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
Showing posts with label fantasia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fantasia. Show all posts
Sunday, September 19, 2010
"It's the wheel of the world"
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.
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.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
'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.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
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
'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"
Monday, August 16, 2010
'Idol' Hot 100: Carrie Underwood's "Undo It" #36 (8/21/10)
It was no surprise that Carrie Underwood once again led the charge, with her single "Undo It" sliding 10 spots to #36.
The single that looks to be the heir apparent of "Undo It," Adam Lambert's "If I Had You," inched ahead two spots to #54. Fantasia also saw her current single make headway up the chart, possibly due to her OD controversy last week. "Bittersweet" was up #94-90.
To add to things, Daughtry's "September" debuted on the Hot 100 at #94.
Full chart positions courtesy of Billboard are below:
Hot 100
36 26 Carrie Underwood, "Undo It"
54 56 Adam Lambert, "If I Had You"
90 94 Fantasia, "Bittersweet"
94 -- Daughtry, "September"
Saturday, August 14, 2010
'Idol' odds 'n ends: Fantasia meets up with Antwuan Cook after being released from hospital
The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:
The two were spotted visiting a local park and appeared to be in deep conversation – all while cameras, presumably for her VH1 reality show, Fantasia for Real, captured the conversation.Additionally, the 911 call was made public:
To add to things, VH1 issued a statement that the first episode of Fantasia For Real's second season, which kicks off on Sun., Sept. 19, would be changed to accommodate the incident before retracting the statement. It may just be me, but all this is sounding pretty opportunistic, especially when considering Fanny's latest album hits stores in less than two weeks. Well, if her goal (and her manager's goal) was to get the public to remember her, they surely accomplished it this week (photo courtesy of People.com).
>After all the drama that went down this week with reports that Jennifer Lopez is out of the running to replace Ellen DeGeneres or Simon Cowell as a judge for Season 10, good ol' Nigel Lythgoe interjected to smooth out the waves made by the rumors. Accoring to Uncle Nigel:
He tells Extra, "These people don't know Jennifer Lopez. She's a wonderful woman. I've never seen her be a diva in her life!"Well, that's hardly a denial that J. Lo has been axed from consideration, but I guess it's better than a confirmation of the news - for Lopez at least.
>Kimberly Caldwell will today appear at the AT&T store in Tustin, Calif., where she will perform in concert beginning at 1 p.m. She will then hang around to meet and greet fans until 3 p.m. More information on the event per the media advisory:The store is located at 2219 Park Ave between Tustin Ranch and Park Avenue. Kimberly's debut album Without Regret will be released on Tues., Dec. 31, and is available to pre-order at Amazon.comEvent attendees will have an opportunity to meet KIIS FM’s Manny on the Street between 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Attendees will also be able to take advantage of the promotion on the new Android™ 2.1 Powered Samsung Captivate* ($199 after mail-in rebate and 2-year agreement), with the super AMOLED screen. With the purchase of the new Samsung Captivate attendees will receive two tickets to the upcoming American Idol Concert Tour at the Honda Center, Tuesday, August 17.
.>Jordin Sparks recently spent a day with a teen girl named Kyrie who devoted her time to charitable work with kids in Jamaica as part of Famous Footwear's "Famous for a Day" program. Watch the video below courtesy of Famous Footwear's official YouTube channel:
Jordin brought Kyrie 50 pair of shoes for the children of Jamaica in addition to hanging out with her for the day and inviting her backstage to a Jordin's concert. This isn't the first, nor will it be the last, of Jordin's charitable contributions.
According to sources, Epperson and another chick -- her sister -- kicked another clubgoer's butt inside Colony club.TMZ's paps captured video of Asia'h with rapper Too Short (who?) earlier in the evening. She was released on bail early this morning. Why question is, why did TMZ have video of Asia'h before she was even arrested? Makes no sense. Either way, it's nice to see Season 6 is still being represented well.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Fantasia's manager issues statement on overdose incident
Fantasia's manager Brian Dickens has finally issued a full statement on Fantasia's alleged suicide attempt in the form of an overdose on aspirin and sleep aids. Courtesy of TMZ:
Fantasia has always been an open book. Honesty, self-respect, and personal responsibility are values she wears proudly.
Interesting that the manager was able to squeeze in a mention of Fanny's upcoming album release, eh? Thankfully, it looks like she's going to be alright after all. Hopefully Fantasia continues to be an "open book" by explaining these actions in depth upon being released and cleaning herself up.
Fantasia believed Mr. Cook when he told her he was not happy in his marriage and his heart was not in it. She believed him when he told her he and Mrs. Cook separated in the late summer of 2009. She believed Mr. Cook when he told her he lived elsewhere.
He even took her there. One of Mr. Cook’s most redeeming qualities was his complete devotion to his children. Fantasia fell in love with Mr. Cook and believed that he loved her.
Fantasia and Mr. Cook dated on and off for about eleven months. The pressure of the constant media attention was hard on their relationship. Fantasia gave inconsistent interviews about the status of her relationship with Mr. Cook because sometimes they were on and sometimes they were off.
When they were on, they spent most of their time together when she was not traveling with work.
Fantasia read Mrs. Cook’s Complaint against Mr. Cook for the first time yesterday. She knows some of the allegations in Mrs. Cook's complaint are totally false. There are others she strongly doubts. There is plenty she does not know.
Fantasia is heartbroken and is sorry for any pain she may have caused.
Yesterday, she was totally overwhelmed by the lawsuit and the media attention. Last night, Fantasia was hospitalized. She took an overdose of aspirin and a sleep aid.
Her injuries are not life threatening. She was dehydrated and exhausted at the time. Fantasia is stable now. She will be released from the hospital soon. Fantasia is a fighter and a survivor. This is not the hardest thing Fantasia has endured.
Fantasia will be stronger, smarter, and better for it. Her work has always inspired her and served as a source of strength. Her new album, “Back To Me,” will be released on August 24th.
The lyrics to “I’m Here” say it best:
“I Believe I Have Inside Of Me
Everything That I Need To Live A Bountiful Life
With All The Love Inside Of Me
I’ll Stand As Tall As The Tallest Tree
And I’m Thankful For Each Day That I’m Given
Both The Easy And The Hard Ones I’m Livin’
But Most Of All
Yes, I’m Thankful For Lovin’ Who I Really Am”
Fantasia sends her praise to God and her eternal gratitude to her fans, friends, and family.
God is good.
UPDATE: police report classifies Fantasia's overdose as "suicide attempt"
Fantasia Barrino's rep has officially confirmed reports that the "American Idol" champ was rushed to a North Carolina hospital last night after a "medication overdoseThis news comes after allegations of an affair with Antwuan Cook reignited last week when Cook's wife Paula singled Fanny out in a divorce petition that her involvement with Mr. Cook was the root of their breakup. The latest piece of the story is that a sex tape featuring Mr. Cook and Fanny exists.
UPDATE: Video from outside Fantasia's home has been obtained by Charlotte's NBC affiliate WCNC. The reporter said the police report classified the incident as an "suicide attempt":
Fantasia's third studio album, Back to Me, is set to hit stores in exactly two weeks. Her VH1 reality series Fantasia For Real will return on Sat., Oct. 2.
Of course, we all hope and pray things will turn out well for the Season 3 champ. Stay tuned for the latest developments on Fanny's saga.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
'Idol' Hot 100: Carrie Underwood's "Undo It" #26 (8/14/10)
Carrie Underwood's "Undo It" finally cooled off this week as evidenced but the track's two-spot drop to #26. Adam Lambert, on the other hand, saw his "If I Had You" spurt ahead 13 spots to #56 on the heels of increased airplay.
Fantasia's "Bittersweet" seems to be following in the footsteps of Kelly Clarkson's "All I Ever Wanted," as the former rose just one spot to #94 on the chart. Expect it to start going backwards relatively soon.
On the Bubbling Under chart, however, Daughtry held on with an 11-spot jump to #2 for latest single "September." Expect a debut on the main chart by this time next week.
Full chart positions courtesy of Billboard are below:
Hot 100
26 24 Carrie Underwood, "Undo It"
56 69 Adam Lambert, "If I Had You"
94 95 Fantasia, "Bittersweet"
Bubbling Under
02 13 03 Daughtry, "September"
Saturday, July 31, 2010
'Idol' Hot 100: Carrie Underwood's "Undo It" #24 (8/7/10)
Carrie Underwood once again held steady at #24 with her latest hit "Undo It." Adam Lambert's latest release, "If I Had You," followed this trend, as it stayed put at #69.
Fantasia was the only alum to see her track change places from last week's chart, as her "Bittersweet" was off three spots to #95.
Full chart positions courtesy of Billboard are below:
Hot 100
24 24 Carrie Underwood, "Undo It"
69 69 Adam Lambert, "If I Had You"
95 92 Fantasia, "Bittersweet"
Thursday, July 15, 2010
'Idol' Hot 100: Carrie Underwood's "Undo It" #25 (7/24/10)
"Undo It" was up two places for the week, ranking at #25, it's highest spot on the chart to week. Adam Lambert followed with two singles of his own, with "Whataya Want From Me" slipping #45-49, while his latest release, "If I Had You," was up #85-73.
Carrie wasn't the only winner represented on the Hot 100, though, as Fantasia finally saw her "Bittersweet" debut at #94 after weeks of languishing on the Bubbling Under chart.
Full chart positions courtesy of Billboard are below:
Hot 100
25 27 Carrie Underwood, "Undo It"
49 45 Adam Lambert, "Whataya Want From Me"
73 85 Adam Lambert, "If I Had You"
94 -- Fantasia, "Bittersweet"
Thursday, July 8, 2010
'Idol' Hot 100: Carrie Underwood's "Undo It" #27 (7/17/10)
Once again making headway with her latest single was Carrie Underwood, as she saw "Undo It" rise three spots to #27 after dipping a few spots the previous week. Also happy about this week's chart is Adam Lambert, as two of his singles gained ground. "Whataya Want From Me" was up two spots to #45, while his latest single "If I Had You" moved ahead #94-85.
Meanwhile on the Bubbling Under chart, Fantasia's "Bittersweet" continued its snail's pace inching up the chart, this week crawling ahead another two spots to #4.
Full chart positions courtesy of Billboard are below:
Hot 100
27 30 Carrie Underwood, "Undo It"
45 47 Adam Lambert, "Whataya Want From Me"
85 94 Adam Lambert, "If I Had You"
Bubbling Under
04 06 Fantasia, "Bittersweet"
Friday, July 2, 2010
'Idol' odds 'n ends: David Archuleta premieres single "Something 'Bout Love"
The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:
>David Archuleta threw his hat into the ring of new summer music releases yesterday when he premiered his new single "Something 'Bout Love" on his official website, DavidArchuleta.com. Listen to the single below:
The single will be available to purchase on DavidArchuleta.com on July 13 and will be available everywhere else, including iTunes, on July 20.
>Jennifer Hudson saw her "Behind the Music" special air on VH1 on Monday, which documents her humble beginnings in Chicago to her early rise to stardom on Idol to her role in Dreamgirls and the family tragedy that gripped her in the fall of 2008. Below is a snippet from the special that covers some of her time on Idol:
An all-star roster of contributors were interviewed for the special, including Jamie Foxx, Randy Jackson and Queen Latifah. The special will most likely repeat throughout the month on the music-themed cable network. More clips are available to watch in addition to the full episode at VH1.com.
>Rumors this week strengthened of Simon Cowell's successor, and Bret Michaels, who was once considered to have less than an outside shot at the seat at the judges' table, now seems to be gaining steam. Following an interview with PARADE magazine that was published on Monday, Michaels was asked to interview with the people over at FOX. In the PARADE piece, Michaels says the following of why he'd like to be a judge:
"I'm not built exactly like Simon Cowell, but, at the same time, I respect what he did. But I would have to bring my own personality. I think if they have someone in there to try to imitate Simon, it would be a mistake; he's an original. Bring Bret Michaels in to be original to who and what I am. Bring someone who can bring a little grit, true grit back to the show."
Michaels went on to say "Helly yeah" he would've tried out for Idol had he been a rocker looking got make it into the business nowadays because "you get instant exposure to millions of people" even though you run the risk of being considered "disposable." Stay tuned for more developments in the quest to fill the shoes of the British one.
>It's been one week since Fantasia release her music video for her current single "Bittersweet." Watch the video below:
"Bittersweet" is available to purchase on iTunes and is of course off Fantasia's forthcoming album Back to Me, which is due out July and is available to pre-order at Amazon.com
Thursday, July 1, 2010
'Idol' Hot 100: Carrie Underwood's "Undo It" #30 (7/10/10)
Carrie's "Undo It" was off five spots to #30. Despite seeing his single "Whataya Want From Me" continue to fade with a #41-47 drop, Adam Lambert witnessed his latest single "If I Had You" debut on the chart at #94.
Also present was Fantasia's "Bittersweet," which once again missed the cut for the main chart but inched ahead one spot to #6 on the Bubbling Under chart.
Full chart positions courtesy of Billboard are below:
Hot 100
30 25 Carrie Underwood, "Undo It"
47 41 Adam Lambert, "Whataya Want From Me"
94 -- Adam Lambert, "If I Had You"
Bubbling Under
06 07 Fantasia, "Bittersweet"
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
'Idol' Hot 100: Carrie Underwood's "Undo It" #23 (6/26/10)
Leading the pack was Carrie Underwood, whose "Undo It" was up two spots to #23 for the week, marking its peak on the chart. Adam Lambert, on the other hand, actually held steady with "Whataya Want From Me" at #40 for the second-straight week, which was a little bit surprising considering its recent trajectory.
On the Bubbling Under chart, Fantasia held her own with "Bittersweet" off her forthcoming third studio album release, as it was up #18-14.
Even though there aren't any sales to examine this time, below are full chart positions courtesy of Billboard.
Hot 100
23 25 Carrie Underwood, "Undo It"
40 40 Adam Lambert, "Whataya Want From Me"
Bubbling Under
14 18 Fantasia, "Bittersweet"
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