Why oh why can’t some of this season’s American Idol contestants pick the right song? Even when given the amazing songbook of Lennon/McCartney (i.e.: the Beatles), a few of them faltered or just picked obvious choices. At least many of them (ahem, the ladies) did them justice while only one really faltered. So, just how did they all stack up for the night? Take a look at my performance rankings and predictions below:
American Idol Rankings~ 3/20/13 1. Candice: in a very tight race for the top, Candice does it again with her fierce version of “Come Together” that rivaled the fantastic take Carly Smithson did back in season 7… Candice remains my front-runner and with this rocking showcase proved she can take on any genre of music. Just great. 2. Kree: with another assured and lovely performance, Kree almost took the top spot with her version of “With a Little Help from My Friends”. Her vocals were perfect of course, but Candice just out performed her by the smallest margin. How awesome would a finale with those two be? 3. Amber: originally I had Amber in fourth, but after re-watching her performance, I’ve moved her up a notch. Vocally Amber has incredibly potential with a huge range and glorious voice which was in fine form tonight. I also loved the random song choice of “She’s Leaving Home”. Well done. I really hope the audience ignores the stupid judges and she stays out of the bottom three due to their nitpicking. 4. Angie: while I didn’t love her take on “Yesterday” (shockingly I still am partial to Syesha’s subtle and beautiful take from season 7), I did love the Evanescence vibe she gave to it. I would actually really like to hear her on that kind of rock song and while her vocals were totally on point, I didn’t completely buy the connection. Something seemed a little calculated, but now I think I’m nitpicking because it was quite solid. 5. Burnell: while I’m totally starting to get annoyed with his hand gestures, Burnell sho can sang! And he gave another good performance on “Let It Be” while totally making it his own. His John Legend-ish version of the classic actually totally worked. 6. Janelle: doing a Beatles song I’m not too familiar with “I Wish”, Janelle gave a very pretty and restrained performance. I enjoyed it, but it was just a little too blah in the end. That said, I think it was one of her strongest to date. She also had the final “pimp” slot of the night which will help her in the voting. 7. Paul: I really wish the judges had been a little nicer to him. I mean, consistently they harp on him while they tell other people they’re “inspirational” when they were actually bad. Anywho, yes, Paul had some trouble on the lower parts of the song, but his mid and upper register were glorious on “Eleanor Rigby”. And I give him props for going out of his comfort zone. 8. Devin: now many of you may wonder why the best male vocal of the night is this far down the list. Well here’s why~ it was BORING. I think Devin has mad vocal skills (yes, that was me channeling Randy). However, he is a little too adult contemporary telethon in his performances. But the judges loved it, so what do I know? 9. Lazaro: um, I really don’t want to be mean, but his take on “In My Life” was atrocious. Sorry. I like this kid and he has a good voice, but it was not evident tonight.
Predictions~ Bottom 3: Paul, Lazarro, and Devin or Amber Bottom 2: Paul, Lazarro (but the damn crying will probably save him) Going home: Paul (and that makes me really really really sad)
So, how did you like Beatles night? I think it was a good effort, but still far from the best Idol night features these iconic songs. (That would be season 7′s cycle with amazing takes on these classics by the aforementioned Syesha and Carly, plus Brooke White and the Davids~ Cook and Archuleta)… And just who do you think will go home? Will there be a crazy bottom 3? Will Janelle and Burnell make surprise appearances? And will Kree, Candice and Angie be the top three again (um, yes)…. Find out tomorrow night on American Idol on Fox.
So, this season is all about the ladies on American Idoland um, yes, it is. However, a few guys are desperately trying to throw a wrench in the female domination. And while a few are definitely in the mix, they still pale in comparison to the fairer sex. That said, I was impressed by the improvement of a few and the confidence of the one guy we know is gonna go far, Lazaro. That adorable kid who is overcoming his stutter and confidence issues to be a real star is the only guy that I’m 100% confident is going thru to the finals next week. But, I do have my favorites and I think some of them have a shot. Just who are they? Take a look at my rankings for Guys Night below.
American Idol Rankings 3/6/13~ The Guys
1. Paul: my favorite male singer in the competition is serving up theatrical pop country and I’m loving it just as much as I love RuPaul’s Drag Race (which is a lot, lol). He has a great voice and improved greatly over last week with his cover of the Christina Aguilera/Blake Shelton duet “Just a Fool”. (Yes, I love when Paul sings the divas like Carrie and Xtina!) I really think he could go far if he just really embraces who he is. Paul also is one of only three white guys in the race and there is always at least one white guy in the finals. It’s gonna be Paul. 2. Devin: now this guy has a beautiful voice with a glorious tone and he gave arguably the best vocal tonight on Perry Como’s “Impossible”. His bilingual shtick could get old, but he’s so good at it and he totally has the Latin vote. His personality was also shining brighter tonight as he seemed genuine and humble. Well done. 3. Lazaro: well, someone is certainly coming out of his shell these days. Easily the most popular guy in the race right now, Lazaro also gave his best performance to date on “Feeling Good”. While it was miles behind the brilliant take Adam Lambert did a few years back, it was quite assured and felt natural for Lazaro. I’m glad he is continuing to grow as a singer and performer. And yes, he’s adorable like a puppy! 4. Curtis: ok, let’s be honest. I can’t stand this arrogant affected guy or his stank faces and I am not buying the Jesus juice he is selling. However, damn the guy can sing. His performance of R. Kelly’s # 1 smash “I Believe I Can Fly” started off cheesy, but then he took it to church and soared to the rafters. I think he’ll move on pretty easily. However, he needs some humility stat. Take a lesson from last season’s Joshua Ledet please Curtis! 5. Burnell: there is just something compelling about Burnell and his lovely and subtle take on “I’m Here” from The Color Purple was very good. He was out shown vocally by a few guys tonight, but he is quite likable and I’m excited to see what he’ll do next. 6. Nick: this talented guy is sorely lacking in star quality unfortunately. But he did have a strong performance with his nice reworking of the Goo Goo Doll’s massive 1998 hit “Iris”. He sits right in the cozy Hot AC wheelhouse that Idol vets (Kris Allen, David Cook, Phillip Phillips, Daughtry) do so well and that could help him. Yet, I still feel like he may suffer under the weight of bigger personalities. 7. Vincent: one of those bigger personalities, Vincent, had a great week last week. However, he squandered it all with an off pitch and plodding version of Boyz II Men’s # 1 90′s classic “End of the Road”. All the good will he won a week ago is not likely to carry him through to the finals if you ask me. 8. Cortez: well, this guy looks and acts like a star. I just wish he performed and sounded like one too. While I liked his take on Bruno Mars’ recent chart topper “Locked Out of Heaven”, it wasn’t all that memorable and even a little karaoke. Sorry Cortez. 9. Elijah: while tonight’s performance of Rihanna’s current top 5 hit “Stay” was a million times better than last week’s train wreck, Elijah still has no chance in hell of moving forward. He’s just not even on the same level as the other guys (who aren’t even on the same level as most of the girls to boot). 10. Charlie: um I don’t really want to throw salt on his wounds, but Charlie’s take on that Genesis song was horrifyingly bad. I hope his experience on the show doesn’t wound him for life, but luckily it should be over tomorrow.
Predictions~
Sailing Through: Lazaro Likely Going Through: Curtis, Devin I think they’ll make it: Paul, Burnell Fighting for a wild card: Vincent, Nick Buh Bye forever: Charlie, Elijah, Cortez
So, the boys did much better than I thought they would. But really, it’s not gonna be enough to stop the lady train… At least, not yet… So, who do you think was the best tonight and might be able to keep up with the girls? Sound off below and watch American Idol tomorrow night for the results and to see who is lucky enough to grab a “secret” wild card spot too.
Rihanna had a fantastic post-Thanksgiving week as she topped both the BillboardAlbums and Singles Charts. Despite releasing a new album every five minutes, she has never reached the top of the Billboard 200 until this week with her seventh release, Unapologetic. The singer also tops the Hot 100 singles chart for a second week with “Diamonds” becoming the second artist to lead both charts this year after Adele. Speaking of Adele, her 21 passes 10 million in sales this week for Diamond certification which is pretty much unheard of these days. The last album to hit that mark was Usher’s Confessions from 2004 and it just hit the mark earlier this year. Congrats Adele!… Back on the Billboard 200, American Idol proved it can keep pumping out successful music stars as this year’s winner Phillip Phillips debuts at # 4 just ahead of the latest from Kid Rock. Also, premiering in the top ten are Led Zeppelin and Keyshia Cole while the original IdolKelly Clarkson sells 75000 copies of her first Greatest Hits album to debut at # 11. For more on all these records, head to Billboard here and check out the new top eleven below.
Top Ten Albums on the Billboard 200:
1. Unapologetic- Rihanna (debut)
2. Red- Taylor Swift (last week~ 2)
3. Take Me Home- One Direction (lw~ 1)
4. The World from the Side of the Moon- Phillip Phillips (debut)
5. Rebel Soul- Kid Rock (debut)
6. Merry Christmas Baby- Rod Stewart (lw~ 6)
7. The Truth About Love- P!nk (lw~ 22)
8. Night Train- Jason Aldean (lw~ 13)
9. Celebration Day- Led Zeppelin (debut)
10. Woman to Woman- Keyshia Cole (debut)
11. Greatest Hits: Chapter 1: Kelly Clarkson (debut)
Switching over to the Hot 100, Rihanna holds off a surging Ke$ha whose “Die Young” could pose a real threat to the top next week… And giving him a matching top ten album and single, Phillip Phillip’s “Home” returns to the top-tier with a new peak at # 8. This song has become the best selling coronation single in Idol history as it nears the 3 million mark topping sales of David Cook‘s “Time of My Life” and Clarkson’s “A Moment Like This”. He’s also hit # 1 at AAA radio, # 2 on Hot Adult Top 40 and Top Ten on the Rock, AC and Pop charts now. That’s pretty amazing when you think about it. We’ll see if he can keep up with his new single “Gone Gone Gone” due to hit radio soon. In the meantime, head to Billboard to see all your favorite genre charts and take a look at the new top ten below.
Top Ten Singles on the Hot 100:
1. “Diamonds”- Rihanna (lw~ 2)
2. “Die Young”- Ke$ha (lw~ 3)
3. “One More Night”- Maroon 5 (lw~ 2)
4. “Locked Out of Heaven”- Bruno Mars (lw~ 4)
5. “Gangnam Style”- Psy (lw~ 7)
6. “Some Nights”- fun. (lw~ 5)
7. “Ho Hey”- The Lumineers (lw~8)
8. “Home”- Phillip Phillips (lw~ 12)
9. “I Cry”- Flo Rida (lw~ 10)
10. “Let Me Love You (Until You Love Yourself)”- NeYo (lw~ 6)
And here’s the new single from Phillip Phillips “Gone Gone Gone”. He’s making like Mumford & Sons again people. At least it’s not a Dave Matthews Band retread…
Grammy winner John Mayer and newly crowned American Idol winner Phillip Phillips share a lot in common. Both are attractive, guitar strumming, raspy voiced white guys, and now they’re both making waves on the Billboard Charts... Mayer lands his third # 1 album with his latest, Born and Raised, which sells 219,000 copies. Phillip’s compilation album from season 11 of American Idol debuts at # 11 while the combo-album from the season finale episode, American Idol Season 11: Top 2 Season Finale EP, featuring his competition (and the girl who should’ve won) Jessica Sanchez also debuts at # 21. Sanchez’s season competition album debuts way down at #126. Two other Idol contenders also hit the charts as season 10′s third place finisher Haley Reinhart barrels in at # 17 while season 8 champ Kris Allen disappoints with a # 27 debut for his sophomore album. He may have won that season but he has been upstaged time and again by that season’s runner-up Adam Lambert who hit # 1 with his sophomore album, Trespassing, last week…. For more on all these albums and the Billboard 200, head here and check out the new top ten below.
Top Ten Albums on the Billboard 200:
1. Born & Raised- John Mayer (debut)
2. 21- Adele (last week~ 2)
3. Blown Away- Carrie Underwood (lw~ 3)
4. Apocalyptic Love- Slash (debut)
5. Up All Night- One Direction (lw~ 10)
6. Tuskegee- Lionel Richie (lw~ 9)
7. The Hurt & the Healer- Mercy Me (debut)
8. Once Upon Another Time EP- Sara Bareilles (debut)
9. Now 42 Compilation- Various Artists (lw~ 6)
10. Little Broken Hearts- Norah Jones (lw~ 5)
And other American Idol contenders on the BB200 (along with Carrie Underwood above) ….
11. Journey to the Finale- Phillip Phillips (debut)
12. Trespassing- Adam Lambert (lw~ 1)
17. Listen Up! – Haley Reinhart (debut)
21. American Idol Season 11: Top 2 Season Finale EP- Phillip Phillps & Jessica Sanchez (debut)
27. Thank You Camellia- Kris Allen (debut)
33, Stronger- Kelly Clarkson * a former # 2 album that just passed 800,000 copies
73. Clear as Day- Scotty McCreery * a former # 1 album that has sold over 1 million copies
126. Journey to the Finale- Jessica Sanchez (debut)
Back on the Hot 100 SinglesChart, Philips also makes an auspicious debut as his coronation single “Home” hits the top ten debuting at # 10. This makes him the first Idol winner to hit the Hot 100 top ten with their coronation single since season 7′s David Cook. He also becomes the 13th Idol alum to hit the top ten on this chart following Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia, Carrie Underwood, Bo Bice, Taylor Hicks, Chris Daughtry, Jordin Sparks, David Cook,David Archuleta, and Adam Lambert…. Perhaps, I may have to eat my words about Phillips but I am still very skeptical that he will ever have any real pop hits with his upcoming debut album. That said, he’s off to a nice start. We’ll see how things turn out…. Holding onto # 1 is Gotye while Carly Rae Jepsen fights hard in the runner-up spot. For more on this chart, head to Billboard here.
Top Ten Singles on the Billboard Hot 100:
1. “Somebody that I Used to Know”- Gotye w/Kimbra (last week~ 1) * 7 weeks at # 1, the longest chart topper of 2012
2. “Call Me Maybe”- Carly Rae Jepsen (lw~ 2)
3. “Payphone”- Maroon 5 w/ Wiz Khalifa (lw~ 3)
4. “We Are Young”- fun. w/Janelle Monae (lw~ 4)
5. “Starships”- Nicki Minaj (lw~ 5)
6. “Wild Ones”- Flo Rida w/Sia (lw~ 6)
7. “What Makes You Beautiful”- One Direction (lw~ 7)
8. “Glad You Came”- The Wanted (lw~8)
9. “Boyfriend”- Justin Bieber (lw~ 9)
10. “Home”- Phillip Phillips (debut)
And here’s the lead off single from Mayer’s new album, “Shadow Days”
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!!!!!
All the roof-raising, hootin’ and a-hollerin’, and heavenly wailing couldn’t save Joshua Ledet in a somewhat surprising elimination on last week’s American Idol. This talented singer who could burp and get a standing ovation from the judges, gave strong and often fantastic performances throughout season 11 and seemed like a shoo-in for the finale according to most prognosticators. Alas, it was not meant to be and Mantasia just missed the cut. But don’t fret Joshua fans, I’m sure Jimmy Iovine will give him a contract and he will carve out a nice little R&B and gospel career in time. I could see him have the latter-day success of both Idol winners Fantasia and Ruben Studdard who have maintained decent sales throughout their careers in the R&B field netting Grammy nominations (and 1 win for Fantasia) along the way. However, there was no way he was going to crossover and become a big pop star. Instead one of the two finalists might actually do that. One, Jessica Sanchez, clearly has giant pop star written all over her, while the other, Phillip Phillips, could whittle out a nice John Mayer-esque niche in the music world. So, just which one of these talented finalist has the big buzz going into this week’s finale? Well, just take a look at my final all new American Idol Buzz Rankings for Season 11 below.
American Idol Season 11 Top Two Buzz Rankings~
1. Phillip: while his growly singing style and his penchant for turning every song into a Dave Matthews tribute is not my cup of tea, he clearly has a giant fan base. He has never been in the bottom 2 vote-getters and he has tons of charisma. He also is a white guy with a guitar and those people (David Cook, Kris Allen, Lee Dewyze, Scotty McCreery) tend to win this program. He also had a standout performance last week with “We’ve Got Tonight” that pushed him outside of his boundaries and was lovely to behold. So, he may have picked up a few more fans because of that… Oh and he’s ridiculously hot. So, he has the edge going into the finale. However, will his performance be more of the same and thus cause voter inertia? … What am I thinking those tween girls and their moms will be mass texting like crazy. (last week~ 2) 2. Jessica: I was so thrilled and excited when she made the finals I let out a big yelp that scared my dog. I just couldn’t contain myself that the season’s best singer was actually going all the way to the finale. I was also thrilled that the girl many thought had the best chance for a female to win since season 6′s Jordin Sparks might break the boy curse. I still think she can do it. She has the vocal prowess and showmanship. She’s cute, likable and relatable. So, she just needs the right songs. Something current (Rihanna’s “Only Girl in the World” perhaps) to go with her favorite of the season (please do “I Will Always Love You”) and the winner’s single. I have such high hopes for her and know she will knock it out of the park. Plus, she makes history as the only person to have been “Saved” by the judges to make it this far. One other thing in her favor is that she will likely grab Joshua’s votes because I can’t see any of his fans preferring Phillip over her. (last week~ 1)
So, it’s all come down to the two singers I predicted would be in the finale back at the start of the Top 13. Jessica v. Phillip. I am pulling for Jessica as you know, but she does feel like the underdog. So, I will keep my expectations low and enjoy the show on Tuesday night… Who are you pulling for?
Before I leave, I thought I would leave Joshua a consolation prize… I have officially declared him the most talented third place finisher in the history of American Idol. Congrats Mantasia! … Herewith is my list of the third place Idol finishers according to their talent, vocal abilities, and performances.
Ranking the American Idol 3rd Place Finishers:
1. Joshua Ledet (season 11)
2. Melinda Doolittle (season 6)
3. Elliott Yamin (season 5)
4. Kimberley Locke (season 3)
5. Haley Reinhart (season 10)
~ all of the above five were fantastic… the next six… well… not so much
6. Syesha Mercado (season 7)
7. Casey James (season 9)
8. Vonzell Soloman (season 4)
9. Danny Gokey (season 8)
10. Jasmine Trias (season 3)
11. Nikki McKibbon (season 1)
And here’s Joshua’s standout vocal of the season, “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World”
After last week’s shocker almost-elimination of the season’s best vocalist and my favorite, Jessica Sanchez, it was clear tonight that all bets are off. Practically all the contestants stepped up their game or stepped out of their boxes. Luckily only one of them stepped in “it”, but it’s clear he ain’t goin’ home anytime soon. (More on Colton later…) So, it’s time to count down this week’s double dose of American Idol performances as the singers took on # 1 hits from the last decade and “Soul Classics”. Let’s see who did what and who just might hang on another week…
American Idol Season 11 Top 7 Performance Rankings 4/18/12
# 1 Hits from the Last Decade: ~ the great 1. Hollie: Um, hello, Hollie took on the Adele beast and she actually slayed it. Not only did she give her best performance to date on last year’s Grammy winning smash “Rolling in the Deep”, but she also made it her own. The opening a capella was brilliant and she was confident and composed throughout. She also finally let go. Great performance! 2. Skylar: maybe some people thought Lady Gaga’s country version of her 2010 # 1 “Born This Way” was a little odd, but in Skylar Laine’s capable hands, it was simply fantastic. This girl is a born performer and she owned this number. Plus, let’s be honest, she brings so much energy, joy and ferocious presence to the stage you can’t help but love her every time. It’s hard not to think of the finale without her at this point. 3. Joshua: Mantasia was totally inhabiting Fantasia on her chart topping Idol coronation song from 2004, and I loved it. The song fit him like a glove and his gospel-riffic performance was roof-raising without being cloying or copycat. Another good one from Mr. Ledet. 4. Jessica: taking on the song that has probably been sung more on Idol than any other, our new underdog fought hard and gave what I consider the best performance of the song on this show to date. Singing Alicia Keyes’ 2000 # 1 “Fallin’”, Jessica’s vocals were predictably glorious, but she also dug deep and really interpreted the song. This girl really should never have even been in the bottom three. I mean come on America! ~ the really good 5. Elise: it’s crazy that Elise’s lovely, charismatic and beautiful interpretation of Keyes’ 2007 Grammy winning chart topper is all the way down in 5th place. That just goes to show how good the top five songs in this genre were tonight. Elise’s vocals were great and she really communicated the song like the seasoned pro she is. Well done. ~ and now for the two clunkers 6. Colton: sorry, this rocking re-interpretation of Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” from 2009 was just kind of weird. He was a little pitchy in parts and the arrangement never quite felt right. What was worse was that Colton was never convincing for one moment throughout the song. It was a bad way for him to start the night… and it only got worse for him from there… 7. Phillip: I have no idea why the judges gave that piece of crap performance a standing ovation. Poor Phillip utterly decimated Usher’s “U Got It Bad” from 2001. He stripped it of any meaning, growled like usual and just turned it into another unnecessary Dave Matthews Band knockoff. Blech.
Soul Classics ~ the great 1. Jessica: holy crap was that a fantastic interpretation of Otis Redding’s 1966 hit “Try a Little Tenderness”. Jessica sang the you know what out of it, had fun doing it and really fought for her place in this race. Outstanding.
~ the good 2. Phillip: ok, on this number I could see what ya’ll love about Mr. Growly Pants. When he smiles and the song fits him and he’s not screaming, he is incredibly charming. This performance of Wilson Pickett’s 1965 classic “In the Midnight Hour” was sublimely entertaining and the song fit his limited vocal range perfectly. It was his best effort in ages. 3. Hollie: um, hello Hollie delivered on both of her numbers this evening This little belter was letting us have it tonight and I loved it. She totally won me over on Dusty Springfield’s # 10 hit from 1968 “Son of a Preacher Man.” 4. Skylar: while it wasn’t a perfect fit for her, Skylar, none the less, sold the heck out of her version of Marvin Gaye’s # 1 smash from 1968 “I Heard it through the Grapevine”. She’s so good and so genuine that she can pretty much sing anything and make it feel like a Skylar Laine original. Another solid effort.
~the pretty good 5. Joshua: while nowhere near the brilliant version Adam Lambert did in season 8, Joshua’s take on Sam Cooke’s civil rights anthem from 1965 “A Change is Gonna Come” was quite assured. His voice sounded wonderful as usual, but did it feel like more of the same from Mr. Ledet or was it me? ~ the ok 6. Elise: unfortunately Elise’s perfectly passable version of Marvin Gaye’s 1973 # 1 classic “Let’s Get it On” fell short in comparison to her competitors other efforts tonight. Her vocals were fine and she seemed to be having a pretty good time singing it. However, it was a tad forgettable when all was said and done. ~ the atrocious 7. Colton: sorry even Colton’s precious Jesus would’ve hated skinny leg boy’s awful reinvention of Earth Wind and Fire’s # 8 hit from 1978 “September”. He basically turned the soul song into an anemic, pitchy and tuneless mess version of One Republic’s “Apologize” and completely stripped it of any soul whatsoever . While I give the guy credit for taking a page out of the David Cook/Adam Lambert playbook by taking serious risk, unfortunately this one tanked…. And it tanked big time.
Predictions~ Bottom 3: Elise, Joshua, Hollie (but Jessica and Colton might show up here too… things are getting crazy this season!) Bottom 2: Elise, Joshua Going Home: Elise
So according to my crazy tea leaves, it looks like Elise Testone’s roller coaster American Idol journey may finally be coming to an end tomorrow. But as you might guess, my predictions haven’t been to spot on this season, lol. So, will she last another week? Will Colton finally make a (very deserving) appearance in the bottom three? Did Jessica galvanize her fan base or did Hollie steal her voters? Find out tomorrow night on American Idol.
Clearly American Idol viewers opened their ears for once and heard Heejun sing because he was finally booted off the program last week. Sure, he was a funny guy, with a good heart and a nice tone to his voice. However, he had no star quality, took the show for granted, mocked the program and caused the early ousting of my dear Erika! …. Alas, I need to get over that… At least he’s gone and we have a really good top 8. But just how good are they? Well, I’d say this seasons talent is up there with the best season’s like 5 (Daughtry, Katharine, Elliott), 7 (David Cook, Carly, David Archuleta) and 10 (Scotty, Pia, Haley, Lauren). But who has the current buzz to head to the front of the pack? Well, it’s time to take a look at my all new completely unscientific American Idol Buzz Rankings below….
My Season 11 Top 8 American Idol Buzz Rankings~
1. Jessica: hanging on to the top slot by the thinnest of strings, my favorite singer in the race had another great week slowing down a Beyonce jam into her own slinky groove. Jessica has the talent, ambition and is very creative with each of her song choices and performances. I’m surprised the judges aren’t pimping her more especially if we finally want a girl to win this thing! (last week~ 1) 2. Phillip: Mr. Phillips almost overtook my Jessica again this week with a really strong and totally not annoying performance of a song by Johnny Lang no one’s heard of. That takes some gumption and some great follow through. At this point, it feels like a Jessica/Phillip finale fight. We shall see… (lw~ 3) 3. Elise: holy crap, Elise is in my top three and I couldn’t be happier. She has killed it the past two weeks and finally had an Idol moment with her Led Zeppelin cover last week. Could our bluesy dark horse be a threat for the title? I hope so. (lw~ 6) 4. Colton: he went first and sang his favorite “praise” song and was super pitchy last week, yet he still was not in the bottom three. That means this pretty Idol has some serious support. I do think he needs to change things up a bit before all his songs start sounding like Daughtry clones. And PS- shut it with the god talk. You’re turning off more voters than you know with that. Trust me, Jesus doesn’t care if you win American Idol. I think he’s got more important things on his plate. (lw~ 2) 5. Skylar: yes, she was in the bottom 3 last week, but I think the fact that she went so early in the show was the real problem. She performed well and is so darn likable. I think she will bounce back this week no problem. (lw~ 4) 6. Joshua: I have no idea why America loved his wonky and pitchy performance last week. I do know that I think he’s got a great voice and is very likable, so that clearly helped. I just wonder how viable a pop artist he would be. (Hello, not much~ but he could be a great R&B and Gospel singer). This week should be interesting for him with the 80′s theme. (lw~ 7) 7. Deandre: ok, he’s a cool cat with a great falsetto and fabulous hair, but I just don’t get it. I feel like he has so much growing to do as an artist and needs to pick better songs that more people know. That said, his obscure Eric Benet pick, kept him out of danger and the judges loved it. I still feel like he’s one misstep away from getting the boot. (lw~8) 8. Hollie: oh my sweet dear little Hollie with the big voice. What are ya doin? Yes, you sing great most of the time, but you’re in a free fall. I just hope this talented girl picks a great fun upbeat song and really connects with the material so she can make a big comeback and land a place in the final five like she deserves to. (lw~ 5)
So, it seems Hollie is on a dangerous downward path, while Elise is flying high and Deandre continues to scoot by unscathed. But what will happen this week with that aforementioned 80′s theme? We’ll see. Tune in to American Idol Wednesday night on Fox and then head back here for my take.
Well, here we go American Idol fans… The show is about to get real good as we move into the serious competition shows. The Top 13 singers have been chosen (10 by America, 3 wild cards by the judges) and I actually really like 11 of them. I actually only despise one of them (Shannon), so that bodes for a strong and interesting competition. This group seems very strong. In fact, it seems like it could end up as one of the strongest years since season 5 (Daughtry, Katharine, Elliott, etc). It will have to fight to keep up with last year’s rebirth as well which saw a country top two that have turned into solid sellers. (Scotty has just passed a million copies sold of his debut album in fact). Last season’s top ten also saw record deals for seven of the finalists (Scotty, Lauren, Pia, Haley, James, Stefano and Casey), so they have their work cut out for them. With that said, just who do I think is in the lead as we head into the first week of competition when the men will sing songs from Stevie Wonder while the ladies will take on the music of the late great Whitney Houston? Just take a look at my first list of completely unscientific but surely accurate American Idol Buzz rankings for season 11.
American Idol Top 13 Buzz Rankings~
1. Jessica Sanchez: this powerhouse vocalist can sing circles around most of her competitors and could be the first woman to win since Jordin Sparks. She is attractive, has incredible range, a great personality and is the whole package. Let’s hope she goes the distance (and yes, she is my favorite too). 2. Phillip Phillips: he’s cute. He has wonderful Southern charm and is a great musician. He also is just the type of winner this show goes for (David Cook, Lee Dewyze, Kris Allen anyone?) as he channels John Mayer and Dave Matthews with his performances. However, I can’t stand his odd growling and phrasing. But, let’s be honest, he is very talented and will have the girl vote all season. 3. Skylar Laine: this fiery redheaded country girl threw down the axe on the competition last week with arguably the most fun and memorable performance of the week. She is fun, smart and could go really far. Besides, the show hasn’t had a female country victor since Carrie and Skylar is a different kind with her Miranda Lambert meets Reba with a touch of Gretchen Wilson vocals. I’m excited to watch her. 4. Colton Dixon: this rocker is this season’s David Cook, just a lot hotter. He will split the girl/mom vote with Phillip but he is far more commercial and accessible if you ask me. He’s current, has a ton of talent and showmanship. He seems a lock to make the top 5 as well. 5. Heejun Hahn: he’s hilarious yes, but he also has a lovely buttery voice. The question is can he move beyond pretty ballads and become a real performer. It’s doubtful. I see a mid pack or possibly shockingly early exit for him unless he can really step up his game. However, he’s incredibly likable and has a lot of goodwill on his side now, so he could surprise. 6. Elise Testone: this Lady Gaga meets Adele and Winehouse belter is a bit of an enigma. She’s one of the older contestants, but she is so unique and has such passion. She slayed her Adele performance which was no small feat. I just wonder how she will hold up in the weeks ahead. She’s also a great musician and could give us some great interpretations in each genre. I’m hopeful for her. 7. Hollie Cavanaugh: this Irish Texan girl has a big ole voice and is sweet as pie. But is she memorable enough to go all the way? If she grows week to week, I say yes. She just needs to have some standout moments to pull ahead of the pack because she has an incredible voice. 8. Joshua Ledet: “Mantasia” as he’s being called can sing the crap out of a song. He’s immensely likable and a wonderfully dynamic performer…. However, is his gospel tinged performance style one note? And he doesn’t seem like he is much of a commercial singer. I wonder how long people will respond to him. But hey, if Jacob (who only possessed half of Joshua’s talent and likability) can make it to 5th, Joshua could go far. 9. Erika Van Pelt: I love this girl. She killed it on her Heart cover and no one has really done that on this show since Carrie Underwood. Why America didn’t vote her in is beyond me. (Maybe because she performed so early that night?). Luckily the judges knew this girl was a keeper. She has great pipes. She knows how to play the game and I have no doubt will be making some great song choices. I really want her to go far. I just hope people pull their heads out and realize how awesome she is. 10. Deandre Brackensick: Mr. Milli Vanilli hair can wail with the best of them. He has a tremendous range and the camera loves him. He just needs to make better song choices and this wild card pick could leap over his competitors. Oh and the girls and gays will probably love him too. 11. Shannon Magrane: I can’t stand this Miss America god-spouting poseur. Sure, she’s pretty and has a decent voice. But nothing about this awkward girl is authentic and she brings no true emotion or artistry to her music. Plus, I don’t need church thrown at me each week and it’s not a pageant. Her annoyingly false perky personality also bugs. I’d put her last but clearly she has some fans since America voted her through. 12. Jeremy Rosado: yes, he kinda made me cry on his wildcard performance of “I Know You Wont” and he has a wonderful voice and tone. But, he’s just not that memorable. He’s clearly a great guy with some talent, but a viable pop star? I don’t see it. I hope he proves me wrong. 13. Jermaine Jones: the gentle giant with the booming baritone/bass voice probably got in on sympathy votes last week. He sings well, but it seems rather one note and may be blah in the end. We will see cuz I do like his voice and he also seems like a wonderful person. I just don’t know if he’s a pop star either…
So, there are my buzz rankings on how I think the contestants stand in the competition right now…. What are my personal rankings you ask. Here ya go…
My Personal Rankings of the Top 13.
1. Jessica
2. Erika
3. Skylar
4. Elise
5. Colton
6. Hollie
7. Deandre
8. Joshua
9. Jeremy
10. Phillip
11. Heejun
12. Jermaine
13. Shannon
Now, how will they all fare this week and do I have a clue of what I’m talking about? … Tune into Idol on Wed night and see.
Why oh why can’t some of this season’s American Idol contestants pick the right song? Even when given the amazing songbook of Lennon/McCartney (i.e.: the Beatles), a few of them faltered or just picked obvious choices. At least many of them (ahem, the ladies) did them justice while only one really faltered. So, just how did they all stack up for the night? Take a look at my performance rankings and predictions below:
