Even a Magnificent Prince Can’t Save the Dreadful Lip Synch, I mean Billboard Music Awards

What the hell Billboard? You represent the most popular music, songs and acts in the nation and you honor them with a show full of lip synching pop tarts? (Yes, I’m talking bout you Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, and the incredibly whiny Justin Bieber). Seriously, it was the worst Billboard Awards show in history. Only a handful of acts actually sang live~ thank you Kasey Musgraves, Bruno Mars and Ed Sheerhan. And only the magnificent one, Prince, had a true standout performance. The legend who received the Billboard Icon Award seriously schooled all of the other acts. For an indepth look at my reaction to the Billboard Music Awards, head to my hilarious Twitter feed here.
In terms of the awards, which honored the biggest selling artists, singles, albums and most played songs, the big winners were Swift, Bieber, One Direction, Adele, Rihanna, Maroon 5, Gotye, Nicki Minaj, and Madonna who took home 3 awards and made quite an entrance to accept the award…. For more on the show and the winners, head to Billboard here. Then, scroll down for all the winners below.

2013 Billboard Music Award Winners~

Billboard artist of the year
Taylor Swift

Top female artist
Taylor Swift

Top male artist
Justin Bieber

Top new artist
One Direction

Top duo/group
One Direction

Top Billboard 200 album
Taylor Swift, Red

Top Hot 100 song
Gotye feat. Kimbra, “Somebody That I Used to Know”

Top Hot 100 Artist
Maroon 5

Top Billboard 200 artist
Taylor Swift

Milestone artist
Justin Bieber

Top digital songs artist
Carly Rae Jepsen and Taylor Swift (tie)

Top radio songs artist
Rihanna

Top rap artist
Nicki Minaj

Top pop artist
One Direction

Top R&B artist
Rihanna

Top country artist
Taylor Swift

Top rock artist
Fun.

Top EDM artist
David Guetta

Top social artist
Justin Bieber

Top streaming artist
Nicki Minaj

Top Latin artist
Jenni Rivera

Top dance artist
Madonna

Top Christian artist
tobyMac

Top touring artist
Madonna

Top pop song
Carly Rae Jepsen, “Call Me Maybe”

Top R&B song
Rihanna, “Diamonds”

Top rap song
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, “Thrift Shop”

Top country song
Taylor Swift, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”

Top rock song
Gotye feat. Kimbra, “Somebody That I Used to Know”

Top Latin song
Michel Teló, “Ai Se Eu Te Pego”

Top dance song
Baauer, “Harlem Shake”

Top EDM song
Baauer, “Harlem Shake”

Top Christian song
Matt Redman, “10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)”

Top digital song
Carly Rae Jepsen, “Call Me Maybe”

Top radio song
Gotye feat. Kimbra, “Somebody That I Used to Know”

Top streaming song (audio)
Gotye feat. Kimbra, “Somebody That I Used to Know”

Top streaming song (video)
Psy, “Gangnam Style”

Top pop album
Adele, 21

Top R&B album
Rihanna, Unapologetic

Top rap album
Nicki Minaj, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded

Top country album
Taylor Swift, Red

Top rock album
Mumford & Sons, Babel

Top Latin album
Jenni Rivera, La Misma Gran Señora

Top dance album
Madonna, MDNA

Top EDM album
Skrillex, Bangarang

Top Christian album
tobyMac, Eye on It

Highlights from the American Idol Finale and Congrats to Candice!!!

I have to say I was so thrilled and proud of American on Thursday night when the nation and American Idol viewers crowned the brilliant Candice Glover the season 12 winner. She was the best singer, the most consistent vocalist, and the greatest entertainer and innovator of the season. Obviously she was the right winner and that’s no disrespect to the lovely and talented runner-up Kree Harrison, who should have a big country career ahead of her…. But back to Candice. I am just so thrilled that the right person and my personal favorite finally won for the first time in 6 years. That’s since Jordin Sparks ya’ll! (In case you’re wondering I think David Archuleta, Adam Lambert, Crystal Bowersox, Pia Toscano and Jessica Sanchez should’ve won their respective seasons as the best vocalists, but that’s just me.)

For further proof of Candice’s brilliance, check her out dueling with Oscar and Grammy winner Jennifer Hudson on “Inseparable” below. It was the stunning highlight of the finale broadcast and let me tell you, it was even better live!

Candice Glover/Jennifer Hudson “Inseparable”

And while Candice had the best number of the night with that one, there were some other great collaborations. First I loved the duet from third place finalist Angie Miller (who is due to sign her record deal this week too) and Grammy nominated Idol alum  Lambert on “Titanium”. It was beautiful and the harmonies were amazing…. Angie followed that up with the raucous duet with Jessie J on “Domino” that was awesome too. Seriously Jessie J is incredible.

Angie Miller/Adam Lambert “Titanium”

Angie Miller/Jessie J “Domino”

Another shocker favorite performance for me was from 5th place finisher Janelle Arthur who rocked some serious hair-ography with The Band Perry on their current hit “Done”. It was so good.

Janelle Arthur/The Band Perry “Done”

So, those were my favorite moments from a good, not great finale. (Seriously, what was up with all the lip synching superstars, the horrible boys number and a strange Frank Valli?)… But, I am thrilled a woman finally won and an amazing one at that. I have high hopes for Candice’s career and I think she, Kree and Angie all have a great shot at success. You can buy all three ladies debut singles on iTunes now. I sure did. =)
So, that’s it for season 12 of American Idol. I loved all the girl power this season and congratulations to Candice! Let’s hope next year, we get another great winner along with some new theme nights and better judges too. (Sorry Nicki was a mess. Mariah was lovely but long-winded and buh bye to the Dawg Randy Jackson after way too long on the panel.) In the meantime, please enjoy Candice Glover’s first official hit “I Am Beautiful” below.

Candice Glover “I Am Beautiful”

American Idol Quick Wrap 5/1/13~ May Day May Day!

As, I was watching last night’s American Idol, I kept screaming at the TV: “May Day, May Day”! No, not just because it was the first day of May, but because the top four were crashing throughout the vocal battle last night. Well, ok, 3 of them were crashing at times, because Miss Candice Glover seriously killed it on both of her songs. The fierce four sang “Songs from 2013″ with surprisingly blah results and the over-worn theme of “Standards”. Unfortunately, Angie, Amber and Kree all seemed a little tired or defeated and you could see that this long journey is starting to get to them with tons of stress and pressure. And while that was apparent, in a few of their numbers, the ladies voices were glorious as always… I wish I could say the same about the judges who were battling each other again. I’m sorry but I think Mariah may have to get the boot alongside the incredibly annoying Nicki and useless Randy next year. And, um, while Harry Connick Jr gave good advice and was an amusing mentor, his hard criticism really defeated the girls and he sounded like a real jerk at times. However, in the long run, he actually could be a really good and honest judge should the producers consider him for next year… And while they contemplate that, let’s take a look at my rankings and predictions for last night.

American Idol Performance Rankings for 5/1/13

~the great

1. Candice- “You’ve Changed”: with the best vocal and performance of the night, Candice simply killed it on this beautiful standard. She made the song seem current and infused it with the perfect mix of emotion and heartbreak. Astounding.
2. Amber- “My Funny Valentine”: reprising the song that got her into the top twenty, Amber changed it up a bit and gave another flawless vocal. It was a beautiful and heart-tugging performance that stands as one of Amber’s best to date. I really hope she can pull out a miracle and make it another week with pipes as amazing as hers.

~ the good

3. Kree- “See You Again”: with what I consider the most emotionally connected performance of the night, Kree brought me to tears on her cover of Carrie Underwood‘s new hit. I wish it had just been her and the guitarist because she could’ve had an “Idol Moment”, but it was still a great performance and Kree’s best in weeks.

4. Candice- “When I Was Your Man”: tackling Bruno Mars’ recent # 1 smash, Candice delivered another solid performance. She really connected with the audience and made the song sound like it was written for a woman. She’s not only a supreme singer but a great storyteller.

~ the ok:
5. Kree- “Stormy Weather”: while her vocals were strong and the song started out good, it just left no impression and fell flat. Kree really never quite connected to the song and her bluesy tone was lost as she followed Harry Connick Jr’s advice. (He steered her wrong despite his smart advice on the standards for the other ladies). That said, it was one of the better of the “Standards” half of the show. I just wish the judges and Harry hadn’t highjacked the whole critique section and made a mess of things.
6. Angie- “Someone to Watch Over Me”: while the production of the song was overwrought , Angie’s vocals were clear and lovely. There were some standout moments that were a nice counterpoint to her over-singing in the rest of the song. And she did look gorgeous, but it was a little forced and Disney-fied and that finally note was so out-of-place and obnoxious.
~ the eh:
7. Amber- “Just Give Me A Reason”: my girl Amber faltered on the current # 1 song in the nation by P!nk and Nate Reuss. Her vocals were fantastic of course, but she seemed lost otherwise. She was stiff and in her head. Also, this is clearly not a song that she would record and you could see it in her unconformability. I just wish she had done Rihanna’s “Diamonds” instead of Angie.
~ the bad:
8. Angie- “Diamonds”: I’m sorry, but this was not good. While Angie sang it well and has a great voice, her interpretation of the song turned it into a bad jazz club joint and lost all the meaning and heat of the song. It was all kinds of forced and her fake pleading to the camera did her no favors either.
9. The Top 4 -”Wings”: um, what was that? No introduction was provided or explained for the ladies singing the new top 40 song by UK X Factor girl group Little Mix and it just felt weird. Also, none of them got to showcase their vocals and there were dancers and pyrotechnics that took away from our talented top four. Uncle Nigel and the Idol Producers, what the hell was that?

Predictions~
Bottom 2: Amber and Kree
Going home: Amber
* However, this is a crazy week in Idol history as fourth place is where we saw shocking boots for Chris Daughtry and Tamyra Gray. So, with that in mind, I wouldn’t be shocked if Angie fell into the bottom and got the boot. She did go first and was not very good last night, so it wouldn’t be too much of a surprise if she suddenly lost support and fell victim to the fourth place curse. But you know she got a ton of votes last week so, we will see.

So, there you have it. The ladies faltered a bit as we’re nearing the end of a long and exhausting race. America’s votes from the last two weeks will be combined for tonight’s results and Amber may finally be in danger (boo!). But, could there be a shocking elimination? As long as it’s not Candice, I will be able to handle it. Will you? Let me know who your favorites are below and watch the American Idol results tonight on Fox.

American Idol Quick Wrap 4/3/13~ They Wanna Rock?

Well, I do have to applaud the producers of American Idol for picking a theme that wasn’t ballad heavy with tonight’s “Rock” genre. However, the producers obviously need some fresher themes because it was clear that some of these contestants did not want to rock… nor could they if they tried. And while there were some very nice performances, one judge continued to be the most annoying egomaniacal personality on television trying to steal the spotlight constantly. Yes, I’m talking of Ms. Minaj who brings the show down to a whole new terrible level. Sure, she’s honest, but she’s crass, rude and clueless much of the time. And um, the show is about the contestant, not you Nicki!… Seriously, I could rant about her for days, but instead, how about I talk about what we really care about~ my rankings and predictions for this week.

American Idol Rankings for “Rock” Night~ 4/3/13
~ solos
1. Amber “What About Love”: with another astounding vocal on this Heart smash, Amber narrowly beats Candice for my top spot. Her voice is just insanely good. I love this girl!
2. Candice “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction”: throwing some hot stank and some amazing vocals on the classic Rolling Stones hit, Candice was flawless as usual.
3. Kree “Piece of My Heart”: sitting right in her bluesy wheelhouse, Kree took on Janis Joplin’s iconic song and did another exemplary job. She’s always great and tonight was no exception. I’m just waiting for her to really let loose.
4. Angie “Bring Me to Life”: with her best performance in weeks, Angie almost made my top three. Her take on the Evanescence top ten hit was quite good and her voice fit perfectly in the song. I also appreciated and actually believed the rock edge she displayed tonight which surprised me a bit.
5. Janelle “You May Be Right”: while I applaud Janelle for trying new things and putting a country spin on this Billy Joel hit, the performance fell short of last week’s brilliance. It was a decent job and she’s incredibly likable, but it paled a little compared to the other ladies this week.
6. Burnell “You Give Love a Bad Name”: um, this was Burnell’s worst by a mile. He was stiff, uncomfortable, off the beat and the whole thing was just odd. At least he was on pitch most of the time though.
7. Lazaro “We Are the Champions”: well, sassy Lazaro (i.e.: Sazaro) did a much better job on this song than I thought he would. That said, it was still so forced and inauthentic. His vocals were better than usual, but his attitude and lack of musicality and showmanship really did him no favors with this number.

~ Groups
1. Candice/Burnell “The Letter”: this one lands on top squarely because of Candice. She’s just ridiculously good and while Burnell did a fine job, Candice really took this one home…. However, the duet didn’t come close to the best version of this song in Idol history which belongs to season 7′s Michael Johns and the amazing Carly Smithson. Check it out here.
2. Amber/Janelle/Kree “It’s Still Rock n Roll to Me”: they all sounded good, especially Amber, but it was a bit cruise shippy…
3. Angie/Lazaro “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”: poor Angie had to carry this one as Sazaro tanked again forgetting his lyrics and looking like a dear in headlights. It was just bad.

Predictions~
Bottom 3: Burnell, Janelle, Lazaro
Bottom 2: Burnell, Lazaro
Going Home: Lazaro (yes, I think it may finally happen! A boy can dream right?)

And there you have it~ a quick wrap for a not so rocking night on American Idol. Is Amber on the rise? Is Janelle in danger? Will Burnell fall victim to the Lazaro sympathy votes? Find out tomorrow night on the American Idol results show and let me know your favorites from tonight below.

My American Idol Quick Wrap~ 3/27/13~ Detroit City Rocks?

Tonight American Idol brought back the incredibly overdone theme of the music of Motown. However, they gave it a tiny twist saying it was music of Motown and any artist from the Motor City (i.e.: Detroit). That’s how we got a Madonna duet to go along with a ton of Stevie Wonder. I have to say the show was pretty good for the most part and I enjoyed Smokey Robinson as a mentor…. However, it became even more painfully clear that one contestant must go home while another rose to the occasion and could land a place in the top three. So just who did what and where do they land on my rankings? Check out my quick wrap rankings for all the performances and my predictions below.

American Idol Rankings 3/27/13~

SOLOS:
1. Amber: with a glorious vocal on Stevie Wonder’s “Lately”, Amber took no prisoners and LET ME HAVE IT! She better be winning some new fans after that one. Simply brilliant.
2. Janelle: with a wonderful re-working of the Supremes’ classic “You Keep Me Hanging On”, Janelle arguably had the “moment” of the night. What on Earth Nicki was complaining about afterwards was beyond me. (Um, seriously Nicki is just annoying now, but that’s a side note.) Janelle’s angst-filled countrified version of the song was great and I may even have to get it on iTunes.
3. Candice: with another great performance, Candice just makes it look too easy. Her take on “I Heard it Through the Grapevine” had a nice contemporary feel and was lush and sexy. Well done!
4. Kree: taking on an Aretha Franklin song I’m only slightly familiar with (“Don’t Play that Song”), Kree did her usual exemplary job. She’s a consummate professional and I think the one who has the best chance to win it all. Another solid performance.
5. Devin: giving the usual best male vocal of the night, Devin did a lovely job on “The Tracks of My Tears”. He even loosened up a little and has some great style. Now if he can just connect emotionally a bit more, he might have a fighting chance in this race.
6. Burnell: um, Burnell’s take on “My Cherie Amour” was way better than I thought it was gonna be, but that’s not saying too much. He does have a great tone, but the whole thing was pretty boring.
7. Angie: I have no idea what the hell that stink bomb Angie just laid on stage was but it was pretty awful. I appreciate that she tried to rock out to “Shop Around” but it did not work at all. It felt forced, was off pitch, a bit desperate and just wrong. However, her hair looked fabulous!
8. Lazaro: um, this take on “For Once in My Life” was easily his best performance since the first week in the top 40. That said, it was still blah and pretty bad. Enough already.

Duos/Trios:
1. Amber/Angie/Candice “I’m Going to Make You Love Me”: um, that was pretty darn flawless~ especially for Candice and Amber.
2. Janelle/Kree “Like A Prayer”: this was just aight for me. Kree did outsing Janelle by a mile, but it was decent overall for both ladies.
3. Burnell/Devin/Lazaro “Sugar Pie Honey Bunch”: for once I agree with crazy Nicki. That was absolutely horrifyingly bad. And look at the boys throwing each other under the bus. Um, sorry it was all Lazaro’s fault and Burnell did no favors to the song either. At least Devin tried to save it and remembered his words, but damn that was terrible.

Overall Rankings~
1. Amber
2. Candice
3. Kree
4. Janelle
5. Devin
6. Burnell
7. Angie
8. Lazaro

Predictions~

Bottom 3: Angie, Devin, Lazaro (yes, I’m throwing Angie in there… that may be crazy, but hey will it really be all three guys?)
Bottom 2: Devin, Lazaro
Going Home: Devin (unfortunately, the pity party-excuse making-annoying contestant and resident Senjaya of the season, Lazaro, will probably make it one more week~ blargh!)

So, did Detroit City rock for you? Or did it just make you roll… your eyes? … All I know is that Amber should finally be safe and Janelle is upping her game. But is it lights out for Devin or will people finally come to their senses and send the unprofessional whiner who can’t find a pitch if you paid him, Lazaro, home instead? Sound off below and tune into the American Idol results show 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.

“American Idol” is Baaaaaack!

The biggest and best singing competition on television is back tonight as American Idol returns for its 12th season on Fox. My favorite singing show and the only one that has produced a multi-platinum star (hello, they’ve produced a ton of them) remains a viable hit maker and record industry stalwart. Just look at last year’s winner Phillip Phllips who I wasn’t a big fan of but eventually won me over with his smash coronation song “Home” which has sold over 3.5 million copies to date,  hit # 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, # 1 on the Hot AC and AAA charts and top ten on Pop, Rock and AC. His debut album, The World from the Side of the Moon, has also sold over 600,000 copies to boot which is fantastic these days and shows no signs of slowing down. Yes, that noise you hear is me inserting my foot in my mouth about his future. I was sure runner-up Jessica Sanchez would be last season’s big success, and she may still be. Her debut album is due in March along with a guest starring gig on Glee.… But enough about the continued success of the great singers on last year’s show. This year brings a new crop of contenders and three big new judges joining Randy Jackson. First is Grammy winning country stud Keith Urban. Then we have the controversial, crazy at times and talented singer/rapper/fashion disaster Nicki Minaj, and finally we have the multi Grammy winning music icon Mariah Carey. It will be interesting to see how they gel and we’ve already heard about a feud between Carey and Minaj (um, I’m team Mariah… I’m just saying…), so fireworks could ensue. I just hope they keep the emphasis on the contestants which is the reason this show and its stars have been so successful…. So, here’s to season 12. Watch the premiere tonight and tomorrow on Fox and check out a preview below.

American Idol season 12 preview

Adele and Gotye are Music’s Biggest Sellers in 2012

Adele ruled the Album Charts throughout 2011 and again in 2012 with her massive smash 21. According to Billboard, she sold another 4.41 million again to have the top-selling album of the year for two years running (and over 10 million to date). The Grammy winning singer held off Taylor Swift and two albums by boy band One Direction not to mention five country albums in the top ten. Take a look at the top sellers of the year below.

Top Selling Albums of 2012:
1. 21- Adele (4.41 million)
2. Red- Taylor Swift (3.11 million)
3. Up All Night- One Direction (1.62 million)
4. Babel- Mumford & Sons (1.46 million)
5. Take Me Home- One Direction (1.34 million)
6. Believe- Justin Bieber (1.34 million)
7. Blown Away- Carrie Underwood (1.2 million)
8. Tailgates & Tanlines- Luke Bryan (1.1 million)
9. Tuskegee- Lionel Richie (1.07 million)
10. Night Train- Jason Aldean (1.04 million)

As for the top-selling digital singles of the year, newcomer Gotye was one of five new artists to land in the year-end top ten. Gotye’s “Somebody that I Used to Know” was the big winner selling 6.8 million to lead over fellow newbie Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe” with 6.4 million. The other new artists in the top ten were Psy, One Direction and fun. who grabbed two spots in the final list (as did Maroon 5). Take a look at the biggest selling singles of the year below and head to Billboard here for more info on all the year-end charts and sales figures.

Top Ten Selling Singles of 2012:
1. “Somebody that I Used to Know”- Gotye w/Kimbra (6.8 million)
2. “Call Me Maybe”- Carly Rae Jepsen (6.47 million)
3. “We Are Young”- fun. w/Janelle Monae (5.95 million)
4. “Payphone”- Maroon 5 w/Wiz Khalifa (4.76 million)
5. “Starships”- Nicki Minaj (3. 98 million)
6. “What Makes You Beautiful”- One Direction (3.89 million)
7. “Some Nights”- fun. (3.84 million)
8. “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)”- Kelly Clarkson (3. 82 million)
9. “Gangnam Style”- Psy (3.59 million)
10. “One More Night”- Maroon 5 (3.46 million)

And here’s the biggest selling single of 2012 by Gotye.

Alicia Keys and Rihanna are on “Fire” on the Charts

Alicia Keys and Rihanna are certainly on fire on the Billboard charts as the ladies rule the Billboard 200 Albums and the Hot 100 Singles Charts this week. Keys lands her 5th # 1 album with her latest Girl on Fire that also debuts atop the R&B Albums chart (her sixth leader there). The album propels the title track all the way up to #11 as well. Keys holds off a bunch of holdovers from the likes of Rod Stewart, Taylor Swift, One Direction and American Idol‘s Phillip Phillips who shockingly holds in the top five for a second week. Hello TV Singing shows, this is how you make a star! Take a look at the full top ten below featuring an influx of Christmas albums. Then head to Billboard here for more on all the charts.

Top 10 Albums ont he Billboard 200:
1. Girl on Fire- Alicia Keys (debut)
2. Red- Taylor Swift (last week~ 2)
3. Merry Christmas Baby- Rod Stewart (lw~ 6)
4. Take Me Home- One Direction (lw~ 3)
5. The World from the Side of the Moon- Phillip Phillips (lw~ 4)
6. Unapologetic- Rihanna (lw~ 1)
7. Christmas- Michael Buble (lw~ 16)
8. On This Winter’s Night- Lady Antebellum (lw~ 19)
9. Cheers It’s Christmas- Blake Shelton (lw~ 18)
10. Rebel Soul- Kid Rock (lw~ 5)

Back on the Hot 100 Singles Chart, Rihanna is still shining brights as her “Diamonds” holds for a third week on top. She will likely fall out next week as the points between her and runner up Bruno Mars are getting really close. Also getting new peak positions are The Lumineers and Phillips whose coronation song hits #7. For more on this chart and the rest of the singles charts, head to Billboard and scroll down for this week’s top ten.

Top Ten Singles on the Hot 100:
1. “Diamonds”- Rihanna (lw~ 1)
2. “Locked Out of Heaven”- Bruno Mars (lw~ 4)
3. “Die Young”- Ke$ha (lw~ 2)
4. “One More Night”- Maroon 5 (lw~ 5)
5. “Ho Hey”- The Lumineers (lw~ 7)
6. “Some Nights”- fun. (lw~ 6)
7. “Home”- Phillip Phillips (lw~8)
8. “I Cry”- Flo Rida (lw~ 9)
9. “Let Me Love You (Until You Love Yourself)”- NeYo (lw~ 10)
10. “Gangnam Style”- Psy (lw~ 5)

And here’s Alicia Keys fast rising new hit “Girl on Fire” featuring the ever polarizing Nicki Minaj. Enjoy

Bieber Wins Big but P!nk Steals the Show at the American Music Awards

Teen sensation Justin Bieber may have been the big winner at last night’s American Music Awards taking home 3 trophies, but the true victor from the show was P!nk with an astounding performance of her new single “Try”. In fact, pretty much everything from the show was a bit forgettable when compared with P!nk’s gorgeous moving and intense performance. With that said, take a look at my rankings of all the performances below. And can we please stop with all the lip synching? It was an atrocious lip synched mess for like 70% of the “singers” last night! .. As for the winners, a rather annoying Bieber took home Artist of the Year, Male Artist and Pop Album and he really needs to learn how to make an acceptance speech and get a sense of humor. A sense of humor would also help Taylor Swift, a winner for Country female, whose fake humility and incredibly irritating persona is grating on mine and a lot of other people’s nerves (and don’t get me started on that horrible performance)… Other big winners included Nicki Minaj with two awards and one apiece for Carrie Underwood, Rihanna, Adele, Katy Perry, Maroon 5, Luke Bryan, Lady Antebellum, Usher, Beyonce and Best New Artist Carly Rae Jepsen… For more on my take on the show and the winners, check out my twitter feed from last night here. (Yes, I live twatted the whole show!)…. And take a gander at all the winners below.

2012 American Music Award Winners:

Artist of the year: Justin Bieber
New artist of the year: Carly Rae Jepsen
Pop/rock female artist: Katy Perry
Pop/rock male artist: Justin Bieber
Pop/rock band, duo or group: Maroon 5
Pop/rock album: Justin Bieber, Believe
Country female artist: Taylor Swift
Country male artist: Luke Bryan
Country band, duo or group: Lady Antebellum
Country album: Carrie Underwood, Blown Away
Rap/hip-hop artist: Nicki Minaj
Rap/hip-hop album: Nicki Minaj, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded
Soul/R&B female artist: Beyonce
Soul/R&B male artist: Usher
Soul/R&B album: Rihanna, Talk That Talk
Alternative rock artist: Linkin Park
Adult contemporary artist: Adele
Latin artist: Shakira
Contemporary inspirational artist: tobyMac
Electronic dance music artist: David Guetta

Ranking the AMA Performances~

1. P!nk “Try”: this performance was simply stunning as P!nk married lyrical contemporary choreography and gorgeous emotional vocals to perfection in a duo with dancer Colt Prattes. It really defies words. Take a look below. Amazing. Grade: A+
2. Kelly Clarkson “Miss Independent/Since U Been Gone/Stronger/Catch My Breath”: with arguably the best vocal of the night, Clarkson paid homage to her American Idol roots and gave a flawless and fantastically fun performance. Now, that is how you sing LIVE people! Grade: A
3. Stevie Wonder “Dick Clark Tribute”: there’s a reason he’s a legend people and he proved it again… and he werrrrrked some serious purple to boot! Grade: A-
4. Linkin Park “Burn It Down”: giving you early 2000′s realness and a rocking good time, Linkin Park brought intense energy and precision to their industrial rap rock fusion hit. Grade: A-
5. No Doubt “Looking Hot”: they’ve still go it! Gwen is definitely still hot. Adrian is still crazy and Tony still looks stoned. Grade: B+
6. Carrie Underwood “Two Black Cadillacs”: despite a little pitchy start, Underwood nailed the rest of her delightfully dark and dramatic single. Grade: B+
7. Psy with Hammer “Gangnam Style/2 Legit 2 Quit”: there is no escaping the Korean Macarena and you know you loved it when Hammer showed up for a mashup of these dance hits… However, billing Hammer as an “international superstar” was a big much AMA’s… It’s not 1991. I’m just saying…. Grade: B
8. Justin Bieber “As Long As You Love Me”: I don’t know about you but I was shocked at how good and surprisingly authentic this acoustic performance was. It was easily the best thing I’ve ever seen him do. Grade: B
9. The Wanted “I Found You”: the hotter British boy band (sorry One Direction) actually sang live for most of the song and I’m kinda sucker for their rocking Ibiza dance party vibe. Grade: B
10. Christina Aguilera “Lotus/Army of Me/Let There Be Love”: Ok, the lip synched “Lotus” beginning was bad, but the let your freak fly positivity message was great. Plus she can wail like no other. It was just a bit of too much overall though. Grade: B-
11. Pitbull “Don’t Stop the Party: Ptibull is a fantastic performer and this generic but incredibly infectious song got everyone on their feet. However, did you really need to lip synch too Pit? Um, you’re rapping! Automatic point deduction. Grade: C+
12. Usher “Numb/Cant Stop Wont Stop/Medley”: it was a half sung/half lip synched vogueing laser show with a treadmill! He literally threw in everything but the kitchen sink. Grade: C+
13. Ke$ha “Die Young”: It was Game of Thrones meets Day of the Dead with a touch of Stomp at a gay circuit party. Oh, and another lip synched, but it was fun. Grade: C
14. Carly Rae Jepsen “This Kiss/Call Me Maybe”: it was fun but forgetful and this girl really needs to learn how to lip synch for her life. Grade: C-
15. Justin Bieber w/Nicki Minaj “Beauty and a Beat”: it was a second-rate wannabe NSYNC number, that was lip synced to boot. And Bieber looked rather tired. He is no JT people! Grade: C-
16. Nicki Minaj “Freedom”: here’s something I never thought I’d say about a Nicki Minaj performance~ that was BORING. Seriously boring and lip synched to boot. I had more fun staring at her Staypuff Marshmellow man meets Mariah Carey Christmas costume outfit. Grade: D+
17. Taylor Swift “I Knew You Were Trouble”: this was atrocious! It was a lip synched crapfest that stole from everyone including Madonna (“Vogue” at the VMAs), the Backstreet Boys (the “Everybody” video), Annie Lennox (the “Walking on Broken Glass” video) not to mention Gaga and Rihanna and more. Just belch. And Taylor would you please admit you’re not a country artist for once? That song is total pop meets dub step. Grade: D-
18. Swiss Beatz/douchebag Chris Brown/Ludacris performance: in a word, AWFUL. Grade: F

To end on a positive note, here are my two favorite performances. Enjoy the astounding P!nk and the fabulous Kelly Clarkson.

P!nk “Try” live at the AMA’s

Kelly Clarkson Medley live at the AMA‘s