Join in! Listen to our Weekly Podcast Episodes

Click Here To View Our Podcast Channel

  • American Idol Season 11 Recap

    Editor takes a look at FOX's #1 hit show...

    May 22, 2012

    As the eleventh season of FOX’s hit show “American Idol” winds down, the two finalists voted by America gear up to take the stage this Tuesday one last time.  Georgia native Phillip Phillips, who has never been in the bottom three, is believed to have one of the strongest fan bases this year.  After delivering a few performances that were, to say the least, elimination worthy, Phillips has escaped the clutches by America’s votes.

    California native and saved contestant Jessica Sanchez has delivered week-to-week.  Some (and to some existent myself) believe that her trip to the bottom three and save of the season was all staged following the disqualification of Jermaine Jones.  Would Producers Nigel Lythgoe and Ken Warwick stage such an event?  Who knows but what I do know, if it was, there’s a reason why Jennifer Lopez doesn’t have an Oscar on her mantle.  How awkward was that delivery?

    Let’s break it down week-to-week and see what may or should have been throughout the competition. Read more on American Idol Season 11 Recap…

    May 10, 2012

    After the torture I went through two nights ago immediately following the announcement of The Voice winner (America, why?!), it’s such a pleasure knowing I can jump back into the warm and embracing arms of my favorite reality show, American Idol, and know that all will be better once the top four singers blow my brains out like a Tarantino bloodbath with their talent. Yes, last night on American Idol might have topped itself for delivering some of the most beautiful covers of classic songs known to man (and woman…got that Randy?). This may have been “California Dreamin’” week, but three of the four Idols managed to show themselves in the best light possible in the second-half’s “Songs I Wish I Had Written” theme. My god, where do I even start? Well, it always begins with the overall worst contestant of the evening, so let’s get right to it…
    Read more on ‘American Idol’ Recap: Reviewing the Top 4…

    American Idol Top 4 Song Spoilers

    Who will be singing what on tonight's show?

    May 9, 2012

    California Dreamin

    “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” by Creedence Clearwater Revival
    “Steal Away” by Etta James
    “You Raise Me Up” by Josh Groban
    “Faithfully” by Journey

    Songs You Wish You Wrote

    “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” by Jennifer Holiday
    “I Can’t Make You Love Me” by Bonnie Raitt
    “Volcano” by Damien Rice
    “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World” by James Brown

    Duets:

    “This Love” by Maroon 5
    “Eternal Flame” by The Bangles Read more on American Idol Top 4 Song Spoilers…

    ‘American Idol’ “California Dreamin’” Week: Song Suggestions

    Two more weeks until the finale...What should the Idols sing?

    May 9, 2012

    There are two more weeks left until Phillip Phillips the winner of American Idol is crowned! Time is of the essence, and song choice has never been as important. That is why yours truly is here to hopefully give some of our Idols the right songs that will guarantee them a spot in the all-important Final Three. Yes, I do realize the Idols select their songs before the present week’s result show, but that does not stop me from using my telepathic powers to send a wave of advice across time and space, back to that moment where Jimmy Iovine and the guest mentor are prepping up the contestants for their weekly run-through. Who is that little voice inside every Idol’s mind as they come to a decision about what song to sing for the week? Why, that’s me everybody! Sometimes they listen (Thank you Hollie, Colton, DeAndre, and Jessica) and sometimes they don’t (Why, Elise, why?!), but regardless I’m heard loud and clear…at least I’d like to think so. This week our Top 4 are tackling songs from artists whose native land mirrors my own: CAL-I-FOR-NI-A! The second theme (cue the groaning) is “Songs I Wish I Had Written.” How is this any different from “My Idols” week? It isn’t folks, so I’m recycling the original song suggestions I had posted during Top 9 for tonight’s show. As for the new picks for “California Dreamin’” week, take the plunge below to see what I have in store for our Final 4… Read more on ‘American Idol’ “California Dreamin’” Week: Song Suggestions…

    ‘American Idol’ Recap: Reviewing the Top 5

    Are we in store for a shocking elimination this week?

    May 3, 2012

    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…

    ‘American Idol’ British Week: Song Suggestions

    The top five take the stage Wednesday...

    April 30, 2012

    Holy cow, can you believe we are down to just five contestants on American Idol? This may not be my favorite top five in Idol history (that award goes to Season Five), but I believe all the remaining contestants will continue to wow us with some astute song choices and powerful performances. It’s no surprise that I’ve been on a Holliepops high, but I have no shame in supporting this little underdog, especially now that she gets to tackle a theme that hits close to her former home overseas — British Week! That’s right; the Top Five will be covering songs from any British singer across all musical decades. To me, the greatest band of all time was from ye olde England — The Beatles — so I fully applaud any song that comes from any and all spectacular British talents. Bombs away, folks! Here we go with some song suggestions… Read more on ‘American Idol’ British Week: Song Suggestions…

    April 26, 2012

    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…

    April 21, 2012

    This coming week, the American Idol top six will be covering songs from the amazing 70′s/80′s glam rock band, the one…the only…Queen! It’s kind of disappointing that Colton will not be available to perform these songs this week, seeing as how his emo-punk style fits right in line with Freddie Mercury’s flair for the dramatic rock fashionista. Formed in 1971, Queen reinvented what it meant to be a “rock n’ roll”  band, adding a texture of opera to their music and championing themselves as pioneers of the “glam rock” genre in the process. Their songs will forever be ingrained in music history, and I personally cannot wait to see what these talented Top Six Idols will do with such legendary tracks. As always, I’m offering some advice for each of the remaining contestants in the hopes that they’ll use my suggestions as a means of moving on to the next week without a trip to the Bottom Three. Without further ado, let’s take a look at what I have in store for the Top SixRead more on ‘American Idol’ Queen Theme Week: Song Suggestions…

    April 19, 2012

    Wow, I am speechless. Last night may have been one of the greatest telecasts of American Idol I have ever seen. Every single contestant had the bare minimum of one stellar performance on “Now and Then” theme night. Sure, there’s always the occasional bump or two in the road, but with voices like these, who needs The Voice? I kid, I kid! To top things off, we had a comeback I was not expecting, and I may have just changed favorites in the course of a single evening (I’m forever going to empathize with wishy-washy politicians). Because the Top 7 are singing two songs this week, my breakdown will still be a ranking, but an average between the two performances. Let’s not waste another second! Below is my review session for the Top 7 ReduxRead more on ‘American Idol’ Recap: Reviewing the Top 7 Redux…

    April 12, 2012

    The American Idol Top 7 attempted to rise to the challenge of showcasing their modern skills, but unfortunately quite a few missed the mark. Other than one special individual’s selection, I wouldn’t call any song choice last night particularly indicative of the the future musical path we’re likely to see from some of these contestants post-Idol. Some choices were bizarre, some I have never even heard of (color me shocked), and one was foolishly rehashed from a golden moment in Season Ten. In all, this was two weeks in a row that I’ve felt pretty disappointed with the performances. It hurt deeper this week knowing that there were some great selections to be made from the past few years, but hardly anyone jumped on the meatier choices that would turn the internet ablaze. So without further ado, I give you my review session that’s just a jump away…
    Read more on ‘American Idol’ Recap: Reviewing the Top 7…

    April 9, 2012

    America’s votes have been decided, forming our official Top 7 on American Idol as a result. This week, the remaining seven contestants will be singing songs from this decade: 2010, 2011, and 2012. I have to admit, I’m slightly worried. Besides a few select records, are there enough great songs out there for our Idols to choose from that would have as powerful a punch on the big Idol stage without the magical force that is auto-tune? On the flip side, we’ve heard enough Adele renditions to last us a lifetime on Idol, so fingers crossed the mentors chuck Adele’s name out the window if some brazen contestants throw her name into the suggestion pile. I love Adele as much as anyone, but we can’t tarnish her special individuality as an artist by letting every contestant turn her into one smelly recycling bin. Mentors, please let the Adele recycling bin odor dissipate for at least a year until it smells brand new. With that piece of advice behind us, let’s jump right into my song suggestions for Idol‘s Top 7! Read more on ‘American Idol’ “Songs From This Decade” Theme Week: Song Suggestions…

    April 5, 2012

    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…

    April 4, 2012

    April 2, 2012

    This week, American Idol’s Top 8 will be covering songs from the 80s! That was a decade of emerging dance beats, pop slowly redefining its sound, and multiple genres equally dominating the charts. For this group of contestants, I couldn’t think of a more appropriately diverse theme for the Top 8 to tackle, with career-defining song choices aplenty. So without further ado, take a look after the jump to see what yours truly has to suggest from one of the most memorable decades in music! Read more on ‘American Idol’ 80s Theme Week: Song Suggestions…

    March 29, 2012

    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…

    March 25, 2012

    This week on American Idol, the top nine finalists will be choosing songs from their own personal idols to sing for America. I want to apologize in advance to all nine contestants if I come across like a stalker with my knowledge of their personal idols. I had to scour the American Idol website and read the Q&A interviews about who each of their favorite artists are, otherwise this article would have been impossible to write up. Again, this is the last time I will stalk investigate the Idols unless it’s pertinent to these types of articles — I promise! Below is my song suggestion list for our Top Nine!
    Read more on ‘American Idol’ “Songs From Their Idols” Theme Week: Song Suggestions…

    March 22, 2012

    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…

    March 20, 2012

    This Wednesday, the Top 10 on American Idol will be tackling the songs of famed singer-songwriter, Billy Joel. I, for one, am excited about this theme, particularly because Billy Joel’s songs are awesome and incredibly diverse, making for a wide range of unique song choices that could provide a memorable night on Idol. The success of the night, as usual, depends on the wise song selections by our Idols. Like Jimmy Iovine stated during last Thursday’s results show, no matter what song suggestions the mentors try to shove down the contestants’ throats, the decision ultimately lies with our Idols. Last week proved disastrous for some frontrunners (I’m looking at you, Jessica Sanchez), because many were just too ignorant to choose songs they were unfamiliar with, and instead settled on predictable selections that did nothing to show off their artistry or musical creativity. I’m here, once again, crossing my fingers that the Idols take my advice and make the best decisions for themselves if they want a chance of making that all-important finale. I don’t care what Randy Jackson says — song choice is everything on Idol. Check below to see what choices from the Billy Joel songbook I select for our remaining ten contestants. Read more on ‘American Idol’ Billy Joel Theme Week: Song Suggestions…

    March 15, 2012

    In many ways, last night’s episode of American Idol felt like the ‘Twilight Zone.’ You had Jessica Sanchez making one of the worst song choices in Idol history for a supposed frontrunner, and Heejun, although vocally mediocre, showcasing some emotion behind that wall of smug humor. I felt like I was on a different planet, and it really didn’t help matters that I actually only enjoyed two performances by the time the show had come to a close (*gulp*). That wasn’t to say every other contestant was awful, merely that they weren’t living up to their potential. On a night that could be considered one of Idol‘s all time worst, two stood above the rest to deliver amazing results. Check below as I count down the remaining eleven contestants (he who shall not be named Jermaine Jones won’t be discussed since I already feel like he stole a spot from worthier opponents).
    Read more on ‘American Idol’ Recap: Reviewing the Top 11…

    March 11, 2012

    Come this Wednesday, the Top 12 on American Idol will be singing “Songs From the Year They Were Born” as this week’s theme. This theme has been done a number of times on Idol, and is an exact repeat theme from last season’s Top 12. Some may call it a lazy theme week, but I find it’s always fun to see how the Idol‘s will come up with songs from their birth year to make them sound as relevant and important as their own birthdays. I’m expecting a lot of flukes this week with song choices, which is why yours truly is here to lend a hand. Take a look after the jump to see what I chose for each of the Top 12 for this week’s “Songs From the Year They Were Born” theme in alphabetical order. Read more on ‘American Idol’ Songs From the Year They Were Born Theme Week: Song Suggestions…

    March 8, 2012

    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…

    March 3, 2012

    No more guessing now! The Top 13 has been officially formed on American Idol thanks to your votes, whether you like the end result or not. Let’s take a moment of silence for Creighton Fraker and Hallie Day, two performers who were robbed a spot in the Top 13 by Heejun Han and Erika Van Pelt, and silently wish them luck in all future musical endeavors. In all seriousness, this is a very strong Top 13, and while it’s not as fully satisfying as last season’s perfect lineup, I think we have a real competition about to ensue over the course of the next two months. I look forward to covering it with my Idol partner-in-crime, Editor Clayton Davis.

    This week the Top 13 Idols will be covering two of the most legendary singers of all time: Stevie Wonder and the recently departed Whitney Houston. The boys will be covering Stevie’s classic tunes while the girls will take the plunge into tackling one of the greatest voices ever. It’s certainly going to be a must-see show, even if train wrecks are an almost guarantee with such difficult standards to meet. To help prepare the Idol’s for this difficult week, I have decided to give some advice to each Idol by suggesting the songs that would most appropriately suit them on Wednesday’s show. Whether they listen or not remains to be seen, but that’s not stopping me anyway. Don’t say I didn’t warn them! Check out my Song Suggestions for the Top 13 for Stevie Wonder/Whitney Houston Week after the jump!
    Read more on ‘American Idol’ Whitney Houston/Stevie Wonder Theme Week: Song Suggestions for the Top 13…

    March 2, 2012

    America chose!  The results of the Top 25 were revealed on American Idol tonight.  Ryan Seacrest reveal the top five boys and girls that would advance to the Top 13.  Of the remaining contestants, judges Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, and Steven Tyler chose six wildcard contestants to take up the remaining spots in the finals.

    Guys That Advanced

    • Phillip Phillips
    • Heejun Han
    • Joshua Ledet
    • Colton Dixon
    • Jermaine Jones

    Girls That Advanced

    • Elise Testone
    • Skylar Laine
    • Jessica Sanchez
    • Hollie Cavanaugh
    • Shannon McGrane

    Read more on American Idol Top 25 Results Recap…

    March 1, 2012

    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…

    © Copyright 2008-2012 AwardsCircuit.com - All rights reserved.


    Disclaimer: AwardsCircuit.com is a private, independently owned site which is intended only as entertainment. The views expressed on this website may or may not reflect those of its owner.