My American Idol Quick Wrap for 3/20/13~ Just Let it Be!

Why oh why can’t some of this season’s American Idol contestants pick the right song? Even when given the amazing songbook of Lennon/McCartney (i.e.: the Beatles), a few of them faltered or just picked obvious choices. At least many of them (ahem, the ladies) did them justice while only one really faltered. So, just how did they all stack up for the night? Take a look at my performance rankings and predictions below:

American Idol Rankings~ 3/20/13
1. Candice: in a very tight race for the top, Candice does it again with her fierce version of “Come Together” that rivaled the fantastic take Carly Smithson did back in season 7… Candice remains my front-runner and with this rocking showcase proved she can take on any genre of music. Just great.
2. Kree: with another assured and lovely performance, Kree almost took the top spot with her version of “With a Little Help from My Friends”. Her vocals were perfect of course, but Candice just out performed her by the smallest margin. How awesome would a finale with those two be?
3. Amber: originally I had Amber in fourth, but after re-watching her performance, I’ve moved her up a notch. Vocally Amber has incredibly potential with a huge range and glorious voice which was in fine form tonight. I also loved the random song choice of “She’s Leaving Home”. Well done. I really hope the audience ignores the stupid judges and she stays out of the bottom three due to their nitpicking.
4. Angie: while I didn’t love her take on “Yesterday” (shockingly I still am partial to Syesha’s subtle and beautiful take from season 7), I did love the Evanescence vibe she gave to it. I would actually really like to hear her on that kind of rock song and while her vocals were totally on point, I didn’t completely buy the connection. Something seemed a little calculated, but now I think I’m nitpicking because it was quite solid.
5. Burnell: while I’m totally starting to get annoyed with his hand gestures, Burnell sho can sang! And he gave another good performance on “Let It Be” while totally making it his own. His John Legend-ish version of the classic actually totally worked.
6. Janelle: doing a Beatles song I’m not too familiar with “I Wish”, Janelle gave a very pretty and restrained performance. I enjoyed it, but it was just a little too blah in the end. That said, I think it was one of her strongest to date. She also had the final “pimp” slot of the night which will help her in the voting.
7. Paul: I really wish the judges had been a little nicer to him. I mean, consistently they harp on him while they tell other people they’re “inspirational” when they were actually bad. Anywho, yes, Paul had some trouble on the lower parts of the song, but his mid and upper register were glorious on “Eleanor Rigby”. And I give him props for going out of his comfort zone.
8. Devin: now many of you may wonder why the best male vocal of the night is this far down the list. Well here’s why~ it was BORING. I think Devin has mad vocal skills (yes, that was me channeling Randy). However, he is a little too adult contemporary telethon in his performances. But the judges loved it, so what do I know?
9. Lazaro: um, I really don’t want to be mean, but his take on “In My Life” was atrocious. Sorry. I like this kid and he has a good voice, but it was not evident tonight.

Predictions~
Bottom 3: Paul, Lazarro, and Devin or Amber
Bottom 2: Paul, Lazarro (but the damn crying will probably save him)
Going home: Paul (and that makes me really really really sad)

So, how did you like Beatles night? I think it was a good effort, but still far from the best Idol night features these iconic songs. (That would be season 7′s cycle with amazing takes on these classics by the aforementioned Syesha and Carly, plus Brooke White and the Davids~ Cook and Archuleta)… And just who do you think will go home? Will there be a crazy bottom 3? Will Janelle and Burnell make surprise appearances? And will Kree, Candice and Angie be the top three again (um, yes)…. Find out tomorrow night on American Idol on Fox.

My American Idol Season 11 Top 2 Buzz Rankings~

All the roof-raising, hootin’ and a-hollerin’, and heavenly wailing couldn’t save Joshua Ledet in a somewhat surprising elimination on last week’s American Idol. This talented singer who could burp and get a standing ovation from the judges, gave strong and often fantastic performances throughout season 11 and seemed like a shoo-in for the finale according to most prognosticators. Alas, it was not meant to be and Mantasia just missed the cut. But don’t fret Joshua fans, I’m sure Jimmy Iovine will give him a contract and he will carve out a nice little R&B and gospel career in time. I could see him have the latter-day success of both Idol winners Fantasia and Ruben Studdard who have maintained decent sales throughout their careers in the R&B field netting Grammy nominations (and 1 win for Fantasia) along the way. However, there was no way he was going to crossover and become a big pop star. Instead one of the two finalists might actually do that. One, Jessica Sanchez, clearly has giant pop star written all over her, while the other, Phillip Phillips, could whittle out a nice John Mayer-esque niche in the music world. So, just which one of these talented finalist has the big buzz going into this week’s finale? Well, just take a look at my final all new American Idol Buzz Rankings for Season 11 below.

American Idol Season 11 Top Two Buzz Rankings~

1. Phillip: while his growly singing style and his penchant for turning every song into a Dave Matthews tribute is not my cup of tea, he clearly has a giant fan base. He has never been in the bottom 2 vote-getters and he has tons of charisma. He also is a white guy with a guitar and those people (David Cook, Kris Allen, Lee Dewyze, Scotty McCreery) tend to win this program. He also had a standout performance last week with “We’ve Got Tonight” that pushed him outside of his boundaries and was lovely to behold. So, he may have picked up a few more fans because of that… Oh and he’s ridiculously hot. So, he has the edge going into the finale. However, will his performance be more of the same and thus cause voter inertia? … What am I thinking those tween girls and their moms will be mass texting like crazy. (last week~ 2)
2. Jessica: I was so thrilled and excited when she made the finals I let out a big yelp that scared my dog. I just couldn’t contain myself that the season’s best singer was actually going all the way to the finale. I was also thrilled that the girl many thought had the best chance for a female to win since season 6′s Jordin Sparks might break the boy curse. I still think she can do it. She has the vocal prowess and showmanship. She’s cute, likable and relatable. So, she just needs the right songs. Something current (Rihanna’s “Only Girl in the World” perhaps) to go with her favorite of the season (please do “I Will Always Love You”) and the winner’s single. I have such high hopes for her and know she will knock it out of the park. Plus, she makes history as the only person to have been “Saved” by the judges to make it this far. One other thing in her favor is that she will likely grab Joshua’s votes because I can’t see any of his fans preferring Phillip over her. (last week~ 1)

So, it’s all come down to the two singers I predicted would be in the finale back at the start of the Top 13. Jessica v. Phillip. I am pulling for Jessica as you know, but she does feel like the underdog. So, I will keep my expectations low and enjoy the show on Tuesday night… Who are you pulling for?

Before I leave, I thought I would leave Joshua a consolation prize… I have officially declared him the most talented third place finisher in the history of American Idol. Congrats Mantasia! … Herewith is my list of the third place Idol finishers according to their talent, vocal abilities, and performances.

Ranking the American Idol 3rd Place Finishers:

1. Joshua Ledet (season 11)
2. Melinda Doolittle (season 6)
3. Elliott Yamin (season 5)
4. Kimberley Locke (season 3)
5. Haley Reinhart (season 10)
~ all of the above five were fantastic… the next six… well… not so much
6. Syesha Mercado (season 7)
7. Casey James (season 9)
8. Vonzell Soloman (season 4)
9. Danny Gokey (season 8)
10. Jasmine Trias (season 3)
11. Nikki McKibbon (season 1)

And here’s Joshua’s standout vocal of the season, “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World”

My American Idol Top 13 Power Rankings

Wow, that was actually a really drama filled results show last night on American Idol. I don’t know when I’ve been so invested and nervous about the results~ perhaps going all the way back to Daughtry’s ouster in 2005. But Idol certainly kept us watching as they first announced the new top ten (yay for all of them except Hayley), followed by six singers “lip synching for their lives”! Ooops, I got hypnotized by Rupaul’s Drag Race for a minute. I meant “singing for their survival”. The six chosen by the judges for those wild card performances were Robbie, Naima, Ashton, Stefano, Kendra and Jovanny (what?). First Ashton gave a divalicious fun perf despite a few wonky notes. Then, Stefano absolutely killed it in perhaps the best male vocal of the season. Kendra acquitted herself nicely followed by a sleepy turn by Jovanny. (Why oh why didn’t they give Tim another chance?). Naima next gave a heartfelt and emotional perf but was flat and all over the place, followed by a lovely spin on “Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word” by Robbie. If I had picked it would’ve been Kendra, Stefano and Ashton (with Robbie a close fourth). Alas, the judges chose Naima and her unique individuality and tough back story over the more talented singers…. And thus, we had our top 13. Despite my quarries with two of them, this might be the best top 13 in the history of the show. Certainly it’s a very good way to start the finals…. And with these contenders in place, it’s now time to take a look at my first official, totally unscientific American Idol Power Rankings for the finals. And away we go!

American Idol Top 13 Power Rankings:
1. Lauren Alaina (ie: Kelly Underwood)~ this 16-year-old powerhouse has the pipes and the personality and could live up to Steven Tyler’s prediction that they found “the one”. Love her!
2. Jacob Lusk (ie Luther 2.0): he is overcome by the “spirit” every time he sings and his jovial personality and heart on his sleeve emotion are incredibly endearing.
3. Pia Toscano (ie: the pretty girl no one saw coming)~ she gave the best female performance of the season so far with “I’ll Stand by You” and catapulted herself to the front of the pack. Now, if she can maintain that momentum, she could own this thing. (Just perk up a little more in your interview packages please…)
4. Casey Abrams (ie: Grizzly Adams)~ this musician’s musician with the growl and the grin has sailed through the race so far. I just wonder how he will fit in with the theme weeks, but he’s already a big audience fave.
5. Scotty McCreery (ie: the country boy Alfred E. Newman)~ this good ole boy with the deep voice is winning in so many ways that he could be the first male country Idol winner. I just hope he shows a little versatility and doesn’t buy into his own hype. However, he has totally exceeded my expectations thus far, so good for him.
6. Thia Megia (ie: Charice 2.0)~ she was speechless upon entering the top ten last night and so were we after her tremendous rendition of “Out Here on My Own”. Now, if she can overcome the shyness and keep delivering vocals like she did on Thursday, she could be the more talented Jasmine Trias of the season and not the forgetful Ramielle Mullaby of the season…
7. Stefano Langone (ie: lil Bruno Mars)~ he sang for his life with Smokie Norful’s “I Need to Know” and gave himself arguably the first “moment” of the competition with his amazing and emotional turn. He’s fast become my second fave guy in the competition after Jacob and could go really far now that people know what he’s made of.
8. Karen Rodriguez (ie: Gloria Estefan 2.0)~ the bilingual beauty is playing up the Latina card to no end. But make no mistake, it’s her fantastic voice that helped her conquer Mariah’s “Hero”. Now, if she could dial back the pageant outfits…
9. Paul McDonald (ie: quirky guy with the pearly whites)~ he has perhaps the most definitive voice in the contest and his indie vibe is refreshing…. but is he a one trick pony?
10. Ashton Jones (ie: Diana Ross 2.0)~ she’s got the looks, the body and the personality. Now, if she can propel her vocals up to the level of her diva’tude, she could end up going as far as Syesha Mercado a couple of seasons ago.
11. James Durbin (Lambert-lite): this rockin’ wailer is already rather divisive, but you can’t deny his pipes. And his brotherly relationship with Langone only serves to help with his likability factor.
12. Naima Adedapo (ie: Nina Simone/India Arie 2.0)~ she just barely squeaked her way into the top 13 and will need to hone her vocals to stay on this journey. But she’s unique and has an underdog quality about her that is worth rooting for. Plus, Steven Tyler is squarely in her corner…
13. Haley Reinhart (ie: Myley 2.0)~ ok, how on Earth did she make the finals? She’s cloying, artificial, obnoxious and creepy… Yes, her voice is decent, but I doubt she’ll go much farther here… Watch for her to be on the chopping block next week.

And there you have it~ my take on just who is at the top of this game and who has some work to do. What do you think? Who are your favorites and do you like this top 13? Let me hear it in the comments below…. And watch next week when they sing “Songs by their Favorite Artists” on Wed night and we get the first big elimination on Thursday (which will also feature Adam Lambert doing an acoustic version of his new single “Aftermath”!)

And before I go, here’s an encore of Stefano’s incredible performance of “I Need to Know” from last night

Ranking the 2011 American Idol Top 24

Last week, American Idol finally narrowed it down to the top 24 contestants, and I for one, am pretty impressed with most of them. Not only has this season been the best in years (hello, J. Lo and Steven Tyler are simply awesome), but it seems like this is the best batch of talent since at least season 5. Hopefully, they will hold up well with the live shows and this week’s semi-finals. After the guys perform on Tuesday and the girls on Wednesday, the top 10 finalists will be announced. Also, if rumours are to be believed (and I believe this one), the judges will each be picking a “wild card” contestant to make it a top 13. I love it! So, with all of that weighing in the balance, I’m here to give America and the judges some insight. This is my first big Idol post of the season and I’m ready to rank the contenders. Take a look at my first IDOL POWER LIST of 2011 and watch their performances this week to see if they hold up to my rankings.

The American Idol Power List for the Top 24 going into the Semi-finals…

1. Lauren Alaina: she’s all but been hailed the next Kelly Clarkson by Exec. Producer Nigel Lythgoe and they’ve certainly shoved her down our throats with tons of airtime. But goshdarnit, she really is that good. She’s fun, she’s young (16), cute and has a set of killer pipes.
2. Jacob Lusk: All hail the voice of the season. This emotional and excitable 23 yr old from Compton, CA took us to church each time he sang and he could end up being the first male African-American winner since Ruuuuuuben.
3. Julie Zorilla: this gorgeous 19-year-old who escaped violence in Columbia as a child has shown a divine flair for fashion AND singing. She just needs to connect to her material a little more and we could be seeing our first Latina American Idol.
4. Robbie Rozen: this adorable and incredibly talented 16-year-old is bound to grab the Archuleta vote, but I think he could cross over to all ages judging from his genre spanning auditions. He’s definitely one to watch.
5. Casey Abrams: he’s the musician’s musician and rockin’ bluesy singer who has tons of talent and got lots of airtime. He’s an individual and seems like an audience favorite… but then so was that mess Taylor Hicks (oh wait, no matter how much, I couldn’t stand him, he still won… drat!)
6. Ashton Jones: Is she this season’s Tamyra or Syesha? Well, she’s a gorgeous girl with a great voice and star quality. However, will she be overshadowed in the end?
7. Stefano Langoe: he’s the guy who survived that horrific car crash and oozes energy and personality for days. He’s also cute and has a great voice. Dang, he can sing high too!
8. Brett Loewenstern: he seems bound to be divisive to audiences, but he’s completely original and has a great quality in his unique voice and song interpretation…. And he’s totally here to tell you “it gets better”.
9. Tim Halperin: he’s the looker who really stepped up in Vegas with his duet with Zorilla. He’s also a skilled pianist and could be a dark horse.
10. Karen Rodriguez: she’s the Latina who worshiped J Lo and wowed on each audition. She’s like Gloria Estefan with a better voice!
11. James Durbin: he’s the one who can wail like Adam Lambert who has a baby, a girlfriend and overcomes his Tourette’s thru song. However, he also seems to wail as opposed to emote in his performances and he came off a bit unlikable at times during the group episodes.
12 .Paul McDonald: he’s the guy with the great gravelly Joe Cocker voice with cool style and his own original material.
13. Pia Toscano: all we really know is she can sing great and she’s gorgeous, but hey, that’s a great start
14. Lauren Turner: she’s the big haired belter who could be the next Anne Wilson .. or the next Gina Glockson depending on song choice and if her personality pops or poops.
15. Kendra Chantelle: she’s the beautiful blonde who has had little air time, but did show her strong pipes and potential in snippets, especially in her duet in Vegas week with McDonald.
16. Thia Megia: she’s the 15-year-old Filipina with the sexy big husky voice, but she is also pretty devoid of personality so far…
17. Rachel Zevita: she’s the NYer who almost made it in season 6. She has a strong voice, but for some reason, I’m afraid she could become really annoying and grating. Loved that she sang Lady Gaga’s “Speechless” in her final audition, but a little worried that she may just be Gaga-lite.
18. Scotty McCreery: he’s the 16-year-old country boy with the super low voice. He’s likable but is he a one-trick pony? (ahem, cut up “Baby lock them doors, turn out the lights…”)
19. Naima Adedapo: she’s the mama who cleaned toilets at a musical festival who has serious style and a good back story, but I’ve yet to be wowed by her talent…
20. Jovany Barreto: he’s the hunk with the 8 pack, the high tenor and a penchant for Spanglish songs… but is it me or does he seem like just a prettier wannabe Jon Secada?
21. Jordan Dorsey: the attractive vocal teacher from Louisiana who got the “villain edit” during Hollywood week has a lot of bad mojo to erase. Luckily, he has talent and looks. We’ll see if his ego doesn’t destroy his more positive attributes…
22. Ta-Tynisa Wilson: the pretty girl who was shown messing up in Hollywood several times made up for it in her final “hanger” audition with Toni Braxton’s “Un-break My Heart”, but is it too little too late?
23. Clint Jun Gamboa: the bespectacled karaoke singer has a big bold voice and can seriously sing. However, he too got a “villain” edit in the Hwood rounds and let’s be honest, he’s kinda really annoying so far.
24. Haley Reinhart: so far, I pick her as the girl who’s voice is going to bug the crap out of me as long as she’s in the competition. That whole “affected” thing is so 2010… and um, doesn’t get you far on the Idol stage (hello~ 90 % of the female contestants from last season).

New Music from Idol’s Carly Smithson and We are the Fallen

Carly Smithson was shockingly and undeservedly shown the door on season 7 of American Idol way too early in 6th place while sorely less talented singers Brooke White, Jason Castro and Syesha Mercado all made the top 5. Each of them has had careers post Idol with Mercado starring in the touring production of Dreamgirls (in the Deena role that Beyonce performed in the film) and White and Castro both releasing albums. Unfortunately, neither of their records made much of a dent on the charts. So, it’s somewhat, ironic that Smithson is doing much better than her peers with her band We Are the Fallen which features Ben Moody and other former members of Evanescence. Following a top 30 rock hit “Bury Me Alive”, the band is readying their second single the title track from their debut album Tear the World Down which hit Billboard’s top 30 as well. The edgy rock single should satisfy their hardcore fans but is unlikely to bring them new ones or tap into the fan base Smithson built on Idol. If they wanted more of that mass appeal, they should’ve selected the gorgeous ballad “Sleep Well My Angel” or the midtempo anthem “I Will Stay”. We’ll see if they are chosen as subsequent singles in time, but any new music from the supremely talented vocalist Smithson makes me happy. Her voice is like a latter-day Ann Wilson’s from Heart~ soaring, powerful, intense and full of emotion. Check out We Are the Fallen on tour this summer and fall. For their dates and more on the band, click here. And see which song you prefer from Carly and the boys below.

We Are the Fallen “Tear the World Down”

We Are the Fallen “I Will Stay”

We Are the Fallen “Sleep Well My Angel”