After more than two and a half years of regularly blogging about all things Idol, I am announcing that IDOL LIVE will be put on hiatus indefinitely. Considering my love for this show has been waning ever since Season 5 and I am just starting my final, most challenging semester of college, I don't have the time, nor the drive, to continue with my regular blogging duties.
The quality of this past season didn't help matters, as I almost ended IDOL LIVE immediately following the end of the season, but decided to carry on in case anything interesting happened (and technically, the Fantasia episode warranted my decision to stick with it). But as Idol enters its 10th season as a shadow of its former self, I think it's better to stop now rather than sit and watch the Titanic's deck chairs rearranged one last time.
Who knows, maybe by the time Simon's The X Factor debuts next fall I will be back on the blogging bandwagon? But for now, I'll be sitting on the sidelines and observing from a quieter perch. To all of you who have read my posts, commented and contributed your own material over the years, I sincerely thank you for your interest. You are what kept me going.
I can still be reached at idollive.net@gmail.com, if necessary, and I will continue to monitor IDOL LIVE's Twitter account, but will not be publishing new material.
And with that, I will leave you with the chorus of Carrie Underwood's "Wheel of the World," one of my favorite tracks of hers:
It's the wheel of the world
It's the wheel of the world turning around
In the blink of an eye
It can change your life
And it never even slows down
It's the wheel of the world
Thanks again,
-Mike
Sunday, September 19, 2010
"It's the wheel of the world"
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Poll of the week: Arch still favorite contestant in 'Idol' history
In the final round of IDOL LIVE's poll of the week champion series, David Archuleta reigned supreme as the preferred finalist of all time, just like he has done in the past.
After trouncing his peers in the runner-up competition four weeks ago, Arch once again demolishes the field here, earning 745 of the 820 votes cast, or 90%. The only other contender who finished with a respectable total was Carrie Underwood, who had 58 votes (7%).
The fact that six finalists failed to receive a single vote says a lot about the people who voted to get them into the finale round.
To all of you who have cast votes in the champion series rounds over the past few months, thank you very much for your efforts!
Carrie Underwood 58 (7%)
David Archuleta 745 (90%)
Melinda Doolittle 1 (0%)
Chris Daughtry 13 (1%)
Brooke White 2 (0%)
Kellie Pickler 0 (0%)
Jennifer Hudson 1 (0%)
Michael Johns 0 (0%)
Ramiele Malubay 0 (0%)
Chikezie Eze 0 (0%)
Alexis Grace 0 (0%)
David Hernandez 0 (0%)
Total votes: 820
Sunday, September 12, 2010
David Archuleta premieres new song at MDA telethon
Jerry Lee Lewis's annual Labor Day MDA telethon featured a bunch of Idol alums as usual, including Constantine Maroulis and Ace Young. David Archuleta also stopped by to premiere his new song "Things Are Gonna Get Better." Watch the performance below:
"Things Are Gonna Get Better" will be featured on Arch's forthcoming sophomore album The Other Side of Down, out Tues., Oct. 5. It can be pre-ordered at Amazon.com.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
HITS estimates: 'Back to Me' #5 w/ 39.4k
Fantasia kicked things off with her two-week old Back to Me, which tumbled a hefty 68% in sales to 39.4k copies. On the chart front, it was off three spots and remained in the Top 5.
And making a surprise return to the Top 50 was Carrie Underwood, whose Play On landed at #38 with 9.1k copies.
Don't forget to check out Billboard for official positions available for the Billboard 200 on Thursday.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Flashback: Nick Pedro's "Fever"
Season 6 featured a host of forgettable guys, especially in the Top 24. But Nick Pedro managed to actually make some noise with his rendition of the overdone "Fever," which has been covered by everyone and their mother. Watch the performance from Top 20 week below:
While the quick cuts to the drummer got a little annoying, Nick's vocals were for the most part on target. As to whether Simon's critiques of his style and charisma were representative of what led to his subsequent elimination the following night, we probably will never know.
Friday, September 3, 2010
'Idol' odds 'n ends: Season 10 auditions adds last-minute Los Angeles stop
The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:
Sources connected to the negotiations tell TMZ ... contrary to some news reports ... there has been no drama and no diva demands. As one source puts it, "It's been typical negotiating."Well, I guess TMZ has been at the forefront with all the replacement judge drama, so this bit of info is probably as reliable as anything else out there. As to whether or not J. Lo is "the key to re-energizing the show," that is certainly still up to debate.
Still, it's good to know Carrie received more nods than Taylor Swift, who is only up for one category - FVotY. The 44th annual CMA Awards will air live on Wed., Nov. 10, at 8 p.m. on ABC.
>Just as the disappointing Season 9 Idols Live! Tour concluded on Tuesday, Season 10's auditions have been extended to later this month when auditions will be held at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif., on Wed., Sept. 22. Per Idol's website:
For the milestone 10th season of American Idol, we just couldn’t stay away from Idol’s hometown, Los Angeles, CA. In fact, this is the show’s sixth time holding hometown auditions in L.A. The goal during hometown auditions is to get a ticket Hollywood, and successful singers in L.A. won’t have to travel very far for the final round of auditions. Katharine McPhee, Adam Lambert, Allison Iraheta, and Andrew Garcia are among the talented Idol stars from the City of Angels. L.A. is where the Idol finalists reside while competing for the prize, and it’s the place many Idol alumni settle to pursue their music career.It's pretty interesting that the producers think adding a last-minute stop in LA of all places will help ensure we don't get another Season 9, since LA is one of the blandest, most uninteresting places to find talent. But whatever, if they want to attract teens from skipping school for the day, they're certainly free to do so.
The trio will join the recently announced Sinqua Walls, Chris Carmack, Alyssa Diaz and Joel David Moore in the 3D horror movie.Well, at least it's not Piranha 3D. But Kat, is this really the best you could do? Shark movies never hold a candle to Jaws, and 3D is getting pretty tiring by now. Still, it's good to see she's continuing to get roles.
The Final Destination and Snakes On A Plane helmer David R. Ellis is behind the camera for Shark Night, which centres on a group of people who are attacked by sharks while on vacation in the Louisiana Gulf area.
"Thank you so much to everyone who came tonight. Sorry I couldn't sign. :( It's hard to stand/walk. Hopefully the physical therapist can fix me! :)Jordin is now back in tip-top shape and said she is "so attached to the cast & show already!"
"If you'd like, you can send your playbills/tkts/pics w/ a stamped return envelope to the theatre & I'll get them back to you. Thank you for understanding. It means the world. Love you guys. <3"
Thursday, September 2, 2010
'Idol' Hot 100: Adam Lambert's "If I Had You" #32 (9/11/10)
Seeming to take a breather this week was Adam Lambert, whose "If I Had You" held steady at #32 for the second week in a row. Carrie Underwood's "Undo It" continued its downward trend, however, as it was off five spots to #61.
Fantasia's "Bittersweet" started to make more headway after falling back a few spots last week, advancing #82-74. And Daughtry's "September" moved ahead five spots to #80.
Full chart positions courtesy of Billboard are below:
Hot 100
32 32 Adam Lambert, "If I Had You"
61 56 Carrie Underwood, "Undo It"
74 82 Fantasia, "Bittersweet"
75 80 Daughtry, "September"
Poll of the week: Carrie Underwood is champ of choice
After months of exciting competition, IDOL LIVE's poll of the week champion series for 2010 is finally coming to a close. Per usual, the second-to-last round consisted of the champions from all nine seasons matched up against each other, and the results were among the closest of all rounds this year.
Considering she is probably the most popular winner to date, it's not unheard of that Carrie Underwood would take the title here, as she nabbed 29 of all 94 votes, good for 30% of all votes cast. With this win, Carrie will represent all winners in the finale. Coming up behind her was Jordin Sparks, who took in 17 votes (18%), followed by Kelly Clarkson with 15 votes (15%).
Even David Cook reeled in 13 votes for 13%, and Kris Allen took in 10 votes for 10%. Not surprisingly, the less popular winners didn't do so well in this poll, as Lee DeWyze (4%), Fantasia (4%), Ruben Studdard (1%) and Taylor Hicks (1%) each amounted vote totals in the single digits.
Now that we have had finalists from all nine seasons of all finishing positions square off against each other, it is only fair that the victors from each round take on each other in the finale of the champion series. In this final round of voting, readers will be asked which top-ranked finalist from each placing is their overall favorite of all nine seasons. Voting will be open for not one, but two weeks. Happy voting!
Kelly Clarkson 15 (15%)
Ruben Studdard 1 (1%)
Fantasia 4 (4%)
Carrie Underwood 29 (30%)
Taylor Hicks 1 (1%)
Jordin Sparks 17 (18%)
David Cook 13 (13%)
Kris Allen 10 (10%)
Lee DeWyze 4 (4%)
Total votes: 94
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
HITS estimates: 'Back to Me' #2 w/ 122.1k
Fantasia's Back to Me opened at #2 with 122.1k copies, marking her highest debut on the Billboard 200 chart despite her lowest sales open to date. When putting into consideration the fact that it's been nearly three years since Fanny released a CD, this opening week take is pretty impressive, even though it most likely would have been much lower had she not been in the public eye due to her recent suicide attempt and ensuing media appearances.
While Fanny appeared on the chart, Carrie Underwood disappeared this week thanks to sliding sales of her Play On. Don't be surprised if the album finds its way back into the Top 50 over the next few weeks.
As usual, be sure to check out Billboard for official positions available for the Billboard 200 on Thursday.
Flashback: Nikki McKibbin's "I'm the Only One"
Nikki McKibbin wasn't the only one excited about her making the Top 4 on Idol's first season, as she was able to outlast front runner Tamyra Gray. Before the shocking results were ready, Nikki belted out her own version of Melissa Etheridge's "I'm the Only One," one of two songs she sang during 1990's week. Watch the performance below:
While this performance was no masterpiece, it was apparently good enough to get her into third place (because we all know her performance of "Mary Jane" didn't get her there). While Nikki had a bumpy road on her season, she clicked with a certain segment of the population and for that she will always be remembered.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Katharine McPhee's 'Unbroken' trivia giveaway - win a copy!
Question:
Katharine recently took part in the Hunger-Free Summer Initiative to help raise awareness for child food insecurity, appearing on On the Record with Greta Van Susteren to promote the initiative. About how many children did she say go hungry during the summer?
Instructions:
To qualify to win a copy of Unbroken, please tweet or email your answer to the above trivia question to @IDOLLIVE or idollive.net@gmail.com (if you choose to tweet, please include your email address within the tweet).
If you are one of the first three to get the trivia question correct, you will receive a congratulations email requesting your name and mailing address. Upon receipt of the winners' names and mailing addresses, the CD will be mailed to the winners.
Please note: IDOL LIVE is not responsible for any delays or issues relating to mail delivery of the CD. The contest will be open until Friday, Sept. 3 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Submissions will be accepted until three winners have submitted their mailing addresses. Upon receiving all three, a blog post will announce the conclusion of the giveaway for the week. Any further questions should be directed to idollive.net@gmail.com.
'Idol' Hot 100: Adam Lambert's "If I Had You" #32 (9/4/10)
Adam Lambert once again saw his latest single "If I Had You" gain ground on the chart, this time by 10 spots to #32. Carrie Underwood's "Undo It," on the other hand, was off by 11 spots to #56.
Daughtry's "September" saw the opposite come true, with a #91-80 jump, while Fantasia's "Bittersweet" was down slightly, #79-82.
Full chart positions courtesy of Billboard are below:
Hot 100
32 42 Adam Lambert, "If I Had You"
56 45 Carrie Underwood, "Undo It"
80 91 Daughtry, "September"
82 79 Fantasia, "Bittersweet"
Saturday, August 28, 2010
'Idol' odds 'n ends: Fantasia dishes on suicide attempt on 'GMA'
The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:
>For the first time since her botched suicide attempt, Fantasia spoke out about the ordeal when she appeared on Good Morning America on Tuesday to promote the release of her latest album, Back to Me. In her interview with Robin Roberts, Fantasia said she "just wanted to be away from the noise." Watch the interview below:
Fantasia also squeezed in a few live performances for the crowd in the studio, including a televised performance of "Bittersweet."
>Speaking of Idol alums performing on morning shows, Chris and the boys from Daughtry took to Rockefeller Plaza on Fri., Aug. 20 to perform for The Today Show's Summer Concert Series. Watch the band perform "September" below:
Daughtry also performed "Feels Like Tonight" for the television audience during the set.
>Kelly Clarkson recently teased about a big duet with an act people have been wanting her to record with for ages, but for now fans will just have to settle for her being featured on a track with Jason Aldean. Per USAToday.com's "Idol Chatter":
The new album from country singer Jason Aldean will feature a duet with Kelly Clarkson called Don't You Wanna Stay.Don't You Wanna Stay is due out Nov. 2, which more than likely will be before Kelly's latest disc hits retail and digital outlets.
>It was announced about one week ago that Kris Allen will be opening for Lifehouse on its current tour beginning in October.
10/15 MGM Foxwoods, Manshucket, CTKris has already opened for the likes of Lady Antebellum, Maroon 5, Keith Urban and Daughtry, so it's encouraging for Kris that Lifehouse is interested in having him on board for the remainder of its North American tour.
10/16 Orpheurm Theatre, Boston, MA
10/17 Roseland Ballroom, New York, NY
10/20 The Electric Factory, Philadelphia, PA
10/23 Tropicana Show Room, Atlantic City, NJ
10/24 Dar Constitution Hall, Washington DC
10/26 Tabernacle, Atlanta, GA
10/29 Drury University, Springfield, MO
10/30 Choctaw Casino Events Center, Grant OK
10/31 Verizon Wireless Theatre, Houston TX
11/2 Palladium Ballroom, Dallas TX
11/4 Uptown Theatre, Kansas City, MO
11/5 Chicago Theatre, Chicago, IL
11/6 The Fillmore, Detroit, MI
11/9 Pagent, St Louis, MI
11/11 Eagles Ballroom, Milwaukee, WI
11/12 Val Air Ballroom, Des Moines, IA
11/14 Ogden Theatre, Denver, CO
11/15 In The Venue, Salt Lake City, UT
11/16 Knitting Factory, Reno, NV
11/18 Gibson Amphitheater @ Universal Studios, Universal City, CA
11/19 The Joint @ Hard Rock Hotel, Las Vegas, NV
11/20 Pechanga Casino, Temecula, CA
11/21 Masonic Center, San Fransisco, CA
11/23 WaMu Theatre, Seattle, WA
11/24 Roseland Theatre, Portland, OR
>Kimberley Locke and her mom appeared on the series premiere of WETV's You're Wearing That!? on Thurs., Aug. 19. In the episode, Kim and her mom get advice from a fashion expert on how to change up their look. Watch a clip from the episode below:
Kim also recently sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" and "God Bless America" during the Los Angeles Dodgers game on Fri., Aug. 20.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Katharine McPhee concludes Hunger-Free Summer Initiative in Houston
Katharine McPhee last week capped off her contribution to the U.S. Hunger-Free Summer Initiative for Kids co-sponsored by the ConAgra Foods Foundation and Feeding America this summer in an effort to combat child food insecurity. She sang for children at the LINC in Houston, Tex., on Tues., Aug. 17, including a performance of her cover of "Brand New Key," which can be watched below:
Over the course of the summer of 2010, 23 food banks received funding, including the Houston Food Bank, to champion the fight against child hunger by developing new approaches to increase awareness of the problem and access to services that can aid in achieving the goal of eliminating hunger. Kat traveled the country, performing at multiple community locations including in Orlando, Fla., and Santa Ana, Calif., that help children receive adequate nutritional meals when out of school.
For more information on the initiative, visit the official websites of the ConAgra Foods Foundation and Feeding America.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Poll of the week: Arch attacks rest of runners-up
It wasn't even a contest for the latest round of IDOL LIVE's poll of the week champion series for 2010, as perennial favorite David Archuleta destroyed all eight fellow runners-up for the weeklong voting period.
Arch earned 545 of all 567 votes cast over the week, good for 100% (even though the poll itself says his total stands at 96% - something is obviously awry). Surprisingly, not even Adam Lambert's fans spent time on the poll. Let's see if Arch's fans can repeat in two weeks when he faces off in the champion series final against all other winners from each round.
In the next round (the second-to-last, by the way), readers will be asked which winner is their favorite of all nine seasons. Voting will be open for exactly one week.
Justin Guarini 1 (0%)
Clay Aiken 4 (0%)
Diana DeGarmo 2 (0%)
Bo Bice 2 (0%)
Katharine McPhee 4 (0%)
Blake Lewis 1 (0%)
David Archuleta 545 (96%)
Adam Lambert 4 (0%)
Crystal Bowersox 4 (0%)
Total votes: 567
HITS estimates: 'Play On' #46 w/ 8.7k
Carrie's Play On was actually up this week sales-wise, climbing 5% to 8.7k copies. It was down on the chart side, however, slipping #41-46.
As usual, be sure to check out Billboard for official positions available for the Billboard 200 on Thursday.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Flashback: Judd Harris's "Travelin' Band"
Idol's fourth season was virtually a wash thanks to the superstardom of Carrie Underwood, and it shows when you look at the crew that was left in the dust, especially in the semifinals. Judd Harris was one of those contestants who tried his best but fell short. Watch him perform Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Travelin' Band" during Top 24 week below:
The judges' generic, neither good nor bad comments didn't help Judd's cause, as he blended in with the rest of the 11 guys who performed that night. Despite a good vocal showing, the song choice was completely wrong, and thus Judd had to disappear into obscurity following his elimination.
'Idol' Hot 100: Adam Lambert's "If I Had You" #42 (8/28/10)
Adam Lambert's latest single "If I Had You" finally surpassed Carrie Underwood's leggy "Undo It," as the former rose 12 spots to #42 while the latter slid nine spots to #45. This is the first time since the week of June 12 that "Undo It" has not led artists from the franchise.
Continuing to make strides thanks to recent publicity was Fantasia's "Bittersweet," which was up #90-79 ahead of her album release today. And Daughtry's latest single "September" was up three spots to #91.
Full chart positions courtesy of Billboard are below:
Hot 100
42 54 Adam Lambert, "If I Had You"
45 36 Carrie Underwood, "Undo It"
79 90 Fantasia, "Bittersweet"
91 94 Daughtry, "September"
Friday, August 20, 2010
'Idol' odds 'n ends: Steven Tyler preps for 'Idol' judgeship by falling off stage
The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:
After quickly rebounding from his accidental stage dive, Tyler sprung up and yelled to the crowd, "It ain't gonna happen again!"That's actually really good advice, especially since if the lights don't disorient him, they'll probably at least melt his face clear off. Then who would replace the replacement?
Let's hope not. The lights and video floor on the "American Idol" can be awfully disorienting.
>Jordin Sparks has been busy this week in New York City gearing up for her big premiere in the Broadway musical In The Heights. As per usual, making appearances on the talk show circuit were included on her itinerary, including Live with Regis & Kelly, on which she performed the song "Breathe" yesterday. Watch the performance below:
Jordin's Broadway debut came last night, which marks the kickoff of a 12-week run at the Richard Rodgers Theatre. For schedules and ticket information for In The Heights, visit InTheHeightsMusical.com.
>After much delay, Kris Allen's music video for second single "The Truth" premiered on VH1 on Tuesday. Watch the video below:
The video was directed by Marco Puig, who was at the helm of Kris's video for "Live Like We're Dying," and featured model Cindy Vela and Train lead singer Pat Monahan. Was the video worth the wait? Not in my opinion, unfortunately.
>David Archuleta posted another vlog on his official YouTube channel on Tuesday in which he informed fans that work on his forthcoming album The Other Side of Down is almost complete. Watch the vlog below (if you can tolerate the annoying buzzing sound):
As expected, Arch confirmed the album has been pushed back until Tues., Oct. 5. He said he's excited to start performing live again soon and hopes he can hit the high notes in "Something 'Bout Love." The Other Side of Down is available to pre-order at Amazon.com
.
And, we're not just talking about having a dog dressed up in a mini-tuxedo, as Underwood did at her wedding. Pickler is talking about having her reptile buddies in the mix. "I'm thinking of having the python be the ringbearer," she told PEOPLE this week.I wonder if she'll think about asking calamari to be the flower girls? The piece goes on to say there will be no first dance with husband-to-be Kyle Jacobs because he is "'a disaster' on the dance floor." That's a little out of the ordinary, especially since Kellie is definitely the dancin' kind.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Ayla Brown goes country: listen to new single "My Favorite Part"
Ayla Brown has decided to take the country route on her next album. The Season 5 Top 16 contestant was profiled on Boston.com today, with an article detailing her decision to pursue a career in the country industry. Below is a snippet from the piece:
She has her reasons. OK, she's tall and beautiful. She can’t change that. But she doesn't want the sexy stuff that dominates the music industry to define her. Not like Lady Ga-Ga, Janet Jackson, or a young Madonna. She wants to be a role model for young girls.A live video of Ayla's new single "My Favorite Part" was also posted along with the article. Watch it below:
"I don’t want to be on stage shaking my butt to get fans," says Brown. "The pop world is not where I see my future."
So the former "American Idol" contestant is embarking on a country music career. "I'm excited and nervous," she says. "It’s like starting over again."
She'll show off her new sound at Arlington's Regent Theatre tomorrow night. "It's a coming-out show for me, with my new style and band."
Ayla will be debuting her new Nashville sound tomorrow at the Regent Theatre in Arlington, Mass., with her new band at 8 p.m. For ticket information, visit RegentTheatre.com.
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