For the second week in a row, Siobhan was selected as the most popular remaining Idol finalist on the show per IDOL LIVE readers.
Siobhan took on 23 votes, which was easily enough for the top spot in the poll (27%). Sort of close behind was usual front runner Crystal with 16 votes (19%). And Lee DeWyze placed third for the week thanks to 13 votes (15%).
Didi actually gained eight votes despite being eliminated tonight, which was tied with Katie's eight votes for fourth place for the week.
In the latest edition of the poll of the week series, readers are asked of who their favorite Top 9 contestant is. Voting will be open for exactly one week.
Aaron Kelly 7 (8%)
Andrew Garcia 2 (2%)
Casey James 3 (3%)
Crystal Bowersox 16 (19%)
Didi Benami 8 (9%)
Katie Stevens 8 (9%)
Lee DeWyze 13 (15%)
Michael Lynche 0 (0%)
Siobhan Magnus 23 (27%)
Tim Urban 4 (4%)
Total votes: 84
Running total for Season 9:
24th - Haeley Vaughn (0 votes)*
21st (tie) - Janell Wheeler (2 votes)*
21st (tie) - Todrick Hall (2 votes)*
21st (tie) - Paige Miles (2 votes)*
19th (tie) - Joe Munoz (3 votes)*
19th (tie) - Jermaine Sellers (3 vote)*
17th (tie) - Tyler Grady (4 votes)*
17th (tie) - Michelle Delamor (4 votes)*
15th (tie) - John Park (6 votes)*
15th (tie) - Ashley Rodriguez (6 votes)*
14th - Michael Lynche (8 votes)
13th - Lacey Brown (9 votes)*
12th - Katelyn Epperly (10 votes)*
11th - Lilly Scott (14 votes)*
10th - Alex Lambert (22 votes)*
09th - Tim Urban (27 votes)
08th - Casey James (48 votes)
06th (tie) - Katie Stevens (49 votes)
06th (tie) - Andrew Garcia (49 votes)
05th - Aaron Kelly (52 votes)
04th - Didi Benami (56 votes)*
03rd - Lee DeWyze (85 votes)
02nd - Siobhan Magnus (94 votes)
01st - Crystal Bowersox (116 votes)
*indicates contestant has been eliminated
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Poll of the week: Siobhan Magnus favorite Top 10 contestant
IDOL LIVE Blog - Top 10 Results (3/31/10)
It's not too hard to believe that last night's exhibitions were better than last week's, but there's still no reason to keep 10 people alive in this competition. Thankfully, we get to say goodbye to someone else tonight, unless the judges screw it up by using their stupid save gimmick.
Tonight's results show will include performances from Usher, Diddy with his band Dirty Money and possibly T.I. (fresh out of jail) and NOT Ryan's best new buddy Justin Bieber as first reported, but Ruben Studdard instead.
To see who I predict will be leaving tonight, see here. Please feel free to add your two cents throughout the two-hour blogcast, with coverage starting just prior to 9 p.m. ET.
Tonight's blogcast features the music of Brooke White, Carrie Underwood, Chris Daughtry, Ruben Studdard and Ryan Starr.
IDOL LIVE predix: Top 10 Results
Wow, what a night. It wasn't as bad as last week, but it sure was the strangest one to date. Aside from Ryan's childlike behavior and the haphazardly-incorporated backstage voyeuristic perspectives of what we're not supposed to see during commercial breaks, there were tons of uneven vocals and out-of-character characteristics.
With that said, read my predictions for how tonight will go below:
Didi, Andrew, Tim
Bottom 2
Andrew, Tim
Eliminated
Tim
There are so many possibilities for different members of the lot to go home tonight that it's almost too predictable that it's unpredictable. Even though there were some real clunkers tonight *cough*Siobhan*cough*, it was Didi who really earned her spot in the bottom 3, especially considering she's yet to make an appearance there. Her comments from Simon were so over the top that even Ryan's outrageous prying questions to Didi won't be enough to spare her from the danger zone this week. Hopefully this will knock her out of this recent funk so she can get back to her singer/songwriter mode for Kara's sake.
Likewise, Andrew will finally end up in the bottom 3 this week, but he'll be in a little more trouble than Didi. Despite a very good, classic "Acoustic Andrew" showing, his past few poor performances will finally catch up with him. Not very surprising all things considered.
But then there's Tim. I know, this is the second week in a row that I've predicted Tim will be leaving, but I honestly think his time has finally run out for a variety of reasons. For one, he was the worst guy last night, which usually counts for something. Next, Simon's lame attempt at a reverse-psychology critique definitely fooled some little girls into going to bed on time, which equals less votes for "Teflon Tim." And his happy go lucky attitude can only carry him so far (by "so" I mean 10th place). Hopefully he gives us one last slide as he says goodbye.
In my original predictions I have Paige leaving tonight, which obviously is impossible considering she left last week.
Since the Top 24 I have correctly predicted 5-14 eliminations and since the Top 12 I have correctly predicted 1-2 eliminations.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
IDOL LIVE Blog - Top 10 Perform (3/30/10)
Tonight the Top 10 finalists try to recover from last week's embarrassing showing and turn to songs from the R&B/Soul catalog (they got to choose from around 100). Usher serves as the guest mentor, which is a few steps above who they had to turn to for advice one week ago.
Please feel free to add your two cents throughout the two-hour blogcast, with coverage starting just prior to 8 p.m. ET.
Tonight's blogcast features the music of Adam Lambert, Chikezie, Diana DeGarmo, Gina Glocksen, Jason Castro, Jordin Sparks, Kris Allen, Melissa McGhee and Michael Johns.
HITS estimates: 'Play On' #31 w/ 14.8k
There were more declines all around for albums by Idol alums according to the latest edition of HITS Daily Double's Top 50 building album sales chart.
Carrie Underwood's Play On was off three spots to #31 on the heels of a 7% sales decline to 14.8k copies. Other than that, only Danny Gokey made an appearance in the estimates. His debut effort My Best Days held onto its spot in the Top 50, dropping #30-45 due to a 32% decrease in sales to 10.4k copies.
Full sales data and chart positions courtesy of Billboard will most likely be published later this week.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Felicia Barton and Brent Keith Smith collaborate on "Distant Dream"
Two semifinalists from Season 8 have been very busy in Nashville lately, where they have been collaborating with each other and honing their songwriting skills. Felciia Barton and Brent Keith Smith premiered their latest piece that they worked on with Ryan Ochsner, titled "Distant Dream," on Felicia's official YouTube channel:
Felicia really sounds like a cross between Stacie Orrico and Nelly Furtado here, and the song could have hit potential if recorded close to this rough, acoustic arrangement. Another song Felicia wrote with Ryan, "Shattered," was added to the channel last week.
What do you think: does "Distant Dream" have hit potential?
Flashback: Julia DeMato's "Breathe"
Julia DeMato had a storied journey on Season 2 of Idol before she was eliminated prematurely in 10th place, but it was good that she went out on a positive note with her rendition of Faith Hill's "Breathe." Watch the performance below:
Julia earned praise for her performance, especially considering how far she came from some of her earlier efforts on the show. And even her one time rival Kimberly Caldwell shed some tears after her friend was eliminated. Even though it wouldn't stand up to many performances that would come in subsequent seasons, Julia did well for herself here.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
'Idol' BB 200: 'Play On' #28 (4/3/10)
Led once again by Carrie Underwood's Play On, there every album by an alum decreased sales-wise. Play On held steady at #28 but slid 5% in sales to 16.3k copies for a total sum of 1.410 million. Fellow country artist Danny Gokey saw his My Best Days experience a 15-spot drop to #33 after falling 39% in sales to 14.9k copies for a 102.5k.
Leave This Town by Daughtry actually was up one spot to #64 despite slipping 10% sales-wise to 3.2k for a net take of 994.3k copies. The band's first album continued to bounce around the bottom rungs of the chart with a decrease in sales by 5% to 3.2k copies for a total of 4.653 million. Adam Lambert's For Your Entertainment was also off 10% to 7.8k copies yet it managed to remain at #71 for the second week in a row. It has taken in 569.3k copies to date.
And Kris Allen's self-titled album was down a hefty 18% to 3.1k copies for a total of 285.7k. It was down #172-193 chart-wise.
Full sales figures and full chart positions courtesy of leilamaurizia of Pulse below:
Billboard 200
028 028 Carrie Underwood - Play On 16,308 -5% 17,082 1,409,946
033 016 Danny Gokey - My Best Days 14,852 -39% 24,426 102,470
064 065 Daughtry - Leave This Town 8,201 -10% 9,083 994,255
071 071 Adam Lambert - For Your Entertainment 7,807 -10% 8,672 569,268
187 196 Daughtry - Daughtry 3,157 -5% 3,322 4,653,272
193 172 Kris Allen - Kris Allen 3,101 -18% 3,803 285,661
Total sales are in bold.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Mikalah Gordon appears at AT&T Store for 'Idol' ticket giveaway
Mikalah recently hosted a Top 12 special for the current season of Idol for the TV Guide Network with fellow alum Justin Guarini, who was runner-up to Kelly Clarkson on the show's first season. Photos from the special can be viewed here.
Friday, March 26, 2010
'Idol' Hot 100: Adam Lambert's "Whataya Want From Me" #21 (4/3/10)
After weeks of Kris Allen's "Live Like We're Dying" reigning among Idol-related tracks, there was a changing of the guard on Billboard's Hot 100 chart for the chart week of April 3.
This week, Adam Lambert's "Whataya Want From Me" was up one spot to #21, while Kris' "Dying" fell down three spots to #22. Daughtry also experienced negative movement with its single "Life After You," which was off another two spots to #38.
And Carrie Underwood's "Temporary Home" advanced #44-41, looking for a Top 40 placement by next week's chart.
Full chart positions courtesy of Billboard are posted below:
Hot 100
21 22 Adam Lambert, "Whataya Want From Me"
22 19 Kris Allen, "Live Like We're Dying"
38 36 Daughtry, "Life After You"
41 44 Carrie Underwood, "Temporary Home"
'Idol' odds 'n ends: Syesha Mercado promotes 'Dreamgirls' on 'Good Day LA'
The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:
>Syesha Mercado appeared on Good Day LA this morning to promote the LA run of the national tour of Dreamgirls, in which she's currently starring. Watch the segment below:
Syesha said she got to work with Diane Warren between Idol and Dreamgirls and that she wants people to see her as "Syesha the artist." She also said she tries to do yoga and work out to keep her stamina fresh, which is necessary for the show. Dreamgirls is at the Ahmanson Theatre now through April 4.
>Kimberley Locke premiered a snippet of her new single "Strobe Light" in a chat with fans on Monday night. A clip of the single can be listened to below:
"Strobe Light," which was produced by Cutfather and Paparazzi and is courtesy of Randy Jackson's record label Dream Merchant 21 Records, will be available to purchase on iTunes on Tues., April 6.
>Entertainment Weekly reported Tuesday that Tamyra Gray and her husband Sam Watters are expecting their first child. Tamyra was expectantly excited, as she told EW:
”I’m just trying to take care of myself and enjoy it,” she said. ”This is way harder than Idol.”Tamyra said the baby is due in July and they will be surprised with its sex.
>Anoop Desai's new single "My Name" was released on iTunes Tuesday. He took to Philadelphia's The 10! Show on Tuesday to perform an acoustic version of the song, which can be watched below:
The studio version can be listened to here. Anoop went on to promote his new single elsewhere throughout the week including ABC News NOW.
>Lacey Brown continued her post-Idol farewell tour this week, as she stopped by CBS's The Late Show with David Letterman on Monday to chat about her short time on the show. Watch her segment below:
Lacey did fairly well on "What a Wonderful World" and had a nice back-and-forth with Letterman. If only she had sounded that good last week.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Speeding Sanjaya gets slapped with $411 fine in Seattle
Sanjaya hasn't been in the news all that much lately, but he returned to the headlines today after an early morning speeding stop outside Seattle. Per The AP:
The Washington State Patrol says former "American Idol" star Sanjaya Malakar was caught speeding 110 mph on Interstate 405 outside of Seattle at Kirkland.
He was stopped about 2:30 a.m. Tuesday and given a $411 ticket.
Trooper Dan MacDonald told The Seattle Times there was no one else on the freeway at the time so Malakar does not face a reckless endangerment charge
Hmm, $411? That's nothing, especially for a singing superstar like Sanjaya. Maybe this will earn him a guest performer slot on Idol this season?
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Poll of the week: Siobhan Magnus favorite Top 11 contestant
After impressing many with her performance of "Paint It Black" last week, Siobhan seemed to gain the most momentum among IDOL LIVE readers as reflected in the latest poll of the week asking which Top 11 contestant was their favorite.
Siobhan had a total of 24 votes cast in her favor, totaling 26%. This was just four votes ahead of usual top vote-getter Crystal Bowersox, whose 20 votes (21%) put her in second for the week. Lee DeWyze brought up the third wheel with 14 votes (15%).
Surprisingly, this week's casualty Paige Miles did not reel in a single vote this week and only garnered two in all since polling began in Top 24 week.
In the latest edition of the poll of the week series, readers are asked of who their favorite Top 10 contestant is. Voting will be open for exactly one week.
Top 12
Aaron Kelly 13 (14%)
Andrew Garcia 2 (2%)
Casey James 4 (4%)
Crystal Bowersox 20 (21%)
Didi Benami 5 (5%)
Katie Stevens 5 (5%)
Lee DeWyze 14 (15%)
Michael Lynche 1 (1%)
Paige Miles 0 (0%)
Siobhan Magnus 24 (26%)
Tim Urban 3 (3%)
Total votes: 91
Running total for Season 9:
24th - Haeley Vaughn (0 votes)*
21st (tie) - Janell Wheeler (2 votes)*
21st (tie) - Todrick Hall (2 votes)*
21st (tie) - Paige Miles (2 votes)*
19th (tie) - Joe Munoz (3 votes)*
19th (tie) - Jermaine Sellers (3 vote)*
17th (tie) - Tyler Grady (4 votes)*
17th (tie) - Michelle Delamor (4 votes)*
15th (tie) - John Park (6 votes)*
15th (tie) - Ashley Rodriguez (6 votes)*
14th - Michael Lynche (8 votes)
13th - Lacey Brown (9 votes)*
12th - Katelyn Epperly (10 votes)*
11th - Lilly Scott (14 votes)*
10th - Alex Lambert (22 votes)*
09th - Tim Urban (23 votes)
08th - Katie Stevens (41 votes)
06th (tie) - Casey James (45 votes)
06th (tie) - Aaron Kelly (45 votes)
05th - Andrew Garcia (47 votes)
04th - Didi Benami (48 votes)
03rd - Siobhan Magnus (71 votes)
02nd - Lee DeWyze (72 votes)
01st - Crystal Bowersox (100 votes)
*indicates contestant has been eliminated
IDOL LIVE Blog - Top 11 Results (3/24/10)
Last night's exhibition of Billboard No. 1s was extraordinarily boring, but at least it wasn't bad. Therefore, tonight we will most likely see an expected boot because it's still too early in the season for a shocker.
At least we get to look forward to Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato and Joe Jonas as our featured guest performers. Oh wait...
To see who I predict will be leaving tonight, see here. Please feel free to add your two cents throughout the two-hour blogcast, with coverage starting just prior to 9 p.m. ET.
Tonight's blogcast features the music of Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, Matt Giraud, Melinda Doolittle and Nick Pedro.
IDOL LIVE predix: Top 11 Results
Last night's Top 11 performance episode was one of the most boring, unwatchable offerings this show has given us in a long time, mostly due to majorly poor song choices. I mean, thinking of the 800+ songs that have hit the No. 1 spot on Billboard's Hot 100, who would choose "The Letter"? Or "Against All Odds"? Have these people not watched the past eight seasons?
With that said, read my predictions for how tonight will go below:
Andrew, Paige, Tim
Bottom 2
Paige, Tim
Eliminated
Tim
Much like last week, the bottom three will not be controversial and will send one very deserving finalist back home. Andrew, Paige and Tim all did horribly last night, and usually Top 11 week serves as a catalyst to weed out the weaklings early on in the season. Andrew being the third member of the B3 won't be unexpected, and it might just be enough to shake him from this very bad stretch he's had since the Top 24, but it wouldn't be helpful for him to not be placed in this grouping because it would almost guarantee a boot either next week or the week after.
After Andrew is granted safety and sits back down on the couches, it will come down to Paige and Tim. Since everyone and their mother/brother is pegging Paige to leave thanks to her dreadful take on Phil Collins's "Against All Odds" (a cursed Idol song), and that's not out of the question. But considering she was nearly verbally assaulted by the judges last night, there might just be enough fans out there who scrounged up a few pity votes that could keep her from missing the tour. Tim, on the other hand, performed in the danger zone spot of second and sang pretty badly, not to mention his genius slide. In fact, the slide was the highlight of the performance, so maybe that will be enough to keep him? But no, Tim will say goodbye despite having vocal tween girl fans and will not make the tour, which won't sit well with some of the venues that will be tasked to somehow fill seats come June.
In my original predictions I have Tim leaving tonight, so if history repeats itself like last week, maybe I might just be right on the money again...
Since the Top 24 I have correctly predicted 5-13 eliminations and since the Top 12 I have correctly predicted 1-1 elimination.
HITS estimates: Carrie Underwood's 'Play On' #28 w/ 16k
The most recent edition of HITS Daily Double's Top 50 building album sales chart showed us that we really need a new album from an Idol alum to help breathe some life into the dull sales data.
Although Play On by Carrie Underwood had a fairly decent week with a minute 8% sales dip to 16k copies accompanied by a hold at #28, it wasn't enough to make people excited.
And then there was Danny Gokey and his debut album My Best Days down 11 spots to #30. The album was off another 31% to 15.3k copies, which sin't bad considering the large tumble it suffered last week.
Judging from the past few weeks, full sales data and chart positions courtesy of Billboard will probably not be published later this week.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
IDOL LIVE Blog - Top 11 Perform (3/23/10)
Tonight the Top 11 finalists take on songs that have landed at #1 on the esteemed Billboard Hot 100 chart, not the horrid "teen idol" theme that was originally misreported elsewhere. Therefore, it is only fitting that Miley Cyrus will serve as the contestants' mentor. Right?
Please feel free to add your two cents throughout the two-hour blogcast, with coverage starting just prior to 8 p.m. ET.
Tonight's blogcast features the music of Blake Lewis, Bucky Covington, Carly Smithson, David Cook, David Hernandez, Diana DeGarmo, Jason Castro, Katharine McPhee, Leona Lewis, Michael Sarver and Stephanie Edwards.
Miley Cyrus to mentor Top 11 finalists
It was revealed today that Miley Cyrus, not Fred Bronson as previously reported, will serve as tonight's guest mentor for the Top 11 finalists as they perform songs that have hit No. 1 on Billboard' Hot 100 chart. Courtesy of LATimes.com:
American Idol is welcoming Miley Cyrus as the guest mentor for the Top 11. Somewhere, Haeley Vaughn is crying.
The only thing to say about this change of plans is that Idol has truly hit a new, embarrassing low.
From FOX: Miley Cyrus will appear as a guest mentor on American Idol and help the Top 11 finalists prepare for their performances on a Billboard No.1 Hits-themed show airing Tuesday, March 23 on FOX.
Monday, March 22, 2010
New singles from Kellie Pickler, Bucky Covington on HitPredictor
Bucky's single is from his upcoming album "I'm Alright," which is expected to be released sometime this year. Kellie's single is the fourth off her sophomore album.
HitPredictor is a tool that is useful to record labels in that it allows them to test potential singles among users eager to hear music before others do. To register for HitPredictor and listen to the new singles from the country artists, see here.
Flashback: Mikalah Gordon's "Love Will Lead You Back"
Mikalah Gordon is one of the most memorable finalists from Idol's less recent history thanks to her bubbly personality. Her vocals, however, were never impressive while she was on the show, partly because she was only 17 when she finished 11th on the show's fourth season. Watch her performance of Taylor Dayne's "Love Will Lead You Back" below:
Mikalah received mild criticism from Randy and Paula, but Simon unleashed his signature "complete and utter mess" tongue-lashing for her pitchy take on the song. Despite her seemingly weak exit, Mikalah outlasted many others to finish 11th on her season, which should be respected since she was fairly young at the time.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
'Idol' Hot 100: Kris Allen's "Live Like We're Dying" #19 (3/27/10)
Kicking things off at #19 was Kris Allen's single "Live Like We're Dying," which marks the second time it as appeared in the Top 20 (it debuted at #18 last September). Nipping at its heels was "Whataya Want From Me" by Adam Lambert, having another week of upward movement thanks to a #25-22 climb.
Up next was Daughtry's "Life After You," which has seen some good airplay gains recently. It was up three spots to #36. Carrie Underwood did the boys one better, as her "Temporary Home" advanced by four spots to #44.
And Artists for Haiti's "We Are the World" charity single featuring Jordin Sparks, Jennifer Hudson and Katharine McPhee among others, saw its last week on the chart, was it collapsed #66-96. So much for trying to recreate the success of the original 25 years ago.
Full chart positions courtesy of Billboard are posted below:
Hot 100
19 20 Kris Allen, "Live Like We're Dying"
22 25 Adam Lambert, "Whataya Want From Me"
36 39 Daughtry, "Life After You"
44 48 Carrie Underwood, "Temporary Home"
96 66 Artists for Haiti, "We Are The World 25: For Haiti"
Friday, March 19, 2010
'Idol' odds 'n ends: Danny Gokey chats with Walmart Soundcheck about 'My Best Days'
The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:
>After an exceptional first week for his debut album My Best Days, Danny Gokey sat down with Walmart Soundcheck to discuss the songs on the album. Watch a teaser of his interview below:
The full interview can be watched here. Danny talks about how he thinks "I Will Not Say Goodbye" will change the music industry and that there's an energy he needs to create in the studio whereas when he's in front of the crowd it comes naturally. He also discusses how he was raised in church growing up and his family life in general.
>Former Idol judge Paula Abdul will apparently not be starring as host and judge on ABC's upcoming revival of Star Search. According to RadarOnline.com:
But negotiations with ABC broke down Wednesday night a network source told RadarOnline.com.This is probably for the better, though. Anyone remember Paula's experiment with hosting VH1's Divas special last September? Let's just say it wasn't her shining moment. On the flip side, this opens her up to be a solid contender to serve as judge on Simon Cowell's American version of his hit show X Factor, which comes to FOX in the fall of 2011.
“A deadline was given and no agreement was reached,” the source told RadarOnline.com.
“And she was offered a lot of money.”
The network wants to air the show this season.
As of right now the deal is dead. It is theoretically possible it could be brought back to life but the source said that’s highly unlikely.
“No, it looks like we hit the end of the road with Paula,” said the source.
>As for news about current Idol judges, Kara DioGuardi was the third judge to appear on NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno since Leno returned to latenight, as she sat down on his couch on Monday alongside Terry Bradshaw. Watch her interview segment below:
Kara discussed a few interesting topics, including her father's announcement that he would be running for U.S. senate in New York and who she thinks is the front runner (Big Mike). She said at the beginning of the season she thought it was a girl's year but now thinks it's a guy's year.
>Fresh off his reunion duet with Matt Giraud on last week's results show, Scott MacIntyre hit the press junket to promote his new album Heartstrings, including an interview on the Los Angeles FOX affiliate morning program Good Day LA. Watch the segment below:
Scott recalled his experiences on the Idol tour and told the show's co-hosts about an upcoming trip to Japan and his Christmas show with Alice Cooper.
>Jordin Sparks performed in concert at the Star of Texas Rodeo in Austin on Tuesday. The show marked the last time one of her backup singers, Season 3 12th-place finalist Leah LaBelle, would be supporting her on the road. Watch the two duet on "No Air" below:
It has not yet been revealed what Leah plans to do now in terms of music. Jordin will kick off the spring/summer leg of her Battlefield 2010 tour in Atlantic City on Sat., April 24.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Janell Wheeler covers "American Boy" on YouTube
Despite being eliminated prematurely during Top 24 week, Janell Wheeler seems to be sticking with the music thing. This evening she uploaded her first acoustic performance since being eliminated onto her official YouTube account. Watch her perform Estelle's "American Boy" below:
Can Janell please replace Paige Miles or Tim Urban? If she had picked the right song in the semifinals, she just might be still in contention. Sadly, she will always be a prime example of the importance of song choice, especially early on in the season.
The dreaded "judges' save" gimmick returns
I must say I was a little surprised tonight when at the beginning of the Top 12 results show, Ryan asked Simon to explain how the "judges' save" tool works. For a second I thought we were accidentally warped back in time to a year ago, because no one had brought up part of last season that no one wanted to remember because of its sheer stupidity. When I realized this was not the case, I was both sad and confused: why would the producers bring back an option that was widely panned by fans and critics alike?
At the completion of Idol's eighth season, this is what I had to say about the gimmick:
Perhaps the chief rival to Kara being added as a judge for the biggest fumble of Season 8, the infamous "judges' save" option was threatened to be used for weeks before it was finally exhausted in one of the most inexplicable moments of the season. The save was introduced in the Top 13 to keep a "shocker" from happening (i.e. Chris Daughtry, Tamyra Gray). Or at least that's what Ryan and the judges stated.
However, the transparency of the gimmick was so blatant that each week when the results were read, many people couldn't help but roll their eyes at the sight of the judges' "deliberating" while the unlucky contestant "sang for their life." If the whole thing wasn't thought to be phony based on the image of Paula dancing while they were supposed to be talking things over, Simon's hollow "sorry, it's the end of the road" spiels were the icing on the cake for this mess of a gimmick.
The whole time it was easy to see that the save was nothing more than a safety net for TPTB's favorite contestants in case they went under prior to the Top 5, mainly Adam and Danny (Lil at the beginning of the season but not in her last few weeks). After they realized that none of the above were going anywhere for a while, the judges decided to waste it on Matt. Really? Yes, they used it on Matt. It's not like he was a bad guy, but he was one of the last contestants of those remaining that should have been granted the honor.
One cosmetic side effect of the save was that it damaged the suspense factor for half the finals. Even though it was a good guess the option would not be put into effect on a given night, just the idea that the vote was revealed and that contestant still did not know his or her final fate was both annoying to the contestant and anticlimactic to the audience. Therefore, it would be a complete and utter mistake for this cheap shenanigan to return for Season 9.
Needless to say, I still feel the same way. I don't think the judges would use the save on anyone other than Crystal Bowersox, Casey James or Siobhan Magnus. But then again they used it on Matt Giraud last season, so maybe they would waste it on a Didi Benami or Andrew Garcia?
Either way, the decision to invite the save back is foolish to say the least.
Poll of the week: Crystal Bowersox favorite Top 12 contestant
Now that thew two polls of the week have been condensed into one for the finals, this week's bragging rights of "favorite contestant among IDOL LIVE readers" go to Crystal Bowersox.
Crystal nabbed 14 votes, or 21%, just one vote over her chief rival Lee DeWyze's 13 votes (18%). But Siobhan Magnus was nipping at their heels, taking in 12 votes (18%).
In the latest edition of the poll of the week series, readers are asked of who their favorite Top 11 contestant is. Voting will be open for exactly one week.
Top 12
Aaron Kelly 8 (12%)
Andrew Garcia 2 (3%)
Casey James 1 (1%)
Crystal Bowersox 14 (21%)
Didi Benami 4 (6%)
Katie Stevens 3 (4%)
Lacey Brown 2 (3%)
Lee DeWyze 13 (20%)
Michael Lynche 1 (1%)
Paige Miles 0 (0%)
Siobhan Magnus 12 (18%)
Tim Urban 4 (6%)
Total votes: 64
Running total for Season 9:
24th - Haeley Vaughn (0 votes)*
21st (tie) - Janell Wheeler (2 votes)*
21st (tie) - Todrick Hall (2 votes)*
21st (tie) - Paige Miles (2 votes)
19th (tie) - Joe Munoz (3 votes)*
19th (tie) - Jermaine Sellers (3 vote)*
17th (tie) - Tyler Grady (4 votes)*
17th (tie) - Michelle Delamor (4 votes)*
15th (tie) - John Park (6 votes)*
15th (tie) - Ashley Rodriguez (6 votes)*
14th - Michael Lynche (7 votes)
13th - Lacey Brown (9 votes)*
12th - Katelyn Epperly (10 votes)*
11th - Lilly Scott (14 votes)*
10th - Tim Urban (20 votes)
09th - Alex Lambert (22 votes)*
08th - Aaron Kelly (32 votes)
07th - Katie Stevens (36 votes)
06th - Casey James (41 votes)
05th - Didi Benami (43 votes)
04th - Andrew Garcia (45 votes)
03rd - Siobhan Magnus (47 votes)
02nd - Lee DeWyze (58 votes)
01st - Crystal Bowersox (80 votes)
*indicates contestant has been eliminated
IDOL LIVE Blog - Top 12 Results (3/17/10)
After last night's crowded collection of performances from one of the oldest bands currently touring, we must say goodbye to someone. This of course means they will miss out on the summer tour, which is a little depressing, but at least there will be 11 others to cheer him or her up!
In terms of guest performers, we get to see Orianthi, Ke$ha and David Cook rock out on stage.
To see who I predict will be leaving tonight, see here. Please feel free to add your two cents throughout the two-hour blogcast, with coverage starting just prior to 9 p.m. ET.
Tonight's blogcast features the music of Ayla Brown, Daughtry, David Archuleta, Kellie Pickler and Kelly Clarkson.
IDOL LIVE predix: Top 12 Results
Last night's display of the Top 12's take on classics by The Rolling Stones went much better than many (including me) anticipated, but that still doesn't change the fact that someone must go home tonight. But as The Rolling Stones once sang, "Goodbye, Ruby Tuesday..."
With that said, read my predictions for how tonight will go below:
Andrew, Paige, Lacey
Bottom 2
Paige, Lacey
Eliminated
Lacey
The bottom three will serve one purpose tonight, and that is to "wake up" people who have been letting Andrew skate by on some subpar performance over the past four weeks. The producers will probably try to frame it as a "shocker," but it really is anything but considering the competition as of late and how badly Andrew has been blowing it. Thus, by including him in the B3 tonight it will serve as a kick in the pants that will not only provide him with the proper wakeup call, but it will remind his fans that they can't fall asleep at the wheel.
Paige will be thrown in the bottom two because she probably deserves to be there, even though she wasn't as bad as many were predicting she'd be based on her laryngitis. Despite being in grave danger, Paige probably won't get enough of a boost from this appearance to launch her far ahead in the competition.
And then there's Lacey, who fits the bill as the perfect 12th-place finalist. She had underwhelming performances during the semifinals, she got mild comments from the judges and she performed fourth, which is one of the worst spots to perform at during Top 12-10 weeks. Add to this the fact that she sang "Ruby Tuesday" last night, which includes the lyrics "goodbye ruby Tuesday" and therefore is clearly about her. Thus, Lacey will be sent packing tonight.
In my original predictions, to my surprise I actually have Lacey leaving in 12th place, so maybe I'll start off the finals with a double win in terms of correct predictions.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
IDOL LIVE Blog - Top 12 Perform (3/16/10)
Tonight the competition finally begins for real as we blog during the Top 12 finalists' performances as they take on songs from The Rolling Stones' catalog. The finalists got to select from a list of 50 songs, including hits like "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," "Start Me Up" and "Paint It Black." Who will pick what?
Please feel free to add your input throughout the two-hour blogcast, with coverage starting just prior to 8 p.m. ET.
Tonight's blogcast features the music of Carrie Underwood, Danny Gokey, Garrett Haley, Kady Malloy, Katharine McPhee, Kimberley Locke, Melissa McGhee, Phil Stacey and Sanjaya Malakar.
HITS estimates: Danny Gokey's 'My Best Days' #19 w/ 22.3k
One Idol alum saw his debut effort tumble by two-thirds as evidenced by HITS Daily Double's Top 50 building album sales chart.
Danny Gokey's My Best Days tumbled 15 spots to #19 for a second week take of 22.3k copies, marking a decline sales-wise of 67%. Despite having the best debut from a male solo country artist since Billy Ray Cyrus last week, the album suffered a big drop.
Experiencing a less drastic decrease was Carrie Underwood's Play On, which was off 6% but held steady at #28. It raked in another 17.4k copies.
And Daughtry's Leave This Town slid 13 spots to #48 as a result of a 23% sales dip for a weekly total of 11.3k.
Full sales data and chart positions courtesy of Billboard should be published later this week.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Flashback: Brandon Rogers' "You Can't Hurry Love"
It was exactly three seasons ago that Brandon Rogers performed his first (and last) song in the finals of Idol's sixth season. His take on Diana Ross's "You Can't Hurry Love" was unfortunately his weakest showing on the show, and it came back to bite him. Watch the performance below:
The judges were hardly forgiving of Brandon's forgotten lyrics or his sharp notes, as Simon said "complete letdown." Oh well, at least Brandon got to work with Diana Ross out of his time on the show.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Kara DioGuardi's dad running for U.S. senate
It looks like Kara DioGuardi's father has caught the Scott Brown bug. Joseph DioGuardi, who served as a republican U.S. representative from New York for two terms in the 1980s, will apparently announce his intention to challenge Sen. Kirsten Gillebrand for the seat, which is up for grabs in November. Per the AP:
DioGuardi has a reputation as a kinetic politician and a fiscal conservative. He would join a Republican field that already includes former Long Island lawmaker Bruce Blakeman. A number of other Republicans are considering a run.
Obviously, he would have to be victorious in an increasingly crowded republican primary field before he could run against Gillebrand. If he is successful, he will be the second U.S. senator to be the father of someone who has been on Idol, as the aforementioned newly-elected Sen. Brown of Massachusetts is the father of Season 5 semifinalist Ayla Brown.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Katharine McPhee: small screen queen?
Is there any show Katharine McPhee has not been on recently? She has to have one of the best promotional strategies when it comes to television, has she has been on at least something every week since her album Unbroken was released in January.
Most recently, Katharine performed her new single "Terrified" on NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno last night. Watch the performance below:
On Thursday, Kat's long awaited episode of Community starring Joel McHale aired on NBC in which she played Chevy Chase's money-grubbing stepdaughter Amber. Watch the episode below:
Earlier in the day, Katharine's performance of "Terrified" re-aired on an episode of The Bonnie Hunt Show that originally aired in late February. Watch the performance below:
Going back a week, Kat made a cameo on E!'s "The Soup Awards" special on the network's sketch show The Soup (also starring McHale). She presented the award for "Outstanding Meltdown and Way Better Than Being Nominated For It." Watch her segment below:
All these TV appearances were supplemented by a performance at the White House in support of International Women's Day this past Monday, which can be viewed below:
Judging by this busy promo schedule, don't be surprised if Kat turns up on the Idol stage performing "Terrified" one some Wednesday during this season. And of course, this all comes on the heels of news that Kat will be starring in her very own pilot for an NBC sitcom called The Pink House.
Friday, March 12, 2010
IDOL LIVE predix: How the Top 12 will place (and who will win)
Just as I put my neck on the line last season, I am ready to set myself up for failure by predicting how each Top 12 finalist will finish in the current season. Yes, people are still recovering from the shock that Alex Lambert and Lilly Scott are no longer contenders for the title (I'm not one of them), but there's never been a better time to throw your hat in the ring and predict away.
From the Top 24 until now I've correctly predicted four out of 12 eliminations, so I'm batting .250 to date. When looking at who would make the Top 12 at the outset of the Top 24, however, I pegged 8-12 finalists correctly. Last season, I did not correctly pick a single finalists' placing among the Top 13 at the outset of the finals, which kind of stings. Hopefully this time around it goes better.
After giving the scenarios careful thought, you can read my predictions below.
The Top 12 of American Idol: Season 9 (ordered by predicted place of elimination)
12th-place finalist
>Lacey Brown
Lacey has made it here thanks to her southern, country appeal, because her vocals sure didn't earn her a spot among this group. Add to this the fact that she will have to take on something originally sung by The Rolling Stones this week and Lacey has a recipe for disaster. She does have a cute personality and seems really sweet but sweetness doesn't always cut it in this competition.
11th-place finalist:
>Tim Urban
10th-place finalist:
>Paige Miles
Paige managed to evade elimination throughout all three semifinal rounds despite my consistent predictions to the contrary. After using her rock edge to pleasantly surprise America on one of The Rolling Stones' tracks, she will get lost in the shuffle and by Top 10 week she will not be able to stand up against a wave of strong competition, especially from the remaining girls. Think of her as this season's Lisa Tucker.
9th-place finalist:
>Aaron Kelly
Aaron is a nice kid and all, but he can't compete with the majority of these guys. His age works against him and his lower register isn't fully developed, not to mention he lacks a good sense of pitch (I'm starting to sound like Randy here). What he has going for him is the whole country thing, which many Idol voters love, but unless he gets to really shine on country night (assuming it happens prior to Top 9 week), the thin ice he's skating on will shatter.
8th-place finalist:
>Lee DeWyze
7th-place finalist:
>Katie Stevens
6th-place finalist:
>Michael Lynche
5th-place finalist:
>Didi Benami
4th-place finalist:
>Andrew Garcia
3rd-place finalist:
>Crystal Bowersox
Runner-up:
>Casey James
Winner:
>Siobhan Magnus
And there we have it. Each week I will compare my original predictions with how things turn out in reality in addition to making revised predictions depending on the circumstances each week. (Photos courtesy of AmericanIdol.com).
'Idol' odds 'n ends: Simon Cowell shares laughs and love on Leno's 'Tonight Show'
The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:
>Simon Cowell stopped by The Tonight Show with Jay Leno Monday night to talk Idol, X Factor and life in general. Not surprisingly, the topic of Simon's recent engagement to makeup artist Mezhgan Hussainy came up, which prompted her to join her fiance on the couch. Watch the segment below:
Leno continued to badger Simon for the duration of the interview, asking when the wedding would be and whether he'd get married in the states or over in England. Simon also mentioned that he likes Crystal Bowersox (she was the only finalist he mentioned by name).
>Kimberly Caldwell has been out and about promoting her new album Without Regret, and on Tuesday she appeared on Ellen, the latest Idol judge's talk show. Watch her perform her new single "Mess of You" below:
Without Regret is scheduled to be out April 6 and can be pre-ordered at Amazon.com
, while "Mess of You" is now available to download on iTunes.>ABC's special The Bachelor: Jason and Molly's Wedding aired Monday night, featuring Jason Castro and his ukulele. He served as musical guest at the outdoor wedding ceremony in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. Watch him perform "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" below:
Jason also performed his own song "That's What I'm Here For," which can be downloaded at iTunes as of today. The special averaged 9.27 million viewers, which is a mere fraction of the audience Jason was exposed to while he was on Idol.
>Jordin Sparks announced she will be lending her voice and vocals to the Nick Jr. program Team UmiZoomi for an upcoming episode. Jordin tweeted:
TheRealJordin In the studio recording a voice-over & song for Nick Jr. TEAM UMIZOOMI!
3 minutes ago via TwitBird iPhone
This news comes as Jordin continues to tweet about her songwriting sessions, as she was in the studio writing for and with DEZ Armstead among other artists.
>Kelly Clarkson has been busy overseas on the European leg of her tour in support of her album All I Ever Wanted, and concert goers at her show in Hamburg, Germany on Sunday got a bit more excitement than they were expecting when Kelly disappeared for a few minutes mid-performance. Watch a video recap below:
After performing "How I Feel" Kelly explained that for the first time in eight years she just "couldn't hold it." TMI, Kelly. TMI.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Poll of the week: Lee, Crystal favorite Top 16 semifinalists among respective sexes
It was more of the same this week on IDOL LIVE's poll of the week, as we had repeat winners in Lee DeWyze and Crystal Bowersox.
Lee took in 24 votes (30%), besting now eliminated Alex Lambert's 15 votes (18%) and Casey James's 12 votes (15%). He also holds a slim lead among all guys in the overall vote.
As for Crystal, her 23 votes (31%) were slightly ahead of Siobhan Magnus's 19 votes (26%) and Didi Benami's 3 votes (16%).
In the latest edition of the poll of the week series, readers are asked of who their favorite Top 12 contestant is. Voting will be open for exactly six days.
Top 8 guys
Lee DeWyze 24 (30%)
Andrew Garcia 5 (6%)
Casey James 12 (15%)
Todrick Hall 2 (2%)
Aaron Kelly 10 (12%)
Alex Lambert 15 (18%)
Michael Lynche 4 (5%)
Tim Urban 8 (10%)
Total votes: 80
Top 8 girls
Didi Benami 13 (18%)
Crystal Bowersox 23 (31%)
Lacey Brown 2 (2%)
Katelyn Epperly 5 (6%)
Siobhan Magnus 19 (26%)
Paige Miles 0 (0%)
Lilly Scott 7 (9%)
Katie Stevens 3 (4%)
Total votes: 72
Running total for Season 9:
24th - Haeley Vaughn (0 votes)*
21st (tie) - Janell Wheeler (2 votes)*
21st (tie) - Todrick Hall (2 votes)*
21st (tie) - Paige Miles (2 votes)
19th (tie) - Joe Munoz (3 votes)*
19th (tie) - Jermaine Sellers (3 vote)*
17th (tie) - Tyler Grady (4 votes)*
17th (tie) - Michelle Delamor (4 votes)*
14th (tie) - John Park (6 votes)*
14th (tie) - Ashley Rodriguez (6 votes)*
14th (tie) - Michael Lynche (6 votes)
13th - Lacey Brown (7 votes)
12th - Katelyn Epperly (10 votes)*
11th - Lilly Scott (14 votes)*
10th - Tim Urban (16 votes)
09th - Alex Lambert (22 votes)*
08th - Aaron Kelly (24 votes)
07th - Katie Stevens (33 votes)
06th - Siobhan Magnus (35 votes)
05th - Didi Benami (39 votes)
04th - Casey James (40 votes)
03rd - Andrew Garcia (43 votes)
02nd - Lee DeWyze (45 votes)
01st - Crystal Bowersox (66 votes)
*indicates contestant has been eliminated
IDOL LIVE Blog - Top 16 Results (3/11/10)
After many weeks of waiting, we will finally see the culmination of the talent dug up during Idol's ninth season, and there are as many signs pointing to originality as their are pointing to overrated. Surprisingly, we get to witness performances by Matt Giraud and Scott MacIntyre, both members of last season's Top 12 roster.
Please feel free to add your input throughout the one-hour blogcast, with coverage starting just prior to 8 p.m. ET.
Tonight's blogcast features the music of Diana DeGarmo, Elliott Yamin, Jordin Sparks, Kris Allen and Mandisa.
'Idol' Hot 100: Kris Allen's "Live Like We're Dying" #20 (3/20/10)
There were more backward movements than there were forward movements when it came to tracks by Idol alums on the most recent edition of the Billboard's Hot 100 chart for the chart week of March 20.
Kris Allen's "Live Like We're Dying" kicked things off having slid two spots to #20. Kris also saw his charity single of his live performance of "Let It Be" pull back seven spots to #70 in its second week.
Adam Lambert more or less followed suit with his single "Whataya Want From Me," which declined #24-25, while Daughtry's "Life After You" was up another two spots to #39.
Another positive advancement was had in "Temporary Home" by Carrie Underwood, which was up #52-48 thanks to increases in airplay. The Idol-related track that had the biggest tumble was Artists for Haiti's "We Are the World" charity single featuring Jordin Sparks, Jennifer Hudson and Katharine McPhee among others. The single continued its crumble towards the edge of the chart with a 30-spot drop to #66.
And Danny Gokey's "My Best Days Are Ahead of Me" finally emerged onto the Hot 100 with a #82 bow off the heels of his debut album release and performance on Idol's results show last Thursday.
Full chart positions courtesy of areyoureadytojump over on Pulse are posted below:
Hot 100
20 18 Kris Allen, "Live Like We're Dying"
25 24 Adam Lambert, "Whataya Want From Me"
39 41 Daughtry, "Life After You"
48 52 Carrie Underwood, "Temporary Home"
66 36 Artists for Haiti, "We Are The World 25: For Haiti"
70 63 Kris Allen, "Let It Be"
82 -- Danny Gokey, "My Best Days Are Ahead Of Me"
IDOL LIVE predix: Top 16 Results
In the final hurdle before making it to the coveted Top 12, four more contestants must bite the dust tonight when their Idol journeys come to an inevitable end. Similar to the past two weeks, it seems like those leaving tonight among each sex will be more clear cut than not, although traditionally anything can happen during this week. Therefore, I have reasoned that the following four contestants will be departing tonight.
The final two guys of the semifinals to be eliminated are:
>Todrick Hall and Aaron Kelly
Todrick has been a marked man since the semifinals begin, so him going will be expected. His performance of Queen's "Somebody to Love" was mediocre at best, too theatrical and extremely overpraised by the judges, the latter factor being the result of a reverse psychology of sorts to make sure his fans feel he's safe. The second-to-last spot is also traditionally a danger zone, and Mike Lynche's better than expected performance of "This Woman's Work" clearly overshadowed Todrick. Aaron, on the other hand, will fall victim to another young guy with a lot of appeal to tween girls and grandmas - Tim Urban - whose "Hallelujah" was great last night. Tim has slowly been siphoning votes away from Aaron over the past few weeks along with Alex Lambert, so Aaron will most likely feel the full effect of this tonight when he's sent packing.
The final two girls of the semifinals to be eliminated are:
>Paige Miles and Katelyn Epperly
Paige is a no-brainer (although to be fair I think I've said she'd be going the past two weeks as well). This time she really screwed up on "Smile," as it has been universally panned mich like Haeley Vaughn's "The Climb" was last week. Paige couldn't come up with a coherent explanation for the performance when asked about it by the judges, so she didn't win any sympathy votes. Although she showed promise, her time is up. Katelyn will be the "mini shock," because most people will expect Katie Stevens to leave. Unlike Katie, however, Katelyn does not have a built-in fanbase and has had to rely on giving great performances the past two weeks. Tuesday night was a real dud, so it makes sense that this support will evaporate in favor of some of the better performers like Crystal Bowersox and even Lacey Brown.
Last week I only got one out of three predictions right, so I'm now only 2-8 (really disappointing). Hopefully tonight I'm able to up my record with tonight's results.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Digital sales roundup: "Live Like We're Dying" #22 (3/20/10)
Due to the likely absence of my usual source for Soundscan figures on Idol-related charts and sales figures for the foreseeable future, I am going to have to rely on other sources, mainly Brian Mansfield of USAToday.com's excellent Idol Chatter blog. So with that, here are data from Billboard's Hot Digital Songs chart.
Kris Allen kicked things off with his single "Live Like We're Dying," which came in at #22, down three spots from the previous week thanks to a 10% sales drop to 57k downloads, putting its total at a clean 1.057 million to date. Adam Lambert's "Whataya Want From Me" held steady at #23 in light of a 7% decrease in sales, adding in 54k downloads for a new total of 597k.
There were some good numbers put up by debuts, including 40k for Kris's live charity performance of "Let It Be" and the Spanish language "Somos El Mundo: 25 por Haiti" featuring David Archuleta netted 15k for the week.
Rounded sales figures are made possible by Brian Mansfield at "Idol Chatter":
22 19 Kris Allen, "Live Like We're Dying" 57,000 -10% 1,057,000
23 23 Adam Lambert, "Whataya Want From Me" 54,000 -7% 597,000
N/A Kris Allen, "Let It Be (Live)" 40,000 -14% 86,000
N/A Artists for Haiti, "We Are the World 25: For Haiti" 38,000 -43% 580,000
N/A Daughtry, "Life After You" 28,000 -5% 492,000
N/A Danny Gokey, "My Best Days Are Ahead of Me" 28,000 1,270% 57,000
N/A Carrie Underwood, "Temporary Home" 23,000 -3% 270,000
N/A Carrie Underwood, "Cowboy Casanova" 18,000 -17% 1,214,000
N/A Artists for Haiti, "Somos El Mundo 25: For Haiti" 15,000 999% 15,000
N/A General Larry Platt, "Pants on the Ground" 15,000 -50% 163,000
N/A Kelly Clarkson, "Already Gone" 14,000 -13% 1,272,000
IDOL LIVE Blog - Top 8 Guys Perform (3/10/10)
Tonight we blog during the Top 8 guys' performance episode as those remaining in the competition duke it out for one of the six coveted spots in the finals. If we don't see at least half of those performing pull off something special, the men could be in for some trouble beginning next week, especially considering how the girls did last night.
Please feel free to add your input throughout the one-hour blogcast, with coverage starting just prior to 9 p.m. ET.
Tonight's blogcast features the music of Adam Lambert, Chikezie, David Cook, Michael Johns and Scott MacIntyre.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
HITS estimates: Danny Gokey's 'My Best Days' #4 w/ 67.3k
It was a good week for albums by Idol alums, at least according to HITS Daily Double's Top 50 building album sales chart.
Danny Gokey saw his debut My Best Days bow at #4 with 67.3k copies, many of which were most likely fueled by his performance on last week's results show. Danny's big opening week was significantly higher than both HDD's 45-50k guess and my own prediction of 43k, and it is almost in the vicinity of opening week numbers for Kris Allen's release last November.
Next up was another country artist, as Carrie Underwood's Play On was up 3% in sales this week to 18.5k copies, despite sliding six spots to #28. Daughtry also saw its Leave This Town rocket back onto the chart at #35.
And Adam Lambert's For Your Entertainment was actually up another spot this week to #47 even though it was down 2% in sales to 11.3k copies.
Full sales data and chart positions courtesy of Billboard should be published later this week, so I will do my best to get actually numbers this time around.
IDOL LIVE Blog - Top 8 Girls Perform (3/9/10)
Tonight we blog during the Top 8 female semifinalists' performance episode, which is the final step before six girls become finalists and join the Top 12. The theme is once again songs that have charted on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. If all goes according to plan, there will be less drama compared to there was one week ago.
Please feel free to add your input throughout the one-hour blogcast, with coverage starting just prior to 8 p.m. ET.
Tonight's blogcast features the music of Haley Scarnato, Jasmine Murray, Kelly Clarkson, Paris Bennett and Syesha Mercado.
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