NJ.com: Blake Lewis, “You Give Love A Bad Name”: Ha! Ha! Ha! Brilliant! After the scolding he took from the judges in the first few weeks of the finals for all the rearrangements and gratuitous beatboxing, Blake went into a little argyle shell, doing faithful, vaguely sincere renditions of the classics that had little to no sign of his personality or tastes. On this one, he reached deep into his bag of tricks as both a beatboxer and a producer (where his real talents lie), and it worked, from the record needle sound effect at the top to trading beats with the drummer to the pop-locking. And what tied the whole thing together was that he did the choruses almost perfectly straight, proving that if he wanted to do the entire song that way, he could have. Unless this turns out to be another incident like Daughtry’s “I Walk the Line” (where we all thought he was a musical genius until we learned he was doing it note-for-note the way the guys from Live rearranged it), this was certainly the most original “Idol” performance ever, and one of this season’s most entertaining.
Ew.com’s Michael Slezak: But if I had to put money down at this very moment on which singer is most 
likely to stick around, I’d place my wager on Blake Lewis, whose electrifying retooling of ”You Give Love a Bad Name” has likely surpassed Mindy Doo’s ”My Funny Valentine” as the season’s watercooler performance. Bon Jovi was right that ”16 measures of him not singing on a show that’s supposed to highlight singers” was a risky move (though not as risky as sharing Jordin’s black-and-red hair dye), and Blake’s whooshing opening sound effects (which sounded to me like the Diet Coke I crack open every morning around 7 a.m.) were a wee bit indulgent, but the rest of the performance was exhilarating — breathing life into what I’d written off as a tired ’80s anthem. The ”you give love-lllll-love-love-lll-love a bad, bad name” breakdown had me clapping like baby-seal Paula, and while the judges seemed a little tentative in their praise, this was the performance that — whether or not it secured Blake a spot in the final two — pretty much guaranteed him a record deal.
MTV News: BLAKE LEWIS; Song: “You Give Love a Bad Name”; Verdict: Bold, Brave, Brilliant
I admit I’ve been less-than-consistent when dealing with Blake…I find Blake’s performance to be deliriously entertaining…He immediately rips into the chorus and commands the stage like a pro (can we call him TimberBlake?) Not only are his vocals uncharacteristically spot-on, but he whips out his secret weapon at the perfect moment, engaging in a little call and response with a drum kit. By the end, the audience is in near-hysterics. Abigail Breslin and Simon’s mom are both on their feet…in the “Idol” world, Blake’s the most unique and contemporary artist to ever hit that stage, so let’s pick our battles from this point on, OK, people? Of the remaining top 6, wouldn’t you be most interested in hearing a Blake record (as long as he doesn’t cover 311)? - Good read; click on the link to see the whole thing.
LA Times Behind the Scenes: The favorites among the sign-carrying demographic (mostly the under-ten set) are solidifying — with seemingly 90% now dedicated to either Jordin or Blake. Melinda scores a distant third…To the shock of many, Bon Jovi night turned out to be of the most consistently fun and high quality of the season. All except for poor Jordin delivered some of their best work thus far. - Not very interesting read this week.
US Magazine: Blake Beatboxes Into America’s Heart: Love him or hate him, America - Blake Lewis is definitely in American Idol to win it! With the exception of Jordin (what happened?), most of our final six did justice to the Bon Jovi songbook, which will make it harder to say goodbye to not just one contestant (Chris), but two (Phil). However, such is life on the road to what will be a Jordin and Melinda final two.
When Mr. Bon Jovi advised the performers to make the songs their own, he found a star pupil in Lewis, who took the biggest gamble in Idol history with his heavily-beatboxed deviation from the “You Give Love a Bad Name” norm. Decked out in head-to-toe black with his blonde hair dyed to match, Lewis confidently imitated a record being put on the jukebox and launched into one of the most innovative performances of the show’s six-season run. And – surprise! – even Simon Cowell gave him the green light. “That was absolutely the right thing to do and this is what will keep you in the competition,” he told Lewis.
MJ’s Big Blog: Blake Lewis - “You Give Love a Bad Name” - Blake decides to take a risk this week. Jon says, “this is an adventurous arrangement, are you ready to roll the dice on it?” He also says, “He has to sell his interpretation of a song that a lot of people know, and don’t want messed with.” Ha. I can’t figure out if Jon is pleased or irked that Blake is messing with his precious tune. Me? The original song makes me want to pluck my eyeballs out when I hear it, so I’m all for messing with it. Blake’s got a new, darker hairstyle this week, and it suits him. This, without a doubt is my favorite performance of the night. The performance is more than just a Bon Jovi song with some beatboxing thrown into the middle of it. Blake weaves his beatboxing seamlessly into the song. When he’s not beatboxing, particularly on the chorus, his voice is strong. The effect is exhilarating. The arrangement is cool. He dubs up the verse and goes back to the traditional melody for the chorus. Right in the middle of the tune, he goes into an extended bit of beatboxing, then back to the dub and then back to the traditional chorus. It works. Blake’s risk pays off. And, this is why Blake is my favorite contestant right now. He’s more than a singer, he’s a musician with imagination who isn’t afraid to go out on a limb. I like that. Go Team Plaid. While the judges blew a collective cow when contestants rearranged Diana Ross back in the Top 12, they positively love the fact that Blake changed up Bon Jovi. Interesting. More hyperbole from Randy, “The most original version of a song on American Idol ever!” Simon says, “There will be half the audience who absolutely hated it, and half the audience who love it.” Yep, that’s why it’s awesome.
People.com: Nice catch!: Ousted contestant Antonella Barba returned to the Idol arena – and proved to be an unusually reserved audience member, staying put in her seat (right behind Simon Cowell’s mother) for most of the show. Still, Blake Lewis managed to catch her eye at the end of the night and blew her a kiss. She promptly returned the favor and he “caught” the airborne smooch and held it close to his chest.
After whipping the crowd into a frenzy by beat-boxing his way through Bon Jovi’s “You Give Love a Bad Name,” Blake blew a kiss to the judges’ table at commercial. He then ran over and surprised Chris Richardson, by putting his hands on Chris’s shoulders and jumping while Chris’s back was turned. The two close friends then gave each other a handshake and bumped shoulders before Blake left the stage so Chris could take his turn in the spotlight.
Yahoo TV : And the best performance? Well, let me just say that I’ve been shot through the heart, and you’re to blame, Blakey. You give Idol a good name.
Here’s what I’m thinking Silly, pop-n-lockin’ Blake-bot could actually win this thing.
A little behind-the-scenes scoop Insiders tell me that he producers considered Blake very much an underdog at the start of the season, trailing far behind the likes of vocal powerhouses Melinda and Lakisha. But he’s gained momentum and support with each passing week.
And tonight, that beatbox rendition of “You give love a bad name” proved he’s sort of a musical whiz kid–and anything but cookie cutter. So ladies and gentletubers, I do believe we have ourselves a dark horse!
So who do you think? Does Blake stand a chance?
EW Popwatch: The night, though, belonged to Blake. As if in anticipation of this fact, Blake had the most signs in the audience last night—two-to-one, easy. A sampling: “Blake is the Cake” (atop those hot pink pop-art portraits of Blake); the aforementioned “Blake U Make Me Ache”; “Beatboxers can sing too!” held by Papa Lewis; “Shake It Blake”; “Blake You Make My Heart Beatbox”; “Get on the Blake Train”; and a playing-card portrait of Blake with him as the Ace of Hearts. My favorite non-Blake sign — “I Want To Squeeze Ya LaKisha” — was actually one of six signs created for all of the Idols by a Fox affiliate reporter, so it really doesn’t count.
And if you’re wondering, per Simon’s comment, which half of the audience hated on Blake’s beat-boxing remix of “You Give Love A Bad Name,” well, there wasn’t one. We were all pretty much electrified from the get go, so much so I’ve already started an intra-EW e-mail throwdown over whether it belongs in the pantheon of Greatest Idol Performances Ever. (My vote, clearly: Oh, heck yes!)
I do feel I should point out that I think my fervor was in no small part stoked by the super-mega-ultra Blake fan in the seat next to me, a young man named Dane whose full-bodied enthusiasm for the beat-boxer nearly toppled the risers. I kid — though Dane really was jumping with enough force to bend the floor beneath him (and me) — but only gently, because, you see, Dane is a fan. Of mine. Or, really, of our EW.com Idol coverage. (Yes, that tooting you hear is our own horn.) Dane explained to me that he’s all about Blake because he so clearly isn’t your papa’s Idol contestant. My snark impulse almost had me answering, “Yeah, well, neither was Taylor Hicks,” but, really, Dane has a point. Blake’s bound to be the lead watercolor convo subject for the next week, and he pulled it off by embracing his truest instincts as a musician, instincts never before seen on the Idol stage. And isn’t that what we’ve all been craving from this show, authentic wow moments, pony-hawks notwithstanding?
Me. TOO!!! Exactly!!! I love you MJ!!!
That took major chutzpah, and Blake more than pulled it off. Everyone at my work today is buzzing about it, saying it was the best performance of the night, his best performance of the season, and that it may just have earned him a spot in the finale. And NO, I don’t work with 8-13 year olds of the “he’s soooo cuuuuute!” variety. Heh. These are mid-level banking executives who have varied tastes in music. :)
Win or not, Blake will be set if he keeps believing in himself, taking risks and going his own way. He’s an artist (what I thought Paula was going to say last night before she went off into paulaland)
Oh, and the hair, wow!
I added the EW Popwatch to the end of the post. Some nice things said there, too.
LOL pj and I added it to the top. I’ll take mine out.
Ha, Sarah. Great minds.
Anyway, I love this part of the Popwatch article.
I’m also glad they confirmed the impression that I got from the television… that the crowd really did go wild. Can you imagine being there live? What fun it would have been.
Go back and watch “Somewhere Only We Know.” His parents had that same sign that night, too. :)
RE: all the reviews and stuff - you go Bshorty!!
I am so excited about all these reviews!
Yo go Blake!
He really is a STAH! That is all..
Cam’t wait to get home and watch that performance all over again.
I loved the black hair by the way, but I do think it woul dbe wise for him to go back to blonde for the last upcoming weeks.
You know, the black went well with the rock theme, but I don’t know how it will come across for the future weeks.
Oh oh oh. I just read the NJ.com review (did someone just add that?). I completely agree with this statement:
And would have said so during all the debate over at MJ’s this morning had I been able to log in. Grr.
Oh, and “argyle shell”? LOL. Love!
Star, I just added it. I totally agree with that statement, too.
I’ll have to go rewatch to look for the sign. Like I need an excuse to rewatch. Heh.
The fact that Blake is getting so much buzz from last night bodes well for him.
Thanks for all the articles guys! Nice collection. Go Blake!
Thanks for all the articles! Congratulations Blake!
I still have to read all of these articles but just wanted to let you in on breaking news. Okay, it’s not really breaking or news but I read a post on the Zabasearch site that Blake has been rumored to be dating one of the stars on a show on MTV called “The Hills” that he met several weeks ago while shopping at Kitsons.
That hussy.
I’ve heard a rumor for about 2 weeks now at least that CHRIS was hooking up with Lauren from The Hills. There are pictures of them looking very cozy. Haven’t heard a thing about Blake. Blake has stated he would like a smart, independent woman who is into music like he is. From what I’ve seen, none of the vapid girls from The Hills fit that bill. But he could just be gettin some booty… ;)
Glad to see that Jersey.com had a positive review. Seems like Simon was wrong. A lot more than 50% like this performance.
Funny thing. I was going to AI to see if the official downloads were up (not yet), and they had a link on the main page to their photos for last nights performance. The page was loading unusually slowly (high traffic?) and I noticed there are 163 photos from last night. Just as I was thinking how much it was going to suck to have to sift through them for the Blake photos…Blake’s photo comes up as the first one. All of his performance photos are first - even though he was the fourth performer. Even AI knows how hot he is right now.
Thanks for the reviews! So glad that almost everyone likes the performance!(Yeah, I’ve seen some negative ones)
And here’s another review from time.com
Erinn, The photos of performance nights are always in alphabetical order. Blake always shows up first. Lucky us. ;)
Karen, really? Here I was thinking it was special. Cool, and definitely lucky for us.
Very lucky for us.
Did anyone else notice that Chris and Blake were dressed alike? So were Chris and Ace last year. Twilight zone or scripted? Putting them together was obviously scripted, but the clothes?
Yaay! For Blake being safe..
IT was really sad to see Chris go though, I mean I don’t like him as ana rtist but he seems such a sweet guy.. Those two are best friends indeed.
Anyways, now Blake is the last man standing.. Wow. It’s going to be tough with all those divas, but I know he will prevail.
Just got my downloads, and almost got mad. I thought they had cut out all the beatboxing on the studio version, but it’s just in a different spot.
I don’t think there’s any way now that Blake DOESN’T end up in the finale… just like last year with Katharine being the only girl left standing when Paris got voted off.
PJ, I didn’t notice that they were dressed alike. But of course, I’m still mesmerized by the dark hair. lol. But leave it to AI to try to create an “awwww” moment. I still hold that Chrace > Cake though.
Did y’all see Blake wiping his eyes at the very end? He was (again) trying not to cry. Now THAT is an “awwww” moment.
I’m still pretty surprised that Phil actually went home. I’m pretty sad about that… he was really starting to grow on me.
So I guess technically, Phil is the 6th placer and Chris is the 5th placer?
Ahhhh, the video is sooooo nice.
I am sad about Phil too, Sarah. I was starting to like him. I mean not on a Blake level, but more than the girls. I wish we could’ve lost one of the girls. BUT, I do agree that this probably helps Blake out, so I’m good with it. Anyone can go as long as it’s not Blake.
I’m happy!!!
They even pimped him tonight!
Rolltide, I was worried too. Especially since the preview was a straight verse. I suppose it’s good that Blake showed he could sing the song straight, but I would have prefered the whole song to have the new arrangement. I still like it though.
That was a great results show. Phil’s sing out was incredible - I’m sorry to see him go too. Chris’ was just so emotional. You knew they were dying to have Cake up there together. Even if the result was obvious.
I agree with everyone who said being the last man standing helps Blake. Also that Jordin has difficulty with uptempo songs. Boogie week will be tough for her.
What the heck is “boogie week” anyway? I fear it’s just “disco” with a fancy new name. Any word on the limitations of the theme?
Erinn, I don’t know but “boogie” made me think of this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2pu6jAWvw8
Think Blake could get away with that? :D
Star, I’d say hellz ya…except that it’s apparently the warm up song for the show. Blake has to know this I doubt the audience would have a positive reaction. Hmmm…Beastie Boys would count if that’s the case.
Who knows. He could take MacArthur Park (dedicated to Chris, of course) and make it the best song ever written.
I’m fresh out of speculation. I have no idea what song he should sing. I just know that he’s gonna own the competition.
New pretty pictures. Blake in creepy Lestat-type makeup. Cake-ey goodness. Simon LeBon hair:
http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y109/jenlar/forums/BonJovi performs/
I’m exhausted. Going to bed.
Thanks for the pics jenlar!
That #7 breaks my heart. I thought he was probably trying not to cry at that time in the show. It made me sad to see him crying at the end too.
I don’t know what Blake will sing next week, but it will be awesome. And he’ll definitely stand out even more with nothing but boring belters left in the competition.
Erinn, I wish they would’ve recorded the new arrangement too. Why do the producers always wanna mess with a good thing?
You Give Love a Bad Name is now at #23 on iTunes. :)
The only 2 above it are Wanted Dead or Alive at #18 and their new song You Want to Make a Memory at #16.
I downloaded the tracks last night and fell asleep while downloading, so I haven’t listened yet. Are y’all saying that the recorded version is not the version he sang on the show? A big boo to TPTB, if so!
I’m all out of speculation too. I’m just tired - can’t do it anymore. LOL. But I don’t know what the heck “boogie” week is anyway. 70’s? Disco? Bee Gees? Bad theme for the top 4 week IMO. They have to sing TWO of these songs. OMG, just give me a freaking CASE of wine now.
What’s that youtube link, star? Work won’t let me look at youtube.
I was glad Blake got more props last night for his performance. It was THE performance of the night (maybe the season!), I don’t CARE what the jellus h8rs say. LOL. Did Bon Jovi say anything about it when he talked? I missed that part - I was talking to my roommate about where she gets her pedi’s done. LOL. Can ya tell I was bored by JBJ?
Yay for pretty pictures! Jenlar, you RAWK!
Sarah, it’s “Rapper’s Delight”…I think that’s the title. You know, ‘hip hop, hip hop, to the hip hip hop, no you don’t stop…’ LOL! Something like that. You know, the song the old granny raps in The Wedding Singer?
Oh yeah, that song! lol I think it is used for crowd warmups, like Erinn said. At least that’s what all the behind the scenes reports say anyway.
Too funny! :)
The downloaded version is not the original… but it does use more instrumentation than the drums. I like it.
Blake did great on Tuesday!!!
Go blake!!! i loved his beatboxing and singing. btw i loved that signs in the audience too.
but reading that about Antonella made me want to puke. haha.
Blake rocks! And star…I sooo agree that song would be so great with Blake singing it. I don’t know how or why, but at some point in my life I knew all of the words to that song. It is sooo funny isn’t it??? Ha! Boogie da Blake….lol…
Great reviews for Blake. I’m really happy for him. Let’s just pray that Paula doesn’t jinx it by saying
“see ya in the finals”.
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