I have to say I was so thrilled and proud of American on Thursday night when the nation and American Idolviewers crowned the brilliant Candice Glover the season 12 winner. She was the best singer, the most consistent vocalist, and the greatest entertainer and innovator of the season. Obviously she was the right winner and that’s no disrespect to the lovely and talented runner-up Kree Harrison, who should have a big country career ahead of her…. But back to Candice. I am just so thrilled that the right person and my personal favorite finally won for the first time in 6 years. That’s since Jordin Sparks ya’ll! (In case you’re wondering I think David Archuleta, Adam Lambert, Crystal Bowersox, Pia Toscano and Jessica Sanchez should’ve won their respective seasons as the best vocalists, but that’s just me.)
For further proof of Candice’s brilliance, check her out dueling with Oscar and Grammy winner Jennifer Hudson on “Inseparable” below. It was the stunning highlight of the finale broadcast and let me tell you, it was even better live!
Candice Glover/Jennifer Hudson “Inseparable”
And while Candice had the best number of the night with that one, there were some other great collaborations. First I loved the duet from third place finalist Angie Miller (who is due to sign her record deal this week too) and Grammy nominated Idol alum Lambert on “Titanium”. It was beautiful and the harmonies were amazing…. Angie followed that up with the raucous duet with Jessie J on “Domino” that was awesome too. Seriously Jessie J is incredible.
Angie Miller/Adam Lambert “Titanium”
Angie Miller/Jessie J “Domino”
Another shocker favorite performance for me was from 5th place finisher Janelle Arthur who rocked some serious hair-ography with The Band Perry on their current hit “Done”. It was so good.
Janelle Arthur/The Band Perry “Done”
So, those were my favorite moments from a good, not great finale. (Seriously, what was up with all the lip synching superstars, the horrible boys number and a strange Frank Valli?)… But, I am thrilled a woman finally won and an amazing one at that. I have high hopes for Candice’s career and I think she, Kree and Angie all have a great shot at success. You can buy all three ladies debut singles on iTunes now. I sure did. =)
So, that’s it for season 12 of American Idol. I loved all the girl power this season and congratulations to Candice! Let’s hope next year, we get another great winner along with some new theme nights and better judges too. (Sorry Nicki was a mess. Mariah was lovely but long-winded and buh bye to the Dawg Randy Jackson after way too long on the panel.) In the meantime, please enjoy Candice Glover’s first official hit “I Am Beautiful” below.
It’s time for my first official blog on American Idolseason 12. So far, this year has been pretty darn good. The judges have actually given some good and useful criticism with Keith being able to give helpful insights without hurting a singers feelings, Mariah highlighting people’s strengths while remaining the resident diva, Randy starting to dole out some harsh truths (please Dawg~ become the new Simon!) and Nicki offering a whole heck of a lot of crazy. Sometimes she’s so on point while others she is way off base, but she is always thoroughly entertaining. I have to say, she has surprised me the most….
But now onto the singers which are a mixed bag because while the girls have been great, the guys pretty much have sucked. And I say hooray. It’s time for a female winner after 5 very similar WGWG winners. (That’s white guy with guitar for the un-initiated). I mean how did superior female vocalists like Crystal Bowersox and Jessica Sanchez lose to the likes of Lee Dewyze (who?) and Phillip Phillips? At least the latter, has made me stick my foot in my mouth with his great success with his hit album, The World from the Side of the Moon and smash single “Home”. So this year finally feels like a year for a girl to bring home the crown. In fact, I don’t have one guy in my top 5 Buzz rankings and only 3 in the top ten. Yes, Idol producers, that is how you stack the deck. (And may I say what a wonderfully culturally diverse deck it is?!) … So, just who has the buzz going into this week’s Semi-finals where 10 guys and girls will be cut in half to give us America’s Top Ten? Take a look at my all new completely unscientific Buzz rankings below.
American Idol 2013 Top 20 Buzz Rankings ~
20. Tenna: easily the worst and most forgettable female of the group. She totally got a spot that many other girls deserved and she has got no chance to advance if you ask me. 19. Elijah: this cute Asian/Mexican Bruno Mars-wannabe was atrocious last week, but the judges think he’s so cute and marketable. Sure he is, but you can’t use Auto-Tune on Idol. So, unless he magically learns how to sing on pitch, he’s a goner. 18. Charlie: this red-headed kid wears his freak flag proud and that’s great. However, his vocals are utterly awful. I highly doubt his interesting personality and back story will take him beyond this week. 17. Curtis: yes, this worship leader has a great voice and is one of the best male singers in the group. However, he’s smug, arrogant, annoying and incredibly unlikable. And those faces he makes while singing. Um ~ No! 16. Adriana: I really like this cute Filipina girl who had a great performance last week. Unfortunately, that’s pretty much the only screen time she’s had. So, she needs a breakout performance and the audience support that pushed Sanchez to the top two last year to keep her in the game. 15. Lazaro: yes, he’s cute and has an inspiring/sad back story. However, let’s be honest~ his vocals are shaky at best. I know we’re all rooting for this likable guy, but will anyone actually keep voting for him over much more seasoned vocalists? We’ll see. 14. Nick: this season 11 reject has rebounded this year and has a wonderful voice. However, his song choices and quiet personality have done him no good. He needs to be memorable to really break out of the pack and not just be that guy with the pretty voice in the beret. 13. Cortez: on paper, he’s a winner. He’s attractive, has good charisma and moves and a decent voice. However, his vocals have been rather inconsistent and I think they play better live than on TV. The judges are big fans, so I think he has a good shot, especially since they’re keeping the 5/5 gender split. But I’m not sure if he can actually be a contender for the title. 12. Devin: this kid can wail. He had easily the best vocal of all the guy contestants. However, his is he shy?/or full of himself?personality gives me pause. The bilingual singing will help him get in the top ten, but win? I don’t think so. 11. Breanna: this sexy girl had a decent performance with “Bust Your Windows” and she does feel like a current artist. However, her vocals are lacking compared to several of the other girls. Will she get lost in the shuffle? 10. Paul: the only white guy likely to make the top ten has a great voice, but also lots of nerves. He should probably stick to country but I think he kinda wants to do some diva songs (if you get my drift…). Either way, I like him more than most of the guys and he’s cute so that should help him land in the top ten. If he can pull it together, he might be able to ride into the top five overall… might…. 9. Janelle: this girl should really be in the top five. She has a beautiful voice and is the only true female country singer in the competition. However, her poor song choice and lackluster performance last week worries me. Hopefully she rebounds tonight cuz I like her. 8. Vincent: he’s on par with Devin as the season’s best male vocalist. He had a breakout performance last week and could end up as the season’s best male hope. However, he is a bit quirky and doesn’t seem t0o current of an artist. I am intrigued though. 7. Aubrey: this girl is just gorgeous. She’s like a more refined Rihanna with a better voice and no abusive boyfriend. She screams commercial superstar. Now, she just needs to act like one and deliver a standout performance. Something upbeat and divalicious perhaps. 6. Burnell: he’s my highest ranking male contestant and he has proven both likable and one to root for (especially for his weight loss and Katrina survivor backstory). He may not have the best male voice, but so far his song choices and performances are both on point and compelling. I find myself wondering what he will sing next and that’s a good thing. 5. Zoanette: speaking of what will they sing next, we are now up to the most memorable singer in the competition, Zoanette. No, she doesn’t have the most pretty voice and wow, is she a hot mess when it comes to her style. But, gosh darn it, something about her is really interesting and clearly unforgettable. She’s like this season’s Sanjaya except with actual talent. Can she win? Um, there’s not a snowball’s chance in hell. But will she make the top ten? I think she will. 4. Amber: this girl came out of nowhere with a sexy and modern take on “My Funny Valentine”. She feels like someone who will build week to week and gain more and more support. I just hope she continues to surprise and overcome the fact that she’s had practically no air time this season. 3. Angela: she has gotten the lion’s share of the producer “pimping” this season as the girl to beat and much of it has been well deserved. Her original song was great. She has a good set of pipes and she looks like a current pop star. She just needs to live up to that potential each week and not coast thru like she did with her Jessie J cover. She definitely feels like a top 5 contender. 2. Candice: this season 11 refugee has a glorious voice and has gotten a lot of air time. She hasn’t disappointed yet and I don’t think she will. While there are a lot of African-American girls arguably fighting for a similar vote, Candice is way out in front right now. I’m excited to see what she can do. 1. Kree: with her beautiful yet restrained take on “Up to the Mountain”, Kree showed her glorious pipes are a force to be reckoned with. Her vocal choices and songwriting background show true artistry as well. Plus, her unassuming personality gives her a real relatability that many audience members can get behind. I hope she remains at the top of my list for weeks to come.
And there you have it. That is my take on this year’s top twenty. Ten of them will make the finals on Thursday. However, I have a sneaking suspicion we will also get some wildcards and I’m pretty confident they will be of the female persuasion. Tune in tonight and tomorrow night to American Idol to vote for your faves and let me know who you think has all the buzz.
Some of you readers may have wondered why I didn’t post anything after last week’s American Idol finale…. Well, the reason is, which may come to you as no surprise, that I was just upset and annoyed. I needed some time away from Idol for a bit. I was incredibly frustrated, though not surprised, that the wrong person won again! This was the fourth year in a row when a lesser contestant (Phillip over Jessica, Scotty over Lauren, Lee over Crystal, Kris over Adam) won the show and the fifth year in a row that a white guy with a guitar won the show (David Cook completes the quintet). So, when Phillip Phillips was named the winner, I was honestly pissed off… Ok, I get that he has a big fan base and he’s incredibly attractive and charming. But he’s not a very good singer people! And in a singing competition, shouldn’t the best singer win? If that were the case, Jessica Sanchez would’ve easily took home the crown… Alas, we all know this is a big popularity contest along with a singing competition and you can’t deny the power of the tween girl texters who have powered all these boys to a win…. Now, despite my anger over the outcome, I wish Phillip well. His songs are selling decently on iTunes for the time being (comparable to Lee’s and Scotty’s but below Cook’s). I do wonder how he will do once his album arrives. I think it could sell well, but I highly doubt he will ever have any hit pop songs. His Dave Matthews-type music has a certain audience but it isn’t the type to get radio airplay these days… That task we will leave up to Jessica who will certainly get a record deal and if Jimmy Iovine and the people at Interscope treat her right could have a huge pop star on their hands. She’s that good. She just needs the right guidance and songs. (As we all know, and even I will admit, song choice was not her strong suit in the competition… nor was it the producers or judges…)
So, as we say goodbye to a really good season that brought us some phenomenal talent, I will say I foresee record deals for Phillip and Jessica of course, along with Joshua Ledet (who could do well in the gospel and R&B arena), Colton Dixon (who has a great contemporary Christian career ahead of him) and especially Skylar Laine who has a wonderful shot at a fantastic country career. I am also curious to see what happens to perennial underdog Hollie Cavanagh. She has an incredible voice, but needs some more guidance and experience…. We’ll see how they grow as performers and artists this summer on the American Idol tour.
Now, there are some things Idol needs to do next year to get its edge and influence back. Here are my suggestions~
1. Ban guitars and instruments… Go back to singers singing if you want to see a different type of winner…
2. Get new relevant and current themes. The producers need to wake up and do contemporary themes because those are the ones that connect with the young audience they so crave… (And hello, trotting out those old artists on the finale like Neil Diamond, John Fogerty and Chaka Kahn, who are certainly wonderful in their own right, was a big mistake. The young audience doesn’t know who they are for the most part and doesn’t relate to them. You need to keep your guests more like Rihanna if you want bigger ratings…)
3. Switch up the judging panel~ Dump Randy Jackson and Steven Tyler. Randy is useless and Steven, while entertaining, is a hot mess and only gives a real critique one out of every 15 tries. He also clearly has no idea what “Over the Top” really means cuz he used it wrong constantly…. They can keep J. Lo for star power and her sometimes useful critiques. But she needs to study up on the history of the show because she is constantly proclaiming things that are totally wrong. For example~ she stated she’d never seen anything like Phillip’s performance of “Home”. Hello, check out Lee Dewyze’s finale performance from two years earlier)… Then, they need to add Jimmy Iovine to the judging panel for some real, honest critique…. Finally they have to add a younger artist the singers might relate to better for the third choice~ perhaps a former contestant? I’m open to ideas for that third spot.
4. Get some new producers… As I said before, the producers are using the same old tricks with the themes and guests… They need to mix it up big time.
5. Put a limit on text and phone votes like Dancing with the Stars... 5 calls per house or phone or something will make it a lot fairer.
Ok, so those are my brief thoughts for the time being. I really enjoyed this season for the most part which gave us some incredible performances, fun personalities and villains (argh Heejun Hahn!), lol … Before I go, please enjoy the two best performances from the finale featuring the girl who should’ve won it all, Jessica Sanchez.
Jessica Sanchez “I Will Always Love You” (Idol finale)
And the undisputed performance of the night from Jessica and Tony and Grammy winner Jennifer Holiday on “And I Am Telling You”
All season long on American Idol, Jessica Sanchez has been the premiere singer with pristine and perfect vocals and wonderful performances. Tonight on the finale, she did it again. With three tremendous performances, she absolutely schooled her competitor and the likely front-runner affable, southern guy Phillip Phillips. While both of these singers have good futures ahead of them, only one truly deserves to win the crown and only one is likely to become a pop superstar. That one is Jessica. The question is… can she actually win? Despite out-performing and easily out-singing Phillip throughout out the race, the white guy with a guitar has remained the fan favorite and has a huge tween girl/soccer mom (and probably some gay guys too) following because of his looks and charm. He is just the kind of guy who has won this show for the past four years (David Cook, Kris Allen, Lee Dewyze, Scotty McCreery) despite whether he’s worthy or not. Did he deserve to be in the finals in my opinion? No, maybe top five, but that’s it. However, we all know my opinion differs from America all the time or Carly Smithson, Adam Lambert, Crystal Bowersox and Pia Toscano would’ve been Idol winners…. So, just what is going to happen with tomorrow’s results? Let’s take a look at my rankings of the performances and my predictions below.
American Idol Season 11 Finale Performance Rankings~ 1. Jessica- “The Prayer”: with easily the best and most spine tingling vocal, Jessica blew me away with this gorgeous rendition of her song that was her “Contestant Favorite” choice. It was a simple heartfelt performance that soared into the heavens. I have no idea why the moronic judges were not on their feet… (Oh yeah, it was probably because it wasn’t in the script the producers clearly gave them for the night). 2. Jessica- “I Have Nothing”: with another powerhouse vocal, Jessica slayed the Whitney Houston classic from 1994′s The Bodyguard that was Idol creator Simon Fuller’s song choice. It was dramatic, flawless and fierce. This girl is amazing. 3. Phillip- “Home”: this was one of Phillip’s best performances of the season. Was it a get out of your seat moment, as it was for the judges? Absolutely not. The drummers and production were a rip off of winner Dewyze’s finale performance and the song was a total Mumford & Sons clone. Now, that’s actually a good thing because it sounded good on the whole. It just was no winning moment in my eyes… Oh and J.Lo, you’re a moron if you don’t know songs that sound like that. Just listen to the artists Randy mentioned right before your comments (Mumford & Sons, Fleet Foxes) or turn on the radio or watch the Grammys, hello! 4. Jessica- “Change Nothing”: with her assigned single song, Jessica gave another strong performance. She added a nice R&B swagger to this generic pop ballad that made it stand out from several other finale ballads in the past (Ahem, Jordin Sparks‘ “This is My Now” anyone?).. It was so frustrating to hear the judges rip apart Jessica for the song when it wasn’t her choice. Judge the singer not the song, especially when she wasn’t responsible for it. And she sang the song great! 5. Phillip- “Stand by Me”: Phillip’s song from Fuller was the Ben E. King classic and it was much better than I thought it was going to be. That said, it was just kinda blah. 6. Phillip- “Movin’ Out”: why on Earth did Phillip pick this Billy Joel song that he destroyed and ruined the first time for an encore? It was just as un-melodic and annoyingly- Dave Matthews-y as before. And yet, the judges praised it? Are they nuts? … Um, yes they are.
Predictions~ Will win: Phillip Should win: Jessica
So, I still think Phillip will win. I just hope I’m wrong because any rational person would agree that Jessica should and deserves to win. As my roommate Dave said, if only people voted with their ears instead of their eyes, then Jessica would be a shoo-in…. However, she may have to settle for being the better singer who ends up having the bigger career than the winner ala Adam Lambert (who just debuted at # 1 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart with his second release, Trespassing, by the way!) and Clay Aiken… But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. She still has a shot. I think both singers have rabid fan bases and Jessica could pull an upset. I know I’m voting for her. Are you? Let me know below and watch the results show tomorrow night on Fox.
And for further proof Jessica SHOULD win, watch her sing “The Prayer” one more time… Hello, goosies!!!!!
Tonight, American Idol really gets down to business as the Top 12 boys (well, 13 because apparently there’s going to be a surprise wild card pick) perform live for the first time. Tomorrow, the top 12 girls sing and Thursday we will have our first results show. This is when the show really gets good if you ask me, and the talent looks very strong this year. My early favorites are Jessica Sanchez and Creighton Fraker. For more on all of this year’s contenders, head to mjsbigbloghere.… Now, looking back at the best American Idol contestants of all time, my favorites are in order:
1. Kelly Clarkson
2. Carrie Underwood
3. Adam Lambert
4. Jennifer Hudson
5. Carly Smithson
Each of them has had great success, (Ok, Carly is just the lead singer of the Evanescence left over band We Are the Fallen, but hey she’s had a top 40 album with them!) and won or been nominated for big awards. With that said, Billboard is counting down the most successful Idol alumni according to sales, radio airplay, download track sales, and streaming plays etc which make up their charts. (Remember this is only for domestic tracking, so the worldwide success of Lambert, Clarkson, and David Arhculeta doesn’t count here). And I’ve got the list for you below. For all the stats, head to Billboard here. Take a look and let me know who your faves are as well.
Billboard’s Top 24 American Idols of All Time:
24. Crystal Bowersox (2nd place, season 9)
23. Kimberley Locke (3rd place, season 2)
22. Lauren Alaina (2nd place, season 10)
21. Blake Lewis (2nd place, season 6)
20. Bucky Covington (8th place, season 5)
19. Katharine McPhee (2nd place, season 5…. but hey she’s a TV and movie star now. Hello, I love Smash!)
18. Bo Bice (2nd place, season 4)
17. Taylor Hicks (winner, season 5)
16. Josh Gracin (4th place, season 2)
15. Scotty McCreery (winner, season 10)
14. Kellie Pickler (6th place, season 5)
13. Elliott Yamin (3rd place, season 5)
12. Kris Allen (winner, season 8)
11. David Archuleta (2nd place, season 7)
10. Jennifer Hudson (7th place, season 3…. but um, she has an Oscar, a Grammy, a Golden Globe, a SAG Award, BET, Image Awards, the list goes on and on…. So there!)
9. Adam lambert (2nd place, season 8)
8. Ruben Studdard (winner, season 2)
7. David Cook (winner, season 7)
6. Fantasia (winner, season 3)
5. Clay Aiken (2nd place, season 2)
4. Jordin Sparks (winner, season 6… and soon to be seen in Sparkle, her film debut starring the late great Whitney Houston)
3. Chris Daughtry (4th place, season 5)
2. Carrie Underwood (winner, season 4)
1. Kelly Clarkson (winner, season 1)
And just because she’s amazing, please enjoy Kelly’s current # 1 smash “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)”
While Fox is busy trying to make The X Factor happen and failing miserably at it (the show is a disastrous mess), the talent competition that started it all, American Idol, is gearing up for season 11. Following season 10′s rebound with great singers, strong ratings and a fun new judging panel, the top two finalists, Scotty & Lauren, both released hit albums and are now unleashing follow-up singles. But, they’re not the only Idols with new songs out. Take a look at the latest from some of your favorite Idol alumni and head to iTunes here to grab all their music.
Scotty McCreery: Since winning the competition this year, Scotty’s debut album, Clear as Day, hit # 1 on the Pop and Country charts and is about to hit Gold status. He hit the top twenty with his coronation single “I Love You This Big” which is almost platinum, and now his first official single “The Trouble With Girls” is nearing the top 30 on the country charts. Scotty McCreery “The Trouble With Girls”
Lauren Alaina: this year’s runner-up hit the Country top forty with her coronation single “Like My Mother Does” and it’s nearing Gold status while her debut album hit # 2 on the country album chart and # 5 on the pop chart. Now, she’s releasing her first proper single “Georgia Peaches” and it’s starting to impact country radio. It’s a really fun song and check out Lauren looking amazing, singing the crap out of it on the Ellen show below. Lauren Alaina “Georgia Peaches” (live on Ellen)
James Durbin: the fourth place finisher from this year has his first album, Memories of a Beautiful Disaster, set for release on November 21st and his first single is out today. The rocking track “Love Me Bad” is surprisingly good mixing his pop and metal influences perfectly. We’ll see if he has similar success to his Idol classmates in the weeks ahead. James Durbin “Love Me Bad”
Casey James: remember him? Casey was the blond hottie who finished third in the dubious season 9 behind Lee (who won, then tanked with his first album, and has since been dropped from his label) and Crystal (the runner-up who sold ok with her first album~ about 100k more than Lee , but has since parted ways with her label as well). Now, he’s released his first single “Let’s Don’t Call It a Night” which just hit the country top 40. Watch for his debut album later this year or in early 2012. Casey James “Let’s Don’t Call It a Night”
David Cook: Season 7′s big winner had great success with his debut album. However, his follow-up This Loud Morning, has been a huge disappointment and disappeared off the charts despite a top ten debut. We’ll see if his second single “Fade Into Me” (previously heard this summer on So You Think You Can Dance) will propel sales and bring him back to Adult Top 40 and Adult Contemporary radio where he had hits in the past. David Cook “Fade Into Me” http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=EJp8NZFwCEU’
Jennifer Hudson: the Grammy and Oscar-winning superstar released her second # 2 album, I Remember Me, earlier this year and just released her third single “I Got This”. I expect it to hit her sweet spot with Urban AC and Urban radio like the previous singles “Where You At?” and “No One Gonna Love You”. Check it out below and watch for Hudson in the film biopicWinnie as Winnie Mandela later this year. Jennifer Hudson “I Got This” (live at AOL sessions~ how amazing does she look?! …. And yes, that’s George Huff on background vocals who finished 5th on Hudson’s season~ two spots ahead of her, ahem….)
Chris Daughtry: after two # 1 hit albums and 8 hit songs with his band Daughtry, Chris and company are back with their third disc Break the Spell on Nov. 21st (yes, the same day as James Durbin’s album is released). The first single from the set “Crawling Back to You” is already top 20 at Hot AC and has hit the top 40 on the Hot 100. Daughtry “Crawling Back To You”
Kelly Clarkson: The Grammy winning superstar’s fifth album, Stronger, was released last week and is expected to debut at # 2 tomorrow giving her a 5th consecutive top three album. She’s up for two CMA Awards next week for her massive smash duet with Jason Aldean “Don’t You Wanna Stay” next week, will have a VH1 Unplugged special later this month, is performing at the American Music Awards on Nov. 20 and will headline the next VH1 Divas special (alongside Hudson) in December. The first single off of Stronger, “Mr. Know It All” is sitting pretty in the top 5 of the Hot AC charts and gone top 15 at Pop, Adult Contemporary and the Hot 100. Watch for it to fly into the top ten of those charts this week. And now, she has a new dance remix of the single hitting the clubs. Take a listen below. Kelly Clarkson “Mr. Know It All” (dance mix)
And there you have it~ a quick update on new music from some of your favorite Idols. Keep an eye open in the months ahead for new Idol music from Carrie Underwood (her fourth album is rumored to drop in March), Adam Lambert (his sophomore release is due in March with a single in January), Kellie Pickler (her third album, 100 Proof, drops on January 24, 2012), and this year’s third place finisher Haley Reinhart whose debut is due early next year.
Ok, American Idol season 10 just wrapped up and you’d think I’d be done complaining about Scotty beating Lauren. Well, I’m still upset about that and of course Pia not being in the final two. But, that’s not what this post is about… Today I want to talk about Lauren and Scotty’s coronation singles and how they compare to the top two contestants from every season. Both of this year’s songs are at the top of the iTunes charts. Scotty was at # 1 and Lauren at # 2 at the time of this posting by the way, so it looks like we may have our first hit finale song since David Cook in season 7… However, just how good are those songs? Well, take a look at my rankings of all the finale songs below and find out! And here’s to a great, albeit frustrating season of Idol!
Ranking the American Idol Coronations Songs (seasons 1- 10) 1. “A Moment Like This”- Kelly Clarkson: it’s the original and it’s simply the best (just like Kelly!) It was also a # 1 hit and remains a radio staple.
2. “Time of Your Life”- David Cook: it’s the best-selling finale song to date and it works outside of Idol. In fact, it’s a wedding fave and they used it at the Olympics!
3. “I Believe”- Fantasia: Arguably the best sung finale single and to this day Fantasia kills it.
4. “Like My Mother Does”- Lauren Alaina: talk about a perfect fit. This song is lovely and a great choice for Lauren’s lush vocals and palpable emotions.
5. “This is the Night”- Clay Aiken: a perfect Clay ballad and another ideal inspirational Idol winner song. Oh wait, he was the runner-up…
6. “Inside Your Heaven”- Carrie Underwood: Idol’s country superstar took this track that sounds like a whole lot of nonsense and turned it into a multiformat hit. 7. “Flying Without Wings”- Ruben Studdard: his update on the boyband track holds up surprisingly well. 8. “Up to the Mountain”- Crystal Bowersox: while not as incredible as Kelly’s version of this song from Idol Gives Back, Crystal still gave a wonderful performance on this Patti Griffin classic. 9. “In this Moment”- David Archuleta: it’s surprisingly catchy slice of AC pop 10. “This is My Now”- Jordin Sparks: despite some of the worst lyrics of all these winning songs, Jordin’s vocals are pure and full of conviction. 11. “Inside Your Heaven”- Bo Bice: no, the song doesn’t fit him at all, but his pipes sound good on it. 12. “No Boundaries”- Adam Lambert: if only they had let “Mad World” be his final two single. Instead we get this Kara DioGuardi cheesefest. At least Adam sings the crap out of it. 13. “Dreams”- Diana DeGarmo: ok, I don’t have much affinity for this song now, but I remember liking it a good deal back at the end of season 3 14. “No Boundaries”- Kris Allen: wow, this song is kinda annoying, yet it sticks in your head and Kris gave it his all. 15. “ I Love You This Big”-Scotty McCreery: it puts the “b” in boring, but he sings it well. 16. “Beautiful Day”- Lee Dewyze: karaoke at best… 17. “Before Your Love”- Justin Guarini: Justin had no chance when you compare this one to Kelly’s amazing version… 18. “My Destiny”- Katherine McPhee: I love me some Kat and she will be amazing on the new NBC show Smash, but this song is totally forgettable despite her lovely vocals. 19. “This is My Now”- Blake Lewis: let’s just say beat-boxer Blake should not be singing ballads… 20. “Do I Make You Proud?- Taylor Hicks : a treacly pandering disastrous cheesy mess
Last Thursday, I was stricken with enormous grief when the ultimate dark horse Haley Reinhart was eliminated from American Idol. It was a sad day as Haley was the one truly interesting and exciting finalist left in the competition. Now, don’t get me wrong~ Lauren and Scotty are both very talented. However, Haley brought a unpredictablity factor plus she had gumption, fire and stood her ground. She also was the one contestant who blossomed and grew throughout the competition. If you readers will recall, I was no fan of Haley’s for the first month and a half of the competition. But when she completely slayed Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep”, I sat up, put my foot in my mouth and turned a new leaf. I became a Haley fan. And week after week, she kept me on the Haley train with fantastic performances like “I Who Have Nothing” and “Bennie and the Jets” that had me picking up the phone to speed dial… Oh, Haley, I will miss your strange arm waving and big Mariah Carey 1990 hair. At least we will see you perform your new single on the finale on Wed night….
Ok, now that I’ve said a proper goodbye to Ms. Reinhart (who is not dating Fozzy Bear, ahem, Casey Abrams, contrary to many media reports), it’s time to take a look at our final contenders… In this corner, it’s a teen country singer. And in this corner, it’s a … teen country singer… Uh oh, is this gonna be a boring battle of the Southern singers? Or will they surprise us with some exiting song choices for their final three songs? Well, each contestant will be doing a song chosen by a country superstar (Carrie Underwood picks for Lauren, George Strait for Scotty), plus an encore of one of their favorites from the season and finally the song that will be their first single. I’m not expecting fireworks, but I am hoping that Lauren blows Scotty out of the water. Hey, what? I can have a favorite… But does my favorite have the power to win? Well, take a look at my final totally unscientific American Idol Power Rankings for the top two from season ten below.
American Idol 2011 Top 2 Power Rankings~ 1. Scotty: he has flown through this competition as a front-runner with grace and gratitude. He has a great deep country voice and a ridiculous amount of teen idol appeal that the Southern voters, the grandmas and the tween girls go crazy voting for. He also seems like a really nice, fun and grounded guy. He’s never been in the bottom two and he’s generally given good performances week in and week out… However, why do I find him so boring? Does he have appeal outside of the heartland? And will he ever hold the microphone properly? Despite those facial affectations, the boy who looks like Alfred E. Neuman from Mad Magazine has to enter the finale as the one to beat. (last week~ 1) 2. Lauren: she has the pipes and personality. She has the potential to be a huge country star and a possible crossover pop star (unlike Scotty who will stay squarely in the country lane). She is also one to root for and has displayed great vocals throughout the competition. Heck even Steven Tyler crowned her the victor after her first audition. So, why does it seem like she is gonna have to slay a dragon to win the competition? Well, she has had serious confidence issues throughout the season, some conflicting judges’ critiques and has taken few chances thus far. Plus, she has such incredible potential and has yet to reach it. However, the woman who can outsing Scotty for days, has nowhere to go but up and it’s likely that all of Haley’s fans will switch to voting for Lauren as opposed to Scotty. So, I think the battle could be very close. And I’m hoping she nails it and gives us our first female victor since season 6′s Jordin Sparks. (lw~ 2)
So, there you have it~ my final power list for this rejuvenated and very good season ten. Sure, I would’ve loved a finale with Pia v. Haley, but we all know I rarely get what I want with this show. If that were the case, Adam Lambert, Crystal Bowersox, Melinda Doolittle, Chris Daughtry and Carly Smithson would’ve rightfully won their seasons. But, that’s too bad for me. So, let’s look forward to tonight and see if Scotty truly has the power or if Lauren will be David to his Goliath and steal the crown in the battle of the country kids. Tune in tonight at 8pm on Fox and let me know who you think will be the victor.
Last night, Fozzy Bear left the building on American Idol… Oh, I’m sorry, I mean Crazy Abrams… oops I did it again, I mean Casey Abrams…. Now, now, don’t get mad at me for the nicknames because he fit them to a tee. However, I do have to admit, despite my gripes about his growling annoying performances, Casey was a great musician and has some seriously talented chops… as a musician. Sure, he can sing well and when he’s in a jazzy bluesy place, he’s often golden. Unfortunately, that doesn’t play well on the Idol stage and neither did his strange forays into scatting rock (“Hi-De-Ho”) or deranged grunge (“Smells Like Teen Spirit”). So, I bid Casey a fond farewell and I wouldn’t worry about his future. He has a great career ahead in the jazz world and luckily we have avoided another Taylor Hicks disaster on Idol… So, who else was in danger last night? We actually don’t know because sneaky Ryan with the new hairdo and snarky attitude (back from season 9 after a welcome respite) only mentioned the result for each contestant, not a bottom 2 or 3 singers. So, I can only guess that it was Jacob and… Haley? Lauren? Scotty? Yeah, I’m not too sure… So, I’m gonna go ahead and play another guessing game right now and give you my latest completely unscientific and possibly wonky American Idol Power Rankings going into the top Five.
My Top 5 American Idol 2011 Top 5 Power Rankings: 1. James: giving what I consider the best male vocal of the entire season this week, James continues to roll over the competition. He’s shown versatility (whether I liked it or not~ ahem “Heavy Metal”), showmanship, and great pipes. He also seems to be the Idol who’s enjoying the experience the most and the one who could be ready to go out on his own tour right out of the gate. This week he holds tight to the top spot and now seems like a very good lock for the finals. (last week~ 1) 2. Lauren: she’s never been in the bottom 3 and I doubt she was this week. She has an incredible voice and gained a little confidence this week. She also literally crushed Scotty in their duet demolishing his vocals and overpowering his usually strong charisma. She still needs to have a breakout performance to push her into the stratosphere and with only a few weeks left, this week is the time to do it. (lw~ 3) 3. Haley: I gotta say I’m very proud of Haley. The girl with Mariah Carey hair circa 1990 and a powerful set of pipes has grown on me for the past few weeks and I’m kind of rooting for her like a little schoolgirl. She’s clearly the one singer continuing to build a fan base and the dark horse to land in the finals. It would also be a nice slap in the face to the judges for constantly giving her negative or conflicting advice when they just praise the crap out of most everybody else. And, week to week, I’m now excited to see what she might do next. (lw~ 4) 4. Scotty: oh how the golden boy has fallen. Now, I wouldn’t say he’s in jeopardy of leaving next week, but he’s certainly on shaky ground compared to the previous months of the competition. I doubt he’s winning over any new fans with his blah and rote performances. He does have the South and the tweens firmly in his pocket on the other hand. I just want him to do something new and emote in a song. I’m sorry this week was a forced insincere and snoozy performance followed by his first bad vocal in the duet. I’m sure this likable lad can come back blazing. He just better do it asap as James has stolen his thunder as the man to beat lately. (lw~ 2) 5. Jacob: dressed like the Eddie Murphy’sNutty Professor headin’ to church, Jacob was super entertaining on Wed night and clearly he did enough to stick around another week. The question is, just how much longer can he hang on. He’s the most polarizing person left in the competition and his vocal antics are an acquired taste. He does seem to have been humbled a bit and the attitude has dissipated. So, he’s on the right path, but is it a short one? (lw~ 6)
And then there were five… Can you believe I have Haley above Scotty? Am I smoking whatever Steven Tyler has for breakfast? Are you on board with these rankings? And how do you think they’ll do next week when they tackle the theme “Songs from Then and Now” (which is translated as songs from the 60′s and today)… Let me know your thoughts below.
And before you go, please enjoy the lady who should’ve won it all last year~ Crystal Bowersox~ as she performed “Ridin’ with the Radio” live on the results show last night.
American Idol mania is currently sweeping the pop culture landscape with its best season in ages. However, it’s not time to forget about some of our other favorites from the past as 3 faves are releasing new music this week. First up is season 7 winner David Cook whose brand new single “The Last Goodbye” (cowritten by Cook and hitmaker Ryan Tedder) hit the web today and will be available at digital outlets tomorrow. It’s some great and catchy pop rock that should help him avoid the sophomore slump. We’ll see how it helps his second album sales when the record, This Loud Morning, is released on June 28th. The album will include this new hit plus David’s Idol season 10 “castoff” song “Don’t You Forget About Me”…. Also releasing new singles this week are last year’s only really memorable contestant Crystal Bowersox and season 3′s early ouster turned Oscar and Grammy winner Jennifer Hudson. They’re both offering up the second songs from their current releases. Crystal’s is a gorgeous folksy ballad called “Mine all Mine” which could give her a hit on Country, Triple A and the Hot AC charts while J Hud’s is a fantastic R&B dance track that could explode at many formats called “Don’t Look Down”. Check out all three new songs below and head to your favorite digital retailer to buy them too!
I have to say I was so thrilled and proud of American on Thursday night when the nation and American Idol viewers crowned the brilliant Candice Glover the season 12 winner. She was the best singer, the most consistent vocalist, and the greatest entertainer and innovator of the season. Obviously she was the right winner and that’s no disrespect to the lovely and talented runner-up Kree Harrison, who should have a big country career ahead of her…. But back to Candice. I am just so thrilled that the right person and my personal favorite finally won for the first time in 6 years. That’s since Jordin Sparks ya’ll! (In case you’re wondering I think David Archuleta, Adam Lambert, Crystal Bowersox, Pia Toscano and Jessica Sanchez should’ve won their respective seasons as the best vocalists, but that’s just me.)
