It’s Time for My American Idol Season 12 Top Ten BUZZ Rankings!

Well, last week, American Idol revealed the top ten finalists for season 12 and I pretty much predicted all of them. What I didn’t predict is that the producers held on to their promise of no “wild card” contestants. While the next-closest vote getters (i.e.: the 6th place girl and guy) will have a sing off this week to join the tour, it looks like our top ten is just that~ a top ten. And it’s a pretty good one. All five women are strong contenders and should hopefully help the “season of the girls” to the first female winner since Jordin Sparks in 2006. As for the guys, I really don’t think any of them can win, but a couple could go pretty far…. So, just who has the buzz going into the first week of the finals? Check out my all new unscientific yet surely correct American Idol Buzz Rankings below.

American Idol Season 12 Top Ten Buzz Rankings~

1. Candice: this big voiced diva has simply slayed it every week and she remains the best hope of a R&B Idol winner since Fantasia. She also is very good with her strong song choices and reinterpreting them while still being true to the original melodies. Her voice is incredible and she has great confidence. My only question is~ will being to “R&B” actually hurt her in the end?
2. Kree: this country blues girl has an amazing voice, quiet confidence and wonderful artistry. her unassuming personality is also very pleasing and she exhibits great humility. She could go the country, rock or pop route in the end and I have a feeling her vocal adaptability will help her go far in the game (much like one Kelly Clarkson in the first season).
3. Angie: you may wonder why she is not at the top of the list after all the producer and judges pimping plus some great performances. The reason is two-fold. First, her great performances plant her squarely at the piano on very similar yet great songs and second, she may end up skewing a little “too Christian” much like last season’s Colton Dixon who she covered last week. I don’t know if that’s type of artist she wants to be because she has the looks, talent, voice and personality to go all the way. We’ll see how she presents herself in the weeks ahead but arguably she’s the smart money choice as the season 12 winner. (But hey, I’m not always betting on smart money)
4. Amber: I think this beautiful girl has incredible untapped potential and could be the true dark horse to win. She has a great voice with a big range, is young, fun and relatable. Now, if she can just expand her song choices beyond Whitney and trust in her performances, she will be a true threat.
5. Burnell: he’s got the voice, the backstory (Katrina survivor! Weight loss!), and an infectious personality which will all help him in his quest to stop the ladies this season. If he does, he’d be the first African-American male winner since Ruben Studdard in season 2!!! … Now Burnell, please be smart about your song choices as you continue. More John Legend type songs, less female diva songs. Those will be sung by all your competitors anyway.
6. Paul: yes, he’s my favorite guy in the competition and yes, he’s had some shaky performances. However, he’s still incredibly likable, humble and possesses a very good voice. He’s also the only cute white guy in the race which will help him. And yes, it is time for a male-Carrie Underwood in the country pop world. So, as long as he believes in himself, relaxes and lets out true emotion in his performances, he could make the top five or more.
7. Devin: while I think he has easily the best male voice among the finalists, his personality hasn’t really popped yet. We know he has a beautiful vocal instrument and can shift seamlessly between English and Spanish. But what else can he do?
8. Janelle: the country girl we all thought would be assured a spot in the finals had a shaky road the last few weeks. However, her 3 season journey to get here, her lovely voice and affable demeanor have pushed her through. Now, if she can just pick the right song, stay away from the Carrie catalog, and nail a few performances, she could crack the top five.
9. Lazaro: ok, he is undeniably the most popular male in the race right now with a good story (He’s cute. He’s Cuban. He stutters and was bullied but has overcome!) However, he doesn’t seem like a true “artist” yet. He’s just singing well and doing songs that have been covered numerous times on Idol before. So, he needs to define who he wants to be as a pop star, embrace his special qualities, harness his confidence and really show us he’s a contender. Or else, he may be the front-runner who quickly becomes an also-ran (sniff sniff I miss you Pia!)
10. Curtis: let’s see how to I put this nicely? … Um, he has a really good voice… Yeah, that’s about it… This guy is obnoxious, arrogant, and entitled. We’ve seen his shtick many times before and done better, but with humility and grace (hello Joshua Ledet!)… I don’t think this worship leader has a prayer of winning in the competition.

And there you have it. The ladies have most of the buzz, but a few boys could be a surprise buzz kill. I can’t wait to see how they all hold up tomorrow night when they tackle the songs of former American Idol winners (both their post-Idol catalogs and any song they sang on the show). We’ll probably see a lot of Kelly, Carrie and Fantasia. But you Taylor Hicks and Lee Dewyze lovers (who?) are certainly going to be left wanting…. Now, tell me who your favorites are in the comments below and watch American Idol tomorrow night on Fox.

It’s Here~ My “American Idol” Top 20 BUZZ Rankings

It’s time for my first official blog on American Idol season 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 Belated Thoughts on the Season 11 American Idol Finale

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”

American Idol Quick Wrap 5-22-12~ Jessica Schools Phillip on the Finale, but Can She Win?

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!!!!!

My American Idol Season 11 Top 2 Buzz Rankings~

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”

My Top 13 American Idol Buzz Rankings!

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.

Hot New Music~ Elliott Yamin “3 Words”

Season 5 of American Idol has to be considered its zenith. The show had its highest ratings, Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood were on their way to superstar status, and the top ten finalists were arguably the best top ten they’ve had to date. While the season is also dubious for having arguably the worst winner in the history of the show in Taylor Hicks (however, season 9′s Lee Dewyze is fighting him for that title), eight of the top ten finalists grabbed record deals. And one of them, the one I thought should’ve won the whole season, Elliott Yamin, is about to release his third album. His beautiful new single, “3 Words” has hit written all over it and it just surfaced on the web. Take a listen below and for more on Elliott and his new album, head here.

Elliott Yamin “3 Words”

(And yes, that was season 5 So You Think You Can Dance finalist Kayla in the video in case you were wondering).

As for those singers who grabbed deals from season 5… here’s a quick rundown on their careers to date…

Mandisa: the Christian diva landed in 9th place and has released 3 hit gospel/Christian albums to date. She’s also received 2 Grammy nominations.
Bucky Covington: the country singer finished in 8th has had several top 40 country hits and is readying his third album for release later this year.
Ace Young: that season’s stud landed in 7th and grabbed a Grammy nominations for co-writing Daughtry‘s “It’s Not Over”. He has since released a solo album and he’s also become fixture on the Broadway stage appearing in hits like Hair.
Kellie Pickler: the country cutie wound up in 6th but has had massive success in her field with a platinum debut album and a gold follow-up. Her third record featuring the hot new country hit, “100 Proof” hit stores just two days ago.
Chris Daughtry: in what was arguably the biggest shocker elimination in the show’s history (except for maybe Pia last year), Chris was sent packing in fourth. He did get the last laugh though with his debut album, Daughtry, amassing 5 big hit singles, over 4 million in sales and 4 Grammy nominations. The followup, Leave this Town, went platinum and landed 3 more hits. His latest album, released in November, is almost gold and their current single “Crawling Back to You” is top ten on the Hot AC charts.
Elliott Yamin: you heard his new single above, but this third place finisher has also had a mega smash from his first album “Wait for You”. His debut album went gold and the follow-up featured the hit “Fight for Love”. His new record is due in the spring.
Katharine McPhee: while she’s released 3 albums, including her debut which sold 375,000 copies featuring the hit “Over It”, this second place finisher is more known for her acting these days. She appeared in the films The House Bunny and Shark Night 3D and is now the star of the midseason NBC musical drama Smash. (I’ve seen it and it’s brilliant and Katharine’s career is about to explode.)
Taylor Hicks: I couldn’t stand him but middle America loved him and he won that season. His debut also sold over 800,000 copies despite no hit songs. Since then he has been dropped form his label and records independently now release several more albums.

First Listen~ New Music from “Idol” stud Chris Richardson

Season 6 of American Idol was the second worst cycle of the series, if you ask me. The only worse year was season 9′s dreadful run (with winner and pop culture punchline Lee Dewyze)…. At least season 6 gave us a brief glimpse of the very talented Melinda Doolittle and a fine winner in Jordin Sparks who has had 4 top ten hits, a Grammy nomination and is currently shooting her film debut with the remake of Sparkle co-starring Whitney Houston. But that was about it until now as that season’s hottie, Chris Richardson, is readying his debut album. The Justin Timberlake sound alike recently was the featured vocalist on the R&B/hip hop hit “Far Away” by Tyga, and that led to his record deal with Cash Money records. The label, known mainly for hip hop artists is branching out with Richardson’s smooth R&B stylings as they have just released his sexy new single “In the Name of Love”. Check out the song below and watch for his debut album in the spring. For more on Chris, head to his website here.

Chris Richardson “In the Name of Love”

Hot New Idol Music from Daughtry, J Hud, Scotty, Lauren, James and More

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 biopic Winnie 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.

Idol Winner Scotty McCreery has his “Day” on the Charts

Apparently America picked a real winner this time on American Idol as this year’s victor also proves his muscle on the music charts debuting at # 1 on the Billboard 200 Album charts. 18-year-old Scotty McCreery was Idol’s first male country winner and he becomes the first Idol to debut at # 1 on the Album chart since Ruben Studdard in 2003. (Kelly Clarkson was the first winner to achieve that feat with Thankful in 2002). Scotty’s Clear as Day starts off strong with 197,000 copies sold far outdistancing the last two winners Kris Allen who limped in with 80,000 copies (a far cry from that year’s runner-up Adam Lambert’s debut of 280,000 units) and Lee Dewyze who tanked with just 39,000 sold (and has since been dropped from his label). Scotty also set the record for the youngest man to debut at # 1 on the album chart and the first country act to debut at # 1 with their first studio recording. Congrats Scotty. Sure I still would’ve preferred Lauren Alaina (whose debut record, Wildflower, hits the charts next week), Pia Toscano or Haley Reinhart to win the season, but clearly Scotty is proving a worthy champion. For more on Scotty’s debut, head to Billboard here and check out the new top ten below.

Billboard 200 Albums Top Ten:
1. Clear as Day- Scotty McCreery (debut)
2. 21- Adele (last week~ 3)
3. Duets II- Tony Bennett (lw~ 4)
4. Own the Night- Lady Antebellum (lw~ 6)
5. Cole World: the Sideline Story- J. Cole (lw~ 1)
6. Tha Carter IV- Lil Wayne (lw~ 7)
7. Metals- Feist (debut)
8. Take a Back Road- Rodney Atkins (debut)
9. People and Things- Jack Manequin (debut)
10. Neighborhoods- Blink 182 (lw~ 2)

Over on the singles chart, Adele continues to rule the roost with “Someone Like You” for a non-consecutive third week and now tops 2 million downloads sold. She’s likely to extend that run for a few more unless LMFAO’s “Sexy and I Know It” surges big in the next few weeks. Take a look at the new top ten on the Hot 100 below.

Hot 100 Top Ten:
1. “Someone Like You”- Adele (last week~ 1)
2. “Moves Like Jagger”- Maroon 5 w/ Christina Aguilera (lw~ 2)
3. “Pumped Up Kicks”- Foster the People (lw~ 3)
4. “Sexy and I Know It”- LMFAO (lw~ 6)
5. “Stereo Hearts”- Gym Class Heroes w/Adam Levine (lw~ 4)
6. “Party Rock Anthem”- LMFAO w/Goonrock & Lauren Bennett (lw~ 5)
7. “We Found Love”- Rihanna w/Calvin Harris (lw~ 9)
8. “Without You”- David Guetta w/Usher (lw~8)
9. “You Make Me Feel”- Cobra Starship w/Sabi (lw~ 10)
10. “You and I”- Lady Gaga (lw~ 12)

And here’s your Idol chart topper performing his new single “The Trouble with Girls” live at the Grand Ole Opry