• pigduck
• May 18,2006
• In: Rants

Keeping the McPhaith…

Just watched Idol and well, here are my comments:-

*edit: I downloaded some not so great quality of the files of each song so I am being more impartial here and not just basing on what I remember of their performance. In fact, I am listening as I am typing.

Elliot - Rather stagnant in my opinion. I thought he was much better last week. This week, it was a bit “the same old, the same old”… his voice seemed a bit tired. Plus, singing a song that Mariah had covered is a big boo-boo in my opinion… oops. I couldn’t help comparing it to Mariah the first time I heard Elliot sing it but when they repeated his performance at the end, I have to agree he did kind of soar on it. But he couldn’t really connect with the “Open Arms”. It needed a tender voice and he was almost rushing through it at the beginning. His other two songs were ok but forgettable. I wasn’t wowed at all. I think the background music overwhelmed his voice a bit too much. As much as I like Elliot, it wasn’t a great night for him… I do however, prefer him over Taylor.  

Taylor Hicks - It’s confirmed. He’s the ULTIMATE wedding singer. Although he didn’t shake his booty as much to garner votes this time around or use his spastic tactics, I’m sorry, he seriously bores me to death. I actually zone out when he sings, as hard as I try to concentrate. His voice is good but it doesn’t tear at my heart strings or anything. I think he yells a lot. And the truth is, he doesn’t have wow-ing performances where we just die to hear more. I think he’s never done amazing licks vocally… nothing where we can sit there stunned at what he had just sun… it’s all about dancing around, spazzing, and the occasional roll on the floor to get the votes. He’s so gross… what was with him grabbing Paula??? Eww… he’d do anything to get votes. But you know what? that’s ok, ‘cos i’m pretty sure if he was to be signed, he’d only have his 15 seconds of fame… he doesn’t have lasting presence. Not in my opinion anyway. He doesn’t exude star quality. He’s like the normal, grey-haired uncle… you know?

Katharine McPhee - I Believe I can Fly - when I first heard Clive mention it, I was like, “Oh no! not I believe I can fly” and I think Kat had the same look on her face when Clive was trying to convince why this song was suitable for her. The truth is, I watched her performance and thought, it was alright but wasn’t particularly wow-ed by it…. I did think she tried to own it… but listening to it now on its own it is such an amazing version!!! I take back all negative thoughts I earlier.. I mean, after hearing it on my computer, I seriously was stunned and I was just thinking and literally applauding her version of I Can Believe I Can Fly…  SHIVERS! She seriously tore through that song and she seriously did the most amazing rendition ever of that song i have ever heard. Her licks, her ownership of that song… her voice is superb. Her version … I think it’s one of her best performances yet. It deserves top marks of the night. Trust me, Randy will eat his words tomorrow. I think it would make a great CD version. Seriously. It’s emotional, she soars almost effortlessly …  and I don’t normally like this song…

I ain’t Got Nothing but the Blues showcased the Kat that we all grew to love, the showbusiness, broadway, bluesy type of girl that she is… tops! She did well.

SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW… oh my gosh, you should have seen me jump up and down, do twirls, silent punches in the air when she was singing it. i think I did about 5 twirls… It was heavenly. i remember particularly her trills, the clarity in her voice, her absolutely melodious voice made it just superb…. it was simple, not over the top but yet was the best performance of the night… it wasn’t even the lighting or what she wore ‘cos she just wore a white top and jeans but it was the amazing…. way her voice did the little licks and it had the Kat flavour. SUPERB. SUPERB. I think it was just the fact that she put emotion into the song and at the same time, you could hear she was really singing…and most importantly, she sounded really mature on it…  her voice reminds me of a running brook, gently going over the rocks… that’s what it is… I think it was the fact that she sang without music too helped a lot… you could really focus on her voice… it was superb… it was so old school too. Ooh, I liked how she removed her ear monitors too… nice touch… but seriously… I was thinking about Mariah’s version and expecting Kat to maybe take a few of her bits since Mariah’s version of that song was utterly spine tinglingly wonderful but Kat made it her own and really… just did an awesome job with it. I can’t compare it ‘cos Kat’s version reminded me of the original version… superb. CLAP CLAP! I’m listening to it now and I feel like … crying and I feel so drawn in …plus, I remember thinking while watching her perform this song, that the song seemed awfully long… hahah she definitely got more stage time with this song. Good going producers! *thumbs up*

My little bias remarks might not please everybody. I think one must know that I do prefer female singers. I find their voices more easy on my ears to be honest, more lilting…something we can connect to more…  So yes everybody MCPHEEVER IS IN THE HOUSE!!

Tomorrow, I’m going to be dead tired I think. It’s 2:30am now and I’m still typing away.

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Cell today was alright. One of the guys annoyed the crap out of me. Hahah.. I dunno, I tried to stop myself … oh well.. haha… but overall, it was ok. Simple, short and that helped. I got a present too from my friend. A bit belated but she attached a sweet note. Warm and fuzzy.

Well, the secret’s out. So should I mention it here? I will soon. Once I get confirmation. haha.. and the funny thing is, it’s not even about me!

Tonight, just before Idol, I was helping my dad with his testimony and reading through it, God seriously is there for us. I mean, why should any of us be discouraged, upset, miserable or completely negative? The truth is, God’s with us and that’s the most amazing thing. I couldn’t help but thank Him for His work in my dad’s life… and to see Him answer my prayers specifically, that is to send someone to help my dad and to see these people come from out of nowhere to pray for my dad and to see my dad acknowledge these “angels”… I mean, that… THAT’S GOD!!! It isn’t even about me asking but the fact that I can say that God answered such an “out there” prayer… it’s like… God, thank you!

I guess, I need to be more grateful too and look at the blessings instead of the negative things that people feed me. If anything, I need to believe that my Heavenly Father loves me and He won’t be as critical or harsh as what I’ve had to endure the last day or so.

In a way, maybe my relationship with my Father in Heaven has been rather… flat. I am trying my best to be as forgiving to the people who have hurt me but you know what? I can’t do it on my own and that’s the struggle. I am still trying to do it on my own. Everything. 

I am trying my best to keep my head up and not fall into a pit of negativity where it will eat me up slowly. No, I will look at the bright side of life because God loves me… I am worthy in His sight.

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I was lent a book today. It’s called, “Passion and Purity” by Elizabeth Elliot. I am not a huge fan of books that preach on dating or relationships. I think for me, relationships have never been a major focus in my life. I haven’t gone hunting for a boyfriend neither have I wished to be attached to any guy and truth be told, even if I have imagined myself with a guy, it hasn’t been one of those, I’m hanging on to his arm type of relationship. I can’t even imagine myself doing that! It’s like, unthinkable!

The point is, it hasn’t been something that I have been dreaming of. Some times I do get carried away but it’s not something like I am dying to be part of. hahah… I haven’t made it a goal in my life… and neither do I intend to make it a goal in my life. It could be a form of detachment some of you may want to argue or maybe my defense mechanism or my insecurities… it could be all of this but I have never had a desire to have a man by my side. Most of the times, it’s just for play.. or it’s just an infatuation or just attraction but I have never really thought long term with any of the guys… So, the point is, i’ve never really focused much on guys before. Like I said many times, I don’t find many guys attractive… so those that I do find attractive, you’re lucky.

Men/Guys are like the farthest things from my mind. HONESTLY. Like i said, I do get carried away but I usually then gravitate again back to girls. HAHAHAHAHA…. No, seriously.

So yes, I was lent this heavy book with some ancient topics in it. Oh well… I don’t know how this happened… I tried not to accept it but how could I not? It would seem as if I am shunning those ideas that dating is bad and courtship is good or that singlehood is good and that we should remain pure, etc etc etc. I don’t think I need a book or books or people to tell me that. I don’t even think about it!

I’ve never viewed myself as part of singlehood… I don’t think I’ve vowed to be single either. It hasn’t really crossed my mind… I mean, you can’t say that my comments that I will become an old maid or a spinster suggest that I have decided to remain single forever. Those are, comments that everybody makes… I have been self-conscious of this fact but I tend to forget about it soon after. I don’t like to be lumped into any category… especially not horrible categories like “Singles”… even if I am one. I’m not into labels.

The point is, I am also trying to remain open about this idea. hahaha… so although it’s like a “yeah whatever” topic to me I can’t close myself completely either… ‘cos actually, it’s just … whatever lah… Que sera and I hardly think about it… until yesterday when I was talking to a friend and that’s why she lent me the book. It seems to be something she thinks about since she’s bought books on it. I just don’t think about it much and it doesn’t affect me all that much. I’m happy to say that because it’s true.

The only times I actually think about it is if someone mentions that topic to me or if I come across an article and then, I forget about it soon after… it doesn’t grip me for very long. I get bored of it rather easily since I have not much desire for it.

Trust me, Mariah Carey makes me way happier, way more excited than any man could ever do. :) Not in a sexual way!! I mean, does everything have to be about sex?!! hahaha… I know what all of you are thinking… tut tut…

I shall end now. It’s like 3:30am. I’m dead for tomorrow. MCPHAITH MCPHAITH MCPHAITH!