***Official Top 9 Show Thread***

[thing85]

I'm not sure about what kind of person Lakisha really is, but Melinda definitely appears much nicer. I remember Simon making a comment about that a few weeks ago, something along lines of "Melinda, are you really as nice as you seem?"

My guess is that Melinda is actually a really sweet girl, and my hunch is that the viewers sense this too. She may lack "personality," whatever that may mean, but she seems to be likable. Lakisha - meh.

[Aloysius]

LKJ / GRB - yeah I think that we here may have, at the beginning, overestimated Lakisha's personality helping her. The final 24 selection day (where she kind of held in tears and walked away wiping her eyes after learning she made the cut) - I thought was endearing and played up the whole "I'm a single mom bankteller have sympathy for me" angle.

Haven't seen that since, and not sure if she's coming off arrogant / bitchy but I can see how someone thinks that.

-Al

[revots33]

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For Jordin - technically her breathing was way off at the beginning of her performance last night (she was gasping and not singing from her diaphragm, it was blatant)... but she doesn't get a demerit for me here. In fact, it makes her seem more human and imbues her with some personalitiy. It rounds her out - she's the young, inexperienced, bubbly but very talented girl.

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I dunno, isn't this giving someone points for NOT singing well? Would people like Melinda more if she sang like she was breathing through an oxygen mask?

[Aloysius]

Revots - well her poor breath control at the beginning was off-set by (imo) a great middle and ending. She sounded great last night (again, I just really like the overall sound of her voice, very bright and great tonal quality).

Also her gasping for breath, I didn't think it was so jarring that it really takes away from her performance in a meaningful way.

-Al

[GoRedBirds]

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I dunno, isn't this giving someone points for NOT singing well? Would people like Melinda more if she sang like she was breathing through an oxygen mask?

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It's like in any sport. People like the favorites because they're exceptionally good at what they do. Other people like the underdogs because they have some connection to them and want to see someone knock down Goliath. I think last year Taylor had that underdog vibe and connected with a lot of people. Sure he sounded pretty good, but he didn't win only because of his voice. I'm 100% in the Melinda camp on this one, but I can see the other side. People connect to voices for many reasons. Some of the most successful vocalists ever aren't very good singers.

[revots33]

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People connect to voices for many reasons. Some of the most successful vocalists ever aren't very good singers.

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As a Springsteen/Dylan fan I agree that technical ability isn't the only thing that makes someone a great singer. I can certainly see why someone might simply prefer Jordin's sound to Melinda. It's all subjective anyway.

My only gripe is with people who claim Melinda is "boring" simply because she's so consistently great. If her voice just isn't your thing that's ok - but there is a tendency for people to get bored with consistency. Had Melinda started off crappy in week 1, everyone would be raving about her amazing improvement and her great performance last night. But since she's been great from the beginning, people say the same performance is boring. IMO this is penalizing someone for being consistent, which should be a positive not a negative.

[Aloysius]

Revots - I also don't think Melinda has had very good song choice, which might help explain some of the boring sentiments (including what I wrote above).

She's just such a good singer it doesn't matter - but she has not done a song people really connect to, imo.

-Al

[Jiggymike]

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IMO the problem people are having with Melinda is not that she's boring - it's that she's so much better than this weak field that she's making this season boring. Which is not her fault. As a tennis fan, I'd compare it to how people think Roger Federer is boring because he's so much better at tennis than anyone else, and makes it look so easy.

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I don't have time to elaborate but I think this is the best comment anyone has made today. It's too easy for Melinda to blow everyone off the stage, you can't even appreciate it anymore because it's not fun in a competitive sense. I'm not saying that I would love to buy a CD by her but in technical singing/performing ability, she is by far the best.

[Brocktoon]

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I dunno, isn't this giving someone points for NOT singing well? Would people like Melinda more if she sang like she was breathing through an oxygen mask?

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It's like in any sport. People like the favorites because they're exceptionally good at what they do. Other people like the underdogs because they have some connection to them and want to see someone knock down Goliath.

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Makes me think of Tiger Woods and John Daly.

[Assani Fisher]

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Sanjaya, I look forward to his performances more than anyone else at this point and its not even close.



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