Posting daily at 1pm central about all kinds of things. One day it's dating, the next it's TV commercials. I hope you're entertained. Professional photos on SmugMug – https://benwilder.smugmug.com
This AT&T commercial shows a couple of ball players descending a flight of stairs to board the team bus. I don’t watch NBA but found out this is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren, who both play for Oklahoma City Thunder.
You might notice a continuity error at 0:12. The clip shows Chet holding the phone in his right hand. Then the very next clip he’s holding it in his left. From a production standpoint, it had to happen. There was a handshake coming up and if either of them were holding a phone in their right hand, they couldn’t do a proper hand shake. But come on AT&T, show a little effort here. This is just lazy!
The moral of this story is… if you’re doing multiple takes and it’s still bad, go back to the drawing board ASAP. Th poor (rhetorically speaking) fellas got some sort of contract to appear in the ad but they couldn’t have known how bad it would be. Or they knew, but they were paid a truck load of cash. I can’t think of any scenario in my life where I’d want to see two guys singing this song to each other. No offense, Christina Aguilera.
Am I the only one that thinks there are a handful clear standouts on American Idol so far? We haven’t reached the live episodes quite yet but my top 3 are Jack Blocker, Mckenna Faith, and then there’s Jennifer Jeffries. Jennifer has a voice unlike any others I’ve heard on the show this season and probably as unique as we’ll ever hear on Idol. In the Hollywood Arena, she performed an original song called “You Were A Child.” Her first audition included an original called “Change My Ways” (lyrics and a recap here) so she’s showing that she has a talent for songwriting as well as singing. Here are the lyrics to “You Where A Child” and I bet there are more Jennifer originals to come on American Idol…
“You Were A Child”
You’ve known God since you were a child Read your Bible and prayed every night. Sunday mornings were made for revival So you’d still feels like you’re God’s child.
And they say we’re not perfect, but make us feel worthless For all the things we’ve done and the wrongs to come. They make it a game of wrongs and rights, We’re damned to hell if we don’t play right.
And those strings that you pick, the more anxious you get, Are getting worn out. And those words that you sing are the way that you bleed And you’re bleeding out. And you hate who you are even worse who you’re not So you write these songs. And beautiful poetry so they’ll see something lovely Instead of broken things.
I have 3 cover songs to reference in today’s post. The first one is Beyonce singing Dolly Parton’s “Jolene,” which is getting mixed reviews from real people (vs. the famous folks just kissing up to Beyonce and Dolly). I’m glad she kept the melody, I’ll start with that. Changing the melody of a song, even if the lyrics stay the same, is one of my all-time pet peeves. It happens periodically in Christian music. For example, about 15 years ago “Amazing Grace” got a refresh from Chris Tomlin when absolutely no one was asking for it.
The first in the trio of songs is from a sister duo. Halle and Chloe cover “To Love Somebody” with a slight lyric change. Here’s more about that one.
And then there’s the basketball players. Of course, they’re not expected to be good singers and good thing… because they’re not. Covering Christina Aguilera’s “What A Girl Wants,” here’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren singing about what a pro wants.
I’m sorry if you watched through the entire AT&T commercial. It’s bad, I know. At least Halle, Chloe, and Beyonce can actually sing. But still, I’m not a fan of covering songs and changing the lyrics. In those cases, it’s less of a cover and more of an adaptation. The genre of country music is interesting because over the course of years and decades, entertainers and actors seem to want to try it at least once. Just recently actress Kate Hudson released a couple of songs and this one isn’t that bad.
But for every Darius Rucker (who successfully “crossed over” from pop music with Hootie & The Blowfish), there are 10 Kevin Costners.
The first episode in Hollywood has come and gone. It aired on Easter Sunday and while the tomb of Jesus may be empty, this episode was full…….. of entertainment. There were highs, there were lows, there were moments of cringe, and moments of holding back tears. I’ve solidified my top 4 favorites and if you disagree, you’re dead to me.
The episode opened with the platinum ticket trio singing “California Dreamin'” and while they have the luxury of sitting out of the first round (like a ‘bye’ in sports terms), they’re going to be playing catch-up when their auditions resume because some of the first rounders knocked it so far out of the park. First to audition in the Idol Arena was Triston Harper but before his song, someone thought it was a great idea to shoot clips of Triston walking in cowboy boots through thick, deep sand. 🤔 Okkkkkkkkkk. They were California dreamin’ alright. Triston is so young, he probably didn’t want to tell them how horrible of an idea that was. Those boots were made for walking but not through sand, you dummies! Triston performed an original song and he’s as country as a turnip green. I just don’t know where exactly he would fit within country music– he’s young but sings very traditionally. His target audience is anyone’s guess at this point. Just don’t make him walk in the sand again…
Emmy Russell is as sweet as a Georgia peach. I love that she’s in the season of life where she’s stepping out of her legendary grandmother’s shadow (Loretta Lynn). She will find her place in this world but I don’t think this season of American Idol is going to be part of her journey much longer.
The Middle Singers. Somewhere existing in the mid-tier talent from the episode is KBlocks, Kaibrienne, and Kayko. They each had good performances but not anything anyone will remember a few weeks from now. Kaibrienne connected with the audience in her performance, KBlocks is quirky which will help her for a little while longer until her voice can’t keep up with the competition, and Kayko is a talented musician and singer but just a little bland.
The Bottom Singers. All of America who thought Camila Galavis and Madaí ChaKell were already outmatched were 100% right. Even “American Idol” thought so, since they haven’t even posted either contestant’s Hollywood audition. One piece of advice to Madaí: never, ever, ever throw the band under the bus. It will not work in your favor. In reaction to her audition, Luke said something to the affect of this: Maybe next year, instead of American Idol they can have American Humble. Boom, roasted. Madaí was incredibly entitled and arrogant. Gross.
Cream of the Crop. I thought these four singers were head and shoulders above the rest. They’re easily my top 4 and I really, really hope they all make it to the live shows. Jennifer Jeffries (who I’ve liked from her first audition) is unlike anyone else in the competition. A voice that’s immediately recognizable and a talented writer, too.
I can’t say enough how much I like Jack Blocker. It seems as though his facial expressions might divide people between loving him or not, but my goodness he can sing. I hope the judges aren’t party poopers. He absolutely needs to get to the top 24 so America can vote for him. His rendition of “Your Cheatin’ Heart” was very special.
And then there’s Ziggy. We’re living in weird times when just being gay is so refreshing. Actually, I don’t even know if Ziggy is gay but that’s kind of the point of what I’m saying. His sexuality isn’t forefront. With American culture lifting up trans this, trans that, non-binary, gender fluid, asexual, pansexual, one day she’s a he, another day he’s a them… it’s all so exhausting. But Ziggy, whatever his preferences are, comes across as such a nice and humble person. So besides his love life not being front and center, he can sing as good as any man or woman on the show. In a way, his style reminds me of Prince, and that’s never a bad thing. Cotton Candy to the moon!
What is there to say about Mckenna Faith Breinholt? She has such a seasoned voice, as if she’s been performing for 40 years. Her attention-grabbing low note in this performance stopped me in my tracks. I have no doubt the judges will include her in the top 24 so be ready to vote her to the top, America.
As millions of people all over the world celebrate Easter, a particular song has popped up in my own little world this weekend. I’ve already heard it twice in two days at my church’s Good Friday service and a rendition by Skye Peterson during a concert Saturday evening (Holy Saturday), the amazing Andrew Peterson and his Resurrection Letters Tour. The song is “Were You There?”
Andrew Peterson, The Resurrection Letters Tour
One peculiar coincidence (probably not a coincidence, actually) is that both versions I’ve heard this weekend stop short of how I remember the song wrapping up going way back to when I first heard it as a member of staff at a summer camp in Missouri in 2001. I think there’s a reason for the shortened versions. The first verses could be categorized as pre-resurrection. Questions like “Were you there when the crucified my Lord?,” “Were you there when they pierced Him in the side?,” “Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?”.
The final verse (or verses, depending on which version you listen to) could be called the resolution. The verses leading up to it are somber. But then these questions arise with celebratory power, “Were you there when the stone was rolled away?” and “Were you there when He rose up from the dead?” The repeating phrase that “it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble” is swapped out now to say “I feel like shouting glory, glory, glory.” Maybe most of the song is about Good Friday and Holy Saturday and the concluding verse is Easter Sunday… a reason to shout glory, glory, glory! To borrow a phrase from another favorite song, “Glory, glory, hallelujah, His truth is marching on.”
Out of the Wilderness 