I have to say I was so thrilled and proud of American on Thursday night when the nation and American Idolviewers crowned the brilliant Candice Glover the season 12 winner. She was the best singer, the most consistent vocalist, and the greatest entertainer and innovator of the season. Obviously she was the right winner and that’s no disrespect to the lovely and talented runner-up Kree Harrison, who should have a big country career ahead of her…. But back to Candice. I am just so thrilled that the right person and my personal favorite finally won for the first time in 6 years. That’s since Jordin Sparks ya’ll! (In case you’re wondering I think David Archuleta, Adam Lambert, Crystal Bowersox, Pia Toscano and Jessica Sanchez should’ve won their respective seasons as the best vocalists, but that’s just me.)
For further proof of Candice’s brilliance, check her out dueling with Oscar and Grammy winner Jennifer Hudson on “Inseparable” below. It was the stunning highlight of the finale broadcast and let me tell you, it was even better live!
Candice Glover/Jennifer Hudson “Inseparable”
And while Candice had the best number of the night with that one, there were some other great collaborations. First I loved the duet from third place finalist Angie Miller (who is due to sign her record deal this week too) and Grammy nominated Idol alum Lambert on “Titanium”. It was beautiful and the harmonies were amazing…. Angie followed that up with the raucous duet with Jessie J on “Domino” that was awesome too. Seriously Jessie J is incredible.
Angie Miller/Adam Lambert “Titanium”
Angie Miller/Jessie J “Domino”
Another shocker favorite performance for me was from 5th place finisher Janelle Arthur who rocked some serious hair-ography with The Band Perry on their current hit “Done”. It was so good.
Janelle Arthur/The Band Perry “Done”
So, those were my favorite moments from a good, not great finale. (Seriously, what was up with all the lip synching superstars, the horrible boys number and a strange Frank Valli?)… But, I am thrilled a woman finally won and an amazing one at that. I have high hopes for Candice’s career and I think she, Kree and Angie all have a great shot at success. You can buy all three ladies debut singles on iTunes now. I sure did. =)
So, that’s it for season 12 of American Idol. I loved all the girl power this season and congratulations to Candice! Let’s hope next year, we get another great winner along with some new theme nights and better judges too. (Sorry Nicki was a mess. Mariah was lovely but long-winded and buh bye to the Dawg Randy Jackson after way too long on the panel.) In the meantime, please enjoy Candice Glover’s first official hit “I Am Beautiful” below.
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.
So, if you watched last night’s episode of The Voice, you saw the show’s best and most talented contestant, Amanda Brown, get eliminated. It was horrifying and upsetting and another in a long line of singing show voting injustices. Following in the footsteps of singers like American Idol’s Jennifer Hudson, Carly Smithson, Pia Toscano and Chris Daughtry getting the boot before they should’ve, Brown was sent packing. With that news, I am sending the show packing. If you read my recap from Tuesday night, I was very dissatisfied with the show as it devolved into an overproduced X-Factor type mess (much like its first two seasons). So, with the show’s continuing decline and the wonderfully talented Ms. Brown no longer in the running, I am done with The Voice. There’s really no reason to watch for me anymore. So, sorry but my recaps are done for this season. We’ll see if I return in the Spring when there will be some new judging blood in Usher and Shakira (replacing the delightful but derivative Cee Lo and the incredibly rude, egotistical and annoying Christina Aguilera). Until then, I would recommend mjsbigblog for good recaps and news on the show…. And I’ll just look positively towards a new season of the only talent show that actually produces successful pop stars and remains the gold standard, American Idol.
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!!!!!
Dueling themes kept things interesting again this week on American Idol as the singers took on the songs of the 60′s and British pop. Both genres provided some standout performances but the latter really helped the singers step up their game. It was a night where one singer built on her momentum for her strongest week yet and one singer fell to his farthest depths with his worst frame to date. So, just who were those two and how did everyone rank as a whole? Well, check out my rankings of all the performances plus my predictions below.
American Idol Performance Rankings 5-2-12
The 60′s~ 1. Skylar “Fortunate Son”: I don’t care that I’m not very familiar with this Credence Clearwater Revival hit from 1969 or that I didn’t really love the song. None of that mattered because Skylar absolutely lit the stage on fire with this incendiary and fantastic performance. Loved it. 2. Jessica- “Proud Mary”: taking on Ike & Tina Turner’s # 4 hit was a tall order and only Jessica could pull it off with such passion and panache. She sold the crap out of it and sounded great as always. 3. Hollie- “River Deep Mountain High”: singing the song that got Pia sent home way too early last year, I was a little worried for Hollie. However, she nailed it. Her vocals were great and it was her most loose, relaxed and fun performance to date. Really really good. 4. Joshua- “Aint to Proud to Beg”: singing this 1966 hit for The Temptations, Joshua was totally in his element. But it felt a little safe and forgettable compared to his earlier performances this year. He did sing it wonderfully though. 5. Phillip- “The Letter”: so, he got rid of the melody from this 1967 #1 hit by the Box Tops, turned it into another Dave Matthews Band clone, and gave a lax performance. Even his sexiness couldn’t save it. And he paled in comparison to the brilliant version that Season 7′s Carly Smithson and Michael Johns performed back in the day. Check that out here.
British Pop~ the great 1. Jessica- “You Are So Beautiful”: ok, what the heck does this girl have to do to get a standing ovation from these ridiculous judges? Because that was FLAWLESS and her best performance since “I Will Always Love You”. It was emotionally connected, vocally perfect and simply stunning. I dare say it improved on Joe Cocker’s 1975 original. 2. Hollie- “Bleeding Love”: with perhaps her best performance and vocal to date, Hollie did an astounding job on this song, which was the biggest worldwide # 1 smash in 2008 for Leona Lewis. (Hello, how do you not know that song Steven Tyler? You silly dingbat!) She is really in it to win it and I think she may have saved herself from a spot in the bottom two for once with this fabulous song.
the very good 3. Joshua- “To Love Somebody”: Josh’s great vocal on this Bee Gee’s 1967 hit didn’t have me on my feet like the three stooges, er um our judges. But it was very very good and his performance was naturally great. Another solid one for Mr. Ledet and likely the thing that keeps him safe this week. 4. Skylar- “You Don’t’ Have to Say You Love Me”: our country cutie’s take on Dusty Springfield’s “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me” wasn’t perfect, but it was pretty darn good. She made it her own and sang the bejesus out of it. I just wonder if it ends up a little less memorable at the end of the night… the terribly terrible 5. Phillip- “Time of the Season” : simply put, this off-key, flat, boring, lazy and astoundingly awful performance of The Zombie’s 1969 # 3 hit should finally land Mr. Growly pants in the bottom three.
Duets/Trios
1. Skylar, Jessica and Hollie- “Higher and Higher”: fantastic on all levels with great vocals from each of them.
2. Joshua & Phillip- “You’ve Lost that Lovin’ Feeling”: um, no… just no.
Predictions: Bottom 3: Skylar, Phillip and Hollie (but Jessica could wind up here too. It’s close) Bottom 2: Skylar, Phillip Buh Bye: Phillip (I think his first trip to the nether regions will be his ticket out of here finally)
Well, that’s my recap and what do you think of that? Did you figure out who had their best and worst week? Here’s a hint~ Hollie is now a serious contender and Phillip could be on the way out. But will that actually happen? I hope so, but I don’t know. So watch American Idol tomorrow night with special guests Carrie Underwood and Coldplay and find out.
And here’s the best performance of the night one more time…. Jessica Sanchez doing “You Are So Beautiful”
If any of you were wondering why I didn’t post about the ridiculousness of last week’s American Idol results show, I just couldn’t bring myself to…. After hearing the season’s best singer, Jessica Sanchez, got the lowest amount of votes and was almost eliminated, I was just plain angry. How could American Idol voters be so stupid or lazy or just ignorant? Why oh why was this happening again? I was overwhelmed with memories of the loss of Pia Toscano too early last year (and the unsettlingly early departures of Tamyra Gray in season 1, Jennifer Hudson in season 3, Chris Daughtry in season 4 and Carly Smithson in season 7) and I just didn’t even want to talk about it…. Now, it’s almost a week later and I have calmed down. I’m grateful that the “Save” actually existed for once, and I am grateful the judges saved Jessica (but duh, we knew they’d do that) I’m also excited she has another chance this week. I, mean seriously, she is this season’s best singer and has the best chance to become an Idol pop powerhouse ala Kelly and Carrie, since Jordin in season 6. (That would also make her the first female winner in 5 years.)… So, let’s hope Idol voters will get their acts together and vote up a storm for Jessica this week!… That said, my girl takes a tumble in the buzz rankings… And that means it’s time for my all new totally unscientific American Idol Season 11 Buzz Rankings for the top seven singers…
American Idol Season 11 Top 7 Buzz Rankings (redux)
1. Colton: looks like the boy with the skinniest legs on Earth and a major Jesus crush is headed straight to the finals. He has never been in the bottom three, always gives consistent and strong performances, and the girls love him. Even though I found him a little forgettable this week, he is on a roll and rises to the top of my rankings for the first time. It’s also time I stopped underestimating the power of the cute white boy in this year’s competition. (last week~ 3) 2. Skylar: she gave another strong performance this week and improved upon a former Idol‘s song. (That was Kellie Pickler I’m speaking of people). She also went first in last week’s lineup and still remained safe. I think this year’s country contender could end up being the last girl standing after all. (lw~ 4) 3. Phillip: it pains me to put him back in the top three, but even after another bad week of weak performances, he still avoided the bottom three. He is the heir to the “white guy with guitar” Idol mantle title of the past few years. So, he could hang on way longer than this one trick pony should…Oh and he’s cute, so there’s another cajillion votes for him each week too. Ugh (lw~ 5) 4. Jessica: ok, you may think I’m crazy to have her this high after she almost went packing… However, I am hopeful last week was just an anomaly. She is clearly the best singer on the show (yes, I’m repeating myself cuz it’s true) and deserves to make the top five at least. (And hello win the whole shebang, but I may be dreaming)… Anywho, I think her fan base will get off their lazy bums and activate this week to keep her in the game. Plus, you know she’s gonna throw down this week to prove herself. (lw~ 1) 5. Joshua: what on Earth was he doing in the bottom 3 last week too? He gave the other best performance of the night and has been consistently good throughout the competition… Did people just feel like he was “safe” too and they didn’t need to vote? Do tween girls not vote for good singers? (Um, we know they don’t) What more can he do to stay in the game? (lw~ 2) 6. Hollie: she gave one of the weaker performances of the week, but this big voiced cutie avoided the bottom three somehow. I think she has a bigger fan base than anyone might expect. Well, she is from Texas and that is a real big state… Plus she has all those Irish votes, and who doesn’t love her super strange accent? (lw~ 7) 7. Elise: I’m rather worried about Elise. She gave two really good performances and still landed on the silver stools of doom. And that’s a position she has found herself in many times this season despite her considerable talent. I feel like she’s gonna need a miracle or a big misstep from one of her peers to last another week in the race. (lw~ 6)
So, that’s the buzz. The two best singers are in trouble and the two heart throbs can do no wrong. Plus, the two blonde ladies are still hovering at the bottom of the pack. Will either of them survive? Can Jessica and Joshua make big comebacks tomorrow when they sing one song from the past decade and one “soul” classic? Will people ever realize that Phillip is NOT all that and a bag of chips? And will it end up being a Skylar v. Colton finale? Stay tuned…
And before I go, please take another look at the brilliant Jessica Sanchez and her incredible performance of “Stuttering” from last week… Pick up the phone for this girl people!
Clearly American Idol viewers opened their ears for once and heard Heejun sing because he was finally booted off the program last week. Sure, he was a funny guy, with a good heart and a nice tone to his voice. However, he had no star quality, took the show for granted, mocked the program and caused the early ousting of my dear Erika! …. Alas, I need to get over that… At least he’s gone and we have a really good top 8. But just how good are they? Well, I’d say this seasons talent is up there with the best season’s like 5 (Daughtry, Katharine, Elliott), 7 (David Cook, Carly, David Archuleta) and 10 (Scotty, Pia, Haley, Lauren). But who has the current buzz to head to the front of the pack? Well, it’s time to take a look at my all new completely unscientific American Idol Buzz Rankings below….
My Season 11 Top 8 American Idol Buzz Rankings~
1. Jessica: hanging on to the top slot by the thinnest of strings, my favorite singer in the race had another great week slowing down a Beyonce jam into her own slinky groove. Jessica has the talent, ambition and is very creative with each of her song choices and performances. I’m surprised the judges aren’t pimping her more especially if we finally want a girl to win this thing! (last week~ 1) 2. Phillip: Mr. Phillips almost overtook my Jessica again this week with a really strong and totally not annoying performance of a song by Johnny Lang no one’s heard of. That takes some gumption and some great follow through. At this point, it feels like a Jessica/Phillip finale fight. We shall see… (lw~ 3) 3. Elise: holy crap, Elise is in my top three and I couldn’t be happier. She has killed it the past two weeks and finally had an Idol moment with her Led Zeppelin cover last week. Could our bluesy dark horse be a threat for the title? I hope so. (lw~ 6) 4. Colton: he went first and sang his favorite “praise” song and was super pitchy last week, yet he still was not in the bottom three. That means this pretty Idol has some serious support. I do think he needs to change things up a bit before all his songs start sounding like Daughtry clones. And PS- shut it with the god talk. You’re turning off more voters than you know with that. Trust me, Jesus doesn’t care if you win American Idol. I think he’s got more important things on his plate. (lw~ 2) 5. Skylar: yes, she was in the bottom 3 last week, but I think the fact that she went so early in the show was the real problem. She performed well and is so darn likable. I think she will bounce back this week no problem. (lw~ 4) 6. Joshua: I have no idea why America loved his wonky and pitchy performance last week. I do know that I think he’s got a great voice and is very likable, so that clearly helped. I just wonder how viable a pop artist he would be. (Hello, not much~ but he could be a great R&B and Gospel singer). This week should be interesting for him with the 80′s theme. (lw~ 7) 7. Deandre: ok, he’s a cool cat with a great falsetto and fabulous hair, but I just don’t get it. I feel like he has so much growing to do as an artist and needs to pick better songs that more people know. That said, his obscure Eric Benet pick, kept him out of danger and the judges loved it. I still feel like he’s one misstep away from getting the boot. (lw~8) 8. Hollie: oh my sweet dear little Hollie with the big voice. What are ya doin? Yes, you sing great most of the time, but you’re in a free fall. I just hope this talented girl picks a great fun upbeat song and really connects with the material so she can make a big comeback and land a place in the final five like she deserves to. (lw~ 5)
So, it seems Hollie is on a dangerous downward path, while Elise is flying high and Deandre continues to scoot by unscathed. But what will happen this week with that aforementioned 80′s theme? We’ll see. Tune in to American Idol Wednesday night on Fox and then head back here for my take.
Last week, American Idol suffered a terrible blow with the too early and incredibly upsetting ouster of the wonderfully talented Erika Van Pelt. Sporting a sexy new ‘do and amazing vocals on “New York State of Mind” wasn’t enough to help her connect to Idol fans (not to mention performing so early in the show which never helps anyone) who for some unknown reason preferred the buffoonery of Heejun. I was heartbroken, but I should’ve known one of my favorites would head home ahead of their time. Hello, Pia from last year anyone? … Alas, I have to get it together and look ahead to this week when the contestants will sing songs by their personal Idols. I also need to give you my latest all new completely unscientific buzz rankings to help you decipher just who will make it to the finale. So, I’m gonna buck up, stop my iTunes repeat of Erika’s “Heaven” recording and start counting them down below.
My Season 11 Top 9 American Idol Buzz Rankings~
1. Jessica: with another glorious performance showcasing her incredible pipes, Jessica returns to the top spot and her front-runner status. If she takes on Beyonce, as rumored, this week, I think she can have another standup moment and on an uptempo song. (last week~ 3) 2. Colton: well our skinny Christian rocker flies up the chart this week after his wowing performance of “Piano Man”. He has the looks, charisma and voice to win, but he needs to dial back the God talk because we’re not looking for America’s next Christian Idol. (lw~ 6) 3. Phillip: falling back into his usual growling Dave Matthews-esque performances, Phillip drops a couple of notches. He’s still on very solid ground, but if he wants to make it to the finals, he better give us something new each week. (lw~ 1) 4. Skylar: sure “Shameless” was probably her worst performance to date, but the girl even made that look pretty effortless. Plus, she’s the only country contender and I say she’s still a lock for the top five. (lw~ 5) 5. Hollie: our cute Irish/Southern hybrid had a rough week with her take on “Honesty”. It was way out of her wheelhouse and she clearly didn’t connect to it. However, she still avoided the bottom 3 and she has a tremendous voice. I think she can bounce back this week. (lw~ 2) 6. Elise: with one of last week’s best performances, Elise made a big impact and avoided her usual place in the bottom 3. Could this be the start of an upswing on the show? I hope so. However, she is the oldest contestant and a female and those are two big hurdles in this race. (lw~8) 7. Joshua: another singer who had his worst week yet during “Billy Joel” night was Joshua. His vocals were ok, but his performance was disconnected, shaky and wholly unconvincing. Hello, you need to emotionally connect to your material people. Pick better songs. I think he will do just that this week. (lw~ 4) 8. Deandre: how he wasn’t even in the bottom 2 last week astounded me. But hey, he’s likable and pretty, so the tween girls are probably on his side. He just needs a big “moment” to go farther than 8th or 9th place if you ask me. He’s on borrowed time right now. (lw~ 7) 9. Heejun: all I can say about him at this time is VOMIT. His performance last week was all kinds of terrible, not to mention disrespectful to the other competitors and the show as a whole. He needs to go now! I don’t care if he’s funny or a nice guy at home. I say buh bye. You are officially this season’s Sanjaya, and that is NOT a compliment. (lw~ 10)
So, that’s the latest. Colton and Jessica are on the rise. Hollie and Joshua take a fall. And Heejun and Deandre could bite the dust (hopefully) any minute. How will they all fair tomorrow night? Check back here after the show and find out.
In the meantime, check out my Erika’s final wonderful performance of “New York State of Mind” one more time. She Was ROBBED!
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.
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.
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.)
