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.
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”
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”
Well, thank goodness Uncle Nigel (Idol Exec. Producer Nigel Lythgoe) listened to the fans and gave us a current theme for once because tonight American Idol took on the songs from this decade and it was fantastic. With only 2 and 1/3 years of material to choose from, it could have gone either way. However, this years incredibly talented top 7 (the best top 7 ever???) did a wonderful job on these modern hits. (Well most of them anyway). It was perhaps the best performance show ever, and definitely of the season. So, just who stood out the most and who fell short? Take a look at my rankings and predictions below.
American Idol Season 11 Top 7 Performance Rankings~ 4/11/12
~ The Great 1. Jessica: our youngest competitor is also perhaps our most savvy. She knocks it out of the park every week no matter the genre (hello shades of Kelly Clarkson). And this week, she does a song that was a minor R&B hit for Jazmine Sullivan, but damn if she didn’t make me run to iTunes and buy her version of “Stuttering” as soon as the show ended. This girl is a superstar, a hit maker, and a brilliant vocalist. And how about that outfit? Girl better win this thing! 2. Joshua: Mantasia got a shout out from Fantasia even before he performed Bruno Mars’ “Runaway Baby, but he certainly earned it. It was another flawless vocal and an incredibly enthusiastic and energetic performance. He is a born entertainer and the best guy in the competition by a mile. 3. Skylar: keeping up her momentum from last week, our country spitfire gave a blazing performance on former IdolKellie Pickler’s hit ballad from 2010 “Didn’t You Know How Much I Love You”. I dare say it improved on the original. Her emotion and intonation were perfect, and hello, she played the guitar too! Skylar is a fierce competitor, not to mention a great singer. She is soooo getting a record deal regardless of where she places when all is said and done this season. 4. Elise: improving ten fold from last week, Elise delivered a soaring version of Lady Gaga’s top ten smash from last year, “You and I”. While it wasn’t as good as Haley Reinhart’s incredible performance of the song from last year, it was still fantastic. I especially loved the beginning with just Elise and the piano. I sure hope the audience embraces her again and keeps her in the race.
~ the good 5. Hollie: I don’t know what the judges were babbling about because Hollie did a wonderful job on Pink’s Grammy nominated top ten smash from last year “Perfect”. It was her best performance since Whitney Houston week when the finals began. Her vocals sounded wonderful and she had more confidence than she’s had in ages. I just wish she had connected a tad more to the lyrics. All in all, it was a job well done. But was it enough to keep her in the game? I’m not sure. 6. Colton: I’m a little surprised I have him ranked so low because I really liked his performance of Skylar Grey’s “Love the Way You Lie”. (You probably know the Grammy winning # 1 hit version of the song by Rihanna and Eminem by the way). He was vulnerable and gave a really strong spin on the song. In fact, it probably would be a great recording for him. The only drawback is that it became a little forgettable compared to the others tonight.
~ the blah 7. Phillip: oh dear, sweet Southern charmer Phillip… Why oh why must you turn every song into a Dave Matthews track? J Lo was dead on when she said she’d seen that performance before. Um, hello, because he does pretty much the same thing week after week. And his take on Maroon 5’s “Give A Little More” was nothing new and far inferior to the original. If there was any justice, his growling on the show would come to an end tomorrow night. Sorry people, he’s a great guy, but that aint gonna cut it anymore.
The Duets/Group Numbers:
1. Joshua/Jessica/Hollie: despite a little shaky start, this trio sold the crap out of Kelly Clarkson’s recent # 1 smash “Stronger”. Their big powerhouse vocals fit the song well, and I wasn’t sure if Joshua could do a pop anthem. However, he totally did. In fact, I agree with Randy that he may have stolen the number from the ladies. 2. Colton/Skylar: I’m not sure why the judges didn’t love this. It was a wonderful interpretation of Kelly Clarkson and Jason Aldean’s ACM and CMA Award winning, Grammy nominated, # 1 country smash “Don’t You Wanna Stay”… No, it wasn’t as good as the original, but it was still pretty darn good. (It was also a whole lot better than the version Lauren and Scotty did last year). 3. Elise/Phillip: taking on Gotye & Kimbra’s current # 2 hit “Somebody that I Used to Know”, this duo did an admirable job. But let’s be honest, Elise did all the heavy lifting and totally served Phillip on the number. In his defense, it was out of his wheelhouse, but he didn’t need to look so uncomfortable throughout. That said, I kinda liked their spooky chemistry. Unfortunately, it paled compared to their great collaboration from last week.
Predicitions~
Bottom 3: Hollie, Elise, Phillip (but Skylar and Colton might show up too) Bottom 2: Hollie, Phillip Going Home: Hollie (but it really should be Philip)
So, Idol producers, you better have taken notes tonight. Doing a current theme can work wonders for your show! And I bet your Idol download sales are probably soaring this week too…. Now, the question is how will America vote? Despite an improved performance, I still think Hollie is in big trouble. But will we see a surprise elimination instead? Or will the judges finally use their “Save”? Are we heading to a Joshua v. Jessica finale? Can Colton or Skylar break into the top two? Did Phillip finally make a misstep that could cost him big? Watch the results show tomorrow night and find out. And let me know your thoughts below.
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.
A couple of weeks ago, I shared a special live performance from Haley Reinhart, the sassy girl with the big bluesy voice who finished third on last season of American Idol. It was a great little taste of what was to come from this unique singer’s debut album and now, the official version of the single has hit iTunes and digital retailers. Check out “Free” below. It’s a great track that fuses the sounds of Adele, Fiona Apple and Amy Winehouse with an updated Haley twist. I love it. I actually think she could have a really big hit here, and for a girl who had such a dramatic run on Idol, I’m thrilled at her great prospects. Watch for Reinhart’s debut album later , Listen Up, to drop on May 22nd and catch her performing this fantastic new song on Thursday night’s results show of American Idol. For more on Haley, head here.
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.
Last season on American Idol, Haley Reinhart took a whole lot of heat… from the judges, the internet and, yes, me. Luckily, she won me over (not to mention Idol voters) with great performances and lustrous vocals that helped propel her into 3rd place. Of the top ten finalists, I think she is the one who could make the most interesting record (and 7 of them have deals, so we will see about that), and now we have our first taste of Haley music. Her new album is due later in the spring, but she performed an acoustic version of the first single “Free” the other night for a radio station in LA. Check it out below. I really like it. Her personality shines and her pipes are in fine form. I can’t wait to hear the official version due early next month. In the meantime, take a listen to Haley’s new song “Free” below and let me know if you’re still a fan.
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.
As you readers know, I’m not a fan of Christmas music til well into December. However, for someone who whines about it so much, I have been posting a bit about it lately. But it’s not my fault, it’s everywhere and here’s one more post about it… However, in my defense, the reason for this post is that it’s about American Idol’sHaley Reinhart. As the girl who took a ton of rubbing from me and then blossomed into one of my faves of the season readies her debut album for early next year, she at least gives us a holiday tease while we wait. Check out her duet with fellow top five Idol finisher Casey Abrams on “Baby It’s Cold Outside”. It’s jazzy, it’s smooth and it’s a perfect fit for the two of them. Enjoy. And I’ll let ya know as soon as we hear any more music from Haley as soon as I can!
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!
Jason in Hollywoodland 