There can only be one winner…and it should be Candice Glover.
Wow, can you believe American Idol is wrapping up its twelfth season already? I feel like the auditions were just yesterday, and speaking of…from the moment the season began, we had our frontrunner. That never changed, not even after tonight. With a killer conclusion to a very strong season (though not perfect by any means) of Idol, the winner was clear as day. Candice Glover and Kree Harrison both impressed tonight, but the show is designed to reward only one with a shower of confetti and the many rewards that come afterwards. Thank goodness my objectivity and subjectivity aligned on the most important night of competition. Here goes the review session, one last time… Read more on American Idol Recap: Finale Review…
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
Tears, sweat, blood, and shattered pride: This is…Hollywood Week. In what was a first for the long-standing television behemoth, American Idol decided to switch things up by having all the men compete against one another in this grueling yet pivotal round, then whittled down to twenty men standing by the end of the week (the women will duke it out next). I know many are crying foul that the competition was separated in such a manner, especially by gender, but in my estimation this was one of the most successful “switcheroos” I’ve seen in the show’s ten year history. These past two episodes, from an audience perspective, were time well spent. Airtime was solely dedicated to the progress made by our favorite contestants we’ve grown attached to, and by that I mean incredible displays of talent in acapella solos, group performances and final solo rounds. Do you remember that horrific episode last season where no one even sang, but instead the episode revolved on the stupid drama that ensues right before the groups perform for the judges on stage? Yeesh, thank god none of those shenanigans reared their ugly heads this week, and instead we got a mostly drama-free two episodes that gave us the goods at a quick and appropriate pace. Nigel Lythgoe and Simon Fuller, well done gentlemen. You’ve listened. Read more on ‘American Idol’ Recap: Hollywood Week Pt. 1 (Guys)…
Categories: TV/Music Tags: american idol, American Idol Hollywood Week boys, american idol hollywood week recap, American Idol Season 12, Charlie Askew, cortez shaw, Keith Urban, Lazaro Arbos, mariah carey, nick boddington, nicki minaj, paul jolly, Randy Jackson, Ryan Seacrest
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…
 It’s a bit difficult right now to try and discuss and report on the 54th Annual Grammy Awards in light of the fact that legendary singer, Whitney Houston, has tragically passed away at age 48. This was to be a big night for her, and so I think it’s safe to say all of us feel a bit weary going into tonight’s telecast. I certainly believe there will be a tribute of some sort this evening for Whitney Houston, and I sincerely hope they do her proud. She deserves it. As for the rest of this article’s Grammy coverage, I would live to preview the show by listing who will be performing tonight as well as predict who should and who will win music’s most important award. Without further ado, let’s take a look at what the 54th Grammy Awards have in store for us. Read more on 2012 Grammy Awards Preview and Predictions…
Categories: TV/Music Tags: bon iver, bruno mars, eminem, grammy nominations, lady gaga, ll cool j, maroon 5, nicki minaj, paul mccartney, rihanna, taylor swift, the band perry, Whitney Houston
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