Culturally Preconditioned

Thought I was gonna right an entry on the AI finale, didn’t you? Well, so did I actually. But since I got home early today, I decided.. why not. Let’s just try to enjoy the performances. To tell you the truth, I was on the verge of quitting this show.. not only because of the sub-par talents that we had this year, compared to the previous seasons, but mostly because I am beyond turned off by the judges this year.

The over pimping of the contestants were expected, but they went beyond disgusting this year. Well, they got what they wanted. The two chosen ones, the two Davids, are in the finals. They did not want history repeating itself by having extremely sucky winners who are complete commercial failures (ie. Ruben and Taylor)… so no more missing out on the EggheadDaughtrys and the JennyHudsons this year. But I have never been so disgusted as I was last week. Can they make it more obvious of NOT WANTING Syesha in the Finals? Syesha had, arguably, the best three performances last week (out of the total 9 performances), but nooooo - the judges weren’t going to take any chances. I know they were pushing hard for the Davids to get into the Finals, but they could at least give credit where credit was due.. instead, I hear comments like “that’s why you’re there at #3″, “not good enough for the finals”.. I mean.. where in the holiest fucks of Fuck did that come from? Dis.gus.ting.

Okay, enough said on that. I found both Randy and Paula three times annoying this year.. but I’d still take them over a certain judge in AF. As for the performances tonight.. Both of the first songs tonight, were uninspired, IMO. I mean, both of them had great performances, but I just wasn’t wowed with the two recycled songs. I didn’t pay much attention to the second songs.. but the performances were okay. It did sound like Archuletta sounded slightly better than Cook. The third songs.. ditto. I did think Archuletta did better overall tonight.

Who do I want to win? I could care less.. because both contestants annoy the shit out of me. Okay, let me rephrase that, the FANTARDS of both of the contestants annoy the shit out of me. The Archietards (mostly annoying tweengirls who probably found Sangina endearing) are beyond control. Most annoying fantards ever. As for the Cooktards.. I dunno.. I’m getting the feeling most of his fans jumped on his bandwagon after their personal favorites got kicked out, and they just wanted someone to prevent Archtard from winning.

Personally, I think both of them sounds good, but if I really had to pick, I’d pick Archtard for the win.. because he really has all the makings of a manufactured Idol contestant. So does Cook, but like I’ve said again and again, I just can’t get behind a rocker selling-out by entering an Idol show. PLEASE ALMIGHTY GOD, BRING BACK ROCKFRICKINGSTAR!!!!!! Who’s going to win this? I suspect David Cook will actually sneak in a surprising victory. But will he be as successful as Egghead Daughtry? I have serious doubts. As for Archuletta, win or lose, he’ll probably be as big as (or slightly better than) Glay Aiken.

How do I sum up this season? Well, it DEFINITELY hasn’t been a humdinger because I’ve totally seen better shit than this.

• I finally realized that I honestly don’t care who wins American Idol this year. The overpimping of the two Davids  by the judges are exteremly ridiculous. Predictions : Jason going out next.. then Syesha.. then Brooke. Final Two between the Davids and Archuletta wins.
• Iron Man was actually pretty good considering it’s rather lame trailer. Didn’t think of Robert Downey Jr of being a superhero.. but he’s not bad (better him than Nicolas Cage)
• How do you work with a colleague who’s suffering from acute verbal diarrhea syndrome (also known as the Not Knowing When To Shut The Bloody Hell Up disease)? Earplugs.

It’s Andrew Lloyd Webber’s week.. the guy who’s written about 99.9% of what’s on West End since the beginning of time (he certainly looks the part). Overall, it wasn’t as disastrous as some of the previous shows earlier this season, and for that I am thankful.

Syesha Mercado - One Rock & Roll Too Many (Starlight Express)

Didn’t really care for her last weekl.. but this week? Loved loved loved it. I personally think this is her best performance to date. And I finally understand why she’s this far along in the competition. I thought that was simply.. wow. 9/10

Jason Castro - Memories (Cats)

I know I’m going to sound like that old Webber coot, but I totally didn’t expect a guy to sing this. I was sure it would be sung tonight, but I did not think it was going to be him singing Grizabella’s song.  I like Jason but he sounded as though he’s running out of breath throughout the song. I still didn’t think it was as bad as the judges made it out to be. (Simon was right though, this did sound like it was forced). And for what it’s worth, I like cats, but the musical Cats is probably one of the most annoying staged musicals ever. 6/10.

Brooke White - You Must Love Me (Evita)

I thought she was gonna pull this one, but the snafu at the beginning (her second in the competition) and the over emoting with the pseudo-vulnerable faces.. was just ick. For fucks sake, this isn’t Akademi Cuntasia where ‘judges’ criticize you for not fully expressing yourself enough on stage. Nobody gives a shit. I’m sorry but I give AI viewers a lot more credit than the local lambs on that other show. (Yeah, I might have given a chance to that show at one time, but that syok sendiri ‘judge’ totally ruined it for me.. singing show ke drama audition tu? Whuteva). And Brooke, sweetie.. Madonna >>>>> you. 4/10

David Archuleta - Think Of Me (Phantom Of The Opera)

WTF was up with all the giggly third graders/teeny boppers going up to the stage and hugging him. How was that necessary? The eye habit comments made was kinda funny, but given the closing-eyes habit versus the eye fucking to the camera, I’d take the closing eye thingy. His performance was actually.. pretty good. Yeah it pains me to say that, but that’s how I feel. 7.5/10
Carly Smithson - Jesus Christ Superstar (Jesus Christ Superstar)

Oh. O.M.G. I was really hoping someone would sing this. Didn’t think in a million years that this would be sung on American Idol, but I’m really glad that she did. Wow.. I’m totally having flashbacks of the Nuffield Theatre right now. Mary Magdalene was the shiznits. Brava, Carly. 8.5/10

David Cook - The Music Of The Night (Phantom Of The Opera)

They are really totally pushing for a David vs David showdown in the Final Two, aren’t they? So what I say is not gonna fucking matter. Except that I thought it was nowhere near as good as the judges claim. 6/10

Who should go :Brooke (that was just… a terrible mess)
Who I want to go :  Archuleta (just to witness the mass suicide)

Who’s probably going : Jason Castro

Wow. Michael Johns got the boot last week. Wow. It’s Whoriah Carey week. Wow. Just wow. The show is truly heading towards the shitter, ain’t it? Thank god, Elliot will be performing in tomorrow’s result show. I wonder if he’ll sing Train Wreck as a dedication to this season.

David PorkChop - When You Believe

He sounded good, but his falsetto was shit. I just don’t like him. I especially don’t like the overpimping. It’s as if the judges are going out of their way to say “SEE? WE TOLD YOU HE WAS GOING TO WIN THIS SHIT!” when the inevitable thing eventually happen 5 weeks from now. 7 out of 10.

Carly Smithson - Ken Lee (Tulibu dibu douchoo)

To tell you the truth, it wasn’t half bad, but I do think she felt short midway through the song. You can’t make help but make comparisons with Mariah’s rendition with this one, so I’m just going to post this random video. 7 out of 10.

Syesha Mercado - Vanishing

Shit, son. She may be able to carry that tune well but man, that was boring. I don’t know what is it about Syesha. She’s like LaToya London.. very very good singers, but leaving me totally unfazed after their performances. 7 out of 10.

Brooke White - Hero

Okay.. who replaced Brooke with a bleating goat? That was not good. She should’ve concentrated on singing and ditch the piano playing. Nastay. 4 out of 10.

Kristy Lee Cook - Forever

Totally interchangeable with Brooke at this stage. Get the fuck off the show already. 4 out of 10.

David Cook - Always Be My Baby

I don’t know.. I still think David is a tad overrated. Not totally loving his performance but between him and PorkChop, I’m really rooting for this David to win. 5 out of 10.

Jason Castro - I Don’t Wanna Cry

Love it. This intrepetation is so much better than David Cook’s, IMO. 7.5 out of 10.

Final rankings for this week :

1. Jason Castro 7.5/10
4. David PorkChop 7/10
4. Carly Smithson 7/10
4. Syesha Mercado 7/10
5. David Cook 5/10
7. Kristy Lee Cook 4/10
7. Brooke White 4/10

So the theme this week was ShutTheFuckUpRandy. Okay, maybe it wasn’t but it certainly should’ve been. What the hell is up his fat ass tonight, nit picking on every little thing? So it’s Inspirational Music (in conjunction with the Idol Gives Back show tomorrow night). It’s funny, cause given the choice, I personally would’ve chosen the overplayed Bad Day by Daniel Powter. I loved this song before it got played to death on the Idol show a couple of seasons back. It’s a really good song IMO. Stop fucking feeling sorry for yourself, everyone has a bad day at one point or another, but it’s not the end of the world, get the fuck up and keep moving on. If that’s not inspirational, then I don’t know what is.

Michael Johns - Dream On (Aerosmith)

I’m a Michael fan but his performance kinda bored me during the first halg. I was expecting more from him but it was just alright for me. And seriously, what’s wrong with Randy tonight? His beef with the song choice was ridiculous. He reminds me of a certain ‘judge’ from a certain local ‘popularity show’ (oh please, like you can honestly call it a ’singing show’) who keeps lamenting on penjiwaan lagu and representing yourself in the song and all that nonsense. 7/10

Syesha Mercado - I Believe (Mantasia)

OMG.. I Believe - an inspirational song? *barf* What a fucking cheesy song choice. Ick. I don’t hate the song though, and Syesha actually sang it quite well IMO. The ending was a bit terkucil though, but totally unforgiveable. 7/10

Jason Castro - Somewhere Over The Radio (Judy Garland)

Well I like the fact that Jason acknowledged that this rendition wasn’t an original (sung by some Israel dude), unlike some people. But this Jack-Johnson-inspired performance can only get so much before some people get tired of it. I love this kid, but it was not nearly as good as I would’ve liked it to be. But at least that performance really cemented on the kind of performer that he is. 7/10

Kristy Lee Cook - Anyway (Martina McBride)

Kristy’s got a pretty decent country voice but she ain’t no Carrie Underwood, though. Still, I think despite the slight pitching problems, her performance is getting better and better each week. 6/10

David Cook - Innocent (Our Lady Peace)

Why the fuck was he mushmouthing the first few lines of the song? Nope, I don’t think the range of this song fits him. At all. It was not disastrous, but it was close to being his worst ever performance in this competition so far. 4/10

Carly Smithson - The Show Must Go On (Queen)

Eh.. typical Carly. Not her best, but it was okay. And Simon was correct. It did come off as an angry performance. 6.5/10

David PorkChop - Angels (Robbie Williams)

Super Ick! A Robbie Williams song. I do NoT like him, but Angels is one his few songs that I actually like (and I made a note of this before Simon claimed that this was one of the best.pop.songs.ever, by the way). Pork Chop’s rendition? Meh, not a fan but I have to admit that they weren’t many flaws in his performance - just a matter of personal taste. Just fucking give him the Idol title already *sulk* 7/10

Brooke White - You’ve Got A Friend (Carole King)

It bored me. 5/10

Final Rankings for the Night :
1. Michael Johns 7/10
1. Syesha Mercado 7/10
1. Jason Castro 7/10
1. David PorkChop 7/10
5. Carly Smithson 6.5/10
6. Brooke White 6/10
7. David Cook 4/10

Looking forward to Idol Gives Back tomorrow night. Hopefully it will be a chokeful of good performances (and seriously hoping David Beckham and Skeletor Spice’s segments won’t make the cut. Please disappear into oblivion alread).

And I would like to thank KFC for reviving Petula Clark’s Downtown via their 35th anniversary commercial. I especially love this song after it appeared on Lost.

This might be my laziest and shortest update on AI so far. I got home in time for the 6pm and the 8pm show, but I’ve been so knackered today, that I actually fell in and out of sleep throughout the show. The only thing that I distinctly remember about tonight’s show was that Dolly Parton was the mentor, and Ryan opened the show with the most lamest April Fools’ gag ever in the history of broadcasting. Heard certain performances - Brooke, OK. Jason, OK. Carly, OK. Kristy, Meh. Michael, Nice. And I, honest to God, actually fell asleep - FOR REAL - during the others (for both the 6pm and 8pm shows), so I only watched their performances via the recap at the end (can’t be arsed to youtube ‘em). So, not much of an update on AI, really. I was more interested in staying up after seeing that they’re showing the Stanley Hotel episode of Ghost Hunters after AI. (Saw this episode a couple of months ago via torrent, and it was awesome!). Okay, I’m going back to bed, even though it’s only 9:30pm. God, I feel old.

The year they were born. I always thought if I had the voice to sing (HA FUCKING HA!), I will definitely pick The Pretender by Jackson Browne for this theme. 1976, baby! But I can’t sing for shit, so let’s get into this.

Ramiele Malubay - Alone (Heart)

I heart this song. What was the chick’s name who sang this last year before being cut off? Man, that was awesome. Celine’s rendition? Not so much. Ramiele’s rendition? So much less. And what is that outfit she got on? Her hight notes were simply disastrous. OMG what was she thinking. And don’t think I didn’t hear you the first time, Paula.. “I give you a lot of crap.. credit”. 3 out of 10.

Jason Castro - Fragile (Sting)

Mmmm this may be Jason’s first performance that I’m totally crazy with. Song selection? Possibly. Never been a huge fan of Sting’s. The performance was teetering on boring. Sorry. But he better not leave the show this week. 5 out of 10.

Syesha Mercado - If I Were Your Woman (Stephanie Mills)

Her voice sounds a lot more smooth this week. I don’t know. I can’t seem to find a real fault in Syesha’s performances, but I just don’t see her becoming the next Idol. But this was a pretty good song for her. Probably one of her best, so far. Bravo. 7.5 out of 10.

Chikezie - If Only For One Night (Luther Vandross)

Didn’t know this guy had Nigerian parents. And boy, I didn’t see this guy lasting more than the Top 12 but he’s proving me wrong. That was a really good performance. Sweet, mellow and powerful at the same time. It got a tad boring towards the end but me likey. 7 out of 10.

Brooke White - Every Breath You Take (The Police)

I was so afraid she might butcher this most oversung song in the history of music. A little stumblefuck at the beginning, but she remained her composure for the rest of the song. But this is nowhere near the awesomeness that was her Let It Be performance. I’m starting to like her, but dayum that was bland. 5.5 out of 10.

Michael Johns - We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions (Queen)

S-U-P-A-H. H-A-W-T. 10 out of 10.

Carly Smithson - Total Eclipse of The Heart (Bonnie Tyler)

Once again, she’s living up to expectations. This was an awesome performance. Complete with the necessary serak basak and everything. She’s not going to win the show, but she better be in it for the long haul, at least. 8 out of 10.

David Archuletta - You’re The Voice (David Foster)

I love the fact that he’s been dubbed as Devil Porkchop by the Sucks community. LOL. Good performance, but no, I don’t think I can ever give my support to this male jailbait. Suara dia dah pecah ke belum nih?? Musykil betul aku. Sure he can sing.. but meh. I wonder if the Claymates were as bad as the rabid Archuletta fantards this year. 6 out of 10.

Kristy Lee Cook - God Bless The USA (Lee Greenwood)

Holy crap. Why is she still on this show? You don’t annoy your family now.. but you’re annoying the rest of the world watching this show, selfish twunt. However, I have to be fair and say that the performance wasn’t as disastrous as I thought it would be. In fact, I actually think it was slightly better than Jason’s and even Brooke’s performance. Yeah, didn’t think I would ever say that. 6 out of 10.

David Cook - Billie Jean (Michal Jackson)

Wow. What an incredible original take on this Michael Jackson classic! Totally unexpected, and totally awesome. This was pretty orgasmic. 9 out of 10.

All in all a pretty interesting night. Lovin’ it.

Final Rankings for the Night :

1. Michael (10/10)
2. David Cook (9/10)
3. Carly (8/10)
4. Syesha (7.5/10)
5. Chikezie (7/10)
6. Kristy (6/10)
7. David Archuletta (6/10)
8. Brooke (5.5/10)
9. Jason (5/10)
10. Ramiele (3/10)

With popular demand - Idol is back with The Beatles. *sniff*

Amanda - Back In The USSR

I like her voice and shit but it’s all gotten too predictable and repetitive (typed this before hearing Simon’s comment, btw) . It was just alright for me. 5 out of 10

Kristy - You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away

Does this bitch never learn? Pick a mind numbingly boring song, why don’t you. “I can blow you out of your socks…” girl, we all know that sentence is 4 words too long. 4 out of 10.

David A - The Long and Winding Road

In the first few moments, he kinda sounds like someone auditioning for Oliver! Much much better performance than last week’s. I hate the crowd (ie. fucking tweengirls. shut. the. flying. fuck. up.) for screaming every time he sings a long note. 7 out of 10.

Michael - A Day In The Life

Some people might argue that he doesn’t have enough charisma or stage presence to win it all. I actually think otherwise. There was a minor raspy fuck up before the 1st chorus but that’s forgiveable IMO. 6 out of 10.

Brooke - Here Comes the Sun

Personally, I think this pale wraith keeps on choosing the right songs. Colour me impressed. It was a pretty good performance - even though slightly repetitive. Not her best, but pretty good. 6.5 out of 10.

David C - Day Tripper

Egghead Daughtry - eat your heart out. Loved the performance. Totally kick ass, this one. Bravo.. never really liked this dude, but this was pretty good. 7 out of 10.

Carly - Blackbird

This was a nice song, but I didn’t think there was anything to write home about with the performance. Good, but not out of this world or anything. 7 out of 10.

Jason - Michelle

Alors Mon Dieu! Loved the French version. He hasn’t got the most powerful voice on the show, but Jason continues to pleasantly surprise me week after week. Seriously, Jason for the win! Fuck you judges. 7.5 out of 10.

Syesha - Yesterday

Started off great. Then it all became a little too much and too over the top for me. 7 out of 10.

Chikezie - I’ve Just Seen a Face

He sounded surprisingly tender the first half of the song. The sudden change to the cartoonish-western type tempo did NOT work at all for me. Should’ve kept it straight and simple. Again, I typed this before listening to Cowell’s comments. 5 out of 10.

Ramiele - I Should Have Known Better

A pretty decent performance.. but try as I might, I just can’t get myself into enjoying Ramiele’s performances. 6 out of 10.

Final Rankings for The Night :

1. Jason (7.5/10)
2. David C (7/10)
3. Carly (7/10)
4. David A (7/10)
5. Syesha (7/10)
6. Brooke (6.5/10)
7. Michael (6/10)
8. Ramiele (6/10)
9. Amanda (5/10)
10. Chikezie (5/10)
11. Kristy (4/10)

All in all.. a very very extremely dull show tonight. If you haven’t seen it, skip it.

I’ve never been a huge fan of the Beatles. That’s blasphemous, I know.. and I think I’ve mentioned it on more than one occasion. Yes, I know they’re a huge influence on so many musicians nowadays, and helped music become what it is today.. but when it all comes down to personal preference, I’m just not totally crazy over them. Does that make me an idiot? I suppose so, but I tell it like it is. Can’t say that I was very excited to watch tonight’s show, knowing in advance what the theme was going to be, so I will try to keep this simple.

Syesha - Got to Get You In My Life

Vocally she sounded good but in my honest opinion, that was quite a boring performance. 5.5 out of 10.

Chikezie - She’s a Woman

Wow the banjo and the violin was a nice touch. And that was an incredible arrangement. His voice fell a little short, but I believe this really was his best so far. 7 out of 10.

Ramiele - In My Life

She reminds me of that woman who sang a duet with Marc Anthony. Her voice was actually quite nice but the performance was beyond dull. 5.5 out of 10

Jason - If I Tell Fell

I wonder if this acapella thingy will be his download. I sure hope not. Thanks to him, Halellujah became one of the top songs downloaded from iTunes last week. But this wasn’t him at his best. 7 out of 10.

Carly - Come Together

Now we’re back to the Carly that I liked. She was simply horrendous last week, but this performance was very Amanda-worthy. Good job. 8.5 out of 10.

David C - Eleanor Rigby

His voice was pretty cool, but he’s simply a second rate Daughtry at his best. I’m afraid he’s not going to cut it for me. 6 out of 10.

Brooke - Let It Be

Still looks like that wraith Kyra Sedgwick, which sucks because I wanted to dislike her so bad, but again like last week, her voice pulled through and made me love the performance. 8 out of 10.

David H - I Saw Her Standing There

Eh. It was pretty lame. Getting tired of this guy now. Simon described it best - it came off as kinda desperate. 5 out of 10.

Amanda - You Cant Do That

Wonderful performance, as usual, but not her best. Nothing much to say really, except why the fuck does Taye Diggs always appear in the audience? 7 out of 10.

Michael - Across The Universe.

Look, I like his voice, but that was bordering on being painfully boring and flat. The band saved it midway through, but it was just not enough. He could’ve done a lot better with this one. 7 out of 10.

Kristy - Eight Days a Week

She wowed me last week, and wowed me again this week - but in a bad way. The arrangement was a major fuck up. If anything, it sounded like the background music of an unfunny cartoon show. Easily the absolute worst of the night. Buh-bye now. 4 out of 10.

David A - We Can Work It Out

That was weak. A kinda WTF performance for the viewing audience. That said, he’s got a huuuge “awww what an adorable little boy that I just want to keep in my pocket” fan base, so he is going absolute nowhere. 5 out of 10.

Final Rankings for the Night :

Can’t say that I’m surprised as to how the show turned out tonight. Ryan Semencrust should stop making inappropriate paedo-inclined comments/jokes/innuendos. He has inspired me to update my long overdue Top 10 Shit List collection - this time, it’s going to be Top 10 Shit Lists of Celebrities Who Should Disappear Into Oblivion (watch out for a combo of local radio station DJs making appearances in there!)

What the hell? I actually have all the songs sung tonight on my iPod at one time or another. Just shows how much music from the 80s rocks the shit out of my pants. If only every single Idol episode would be as entertaining as this. Hmmm 80s Idol anyone?

A’s’i'a’h Epperson - I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Whitney Houston)

I just realized that she bleats even when she’s talking. Wow. Anyway, loved the song and the performance was pretty good for someone trying to impersonate Whitney. Not much complaints from me. 7.5 out of 10.

Kady Malloy - Who Wants To Live Forever (Queen)

I never thought I would ever feel bored listening to this song. Never ever. But it did. This was a terrible song choice for her, which is surprising, cause she knows she’s in the hot seat and she should’ve chosen a song that would really complement her vocal abilities. She’s a goner. 4 out of 10.

Amanda Overmyer - I Hate Myself for Loving You (Joan Jett and the Blackhearts)

I honestly don’t get the Amanda-hatred over in some places, what with people calling her fake and shit. Whatever. She did a really good job tonight, in my opinion. Maybe she’s really more suited for Rockstar than for American Idol (but that don’t explain Egghead Daughtry’s on this show, though.. unless people are sexist) 8.5 out of 10.

Carly Smithson - I Drove All Night (Cyndi Lauper)

Wow. I still remember the first time I heard this song (and even the first time seeing the video). Damn this song brings back powerful memories. Unfortunately, I didn’t think Carly sang this song well. At all. People say Cyndi’s got a terrible voice, but I beg to differ. She’s the only one who can truly carry this song - which even Celine failed to do so. (this song is actually a Roy Orbison cover) 5.5 out of 10.

Kristy Lee Cook - Faithfully (Journey)

When I heard the first few piano notes, I thought to myself - oh hell no. Just no. Someone is going to butcher an 80s classic. However, to my pleasant surprise, it was not that bad. Maybe it’s her country twang that did it? Yeah, I think that’s a lot likely. 6.5 out of 10.

Ramiele Malubay - Against All Odds (Phil Collins)

When a female sings this song, there’s a 90% chance that they’re going to sing Mariah’s version. Thankfully, Ramiele did not. Pretty good, but nothing mind blowing. I’m just not that into her voice. 6 out of 10.

Brooke White - Love Is A Battlefield (Pat Benatar)

Love the song and the acapella take on it was a nice surprise. She still looks like a wraith to me and I so wanted her to suck, but it was good. Really good. Far better than Carrie’s version in her season. 7 out of 10.

Syesha Mercado - Saving All My Love For You (Whitney Houston)

Like A’s’i'a’h, she pretty much nailed this Whitney song. And that’s that. Bonus pointrs to her for the voice clarity. 8 out of 10.

Final Rankings for this Round :

1. Amanda Overmyer (8.5/10)
2. Syesha Mercado (8/10)
3. A’s’i'a’h Epperson (7.5/10)
4. Brooke White (7/10)
5. Kristy Lee Cook (6.5/10)
6. Ramiele Malubay (6/10)
7. Carly Smithson (5.5/10)
8. Kady Malloy (4/10)

Again, just like yesterday, this was quite a satisfying show. It’s the 80s music, that’s what it is. Anyway, selamat mengundi to everyone this coming Saturday. I know who I’m voting for - Ryan Tedder. He really is going to be the next big thing.