In what had to be the most competitive round of IDOL LIVE's 2010 edition of the poll of the week champion series, Season 5's Kellie Pickler ruled her fellow sixth-place finalists.
Kellie nabbed 13 votes, or 35% of all 37 votes cast, compared with Season 7's Carly Smithson's 12 votes (32%) and the club's newest member, Siobhan Magnus of Season 9, at nine votes (24%). These three independent women were the only ones who really excited IDOL LIVE readers, and it's easy to see why when considering their not so popular comrades from the six other seasons.
In the next round, readers will be asked which 5th-place finalist is their favorite of all nine seasons. Voting will be open for exactly one week.
Christina Christian 0 (0%)
Carmen Rasmussen 1 (2%)
John Stevens 0 (0%)
Constantine Maroulis 0 (0%)
Kellie Pickler 13 (35%)
Phil Stacey 0 (0%)
Carly Smithson 12 (32%)
Anoop Desai 2 (5%)
Siobhan Magnus 9 (24%)
Total votes: 37
Showing posts with label anoop desai. Show all posts
Showing posts with label anoop desai. Show all posts
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Poll of the week: Pickler picked once again among sixth-placers
Friday, May 7, 2010
'Idol' odds 'n ends: Anoop Desai's album is out? Already?
The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:
>When did this happen? Apparently Anoop Desai's debut album, All Is Fair, is already released. Anoop was on his local NBC alliliate chatting about the disc, which features the single "My Name," and can be watched below:
All Is Fair is courtesy of The Industry Connect and is available to purchase on iTunes for $6.99.
>It was announced on Monday that Jordin Sparks will be the latest Idol alum to star in a Broadway musical, as she will make her debut on the Great White Way in The Heights on Thurs., Aug. 19. According to an article on BroadwayWorld.com, Jordin said:
"It's always been one of my dreams to perform on Broadway," says Jordin Sparks. "This is a brand new experience for me. I look so forward to spending time in New York City and joining this talented cast and my favorite new musical."
Jordin will play the role of Nina Rosario, who happens to be the female lead. Her run will end on Sun., Nov. 14.
>Another Season 8 finalist, Scott MacIntyre, has been keeping busy on the promo trail in support of his post-Idol album Heartstrings. In an interview that took place at Pittsburgh's 100.7 FM, Scott chatted about his experience on the show and the Idol tour. Watch the interview below:
Scott talked about how he's dealt with kidney failure and kept the story from being revealed until after he left the show. Scott also talked about his favorite moment of the season, "Pants On the Ground" man, and proceeded to sing the two most famous lines of the song. He followed that with a backhanded compliment of the remaining Season 9 finalists.
>Bo Bice treated fans to a free download of his latest song, "Coming Back Home," off his forthcoming release 3. Per an e-mail that was sent out to fans:Bo's got a surprise gift just for you! Check out this track from 3 and let us know what you think on Bo's Facebook page!
The song can be downloaded via Bo's page on the music social media site BandBox.com. 3 is set for a Tues., May 18 release and can now be pre-ordered at Amazon.com
. The album's single, "Good Hearted Woman," is now available to purchase at iTunes.>Siobhan Magnus was the latest Season 9 alum to make the talk show rounds following her exit last week, and as usual, the most awkward appearance was on Monday night's episode of CBS's The Late Show with David Letterman. Watch Letterman interrogate Siobhan about her fondness for glass blowing below:
As likable as Siobhan is, she has a habit of talking a minute a mile, especially when she's trying to explain something. But no matter, once Siobhan opened her mouth to reprise "Paint It Black" (aside from "the scream") nothing she talked about before was important anymore.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Flashback: Anoop Desai's "Dim All the Lights"
It was only a year ago that Anoop Desai was a casualty of the judges' save, as he was eliminated in sixth place during Disco week. Anoop gave it his all on his rendition of Donna Summer's "Dim All the Lights" (and even got the coveted pimp spot) but it wasn't enough to overcome. Watch the performance below:
Anoop actually did very well on the song and the judges sans Simon seemed on board the Anoop train as well. Fortunately for Anoop, this showing hasn't seemed to scar him in the long run.
Friday, March 26, 2010
'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.
Monday, November 23, 2009
'Idol' alums react to Adam Lambert's AMA performance
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Twitter is abuzz with Adam Lambert, as he is currently the #1 trending topic on the social media site following his performance at the 2009 American Music Awards. Naturally, many Idol alums have their own two cents on the extravaganza:
Kellie Pickler sayswhat's up with all the "smoke and mirrors"...whatever happened to just singing a song and selling it with the power of the lyrics?? 13 minutes ago from web
Blake Lewis says:Thought @adamlambert was great as the closer. Don't know how it sounds or looks through the tv, but it was epic live about 1 hour ago from Echofon
Ryan Seacrest says:Ama's...Lambert designed all the costumes for his performance..I love the jay z song. had to blaze home to get up early. Home in 6 mins about 1 hour ago from UberTwitter
Anoop Desai says:Watching the AMAs. Waiting for this @adamlambert performance less than 20 seconds ago from Echofon
Jason Castro says:that was disgusting. eww 32 minutes ago from web
Chris Sligh says:Wow..I'm just replaying it. That was absolutely horrible. I'm sure there are fans who will absolutely love it...but for me it was top 5... about 1 hour ago from web
...worst performances I've seen on a tv awards show. Let's make it clear that I'm not dissing him as a person...I hope he does great, but.. about 1 hour ago from web
..everything from the vocals & dancing to the set to the dancers...I mean everything was so just not good..o and btw it was Dr. Luke not Max about 1 hour ago from web
but...one thing is for sure...people will FOR SURE be talking about that tomorrow. And that is a darn good thing for Adam! about 1 hour ago from web
I coulda done without the sodomy, kissing the keys dude, and the S&M crap. Besides that it was great. Unfortunately that's all there was. about 1 hour ago from web
Sorry...I'm just kind of in shock at how horrible it was. My hopes were high. I really wanted Adam to be the greatest artist ever. about 1 hour ago from web
After all that he added: I will however buy his album tomorrow...I'll let you guys know what I think...I'm sure it's great. about 1 hour ago from web
It's good to know former finalists can be candid about commenting on their peers.
Friday, November 13, 2009
'Idol' odds 'n ends: Simon & Seacrest top Forbes' men in prime time list
The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:
>Forbes released its list of the top-earning men in prime time, and two Idol fixtures were unsurprisingly at the top of the list. Simon Cowell nabbed the No. 1 spot with a cool $75 million earned in the period from June 1, 2008 to June 1, 2009. In the same period, Ryan Seacrest took in $38 million from his hosting gig. Needless to say, this news was red meat to late night comedians everywhere.
>David Cook premiered a new song called "Make Believe" with his band The Anthemic at their show at The Pageant in St. Louis, Mo., on Tuesday. Watch the performance below:
Cook's tour will next take him and his band to the Windsor Casino in Windsor, Ontario, where they will perform tomorrow. David Cook and The Anthemic's new album is slated to be out next summer.
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>Katharine McPhee attended the 2009 Glamour Magazine Women of the Year celebration at Carnegie Hall in New York City on Monday, where she walked the red carpet sporting her much talked-about new look. Other celebs in attendance included Maya Angelou, Yoko Ono, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Amy Poehler, Serena Williams and Rihanna, who was named the magazine's "woman of the year." The awards honor women that have made great strides in their areas of expertise.>Anoop Desai uploaded a live performance of his newest song to his official YouTube page on Monday. Anoop performed "L.U.V.R." in concert on campus at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on Sunday. Watch the performance below:
Anoop co-wrote the R&B track with David Mikush. Anoop also performed a cover of Jordin Sparks' "Battlefield" at the show.
>Reuters yesterday released an update on top-selling Idol alumni, and its findings were not out of the ordinary. While Kelly Clarkson is far ahead of all other alums in terms of digital sales (14.7 million), she leads Carrie Underwood by only 200k in album sales (10.4 million to 10.2 million). One surprise was that while Jordin Sparks lags in seventh with album sales, she's actually third in digital sales with 8.4 million tracks downloaded.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Poll of the week: Fans still pick Pickler
It was a spirited week of voting on IDOL LIVE's poll of the week champion series for the favorite sixth-place finalist of all eight seasons, and the competition broke the win streak of Season 7 finalists for the first time this voting period.
Leave it to Kellie Pickler and her faithful fans to stand in the way of Carly Smithson and her equally passionate fans. The fifth season's lovable country star netted 296 of the 582 total votes, which equated to 50%. In comparison, Carly was able to take in 267 votes (45%). The two were tied in the count with just one hour left to vote, which is when Kellie's fans eked out a win by fewer than 30 votes.
The poll's six other contenders failed to excite voters, as Anoop Desai only took in nine votes (1%), and Constantine Maroulis was only able to generate six votes (1%).
In the next installment of IDOL LIVE's poll of the week champion series, readers are asked which fifth-place finalist is their favorite of all eight seasons. Voting will be open for exactly one week.
Christina Christian 2 (0%)
Carmen Rasmusen 0 (0%)
John Stevens 0 (0%)
Constantine Maroulis 6 (1%)
Kellie Pickler 296 (50%)
Phil Stacey 2 (0%)
Carly Smithson 267 (45%)
Anoop Desai 9 (1%)
Total votes: 582
Saturday, May 23, 2009
IDOL LIVE's Top 10 best performances of S8, Pt. 1
After months of grueling competition, we all can finally sit back and revel in our memories of the most recent season of Idol. Although Season 8 was a disappointment, there were a good amount of performances that were able to shine through the problems that clouded the competition from a production point of view.
In this two-part series, IDOL LIVE has selected the 10 best performances that occurred on the Idol stage this past season.
10) Anoop Desai, "Ooo Baby Baby"
The likable guy with an unusual name from Chapel Hill was hit or miss in the finals, and inconsistency is probably what landed him in sixth place. Fortunately he was able to deliver his rendition of The Miracles' "Ooo Baby Baby" during Motown Week as a member of the Top 10. Watch the performance below:
This performance really showed that Anoop's crooning was not just a fluke, and for the second week in a row he took on a ballad and showed range. Paula commented on his falsetto being "sweet and spot-on," while Simon said the vocals was great but he "looked half asleep." Asleep or no, Anoop showed that he was more than just a guy with a prerogative with this showing.
09) Matt Giraud, "So Small"
Matt took a big risk Top 11 week when he chose to sing Carrie Underwood's "So Small" for the challenging theme of selections from the Grand Ole Opry. Since country is hardly his style, Matt took a different approach to the uplifting #1 hit. Refresh your memory on the performance below:
Matt's use of the piano to heighten the emotional impact on "So Small" was genius, as he also seemed relaxed and comfortable behind the keys. His husky vocals blended nicely with the instrumentation and helped him prove that he could put his own touch on very familiar songs. Randy called it his "favorite performance of the night" and Simon told Matt he out-sang Danny and that he did not get enough credit up to that point. "So Small" was the moment when Matt really emerged as a contender.
08) Adam Lambert, "Whole Lotta Love"
Adam was no stranger to blowing the roof off the house with his performances by Top 4 week, but his take on Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" was one for the Idol history books. Revisit Adam's rock 'n roll week offering below:
Simon summed up the sentiment of this performance perfectly when he told Adam "no one can top that," which was a bold statement considering Adam kicked off the show with "Whole Lotta Love." He looked like he was having more fun than ever before, and showed naysayers that he could do Led Zeppelin proud. Paula was succinct when she said Adam was "a whole lotta perfect," which is a huge overstatement, but showed the kind of effect Adam had on the audience.
07) Danny Gokey, "Come Rain Or Come Shine"
Over the course of the season, Danny was a dependable performer who could do both upbeat and slowed down numbers. When it came time for music of the Rat Pack standards, he was ready to belt out Harold Arlen's "Come Rain or Come Shine" to the best of his ability. Remind yourselves of how the performance went below:
Danny's vocals on "Come Rain or Come Shine" were extra smooth and as Kara pointed out, he had a "rat pack swagger" going on. The use of his chest voice and growling aspect of his voice were done so in the optimal ear-pleasing manner, and Simon loved the arrangement. The performance could not have come at a better time for Danny.
06) Kris Allen, "Ain't No Sunshine"
When Kris was unexpectedly awarded the pimp spot for Top 9 week, he was sure not to waste the opportunity despite having a cornucopia of songs to choose from for the top downloads theme and went with an oldie but a goodie with Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine." Watch the unforgettable performance below:
Even though he probably sang it a little better on the reprise for the Top 2 performance show, Kris' first take had that special something to go along with it. The whole use of the keyboard with minimal instrumentation to accompany him provided for an ideal setting for Kris to show off his vocal sensitivity. Simon and Paula agreed that it was Kris' best performance to date, and Kara bestowed upon him her most prized compliment: "that was artistry!"
Alright, so we're halfway through the countdown of IDOL LIVE's Top 10 performances of Season 8. If you have yet to see your favorite performance of the season, it's most likely because we have not yet reached the top tier of this season's crop. Stay tuned for the Top 5 performances of the season, which will be posted tomorrow.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Poll of the week: Kris ekes out a bonus win
Although it does not compare to his big win earlier tonight, Kris Allen was also victorious in the final installment of IDOL LIVE's poll of the week series for the eighth season of Idol. Kris scored 171 votes of the 328 total cast, good for 52% of the take. Adam was right behind him with 157 votes (47%).
Below are this week's results and the cumulative results for the entire season.
Adam 157 (47%)
Kris 171 (52%)
Total votes: 328
Total for Season 8:
13th - Jorge Nunez (1 vote)
12th - Jasmine Murray (4 votes)
11th - Lil Rounds (5 votes)
10th - Alexis Grace (6 votes)
09th - Michael Sarver (8 votes)
08th - Scott MacIntyre (17 votes)
07th - Megan Joy Corkrey (48 votes)
06th - Matt Giraud (51 votes)
05th - Anoop Desai (99 votes)
04th - Allison Iraheta (102 votes)
03rd - Danny Gokey (248 votes)
02nd - Kris Allen (691 votes)
01st - Adam Lambert (852 votes)
So there you have it. Adam actually beat out Kris for the poll of the week series, but then again this is just a silly poll. Still, Adam's fans should be commended for voting as much as they did over the course of the season, and the rest of the finalists' fans did a pretty good job overall with their voting.
In this week's poll of the week, we begin our IDOL LIVE poll of the week champion series edition in which readers are asked to vote for their favorite Top 12/13 finalist of all time. Voting will last exactly one week.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
IDOL LIVE Blog: Top 5 Results (4/29/09)
Join us tonight as we blog during the Top 5 results show, when the final four finalists will be revealed in dramatic fashion. We're willing to be the results will be more exciting than Taylor Hicks' "welcome back" performance of "Seven Mile Breakdown" in addition to performances by Jamie Foxx and Natalie Cole. but there have been bigger surprises in this show's history. The blogcast will begin at 9 p.m. ET and will last one hour.
Tonight's blogcast will feature music from David Cook, Anoop Desai, Blake Lewis, Lil Rounds and Carrie Underwood.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Poll of the week: Adam and Kris steal the show
Nothing out of the ordinary happened on IDOL LIVE's poll of the week, as Adam once again took hold of the competition with an additional 80 votes cast in his favor. He garnered 43% of the 182 total votes cast. This puts him in front of Kris for the first time in the overall standings.
Kris was once again the runer-up in vote totals for the week, as he received 47 votes (25%). Danny was next with 22 votes (12%), and Anoop took in 14 votes, good for 7% of the total take.
In this week's poll of the week, readers are once again asked to vote for their Top 5 favorite finalist. You will have exactly one week to vote.
Kris Allen 47 (25%)
Anoop Desai 14 (7%)
Matt Giraud 7 (3%)
Danny Gokey 22 (12%)
Allison Iraheta 11 (6%)
Adam Lambert 80 (43%)
Lil Rounds 1 (0%)
Total votes: 182
Running total for Season 8:
13th - Jorge Nunez (1 vote)
12th - Jasmine Murray (4 votes)
11th - Lil Rounds (5 votes)
10th - Alexis Grace (6 votes)
09th - Michael Sarver (8 votes)
08th - Scott MacIntyre (17 votes)
07th - Megan Joy Corkrey (48 votes)
06th - Anoop Desai (99 votes)
05th - Matt Giraud (46 votes)
04th - Allison Iraheta (70 votes)
03rd - Danny Gokey (173 votes)
02nd - Kris Allen (297 votes)
01st - Adam Lambert (328 votes)
Analysis: Last week's save costs Lil & Anoop
Tonight went pretty much according to plan. Two finalists that really had no chance to win took their final bows and performed as contenders for the last time. The interesting thing to come of this is not as much as a whimper or whine could be heard from the audience over the ousters, which supports the notion that it really was their time to leave.
This is not a knock to Anoop or Lil, as the two of them should be proud of themselves for achieving the success they have attained on this show. But even they knew the two of them had overstayed their welcome, which supports why Lil went out with a smile on her face and Anoop left with poise, although visibly disappointed.
The judges were even long on praise for Lil, with Simon saying he was still a big fan of Lil's and with Randy saying this was just the beginning for her. The judges unfortunately did not have time to address Anoop's elimination, but they probably would have echoed something similar for him had they been able to get their last two cents in that could have been made possible by shaving 30 seconds off the disco medley (what was that, anyway?)
Moving right along to the disco medley, was that supposed to get the audience on the floor and in the mood to shake their groove thing? If so: mission absolutely not accomplished. It's always great to see legends perform their hits decades after they become hits, but sometimes you can't help but feel bad for them when it comes to their performances. I mean, Freda Payne was nearly out of breath by the time she finished shuffling across the stage through "Band of Gold" and KC of KC and the Sunshine Band looked like he was going to go into convulsions while surrounded by four much younger dancing girls. Thelma Houston was not much better on "Don't Leave Me This Way," as she looked like she took a page from Big Bird Margret's styling book (if anyone remembers who I'm referencing, you get two bonus points).
Then we were greeted by David Archuleta, who really was feeling his performance of "Touch My Hand" as he did his best to command the stage. Although he has long graduated from the Idol academy, one could have thought he was just another contestant on this season. It will take a few years, but soon enough Arch will be way beyond the Idol brand. He sounded great and was nice to Anoop and Allison as they sweated things out in the Bottom 2.
Not to be overlooked, Paula's much-hyped choreographed group performance by the Top 7 of Michael Jackson's "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" did not fail to impress. There were aspects that could be seen as being extremely cheesy, and the lip-synching was beyond obvious this week that it almost took away from the dancing, but they all worked will together considering it was put together in two days.
There are a few things that should be noted following these results. For the first time ever, The Top 5 does not include any minorities. Not that this will be a major issue, but some may seize upon this fact and take the opportunity to call the show racist (which is, after all, ridiculous). Also, this is the first time there is only one female among the Top 5, although the opposite was had in Season 3 when George Huff was the single remaining male contestant of the Top 5.
As for my original predictions and pre-show predictions, I was wrong about both finalists on the former (had Matt going in 7th with Scott going in 6th), but I was half-right on the latter. I correctly predicted Lil would be leaving in 7th place, but thought Matt would go in 6th, whereas Anoop got the honor instead. Looking back at the results and keeping things in perspective, tonight was a good night overall. From here on in, however, it will be a bumpy ride indeed.
About last night: Vocals trump arrangements, apparently
If there's a single thing one should take away from last night's disco showdown, it is the assumption that with the exception of Adam and Kris, the judges would have preferred to hear straight-up arrangements rather than modified ones that suit the finalists better.
It seemed as if every performance had at least one judge putting a damper on the manner in which the song was performed, which is usually not how things go on this show. The positive thing about tonight was the fact that all four judges actually were allowed to get a word in (edgewise, maybe, but in regardless), yet they still managed to finish a minute or so after nine.
But it were the performances that really made the night what it was, for better or for worse. Kicking things off without even so much as a pre-performance video package (what a shame...), Lil got into her groove with "I'm Every Woman." First of all, how many times has the song been sung on this show over the years? Here's a hint: too many. Once again, Lil showed complete and utter disregard for the judges and their warnings with this song choice, and although she was able to hop around the stage with a few bright spots in her vocals, Simon was right on in accusing her of being "copycat." Simon was even more correct when he said this will be the last week we see Lil perform as an Idol finalist. If not, something in the Idol universe has gone horribly wrong.
Deciding to switch things up this week was Kris and his guitar, as the pair performed an unexpected song in "She Works Hard For the Money" (aka Donna Summer song #1). Although hundreds of thousands of Kris' fans most likely simultaneously held their breath in the 30 seconds prior to his performance, they let out a collective sigh of relief as soon as he began his acoustic take on the disco classic. Kris' vocals were as smooth as usual, but the way he configured the song to fit his personal style is something that should be admired. The judges agreed, although a few of them seemed to drag their feet (mainly Kara). Paula had to throw a hitch in what was an otherwise positive critique session, though, as she rambled on about Kris not being afraid to go shopping in women's departments. But Simon was able to paddle back to the center and delivered a glowing review. It would be a semi-shock to see him leave tonight.
Someone else who switched up his song's arrangement to result in a solid performance was Adam, as he defied Simon's $10,000 fake bet that he'd pick a Donna Summer song, instead opting for "If I Can't Have You" from Saturday Night Fever (or Saturday Night Live if you're asking Kara). With a little help from Michael Orland, Adam was able to take a well known song and turn it on its head. It was not his strongest showing to date, but it was a lot better than a few of the night's other performances. However, Paula's tearing up definitely could have been done without.
On the other side of the spectrum, Danny's take on "September" was a little on the overrated side. The dancing was improved, but the vocals were just not really up to speed. The strange thing was everyone pretty much gave Danny a pass on his vocals and praised him for making the song work for him, even though he did not mess with the arrangement. It probably would have worked better had he switched it up a bit, but Simon liked it so that's all that counts. If Kara's into foreshadowing with her "I hope we remember this by the end of the night" comment, it could be very much a possibility that Danny will land in the Bottom 3, although it would be a stretch to believe he's going anywhere.
Another finalist that did not change up the arrangement and once again did not get chewed up was Matt, as the most fortunate member of the Top 7 sang the cursed (in Idol terms) "Stayin' Alive" (aka Bee Gees song #1). Matt's vocals were a mess and his performance was extremely hectic, with the backup singers going out of their element by joining him front and center. Everything about the showing was too much: too much effort put in, too much vocals, too much moving around, too much not good enough. Yet the four talking heads were relatively easy on him, with Paula saying he threw a "strike" and Randy saying he "can really sing." Even though he gave it his all, it looks like Matt's journey on this show is finally over.
Last night's best performance came smack dab in the middle thanks to Allison's well-planned rendition of "Hot Stuff." The song is usually performed in a near joking manner, and Allison managed to transform it into an rocked-out experience. From the beginning when she was sitting vulnerably on the stairs to the last veteran-sounding run, she was able to take command of the stage as well as captivate the audience. But once again, the judges did not like this modified arrangement, with Randy borrowing a page from Simon's page when he called it "overindulgent." That's overindulgent, Randy? Really? And would you guys have preferred to hear another predictable, karaoke-sounding "Hot Stuff" songfest? I guess so.
And to close out the show was a new Anoop with a new look. He still had his old smooth vocal style, though, and his take on "Dim All the Lights" (aka Donna Summer song #2) was pretty solid. Once again, though, the current-sounding arrangement was nothing short of a major miss according to Simon, as were Anoop's vocals, as he called it his worst showing yet. That is for sure a stretch, and Randy, Paula and Kara were more on the money here (something that rarely happens this season). Maybe next time Anoop can do without the pink, though (just ignore Paula on that one, Anoop).
And with that, it's going to be close. At this point it seems like it would be fairly obvious as to who's getting the send-off tonight, but there are a few surprises to be had yet. There has yet to be a "shocker" of an elimination this season, and it might just happen tonight.
Just one more thing: I got answers to my two pre-performance questions. First, only two of seven finalists "took the boring route" and sang Donna Summer songs. Second, only one finalist "opted for the toe-tapping tunes of The Bee Gees."
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Poll of the week: Adam's fans are born to be wild for him
Adam was once again victorious in IDOL LIVE's poll of the week, but it was not as close this time around. Adam took in another 109 votes for the week, or 45% of the poll's total votes cast, which puts him at 248 votes overall since the series began Top 13 week.
Kris was the runner-up once more, as his fans managed to get him 86 votes, or 35% of the total votes. It was not even close for anyone else, as Danny (16 votes, 6%) followed with Allison and Matt each tied for fourth place with 10 votes (4%).
In this week's poll of the week, readers are once again asked to vote for their Top 7 favorite finalist. The poll will start anew rather than just continuing with the current results. You will have exactly one week to vote.
Kris Allen 86 (35%)
Anoop Desai 9 (3%)
Matt Giraud 10 (4%)
Danny Gokey 16 (6%)
Allison Iraheta 10 (4%)
Adam Lambert 109 (45%)
Lil Rounds 1 (0%)
Total votes: 241
Running total for Season 8:
13th - Jorge Nunez (1 vote)
12th - Jasmine Murray (4 votes)
11th - Alexis Grace (6 votes)
10th - Michael Sarver (8 votes)
09th - Scott MacIntyre (17 votes)
08th - Megan Joy Corkrey (48 votes)
07th - Lil Rounds (4 votes)
06th - Matt Giraud (39 votes)
05th - Allison Iraheta (59 votes)
04th - Anoop Desai (85 votes)
03rd - Danny Gokey (151 votes)
02nd - Adam Lambert (248 votes)
01st - Kris Allen (250 votes)
Analysis: Judges make a bad decision
Well, at least one good thing can be said of tonight's results: the save is no more.
The rest of tonight's outcome was poorly concocted. It was a big mistake and will most likely cost a more deserving contestant his or her life in the competition next Wednesday. This is not to say that Matt is not a good guy, as he has a unique voice and has a great personality. But there are so many reasons he should not have been saved tonight, and a few of them are as follows.
First of all, Matt was a wild card contestant, meaning he was technically already "voted out" once. It was only after the judges gave him a second chance that he made it back into the competition. Secondly, Matt did not do extremely well last night, and received two lukewarm critiques from Randy and Kara. Thirdly, Matt sounded even worse tonight in his "singing for his life" opportunity, once again cracking on his falsetto near the end. Simon even made note of this in addition to saying that he thinks Matt has no shot at winning the competition prior to revealing the judges' decision.
For that comment alone, this save is pathetic. It is obvious that the judges are just trying to stir things up to increase the drama factor and it can be seen as nothing but a buzz builder and lame attempt to increase the show's sagging ratings this season. Simon knows this very well of course, but he apparently does not care anymore. He did not stand up for himself, unless of course it was three against one. That would make sense, but he never said he disagreed with the decision, so who really knows. After the show, however, Simon talked with Extra correspondent and former girlfriend Terri Seymour, saying he doesn't know why he saved Matt, but he did not get "caught up in the moment." Great rationale, Simon.
It was pretty apparent that the judges would exercise the save once Paula and Kara were shown swaying together during Matt's performance, as they appeared too jubilant to be sending him home. But now it's important to put tonight in the past and focus our attention on next week's possibilities.
First thing's first: Anoop is a total goner regardless of how he does. Secondly, disco week has not been traditionally kind to Idol finalists, and it would suggest that a front runner could very well be going next week thanks to the double elimination. The finalist that seems to be the most vulnerable in this situation is Allison, as she was not in the Bottom 3 this week so her fans are probably complacent right now, whereas Lil's fans once again got another kick in the pants, which could ensure her safety. Matt will most definitely not be going home next week because his fans realize they got a once in a lifetime opportunity with tonight's save, and they will be sure not to waste it.
The two obvious front runners that will not be going anywhere are Adam and Danny, though it would not be a shock to see one of them in the Bottom 3. Kris is the other vulnerable finalist next week, especially since he doesn't seem like much of a disco kind of guy. But we'll wait and see.
As for the rest of the show, Jennifer Hudson proved that she really is a great artist and although she showed signs of nervousness, she pulled it off in the end. The audience did not seem too into it but "If This Isn't Love" is one of those songs that's hard to really get into at a live performance.
A "singer" that could take a pointer or two from Jennifer was the night's other guest performer, Miley Cyrus. She looks more grown up than she has in the past, but her vocals are still very weak and do not justify her fame. It is a shame because her new single, "The Climb," is a solid song in its own right, it just belongs to the wrong owner. Hopefully Idol cancels Katy Perry's guest performance slot for Top 3 night before she can continue the streak of bad guest performances.
There was really nothing else interesting about tonight's results episode, as the Ford music video was boring and so were Ryan's questions to the finalists. One other thing of note was the montage of the Top 7 finalists attending the premiere of Zac Efron's new movie 17 Again, which received a huge amount of promotion from its four-minute commercial of sorts in front of 20-plus million. Oh, and by the way, the movie opens on Friday if you somehow missed that important tidbit.
On the results front, I would have been correct in both my original predictions and pre-show predictions with Matt receiving the fewest votes, but of course the judges had to go and screw that up. Maybe that's the real reason I'm upset? Regardless, this is really disappointing. Hopefully next week makes up for this horrible turn of events.
IDOL LIVE predix: Top 7 Results
After a less-than-stellar showing last night, the Top 7 should eagerly await the opportunity to cut one of its own loose to whittle down the competition. Tonight should see another unsurprising exit unless the judges act out of character and decide to use their save power.
At this point, the next four results shows will most likely be giant wastes of time ahead of the inevitable final three contestants, so things look to be boring till then.
Here are my predictions for the Top 8 results:
Bottom 3
>Anoop, Kris, Matt
Bottom 2
>Kris, Matt
Eliminated
>Matt
Matt has been barely coasting these past few weeks and his time will run out tonight. It's not that he's unlikable, because he is. It's just that he comes across as boring and bland in comparison to the rest of the pack, and his performances have been inconsistent from week to week, which also happens to be Kara's main complaint.
Kris will land in the Bottom 2 because there aren't many options at this point that would not cause a major shock, so even though he actually did very well he will have to grin and bear it. Plus, it helps his fans wake up and pull double duty next week. And Anoop will be there as the third member of the Bottom 3 just because he always is.
Now, tonight Ryan will most likely divide six of the Top 7 into two groups, most likely pairing Anoop, Kris and Matt and Allison, Danny and Lil. Then he will ask Adam to choose which group he thinks got the higher votes, and for him to join that group. Adam will then sit or stand in the center of the stage and refuse to pick a group, although it would show he has guts if he were to actually choose one.
In my original predictions, I had Matt going home, which would be my first correct original prediction this season among the Top 13. Good news for me but obviously not for Matt and friends.
About last night: Tarantino's advice fails to spice
Self-professed Idol fan Quentin Tarantino came into his role as mentor to the Top 7 finalists with less pizazz than he did back in 2004 when he served as guest judge for the third season's movie night. He seemed more relaxed and understanding of the finalists' strengths and weaknesses this time around (see his "I didn't care" comment to Diana DeGarmo for reference). That said, last night was a real letdown in terms of performance quality, as Tarantino's advice really did not seem to matter in the end.
Although Allison kicked off the night with Aerosmith's venerable "Don't Want to Miss a Thing," it paled in comparison to David Cook's rendition last season. She had some impressive moments and definitely was spot on with her high notes, but the arrangement was not unique and overall was lackluster. The two judges that were allowed to comment (oh yea, another brilliant idea from Ken Warwick & Co. since Idol did not run over last night...oh wait, it did), Paula and Simon, seemed pretty pleased with Allison's job, but the comments were more overarching and centered around Allison compared to Lil than they were about her actual singing, but what else is new.
Last night was not a lot of things, but Adam's performance of "Born to Be Wild" was certainly accurate to its title. Since he is the strongest performer on the show this season, it was not unbelievable that he delivered on expectations with the Steppenwolf mainstay. But the vocals were sort of out of control in some spots, but again, that is not something that is to be unexpected. What was a little surprising was how Simon said it was "vocally incredible." That term is pretty powerful, and that was not one of Adam's better vocal jobs for sure. And of course, Paula was her usual fangirl self with Adam and her "path of greatness" drool was the icing on the cake.
Someone who was weaker than he has been lately was Matt. He picked a great song in Bryan Adam's "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman," but there were pitch problems galore as Randy so wisely pointed out. His piano playing was as good as usual but his vocals were inconsistent. Kara actually stated it well when she said if Matt wanted to change up the melody as much as he did it needed to be close to perfect. And it wasn't. Matt will be in serious hot water tonight based on the performance.
Like Matt, Danny had a rough night compared to what he is usually capable of. In addition to some off notes and pitch issues, Danny's lack of glasses took away part of his persona. Aside from that, Simon was right about him not stepping out of the box and coming off as boring compared to Cook's ultra-changed up rendition of Lionel Richie's "Hello" last season. Maybe it would not have been as believable had Danny gone and done a 180 with the song, but it at least would have become a bit more interesting. Definitely one of his weakest offerings to date, but he should steer clear from any trouble tonight.
Anoop on the other hand did a pretty solid job on Bryan Adams' "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You." He slowed it down yet kept it sounding fresh and current, which is not usually an easy task for him. Randy and Kara each loved it, so that's got to count for something, right?
The best performance of the night was without a doubt Kris' take on "Falling Slowly" from the film Once. All the elements that combine for a great end result were present, including vocal control and correct usage of the falsetto. It may be true that he didn't end up going with the guitar as Tarantino originally suggested, but that actually ended up being the right decision because his vocals would have played second fiddle to his instrumentation. Randy's downer critique was unexpected because it really is hard to find something as wrong as he did with the performance. Kara might have overreached when she said it was his best to date, but she was closer than the truth than Randy.
But all was pretty much forgotten by the time Lil took the stage, as she delivered a wreck of a rendition of Bette Middler's "The Rose." Lil was under immense pressure after weeks of critical comments from the judges regarding her inability to pick the right song and make it her own. Last night was no different, as Simon truly lashed into her by saying she was not the same singer they met weeks ago, which prompted Lil to go on the defense as she tried to justify her infusion of R&B and gospel sound into such a soft song. Had Lil not gone last, she would most likely be going home tonight. But she got the pimp spot, thus she is going nowhere.
The prognosis of last night's performance offerings may not be good, but that does not mean all of the remaining finalists are not good. All of them are great in their own right, but there are still weaknesses to each of them. This is something people should take into account before they go ahead and declare the winner.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Analysis: Sun (finally) sets on Scott's 'Idol' journey
Scott MacIntyre is a happy guy. In fact, he was probably the nicest, most personable finalist to appear on Idol this season. That said, like last week there was really no other option for who was to be sent home.
After weeks of offering up very similar song choices and performances at the piano, Scott finally tried something different as a result of Paula's nudging of him to step out of his comfort zone. Looking back, he probably still would have left had he gone with the piano on "The Search Is Over" rather than the gimmicky guitar, so the blame really can't be pinned on anyone but him and his vocals.
As for the seemingly endless discussion among the judges to decide whether or not Scott was worth their powerful save option, there is no way two of them were actually willing to use it. It had to be all for show, to ratchet up the drama factor and to give Scott that much more hope that he'd have another week. One thing I noticed was Randy seemed to be really detached from the rest of the judges, as he was sitting behind Simon and Paula during Scott's final performance and really had nothing to say when it was time to make a decision.
By the way, what was up with the judges and that photoshopped "baby photo" of Simon and Paula? That was a waste of time. But what was an even bigger waste of time was Frankie Avalon's surprise performance to make Simon feel old about turning 50 this year. The guy walked out from behind those big doors looking eerily similar to what Ryan will probably look like in 50 years and proceeded to shuffle around the stage. At least half of the audience (probably closer to two-thirds) had no idea who he was or why he was there. In fact, I still have no idea what he was doing there. All I know is it was a waste of time.
Speaking of wastes of time, last night's guest performers were both on the average-to-awful side, as Flo Rida had more fun stripping on stage than he did singing along to his "Right Round"'s catchy hook and Kellie Pickler was more interested in flirting with the judging than churning out a respectable vocal. Flo's typical rapper schlock ("R.O.O.T.S. in stores now!") when he chatted with Ryan (who was trying to act too cool, by the way) post-performance was just another anchor on his appearance on the show.
Getting back to the results for a moment, the other Bottom 2 dweller was Anoop, which did not come as a huge surprise. It looks like unless he can score the pimp spot next week and pull off an amazing showstopper, his time may be up soon. Lil, on the other hand, will get a kick in the pants to finally listen to what the judges have been trying to tell her for weeks and she will turn the advice into a golden performance as long as she does not go for a "I Will Always Love You"-like performance for next week's "Songs of the Cinema" theme.
Another Ford music video was upstaged by its behind the scenes featurette that preceded it, as seven of the finalists had to pretend to enjoy dressing up like magicians, putting sparkles on their faces and singing along to Britney Spears' "Circus" (no surprise on who the one finalist that enjoyed the whole production was). The amount of footage of Scott in the behind the scenes video was a dead giveaway as to who would be leaving, as he had never been included that much in any off-site group video package.
As for IDOL LIVE's predictions, I am now 0-6 with my original predictions because I had Alexis going home originally and, well, she left in 11th place a few weeks back. I'm doing much better on my pre-results show predix, though, as I correctly called Scott leaving last night. Therefore, my record has improved to 3-6 in that predicting category. I was off on who would be joining Scott in the B2, though, as I had Kris in there over Anoop, and I had Anoop in third-to-last rather than Lil. But oh well, as long as the end result is the same.
As mentioned upstream, next Tuesday the Top 7 will have to master "Songs of the Cinema" and endure re-listening to Miley Cyrus' taped performance of "The Climb" from a few weeks back. Awesome!
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Poll of the week: It's a mad world for Adam
For the first time, Adam emerged victorious on IDOL LIVE's poll of the week for Top 8 week of the eighth season of Idol. After Kris's two straight weeks of placing first, Adam eked out a win this week with 30 votes (30%) to Kris' 29 votes (29%) of the 100 total votes cast.
The next closest finalist was Danny, who remained in third for the week with 16 votes, and Anoop was right behind in fourth with 12 votes. Surprisingly, Scott received a grand total of zero votes, which probably explains why he was sent packing tonight.
In this week's poll of the week, readers are asked to vote for their Top 7 favorite finalist. You will have exactly one week to vote.
Kris Allen 29 (29%)
Anoop Desai 12 (12%)
Matt Giraud 4 (4%)
Danny Gokey 16 (16%)
Allison Iraheta 8 (8%)
Adam Lambert 30 (30%)
Scott MacIntyre 0 (0%)
Lil Rounds 1 (1%)
Total votes: 100
Running total for Season 8:
13th - Jorge Nunez (1 vote)
12th - Jasmine Murray (4 votes)
11th - Alexis Grace (6 votes)
10th - Michael Sarver (8 votes)
09th - Scott MacIntyre (17 votes)
08th - Megan Joy Corkrey (48 votes)
07th - Lil Rounds (3 votes)
06th - Matt Giraud (29 votes)
05th - Allison Iraheta (49 votes)
04th - Anoop Desai (76 votes)
03rd - Danny Gokey (135 votes)
02nd - Adam Lambert (139 votes)
01st - Kris Allen (164 votes)
IDOL LIVE predix: Top 8 Results
Birth years and tears for fears summed up last night's performances, but tonight's results are ultimately more meaningful to the competition. The one person that will absolutely 100% not be in danger despite having his entire performance chopped off due to time running over is Adam thanks to his much talked about take on "Mad World."
While the Bottom 3 is easy to spot this week, there are a few finalists that could make a surprise appearance since they were all on an equal playing field in terms of performance quality and reception from the judges.
Here are my predictions for the Top 8 results:
Tonight's results should shock very few if they go as follows:
Bottom 3
>Anoop, Kris, Scott
Bottom 2
>Kris, Scott
Eliminated
>Scott
Although all signs (meaning DialIdol.com) are pointing to a Kris departure, it is my call that Scott has outlasted his stay. Even though he tried to switch things up last night, the judges still could not bite, and their mostly negative comments mixed with average to bad vocals and a poor choice of song and you've got yourself a dead end. As a person, Scott seems like a great guy with an awesome sense of humor, but his time on this show just has to be up.
Kris going would not be a surprise, but there's a slight possibility they might use their immunity power to spare him for this week at least, although it would not be guaranteed that he'd escape elimination next week. He clearly was not the worst last night and should not go before at least three others, but the forgetability factor surrounding him is very strong at this stage.
The third member of tonight's B3 will be Anoop despite the excitement surrounding his champion Tar Heels. He delivered a pretty good vocal last night but good vocals do not always equal good results.
In my original predictions, I had Alexis going, but she left weeks ago so that won't come to pass.
One thing is for sure: this one is going to be close.
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