My Top 11 American Idol Power Rankings!

It was adios to our Latina lady last night on American Idol as the affable singer with the poor fashion and song choices, Karen Rodriguez, got her walking papers. It wasn’t much of a surprise due to her forgettable perf of Taylor Dayne’s ballad “Love Will Lead You Back”, but it was a little sad because the girl can actually sing…. Anywho, I wish her well on her way and now I count the days til the other lady in the bottom two, Haley Miley Cyrus Reinhart, gets the boot… Hopefully, it will be before Naima who is certainly on shaky ground as the third woman in the bottom 3 (and the three I predicted would be in danger)… Also, on the show last night some guy named Lee Dewyze came back and sang his new song “Beautiful Like You”. Oh yeah, he was the winner from last year. Forgive me for forgetting him and most of last year’s dreadful season… Then, the incredibly irritating Black Eyed Peas assaulted us with a horrendous new song “Just Cant Get Enough” that I had enough of about 10 seconds in. (And this just in from my roommate~ he was like “is that Fergie or LeAnn Rimes singing with the Peas. What happened to her face?” lol) … Overall, it was a pretty uneventful results show, but what makes this post exciting is that it’s time for my new totally unscientific American Idol Top 11 Power Rankings! And away we go…

American Idol Top 11 Power Rankings (season 10)~

1. Pia: my current pic to win the whole shebang delivered her 3rd fantastic vocal in a row and even showed some spunk in her clip package. Plus the touching footage about her Grandpa will keep the older viewers happy. Pia is the total package and she holds on top of the Power List again this week. (last week~ 1)
2. Stefano: the little Italian engine that could keeps climbing up the list all the way to the runner-up spot this week. His Simply Red cover was by far the best on Wednesday and he was fantastic in the group number again tonight. He is the consumate performer and a fantastic singer. (lw~ 4)
3. Scotty: he may be missing baseball season, but I think it’s all worth it for this teen as the country crooner holds steady with another strong song on Wed night. He’s pretty much a lock for the final five. (lw~ 3)
4. Lauren: taking a few steps forward this week our teen country girl was back on track with her Melissa Etheridge tune. She has great pipes and a fun personality. Now, she needs to conquer the flu and her terrible outfit choices. (lw~ 5)
5. James: he may have held back a little on his Bon Jovi track this week, but I enjoyed the tasteful move and he continues to look solid every week. (lw~ 2)
6. Jacob: despite a little bit of a wonky turn on “Alone”, Jacob has the fans and the voice to cruise into the top ten. Plus, he has Jesus on his side! hehe (lw~ 6)
7. Casey: ok, this fun guy took a big chance with his woeful Nirvana cover the other night. However, the audience and judges have mad love for him. I just want him to wow us again and see if he can contend for the upper regions of the power list. (lw~ 7)
8. Thia: clearly somebody out there likes this robotic but cute teen as she has avoided the bottom three despite a couple of lackluster performances. She does have a cool voice, if only she knew what to do with it! (lw~ 9)
9. Paul: yes, he’s cute, funny and incredibly likable with a blinding smile, but holy hell, he was horrible on Wed night. Get it together mister! I don’t know how many “Get out of Jail Free” cards you’re gonna get. (lw~ 10)
10. Naima: after a nice surge up the list last week, our most interesting female singer took a hit after her misguided attempt at covering Tina Turner. At least she is taking the “pitchy” notes the judges are giving her to heart. Let’s see if she can regain some ground next week because she is certainly good tv. (lw~8)
11. Haley: how on Earth is this girl continuing to survive on this show? Everything about her is an affront to artistry, performance and good singing. Blech! (lw~ 12)

Oh, snap, that’s who has “The Power”! … What do you think? Are you favorites still doing well? Are you the ones voting for Miley Cyrus, oops, Haley and keeping her in the competition? Are you still loving the judges like me? Sound off below. And be sure to watch next week when Scotty may take a tumble as the singers attempt “Motown” week! … and here’s one final treat for you… Please enjoy the first actual “LIVE” singing from the Idols on a group number in ages.

The Top 12 “Born to Be Wild/Born This Way”

American Idol Recap 3/16/11 “Born” to Be Idol?

Tonight, American Idol made you feel old. Admit it. I sure did as the theme for the top 12 was “The Year you were Born”. I didn’t feel too bad about myself (but I can do bad all by myself, lol) when I saw that Paul and Naima were born in ’84. However, when Thia was singing a song from when I was in college, I almost started to cry. Well, actually I think I was crying a little earlier when Paul decimated an Elton John classic. But I digress, the show is all about the “kids” and the ones text messaging en masse were probably born in the 90′s too. So, this old fuddy duddy will just do my usual and rank their performances and give you my insight on to who is likely to be bummed that the year of their birth sent them home.

American Idol Performance Rankings 3/16/11

The Good~ Yes, Baby they were Born this Way!
1. Stefano: our little Italian dark horse has stormed his way from the bottom of the pack as a wild card pick to the front of the class with his last few performances. Tonight’s gorgeous rendition of Simply Red’s # 1 hit from 1989 “If You Don’t Know Me By Now” stole the show and announced that Stefano is, in Randy’s words ya’ll, “in it to win it”.
2. Pia: another one fighting hard for the crown, Pia once again showed that she is easily the best singer of the finalists on her great interpretation of Whitney Houston’s seventh consecutive # 1 hit in a row, 1998′s “Where Do Broken Hearts Go”. The producers also added an updated dance remix to the song helping Pia to break out of her balladeer mold. This girl is still my pick to win by the way. Love her.
3. Scotty: the country kid continues to kill it with his easy Southern style and smooth vocals. And tonight may have been his best yet as he delivered Randy Jackson’s good friend Travis Tritt’s 1993 hit “Can I Trust You with my Heart” with aplomb and confidence.
4. Lauren: despite suffering from the flu, Lauren came roaring back tonight with a strong performance of Melissa Etheridge’s top ten smash from 1994 “I’m the Only One” and gave it a great country rock spin.
5. Jacob: he may have gone off the rails at the beginning of the song and on a verse here and there, but Jacob sold it like nobody’s business. And when he’s in the zone, he is fantastic. Sure, he didn’t come close to Carrie Underwood’s iconic version of this song on the Idol stage, but he should be quite satisfied with his performance. (Also, check out the recorded version on iTunes. It’s great and so current!)
6. James: falling a bit from last week’s lofty heights, our resident rocker still made a great impression on his performance of Bon Jovi’s # 1 power ballad from 1989 “I’ll Be There For You”. (Um, yes, that was the theme of one of my proms in high school… ok, I’m really showing my age now). I loved that he kept it in the Jovi vein but still showcasing his own style. I kinda wished he had chosen Skid Row’s “I Remember You” though…

~ The decent~ they were Born to Be Alive
7. Karen: this Latina lady was back on track with great vocals on Taylor Dayne’s # 1 from 1989 “Love Will Lead You Back”. However, that ridiculous leather dress and giant B 52′s hair bun did her no favors and the Spanglish thing is getting old.
8. Thia: currently attempting to win the Miss American Idol pageant, Thia gave a competent but sleepy performance of Vanessa Williams #4 Oscar-winning hit “Colors of the Wind” from Pocahontas. It was better than last week, but still pretty forgettable overall.
9. Casey: this crazy guy is super fun to watch but his take on Nirvana’s 1991 classic “Smells Like Teen Spirit” was a hot screechy screamy mess. (Yes, I just stole “screechy screamy” from J.Lo who was totally on target with most of her critiques tonight and gave some good advice to the singers too).

The bottom dwellers~ Will they be Born Again?
10. Haley: Miley Cyrus was up to her old affected annoying and false tricks with a wannabe sexy but utterly irritating version of Whitney Houston’s #1 from 1990 “I’m Your Baby Tonight”. Um, here are some words of advice Miley, er, Haley~ do NOT try to be sexy (you’re not) and do NOT act like you’re on a cruise ship singing at the lunch buffet…. All that said and she was still better than two other singers!
11. Naima: oh dear, how they fall! After last week’s cool interpretation of “Umbrella”, Naima faltered big time with a pitchy and lackluster take on Tina Turner’s Grammy winning #1 comeback smash “What’s Love Got to Do With It” from 1984. Poor Naima seems to only hit every 3rd note… I like the girl and hope she gets another shot, but I’m not bettin’ the bank on it.
12. Paul: ok, you have a great personality and smile and you look like Bradley Cooper. However, you’re kinda terrible when you sing. Tonight, you were simply atrocious on an out of tune, hoarse, and meandering version of Elton John’s great #4 hit from 1984 “I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues”. Seriously, it was BAD. He’s just lucky he seems to have a good fan base… Oh and on a side note, I’m a little hurt personally by Paul’s perf tonight cuz that is so my fave and one of my best karaoke songs to sing!

The Predictions~
Bottom 3: Naima, Haley, Karen (but Thia and Paul could be in danger too)
Bottom 2: Naima, Haley
Going Home: Haley (am I just wishful thinking though?)

And there you have it, my take on tonight’s Idol. Who did you like? Was anyone Born to Be Your Baby? Or do you wish Jason Bourne had done away with those songs like he does an enemy? Let me hear it below…. Oh and remember, if you did love some of their songs (like Stefano or Pia!), pick up their recorded versions on iTunes now and some of the proceeds go to helping out with disaster relief in Japan.

My American Idol Top 12 Power Rankings

Last night we had the first elimination of season 10′s delightfully entertaining and reinvigorated American Idol where we saw divalicious Ashton Jones get the ax. It wasn’t too surprising especially after her lackluster performance on Wed night. While I like Ashton and wish she had another shot, I’m certainly glad the judges didn’t waste their special “Judges Save” on her. Unfortunately, I feel as though a truly amazing singer will fall into danger in the weeks ahead and it would be better used for he or she. Now, the other two ladies in jeopardy in the bottom 3, Haley and Karen, don’t seem like they’ll last much longer either and I certainly wouldn’t “save” them. So, I think America is on the right track so far. We’ll see what happens next week when the singers tackle “Songs from the Year they were Born” which loosely translates to songs from 1984 to 1995 (Thia is the baby of the group). Will we hear more Michael Jackson and Celine or perhaps some Boyz II Men and Nirvana? I personally recommend that Naima sing some En Vogue, but I digress. We’ll find out their choices soon enough. However, right now you can find out who I think is ahead in the Idol race as I present my latest round of completely unscientific American Idol Power Rankings. Take a look at who’s up and down and all around below.

My American Idol Top 12 Power Rankings:
1. Pia Toscano: with another dynamic power ballad, this beautiful lady is bewitching America again and again. We saw a little more personality in her interview package, but we still need more. And she looked fantastic and sounded quite relevant in the group number which helps her ascend to the top dawg status this week. She could be a big pop star if you ask me. (last week~ 3)
2. James Durbin: James took the biggest leap up the list this week with a phenomenal reinvention of “Maybe I’m Amazed”. Add to that his great makeover and engaging persona and he may well be able to shed the Lambert 2.0 label in the weeks ahead. However, much like Adam, who was amazing on the results show by the way, James is showing different sides of himself and his vast talent. Is he starting to play the game? (lw~ 11)
3. Scotty McCreery: if you heard the audience howl on Wed night,  and how could you not, then you know we have a front-runner on our hands. With another good performance right in his lane, Scotty is still on track to becoming the highest ranking male country singer in Idol’s history. Oh, and those tween girls are easily giving him the Archuleta power votes. (lw~5)
4. Stefano Langone: one of my two favorite male singers in the competition (along with Jacob), Stefano made a serious bid to prove his mettle and erase memories of being a wild card pick with his awesome spin on “Lately”. He has looks, the voice, abounding energy and he seems totally relevant to today’s charts. Looks like the dark horse is on the rise… (lw~ 7)
5. Lauren Alaina: so what if she was just “ok” on Wed night. The girl can still clearly sing the pants off of most of her competitors and she’s funny and endearing. So, we just need to get her the right songs and give the 16 yr old a break and she’ll head back up the leader board soon. (lw~ 1)
6. Jacob Lusk: also taking a dive this week, Jacob lost a little ground as he struggled to stay on track on “I Believe I Can Fly” the other night. Regardless, he’s a brilliant vocalist and incredibly likable. (lw~ 2)
7. Casey Abrams: poor Casey missed out on the results show and we, in turn, missed out on him “dancing” and lip synching to MJ tunes. Fortunately, it seems Casey’s health is on the mend and he’ll be back in the competition next week. The problem is: will these health (a stomach intestine thingy) issues and diminished airtime cost him votes and hurt his rehearsal time? At least, he has a strong fanbase to start with. (lw~ 4)
8. Naima Adedapo: with her cool reggae rapping interlude on “Umbrella”, Naima threw down the first notion of “personal artistry” for the season and began to win me over as a fan. Now, if she can get the breathing and sharp/flat notes under control, she could make for a surprise title contender. (lw~ 12)
9. Thia Megia: sliding a few notches this week, the teen’s half good/ half terrible performance of “Smile” left me confused and a bit trepidatious about how she’ll fare in the weeks ahead. One thing is for sure, the girl needs to get some personality asap! (lw~ 6)
10. Paul McDonald: Mr. Quirkypants evaded the bottom 3 despite his plain atrocious performance of an unknown song on Wed night. Lucky for him, he seems to have a strong fanbase too. However, I’m betting he lost a good deal of momentum and that his unique voice and style will only get him so far unless he starts appealing to the masses. (lw~ 9)
11. Karen Rodriguez: the little Latina pageant queen tripped up big this week on her weak version of Selena’s “I Could Fall in Love”. She’s clearly a good singer on the right song, but will need to focus her choices better and forgo copycat vocal interpretations and wardrobe stylings. (Hello J. Lo couldn’t really even pull off that outfit Karen attempted when she did the Selena movie!) (lw~8)
12. Haley Reinhart: little miss annoying and ungrateful Miley Cyrus look-alike lands at the bottom again. Yes, she has some talent, but her voice does not outweight the complete facade of fakery she throws at us in her performances. Plus, did you notice how bitter and shocked she was to be in the bottom 3 and then the bottom 2? Girl, your attitude will only lose you fans… if you still have any. (lw~ 13)

So, there’s my latest power rankings. James is on the rise. Lauren and Jacob took hits and Haley is still stinkin’ up the rear. What do you think of their placements? Are your favorites in danger? We’ll see next week… And speaking of burning questions, does anyone know what’s up with music industry wunderkind Jimmy Iovine always wearing those strange red headphones? Tell me if ya know below.

American Idol Quick Wrap 3/9/11~ It’s Anybody’s Game

As the Top 13 American Idol contestants hit the stage for the first time, it quickly became clear that we have a serious competition on our hands that is anybody’s game. While previous front-runners Pia, Scotty and Jacob continued to soar, two of the wildcard picks (Stefano and Naima) made strong impressions and two of last week’s top contenders faltered (Thia, Karen). So, let’s take a look at this week’s ranking of the continued new and improved, not to mention kindler and gentler (thanks judges)  Idol where they took on songs of their own singing idols tonight.

Performance Rankings 3/9/11
(Doing the safety dance…)
1. Pia: grabbing the top spot for a second week in a row, this beauty slayed Celine Dion’s # 4 hit from 1997 “All by Myself”. She was pitch perfect, confident and emotionally connected and she’s my favorite in the competition right now. It’s about time we just had a girl who could wail win this show again!
2. James: holy crap, the rocker’s new spin on Paul McCartney and Wings’ top ten hit from 1976 “Maybe I’m Amazed” was kinda awesome. James showed a softer side, got a great new makeover and displayed great vocals. He’s really growing on me and the audience clearly loves him.
3. Jacob: taking us to church again (this time with an actual choir), Jacob rose to the heavens on “I Believe I Can Fly” the # 2 smash from R. Kelly. Jacob has so much conviction in his performances I think he might explode, but in a good way. Now, I want him to take one of the divas (Celine, Mariah, Whitney) like Pia!
4. Stefano: taking Stevie Wonder’s 1982 hit “Lately” and turning it into a dance jam was a big risk, but it paid off big time for the little singer that could. Stefano was fantastic tonight especially in the second half of the song and I guarantee he’s put the dangerous “wildcard” label behind him. Remember, Clay Aiken was a wild card and got second while Jennifer Hudson was a wildcard and now has an Oscar and a Grammy!
5. Scott: keeping up his momentum, the country wonder boy gave another strong performance on his cover of Garth Brooks’ #1 country song from 1991 “The River”. The judges loved him (and the four above singers) and the audience went nuts for him. Looks like the tween girls have settled on their fave for the season.
(Still walkin’ on sunshine…)
6. Lauren: my second fave singer wound up in the middle of the pack this week with an assured version of Shania Twain’s # 1 country hit “Any Man of Mine” from 1995 (ahem the year Lauren was born!). While it wasn’t her best performance, Lauren’s pipes are undeniable and she will be a fierce contender in the weeks ahead.
7. Casey: Grizzly Adams tore through Joe Cocker’s “With a Little Help from my Friends” with a ferocious hunger and we all ate it up. While, it wasn’t as good as last week, he still put on a great show.
8. Naima: showing her versatility, dance moves and an awesome reggae/rap section, Naima closed the show with a fascinating and entertaining version of Rihanna’s 2007 #1 hit “Umbrella”. While she needs to work on her pitch and breath, we saw a lot more personality and artistry from her tonight and she’s beginning to make me a fan.
(in the danger zone…)
9. Thia: modeling her prom dress, the girl who wowed us last week took a tumble on Michael Jackson’s “Smile” (the song that got Gina Glockson sent home a few seasons ago). While the quiet beginning was lovely, once she launched into the jazzy second half of the song, it began to go off the rails. It’s clear she can sing wonderfully, but now she needs to make better choices with stronger arrangements.
10. Karen: channelling judge J.Lo in the Selena movie, Karen attempted Selena’s “I Could Fall in Love”. While she hit some nice notes at the end, Karen’s singing was rather uneven and she might end up being forgotten on a night of bigger performances.
11. Haley: my least fave performer and Miley Cyrus clone, Haley yodeled her way through LeAnn Rimes debut smash “Blue” from 1996 and hit most of the notes well. However, for the second week in a row, the whole performance was calculated, annoying, cloying and, worst of all, boring. And was she going to that same prom as Thia in that dress?
12. Ashton: Miss Ross was not in the house. Instead it was Miss Jones serving up a lackluster interpretation of Ross’s “When You Tell Me that You Love Me” (previously covered by the season 4 finalists including Carrie and Bo!). She hit some notes here and there, but it was just a bit off and her silver spaceship dress and crazy arm movements did her no favors.
13. Paul: performing an obscure song by the also somewhat obscure rocker Ryan Adams was not a smart move for the likable raspy voiced singer. His unique qualities became a little annoying on this sluggish song, “Come Pick Me Up” that had little melody. Paul better hope his pearly white smile can save him from this disastrous and odd performance.

Predictions:
Bottom 3: Ashton, Karen, Paul (but Haley and Thia should be worried)
Bottom 2: Ashton, Paul
Going Home: Ashton

So, it seems I think our resident diva Ashton may be on her way out at unlucky # 13. We’ll see tomorrow night on the results show which will also feature an awesome acoustic performance of “Aftermath” by Grammy nominated former Idol Adam Lambert. I can’t wait… But first, I want to know what you think of tonight’s show and who you think will see their Idol dreams squashed tomorrow. Sound off below.

My American Idol Top 13 Power Rankings

Wow, that was actually a really drama filled results show last night on American Idol. I don’t know when I’ve been so invested and nervous about the results~ perhaps going all the way back to Daughtry’s ouster in 2005. But Idol certainly kept us watching as they first announced the new top ten (yay for all of them except Hayley), followed by six singers “lip synching for their lives”! Ooops, I got hypnotized by Rupaul’s Drag Race for a minute. I meant “singing for their survival”. The six chosen by the judges for those wild card performances were Robbie, Naima, Ashton, Stefano, Kendra and Jovanny (what?). First Ashton gave a divalicious fun perf despite a few wonky notes. Then, Stefano absolutely killed it in perhaps the best male vocal of the season. Kendra acquitted herself nicely followed by a sleepy turn by Jovanny. (Why oh why didn’t they give Tim another chance?). Naima next gave a heartfelt and emotional perf but was flat and all over the place, followed by a lovely spin on “Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word” by Robbie. If I had picked it would’ve been Kendra, Stefano and Ashton (with Robbie a close fourth). Alas, the judges chose Naima and her unique individuality and tough back story over the more talented singers…. And thus, we had our top 13. Despite my quarries with two of them, this might be the best top 13 in the history of the show. Certainly it’s a very good way to start the finals…. And with these contenders in place, it’s now time to take a look at my first official, totally unscientific American Idol Power Rankings for the finals. And away we go!

American Idol Top 13 Power Rankings:
1. Lauren Alaina (ie: Kelly Underwood)~ this 16-year-old powerhouse has the pipes and the personality and could live up to Steven Tyler’s prediction that they found “the one”. Love her!
2. Jacob Lusk (ie Luther 2.0): he is overcome by the “spirit” every time he sings and his jovial personality and heart on his sleeve emotion are incredibly endearing.
3. Pia Toscano (ie: the pretty girl no one saw coming)~ she gave the best female performance of the season so far with “I’ll Stand by You” and catapulted herself to the front of the pack. Now, if she can maintain that momentum, she could own this thing. (Just perk up a little more in your interview packages please…)
4. Casey Abrams (ie: Grizzly Adams)~ this musician’s musician with the growl and the grin has sailed through the race so far. I just wonder how he will fit in with the theme weeks, but he’s already a big audience fave.
5. Scotty McCreery (ie: the country boy Alfred E. Newman)~ this good ole boy with the deep voice is winning in so many ways that he could be the first male country Idol winner. I just hope he shows a little versatility and doesn’t buy into his own hype. However, he has totally exceeded my expectations thus far, so good for him.
6. Thia Megia (ie: Charice 2.0)~ she was speechless upon entering the top ten last night and so were we after her tremendous rendition of “Out Here on My Own”. Now, if she can overcome the shyness and keep delivering vocals like she did on Thursday, she could be the more talented Jasmine Trias of the season and not the forgetful Ramielle Mullaby of the season…
7. Stefano Langone (ie: lil Bruno Mars)~ he sang for his life with Smokie Norful’s “I Need to Know” and gave himself arguably the first “moment” of the competition with his amazing and emotional turn. He’s fast become my second fave guy in the competition after Jacob and could go really far now that people know what he’s made of.
8. Karen Rodriguez (ie: Gloria Estefan 2.0)~ the bilingual beauty is playing up the Latina card to no end. But make no mistake, it’s her fantastic voice that helped her conquer Mariah’s “Hero”. Now, if she could dial back the pageant outfits…
9. Paul McDonald (ie: quirky guy with the pearly whites)~ he has perhaps the most definitive voice in the contest and his indie vibe is refreshing…. but is he a one trick pony?
10. Ashton Jones (ie: Diana Ross 2.0)~ she’s got the looks, the body and the personality. Now, if she can propel her vocals up to the level of her diva’tude, she could end up going as far as Syesha Mercado a couple of seasons ago.
11. James Durbin (Lambert-lite): this rockin’ wailer is already rather divisive, but you can’t deny his pipes. And his brotherly relationship with Langone only serves to help with his likability factor.
12. Naima Adedapo (ie: Nina Simone/India Arie 2.0)~ she just barely squeaked her way into the top 13 and will need to hone her vocals to stay on this journey. But she’s unique and has an underdog quality about her that is worth rooting for. Plus, Steven Tyler is squarely in her corner…
13. Haley Reinhart (ie: Myley 2.0)~ ok, how on Earth did she make the finals? She’s cloying, artificial, obnoxious and creepy… Yes, her voice is decent, but I doubt she’ll go much farther here… Watch for her to be on the chopping block next week.

And there you have it~ my take on just who is at the top of this game and who has some work to do. What do you think? Who are your favorites and do you like this top 13? Let me hear it in the comments below…. And watch next week when they sing “Songs by their Favorite Artists” on Wed night and we get the first big elimination on Thursday (which will also feature Adam Lambert doing an acoustic version of his new single “Aftermath”!)

And before I go, here’s an encore of Stefano’s incredible performance of “I Need to Know” from last night