American Idol Quick Wrap 5/8/13~ Here Comes the Tears

Tonight, the best top three singers in the history of American Idol performed admirably thru many vats of tears on arguably the best episode of the season to date. Not only were their songs bringing us to tears but the annual home town visits were showcased and that was a serious bawl-fest. Whether it was the “Boston Strong” signs Angie witnessed or Candice‘s massive family displaying their incredible joy or the heartbreak of visiting Kree’s home where she grew up with her late parents, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. And that includes my house where I was a blubbering fool….
Yes, the emotions were high throughout the night which helped to bring out some great performances as the contestants sang three songs (Jimmy’s Choice, Judge’s Choice, Producers Choice) as they fought for a spot in next week’s finale. All of them have a good shot with these wonderful performances, but just who has the edge? Take a look at my performance rankings and predictions below~

American Idol Season 12 Top Three Performance Rankings~
~ the Astounding
1. Candice- “Somewhere”: tackling the iconic ballad from West Side Story, Candice absolutely slayed the monster with a version that rivals Barbra and Broadway’s best. It was simply amazing. Her vocals were rich with piercing emotion and soaring notes that not only transported us to a different plane but made the song seem new and fresh.I was crying and giving a “Standing O” alongside the judges. It was arguably the best “moment” of the season to date. FYI~ the other best “moment” of the season was Candice’s “Love Song”. Somebody absolutely deserves to win this competition with her insanely good performances and that someone is Candice!
~ the great
2. Kree- “Here Comes Goodbye”: singing the Rascal Flatts hit (co-written by American Idol alum Chris Sligh), Kree gave her best performance of the season. It was a glorious and emotionally wrenching vocal that had me in tears. If she records music this good with this amount of feeling, she will have a big career ya’ll. Just wonderful.
3. Angie Miller- “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word”: delivering Elton John’s classic ballad with a surprising amount of heart and subtlety, Angie gave her best performance of the night. Shockingly I agreed with Randy that the verses were the best part and her simplicity there really connected with the emotion perfectly. Angie is a pro and so comfortable in front of or behind the piano. Well done.
4. Candice- “One”: Candice hit it out of the park again on U2′s glorious anthem. Her emotions were on point and the vocals really cut to the core of this aching rocker. Candice showed she can sing any genre yet again tonight and with this rock track, I’d love to see her venture into this genre on her debut album. So good!
5. Angie- “Try”: holy crap, I have to admit it. I believed Angie the rock star tonight as she truly rose to the occasion on P!nk’s recent top ten smash. Her voice fit the song perfectly and she had such confidence and swagger on the stage. She really is the whole package now.

~ the good
6. Candice- “Next to Me”: with this soaring and sultry version of Emeli Sande’s current hit, Candice showed how she can be a contemporary artist and still smash the hell out of the vocal. It felt like it was her very own song and I loved how she played with the riffs at the end.
7. Angie- “Maybe”: I’m sure most people didn’t know this Emeli Sande song before tonight, but I bet a bunch of you went straight to iTunes and bought it after hearing Angie’s lovely interpretation. (Seriously, I’m living for all things Emeli Sande right now!) It’s the perfect kind of song for Angie to sing and record. Another fine job.
~ the pretty good:
8. Kree- “Better Dig Two”: singing the recent # 1 country hit by The Band Perry (co-written by my fiend Shane MacAnally), Kree was able to let loose a bit and have fun. I could see her record something like this in the future. However, on a night of great performances, this one just seemed average. I did love seeing Kree have fun on an uptempo number though.
9. Kree- “Perfect”: I have to agree with Kree that this # 2 smash from P!nk wasn’t the right fit for her. While her voice sounded great, especially on the countrified first verse, the song just felt a bit off. I do love that Kree focused on the positive message of the song and she certainly delivered that sentiment well.

Predictions~
I don’t think they’ll announce an actual bottom two. They’ll just say who’s going home and that person will be…
Going Home: Kree

Sadly, I think this is the end of the line for our kind-hearted and full-voiced country girl Kree Harrison. She’s a true authentic singer and artist and I can’t wait to see what she does in the future…. However, if I’m wrong and she makes the finale, I’ll be surprised and excited. But who would she replace? At this point I don’t really think she can take down Candice or Angie…. We’ll find out tomorrow night on American Idol.… Oh and on a side note, I have to applaud the judges for their most civil and least long-winded judging of the season. I wish they had been like this all year!

And just because I had to watch it like 10 times in a row, I’m gonna share it with you again. Check out Candice’s astounding performance of “Somewhere” below.

Carrie Underwood Leads the 2012 CMT Video Award Nominations

CMA, ACM, Billboard, American Music Award and Grammy Award winner Carrie Underwood could add some more metal to her trophy room as she leads this mornings Country Music Television Award nominations with 5 mentions honoring the best in country music videos and performances. Carrie (who has also won several of these in the past) is up for her latest clip “Good Girl” and her duet with Brad Paisley, “Remind Me”. She’s also one of four American Idol’s vying for awards as Kellie Pickler, Lauren Alaina and Scotty McCreery also grabbed a nomination. Following Carrie with the most nominations were a ton of people who grabbed 3 nods: Jason Aldean, Taylor Swift, Lady Antebellum, Rascal Flatts, Thompson Square and Blake Shelton. Take a look at all the nominees below and see who wins the 2012 CMT Music Awards June 6th on CMT. (And to vote for your favorites, head here.)

2012 CMT Award Nominations:

VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video of the year; awarded to the artist (male, female, group/duo or collaboration) and the video director. Final nominees announced during live telecast, with final voting held online at CMT.com during the show.

Jason Aldean – “Dirt Road Anthem”
Kenny Chesney featuring Grace Potter – “You And Tequila”
Toby Keith – “Red Solo Cup”
Lady Antebellum – “We Owned The Night”
Miranda Lambert – “Over You”
Brad Paisley with Carrie Underwood – “Remind Me”
Rascal Flatts featuring Natasha Bedingfield – “Easy”
Blake Shelton – “God Gave Me You”
Taylor Swift featuring The Civil Wars – “Safe & Sound”
Carrie Underwood – “Good Girl”

MALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a male artist; awarded to the artist

Jason Aldean – “Dirt Road Anthem”
Luke Bryan – “I Don’t Want This Night To End”
Eric Church – “Drink In My Hand”
Toby Keith – “Red Solo Cup”
Blake Shelton – “God Gave Me You”
Keith Urban – “Long Hot Summer”

FEMALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a female artist; awarded to the artist

Sara Evans – “My Heart Can’t Tell You No”
Miranda Lambert – “Over You”
Martina McBride – “I’m Gonna Love You Through It”
Kellie Pickler – “Tough”
Taylor Swift – “Ours”
Carrie Underwood – “Good Girl”

GROUP VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a group; awarded to the artists

Eli Young Band – “Crazy Girl”
Lady Antebellum – “We Owned The Night”
Pistol Annies – “Hell On Heels”
Rascal Flatts – “Banjo”
The Band Perry – “All Your Life”
Zac Brown Band – “Keep Me In Mind”

DUO VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a duo; awarded to the artists

Love and Theft – “Angel Eyes”
Montgomery Gentry – “Where I Come From”
Sugarland – “Tonight”
The Civil Wars – “Poison & Wine”
Thompson Square – “Glass”
Thompson Square – “I Got You”

USA WEEKEND BREAKTHROUGH VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video from an artist’s major breakthrough album; awarded to the artist (male, female, or group/duo)

Lauren Alaina – “Georgia Peaches”
Brantley Gilbert – “Country Must Be Country Wide”
Hunter Hayes – “Storm Warning”
Scotty McCreery – “The Trouble With Girls”
Pistol Annies – “Hell On Heels”
Thompson Square – “I Got You”

COLLABORATIVE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video that featured a special collaborative appearance by artists; awarded to the artists (individual, group or duo)

Kenny Chesney featuring Grace Potter – “You And Tequila”
Brad Paisley with Carrie Underwood – “Remind Me”
Rascal Flatts featuring Natasha Bedingfield – “Easy”
Lionel Richie with Shania Twain – “Endless Love”
Taylor Swift featuring The Civil Wars – “Safe & Sound”
Zac Brown Band featuring Jimmy Buffett – “Knee Deep”

CMT PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Musical performance on a television show, series or variety special on CMT; awarded to the artist (individual, group or duo)

Jason Aldean – “Tattoos On This Town” from 2011 CMT ARTISTS OF THE YEAR
Lady Antebellum – “Dancin’ Away With My Heart” from 2011 CMT ARTISTS OF THE YEAR
Little Big Town – “Fix You” from MUSIC BUILDS: THE CMT DISASTER RELIEF CONCERT
Blake Shelton – “Footloose” from INVITATION ONLY: BLAKE SHELTON
Sting and Vince Gill – “If I Ever Lose My Faith In You” from CMT CROSSROADS: STING AND VINCE GILL
Steven Tyler and Carrie Underwood – “Just A Dream/Dream On” from CMT CROSSROADS: STEVEN TYLER & CARRIE UNDERWOOD FROM THE PEPSI SUPER BOWL FAN JAM

And here’s Carrie’s big nominated video “Good Girl”. Enjoy!

Nicki Minaj, fun. and Madonna make News on the Charts

Just one week after Madonna topped the Billboard charts, her “Give Me All Your Lovin’” collaborator, Nicki Minaj grabs her second consecutive # 1 album with her sophomore release Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded. Minaj’s album helps push Madge’s MDNA all the way down to # 8 with the biggest second week drop in the soundscan era. Still the Material Girl already has sold well over 400,000 copies and will have another Gold record soon…. Also debuting well was country crooners Rascal Flatts with Changed at # 3 while Adele returns to the runner-up spot. For more on this chart, head to Billboard here and check out the new top ten below.

Top Ten Albums on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart:
1. Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded- Nicki Minaj (debut)
2. 21- Adele (last week~ 3)
3. Changed- Rascal Flatts (debut)
4. Tuskegee- Lionel Richie (lw~ 2)
5. Up All Night- One Direction (lw~ 6)
6. My Head is an Animal- Of Monsters and Men (debut)
7. The Hunger Games Soundtrack- Various Artists (lw~ 5)
8. MDNA- Madonna (lw~ 1)
9. I Win- Marvin Sapp (debut)
10. Amaryllis- Shinedown

Over on the Hot 100 Singles chart, nothing new is happening as fun. holds on top for a 6th week in a row Next week may be an interesting fight as fun. will have to fend off Gotye whose single “Somebody that I Used to Know” climbs to # 2 and was featured on Glee this week. Also challenging for the top are dueling U.K. boy bands The Wanted and One Direction who each make big gains this week. Take a look at the new top ten below.

Top Ten Singles on the Hot 100:
1. “We Are Young”- fun. w/Janelle Monae (last week~ 1) * 6 weeks on top
2. “Somebody that I Used to Know”- Gotye w/Kimbra (lw~ 3)
3. “Glad You Came”- The Wanted (lw~ 4)
4. “What Makes You Beautiful”- One Direction (lw~ 9)
5. “Boyfriend”- Justin Bieber (lw~ 2)
6. “Starships”- Nicki Minaj (lw~ 6)
7. “Wild Ones”- Flo Rida w/ Sia (lw~ 7)
8. “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)”- Kelly Clarkson (lw~ 5)
9. “Part of Me”- Katy Perry (lw~8)
10. “Call Me Maybe”- Carly Rae Jepsen (lw~ 10)

And one last item… While Madonna’s album takes a dive this week, the second single “Girl Gone Wild” makes history as it lands at the top of the Dance Charts. This gives Madonna her 42nd # 1 single on that chart extending her lead after she broke her own record a little over a month ago with “Lovin’”…. For more on that story, head here, and take a listen to Madge’s new chart topper below. I dare you not to dance!

Madonna “Girl Gone Wild”

Jason Aldean leads the CMT Music Award Nominations

It seems like we just had a country music award show like last week. Well, it wasn’t last week, but a few weeks ago was the Academy of Country Music Awards, and today we have more country award news. This morning the nominations for the CMT Music Awards honoring the best in Country music videos were announced. Leading the way is the breakout country crooner of the year Jason Aldean who received noms for his videos “My Kinda Party” and “Don’t You Wanna Stay”, his duet with Kelly Clarkson. Joining her fellow Idol as a nominee is Carrie Underwood who grabbed two nods for her video “Undo It”. Landing three nominations apiece were Taylor Swift, Lady Antebellum, Zac Brown Band, The Band Perry, Rascal Flatts and Miranda Lambert. Take a look at the list of the nominees below and watch the show on CMT on June 8th.

2011 CMT Music Award Nominees

VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video of the year; awarded to the artist (male, female, group/duo or collaboration) and the video director.? Final nominees announced during live telecast, with final voting held online at CMT.com during the show.
• Jason Aldean – “My Kinda Party”
• Kenny Chesney – “The Boys Of Fall”
• Lady Antebellum – “Hello World”
• Miranda Lambert – “The House That Built Me”
• Rascal Flatts – “Why Wait”
• Sugarland – “Stuck Like Glue”
• Taylor Swift – “Mine”
• The Band Perry – “If I Die Young”
• Carrie Underwood – “Undo It”
• Zac Brown Band – “Colder Weather”

MALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a male artist; awarded to the artist
• Jason Aldean – “My Kinda Party”
• Kenny Chesney – “The Boys Of Fall”
• Toby Keith – “Bullets In The Gun”
• Blake Shelton – “Who Are You When I’m Not Looking”
• Keith Urban – “Without You”

FEMALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a female artist; awarded to the artist
• Sara Evans – “A Little Bit Stronger”
• Miranda Lambert – “The House That Built Me”
• Reba – “Turn On The Radio”
• Taylor Swift – “Mine”
• Carrie Underwood – “Undo It”

GROUP VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a group; awarded to the artists
• Lady Antebellum – “Hello World”
• Little Big Town – “Little White Church”
• Rascal Flatts – “Why Wait”
• The Band Perry – “If I Die Young”
• Zac Brown Band – “Colder Weather”

DUO VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a duo; awarded to the artists
• Steel Magnolia – “Last Night Again”
• Sugarland – “Stuck Like Glue”
• The Civil Wars – “Barton Hollow”
• The JaneDear Girls – “Wildflower”
• Thompson Square – “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not”

USA WEEKEND BREAKTHROUGH VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video from an artist’s major breakthrough album; awarded to the artist (male, female, or group/duo)
• Lee Brice – “Love Like Crazy”
• Aaron Lewis – “Country Boy”
• Jerrod Niemann – “Lover, Lover”
• The Band Perry – “If I Die Young”
• Thompson Square – “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not”

COLLABORATIVE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video that featured a special collaborative appearance by artists; awarded to the artists (individual, group or duo)
• Jason Aldean with Kelly Clarkson – “Don’t You Wanna Stay”
• Justin Bieber feat. Rascal Flatts – “That Should Be Me”
• Kid Rock feat. Sheryl Crow – “Collide”
• Aaron Lewis feat. George Jones and Charlie Daniels – “Country Boy”
• Loretta Lynn, Miranda Lambert and Sheryl Crow – “Coal Miner’s Daughter”

CMT PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Musical performance on a television show, series or variety special on CMT; awarded to the artist (individual, group or duo)
• Martina McBride and Train – “A Broken Wing” from CMT CROSSROADS: TRAIN AND MARTINA MCBRIDE
• Reba – “If I Were A Boy” from UNPLUGGED: REBA
• Darius Rucker and Adele – “Need You Now” from 2010 CMT ARTISTS OF THE YEAR
• Keith Urban and John Mayer – “Sweet Thing” from CMT CROSSROADS: JOHN MAYER AND KEITH URBAN
• Zac Brown Band and Jimmy Buffett – “Margaritaville” from CMT CROSSROADS: JIMMY BUFFETT AND ZAC BROWN BAND

BEST WEB VIDEO OF THE YEAR (New for 2011)
Best video created primarily for internet streaming; awarded to the artist (individual, group or duo)
• Jason Aldean – “My Kinda Party” (Live From The CMT Webcast)
• Luke Bryan – “It’s A Shore Thing”
• Lady Antebellum – “Stars Tonight”
• Blake Shelton – “Kiss My Country Ass”
• Taylor Swift – “Mine” (Live from the Speak Now Album Release Party)

VIDEO DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Best video director of the year; awarded to the director for his or her body of work from the past year
• Deaton Flanigen (award eligible videos include: Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow’s “Collide” and the JaneDear Girl’s “Wildflower”)
• Trey Fanjoy (award eligible videos include: Miranda Lambert’s “The House That Built Me” and Blake Shelton’s “Who Are You When I’m Not Looking”)
• Chris Hicky (award eligible videos include: Carrie Underwood’s “Undo It” and Keith Urban’s “Without You”)
• David McClister (award eligible videos include: The Band Perry’s “If I Die Young” and LeAnn Rimes’ “Swingin’”)
• Roman White (award eligible videos include: Lady Antebellum’s “Hello World” and Kellie Pickler’s “Makin’ Me Fall In Love Again”)

And here’s Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson with my fave song of the year and a nominee for the CMT’s “Don’ You Wanna Stay”

Susan Boyle, Rihanna, and The Beatles make news on the Charts while an Idol tanks…

The holiday shopping season is upon us and the music biz is finally perking up with 8 new debuts in the top ten of the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart. However, it was a holdover that grabbed #1 as Susan Boyle’s seasonal collection, The Gift, stayed on top and actually increased its sales to 335,000 copies in week two. She held off a shockingly strong performance from another TV bred star, ten-year old Jackie Evancho of America’s Got Talent, whose holiday opera debut landed in the runner-up spot besting Rihanna‘s Loud which actually gave the pop star her biggest first week sales to date. Rihanna also has the new # 1 single in the country this week with “Only Girl in the World” which hits the summit just two weeks after her other song “What’s My Name?’ began its run on top.
Back on the album chart, Josh Groban, Kid Rock, The Glee Christmas album, Rascal Flats, Keith Urban and Nelly all made it into the top ten with the only other stalwart being Taylor Swift who hung on at # 9. Watch for strong sales for most of those releases throughout the holiday season particularly Groban and Boyle… It wasn’t good news for the latest American Idol winner, Lee Dewyze, though whose first album Live It Up tanked landing at # 19 with a paltry 39,000 for the lowest first week sales of any Idol winner or runner-up in the show’s history. Perhaps the more deserving singer he beat Crystal Bowersox will have stronger  sales power with her debut in a few weeks. Stay tuned…

Here’s this week’s top Ten albums:
1. Susan Boyle- The Gift (lw~ 1)
2. Jackie Evancho- O Holy Night (debut)
3. Rihanna- Loud (debut)
4. Josh Groban- Illuminations (debut)
5. Kid Rock- Born Free (debut)
6. Rascal Flatts- Nothing Like This (debut)
7. Keith Urban- Get Closer (debut)
8. Glee- The Christmas Album (debut)
9. Taylor Swift- Speak Now (lw~ 2)
10. Nelly- 5.0 (debut)

Back over on the singles chart, the Glee cast made more big news with “Forget You” featuring Gwyneth Paltrow which debuted at # 1 on the digital singles sales chart. That was the second # 1 in a row on the chart for the show which hit the top last week with “Teenage Dream”. The later single debuted at # 8 on the Hot 100 as well, but “Forget You” just misses the top ten debuting at # 11. The original version original version of that song “F*%k You (Forget You)” by Cee -Lo does grab a spot in the top ten though spurred on by the attention from the hit show to zoom up to # 9.

Here’s this week’s top ten songs:
1. “Only Girl in the World”- Rihanna (lw~ 2)
2. “Raise Your Glass”- Pink (lw~ 4)
3. “Like a G6”- Far East Movement (lw~ 1)
4. “We R Who We R”- Ke$ha (lw~ 6)
5. “Just a Dream”- Nelly (lw~ 5)
6. “Firework”- Katy Perry (lw~ 9)
7. “Just the Way You Are”- Bruno Mars (lw~ 3)
8. “What’s My Name?”- Rihanna w/Drake (lw~ 7)
9. “F#%k You (Forget You)”- Cee-Lo (lw~ 19)
10. “Bottoms Up”- Trey Songz (lw~ 10)

With Rihanna’s latest # 1, she now has a total of 9 chart toppers and that means she has more # 1′s than any other artist this decade. Pretty shocking, huh? Here’s a list of Rihanna’s # 1′s below.

Rihanna’s #1 songs (the most in the 2000′s by any artist):
“S.O.S.”
“Umbrella” with Jay Z
“Take A Bow”
“Disturbia”
“Live Your Life” with T.I.
“Rude Boy”
“Love the Way You Lie” with Eminem
“What’s My Name?” with Drake
“Only Girl in the World”

~and is it me or is it also shocking that “Don’t Stop the Music” didnt’ hit the top of the Hot 100? It peaked at # 3.

The lastl big chart news of the week belongs to The Beatles who finally made all their albums and singles available to iTunes. After just one week out, the supergroup sold over 450,000 albums worldwide and over 2 million singles. Looks like good music will always thrive. For more on all your chart needs, head to Billboard here.

And here’s your # 1 song in the country, Rihanna’s “Only Girl in the World”

It’s Kelly Clarkson Duet Day!

As you all know, I’m a little obsessed with the best American Idol winner ever, Grammy winner and multi-platinum superstar Kelly Clarkson. And it’s been entirely too long since I posted about her. Well, recently she tweeted about recording a duet for her new album that will be out at the end of the year. She was mysterious about just who she would be singing with, but I’m thinking it may be fellow Idol fave Chris Daughtry. There were rumors of a Kelly/Daughtry duet to be included on his band’s second album, Leave this Town. However, that song never surfaced. Perhaps we’re getting an even better treat on Kelly’s 5th album… Regardless of who it is, they better step up to the plate because we all know Kelly can wail big time. As soon as I hear who that guest performer is, I’ll let you know. In the meantime check out these great Kelly duets below and let me know just who you think she will be recording with. For more on Kelly, go here.

Kelly Clarkson & Reba McEntire “Because of You” (a top 40 pop and # 2 country smash that netted them a Grammy nom for Best Country Collaboration)

Kelly Clarkson & Daughtry “Fast Car”

Kelly Clarkson & Melissa Etheridge “Bring Me Some Water” (from VH1′s Divas Live)

Kelly Clarkson & En Vogue “Free Your Mind”

Kelly Clarkson & Martina McBride “Does He Love You”

Kelly Clarkson & Rascal Flatts “What Hurts the Most”

Kelly Clarkson & Fantasia “Jesus, O What a Wonderful Child”

IDOL RESULTS~ The Sounds of Shania Silence Siobhan

I have to say I was a little shocked to see our favorite quirky little thing Siobhan Magnus get the boot last night on American Idol. I loved her individuality and her unique spirit. However, her lack of musical identity and inability to really know how to handle her musical gift did her in on a night when her competitors rose to the occasion on the Twain express. For my full recap of last night’s results show including the performances of Lady Antebellum, Shakira, Rascal Flatts and The Sons of Sylvia, check out my Limewire Music Blog post here.

http://blog.limewire.com/posts/40831-american-idol-results-recap-42810-the-sounds-of-shania-silence-siobhan/

And here’s a little Siobhan goodness to remind you of the girl who we thought might actually have a chance to take on Lee and Crystal in the finals…
Siobhan Magnus “Paint It Black”