Angie Miller: frontrunner by default?
Despite sharing the judges’ enthusiasm for prodigal talent Amber Holcomb, their slander and dismissal of Candice Glover on last night’s American Idol really boiled my blood. No contestant walked away unscathed as far as performances go — and don’t even get me started on those yucky duets — but to suggest Candice was in some way commercially irrelevant after twisting an R&B/rap song into a beautiful ballad is utter blasphemy. I won’t stand for it, and neither should you! Below you’ll find out just how dirty I can dish it. Read more on American Idol Recap: Reviewing the Top 4…
Amber Holcomb conquers Streisand.
After watching American Idol last night, it’s beyond evident who should be in the final two. In fact, I’ve felt this way since the Top 10. There are two girls that simply outshine the rest with their voice, stage presence, and exemplary taste in music. No way in heck is America going to follow through with this just course of action, but I thought I’d make it known here who I am rooting for (and have been for quite some time) for the remainder of the season. With that said, it’s time to take the plunge and critique the five women still standing. Whatever happens in the end will outweigh the bad since the new Idol crown will at last be worn by a female. All five girls deserve their placement in the Top 5, and all are winners in my estimation. Okay, enough with the sappy talk — let’s review!
Read more on American Idol Recap: Reviewing the Top 5…
Last night, American Idol sprung some more talent on us in the form of ten boys from Season 12′s Top 40. The men were nowhere near as stellar as Wednesday’s girl group, but the top five who sailed on through to the next round were all deserving. In an unprecedented, unexpected moment, Thursday’s show introduced us to Bizarro Randy Jackson. I mean, that couldn’t be the real Randy Jackson who was so precise in his criticism, vocally knowledgeable like I’ve never seen, and made all of his three cohorts’ words seem of minimal importance compared to his own. Whoever this Randy Jackson imposter is, please stay because I love what you brought to the judging panel last night. Will the real Randy Jackson please sit down, please sit down forever? All joking aside, it’s time I get right down to the important task of ranking this week’s group of guys. Read more on American Idol Recap: Sudden Death Round, Week One (The Boys)…
Okay, now this is something we haven’t seen on American Idol. For the next two weeks, the judges will be cutting five girls on Wednesday and five boys on Thursday until the competition is narrowed down to the Top 20. This stage of the competition is known as the Sudden Death Round, and I hope that name is self-explanatory. Performing in front of a live studio audience in Las Vegas, ten girls gave it their all last night, ranging from impressive to downright Paige Miles-bad (you’ll hear more on that after the jump). I will be ranking each of the performances, as well as revealing which five girls went through to the next round, and which five unfortunately got the heave-ho. Let’s review… Read more on American Idol Recap: Sudden Death Round, Week One (The Girls)…
Categories: TV/Music Tags: amber holcomb, American Idol 12, american idol recap, american idol sudden death, angela miller, brandy hotard, isabelle, jenny beth willis, kamaria ousley, Keith Urban, kree harrison, nicki minaj, Randy Jackson, Ryan Seacrest, shubha vedula, tenna torres
Welcome back, Idol imbibers! For the second part of Hollywood Week, the girls took center stage and unleashed their powers of musical persuasion in the hopes America would be more impressed than last week’s stellar showing from the guys. Collectively, I believe the men are a stronger group this season, but individually there are some ladies who not only could win American Idol’s 12th season, but simply deserve to. Without delay, let’s check out my favorites, as well as reveal the narrowed-down Top 40 semifinalists. Read more on American Idol Recap: Hollywood Week Part 2 (The Girls)…
Categories: TV/Music Tags: American Idol 12, american idol recap, american idol recap hollywood week girls, angela miller, Candice Glover, hollywood week, Janelle Arthur, Keith Urban, kree harrison, mariah carey, melinda ademi, nicki minaj, Randy Jackson
Another week, another feud, another outstanding display of talent in what’s shaping up to be an incredible season of American Idol. Somehow, each new episode either has me laughing, in awe, or incredibly jealous I’m not there in person to get my hair finger-groomed by Nicki Minaj! Okay, that’s a bit overkill but I can’t help myself! Nicki Minaj is quickly becoming my new favorite television personality, and Keith Urban is undoubtedly the most perfectly-cast judge since Simon Cowell. Urban is always entertained and invested no matter the quality of the audition, and his critiques aptly zone in on what makes that particular performer truly special. Yeah, I’m #TeamNicki/#TeamKeith for now. Mariah Carey and Randy Jackson are fine, but as accomplished as they are in the music biz, is it too much to ask for a bit of variety in their critiques, hopefully not limited to three redundant phrases? Mariah: “Yes!”, “DAAHHHHHLLLIINNNNG,” “POW!” And Randy: “DAWG,” “FOR ME, FOR YOU,” “[Insert generic hyperbole].” Thank god we have Keith and Nicki on the panel, is all I’m saying. With that, let’s get down to business as I present the Top 5 Contestants to Watch from Week Two… Read more on ‘American Idol’ Week 2 Wrap-Up: Top 5 to Watch From Charlotte and Baton Rouge…
Categories: TV/Music Tags: american idol, American Idol 12, american idol recap, American Idol Season 12, Candice Glover, Charlie Askew, fox, Janelle Arthur, Keith Urban, mariah carey, nicki minaj, Randy Jackson, Ryan Seacrest
When it comes to reality television, American Idol is where my heart lies. As corny as that sounds, it is absolutely true. For ten years, I have watched every season, seen every episode, and rooted for god knows how many contestants to win. Not a single year has a favorite of mine won American Idol, and that still never stops me because at the end of the day this show is supposed to find superstars, and it has certainly lived up to its promise tenfold! After watching the premiere this season, I have figured out Idol‘s winning formula. Yes, you need an eclectic judging panel that spices up your television screen — and believe me, Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey do the trick plenty! But when it comes right down to why no show matches Idol in the ratings or in the charts — where it counts and why such shows should exist — the answer is simple and pure: our journey with the contestants is a personal one. X-Factor and The Voice put on these huge productions and force contestants to be stars before we even get a chance to know them. That seems phony to us, even though it’s probably what goes on more often than not in the music biz. With American Idol, we witness the natural progression that a contestant makes on their way to becoming a star, and that authentic process, powerful in its intimacy, is why we rush out to buy an American Idol winner’s first album in droves (…unless you’re Lee DeWyze). The long journey through the audition stage, to Hollywood, into the Semifinals, and voting every round of the Finals makes us feel as though we, as Americans, have helped pave their career for them. It’s a joint effort between talent on-stage and nationwide support that transitions the contestant from “you-and-me,” to superstar a la Kelly Clarkson. This is why American Idol is still the best of the singing competition shows, still the best reality show on television. American Idol, for better or worse, is an all-encompassing event that irrefutably lives up to its title. With that said, we now enter Season Twelve… Read more on ‘American Idol’ Week 1 Wrap-Up: Top 5 Contestants to Watch from New York & Chicago…
 Welcome to the American Idol Top Five Week! With the contestants tackling songs from the best in British music, I’m not sure the producers needed to add another theme of “songs from the 1960s.” Let’s face it: the best music from the 60s WAS from the Brits. Aside from that nonsensical maneuver, four out of the remaining five contestants managed to create genuine “Idol-moments” for themselves on stage. Alas, the lone ranger who couldn’t quite rope in the cattle will unfortunately walk away scot-free on tonight’s result show. The “Your daddy let you date?” line is going to take this particular chump all the way to the finale if the cougar moms and teenage girls of America have anything to say about it. I’ll let the suspense go for now, as it’s time to take a dive and see what each contestant had in store for us this week…
Read more on ‘American Idol’ Recap: Reviewing the Top 5…
Categories: TV/Music Tags: american idol, american idol recap, Hollie Cavanagh, Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Sanchez, Joshua Ledet, Phillip Phillips, Randy Jackson, Ryan Seacrest, skylar laine, Steven Tyler
 It was another fantastic week on American Idol except for two individuals who have been pimped enough times by the judges to cause a severe case of indefinite nausea. We’ll get to those two contestants in a minute, but I’m pleased to say that Queen week was a success, and — shockingly, I might add — our Top 6 Idols actually chose interesting songs for themselves when the power was shifted to their creative minds during the show’s second half (The Top 6 could choose any song they pleased after performing a Queen track). Parts of me were rattled last night, and I just cannot shake the feeling that next month’s finale may result in the most unexpected final two in the history of the show. To call this season unpredictable would be an understatement of epic proportions. I dare you to find me a frontrunner at this point…well, at least one who can actually sing (see: everyone who is not Phillip Phillips). Let’s get down to the nitty gritty, shall we? Take the plunge with me for some intensely debriefed review sessions…
Read more on ‘American Idol’ Recap: Reviewing the Top 6…
Categories: TV/Music Tags: american idol, american idol recap, american idol top 6, elise testone, Hollie Cavanagh, Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Sanchez, Joshua Ledet, Phillip Phillips, Randy Jackson, Ryan Seacrest, skylar laine, Steven Tyler
 The Top 8 on American Idol did their best to cover a wacky and wild decade for music, AKA The 80s. While some had hits, there wasn’t a single performance I would rewind for very long. Oh sure, two in particular definitely threw down the gauntlet but in sum, the songs overshadowed the talent many of the contestants have in spades. I even thought the song choices were a bit bizarre, except for my song choice of course. Why, if my ego wasn’t big enough already after having three out of the four performance weeks showcase one of my song suggestions, Hollie has to go out and perform the song I gave her, “Flashdance…What a Feeling.” If Hollie leaves tonight, I’ll have to be sure to never encounter a Hollipop fan on the streets. I’d be a dead man walking, no doubt. Moving away from my banter, let’s jump right into some review sessions, shall we? Read more on ‘American Idol’ Recap: Reviewing the Top 8…
Categories: TV/Music Tags: american idol, american idol recap, American Idol Season 11, American Idol Top 8, Colton Dixon, Deandre Brackensick, elise testone, Hollie Cavanagh, Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Sanchez, Joshua Ledet, Phillip Phillips, skylar laine, Steven Tyler
 This week on American Idol, the standing ovations were at an all time rise, pun intended. I swear, there were about five standing ovations for the whole performance evening — an Idol record to be sure. These ridiculous moments of praise may be our next big drinking game following Melissa McCarthy’s “Scorsese” drinking game that began at the SAG awards this year. If we had put this game into effect, we’d all be sloshed by the end of the night, and what a pity that would have been as the final performance of the night will probably go down in Idol record books as one of the all time great rock performances this show has seen. I’m so pumped up to begin my review session, so I’m not wasting time and instead jumping right into things. Catch all my thoughts and reviews of this week’s Top 9 below!
Read more on ‘American Idol’ Recap: Reviewing the Top 9…
Categories: TV/Music Tags: american idol, american idol recap, American Idol Season 11, american idol top 9, Colton Dixon, Deandre Brackensick, elise testone, Heejun Han, Hollie Cavanagh, Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Sanchez, Joshua Ledet, Phillip Phillips, Randy Jackson, Ryan Seacrest, skylar laine, Steven Tyler
 There were two, count em two, moment-making performances last night on American Idol. I was a bit worried at the beginning of the show, but there were five or so performers who absolutely nailed Billy Joel’s spirit and complex note arrangements by show’s end. “Billy Joel” theme week was a success by all accounts and purposes! And to top it off, one contestant even selected one of my song suggestions. I know it’s past St. Patrick’s Day, but I’m not wearing green right now and still can pinch myself over the excitement that somebody actually took my advice! You will see how it paid off later in my review session. Right now let’s not waste time, and jump straight into the thick of business. I can’t wait, and neither should you! Read more on ‘American Idol’ Recap: Reviewing the Top 10…
Categories: TV/Music Tags: american idol, american idol recap, American Idol Season 11, Colton Dixon, Deandre Brackensick, elise testone, Erika Van Pelt, Heejun Han, Hollie Cavanagh, Jessica Sanchez, Joshua Ledet, Phillip Phillips, skylar laine
 American Idol was a bit of a mixed bag last night as far as performances go, but my god some select individuals really shattered my expectations. After eleven seasons, Idol still manages to surprises us from time to time. Last night was no exception, and I’m not even solely referring to teen prodigy, Jessica Sanchez. There were in fact many out of the gate who were fighting for a spot in the finale, and I could honestly juggle several possible finale outcomes with this crop of talent being thrown at us. In short: the bad tonight were really bad, the good were pleasing but slightly forgettable, and the truly outstanding may have just proven this is Idol‘s most talented season yet. Check out my countdown reviews for each of the Top 13 Contestants on Whitney Houston/Stevie Wonder Week after the jump!
Read more on ‘American Idol’ Recap: Reviewing the Top 13…
Categories: TV/Music Tags: american idol, american idol recap, American Idol Season 11, american idol song suggestions, american idol whitney houston stevie wonder theme week, american idol whitney houston theme week, Colton Dixon, Deandre Brackensick, Erika Van Pelt, Hollie Cavanagh, Jennifer Lopez, Jeremy Rosado, Jermaine Jones, Jessica Sanchez, Joshua Ledet, Phillip Phillips, Randy Jackson, reality television, Shannon Magrane, singing competition shows, skylar laine, Steven Tyler, Whitney Houston
 Welcome everyone to night two of the American Idol Season 11 Semifinals! Let’s face it — Tuesday was a bit of a disaster as far as talent goes, but thank god the girls came along when they did. This is completely the opposite of what happened last season, where the boys delivered an incredible semifinals show while the girls, although still great, weren’t quite up to par. When we thought all was lost for Season 11, the girls come along and prove that tonight’s results show is going to be one hell of an upset whatever happens. So many talented individuals are going to be cut this evening, so please don’t swear you’ll never watch Idol ever again even if your favorite goes home. It’s impossible to stay away for very long! After watching the Top 12 Girls perform, I began to get really excited about the season. In fact, can we have three girls from the Top 13 come from the Wild Card Show? Please, Uncle Nigel?! I doubt it’ll happen (Jennifer is OBSESSED with DeAndre Brackensick AKA Tree of Life), but a guy can dream! Let’s dive right into the performance show that may finally prove the women have as strong a chance of winning as Season Six had, the last season where a girl won (five years ago — that’s old even by Reality TV standards!). Check out my reviews of each of the talented women (with a few exceptions) after the jump! Read more on ‘American Idol’ Recap: Reviewing the Top 12 Girls…
Categories: TV/Music Tags: american idol, american idol recap, American Idol Season 11, Brielle von Hugel, Chelsea Sorrell, elise testone, Erika Van Pelt, fox, fox network, Hollie Cavanagh, Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Sanchez, Randy Jackson, Ryan Seacrest, Shannon Magrane, skylar laine, Steven Tyler
Wow…I’m going to have to really take a breather on this one, folks. American Idol last night proved to us that it will definitely be hard to replicate the magic of last season. I know, it really was awful having Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina as the final two standing, but there were so many better performers overall, even in the Top 24! And what the heck is with Jermaine Jones coming back? He may have sounded better than he normally does, but his Luther Vandross impression was underscored by a blatant manipulation on the part of the producers. Seriously, they are pulling a Melanie Amaro situation with Jermaine, guaranteeing him a spot in the Top 13 by pimping out his possible return. How is that fair to the other twelve guys who worked hard to make it, and weren’t given a huge advantage like that on a silver platter? On top of that, how the heck are they not allowing another girl through to balance it out?! Idol voters are known for favoring men over women, so this gender skewing once again proves that the ladies’ best interests aren’t at heart. I have to also agree with my editor, Clayton Davis, in saying that tonight’s performances were by and large mediocre. With the exception of maybe four individuals, I’m not really excited about anyone from the boys’ side. I’m going to be doing things a bit differently in my recap this week since we are now at the live rounds. Instead of delivering a review based on the sequential order of when the Top 13 boys performed, I will be counting down from worst to best. Let’s have at it! Read more on American Idol Recap: Reviewing the Top 13 Boys…
Categories: TV/Music Tags: american idol, american idol recap, American Idol Season 11, Chase Likens, Colton Dixon, Creighton Fraker, Deandre Brackensick, Eben Franckewitz, fox, fox network, Heejun Han, Jennifer Lopez, Jeremy Rosado, Jermaine Jones, Joshua Ledet, Phillip Phillips, Randy Jackson, reality television, reality tv, Reed Grimm, Ryan Seacrest, singing competition shows, Steven Tyler
 After many tears of disappointment and joy, American Idol has made its final decision on the Top 24 for Season Eleven. I have to say, this lineup looks about as impressive as last year’s. Other than a few contestants (Adam Brock….ugh…..), this is a solid group of performers, who all in their own way make legitimate cases for themselves to be our next superstar recording artist. I’m backing quite a few contestants, one in particular, but I will get to my favorites a little later. I do want to point out one note of interest that really took me by surprise yesterday. According to the Nielsen ratings, this was the one week where The Voice actually beat American Idol in the ratings war. I have been predicting this shift for quite some time, but now it’s official with Idol pulling in a 5.1 rating in the 18-49 demographic, noticeably less than The Voice’s 6.0 rating in that same key demographic. While Idol still received the most viewers overall this week, The Voice may soon overtake Idol in this department once the “Live Battle Rounds” begin. I love both of these shows, so the competition is something I look at with excitement and awe. Both are worthy of great success, with The Voice edging forward just a bit due to the consecutive high-quality that is being espoused each episode. However, American Idol is closing the gap with a Top 24 that I am so looking forward to seeing perform live next week. Let the anticipation come to an end, because here are your Top 24.….
Read more on ‘American Idol’ Recap: Top 24 Revealed…
Categories: TV/Music Tags: american idol, american idol recap, American Idol Season 11, fox, fox network, Jennifer Lopez, nielsen ratings, Randy Jackson, reality television, reality tv, Ryan Seacrest, singing competition shows, Steven Tyler, The Voice
 Lights, camera, Vegas! Welcome to another episode of…American Idol. Not only was this episode the best of the entire season thus far, but it finally proved why Randy has been so high on Season Eleven for the past two weeks. Let’s face it, Hollywood Week was a miserable mess, and a trip to the desert was just the cure to alleviate the torture Hollywood Week put us through as viewers. I’m not saying American Idol has reached the upper echelons of its former quality, but I also think that it certainly redeemed itself with an episode that showcased many potential stars in the making, as well as providing us with some great feedback and criticism from our panel of judges. When Jennifer Lopez is on her judging game, only Simon Cowell tops her in this field. Lopez’s critiques are precise, helpful, and always spot on. She knows how far to push a contestant with a critique without making them collapse into tears, and even the let downs and cuts aren’t quite as painful to watch. That being said, there were three individuals tonight who I felt were robbed a shot at a spot in the Top 42. That’s right folks, the numbers have now been dwindled to 42 remaining contestants. After the jump, find out who made the top 42, who I select as my final “Top 5 to Watch” (yep, this is the last time these honors will be awarded this season), and most importantly: I predict who will make American Idol Season 11′s Top 24.
Read more on ‘American Idol’ Recap: Vegas Round and Top 42 Revealed…
Categories: TV/Music Tags: america's got talent, american idol, american idol recap, American Idol Season 11, fox, fox network, Jennifer Lopez, Randy Jackson, reality television, Ryan Seacrest, singing competition shows, Steven Tyler
 Welcome back to another week of American Idol. Well, I guess I cannot complain too much because unlike last episode, which seemed silly to write a recap, people were actually singing instead of an hour showcasing DRAMA, DRAMA, DRAMA! However, I nearly keeled over in shock when Randy Jackson said of all eleven seasons, this was the best talent. Are you kidding me!? Either the editing has been atrocious this season, or something else is going on, because we haven’t seen talent this lackluster since Season Three. I’m not kidding — the kids can all certainly sing, but only a handful are making me sit up and pay attention. These five individuals will receive my weekly “Top 5 To Watch” of the week honors during this recap. I really hope some stars come to fruition, because after losing four of my “Top 5 to Watch” folks in Ethan Jones, Kyle Crews, Reis Kloeckener, and (I think) Brittany Zika, somebody had better stand out! Let’s get right into the thick of things after the jump. Read more on ‘American Idol’ Hollywood Week Recap: Group Rounds and Final Solos…
Categories: TV/Music Tags: american idol, american idol hollywood week, american idol hollywood week recap, american idol recap, American Idol Season 11, fox, fox network, Jennifer Lopez, Randy Jackson, reality television, Ryan Seacrest, singing competition shows, Steven Tyler
 Woe is me, for American Idol has just reached a new low this week, with the introduction of Hollywood Week being eclipsed by one singer’s dramatic collapse from the stage. Really, Idol, are you going to capitalize on the drama of a contestant by ending the episode on a cliffhanger with her collapsing as a means to boost declining ratings? Did the shark really jump tonight, or am I alone in feeling that this was the single WORST EPISODE of American Idol we have seen since Season Nine’s announcement of the Top 12, where talent like Alex Lambert, Katelyn Epperly, and Lily Scott were cut in favor of vocal serial killers like Tim Urban and Paige Miles? Seriously, if someone would have told me a month ago that The Voice would have a stronger showing in its second season than Idol did in its eleventh, after an impeccable season last year, I would have probably laughed and screamed Steven Tyler’s “Dream On!” But low and behold, it has happened. With two stellar episodes of The Voice under its belt, and a so-so audition run by Idol, followed by a distasteful Hollywood Week episode, it’s hard not to jump on the Superbowl lead-out’s bandwagon. Does this mean the end is near for Idol? After being a fan for eleven seasons and witnessing the discovery of America’s finest talent and biggest superstars, I can’t jump ship quite yet. However, I can honestly say that so far The Voice has proven a superior show both in quality of production and discovery of strong vocal talent. From The Voice, I still have Jamar Roger’s “Seven Nation Army” song from two days ago stuck in my head, and have yet to fully commit myself to a single Idol contestant so far this season. I’m not saying Idol is lacking talent. I’m just saying that as a whole, this doesn’t feel like the same show that gave us Haley Reinhart and James Durbin just one year ago. I am Idol’s biggest supporter and want it to succeed, but I have to be honest when push comes to shove, and observe that The Voice has done its homework this season while Idol derives excitement from a contestant’s misfortune. Check out my recap of Hollywood Week, highlighting the five best contestants after the jump. Read more on ‘American Idol’ Hollywood Week Recap: Day One…
Categories: TV/Music Tags: american idol, american idol hollywood week, american idol recap, American Idol Season 11, fox, fox network, Jennifer Lopez, Randy Jackson, reality television, singing competition shows, Steven Tyler, The Voice
 Picking the Top 5 Contestants to Watch from Portland and St. Louis.
We have officially completed the audition phase for American Idol Season 11. Hard to believe, right? It’s a kind of depressing feeling going into next week knowing that the once uncrushable reality series is averaging under its usual 20 million range. Are people just having singing-competition fatigue, or are these drops in ratings just a string of consequences following extensive DVR usage alongside utilized media sites like YouTube, which show many of the actual auditions that end up going viral? Whatever the case may be, this television viewer is not giving up on Idol in the least, and my coverage of America’s #1 regular programming show will be even more extensive in the coming weeks once things get interesting and the top 24 are announced. I know we’ve all been a bit distracted by Oscar season, and that’s a great thing, but lets not forget that this is a place where we can openly discuss our love for Idol and other television series in general. Like Clayton mentioned, the off-season shouldn’t be a time to hang up our hats until Oscar winter season comes knocking on our window again, failing to actively engage in some excellent chatter about the finest contributions pop culture has to offer us. Oscars coming to a close next month does not mean the fun at Awards Circuit is over — far from it. So I encourage all the readers to continue to stick with us for the entire year, especially in the off-season gap. Read more on American Idol Auditions: Week 3 Wrap Up…
Categories: TV/Music Tags: american idol, american idol recap, American Idol Season 11, fox, fox network, hollywood week, Jennifer Lopez, Randy Jackson, Ryan Seacrest, Steven Tyler, top 5 contestants to watch
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