“Help Me Now I’m Torn”! Those are the incredibly catchy lyrics from Natalie Imbruglia’s 90′s smash, but they also define my feelings after watching tonight’s American Idolseason 12 finale. In a nail biter of an episode, both of our incredibly talented ladies, Kree and Candice, delivered fantastic performances one after the other. Both sounded amazing, looked great, were humble and at the top of their game as they took on 3 songs: Simon Fuller’s Choice, their Single, and a “Favorite Encore” from the season. It was neck and neck up until the last song when one lady sang what I will say was the deciding vocal. However, in a year when supposed front-runner Angie got the surprise boot last week and left us with the two actual best singers in the finals, who knows who will actually win. Both women have a really good shot… But, let’s take a look at my rankings and final predictions for season 12 below and declare a winner.
American Idol Finale Performance Rankings~ 5/15/13
~ the astounding: 1. Candice- “I Who Have Nothing”: from the opening a capella verse to the insane final notes, Candice’s reprise song was a capper to an incredible season for the singer who had more “moments” than anyone else all year. And this was arguably her best. It was simply brilliant beautiful and bold. Simply amazing. And further props for changing up the arrangement yet again Candy Girl! ~ the fantastic 2. Kree- “Up to the Mountain”: with her best vocal of the night and arguably, the whole season, Kreedom rose into the heavens on this one. It was glorious and ethereal and surpassed her previous version by leaps and bounds. As Keith says, “just beautiful”. ~ the great 3. Kree- “All Cried Out”; forgive me but I was a bit cried out at the end of this lovely new single. The sentiment and Kree’s aching vocals really got to me. This could totally be her “Jesus Take the Wheel” and fly up the country charts. This kind of song and performance is just what got me so torn. In fact, Kree really made me emotional in all of her performances tonight and that could totally push her over the top. This single is also a much more marketable one than Candice’s. 4. Candice- “I Am Beautiful”: yes, you are beautiful Candice and so are your amazing pipes. While this song was a little more pop than the R&B sweet spot I like Candice in, it still was a good choice for her and a great vocal. I wonder how this one will do as an actual “single” but It certainly has potential. ~ the good: 5. Candice- “Chasing Pavements”: taking on Adele’s first hit, Candice delivered another winner. She changed up the phrasing and arrangement enough to make it feel like her own song and she sang it beautifully. It was just a little sleepy compared to her other two numbers. 6. Kree- “Angel”: with an angelic (yes I said it) vocal on Sarah McLachlan’s weeper, Kree totally wrecked me. While the song was a little sleepy as well, her emotion was so on point and her voice so perfect, it really left me a little weepy.
Wow~ 6 Incredibly performances. How can I choose a winner? Ok, I’m just gonna call it….
Prediction~ Winner: Candice Glover
(She had the stronger night by a small margin, but her final song really pushed her over the edge for the win. She was also the strongest and most consistent competitor all season.)
And there you have it. I’m ready to crown Candice Glover the season 12 American Idol. Are you? Will America pick the actual best singer this time? (I’d say only Kelly and Carrie were the actual best singers of their entire seasons, so Candice would be in great company.) Will Kree pull an upset and land us another Texas winner? Will Candice become the first returnee contestant to win? … Who knows? It’s gonna be really close and I could see either lady win. In fact, I’m predicting it will be the closest finale since Ruben/Clay in season 2. I also think both women have very good careers ahead of them. I can’t wait to see who what they do and, of course, who wins. Find out tomorrow on American Idol.
Sorry for the late recap post today, but I had a crazy busy night and morning with auditions. So, I just caught up on the first live top ten show of this season’s American Idol.And while I’m a little behind, it was all worth it for the brilliance of one Candice Glover. She schooled the competition by a mile despite a few other very strong performances and a couple serious clunkers. Since this is a quick wrap and East coasters will get the results show pretty darn soon, let’s just charge on thru my rankings and predictions for last night. Oh and PS~ loved the new theme of songs by former Idol winners. I just wish these contestants would’ve actually picked better and more interesting songs by those winners. Oy vey!
American Idol Rankings 3/13/13 ~ the great 1. Candice Glover- “I Who Have Nothing”: absolute brilliance. I was on my feet. She slayed Jordin Sparks’ (and Hayley Reinhart’s) fantastic version giving us full on Shirley Bassey meets Tina Turner and Mary J. Blige. A-mah-zing! 2. Amber- “A Moment Like This”: I have to say I was a little scared she took on Kelly’s classic winner song. However, Amber turned it out and did a fantastic job. Oh and I agree with Nicki (for once)~ I totally got an early Whitney Houston vibe. I’m telling you, Amber is the dark horse to win people. 3. Kree- “Cryin”: with another flawless, beautiful and emotional vocal, Kree actually out sang the wonderful Carrie Underwood and that is no small feat. ~ the good 4. Paul- “Amazed”: with a lovely restrained vocal and his most resonant connection yet, Paul stood above the rest of the guys for me this week and even Angie! 5. Angie- “I Surrender”: yes, I was not as enthusiastic as the judges or many of the fans out there with this performance. Sure, it was vocally on point and Angie is certainly a star. However, it paled in comparison to Kelly Clarkson’s take on this plaintiff Celine Dion ballad. I mean, Kelly sang the hell out of it while sick and still sounded a million times better than Angie (who still sounded good mind you.) ~ the decent 6. Burnell- “Flying Without Wings”: singing Ruben’s coronation song was a seriously lame choice. Sure, Burnell sounded great and I like his vocal style. However, he really needs to step up his song choices, styling and emotional connection. 7. Janelle- “Gone”: Janelle gets big points for being the only one not to do a ballad this week and I enjoyed her take on the Montgomery Gentry song Scotty sang two years ago. It was fun.. But was it a little forgettable too? Um, yes. ~ the eh 8. Devin- “Temporary Home”: um, Devin may find himself temporarily in the bottom three after this boring and disconnected performance. Hello, this song should be heartbreaking~ just ask Carrie… Devin just sounded pretty and sadly, a little bored. ~ the BAD 9. Lazaro- “Breakaway”: oh dear lord, that was kinda a train wreck. Look I really like this guy and I do applaud his chutzpah. However, he needs to get some musicality, music knowledge, stay on pitch and pick better song choices for his voice. Not good. Sorry. 10. Curtis- “I Believe”: assaulting Fantasia’s coronation song, Curtis imploded or um, exploded on stage. I don’t know what he was doing flying off pitch, never once coming across as sincere, and generally sucking big time.
Predictions~ Bottom 3: Janelle, Devin, Curtis (but Lazaro should be here) Bottom 2: Devin, Curtis Going Home: Curtis (and I’m thrilled with that)
So, the ladies continue to kick ass and most of the guys really struggled this week. But just who will be in the bottom three? Will there be a shocker like Burnell in the bottom 3? I really think the only guy who is safe is Paul and Lazaro certainly should be in danger, but he has a real big fan base. We’ll see… Check out the results tonight plus the “Sing Off” between the 6th place contestants and a performance from last year’s rather successful winner Phillip Phillips tonight on Idol on Fox.
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.
Grammy winner John Mayer and newly crowned American Idol winner Phillip Phillips share a lot in common. Both are attractive, guitar strumming, raspy voiced white guys, and now they’re both making waves on the Billboard Charts... Mayer lands his third # 1 album with his latest, Born and Raised, which sells 219,000 copies. Phillip’s compilation album from season 11 of American Idol debuts at # 11 while the combo-album from the season finale episode, American Idol Season 11: Top 2 Season Finale EP, featuring his competition (and the girl who should’ve won) Jessica Sanchez also debuts at # 21. Sanchez’s season competition album debuts way down at #126. Two other Idol contenders also hit the charts as season 10′s third place finisher Haley Reinhart barrels in at # 17 while season 8 champ Kris Allen disappoints with a # 27 debut for his sophomore album. He may have won that season but he has been upstaged time and again by that season’s runner-up Adam Lambert who hit # 1 with his sophomore album, Trespassing, last week…. For more on all these albums and the Billboard 200, head here and check out the new top ten below.
Top Ten Albums on the Billboard 200:
1. Born & Raised- John Mayer (debut)
2. 21- Adele (last week~ 2)
3. Blown Away- Carrie Underwood (lw~ 3)
4. Apocalyptic Love- Slash (debut)
5. Up All Night- One Direction (lw~ 10)
6. Tuskegee- Lionel Richie (lw~ 9)
7. The Hurt & the Healer- Mercy Me (debut)
8. Once Upon Another Time EP- Sara Bareilles (debut)
9. Now 42 Compilation- Various Artists (lw~ 6)
10. Little Broken Hearts- Norah Jones (lw~ 5)
And other American Idol contenders on the BB200 (along with Carrie Underwood above) ….
11. Journey to the Finale- Phillip Phillips (debut)
12. Trespassing- Adam Lambert (lw~ 1)
17. Listen Up! – Haley Reinhart (debut)
21. American Idol Season 11: Top 2 Season Finale EP- Phillip Phillps & Jessica Sanchez (debut)
27. Thank You Camellia- Kris Allen (debut)
33, Stronger- Kelly Clarkson * a former # 2 album that just passed 800,000 copies
73. Clear as Day- Scotty McCreery * a former # 1 album that has sold over 1 million copies
126. Journey to the Finale- Jessica Sanchez (debut)
Back on the Hot 100 SinglesChart, Philips also makes an auspicious debut as his coronation single “Home” hits the top ten debuting at # 10. This makes him the first Idol winner to hit the Hot 100 top ten with their coronation single since season 7′s David Cook. He also becomes the 13th Idol alum to hit the top ten on this chart following Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia, Carrie Underwood, Bo Bice, Taylor Hicks, Chris Daughtry, Jordin Sparks, David Cook,David Archuleta, and Adam Lambert…. Perhaps, I may have to eat my words about Phillips but I am still very skeptical that he will ever have any real pop hits with his upcoming debut album. That said, he’s off to a nice start. We’ll see how things turn out…. Holding onto # 1 is Gotye while Carly Rae Jepsen fights hard in the runner-up spot. For more on this chart, head to Billboard here.
Top Ten Singles on the Billboard Hot 100:
1. “Somebody that I Used to Know”- Gotye w/Kimbra (last week~ 1) * 7 weeks at # 1, the longest chart topper of 2012
2. “Call Me Maybe”- Carly Rae Jepsen (lw~ 2)
3. “Payphone”- Maroon 5 w/ Wiz Khalifa (lw~ 3)
4. “We Are Young”- fun. w/Janelle Monae (lw~ 4)
5. “Starships”- Nicki Minaj (lw~ 5)
6. “Wild Ones”- Flo Rida w/Sia (lw~ 6)
7. “What Makes You Beautiful”- One Direction (lw~ 7)
8. “Glad You Came”- The Wanted (lw~8)
9. “Boyfriend”- Justin Bieber (lw~ 9)
10. “Home”- Phillip Phillips (debut)
And here’s the lead off single from Mayer’s new album, “Shadow Days”
Grammy nominated American Idol alum Adam Lambert blasts on to the top of the Billboard 200 Albumschart this week with his sophomore release, the awesome pop-dance record Trespassing(which I give an “A” grade to by the way). In doing so, he makes some history. Not only is this the first time an Idol alum has succeeded another Idol at the top of this chart (as Lambert replaces Carrie Underwood after two weeks in the pole position), but he also becomes the first openly gay recording artist to debut at # 1 on this chart. Sure, other gay artists have topped the Billboard 200 like Elton John and George Michael, but they weren’t out at the time. So, kudos to Adam! I’m thrilled and I hope the record continues to sell well because it’s incredibly good and a marked improvement from his quite good debut, For Your Entertainment which has sold almost 900,000 copies to date (which basically triples the amount that season’s winner, Kris Allen, sold). With his debut, Lambert becomes the 7th Idol winner to hit the summit of this chart following Underwood (who’s done it 3 times), Kelly Clarkson (who’s done it twice), Chris Daughtry of Daughtry (also twice), Clay Aiken, Ruben Studdard and Scotty McCreery… Other debuts this week come from the Glee cast, Tenacious D and some group I’ve never heard of called Bloom…. For more on Adam’s achievement, head to Billboard hereand take a look at the new top ten below.
Top Ten Albums on the Billboard 200:
1. Trespassing- Adam Lambert (debut)
2. 21- Adele (last week~ 2)
3. Blown Away- Carrie Underwood (lw~ 1)
4. Little Broken Hearts- Norah Jones (lw~ 5)
5. Rize of the Fenix- Tenacious D (debut)
6. Now 42 Compilation- Various Artists (lw~ 4)
7. Bloom- Beach House (debut)
8. Glee, the Music: Season Three – The Graduation Album- Glee Cast (debut)
9. Tuskegee- Lionel Richie (lw~ 3)
10. Up All Night- One Direction (lw~ 7)
Over on the Hot 100 Singles chart, not much is going on as Gotye’s “Somebody that I Used to Know” holds on top for a 6th week. However, next week, Canadian Idol finalist Carly Rae Jepsen may shake things up as her debut single “Call Me Maybe” comes within striking distance of the top. And she may have to fend off this year’s Idol finalists as the debut singles from Phillip Phillips and Jessica Sanchez will also be eligible to chart and often land in the upper regions of the Hot 100 in their first week. Stay tuned!
Top Ten Singles on the Hot 100:
1. “Somebody that I Used to Know”- Gotye w/Kimbra (last week~ 1) *6 weeks on top
2. “Call Me Maybe”- Carly Rae Jepsen (lw~ 4)
3. “Payphone”- Maroon5 w/ Wiz Khalifa (lw~ 2)
4. “We Are Young”- fun. w/Janelle Monae (lw~ 3)
5. “Starships”- Nicki Minaj (lw~ 6)
6. “Wild Ones”- Flo Rida w/Sia (lw~ 5)
7. “What Makes You Beautiful”- One Direction (lw~ 7)
8. “Glad You Came”- The Wanted (lw~8)
9. “Boyfriend”- Justin Bieber (lw~ 9)
10. “Drive By”- Train (lw~ 10)
And before I go, enjoy Adam Lambert’s fabulous performance of his current hit single from Trespassing, “Never Close Our Eyes”, on last week’s Idol results show.
All the roof-raising, hootin’ and a-hollerin’, and heavenly wailing couldn’t save Joshua Ledet in a somewhat surprising elimination on last week’s American Idol. This talented singer who could burp and get a standing ovation from the judges, gave strong and often fantastic performances throughout season 11 and seemed like a shoo-in for the finale according to most prognosticators. Alas, it was not meant to be and Mantasia just missed the cut. But don’t fret Joshua fans, I’m sure Jimmy Iovine will give him a contract and he will carve out a nice little R&B and gospel career in time. I could see him have the latter-day success of both Idol winners Fantasia and Ruben Studdard who have maintained decent sales throughout their careers in the R&B field netting Grammy nominations (and 1 win for Fantasia) along the way. However, there was no way he was going to crossover and become a big pop star. Instead one of the two finalists might actually do that. One, Jessica Sanchez, clearly has giant pop star written all over her, while the other, Phillip Phillips, could whittle out a nice John Mayer-esque niche in the music world. So, just which one of these talented finalist has the big buzz going into this week’s finale? Well, just take a look at my final all new American Idol Buzz Rankings for Season 11 below.
American Idol Season 11 Top Two Buzz Rankings~
1. Phillip: while his growly singing style and his penchant for turning every song into a Dave Matthews tribute is not my cup of tea, he clearly has a giant fan base. He has never been in the bottom 2 vote-getters and he has tons of charisma. He also is a white guy with a guitar and those people (David Cook, Kris Allen, Lee Dewyze, Scotty McCreery) tend to win this program. He also had a standout performance last week with “We’ve Got Tonight” that pushed him outside of his boundaries and was lovely to behold. So, he may have picked up a few more fans because of that… Oh and he’s ridiculously hot. So, he has the edge going into the finale. However, will his performance be more of the same and thus cause voter inertia? … What am I thinking those tween girls and their moms will be mass texting like crazy. (last week~ 2) 2. Jessica: I was so thrilled and excited when she made the finals I let out a big yelp that scared my dog. I just couldn’t contain myself that the season’s best singer was actually going all the way to the finale. I was also thrilled that the girl many thought had the best chance for a female to win since season 6′s Jordin Sparks might break the boy curse. I still think she can do it. She has the vocal prowess and showmanship. She’s cute, likable and relatable. So, she just needs the right songs. Something current (Rihanna’s “Only Girl in the World” perhaps) to go with her favorite of the season (please do “I Will Always Love You”) and the winner’s single. I have such high hopes for her and know she will knock it out of the park. Plus, she makes history as the only person to have been “Saved” by the judges to make it this far. One other thing in her favor is that she will likely grab Joshua’s votes because I can’t see any of his fans preferring Phillip over her. (last week~ 1)
So, it’s all come down to the two singers I predicted would be in the finale back at the start of the Top 13. Jessica v. Phillip. I am pulling for Jessica as you know, but she does feel like the underdog. So, I will keep my expectations low and enjoy the show on Tuesday night… Who are you pulling for?
Before I leave, I thought I would leave Joshua a consolation prize… I have officially declared him the most talented third place finisher in the history of American Idol. Congrats Mantasia! … Herewith is my list of the third place Idol finishers according to their talent, vocal abilities, and performances.
Ranking the American Idol 3rd Place Finishers:
1. Joshua Ledet (season 11)
2. Melinda Doolittle (season 6)
3. Elliott Yamin (season 5)
4. Kimberley Locke (season 3)
5. Haley Reinhart (season 10)
~ all of the above five were fantastic… the next six… well… not so much
6. Syesha Mercado (season 7)
7. Casey James (season 9)
8. Vonzell Soloman (season 4)
9. Danny Gokey (season 8)
10. Jasmine Trias (season 3)
11. Nikki McKibbon (season 1)
And here’s Joshua’s standout vocal of the season, “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World”
We are really getting down to the wire on American Idol as the final five compete tomorrow night. With the long-in-coming elimination of the talented but hard to connect with Elise Testone, we have a quintet of singers all of whom have a chance at the title (yes, even Hollie)… So, which one has the most buzz going into this week’s “British Music” theme night? Take a look at my all new completely unscientific buzz rankings below.
My Season 11 Top 5 American Idol Buzz Rankings~
1. Joshua: another week, another new leader. Everyone left in the top five except Hollie has now hit the top of my buzz chart as Mantasia rises to the summit. He gets here based on constant consistent performances full of emotion and strong vocals. He’s also very likable and I think he has a bigger fan base than any of us expected. However, the constant standing ovations are getting to be a bit too much. That said, he seems a lock for the top three. If that happens, he’d be the first African-American male to make it that far since season 2 winner Ruben Studdard. (last week~ 4) 2. Jessica: after near elimination a couple of weeks ago, the show’s best singer and the strongest possibility for a successful pop Idol winner had another great week. She even went first, got mediocre feedback for her first song (hello, they judge her harder than the others), and she still avoided the bottom three. She needs another breakout moment, but she is still going strong. (lw~ 3) 3. Phillip: ok, despite one absolutely awful number and one blah number, this season’s heart-throb still remains the only singer to never have landed on the silver stools of doom. His fan base is clearly strong. However, I do wonder if people will soon be over all of his songs sounding the same and start voting for people who really inspire them. He could be a shocker boot in the weeks ahead or sadly he could take the crown. (lw~ 2) 4. Skylar: she killed it on “The Show Must Go On”, but her Jason Aldean cover landed her in the bottom three for the second time this season. I think it may be an aberration. I still feel like she and Jessica should be the final two and I think the country fans will keep her in the race for a few more weeks… hopefully to the finale. (lw~ 1) 5. Hollie: yes, she’s in last place again. But, she is a survivor and she keeps improving. She’s also massively likable and adorable with a very strong set of pipes. Could she be the ultimate dark horse and make the finals? Stranger things have happened. If she has another “Rolling in the Deep” moment, she could be on her way. (lw~ 6)
So, that’s my assessment of the final five going into tomorrow night’s show with guest mentor Steve Van Zandt. Joshua is on the rise and Skylar takes a fall, but can Hollie really win it all? Well, tune into American Idol tomorrow night and find out who really has the buzz.
Tonight, American Idol really gets down to business as the Top 12 boys (well, 13 because apparently there’s going to be a surprise wild card pick) perform live for the first time. Tomorrow, the top 12 girls sing and Thursday we will have our first results show. This is when the show really gets good if you ask me, and the talent looks very strong this year. My early favorites are Jessica Sanchez and Creighton Fraker. For more on all of this year’s contenders, head to mjsbigbloghere.… Now, looking back at the best American Idol contestants of all time, my favorites are in order:
1. Kelly Clarkson
2. Carrie Underwood
3. Adam Lambert
4. Jennifer Hudson
5. Carly Smithson
Each of them has had great success, (Ok, Carly is just the lead singer of the Evanescence left over band We Are the Fallen, but hey she’s had a top 40 album with them!) and won or been nominated for big awards. With that said, Billboard is counting down the most successful Idol alumni according to sales, radio airplay, download track sales, and streaming plays etc which make up their charts. (Remember this is only for domestic tracking, so the worldwide success of Lambert, Clarkson, and David Arhculeta doesn’t count here). And I’ve got the list for you below. For all the stats, head to Billboard here. Take a look and let me know who your faves are as well.
Billboard’s Top 24 American Idols of All Time:
24. Crystal Bowersox (2nd place, season 9)
23. Kimberley Locke (3rd place, season 2)
22. Lauren Alaina (2nd place, season 10)
21. Blake Lewis (2nd place, season 6)
20. Bucky Covington (8th place, season 5)
19. Katharine McPhee (2nd place, season 5…. but hey she’s a TV and movie star now. Hello, I love Smash!)
18. Bo Bice (2nd place, season 4)
17. Taylor Hicks (winner, season 5)
16. Josh Gracin (4th place, season 2)
15. Scotty McCreery (winner, season 10)
14. Kellie Pickler (6th place, season 5)
13. Elliott Yamin (3rd place, season 5)
12. Kris Allen (winner, season 8)
11. David Archuleta (2nd place, season 7)
10. Jennifer Hudson (7th place, season 3…. but um, she has an Oscar, a Grammy, a Golden Globe, a SAG Award, BET, Image Awards, the list goes on and on…. So there!)
9. Adam lambert (2nd place, season 8)
8. Ruben Studdard (winner, season 2)
7. David Cook (winner, season 7)
6. Fantasia (winner, season 3)
5. Clay Aiken (2nd place, season 2)
4. Jordin Sparks (winner, season 6… and soon to be seen in Sparkle, her film debut starring the late great Whitney Houston)
3. Chris Daughtry (4th place, season 5)
2. Carrie Underwood (winner, season 4)
1. Kelly Clarkson (winner, season 1)
And just because she’s amazing, please enjoy Kelly’s current # 1 smash “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)”
The biggest show in television is back tonight folks. No, not TheVoice or NCIS (however, that is the highest rated scripted show on tv, um, wha???), it’ s American Idol. The show which begins season 11 is making no big changes keeping their invigorated judging panel of Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson and focusing on finding some good talent. (Hello, X Factor and The Voice, take notes)… So, to honor the return of the show, take a look at some of the latest hot music from their alumni.
James Durbin: he finished fourth last season, but the rocker still got a record deal and has quietly sold almost 100,000 copies of his independent debut. Not bad for a metal lovin’ polarizing contestant. He has a song climbing the rock charts, “Stand Up”, but now his label is going after pop fans with “Love Me Bad”.
James Durbin “Love Me Bad”
Lauren Alaina: the cute country gal got second place last year and has since sold over 230,000 copies of her debut album. Her first single “Like My Mother Does” hit top 30 at country radio and her new one “Georgia Peaches” just went top 40 there as well. And how good does she look in this video? Go Lauren.
Lauren Alaina “Georgia Peaches”
Jennifer Hudson: the Oscar and Grammy winner has a current single on the R&B charts with the third release from her album I Remember Me. That song, “I Got This” is likely to be joined by her new track from the upcoming Gabrielle Union comedy Think Like a Man (hey, I auditioned for that last year!). The new song is called “Think Like a Man” brings J Hud into a little harder R&B sounds and features NeYo and Rick Ross.
Jennifer Hudson w/NeYo & Rick Ross “Think Like a Man”
Kellie Pickler: the season 6 alum is readying her third album after going platinum with her first and gold with her second. She’s carved out a nice little career in the country community and that should continue with this great new song “100 Proof” the title track from the new album due this month.
Kellie Pickler “100 Proof”
Adam Lambert: his second album, Trespassing, is due in March and it will supposedly feature some darker material that is more true to Adam as a songwriter and singer. His Grammy nominated first album sold 800,000 copies and features several hits, so this one is highly anticipated. The new song “Better Than I know Myself” is about to hit top 40 at pop radio and is now available at iTunes. Check this fantastic song out below which he also performed it on The Tonight Show last night.
Adam Lambert “Better Than I Know Myself”
Ruben Studdard: the season 2 winner is set to release his 5th album this spring and the Grammy nominee has more soulful R&B for ya. His latest is sure to fly up the Adult R&B charts which have become his bread and butter at radio.
Ruben Studdard “June 28th (I’m Single)” ~ some behind the scenes footage of the video for the song
Kelly Clarkson: the Grammy winner is having a big 2012 already. Her album, Stronger, just went gold and is on the verge of re-entering the top ten. She’s performing on the Grammys (where she’s nominated for her duet with Jason Aldean) and at the Super Bowl and will be a guest mentor for her buddy Blake Shelton on The Voice (ooooh, the Idol rival!). Her tour just started and her song “Mr. Know It All” went top ten on Pop Radio and the Hot 100, top 5 at AC and is still # 1 on Hot AC (for the 6th week in a row). Now, she’s flying up the charts with the follow-up, “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” which is already top 30 at Pop, top 20 at Hot AC, Top 40 at Dance and AC and # 3 on iTunes. Check out this massive smash below.
Kelly Clarkson “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)”
So, there’s just a few songs from your fave Idols hitting radio and the web. Watch for new tracks from Stefano Langone, Pia Toscano, Haley Reinhart, Kris Allen and Clay Aiken (who’s on the new Celebrity Apprentice too) this spring as well. And catch American Idol tonight on Fox.
Ever since she finished season 2 of American Idol in 3rd place behind Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken, Kimberley Locke has carved out a nice little career as a dance club diva and an AC powerhouse. Her songs like “Change” and “Fall” have topped the Dance charts while “8th World Wonder” hit top ten on the pop and AC charts. However, her biggest musical accomplishments have come with her holiday songs. For the past few years, she has had chart topping AC Christmas songs like “Frosty the Snowman” and “Up on the Housetop”. And this year she has another one for us, check out her great new version of “Silver Bells” below. You can get all her holiday hits on iTunes now.
“Help Me Now I’m Torn”! Those are the incredibly catchy lyrics from Natalie Imbruglia’s 90′s smash, but they also define my feelings after watching tonight’s American Idol season 12 finale. In a nail biter of an episode, both of our incredibly talented ladies, Kree and Candice, delivered fantastic performances one after the other. Both sounded amazing, looked great, were humble and at the top of their game as they took on 3 songs: Simon Fuller’s Choice, their Single, and a “Favorite Encore” from the season. It was neck and neck up until the last song when one lady sang what I will say was the deciding vocal. However, in a year when supposed front-runner Angie got the surprise boot last week and left us with the two actual best singers in the finals, who knows who will actually win. Both women have a really good shot… But, let’s take a look at my rankings and final predictions for season 12 below and declare a winner.
