where's Fantasia?!?!?!

that was the thought that kept popping in my head as i watch the season finale of the biggest show on tv, American Idol.

it was one short to make a family reunion, as Kelly, Reuben, Carrie, and Taylor performed solo and did a Beatles-Idol-winners medley(i swear i thought Paul McCartney was gonna pull a Prince and break out from the splitting screen). it was a nice homecoming. Kelly wore a almost-bareback top that was out to prove she's not F.A.T. Carrie wore skirts so short but it didnt distract her singing,thou i find 'I'll stand by you' very shrieky.Ruben came out from MIA! and Taylor Hicks actually impressed me tonight. i thought he was tryin very hard to boost his less-than-a-million-sold album.

so where's Fantasia?!?!?!


i tink she's on Broadway, The Colour Purple.

This year's show was more coherent than last year's i thought.there's werent as much special guests, and they werent really tryin to recruit the most current. Bette Midler, Green Day, Tony Bennett came. and while i didnt get my special-guests predictions right except for past idol winners, I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN and put put Gladys Knight and Smokey Robinson in my list. SR cos he's a regular. Gladys Knight also appeared before, but her name has been popped once or twice in comparing Melinda to her.

the faux-idol segment was reduced yet funnier, with very awkward appearances by the idol-misfits. Ryan, thou funnier with one-liners and had more stage presence, sucked at the announcement of results: very anti-climax, very rushed. i'm estactic Melinda got to sing solo with a special guest(b??? and Cece Winans, whom Melinda use to sing backup for). and Blake's beatboxing was SUPERB. so great i thought he might win, even thou voting was over. hahaha. ya i thought he'd already won.

so the best performances of the night, imo, goes to:
-Tony Bennett's For Once In My Life. thou tt's song's in his new duets album, he's stayed publicity free by doin this solo. i swear i thought some special guest wld pop up to duet with him. his jazzy rendition was smooth and at an ripe old age, he showed other veterans that u can still be at the top of ya game.hands down best vocals of the night.
-Blake's beatboxin with an mc from Fresh. EXHILARATING. especially when they did the beatbox spar. wow. that was very very exciting! hands down most entertaining of the night. heck, best performance!
-Melinda's segment.
-the african children choir. perfect.

and while my Blake-tory didnt materialise, and while no runner up with the exception of Clay Aiken has ever made the big time, i'm still glad for Blake and am crossing my fingers very hard that he'll have an incredible career ahead. surely the most innovative and experimental contestant ever has got to have a contract. i just hope, like what Clive Davis said bout the right producers right songs right person, that Blake's story wont end here. that performance tonight proved he cld make it in the outside world, because people with less talent have made it bigger than him. here's hoping people and critics wld be raving when the album drops.


so. i didnt feel much for Jordin's victory. it was a)luck due to bad idol single that proved disadvantageous for Blake, b) it wasnt strictly a singing competition as much has been said about it, c) the judges' obvious pimping, d) Ryan's anti-climax announcement, e) my unimpressed ears. after 6 seasons, u cant blame me for being a prick. i, like other idol fanatics, want what's best for the franchise. this year saw no standing ovation from Randy Jackson, no "magical" comment from Simon, and no "Summertime" for any contestant. at best, the best performance of the season goes to Blake's "You give love a bad name", followed by Kiki's "and i'm telling you i'm not going", then Melinda's "Home". so while uneventful, i had my first craze in over 2 yrs, since Fantasia last rocked the stage. during season 4 and 5 i wasnt really rooting for anyone, nor die-hard for anyone. Elliott Yamin came close, but not Fantasia/Kimberley Locke status. thank god for Melinda this year. if not it would have been, imo, one of the worst season ever.


another season has come and gone. Wednesday and thursday nights will never be the same again this year. sighsighsigh.

p.s.pardon the jordin bashing!