. He understood it tonight or connected with the song in addition to singing it incredibly well technically.
– Oh. Ugh. Okay. Example of what I’m saying just happened: Jason Yeager singing “Long Train Runnin'” and smiling a huge goofy smile when he sang: You know I saw Miss Lucy/ Down along the tracks/ She lost her home and her family/ and she won’t be comin’ back. Dude, what?? SHE LOST HER HOME AND HER FAMILY AND SHE WON’T BE COMIN’ BACK!! Do you GET that?? Unless you’re playing some kind of higher game and this is now a song about schadenfreude. Otherwise, it is not a Disney moment. Ugh. I cannot stand this guy and he just gets worse. KA-POW!
You know, I’m not writing about any of the rest of the guys. They’re bugging me. There’s a general air of smugness and/or defensiveness with too many of them. They want to argue with Simon or show off their “superior knowledge” or say things like, “I don’t need to win you over, Simon.”
It bugs. You’re all in time out.
Hold it. Wait. Oh, man. Last singer of the night. Little David …. making everyone cry with Imagine. That was perfection. Damn. I’m speechless. Best AI performance in a long long long time. That little cherub could well be unstoppable. Go, little David.
David Hernandez is my new gay boyfriend. (Is he gay? I don’t know, but I am making him my new gay boyfriend! IT’S MY WORLD!) He was incredible.
But other David? While I recognize that he is an exceptional singer, he just bugs me in a way I can’t put into words. I mean, I’ve been around choir boys and drama boys and their ilk all my life. Most of the time I LOVE those boys, but every now and again there’s one that makes my skin crawl. Like Sheila’s BackRubBoy, you know? David A. is a BackRubBoy.
Lisa…I LOVE that you said this! I thought it was just me. Randy, Pauler and Simon adore him, and so does the world in general, it seems. He can definitely sing, but there is something contrived in his humility. I’m not buying the innocent act.
And Tracey, I am with you on the arguing. STOP arguing. I get that it would be hard to be criticized in front of millions of television viewers, but it’s not as if you didn’t know the drill when you voluntarily auditioned for the show. What, did you think you were so perfect and amazing that no one would ever have anything bad to say about you? You have SEEN the show, right? Just smile and nod and SHUT UP.
Lisa — Yeah, I’m not sure about either David. They both seem vaguely gay. Danny Noriega, though? Totally gay.
David H. was great last night. Kinda out of the blue for me. I didn’t expect that and I’m wondering if it was a fluke.
So, here I am eating my lunch, air-guitaring to the solo at the end of Yes’ “Starship Trooper,” wondering why anyone on this beautiful Earth of ours would keep happy-facing all these sad songs. Folks – Taylor got over on us all by happy-facing, but we’re wise now, pally. Colton happy-faced “Suspicious Minds” and bought the farm, and we got no problem doing it again, see?
NF — It’s bad. My body fills with a buzz of hatred whenever I just picture that Jason Yeager dude. He HAS to go, so I can stop the hate.
He was positively GIDDY about Miss Lucy.