Carrie Underwood's video for "Last Name," her latest single off her double platinum-certified sophomore album, Carnival Ride, premiered earlier today on CMT.com. The video may start off a little familiar to many, as it features elements from the "Before He Cheats" video. You can view it below.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Carrie Underwood's "Last Name" premieres
IDOL LIVE Blog - Top 5 Results (4/30/08)
Tonight we blog during the Top 5 results show beginning at 9 p.m. ET, when the Top 4 is revealed and Neil Diamond and Natasha Bedingfield perform. Bedingfield will sing her new single "Pocketful of Sunshine," while it is unknown what Diamond will sing. Make sure you follow along to read how the show handles Paula's gaffe live as it happens.
Diana DeGarmo, "Emotional" - download on iTunes
Diana DeGarmo, "Go On and Cry" - download on iTunes
Diana DeGarmo, "Don't Cry Out Loud" - download on iTunes
Diana DeGarmo, "Till You Want Me" - download on iTunes
Diana DeGarmo, "Blue Skies" - download on iTunes
Brooke White, "I'm a Believer (Live)" - download
Brooke White, "I Am...I Said (Live)" - download
Top 5 Week Poll Results - Favorite Remaining Finalists
Brooke White 33 (10%)
David Archuleta 135 (41%)
David Cook 109 (33%)
Jason Castro 35 (10%)
Syesha Mercado 13 (4%)
Total votes: 325
Analysis: Paula's seeing the future, baby!
In the moment of confusion seen 'round the world, whether it was on live television, audio stream or via IDOL LIVE, Paula Abdul suffered an embarrassment that will surpass her "fortune cookie" comment in Season 5 and her infected finger episode in Season 3.
Although it is true that Idol fans love Paula for her wackiness and would not want to see her replaced as much as they may complain about her, many are now questioning the legitimacy of this show. Yes, there have been many questions raised in the past about whether the show is rigged or not, but this time the media will be less than kind to Paula and the show's producers.
To start off, the whole layout of the show was a disaster and rushed, so that right there opened the door to a chance of a screw up. From backstage accounts by EW.com, it seemed the "firing squad comments" at the end of round one were either poorly planned, or not planned at all, so that added a hurdle for the judges, specifically Paula. Now, to start off her comments she said "Oh gosh, we've never had to write these things down...fast enough," which gives off the perception that she had written down the comments during the first five performances. But how is that possible when she was up dancing during a few of the performances? Besides, she had already written something for Jason Castro's second song, so that excuse does not stick.
Over the course of the show's seven-year history, there have been many tidbits released about the extent to which the judges participate in the dress rehearsals, and Simon was famously quoted as saying he "doesn't listen during the live performances" because he formulates his opinion during the dress rehearsals. But Paula is known for showing up late, sometimes only minutes before the live show begins. So unless she sat through the entire dress rehearsal last night, that excuse has a tough time standing up as well.
This leaves another option open: did Paula make write her comments before seeing even the dress rehearsal? Was she handed her note cards by Nigel or another production member? Or was it just an honest mistake?
Personally, I don't think it is a conspiracy. Sure, the show has seen its fair share of controversy and mess ups, but this instance was probably just Paula getting frazzled and confused at the change of schedule and she wanted to make sure she had something to say so that the five performances did not go by as a blur (as they did for most viewers). Her nerves got in the way and she tripped up, but I don't think it has anything to do with what is in her Coke cup. Still, the slip up was a huge one, and Ryan and Paula will try to explain away what happened with some elaborate story. If Simon's "eye roll" at Chris Richardson had to be apologized for last season, there is no way they can afford to ignore this.
And the fact that Jason had to go out there and perform a song he already knew he would be getting negative comments for was a little on the unfair side. He definitely did a number on his confidence, because his first performance was much better than his second.
But I think the real story here is how Paula tried to cover up her gaffe by saying her comments were for David Cook, and then saying he was "amazing." This was out of desperation after she knew what she had done, and was not thinking of what the media et al would say about her lame cover up the next day. It is understandable, but still unprofessional. She should have apologized to Jason, saying she had written down comments from the dress rehearsal and it would have been less awkward.
Again, it is up to Nigel as to what kind of approach Idol takes tonight in addressing last night's events, and hopefully he does the right thing. The show cannot afford any more of these situations if it wants to sustain its waning spot on top.
Frantic finalists stumble on Neil Diamond night
The mess that was ultimately Neil Diamond night left viewers wondering how Nigel Lythgoe approved such a disorganized display. The performances, although not bad, were hindered by their short durations, and the whole flow was missing. There was no excitement until Paula's blunder of epic proportions (but that will be addressed in the following post).
To kick off the night, Jason Castro performed "Forever In Blue Jeans" to a less-than-responsive audience. His second song, "September Morn," was the worst quality performance last night vocals wise, and was boring with a capital B.
The judges' rapid-fire critiques at the end of round one were a very bad idea to put it nicely, and Randy's empty description of Jason being "ok" on "Jeans" did nothing to help his cause. For "September," he basically adding a sentence worth of the same words, calling it an "ok whatever" performance. Thanks Randy! Paula...well, we'll just skip her first round comments, but she thought Jason took the same liberty on both of his performances. And Simon's merciless yet incredible slash and burn style of comments pegged Jason as "forgettable," following up with saying the judges "don't recognize [him]" and he did nothing to change the arrangements.
David Cook proceeded to sing "I'm Alive" and "All I Really Ever Need Is You," two lesser-known Diamond songs, yet he was able to rock them out and make them sound current, as Simon noted. He called his second performance "brilliant," after earlier declaring "Alive" to be "just above average." Randy liked both, saying he was "in the zone" (for the first of three times last night) on his first song, and telling David he is a "huge David Cook fan" last night because he "rocked the house." Paula said she felt like she was "looking at the next American Idol."
Some lighter fare was brought forth by Brooke White, who tired her hand at The Monkees' classic "I'm a Believer," which was very erratic and her vocals were not all there. But her second performance of "I Am...I Said" was beautiful, and the fact that she heeded Neil Diamond's advice by substituting "Arizona" for "New York" in the song to connect more with the audience was very wise. Randy thought "Believer" was better than last week, and she was vulnerable on "Said." Paula said she had fun on her fist song and was vulnerable on her second. And Simon boldly called her first performance "a nightmare," to which Brooke shook her head and the audience booed loudly. But he thought her second was "a million times better" than her first.
And then the resident teen singing sensation David Archuleta tackled "Sweet Caroline," which would have been better had he ad-libbed a few lines ("oh! oh! oh!" and "so good! so good! so good!"), but this Red Sox fan will settle for what he was able to deliver. He also did "America," which he thankfully did not morph into a ballad and cracked a tiny bit on a high note, but it was not too bad. Simon thought the first song was "amateurish" but thought "America" was a "clever" song choice, saying he ticked all the boxes (whatever that means). Randy loved both, which was a big surprise of course. And then Paula thought his voice was "on point."
Syesha Mercado closed the show, after first singing "Hello Again" to much praise, with the exception of Simon's "old-fashioned" comment. She looked beautiful last night and was able to show a lot of personality on "Thank the Lord for the Night Time," which was not as strong as "Hello" but was still a fun way to end the night. Randy said she was "in the zone" not once, but twice over the course of the night, and that he liked her doing the theatrical kinds of performances. Paula compared her to Corrine Bailey Ray, and Simon used his signature reverse psychology to trick voters into voting for her by declaring he thought she would be in trouble this week, which her fans will surely appreciate.
Simon closed out the night by saying it was "officially the strangest show we've ever done," which is the complete truth. Even neglecting the Paula episode, the night was rushed, chaotic and was only fun to watch in a train wreck sort of way. It will surely go down in American Idol history as one of the wackiest moments the show has ever seen.
As for predictions, it looks like Jason is a goner, but not only that, David A. will make his first appearance in the bottom two. Why is this? Well, there are many reasons, but a good one will be Nigel & Co. trying to get America to forget about Paula's gaffe because of the utter shock everyone will be in from seeing TCO standing there on the brink of elimination. Syesha is as safe as a Swiss bank account and David C. has nothing to worry about. Brooke, although she probably received the second-lowest amount of votes, will be spared due to her embarrassment last week. So in a way, this will work out for everyone because a) David A.'s fans will get a wakeup call, b) America's short term memory will discard Paula's antics to make room for David A.'s shocker and c) Nigel will see a ratings surge from the controversy. I will be a little disappointed if things don't go this way tonight, but as Neil Diamond week proved, nothing is certain on this show.
Predictions:
Bottom 2: David A., Jason
Eliminated: Jason
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Paula blows 'Idol''s cover?
Decide for yourself whether Paula just destroyed the credibility of this show.
IDOL LIVE Blog - Top 5 Perform (4/29/08)
Join us tonight as we blog during the Top 5 performance show when the finalists take on songs from Neil Diamond's catalog. Remember to visit this post following the conclusion of the blogcast to find download links of the songs featured in the live blog.
Carly Smithson, "Superstar (Studio Version)" - download on iTunes
Kevin Covais, "When I Fall In Love" - download
Ruben Studdard, "What If" - download on iTunes
Kelly Clarkson, "Go" - download
Haley Scarnato, "True Colors (Studio Version)" - download
Phil Stacey's debut album out today
Season 6 sixth-place finalist Phil Stacey released his debut self-titled album today. The album features the Wayne Kirkpatrick-produced Top 30 Country hit "If You Didn't Love Me" in addition to 10 other songs.
Phil is signed to Lyric Street Records, which also is home to fellow Idol alums Bucky Covington (Season 5) and Josh Gracin (Season 2).
Buy it on Amazon and iTunes.
Monday, April 28, 2008
American Idols Live Tour 2008 schedule announced
The preliminary schedule for the 2008 American Idols Live tour has been posted on AmericanIdol.com. The tour will kick off at the jobing.com Arena on Tues., July 1 in Glendale, Ariz., and will conclude on Sept. 13 at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Okla. The schedule currently includes 49 shows in 29 states and one province.
To view a full listing of the tour, see here. While there, you can also sign up to receive the latest news regarding the tour via e-mail.
Keeping up with Haley Scarnato
Since placing eighth on Season 6 and wrapping up the Idols Live! tour last September, Haley Scarnato has had a whirlwind series of events take place. After the tour, she broke up with her fiancé, Bobby Krudwig, whom she was set to wed in January of this year. Haley then moved to Nashville to pursue a career in country music, but left the city in March after her house as broken into multiple times and some of her belongings were stolen.
When Haley returned to American Idol Extra in March, she faced tough questions from host JD Roberto, who asked her about a possible relationship with runner-up Blake Lewis, to which she said "next question!" after appearing flustered. She performed the Roy Orbison classic "Crying" on the show.
Haley has sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" at many events, including the third game of the western conference semifinals between her hometown San Antonio Spurs and the Phoenix Suns, the 2008 NHL Final Four and at Sea World's 20th Anniversary in San Antonio, Tex.
Haley's new single, "Girls Night Out," was posted for sale on her official Web site, along with a studio version of "Crying." A clip of "Girls" has been posted on Haley's official music MySpace. She is signed with T.H.E. Records and expects her debut album, tentatively titled StrongHeart, to be out sometime this year.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Digital sales roundup: "No Air" #4 (4/26/08)
In this week's digital sales roundup, three Idol alums are represented in the Top 50 of the latest edition of Billboard's Hot Digital Songs chart. Jordin Sparks leads all tracks with "No Air," her duet with Chris Brown, which sits at #4 with 135,720 downloads sold this week. Full numbers, courtesy of bks from Pulse, are posted below.
04 04 Jordin Sparks, "No Air" 135,720 -12% 153,648 1,376,094
08 13 Daughtry, "What About Now" 52,809 -39% 86,074 212,578
43 37 Daughtry, "Feels Like Tonight" 24,942 -4% 26,059 347,486
38 39 Jordin Sparks, "Tattoo" 23,959 -20% 29,956 1,557,427
49 44 Carrie Underwood, "All-American Girl" 22,682 -8% 24,539 449,590
10 48 Carrie Underwood, "Praying For Time" 21,651 -67% 65,635 87,286
Total sales in bold.
Kat named FHM's "38th sexiest woman in the world"
Season 5 runner-up Katharine McPhee came in at #38 on FHM magazine's list of "100 Sexiest Women in the World 2008." Last year, Kat placed second, being beat out by actress Jessica Alba.
The blurb the magazine used to accompany Kat's photo was the following:
Season 5's American Idol runner-up, Katharine gave millions of guys a reason to tune into the hit show. In 2007, she returned with a sexier look and a self-titled debut album that sold over 100,000 copies in its first week.The only other American Idol alum to make it on the list was Carrie Underwood, who placed #73.
'Daughtry' certified quadruple platinum
Daughtry, the debut album of the band by the same name, has been certified quadruple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for achieving 4 million copies sold since its Nov. 21, 2006 release.
The band, which is fronted by Season 5's fourth-place finalist Chris Daughtry, has had six successful singles go to radio, including the platinum "It's Not Over" and "Home," the near-platinum "Over You" and "Feels Like Tonight." Daughtry has also seen moderate success on the rock charts with "What I Want" and "Crashed."
Friday, April 25, 2008
Carrie featured in InStyle magazine
Carrie Underwood is featured in the May 2008 issue of InStyle magazine, which is on newsstands now. Along with a selection of shots from a beautiful photo shoot, Carrie gives tips on how to look and feel great. Below is a sampling of how she manages this, by learning to laugh at herself.
"Usually I come up through the floor to get to the stage. I can't stand up on the little platform or the audience will see me, so I'm squatting down with my rear end pressed up against the back of it. I just laugh because the audience thinks this is so glamorous--and here I am under the stage with these ropes and equipment, my butt pressed against plastic!"There is also a video of behind the scenes footage from the shoot, which can be viewed here. For more shots from the photo shoot, see here.
The yawn heard 'round the world
So in case anyone missed it on Wednesday, Jason Castro was caught yawning as the camera panned to backstage as Ryan was about to send us to a commercial break, where he awaited his fate alongside Brooke White, Syesha Mercado and Carly Smithson. Apparently it is a sign of disrespect or just downright rude to yawn during American Idol, as major news outlets picked up the story.
Although Jason's personality seems to give off a sense of unwillingness (more like a disinterest) to be on the show, in his defense, he would not have auditioned had he not wanted to be on in the first place. He may not win, but landing in the Top 5 is as good an outcome as anyone could hope for. But as for Yahoo! and those other newsertainment outlets, there are more earth-shattering stories to report on.
And Jason, it's alright. I didn't know a cat sang it either.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Carly's exit is a semi-surprise
Although it was intended to send shockwaves across America when Ryan uttered the words "Brooke, you're safe" last night, it really was not a huge surprise. Although her now infamous restart was the talk of the town, and Ryan mentioned it on multiple occasions last night alone, Brooke White's maturity after the performance on Tuesday was remarkable. She stood there with her lips pursed, accepting the criticism that she knew she would be getting. She did not talk over the judges, something she made note of before her results were read last night.
It was a definite shame, however, that Ireland's Carly Smithson was sent packing. Her performance of "Superstar" on Tuesday was arguably the best of the night, and so although it was not a complete shock, it did feel a bit undeserving. The fact that Carly went out all smiles and with class was good to see, and Simon even gave her praise, telling her to hold her head up high and be proud of what she accomplished, which was interesting considering their somewhat rocky relationship onstage over the course of the season.
Last night, most of America was introduced to Leona Lewis, the UK's X-Factor winner and Simon discovery. Lewis looked beautiful in a white knee-length dress, and the lighting made her seem angelic. It was definitely one of the best guest performances of the season, if not the best. The flames were a nice added touch as well.
One aspect that was not missed during the results show was the "Idol Live" segment (serves them right for stealing the name), as it is the filler of all fillers. Ryan's chat with Andrew Lloyd Webber was interesting, and gave more insight into why he gave advice to certain contestants. When asked if Jason followed his advice, he said "no," and commented on the song choice being "peculiar." He also thought Brooke was flawless in the dress rehearsal, which goes to show how she would have sounded had she not restarted.
When Simon brought out David Archuleta and David Cook to kick off the results, everyone knew what was coming. But the fact that Syesha Mercado landed in the bottom two with Carly was a sad but real circumstance that the remaining five finalists will have to deal with from here on in. Every week is do or die, and one wrong move could end their dreams of winning.
Although it may seem obvious that the next three to leave are Syesha, Jason Castro and Brooke (and probably in that order), nothing is set in stone. At this point in Season 5, everyone and their mother had Chris Daughtry picked as the winner, but we all know how that turned out. Just something to keep in mind as we march toward May 21.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
IDOL LIVE Blog - Top 6 Results (4/23/08)
Join us tonight as we blog during the Top 6 results show, when one finalist will be eliminated and Leona Lewis performs. Links to download the songs featured in tonight's blogcast will be posted at the conclusion of the episode.
Leona Lewis, "Bleeding Love" - download on iTunes
Leona Lewis, "Footprints In the Sand" - download on iTunes
Leona Lewis, "Better In Time" - download on iTunes
Leona Lewis, "I Will Be" - download on iTunes
Leona Lewis, "Whatever It Takes" - download on iTunes
Carly Smithson, "Superstar (Live)" - download
Finalists show their theatrical sides on ALW night
If the Top 6 finalists do not win American Idol, they can at least find comfort in knowing they could succeed on Broadway. Well, most of them anyway.
The theme of songs from Andrew Lloyd Webber's catalog was something that has never been done on the show, and could have been a disaster. Instead, the finalists took Webber's advice to heart and actually put on a few memorable performances.
First up was Syesha Mercado, who took on "One Rock 'n Roll Too Many" from Starlight. After Webber decided Syesha should go with her "animated" version over the "un-animated" version, it was apparent to see why he made the decision. She tore up the stage in a low-cut red dress and invoked a lot of sass into her performance. A cameo by Ricky Minor dressed in era attire was also a refreshing twist.
Randy and Paula kept pushing the Broadway thing on Syesha, as Paula called it "her happy place." Simon agreed with Randy, saying she is "comfortable" in the style of music, and called the performance "sexy." It would not be a surprise to see her in the bottom two, but in all likelihood she will escape it this week.
Brooke White, on the other hand, suffered a stumble when she had to restart her performance of "You Must Love Me" from the film adaptation of Evita. Although Webber said Brooke "sang it like she meant it" during their session together, he abrupt restart ended up throwing her off, and she never really recovered. Vocally, it was her weakest performance to date.
Paula had a long pause of her own during her critique, and finally came out with "You must never start and stop." Simon disagreed, saying he would have done the same thing had he flubbed the lyrics. But he also warned Brooke that she would be disappointed upon watching her performance back. A definite bottom 2 appearance tonight.
Jason Castro was the second sub-par performance of the night, as he struggled his way through "Memory" from Cats. ALW seemed to be having fun with Jason, making light of his dreadlocks, but said he would not be surprised if Jason disregarded his advice completely and ended up sounding better. Whatever he did, it did not work out. Jason spent the majority of the performance staring down at the floor, staying planted in a stool throughout the duration. His vocals were also wishy washy and he never really seemed to find a comfort zone.
Randy went as far as calling it a "train wreck" vocally, but Paula gave him credit for singing something a female power-singng balladeer would sing. Simon compared the performance to a little boy being forced to sing a song at a wedding by his parents but making the whole scene miserable. Jason could make the bottom 2, but he will most likely just scrape by, having the third-lowest votes.
The night did improve as it went on. David Archuleta sang "Think of Me" from Phantom of the Opera. He was vocally on par but it was not he greatest performance. If there was one good thing about it, though, it was the fact that David actually listened to ALW's advice that he keep his eyes open as much as possible, as he only closed them a few times.
Randy seemed like a cheerleader during his critique, as he went above and beyond with his praise for the performance. Paula also reached a bit high, calling it "absolutely perfect." But leave it to Simon to get things right once again, as he called it "pleasant but probably one of [David's] weakest performances." Watch as David sails through to take on "Sweet Caroline" next week.
Carly Smithson also put on one of the highlights (if not the highlight) of her time on the show with "Superstar" from Jesus Christ Superstar. The performance was upbeat and lively, something she really needed to do. And ALW gave her some of the best advice a mentor had ever given a contestant, after making her change her song. He also said she looked really happy singing it.
The incorporation of the band and Carly's movement all around the stage added to the overall package, and she received mild praise from the judges (a bit too mild). Simon did say it was "one of his favorite performances of the night," which counts for something. Despite having a standout performance, it looks like Carly will in fact be in the bottom 2, and more than likely she will (undeservingly) go home.
The show was able to go out on a good note, but nothing as lively as Carly's performance. David Cook pulled out a win in "Music of the Night" from Phantom of the Opera, and the highlight of the entire show came during his mentor session with ALW. Trying to get it across to David that the song is romantic and that he needed to imagine he was singing it to the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, Webber asked David to imagine him as a "17-year-old girl," which drew laughs from the audience (and most likely all of America).
David was very controlled, on cue and technically a good vocalist on the song, as he was able to bring out opera elements that he had never shown on the show. It bordered on boring a few times, but he was able to finish on a signature "Cook" note. Two judges were wild about it, but the other one not so much. Simon said he preferred the "gritty rocker" side of David over the theatrical one, something most of his fans also would agree with.
So as it stands, it looks like Ryan will play games with the finalists tonight and separate them all into three groups of two, and then announce which one is the bottom group. If one was to put money on the outcome, it does not look good for Carly nor Brooke, but worse for Carly thanks to the sympathy vote for Brooke. Whatever happens, it will be awfully close.
Predictions:
Bottom 2: Brooke, Carly
Eliminated: Carly
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
IDOL LIVE Blog - Top 6 Perform (4/22/08)
Join us tonight as we blog during the Top 6 performance show at 8:00 p.m. ET, when the Top 8 finalists perform songs written by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Links to download the songs featured in tonight's blog will be posted below the live blog at the conclusion of the episode.
Kristy Lee Cook - "Forever (Studio Version)" download on iTunes
Chris Daughtry - "Higher Ground (Live)" download
Blake Lewis - "Love Song (Studio Version) download
Kady Malloy - "Foolish Games" download
Diana DeGarmo - "Cardboard Castles" download on iTunes
Update on Jordin's condition
A spokesperson from Jordin Sparks' record label, Jive Records, said that Jordin will join Alicia Keys on her As I Am tour, which is already in progress, sometime in May. This comes after news that she suffered an acute vocal hemorrhage, and is resting at home in Glendale, Ariz., per doctor's orders.
Jordin was forced to cancel three appearances this past weekend, and will miss the 2008 Dove Awards and an Earth Day event that was to be held today on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
Although early reports made it seem like damage to her vocal chords might be permanent, the Jive spokesperson said Jordin is expected to "make a full recovery."
Monday, April 21, 2008
Keeping up with Camile Velasco
Season 3's Hawaiian surfing IHOP employee Camile Velasco has not seen success on a large scale since leaving the show in 2004, but she has been hard at work building a career in the entertainment industry. The Filipino-American placed ninth on her season, and suffered largely from nerves, which greatly diminished her chances of winning.
After covering "Hangin' On" while signed to Universal/Mowtown Records, Camile performed at many west coast events. She left the record label in 2006, but continued to perform and even was featured in the Black Eyed Peas' video for their song "Bebot."
Camile posted a new song on her MySpace one week ago called "Open Up," which is possible a single from her upcoming debut album. She also has started a channel on YouTube called camileTV, and even covered Alicia Keys' "No One" in one of the webisodes, which can be viewed below.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Jordin cancels concert due to vocal hemorrhage
Jordin Sparks was forced to cancel her concert today at the Bryce Jordan Center in University Park, Pa. The reason: her vocal chords have suffered an "acute hemorrhage," which could lead to permanent damage if not treated, according to her doctor.
Jordin is currently back at home in Arizona. She was supposed to open for Alicia Keys beginning tonight in Hampton, Va., to kick off Keys' "As I Am" North American tour.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Ayla sings the National Anthem at Celtics game
Ayla Brown, a Top 16 semifinalist on Season 5, sang the National Anthem at the final regular season game of the Boston Celtics at the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston, Mass. on Wednesday.
For anyone who was wondering, this is the reason I was not able to live blog on Wednesday. Sadly, my batteries ran out three-quarters of the way through the performance.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Too many Cooks in the kitchen...
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Country contender Kristy Lee Cook felt the heat last night as she became the sixth finalist to be voted out this season. She took it well all things considering, and even when it was announced Brooke White would be joining her in the bottom two, Kristy Lee comforted her by saying she was not going anywhere and she would be the one leaving.
The irony is that Kristy Lee had been improving each and every week since the Top 12, and she delivered one of her best performances with "Forever." As for why she was eliminated in spite of her growing success, her obscurity of her song choice could be partly to blame, although usually that works to a contestant's advantage. The true reason she went was because the Idol kitchen is too crowded with talent, and has been for the majority of Season 7. At this point, it's any given week for every single finalist that is not named "David."
What made Kristy Lee's departure especially satisfying was her ad-libbing and the deliberate uncomfortable mood she set for Simon in her encore performance. It was refreshing to see her leave with such a great attitude.
As for the rest of the results show, Season 5 second runner-up Elliott Yamin delivered a touching performance of his song "Free," and he mentioned the fact that the performance was the first one that his mother, Claudette, had not attended, following her passing late last month. Elliott was all smiles as Ryan gave his condolences and gave Claudette praise she most definitely would have appreciated.
Mariah Carey, this week's mentor, also performed, taking a stab at her brand new single "Bye Bye." Mariah flattered Randy when she gave him credit for a lot of her success, out of courtesy and kindness, of course.
As for the dreaded "group-choosing" bottom 3 style that Ryan put the finalists through for the umpteenth season, a tradition that was started by Bo Bice back in Season 4 was upheld, as David Archuleta promptly sat in the middle of the stage when asked to choose the group he thought was safe. The only contestant to not follow Bo's example during Top 7 week was Taylor Hicks, who correctly chose the correct group back in Season 5.
The lowest point of the results show was without a doubt the finalists' group performance of the Mariah Carey-Boyz II Men duet of "One Sweet Day." There was such disorganization and the vocal pairings did not mesh whatsoever (Syesha Mercado and David Cook? C'mon...)
Despite the fact that Kristy Lee was not going to win no matter what, her elimination goes to show that from here on out, it's every man and woman for his or herself. And Andrew Lloyd Webber week does not look to be any kinder to the finalists.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
IDOL LIVE Blog - Top 7 Results (4/16/08)
Tonight I am away, but my friend, Dan, will be blogging during the Top 7 results show, in which the Top 6 will be revealed and Mariah Carey and Elliott Yamin will perform (separately). Remember that download links to the songs that are featured during the commercial breaks on the blog will be posted below the live blog later on tonight. Tonight's featured musical guest is Elliott Yamin.
Elliott Yamin - "Alright" download on iTunes
Elliott Yamin - "Wait For You" download on iTunes
Elliott Yamin - "Take My Breath Away" download on iTunes
Elliott Yamin - "One Word" download on iTunes
Elliott Yamin - "Movin' On" download on iTunes
DC stands out on emotional Mariah night
In what could have been a lackluster night, David Cook brought the crowd to its feet with his unexpected rocked-out version of Mariah Carey's "Always Be My Baby." At the conclusion of his performance, Ryan pointed out that David was tearing up (thanks Ryan for letting us know...). The reason: his brother, Adam, who is terminally ill with cancer, made an $80,000 trip out to see David perform.
Adam's hometown of Terre Haute, Ind., helped him raise money for the trip, and David could not help but reveal his emotions after his performance. The moment will be one that he never forgets.
Aside from David's outstanding performance, the rest were just "meh." David Archuleta opened the show with "When You Believe," Mariah's duet with Whitney Houston from The Prince of Egypt soundtrack. The judges all loved it and Simon had to throw in that he produced the song. There were parts, however, that the judges must have zoned out on, because it was not nearly as good as usual.
Brooke White did the near-impossible "Hero," but was able to make it her own. Her piano playing skills are remarkable, but Paula mentioned how Brooke let a few bad notes speed her up, which was true. Brooke did do a better job not talking over the judges during their critiques, but Simon's comment about "ordering a hamburger but only getting a bun," followed by Randy's add-ons to the failed comparison about not getting mustard or mayonnaise were just plain out there. Will find herself in the bottom 3, possibly the bottom 2.
"Without You" was taken on by Carly Smithson, who did well vocally and looked great, but there were times where she strained her voice to hit a few high notes. Simon noticed this, and said he had always wanted her to sing this song, but he didn't think she pulled it off. Paula and Randy made it seem like Carly had no confidence, as they told her she needs to "trust [herself]." Although it might seem like a definite bottom 3 appearance here, I think Carly will eek it out this time.
Syesha Mercado made a smart choice in "Vanishing," a song that not many are familiar with, and was able to show control. Instead of her usual power voice/shouting, Syesha came off as a seasoned veteran and looked beautiful in a gold dress. Paula was happy she chose a song not many people know and said the performance was "unbelievably magical" for her. Simon Said it was technically good, but he did not think it was a good idea to pick a song not many people know at this stage in the competition. Randy complimented Syesha on her tough song choice but said there were a few pitch problems. Another week in the bottom 3 for Syesha is in store.
Another finalist that got great reviews and has shown much improvement over the past few weeks is Kristy Lee Cook. Taking on another lesser-known Mariah song, Kristy Lee sang "Forever" and was told by Mariah during her mentor session that she "gave [her] chills," something Kristy Lee was proud of. The judges were not as kind, but they still gave her props for showing improvement. Paula did say she could have a country hit with the song today, but Simon said she did not give him chills. She will most likely land the third-least amount of votes.
And finally, Jason Castro closed out the show with "I Don't Wanna Cry," a performance that was accompanied by bongo drums and two guitarists. Jason sounded good vocally and was not as boring as usual. After Randy made a comment about the song sounding like it was from "some weird beach luau," Paula said she'd "love to be at that luau all night long." Simon agreed with Paula, whether or not he was referring to wanting to be at the luau all night long. But regardless, he liked it, and that's really all that matters.
So tonight, look for the two Davids to sail through to the next round, while everyone else is in danger. It's a tough week where any one of five finalists could be going home, especially after last week's shocker.
Predictions:
Bottom 3: Kristy Lee, Brooke, Syesha
Bottom 2: Brooke, Syesha
Eliminated: Syesha
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
IDOL LIVE Blog - Top 7 Perform (4/15/08)
Join us tonight as we blog during the Top 7 performance show at 8:00 p.m. ET, when the Top 8 finalists perform Mariah Carey songs. Links to download the songs featured in tonight's blog will be posted below the live blog at the conclusion of the episode.
Cardin McKinney - "Teach Me" download
Carrie Underwood - "Sometimes You Leave" download
Gina Glocksen - "Paint It Black" download
Michael Johns - "Dream On (Studio Version)" download on iTunes
Taylor Hicks - "Dancing in the Dark" download
Kellie Pickler wins big at CMTs
Although Carrie Underwood stole the show with her closing performance of "All-American Girl" last night at the 2008 CMT Music Awards, it was Season 5 sixth-place finalist Kellie Pickler who was the biggest surprise of the night.
The 21-year-old native of Albermarle, N.C., swept all three categories she was nominated for (USA Weekend Breakthrough Video of the Year, Performance of the Year and Tearjerker Video of the Year), all of which were for her emotional video for "I Wonder." Although she was in Scottsdale, Ariz. (any reason in particular?), Kellie accepted her award for Breakthrough Video via satellite and could not contain her excitement, at one point exclaiming she had never won anything before and after rambling on for a few minutes, she jokingly told the cameras to get off her.
Bucky Covington had a mini performance as the show went into a commercial break, but came up empty handed awards-wise. And Carrie proved she was only human when she lost her two categories, but her performance more than made up for the disappointment. Diana DeGarmo also made a brief appearance when she introduced Kenny Chesney along with Gone Country costars John Rich, Maureen McCormick, Sisqo and Bobby Brown.
Meanwhile, Paula Abdul tried to hold herself together as she introduced Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, but her erratic swaying while on stage and "yelling" at a hooting and hollering fan behind her made her come off as detached (what else is new?)
The opening sequence of the show, in which a manic Trace Adkins went on a desperate search for tickets to the CMT Music Awards because Miley Cyrus was co-hosting was hilarious, as it featured cameos of people from Donald Trump to the three presidential candidates and even Larry the Cable Guy.
The CMT Music Awards show was held at Belmont University in Nashville.
Monday, April 14, 2008
'The House Bunny' trailer premieres
The theatrical trailer for the upcoming Anna Faris comedy The House Bunny was released nationwide on Friday and was attached to the newly-released Prom Night.
Bunny, which stars Season 5 runner-up Katharine McPhee as a pregnant hippie/sorority girl, also stars Rumer Willis, Emma Stone and Kat Dennings. It is set for a national release on Aug. 22. Below is the trailer.
2008 CMT Music Awards to be an 'Idol' reunion
Idol fans might as well tune in for three nights this week for the second week in a row, as the 2008 CMT Music Awards will be swarming with former finalists.
Carrie Underwood will be performing and is nominated for Video of the Year for "Wasted" and Female Video of the Year for "So Small," while Kelly Clarkson is nominated alongside Reba McEntire for their duet of "Because of You" for Video of the Year and Collaborative Video of the Year. Kellie Pickler's "I Wonder" is nominated for Tearjerker Video of the Year and USA Weekend Breakthrough Video of the Year in addition to Awards Performance of the Year for her performance of "I Wonder" at the 31st annual Country Music Awards. Bucky Covington is also nominated for USA Weekend Breakthrough Video of the Year for "A Different World," while director Roman White is nominated for Video Director of the Year for three videos, including "Because of You" and "So Small."
Also set to appear is season 3 runner-up Diana DeGarmo, who will introduce Kenny Chesney with John Rich and a few fellow Gone Country stars. To top it off, Paula Abdul will introduce Faith Hill and Tim McGraw.
The show kicks off with live coverage on the red carpet at 7 p.m., followed by the live telecast at 8 p.m. ET, which will be streamed on CMT.com in addition to airing on CMT. A full list of nominees is available here.
Keeping up with Constantine Maroulis
The greasy-haired Greek rock star may have only finished sixth on the fourth season of American Idol, but Constantine Maroulis has opted to take (almost) everything that has come his way, rather than sit on his hands and do nothing.
Although things did not necessarily work out for Constantine as frontman of the indie rock group Pray for the Soul of Betty, the 32-year-old did find a solo career and put out his debut album, Constantine, on Aug. 7, 2007. To date, it has only sold roughly 25,000 copies.
Earlier in 2007, Constantine appeared on the CBS soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful, which was his first crack at acting on television. He had previously starred on Broadway in The Wedding Singer for an eight-week run in Sept. 2006 and Off-Broadway in a six-week run in Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris in Jan. 2007.
Constantine is currently a co-host of FOX Reality Channel's American Idol Extra alongside Season 6 ninth-place finalist Gina Glocksen and JD Roberto.
Friday, April 11, 2008
SHOCK & AWE-STRALIA
Many Americans are still reeling over the shocking elimination of Australian native Michael Johns. From Ryan's classless teasing of Michael over whether or not he would actually be voted out to the judges' dumbfounded expressions, nothing about last night's results show.
The bottom 3, which consisted of Michael, Carly Smithson and Syesha Mercado was expected by many, but the actually ranking was not. Syesha was heavily favored to be leaving after her vocally-good but emotionless version of Fantasia's "I Believe."
Michael said he was surprised, but he went out with class and gave his final performance of Aerosmith's "Dream On" his all. Paula was the most visibly upset judge during the performance, and gave him a big bear hug following the performance.
Before the bad news was delivered, the show went fairly smoothly. The opening number of "Shout to the Lord" was vocally on par with the previous night's performance, and the videos of the three presidential candidates (Barack Obama, John McCain and Hillary Clinton) were more than enough to put the show in a spirited mood. A few more celebrity appearances from Ricki Lake and Michael Chiklis also helped the donating mood carry over from the previous night.
Despite the extremely early exit by Michael, it would be foolish to think he will not find success in at least some capacity in the music industry. The sometimes-rocker and blues artist will most definitely ride his "Daughtry wave" as far as he can, and his multitude of angry fans will make sure his material tops the charts.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
IDOL LIVE Blog - Top 8 Results (4/10/08)
Tonight we blog during the Top 8 results show beginning at 8:00 p.m. ET, when the Top 7 is revealed and Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown perform their hit single "No Air."
IGB gets message across, but falls flat
In what was supposed to be an exciting extravaganza of Hollywood coming out to help raise awareness for those who are less fortunate in both the U.S. and Africa, "'Idol' Gives Back" offered a great deal of boredom and only a little bit of what they do best - performances.
Although it was great to see celebrity after celebrity talking to viewers via taped messages and urging them to call in to donate, from Whoopi Goldberg to John Cena, there seemed to be an emptiness about the whole thing. Sure, it was great for the producers to focus on the actual purpose of the night, but the video packages of seeing Bono, Annie Lennox and Alicia Keys going to Africa grew tiresome as the night wore on. If it could have been done in a less organized manner, it might have been better.
The highlights of the night were most definitely Fergie's performance with Heart on "Barracuda" and the Top 8's final number of "Shout to the Lord," which were fun and inspirational. It was also nice to see the Top 12 taking phone calls on the stage, which was great whether or not it was all for show.
Other numbers like the uber-scripted, unfunny dialog between Billy Crystal and Miley (or "Milly") Cyrus and the "Russian Idol" Robbin Williams were incredibly out of place and took away from the night. Miley's singing and Britney-like dance moves were enough to send a wave of disgust over some viewers (no offense to any Hannah Montana fans).
Noticeably missing were the three presidential candidates, Hillary Clinton, John McCain and Barack Obama, who were all scheduled to deliver pre-taped video messages to encourage people to donate. For whatever reason, the videos were not shown, though they were in fact shown during the taping on Sunday night.
But it was still a great effort put on by Nigel & Co. and for a good cause, despite the fact that there were more valleys than peaks over the course of the night. As for tonight, someone will be feeling a little less than charitable after hearing the results, but hopefully the spirit of giving from IGB will lessen the blow.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
IDOL LIVE Blog - "'Idol' Gives Back" (4/9/08)
Tonight we blog during the two-and-a-half hour "'Idol' Gives Back" extravaganza, beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET. The event will feature a host of celebrity guests and special performances from finalists, both past and present, and non-'Idol' artists.
Inspirational songs flip-flop finalists
Since Idol is in the spirit of giving this week, the inspirational songs the Top 8 chose were expected, but the quality of the performances from contestant to contestant were not. It is fair to say last night was "opposite day" on the Idol stage, as some of the favorites bombed while the usual lightweights came out on top.
Michael Johns kicked off the show with Aerosmith's "Dream On," which probably was not the greatest song choice considering how many songs I have to choose from but he pulled it off, especially Steven Tyler's near-impossible falsetto near the end. Although Simon said it was "wannabe-ish," Paula said he sounded as good as he looked and that her chihuahuas were going to join him on stage when he hit the high notes. Despite the effort, look for a bottom 3 appearance on Thursday.
Following an awkward exchange between Ryan and Simon about chihuahuas, Syesha Mercado took on the perennial coronation song "I Believe." Although she lacked the emotion that Fantasia had when she won (as Simon noted), Syesha hit a Mariah-like note that sent chills up the audience's spines. After a little talk back session with Randy about comparing her with Fantasia, Paula stepped in and said it's not fair to compare the two of them. Regardless, Syesha also has a ticket to bottom 3ville.
Another surprise last night was how mediocre David Cook was. Even taking his thoughtful but cheesy "give back" palm message out of the equation, David's take on Our Lady Peace's "Innocent" was sloppy and a little out of sync. Maybe it was the lack of changing up the arrangement since the audience is so used to seeing him do it, or maybe it was just that he set the bar too high. Either way the judges said it was not his best, with Simon even declaring the performance a "teency weency bit pompous."
Jason Castro had one of the strongest performances of the night with Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." He showed off his ukulele-playing skills and vocally was sound, which led to a lot of praise from the judges, who had basically trashed him the previous night on Larry King Live. Randy said the performance was "blazing, molten hot!" and Paula thought he chose "the perfect song."
Carly Smithson, however, was another story. She choose an awkward song considering the theme, Queen's "The Show Must Go On," and Simon was right when he said he thought it sounded more angry than inspirational. Vocally, she was alright until she went into her upper register, where she kind of fell apart and had pitch problems, which Randy noted. Look for another inevitable bottom 3 appearance tomorrow night, with a very good chance at an elimination.
Kristy Lee Cook was one of the biggest surprises of the night, as she belted out Martina McBride's "Anyway," showing off her twang and managing to hold some pretty long, high notes. Simon again complimented Kristy Lee on her song choice, saying she's "appealing to [her] base." Look for her to sail through to next week.
Then there was David Archuleta, who showed up everyone else with his piano-playing skills and version of Robbie Williams' "Angels." Randy was right in saying the refrain at the conclusion of the performance was great, but he crossed the line when he said it was his "hottest moment all season." Simon complimented David for his song choice. Glad someone finally picked a song Simon likes.
Brooke White closed out the show, sounding very mediocre on Carole King's version of James Taylor's "You've Got a Friend." Shaky, wavery, vulnerable are all adjectives to describe the performance. Simon was right in comparing it to a "pleasant walk in the park." Nothing to write home about, but still alright.
After a day of celebrities and charity the Top 8 becomes 7 tomorrow night, and it looks pretty clear cut how the results will go.
Predictions:
Bottom 3: Michael, Carly, Syesha
Bottom 2: Carly, Syesha
Eliminated: Syesha
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
IDOL LIVE Blog - Top 8 Perform (4/8/08)
Join us tonight as we blog during the Top 8 performance show at 8:00 p.m. ET, when the Top 8 finalists perform inspirational songs.
Simon, Paula. Randy, Ryan on 'Larry King Live'
The three judges and Ryan were on CNN's Larry King Live last night to raise awareness of this week's "'Idol' Gives Back" celebration.
The four covered a wide range of topics over the course of the hour-long broadcast, including their take on the competition at the moment and what they think of each other.
To lead off the show, the judges talked about IGB, and King asked them "tough" questions like how much money goes to American charities rather than overseas charities. When a viewer asked what the breakdown was of how much money went where and King asked Paula to respond, she was caught in a "deer in the headlights" moment, though Ryan came to the rescue by saying they don't have exact percentages but most of the money will go to homegrown causes.
Simon likened Ryan to a mosquito when King asked if he disliked him, saying he likes him to a point but on the show he finds him annoying. Ryan and the other two judges sarcastically accused Simon of "always being right," something that he agreed with.
As for their commentaries on the remaining eight, the judges gave the greatest praise to David Cook (Simon's personal favorite) and David Archuleta (Simon's pick to win), while Brooke White, Carly Smithson and Michael Johns received mixed reviews. Jason Castro received some of the harshest criticism, as Simon said he "looks like he doesn't care," while Randy said he could see him performing in a bar. Paula did stick up for Jason though, saying she "gets" his style.
As for Kristy Lee Cook, Simon said her odds at winning are "a million to one," but Randy said he would be willing to sign her over Jason. Randy also said Syesha Mercado would be good at theatre or singing/acting.
Simon said his favorite winner is Kelly Clarkson, because despite her roadblocks she has been able to get where she wants to be, and thinks the only time America "got it wrong" was Season 5. When Randy asked him who finished as runner-up that season, he couldn't remember it was Katharine McPhee.
Randy also plugged his sinking album at the end of the hour, as did Paula her new song "Dance Like There's No Tomorrow." Simon scared many viewers by saying Season 7 was the last season, but then said he was kidding.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Keeping up with Kimberley Locke
Kimberley Locke, the second season second runner-up, has been actively promoting her sophomore album, Based on a True Story. Fresh off an appearance on Idol two weeks ago, Kimberley is next set to test her skills at remembering lyrics on FOX's Don't Forget the Lyrics!, hosted by Wayne Brady. She will appear on the episode that airs Thurs., April 17, at 9:00 p.m. ET.
To date, Story has sold less than 20,000 copies, a far cry from the 212,000 copies 2004's One Love moved. Despite the lackluster sales, Kimberley's singles continue to receive a good amount of airplay.
Kimberley currently has a Top 20 hit at Adult Contemporary radio in "Fall," which she performed on Idol. Two previous singles from the album went Top 10, including "Change" (#6) and "Band of Gold" (#9).
In 2007, Kimberley appeared as one of the contestants on VH1's Celebrity Fit Club, on which she developed a confrontational relationship with former child star Dustin Diamond. She was able to lose a total of 40 lbs from the show and a subsequent diet on Jenny Craig.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
"Idol Gives Back" preview
This coming week will be known as "Idol Gives Back" week, as an event that only American Idol can pull off will take place over a three-night span.
Kicking off festivities will be the Top 8 finalists when they perform inspirational songs on Tues., April 8. The following night, Idol begins at 7:30 p.m. ET for a special two-and-a-half hour event that will be filled with celebrities, guest performers and performances by the finalists. Those slated to make appearances on Wednesday's episode include Amy Adams, Annie Lennox, Ashley Tisdale, Billy Crystal, Bono, Brad Pitt, Carrie Underwood, Celine Dion, Chris Daughtry, Dane Cook, Eli and Peyton Manning, Elliott Yamin, Fantasia, Fergie, Forest Whitaker, Jennifer Connolly, John Legend, Mariah Carey, Miley Cyrus, Reese Witherspoon, Robin Williams, Snoop Dogg, Vanessa Hudgens and senators Barack Obama, John McCain and Hillary Clinton.
Corporate partners with Idol for the special that will be making large donations include ExxonMobil, News Corp., Ford, Coca Cola, AT&T and Allstate.
Last year, the event raised a combined $76 million from viewers and corporate donors. Considering the fact that this year's event is set to be even bigger and better than last year's, put money on the total being significantly larger this time around.
And the week will wrap up on Thursday at 8:00 p.m. ET, when the Top 7 is revealed and Jordin Sparks performs her hit single "No Air" with Chris Brown.
So, get ready to hit the couches, or in many cases, the TiVos.
"On Our Way" tour set for May 9
Six notable American Idol: Season 7 rejects will headline a concert at the Mabee Center in Tulsa, Okla. on Fri., May 9 at 8:00 p.m.
Those taking part in the concert, dubbed the "On Our Way" tour, include semifinalists Kady Malloy (Top 16) and Alaina Whitaker (Top 20), Brandon Green (Top 50), Colton Swon (Top 50) Kyle Ensley (Top 50) and Nina Shaw (cut day 4 in Hollywood).
Tickets range from $20.00-27.50 and can be purchased beginning Fri., April 11 at 10:00 a.m. CT by calling (918)495-6000. Proceeds from the concert will go to unspecified charitable organizations.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Ramiele hangs up her cowgirl boots
Although Ramiele Malubay's departure last night was the right decision, it was still sad to see her go. Ramiele sang a teary-eyed "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind" as Carly Smithson, Brooke White, Kristy Lee Cook and Syesha Mercado rallied behind her, and went out strong.
The thing about Season 7 is there is no remaining contestant can be categorically described as "awful," something that has never happened in seasons past. Everyone has had at least just as many great nights as they have had off nights, and the judges' comments on the whole have skewed more positive.
Last night, audiences were treated to performances by The Clark Brothers and Dolly Parton, both of whom managed to get a rise out of the studio audience. Parton's graciousness was unmatched, and her performance coupled with the "Idol Gives Back" preview video caused Brooke to start crying right before she was told she was in the bottom 3. Her status as the third-lowest vote-getter was not as big of a surprise as many thought, because Brooke kind of blended in with the others and was perceived as being "boring."
Kristy Lee probably did not deserve her spot in the bottom 3 this week, but since everyone is really just that good, it does not make a huge difference one way or another. Odds are she or Jason Castro will be out next week.
The show was kicked off by a giant group performance of "9 to 5," including a venture to the judges' table and dancing in the audience. But the highlight of the night was probably when Simon "apologized" to four different directions of the studio, making up for all of the ones he owed different people like Carly, and he called her "cute." Very un-Simon-like.
Ryan took not-so-interesting 'Idol Live' phone calls, which were even more useless than last week. The most exciting question was probably to David Cook and Michael Johns about which song they would like to sing on the tour together, and Michael said "Islands In the Stream," which got lots of laughs.
Next week will be interesting, because there will be three doses of Idol, which will be enough to tire anyone out (inspirational songs or not).
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
IDOL LIVE Blog - Top 9 Results (4/2/08)
Join us tonight as we blog during the Top 9 results show at 9:00 p.m. ET when the Top 8 finalists are revealed, Dolly Parton and the Clark Brothers perform and Bo Bice, Phil Stacey and Bucky Covington are highlighted in a video package about living in Nashville.
Contestants go to Dollywood
Although one cannot picture David Cook or Michael Johns belting out a Dolly Parton song, nevermind sounding good on it, the unlikely happened last night when the Top 9 contestants actually pulled it off.
It is amazing to think of how many songs Parton has written (a whopping 3,000), sung or covered, which allowed the finalists to sing a wide variety of songs. But most elected to stay faithful to Parton's arrangements.
After Ryan's unfunny attempt at an April Fool's joke (which 15% of Americans probably believed), Brooke White kicked off the show with the hit "Jolene," which she performed while playing guitar and surrounded by a "traveling troupe" of a percussionist, violinist and backup singer. Her vocals were not bad but her performance was very tedious. Simon did not like this setup at all, going as far as calling the violinist "weird." Brooke continued her bad habit of talking over the judges (mostly Simon), but Paula was just as guilty.
Another arrangement that was faithful to the original was Kristy Lee Cook's "Coat of Many Colors." Although she was not nearly as on par as she was last week, Kristy Lee looked and sounded the part for sure. In fact, she looked very much like fellow country singer Taylor Swift, which will probably do more harm than good to her chances this week. Simon's comment of Kristy Lee being "pleasant but forgettable" could also do her in. Look for a bottom 3 appearance.
Taking a huge departure from last week, David Cook surprised many people by choosing a song called "Little Sparrow." But David is the master of rearrangement, and this week was no exception. The performance was not as spectacular as last week, but he still managed soulful vocals while maintaining his reputation as a rock star. Paula seemed more impressed with his haircut than his performance, but still praised him for being "well-rounded," while Randy thought it was another consistent week for David.
Vocally, Carly Smithson was on target with "Here You Come Again." Dolly Parton was right when she said Carly picked the right song, and Paula called her performance "glorious." Simon was more distracted by her outfit, which probably took away from his perception of her performance.
And then there was Syesha Mercado, who tackled the predictable "I Will Always Love You." But what she decided to do with her performance was what set her apart from all the other Whitney Houston wannabes - she fused Houston's arrangement with Parton's, as if she gave the song two different personalities. The only problem was the second half was not nearly as beautiful as the first, because whenever a singer tries to sing like Whitney, she never quite makes it. Paula said Syesha's voice has a "velvety tone," while Randy said she "took on the biggest tiger of the night" and did well. Simon said it was a good but not fantastic version of the song, which he called "one of the greatest pop songs ever written."
In terms of metaphors, Ramiele Malubay's take on "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind" was the bottom of the barrel of the night. She was still pretty good, but her performance paled in comparison to the others' performances. Randy gave it a 6.5 out of 10, while Simon said it was reminiscent of what would be heard on a cruise ship. Cue the bottom 3 music.
Jason Castro is another one in danger, as he delivered a glassy-eyed performance of "Travellin' Thru." He actually sounded good once Parton got through making jokes about his dreads, but he looked lifeless. Randy and Paula were easier on him than Simon, as he said he "didn't like it at all." Reserve the final bottom 3 ticket for Jason.
David Archuleta had Simon back on his side after being "absolutely on the money" with his song choice of "Smoky Mountain Memories." He nailed all the high notes and was strong throughout, earning him much praise from the judges. Parton said David is full of emotion and can become a really great singer.
And Michael Johns wrapped up the night with his version of "It's All Wrong, But It's All Right."Michael was spectacular with the high notes he reached, and put a major bluesy feel on the song while still coming off as a rocker. Simon said this was the best he had heard him yet, and although the judges had only seconds to get their points across, Michael seemed to be all smiles with their praise.
So tonight, look for a pretty predictable bottom 3 and elimination.
Predictions:
Bottom 3: Kristy Lee, Jason, Ramiele
Bottom 2: Jason, Ramiele
Eliminated: Ramiele
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
IDOL LIVE Blog - Top 9 Perform (4/1/08)
Join us tonight when we blog during the Top 9 performance show at 8:00 p.m. ET, when the Top 9 finalists perform songs by Dolly Parton.
Remembering Claudette Yamin
Claudette Yamin, mother of Season 5 third-place finalist Elliott Yamin, passed away last night. Claudette was a familiar face to fans, as she closely followed her son's journey on American Idol and was always there to support him. In an interview with MSNBC.com in 2006, she said the following of Elliott:
“I always said Elliott was my little lost boy because he never found anything that made him happy. He just never found his niche. And, I guess this is it. I guess this it what he’s been striving for all his life.”In lieu of flowers, the Yamin family asks that donations be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's Richmond, Va. chapter.
Messages to the family can be left on Elliott's fan site, ETrainStation.com.
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