42 replies to this topic

[TWoP Gadget]

THE SEARCH FOR THE NEXT "NASHVILLE STAR" CONTINUES WITH HOST BILLY RAY CYRUS -- Talent from across the nation compete to be named the next "Nashville Star." Host Billy Ray Cyrus ("Hannah Montana") joins celebrity judges/mentors, singer-songwriter and acclaimed producer John Rich, multi-platinum singer-songwriter and three-time Grammy nominee Jewel and acclaimed industry heavy weight and BMI Songwriter of the Year (2006) Jeffery Steele in the search for a true artist. You never know who is going to stop by the Acuff Theater to join in on a jam session.

[CRFTony]

So when Jewel asked Melissa if she wrote the song, Mel shook her head and the cameras quickly cut away. I'd love to know what was said/wasn't shown on this "live" show.

[bluenote123]

Huh. That was interesting. If Cof-FAY wasn't going to go home, I was afraid to hope that Ashlee might. Good for America! I didn't like her performance last week, and I was deeply unimpressed by her song tonight, so I am not sorry to see her go.

The best songs tonight were written by Melissa and Shawn. I could actually hear them on the radio. Nice job, both of you!

Coffay's song was fun, but not impressive. I don't remember Gabe's song (and frankly, I didn't think he was in good voice tonight. It was weird).

Among the judges, I enjoyed Jeffrey Steele the most. I don't like it when Jewel sings in that baby voice, and while I've always loved "Foolish Games," I didn't like the affectations she kept throwing into the song. I wish she had just sung it, and hadn't tried to do something fancy with it -- her voice is beautiful.

Overall, it was a decent show.

So when Jewel asked Melissa if she wrote the song, Mel shook her head and the cameras quickly cut away. I'd love to know what was said/wasn't shown on this "live" show.

I thought I saw the same thing, but I just decided that I was crazy!!!!!! It's a capital "S" Scandal!!!!!!!

[Clytie]

If any of the contestants had performed the way Jewel performed tonight, the judges would not have approved. For all of her talk about authenticity and connecting with the audience, that performance struck me as very artifical and self-centered.

Was thrilled to see Shawn make it through. I've loved her drive, commitment and passion from the start. I think she has a sense of the history of country music that informs her performances, yet she holds her own in style with modern country's current performers. Of all the contestants, she's the one I look forward to seeing the most each week.

[Hildegard802]

Daggummit, Chet, don't you listen to BR!!! You vote all you want!!

Never noticed BR's pug dog profile until he started looking away from the teleprompter. Lord. That. Hair.

I was surprised J-hole didn't like CoughAY's assy song, since it sounds like the kuntry rap crap Big and Dumb crank out. Cowboy Troy 2.0.

Melissa's zebra top did NOT translate well to TV. I want to slap the tics right off her face; she's VERY annoying. The song was very cookie-cutter standard country format. Sucky bridge. Nothing special from a nothing-special singer. She screamed again.

The judges are now quite self-congraluatory on behalf of themselves and the show. "We're the ONLY SHOW that has original song night!!!" If the show were actually awesome, you wouldn't have to spend time TELLING us it is. Also loved the "for those who said the talent on this show isn't great, we proved them wrong tonight!!" spin. Well, no, you didn't prove anyone wrong. What wasn't downright bad was pretty run-of-the mill, save one. And the singing of said songs still sucked/was mediocre.

Speaking of the judges. My dog, those "performances" were hideous. It's like they were trying soooo hard to show everyone "how it's done," and they failed miserably. Jewel. What the hell WAS that??? The first bite was Minnie Mouse. Then the vibrato that sounded like someone cranking a car with a dying battery. She was horribly off-key. And then she gave up any pretense of singing and just made weird noises. Can we vote her off???

Gabe. Major meh on another standard format song. Follow the dots . . . Why do I always think I'm looking at a woman when he's on? Jewel told him to make sure the songs reflect him and are not "generic." Melissa should've received the same advice.

Ashlee? Enunciate?? Joke. Laugh here. One thing (among many) I've always despised about her is she's from MN; she's not that old, and she hasn't lived in Nashville long enough to adopt a true accent, so her southern affections wear thin. Much as I've never been able to abide her, that was the best song of the night. I can only pray that the judges are wrong, and she WON'T be picked up by a label or otherwise foisted off on the poor public as another no-talent Taylor Swift. I do think she's got a future as a writer, assuming she actually did write the song. As we recall, in previous seasons, "original night" didn't mean the singer actually wrote the song. It just meant the song hadn't yet been published.

Shawn looked hawt, sang from the back of her throat, was very goaty (almost as bad as CoughAY), and I could understand about every 5th word. Her song showed she's been listening to WAY too much Faith Hill. Jewel said she looked good, but said nothing about her song-writing. Jeffrey complimented the song, but basically said forget singing and just write songs. Judges no likey Shawn.

So happy to see Ashlee hit the pavement. She truly thought she had this one in the bag.

This pathetic season is almost over, and the "winner" can slink off to obscurity!!

When Jewel was "singing," I had to call sis to mock. Some of sis's comments:

BR said, "They rode 'em and now they're going to sing 'em." Took her awhile to puzzle that one out.

J-hole told Ashlee she needs to enunciate. Then he called her Ass-lee. Sis also swears J-hole said the "fangs" pick the winner.

The head-jerk-away-the-mic thing BR does is his secret signal to the crew to advance the teleprompter to the next page.

So when Jewel asked Melissa if she wrote the song, Mel shook her head and the cameras quickly cut away. I'd love to know what was said/wasn't shown on this "live" show.

I'll bet they did this season what's gone on every other season. The contestants are not required to write the song. And because they're phony asshole jerks, the show is not (yet) making the truth known.

Edited by Hildegard802, Jul 21, 2008 @ 9:34 PM.

[wdallan]

Jewel sounded absolutely horrible -- more vibrato than Coffay and no breathe support. What an embarrassment!

I think Jewel asked Melissa whether she wrote that song by herself, and she shook her head no.

My dvr had a skip in it. When Gabe was being critiqued, it stopped when John Rich started talking and resumed when Gabe was talking to the female host. Did that happen to others? If not, did I miss anything?

[SecondWife]

I don't think it is a rule that the contestant has to write the song...is it??

Most favorite: Shawn's
Second fave: Melissa's
Did not care for: Coffay's

One of my pet peeves is when an artist takes a song or songs that they have made famous and make it totally unrecognizeable when they sing it live. I saw Jewel do the same thing tonight that she did in a live show I saw her in back in 2003. Granted, they shouldnt have to do it note for note, but jeeez y'all, sing it so we can recognize it!

Based on tonight, I do believe my girl Melissa can take it all....

[quothapril]

If Coffey's continued presence in this competition hasn't quite reached Sanjaya-level ridiculousness, it's getting close. We're 0 for 3 here - he's not particularly country, he's not a good singer, and as he demonstrated tonight, he's not much of a songwriter. What on earth is keeping him around - his looks? 'Cause he's not that attractive, either. I'm baffled. The song, while reasonably catchy, was totally unoriginal and wouldn't have a prayer of getting airplay on any radio format. Plus, the constant defensiveness about his country music cred is getting really tiring.

Melissa sang the equivalent of an American Idol crap coronation song, which probably pleased the producers. I caught the headshake after Jewel's question and wondered about that as well, but regardless, if she makes an album, she's not gonna be writing her own material. Not if that's the best she can do.

I'm glad Jewel cautioned Gabe about being too generic - his song sounded like a hit, but anyone could've sung it. Still, since he's the best singer they've got this season, it's good to know he has fairly solid writing skills as well. John was right about his stage presence, unfortunately.

Shawn's song was a little too pop-country to sound like something I'd actually buy, but I still liked her this week. I can't imagine she has a chance in hell of winning this thing, which is good - she needs a little more time to find her own voice. On the plus side, unlike most of the contestants, I never doubt that she has the potential to do something interesting down the road. I'll definitely be keeping an eye on her.

It's a shame that Ashlee's gone while Coffey is still around, but since he's apparently invincible and she was the worst of the rest last week, I'm not really surprised. That said, this week reminded me of why she's the only contestant on this show that actually has a prayer of making it on a major label. She has a unique sound and she knows how to write for it, which is more important than having a generic pretty voice like the other major contenders this season. Plus, her song was the only one tonight that I didn't feel like I'd heard a million times before and the only one besides maybe Shawn's that I'd have any interest in hearing again. I do think there's a limited window for her because the folk-pop thing is selling right now and may not be so big in a few years, but if a label has the sense to snap her up right away, she's got a decent shot at success.

Edited by quothapril, Jul 21, 2008 @ 10:17 PM.

[amelia7196]

I really liked Shawn's song and thought she did a decent job. I think that she has improved with Jeffrey and I am glad she didn't get the boot tonight.

I am hoping that Coffey gets the boot next week and Shawn makes it to the final round.

I would like to think that Ashley's boot tonight was America's answer to JRich's assholiness last week. He was telling America how great she was and that she should win the whole thing.

[GilvearSt]

I really felt the songs got better as the night wore on. Coffey, shockingly still here, was the weakest while Shawn had the best song.

Coffey needs to go home please. You can be from the South and not be country. And anyone who spends their ninety seconds telling me that they're country, really, really isn't. He wrote a silly gimmick song and didn't even sing it all that well.

Melissa's song was like the if the "Magic Rainbow" machine on American Idol was fed country dust. It was just as cheesy and glory-note filled. Melissa has a tendency to shout her big notes out and I can't stand it. Plus she's still pulling faces without anyone calling her on it.

Gabe's song was a huge step up in quality but the performance was fairly boring, even for Gabe. It was a nice number, but he's not a star. Still, I want him to win because the others really bug me.

Ashlee's song was fun and young and really works for me. I don't like how Ashlee enunciates so I didn't like the song on her, but she's got some real writing skills. It's a catchy number.

Shawn had the best song of the night by far and she was actually likeable on this one. I was glad that she stayed even though I had been gunning for her before. The pacing of the song demonstrated a great deal of maturity; she understand that silence can be just as powerful as words and that's not something that comes along very often. Her voice isn't my favourite, but if she was the last woman standing, I know it would kill John, so from here on out, go Shawn!

The judge performance was not really very good. Jewel is so fake it hurts. The affectations she piles onto her songs weighs them down and takes away the soaring emotional honesty they're meant to possess. I don't understand how someone can write such lovely songs and then fuck them up so badly. Jeff was cool and authentic. John was, as always, kind of an ass. He's not really a good singer, the songs aren't that good and he's not charismatic on stage, so I don't know how he's qualified to judge others.

[mooncreek]

I figured Cah-Fay was staying after last week's tour-de-force. With that in mind, I was hoping Ashlee would be the next to go.

Cah-Fay, well, two weeks in a row without pain to the ears. But now it's at the point where I have this serious fear he's going to make the final show. He hasn't been in the bottom 2 yet, I believe. That worries me greatly.

Melissa showed she could do a song that represented her without relying on the fat girl thing. I don't really care who wrote it - that song worked with her style so I still like it.

Jewel, seriously stop it. You would not let any of the contestants get away with what you did on the stage.

Gabe's song would fit well on radio. He's got a stage presence that's great for radio, so that's okay. The problem is it's the same generic crap that's on radio - so I totally agreed with Jewel on this one.

I just didn't like Ashlee's song. Did nobody have the nerve to say that particular song wouldn't get on radio thanks to the (unnecessary) product placement title. The song did fit her age and I found it cute that she saw it as naughty.

When this season started, Shawn was the one I was hoping would survive the first few weeks and get the chance to show what she could really do. This week was her week. I loved that song and it would work with radio - perfect.

I fear that Cah-Fay is invincible and that would make Gabe the vulnerable one.

[Tallulah2]

I watched the show twice, once when it was on, and then later with my sister. Jewel asked, "Was that a 'hundred percenter?' Did you write the whole thing by yourself?" And Melissa shook her head no, but Jeffrey or John was talking the whole time, so nobody really was waiting for her to elaborate. Someone must have co-written the song with her, which isn't a bad thing. Jewel was just going to be even more impressed if she'd written the whole thing by herself.

I thought Shawn's was the best song of the night. It was emotionally honest, and it went somewhere, musically. I loved the long note she held there in the middle. Shawn has grown on me so much over the past few weeks. I think it really had to do with being mismatched with John as a mentor. She just maybe needed a more supportive person to guide her along.

Coffey's song was cute lyrically, but dang, the boy needed to buy a tune. Melissa's and Gabe's were good, and they were the sort of thing that each should be recorded, but as Randy Jackson would say, "I wasn't jumping up and down or nothing." Ashlee's was a bit weird. It was an okay song, but I found it strange that she was practically giggling through the whole thing. I like her, though, and I think she could definitely have a career. She's a good performer, and she's already got twice Carrie Underwood's stage presence.

Word to the posters who observed how fake Jewel seems when she performs, for all her talk about authenticity. It's like she's thinking, "Look how pretty I am." And could she please tighten up her vibrato? Yikes, I could have driven a truck through those beats in between. I loved Jeffrey's songs, though. Dude can write a freaking song, and I liked the way he performed them, too. Kind of a vaguely Kris Kristofferson rugged thing going on or something. And I loved hearing "What Hurts the Most" performed by someone other than the spectacularly whiny Rascal Flatts lead singer.

[Lincolnave]

So Coffey's song wouldn't make it on country radio but when you heard "I Play Chicken with the Train", you were impressed? F-U midget.

Melissa's song was medicore and her eyes are still going crazy.

The medley was ridiculous. Jewel was fine singing 5 percent of her songs from 10 years ago and she still has great legs. The reason Jeffery Steele writes for others is because he can't sing. It looked like Bo Duke doing karaoke night at the Boars Nest. Somewhere in a drunken stupor Big Kenny is laughing at his midget partner butchering his vocals.

Gabe is still average, looking good in a group of people who are worse. The future Mrs. Willowglen thinks Jewel or anyone else that finds hm sexy needs glasses. His song was alright but it sounded like 9,000 other songs. It sounded like he was just singing his own lyrics over the baseline music for half the bad songs on the radio. Shit, I actually agree with John Rich.

Billy Ray telling us not to vote for Chet. Poor Chet. He cant get a break.

That was her best performance all season. I don't see a career for Ashlee but I could name about a dozen or so current artists that could score a hit with that song.

I guess unleashing the hooters last week was enough to keep Shawn around another week. Another song that could be played on the radio tomorrow easily coming out of Faith Hill or Reba's mouth. (And I typed that before I heard Steele say it)

The best two of the week in the bottom two. Ashlee is finally impressive and she's gone? This show is such bullshit. Screw it, I hope Coffey wins just to put the final sham cherry on top of this ridiculous sham show.

Edited by TWoP Gadget, Jul 22, 2008 @ 8:51 AM.

[erinkg]

I watched the show twice, once when it was on, and then later with my sister. Jewel asked, "Was that a 'hundred percenter?' Did you write the whole thing by yourself?" And Melissa shook her head no, but Jeffrey or John was talking the whole time, so nobody really was waiting for her to elaborate. Someone must have co-written the song with her, which isn't a bad thing. Jewel was just going to be even more impressed if she'd written the whole thing by herself.

I just watched that part again and I agree with this poster. Jewel asked if she wrote it by herself, Melissa shook her head 'no', and Jewel mouthed 'okay' and finished listening to Jeffrey. I don't think this is a problem, since Gabe admitted during rehearsal that he wrote his song with his buddies. Many, many people write songs with other people, especially when they are first starting out. Overall, I was extremely impressed with the songs written by all the artists. Songwriting is very difficult and the songs, while most somewhat generic, were impressive for the level of the artists.

[sundodger78]

Was Chet there tonight? I thought he was talking to Chet's sister, Jet. It don't matter none since enunciation still isn't commented on even when specifically told they should practice it... Ashlee. I couldn't understand half of what she sang.

Was she giggling about giving up her Cherry Coke because of Mike's Hard Lemonade?

O....kay.

Can Barack Coffey Obama really win this thing? We should probably read the NY Times editorials to find out.

[Still Sammy]

I liked Gabe's song better when it was called "Baby Girl" by Sugarland. It sounded nearly identical, down to the phrasing.

Everything about this show is embarrassing; I can't believe I've somewhat kept up with it all season. Last week I completely forgot it was on, but I was certainly relieved not to see those two high school girls on stage tonight. I guess Melissa should win, but I can't imagine any of these people having even a modicum of real success.

[pacifica]

My favorite performance was Ashlee's, the best since pop goes country night. That song really fits her range of what her voice can do. That traditional style of country song really suits her. She's definitely not a country-pop girl. I couldn't understand some of the words but got most of them and understood the point of the song. She's definitely very stylish and I love that about her. I actually checked out her Myspace and she only has one song on it, darn it. I do wish that she had a stronger voice though. Sometimes when I hear her sing it sounds like she's about to run out of breath and is eeking out the song.

Shawn's was my next favorite, very genuine and emotional about an experience that affected her.

Melissa still looks like Trisha Yearwood. Her song was very radio friendly, very country-pop.

Gabe's was country-pop and radio friendly too.

Coffey's song sounded like rap and he packed a million words into each measure. He's a showman though, a natural performer.

Jewel has always had a horrible vibrato. The worse vibrato I've ever heard is Toby Keith's and anyone who sounds like a goat baaaing. The next worse vibrato I've ever heard is Jewel's. If she would just realize her vibrato needs work and fix it I'd actually listen to her music. She also totally ruined her performance during "Foolish Games" with those awful notes she held. The first note was okay, the succeeding ones weren't. I was literally grimacing.

Jeffrey's performance was fine, nothing to say about it.

I thought John wanted Coffey to watch out for all the gimmicks and show who he really is but John himself did all those gimmicks too. I do think he's a good performer though who can rev up a crowd. He looked natural and not awkward at all.

Edited by pacifica, Jul 22, 2008 @ 2:08 AM.

[A Beaverhausen]

Ashlee? Enunciate?? Joke. Laugh here. One thing (among many) I've always despised about her is she's from MN; she's not that old, and she hasn't lived in Nashville long enough to adopt a true accent, so her southern affections wear thin.

That's funny. Trade MN for Alaska, and you have just described Jewel.

[Quickbeam]

If Coffey's continued presence in this competition hasn't quite reached Sanjaya-level ridiculousness, it's getting close. We're 0 for 3 here - he's not particularly country, he's not a good singer, and as he demonstrated tonight, he's not much of a songwriter. What on earth is keeping him around - his looks? 'Cause he's not that attractive, either. I'm baffled.

You are not alone. I only tuned in last night to see him get the boot which unfortunately did not happen. Not that it takes much but his suckage is ruining this show for me.

[Genius]

I do have to (begrudgingly) agree with the judges that original song night is what made Nashville Star stand out for me in the past. The first time I saw Buddy Jewell perform "Abilene On Her Mind" and especially Miranda Lambert singing "Greyhound Bound For Nowhere," I thought original song night was a genius idea that made the show stand head and shoulders above American Idol.

For the most part, I still really appreciated the original songs last night. At the very least, it gives us viewers a peek into the type of artist these singers are hoping to be. I thought it was a successful attempt for everyone but Coffey. I mean, please. He might as well have named the song, "I'm Country, I Swear! See, I Just Mentioned Bullhorns!". That being said, original song night is important (to me, at least) because whether or not I choose to like your style or song, I can at least appreciate that you have a point of view. You can't get that from endless Martina McBride/Carrie Underwood covers week after week. For the first time, I saw a tinge of something kind of close to approaching star quality in everyone. Except Coffey.

[mememeee]

The reason Jeffery Steele writes for others is because he can't sing.

I guess no one remembers Boy Howdy ?
He can sing and write decent songs. I'll take him any day over that jackass from Big & Rich.

[Rachel RSL]

Dear God, what the bloody hell was that?! They all suck. You'd think there would be at least one decent singer/songwriter in the bunch but they all suck! I wouldn't pay a single penny to hear any of these people sing. I don't care how much the judges try to convince us that the show is brimming with talent, none of these people will have a successful career.

And after that performance by the judges last night, I don't know how the contestants will be able to take anything they say seriously. Jewel, who I think is very talented, sounded horrible. Jeffrey can never ever EVER tell anyone to stop making faces when they sing because he looked like he was having an extremely difficult bowel movement when he sang. And John Rich just sucks as both a singer and a human being. (Loved how he told Shawn that she's been great the past couple weeks. Yeah, ever since she fired YOU!)

The song was very cookie-cutter standard country format. Sucky bridge. Nothing special from a nothing-special singer.

I couldn't agree more! When Melissa was "singing" (although she sounded off-key and screechy in lots of places, not that the judges would ever admit it), all I could think was that her song sounded like every song ever sung by Faith Hill. And yet they blast Gabe for sounding generic? They've made it very clear that they want Melissa to win and no matter how much she screeches or scrunches her nose, she can do no wrong.

God damn it Chet, don't vote! How many times does BRC have to tell you?!

[Deigh]

If I were the teleprompter guy at Nashville Star, I would actually put "Don't vote Chet" up there every time. Just to screw with BRC.

Shawn is starting to grow on me a little. I hate to admit it because I don't think she's a great singer. I just really admire her determination and dedication. She's a decent songwriter if last night is any indication. Maybe she should do that instead.

[Ninja Bunny]

Melissa is fishing for the pity vote and it's rapidly getting on my nerves, plus that rapid cutaway when they asked her if she wrote that song herself also caused my eyebrow to arch. Granted the songs may not have to be completely self-written but the show should be upfront about that instead of acting coy. Maybe if she took the time she spends whining to actually sit down and write a song she wouldn't need (alleged) help.

Between singing through her nose, the seismic tremolo and that squeal that sounded like a chihuahua being squeezed to death, I have no idea how Jewel can call herself a singer or have any right to judge the contestants. All of the remaining women wiped the floor with her.

I considered voting for Shawn because her original was the best but I decided I hate Jewel and John more than I like her song so I vote-for-the-worst'd CofFAY instead.

Edited by Ninja Bunny, Jul 23, 2008 @ 9:24 AM.

[NJMark]

Coffey needs to go home please. You can be from the South and not be country. And anyone who spends their ninety seconds telling me that they're country, really, really isn't. He wrote a silly gimmick song and didn't even sing it all that well.

It's like he strung together every country shibboleth as if he had something to prove. Even when you do have something to prove, you don't act like it!

A song about being country should evoke imagery, not simply be a list. Alan Jackson's "Where I Come From," Joe Diffie's "Home," Shenandoah's "Next to You, Next to Me," and Brad Paisley's "Ain't Nothin' Like" come to mind.

Edited by NJMark, Jul 22, 2008 @ 12:32 PM.

[HerRoyalHighnes]

If I were the teleprompter guy at Nashville Star, I would actually put "Don't vote Chet" up there every time. Just to screw with BRC.

BRC could redeem himself for a whole season of suck if he would just once, at the end of the show, say "Okay, Chet, you can vote now!"

Question: Do I get to take two drinks if he intentionally says Chet?

[Occasional Hope]

I thought Ashlee and Shawn had the best original songs this week, and Ashlee had the best combination of song and performance, so I was rather sorry to see her go, even if I can rarely make out what she's singing. Her enunciation was good enough on this though to get the story, and it was a decent song. I liked Shawn's as well, but her vocals were off.

Gabe and Melissa sang well, but had fairly generic songs. Coffey's lyrics were generic and his tune was non existent (and I hated the "Fade me out" ending).

Is this ending soon?

[Genius]

Can you imagine what Laura & Sophie would have done for original song night? I like to wonder what the song title possibilities would be. "My Best Friend's A Bitch"?

[ronaround]

I was saddened that the moratorium on Chet voting was reinstated this week.

I thought Ashlee and Shawn had the best original songs this week, and Ashlee had the best combination of song and performance

I agree. I've been back-and-forth on Ashlee all season but I thought hers was one of the better performances last night (which admittedly isn't saying much). I could tell that she was working on her enunciation in the first half of the song, although she regressed midway through.

Shawn's own enunciation issues and her vocal quality kept me from enjoying her performance as much as the song itself probably merited.

I thought Gabe and Melissa were both slightly off their game vocally, although their songs were pleasant enough. Melissa's totally came off the AI "I Believe In Magic Rainbows at a Moment Like This" assembly line.

The less said about Coffey's song, the better. *fade him out*

The judges' medley was painful, save for some of Jeffrey's set. You could have driven a truck through Jewel's vibrato.

Can you imagine what Laura & Sophie would have done for original song night? I like to wonder what the song title possibilities would be. "My Best Friend's A Bitch"?

*snerk* How about, "As I Roll My Eyes"?

Edited by ronaround, Jul 22, 2008 @ 4:18 PM.

[yaminbluth]

Why the bloody heck is Coffay still there? I honestly do not get it. And his song last night was THE suck...at least John Rich called him out on it, but then again...

I was surprised J-hole didn't like CoughAY's assy song, since it sounds like the kuntry rap crap Big and Dumb crank out. Cowboy Troy 2.0.

So Coffey's song wouldn't make it on country radio but when you heard "I Play Chicken with the Train", you were impressed? F-U midget.

...this is so true! My sister and I were both cracking Cowboy Troy jokes during Coffay's performance, and saying how John Rich would probably love it...and then to say he didn't?? Sooo dumb.

I am hoping that Coffey gets the boot next week and Shawn makes it to the final round.

This scenario is ideal for most of the viewing audience who are still recovering from Coffay's "singing" AND the show itself. Think about it, each of the remaining contestants would have a different mentor...so each judge still has a "protege" there, making it real competion. Kiss my grits, ain't that exciting?

The medley was ridiculous. Jewel was fine singing 5 percent of her songs from 10 years ago and she still has great legs. The reason Jeffery Steele writes for others is because he can't sing. It looked like Bo Duke doing karaoke night at the Boars Nest. Somewhere in a drunken stupor Big Kenny is laughing at his midget partner butchering his vocals.

Yeah, Jewel needed to STFU..."You Were Meant For Me" was ok, but after that...brutal. I actually really liked Jeffrey Steele...he wrote somereally good songs. And he may not have the best voice, but hey, on this show? Who cares? And I thought he actually kind of looked like Big Kenny...and then came the moment I was dreading when I heard there would be a judges' medley...the opening notes to "Save A Horse, Ride A Cowboy". *shudder*. Every original song last night trumped that piece of crap. I wish he would've sang "Lost In This Moment" or "Big Time" instead.

I liked Gabe's song better when it was called "Baby Girl" by Sugarland. It sounded nearly identical, down to the phrasing.

LOL! My sister, my dad, and I said the exact same thing! I think we decided that Gabe's song sounded like at least country songs...I think "Where The Green Grass Grows" was another one. And Melissa's song sounded like a slowed down "Picture To Burn".

I think the best original songs of the night were Ashlee and Shawn's. So figures they'd be in the bottom 2. Of the 2, I was kind of glad Ashlee went home last night. There's just something about Shawn that I really like.