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RSSLove is sort of in the air on 'Nashville Star'
The final six contestants perform love songs on tonight's Nashville Star. Insert witty quip and/or pun here.
Spoilers
1. Ashlee Hewitt
Song: "Cowboy Take Me Away" by The Dixie Chicks
Hmm...I liked the song choice, it's way better than last week (stupid John Rich) but she seemed a little sharp a lot of song. Or maybe she just wasn't settling in on the notes before going into her vocal effects. I think it would be much better if she took it a little slower and just played the guitar, minus the band.
2. Gabe Garcia
Song: "Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right" by Billy Currington
This is by far his best performance in my opinion. The vocals were right on (even despite the flight bauble with the high note towards the end) and this is the most comfortable and at ease he's seemed all season. In his "critique," John says he had his doubts when he heard that NBC execs were picking the finalists but, after a performance like Gabe's, it gives him hope that "the suits" are figuring out what "good Country music" is all about. He also mentioned that he doesn't think some of the singers shouldn't have been on the show. Special.
3. Coffey
Song: "It's Your Love" by Tim McGraw & Faith Hill
He's dedicating the song to his mother, who has passed away. He starts to cry about three-quarters of the way through it but he manages to hold it together. Definitely the best performance by far from him. Sure, there were pitch problems but that's because he was so emotional. Plus it made him focus a lot more so he wasn't so shakey-kitten voiced, which I deeply appreciate. John says he doensn't like to "crack [on] other artists." Could've fooled me. Props from all the judges for being so real and showing a lot of promise.
4. Melissa Lawson
Song: "My Baby Loves Me" by Martina McBride
Watching Melissa work the stage, in comparison to 75-percent of the other contestants, is like day and night. She's easily the most comfortable up there and really relates to the audience. She sounded great, as always, though I find I sometimes ignore the song and just listen to her voice (if that makes sense).
So it's down to the last two - Laura & Sophie and Shawn Mayer - but we get to hear them sing before we find out who's bounced.
1. Laura & Sophie
Song: "Picture to Burn" by Taylor Swift
It's nice to hear them sing an "age appropriate" song even if they didn't sound great. The stage presence was off and on, but more on than usual. The outfits are much better - they don't look like they're on the Good Ship Lollipop. John, instead of giving them a critique, asks Sophie why on earth she thought it was okay to roll her eyes at Jewel last week. I didn't even notice that. She apologizes and says she didn't realize she did it, which happens. The hostility from two-thirds of the judges is palpable.
2. Shawn Mayer
Song: "Before He Cheats" by Carrie Underwood
This is a tough song because Carrie is such a great vocalist, it's hard to match that. I think she did a good job - she put a lot of personality in it and worked the stage well (but I'd rather hear the original, no offense). Happy thoughts from the judges, especially from John who says he's been waiting for her to perform like this from the beginning. Ironic.
After the requisite to-do, Laura & Sophie must go home. Unsurprisingly. They'll be really good in a few years...just not now. It surprising that Laura, the younger of the two, seems to have handled this whole thing with more aplomb. I'm also slightly surprised John Rich didn't do a jig of happiness when they were booted.
Does anyone anywhere think the wrong act went home? Any other thoughts/comments/questions? Next week is orginal songs night which should be interesting. And one last thought - who's doing the make-up tonight? All the girls look a little "drag" tonight. They need to watch it with the lip liner...
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Zap2it Twitter Talk 
It doesn't matter no one is watching the show. HaHaHa
Previous post: Not true. I've been watching since week 2 and it keeps improving...dramatically. This is my first year for Nashville Star, and as a longtime AI fan, I'd like to say that the judging has improved on this show as well, to the point where the glaring defects of the AI judges are, well...glaring. American Idol: take heed. Hire Jewel.
I disagree about Jewel being a good judge. She's OK. People pick on John Rich, but Jewel can be kind of a b***h. Jeffrey Steele seems like a pretty cool guy. Frankly, this is probably the nicest these folks will be treated as they enter "the biz." But I'll agree that John and Jewel sometimes pile on when they don't need to after they've made their point.
Gabe was awesome; Melissa very good; Coffey touching; Ashlee and Shawn do nothing for me; glad to see Laura and Sophie go. And for goodness' sake, yeah Sophie rolled her eyes. She's a TEENAGER. I can practically hear my nieces doing it over the phone. But yes, she will haves to learn more professionalism eventually.
I thought two acts were going home? Did they mean two people? If that's the case, why did four people get sent packing last week? Did I miss an explanation somewhere?
laura and 18 sohpie is 16 laura is older than sophie
Melissa Lawson needs to go. Does anyone honestly see her as a star? I don't. She's a decent singer, but she looks ridiculous onstage. John Rich was right, she way oversang that song. Coffey also needs to go - I didn't buy into his tears last night at all and all that left me with was a way off-pitch song.
Shawn Mayer and the Doublemint Twins gave their best preformance of the season - the kids should've been singing that kind of sng from day 1.
I'd be fine with either Ashley Hewitt or Gabe Garcia winning.
I hope John Rich feels like a BIG man after jumping on a teenager on national TV. He should have talked to her face-to-face offstage. I agree that it was time for the girls to go, but a young kid like that should not be put on the spot in front of the -- oh, let's say twenty or so -- people still watching the show. Like I said, I hope he feels big, because he came off looking like a piece of chicken-****.
I missed last week's show, so I was kind of wondering where everybody went. I was surprised the two girls were still there. By today's standards in country mussic Ashley and Gabe are the only two that have a chance at success after Billy Ray stops stuttering and the show ends. The judges don't vote, the fans do, so who cares what they think. It's all about intertainment and nothing more. It's a summer replacement show on NBC. How good could do you expect it to be?
Interesting, Rich admitted they had nothing to do with picking the "talent". I guess all that audition stuff in the first eppy was bull.
John Rich and Jewel should shut the F&(( up. Yes the girl rolled her eyes last week. Jewel went out of her way to slam both girls last week, when 'Pearl Heart' was on stage. In stead of critiquing them, she decided to slam the duo. They should have rolled their eyes; and shouted who cares what a wannabe thinks anyway; go back to living in your car.
Rich has no room to talk either since all he does is act disrespectful to the singers; including talking with Jewel and the other judge during the actual performance.
I'm not a country music fan, but I enjoy good music and good singing, so I'm not against country music by any means. It kind of depends on the song and singer I guess.
I've caught moments here and there of this show this season but this episode was the very first I watched in its entirety.
Billy Ray Cyrus is a terrible host for one.
I thought Ashlee Hewitt is very pretty - she might make it alone on that - and she sounded pretty good (I agree a little sharp). Mostly, she didn't seem to mesh with the background singers and I noticed that her monitor wasn't in her ear, so maybe she couldn't hear how she was supposed to fit with the background vocals. Or possibly they were throwing her off, which is why she took the monitor out in the first place...
Gabe Garcia has a really nice voice. Frankly I thought he was kind of stiff in terms of persona.
John's comments about the "big wigs" behind the show was weird. Is he trying to get out?
I really liked Melissa Lawson. I have agree with Jewel on this, She was great. I thought she showed a lot of restraint through most of the song actually.
She was just so amped up in terms of how enthusiastic she was and how she related to the audience that I could see how one might say she was overselling the song, but I disagree that she over-sang it.
Shawn Mayer did an admirable job, but she couldn't compete with the Carrie Underwood original.
Coffey and the girls who left were just weak and not very pleasant sounding. I think he'll go next week.