Who watched it?  I LOVED it… like, practically every single moment of it.

Mary Mary opened the show performing their lastest single, “God In Me.”  They looked great and the audience was bouncin’ like they had come STRAIGHT from the club.  Then, Kierra Sheard came out and blaaaazed on the bridge.  She, also, looked amazing.  Good job, ladies!  I did NOT care for the “contestant remix” of the song, but it’s whateva.  They’re the reason for the show, so I don’t mind the inclusion.

10 of the 20 contestants performed last night and here’s my review of each, in order, along with the songs they sang.

1.  Tammy Turner – “Look At Me”:  I think Erica Campbell said it best– it’s a classic and you’ve gotta be careful to stick close to the melody on classics.  First of all, the original was done perfectly by Tramaine Hawkins.  Then, Coko brought her own flair and demolished it on her debut album a coupla years ago.  Both are soooooaaaaaaring sopranos and Tammy Turner appears to be an alto, so the key was… way different.  But she went first (which is hard), and she still sounded great, so good job!

2.  Clifton Ross III – “Now Behold The Lamb”: What?! YES!!!  An instant favorite.  He chose a great song, TORE IT TO PIECES like a pro, was gracious and humble throughout.  We like you, Clifton.  You’re among my faves, no question.

3.  Camille Betton – “Just A Closer Walk With Thee”:  She looked like a GAZILLION bucks, but I was not a fan of the song or the arrangement.  It didn’t go where I wanted it to, so she never really broke out and GAVE it to us.  But, she’s a good singer and I like her.

4.  Jeff Spain - ”Seasons”:  The judges loved him, but I keep thinking that he borders on forgettable.  It’s not that he doesn’t have a nice voice, he certainly DOES… it’s just that he’s kinda reserved and laidback, so the “artist” element isn’t really there for me.  I think he mentioned that he recently came to Christ, which implies that he may not know what a typical “gospel audience” expects… perhaps he’ll learn as the show goes, though.  Or perhaps we should change our expectations…

5.  Jessica Reedy – “Just A Prayer Away”:  Another ABSOLUTE fave of mine– I have LOVED her voice and her passion since the auditions.  Tina Campbell said it well: “Powerful but light.”  She reminds me A LOT of Jazmine Sullivan (maybe it’s the look, maybe it’s the voice)… I want her album NOW.

6.  Jonathan Johnson – “God Will Make A Way”:  It was a bit disconcerting for me, and I dunno why.  I just didn’t know what to look at, listen to, or think.  He’s a nice guy and I think he wants this.  He’s got a nice voice, albeit very mature considering his age, and he’s kinda got the look… I just dunno.

7.  Latice Crawford – “Peace Be Still”:  When she came out, I said “you’re not gonna try THAT…”  But she did more than try.  She DID the doggone thing!  The song was a great choice cuz her timbre is reminiscent of Vanessa Bell Armstrong.  She doesn’t execute her riffs as well as Vanessa, but FEW do, so that can’t be a dealbreaker for her… I think she was great.

8.  Kalind Haynes – “Center Of My Joy”:  He’s got a smooth and passionate voice and a lovable personality to boot.  He’s an all-around “nice” contestant to me– nice voice, nice guy, nice look… I kinda want someone more edgy, but he’s undeniably a great vocalist and someone who brings his heart for Christ to the forefront when he performs.  Sidenote: Kirk Franklin is stooooopid for bringing out a box to stand on because Kalind is so much taller than him.

9.  Audrey Lewis – “He Looked Beyond My Faults”: I just think the world of this woman!  Another fave of mine.  She’s ministers on stage like a seasoned pro and I feel like she’s already a part of the fabric of the industry.  We’re gon’ put her right next to Dottie and ‘em.  Go’n and take your place, mother!  (And how much do we love the nickname, Mama Lew?!)

10.  Zebulon Ellis - “God Is Standing By”:  He’s a nice guy, with a nice voice and tons of energy, but I wasn’t as excited as the judges were.  I thought the song choice was kinda weird, and I just kinda couldn’t get with it.  I wanna hear him sing somethin’ else, though, cuz I think he’s got a good voice.

My predictions for the 5 that would proceed to the next round were: Clifton, Jessica, Latice, Kalind and Audrey.  HOW-SO-EVUH… the show pulled a fast one on us and decided that NO ONE was going home, EVERYONE was stickin’ around.

How sweet. 

Note to BET:  We’re not so fond of talent competitions that don’t really have… the COMPETITION part in there.  I felt like I watched one big concert, which you KNOW I don’t mind anyhow, but don’t prolong the inevitable… And the whole “everyone was just toooooo good for the judges to make a decision” thing…

I don’t wanna crush anyone’s dreams and, at the end of the day, it’s not a big deal at all– it just means more episodes for us.  But I’ll tell you WHAT… I’ma need 5 folks on a plane come next Sunday.

Having said all of that, MAJOR KUDOS to BET and the Sunday Best producers– y’all are doing a DYNAMITE job.  I’m really loving it!

Whooo hooooo!!!

As 9pm approached last night, I got more excited than I really expected to be.  By 8:59, I was FRANTICALLY making sure that my DVR was recording the premiere of BET’s Sunday Best.  And I’m glad I’ve got it saved!

I dunno about y’all, but I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Tina Campbell, of Mary Mary, has never been shy about the fact that she’s the sister who lacks tact… but I LOVE it.  LOL  Her expressions and her refusal to beat around the bush while judging… classic.  I didn’t realize, however, that BeBe Winans was gonna be so brutal!  He’s a little hilarious, too.

Top 5 Highlights for me:

1.  I got a bit teary-eyed over that spoken word dude, Gary Lofton, for his repentant story about how he’s wronged his family.  And the MINISTRY that BeBe, the Marys and Kirk provided… I love that things are kept in perspective even in the midst of the “competition” aspect.

2.  Tina Campbell told some woman “I don’t think singing is your gifting” and ol’ girl snapped back SO tuff, saying “you WILL see me again.”  When she left, Erica Campbell said “well, she got YOU together.”  Haaaaa!

3.  The young lady in Chicago with the stutter– wow! I just knew that she wasn’t gonna be able to sing, but her voice was really quite beautiful to me.  And how awesome that she can break away from the speaking stutter into that singing voice… g’head.  She didn’t make it through, but I think she’ll be aight.

4.  When some random girl in Atlanta didn’t get through, she came out and said “I am Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday Best.  I’m good aaaaalll week long.”  LOL  Ridiculous!

5.  Margaret Fowler, the… more “noticeable” woman in the pink, needs to be banned from nationwide singing competitions.  If you don’t remember her, she was the one who practically tongue-kissed Ryan Seacrest on the live finale of American Idol a coupla years ago, except she was wearing yellow back then.  Bless her, Lord.

So far, I think the finalists are fine, but I’m not an immediate fan of any of ‘em.  I did, however, enjoy Audrey Lewis (that older woman in Chicago who sang “What About The Children”), Ian Knighton (last dude in Chicago who sang “When The Saints Go To Worship” and flipped the language for us), and I liked the tone and control of Kaylind Haynes (the tall guy in Chicago who sang “Great Is Your Mercy”).  And I’m not being biased just cuz I’m originally from Chicago.  The other folks weren’t bad– just kinda… more of the same to me.

Thoughts???