Last week, Randy Jackson said that Hollie was peaking at the right time. Oops. A week later and our Brit-Texan finds herself on the outs. So what happened?
Simply put, she dug herself a hole and was unable to get out. Some have compared her run to Haley’s last year, but there are some differences. Hollie dug herself a deeper hole than Haley ever did, making any recovery run that much harder. Here’s the difference: Haley’s recovery run was good enough to put her among the frontrunners; Hollie’s was only good enough to tread water and avoid her exit. Consider this: both began their last-minute recovery runs with Rolling In The Deep. Haley’s week singing that song was the last time she was in the bottom until her exit. Hollie was in the bottom every week since then.
Like Skylar last week, Hollie also did very well to get here. She started our very strong, but lost her way when she was forced out of her favored power ballads with Billy Joel week. She never really recovered fully from that. When she started out, Hollie was a technically brilliant singer who couldn’t connect well with her material. By the end, though, she could sing her heart out – as we saw last week with Bleeding Love which highlighted not just her crystal-clear vocals, but her ability to sell the emotions of a song too. If anything, Hollie’s version is even better than the Leona Lewis original – something I don’t think happens very often on Idol. Hollie did her best, and it was a gallant attempt. But against three singers with superior fanbases who all brought their A game… it was doomed.
Too Many Power Ballads!
One thing that may have hurt Hollie’s recovery run, though, was the fact that she wasn’t offering a package that was drastically different from the rest of the field. Jessica was a logical comparison; Joshua was also offering some competition in the Big Voice department. So no matter how good she may have been, it was going to be an uphill battle against well-established fanbases.
That brings me to something that this week’s guest reminded me of. While there may be ethnic diversity at the top, there’s not a lot of singing diversity. The last couple of weeks have been all about the Big Glory Note and/or runs. I’ll be honest: I can see the skill and talent needed for such to do that. And I appreciate it – in limited doses. But there have been plenty of songs just like that just this year. I can objectively appreciate it – which is why I graded Joshua and Jessica so highly for their performances. But to be honest, I didn’t find either all that enjoyable. The closest I came to enjoying anything might well have been Volcano.
Honestly, what I want to see with this upcoming top three performance week is: surprise us. The last thing I want to see Phillip do is Dave Matthews. The last thing that I want to hear Jessica do is another over-the-top ballad sung by a famous singing diva. If a gospel choir comes out for Joshua again, objects will fly. The top 3 has done all of those things before. What I do want to see is uniqueness and artistry – the same kind that we’ve seen on the Idol stage before.
Yes, this is the writings of an Idol pundit going through an immensely frustrating season. Am I alone in my frustration? Maybe, maybe not. It’ll be interesting to see what we see as judge and Jimmy Iovine picks – and whether they’ll add to that frustration or help dispel it. For the good of the show, I hope it’s the latter.
Haley’s run started off in a hole. She made the top 10 easily with a middling performance but most of her performances from the first half of the season were middling or a step below. Her ascension was due in part to her being the only contestant getting negative feed back so she worked on her abilities and spirited her way to the top of every critic’s leader board. She was the under dog that TPTB tried to make Lauren out to be and she was the great singer that TPTB tried make Scotty out to be.
There is a patter with this trio of judges where their favorites stall and become mediocre or trash (Scotty, Jacob Lusk, James Durbin, Phil Philips) while those that they don’t favor and tend to criticize the most become the better signers and artists because of it (Haley, Hollie).
I don’t know what happened to Hollie this week. Looking back at her performances I see a quality of “I give up.” in her eyes in every single scene she had on stage. I still liked her vocals better than Joshua’s and Jessicas (Joshua was atrocious and Jessica was grand but not great in my opinion) and suddenly Philip had the performance of the night after weeks of awful selections. No matter what though, I think this review that you made here about Hollie and the mention of her run compared to Haley’s as well as the critique of “Bleeding Love” is the most well rounded and affirmative review I’ve read. Good job :]
There is no way anyone can compare Hollie to Haley. Haley is much better, first of all. Secondly, they are completely different types of singers. Haley’s critiques, from Randy in particular, bordered on personal. From what I could see, Hollie hardly got any negative comments. Finally, your opinion is simply wrong concerning Joshua, especially his second performance. He was not atrocious, he was spectacular and I don’t get the negative comments. Maybe most people just like safe, mediocre music.
“Much better” is pretty relative really. Haley was loads more versatile for sure. Hollie, however, had a better start and just stalled midway. Add to that that she was against the most competitive of a pool and she did well for herself.
And my guess is you probably haven’t heard the critiques Hollie got around Top 8 to the first half of Top 6, because if anything, she was the only one who got somewhere from unnecessarily harsh to insultingly unenthusiastic reviews. And to think, faint praise is the worst, coupled with blatant coddling of other contestants.
That being said, it’s a pity her run ended here because I know that the higher she placed, the better her chances of getting a record deal. I’m not quite sure of which direction she’ll take but whatever she chooses, she’ll be fine.
I think Haley had some incredible performances and Hollie had some incredible performances. I still prefer not to go back and listen to some in the reprtoire but that doesn’t make either one loads better thant he other. Agree with Joe that Haley had a lot more versatility and her character was more rounded with flaw than Hollie’s was like she’s lived a little. But that just goes to say that Hollie only has living to do and she would be able to come back with some mentoring and really try a hand at the music industry.
As for Joshua, I’ve read quite a few accounts that agree (though I discount those that disagree) but his positive reviews were overdramatized and I don’t think people have seen many incarnations of “This is a Man’s World” or actual soulful performances. Adele is the most modern example of this, infusing her songs with torch instead of force. Joshua was all forced on Wednesday night and he’s done so much better. It’s unbelievable that this was one of his top rated since I’ve come to absolutely adore some of his other selections. The staging was beautiful but his singing was constipated.
I think Hollie was really affected by the loss of Skylar. They were best friends, roommates, and she had a look of emptiness in her eyes this week. Plus her song selections weren’t that great and she had been really on point the past couple of weeks. I think she was really kind of over it. I wish she had really pulled it out and slayed her last performance, so she could at least go out with a bang, not with a whimper, like one of her Christina/Adele covers from her youtubes instead of ICMYLM. Her voice really doesn’t have the grit to convey the song the way Allison was able to. Plus we have all seen the benefits of modern song choices.
I decided to see just how much I could vote via texting this week on a whim. I averaged about 17 texts per minute, which for 2 solid hours is about 2040 votes + 50 facebook votes. Just a small handful of tweens/frau can offset the combined efforts of casual viewers very easilly. I think DMDM has this thing in the bag.
Poor Hollie. It was sad to see her go this week; If ever there was a contestant who learned a lot and if given a season “do over”, she’d be kicking the competition’s ass. She has a great voice and will benefit greatly from the tour. I can easily see her future as being much brighter than either Joshua or Jessica’s. I still don’t get either of their appeal, but you can’t deny they have both the fan base and judges in their back pockets. Although I have to believe that unless Phillip comes out and just stands there picking his nose, he’s going to win. He’s probably the most likeable, easygoing contestant ever to grace the Idol stage.
Speaking of Phillip, he hasn’t been in the Ford video for two weeks now- I think his health problems must be pretty bad. Sometimes he looks downright grey up there on stage. It’s good that the producers aren’t making a big deal out of it. I wonder how much more oomph he might have if he were 100%. I really enjoyed “Volcano”. He seems an artist while the others have seemed karaoke most of the time.
Can I take a moment to rant on the hot mess that is Jlo? What did we ever do to the producers of Idol that we have to keep seeing her videos? They’re hideous. I don’t know why she can’t get some lyp synching training- it’s utterly painful to watch her crawl all over her 20 something boytoy. I’m sure it’s part of her contract that they have to promote her crap, they probably spray the audience with her skunky perfume as they file into their seats. Thank God for the mute button.
Artist or not, I can’t overlook the fact that Phillip’s run was marred with piss-poor performances. And when he did “Volcano,” all I could think of was, “Really? THIS is when you decide to finally show up?!” There’s that school of thought that one great performance after a whole slew of inferior performances does NOT make you king.
And yes, I still feel that there’s a difference being an artist and actually being good at it. See Andrew Garcia. Or Phillip Phillip’s run midway through the competition.
I personally just want to hear good singing, and people giving me powerful performances. But it is clear that with all this talk of artistry and uniqueness and crap, I know that since season 8 that I have started watching this show, my taste and opinions in about this show and music is radically different from the critics, who I think expects too much out of amateurs from a reality show. I grew up on big voices and soulful tones, so that’s why maybe I enjoy Joshua and Jessica more than others. But it is nice to know R&B voices continues to be under-appreciated on Idol blogs.
I really do think people complaining about how harsh the judges were on Hollie must not have been around when Simon Cowell, whose favorite adjective was “ghastly,” was on this show. I don’t think there’s a single singer in the last two seasons who has been treated overly harshly, and almost all of them have been treated too gently.
Pretty much everyone who comes on Idol, even the singers who do well, need a lot of help to be able to thrive in today’s music scene. Frankly, I’m not sure what Hollie’s niche is. Based on the kinds of songs she gravitated towards on the show, she seems to be a cross between Celine Dion and Susan Boyle, and I don’t know that there’s much call for that in the marketplace. There’s been some speculation she could make it in country, and strictly voice-wise I can see that, but her persona is not a great fit with that genre (Keith Urban has the accent when speaking, but he at least looks rugged). So I’m not expecting to see much from her in the future.
Has this really been an “immensely frustrating season?” I don’t think it’s as strong up top as Season 8 was, but it’s clearly above the disaster of 9. And even though last season had Haley, we all knew she would get no higher than third place. I prefer four of the top six this season (everyone except Phillip and Hollie, and even they have had their moments) to either Scotty or Lauren.
One other point that occurred to me after thinking about Hollie’s run: has anyone else noticed how little audition round publicity seems to make a difference on Idol any more? I guess this started back when Kris and Allison did so well in Season 8 with barely a glimpse of their auditions. Lee and Crystal had the same drive-by audition scene a year later. Everyone in the top four last season had a feature-length audition and Lauren was proclaimed the likely winner based off of hers; but this season, only Phillip and Skylar among the top six got any real time devoted to their auditions. I don’t read spoilers, so I didn’t realize until I saw her in the background in Hollywood and Vegas that Hollie was even back on the show this season. I’m not sure if this trend reflects the lower viewership of the audition rounds, or if the viewers have gotten more sophisticated about resisting hype, or (my personal opinion) the producers aren’t as good as they used to be in gauging which singers might catch on with the fans.
I think you need to wake up. Have you even seen what happened to Haley last year? The blatant favoritism showed by these three tw*ts is beyond disgusting. And what do we have? The Judges’ Pets Final 3. Yuck! And nothing against Jessica since I want her to win at this point, but she hasn’t been the same since the save, which is why I was slowly inching myself off of Jessica’s train and slowly moving in to Hollie’s.
While I do agree with you about the questions of Hollie’s direction, I’m sure she’ll get there when she’ll get there. And if anything, I could see her in Disney/bubblegum pop or Brit-pop, which ain’t the worst thing in the world for her, really.
And with regards to pre-semis publicity, it still DOES matter. The more promoted you are, the more likely you’re gonna find yourself deep in the game. It’s just that those who are less-promoted have to back it up with talent AND know how to play the Idol game. As for me, I don’t watch until the semis because I’m one to judge from live performances over pre-show stuff. And some of the heavily promoted folks simply fail to back it up with talent. See most of the Season 8 folks.
Could Hollie do Jordin Sparks-type material? Maybe, as it’s not too demanding. But the thing is, she finished fourth. Haley and Allison were both better, and both have had the usual issues that go along with not winning.
And yes, I saw what happened to Haley last season. Uh, she finished third! Considering how close she came to getting voted out in the early going–and really, she was pretty bad there for a while–it’s hard to see how she could have done better. I didn’t agree with everything the judges said about her, but even there the big complaints were mostly about song choice, not the quality of her singing. And she had some help too–a critical pimp spot with “Bennie and the Jets,” and the fact (let’s not forget) that she wasn’t dismissed instantly in Hollywood when she forgot her lyrics, something that in Simon’s day was a guaranteed killer.
As far as the “judges’ pets” thing goes, I think you have it exactly backwards–the judges have given out so much indiscriminate praise these last couple of seasons that it’s almost impossible to tell who they like more. I think that’s part of the reason Casey, Pia, and Jessica were voted out to begin with–the judges obviously thought none of them deserved to go when they did, but since they give As to all their students, how is a viewer supposed to realize that?
I think Joshua and Jessica have been the two best and most consistent singers this season (Elise was as good at her best, but was much more inconsistent, and as a 28-year-old woman was never going to win anyway; and Skylar was a lot of fun but less polished). So I’m certainly not going to complain because the judges like them too; that would be sort of self-defeating.
I think Hollie is a lot more marketable than Allison and Haley are, and probably moreso than Jordin. Allison was weird and always singing songs that were too old for her as a 16 year old, and Haley has this sort of retro thing going on which is not exactly burning up the charts these days. I think Hollie could be packaged in a way similar to Leona or Christina’s debuts; young girl, pure, big voice, sort of a torchy-Adele vibe or the empowerment anthems that have been prevalent as of late. She needs to get the backing of some great writers though.
Haley may have finished third but it was a long and hard road for her, if only because of the judges. She got panned for “You and I,” which was a great performance. She got bussed for “The Earth Song” which wasn’t particularly bad. And don’t forget the “Everybody but Haley” when Randy was asked who won Round 1 of Top 4. Other than that, since Top 7, she was the only one getting anything near criticism or faint praise.
The favoritism may not be that obvious to you, but when the competition whittles down, anyone could/should see as to who is getting anything amounting to criticism. And if the average viewer can’t realize that, sad to say, they’re pretty quick in drinking the Kool-Aid. Which is why I give more credibility towards outside pundits, like Slezak, Idol Guy or MJ Santilli.
Just to elaborate on my earlier response: I just don’t think the judges matter very much; no one other than Simon ever has. People vote for who they want to vote for. Lee vs. Crystal was the biggest talent mismatch in the finals at least since Season 1, and likely ever. Crystal absolutely destroyed Lee in the finals; this was the judgment of both judges and Idol pundits alike. The voters didn’t care. Lee won anyway. As a matter of fact, the voters have a long history of going against the judges at the end, both when justified (Cook over Archuleta) and unjustified (Seasons 8 and 9).
And doesn’t Season 8 prove my point about early season promotion not counting for as much these days? Kris and Allison did better than Scott McIntyre and Lil Rounds.
Looks to me the trend since Season 7 is to rebel against the judges. Even when Lauren won the Finale night last year, Scotty still prevailed as the winner.
As for the early season promo thing, it’s still all about backing said hype with talent. Though I gotta say, if that were the case, Phillip would’ve been gone mid-game by, say Top 7.
Scotty McCreary was the same every week. Sometimes fast country, somtimes slow country, a lot of time “ballade” country. How does your argument identity with that?
I was not one of Scotty’s biggest fans last year, either. Jessica and Joshua may well be able to ride to the top without changing things much – but that doesn’t mean that’s what I want to hear.