American Idol’s New Top 3!

Which of the American Idol contestants will get the home-town visits this week?

Well, instead of giving us hints, the evening began with a song by former Idol winner Fantasia. She’s been out of the major spotlight for the past few years, popping up now and then, but with a new album release, obviously we needed to get a plug for the merchandising. I liked that she was back to “normal” and not quite so out there as her last performance on the show last season.

But back to the countdown. I think the home town visits make a big difference for fans in selecting their favorites for American Idol – as we get to see a new side of the contestants that make them feel a little more “real” than just what we get typically on the weekly American Idol show. I think the one that would make the biggest difference is to see at home would be Crystal Bowersox – to get a more personal side of her hopefully. But are we going to get to see her at home?

With Casey James being sent to safety first, I have to say I wondered a bit about who would be going home – predicting Michael Lynche at this point.

But again, we have to wait – for Daughtry to perform. (I know I should be referring to the “group” Daughtry – but since I only know Chris Daughtry – I’ll just write about him). I have to say that I have 2 of his albums and really like his music – even though he wasn’t my favorite contestant on American Idol when he was competing and his vibrato is toned down on the albums which I like better than live. But I think he is really talented and shows that a contestant doesn’t need to win the competition to get a jump start to big careers. In fact, I think some who have come in second, third, or even fourth, have done better than previous Idol winners.

I’m just anxious to know who else is staying in the competition, but again, we’re forced to wait for commercials. Dang it. I’m so impatient. This is why I rarely watch live TV – because I can’t fast forward. But, alas, I’ll wait (since I don’t really have any other choice.) Oh, I’ll go get some ice cream during the commercials. Nice.

After reviewing each contestants’ performance, Ryan says “Mike (pause) hang tight.” Moving on to Lee, Ryan continues with “Lee (pause), Lee is headed back to Chicago.” Pause. Um, we could take that either way… that he’s going home because he’s eliminated, or that he’s going home for the hometown visit. Whew. Thank goodness it meant that he’s staying in the competition.

So now it’s down to Michael Lynche and Crystal Bowersox as the one who will be going home. But now more commericals. (and side note from commercials – I’m very excited for “So You Think You Can Dance” this summer – it’s actually my favorite show – even more than American Idol.) And another note to Carl’s Jr. – please quit making commercials where people are chewing really loud and making smacking noises. I have to mute the channel and would have totally fast forwarded because of it… and actually – I refuse to eat at Carl’s Jr because of those commercials – I’m just sayin’…

But back to the main point of the show… which of the American Idol contestants are sticking around? Ugh. Putting that on hold again for another interruption.

But for a performance by Bon Jovi (first popular when I was in high school – boy that dates me huh) – still as good as ever. I love that it never looks like they are trying – it just comes so naturally and they are having fun.

Now I’m hoping and hoping that they’ll just announce who is going home so I can get on with my night. But no – another break for commercials (and I still want an iPad for my birthday everyone – hint hint – my birthday is coming up next week…) send money to … (okay just kidding, but really and truly I want one.) And now I want to see Karate Kid. But I could do without the bra ads. Hmm. now you get my random musings while I’m watching TV. LOL I’m sure you’re totally interested.

Saved by the announcement: American Idol’s top 3 includes… Crystal Bowersox, Lee DeWyze and Casey James. Which means Michael Lynche is eliminated. Sad because I really like him but I think he’ll do fine and make a great career in music. Good luck Michael!

And now I’m signing off. Love to all and good luck to Crystal, Lee, and Casey at home.

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Kara DioGuardi – Officially Off American Idol

Fox chairman, Peter Rice announced today that Kara DioGuardi is not returning to American Idol this season as a judge. Along with the resignation of Ellen DeGeneres – that leaves us with Randy Jackson as a judge and Nigel Lythgoe returning as a producer.

Rice refused to confirm any speculation about replacements for the judges. “There’s been tremendous speculation, some accurate and some wildly inaccurate,” Rice says. But “I’m not going to get into the fishbowl of a blow-by-blow account of that casting. We start auditions with the judges in mid-September and certainly plan to have judges in place by then.”

Rumors have swirled that Jennifer Lopez, Stephen Tyler, Harry Connick Jr., Chris Isaak, Elton John, Justin Timberlake, Jessica Simpson, and others are potential replacements. I’m not sure how I feel about any of the above named candidates – except that no matter who they choose, the chemistry has to be great between the judges, and they have to connect with the audience as well as the contestants. It will be interesting to see who they select. I loved that Howie Mandel replaced David Hasselhoff on America’s Got Talent – and would hope they could find someone with humor as well as someone with the bite of a Simon Cowell. I don’t envy the casting crew on this one.

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Audition for American Idol – Online

 

With the 2010 season of American Idol having so many ups and downs, and even losing in the ratings to “Dancing with the Stars” – it brings up the question – will American Idol survive another season? — Especially without Simon Cowell?

I think the announcement of who will be replacing Simon will either make or break the future of the show.

But now on to tonight’s performances. Who do you think will win American Idol this season?

Let’s begin with Casey James – he sang “It’s alright with me”. Ah, not a great choice. Kind of a one sentence, one grove song without a big moment, without that emotional showcase, and really without much excitement. I think Casey came out of the gate as a fan favorite, but as the season has progressed he seems to have floundered and lost a bit of his confidence and coolness. I think once he was in the bottom two that was the turning point for him and he hasn’t quite gotten it back. But … with that being said, he has a big enough fan base that even if he doesn’t make it into the top 2 – he will do fine and I expect to see an album fairly quickly from him. The judges agreed and said he needed to “blow us away”, but it didn’t do that. Simon said “that song will leave no lasting effect” and a “dud song choice, but you sounded good”. Comparing the song to a salad in a meal – hoping that something more substantial is coming – Simon was hoping that the next song Casey performs will be bigger and better.

Crystal Bowersox – I found out last night that Crystal is my brother’s favorite on the show – and when I commented that she’s super talented but seems to lack a little connection with the audience, his quick comeback was – “It’s because she has a direct connection with me.” Well, that explains it. So, he’s voting for her, and I’ll be voting for Lee – hopefully I’m a bigger fan than he is and Lee will come off victorious.

Crystal chose “Come to My Window” by Melissa Etheridge. Coming to the stage with both her guitar and harmonica, the audience and judges seemed to expect great things from Crystal tonight. But did she deliver? Getting off to a little bit of a rough start, and not really making it her own version, she did a respectable job of performing the popular song. The tone of her voice fit the song well, but it didn’t really allow her to shine either. The judges are looking for a winner – Randy didn’t love the arrangement, but he liked is that Crystal’s vocal was great and it worked for him in the end. Ellen agreed and thought it was the exact type of song she anticipating from Crystal. Kara said she struggled but it was a good vocal – hesitantly stating that Crystal is capable of having “a moment” and hopes she will get that tonight. Simon commented that she hasn’t compromised herself and has remained true to herself as an artist, calling it an “honest performance”.

And now on to Lee DeWyze. I love that when Ryan says Lee’s name – all the girls in the audience scream (that bodes well for his career). Singing “Simple Man” by Leonard Skinner – Lee commented that he always likes to pick a song that he relates to because he feels that he can give a better performance that way. I loved the way the song fit Lee’s voice perfectly and seemed to bring out a bit more raspyness – I was hoping he would take it really big at the end and do something outrageous, but he kept it a little mellow and cool. I liked it though. Randy said it was a great song choice and he could see Lee doing that on an album. Both Randy and Ellen said he is confident and they loved it. Kara – “What you did tonight is what every contestant needs to do. In my opinion – round one goes to Lee”. Simon said the song choices during the evening had been “Okay” but Lee’s song choice was “on the money” and “I don’t think you won round one, I think you crushed it!” (Yeah – that sounds good for Lee – I just hope all his fans don’t take it for granted.

Now on to the judge choices for songs:

Casey James sang “Daughters” by John Mayer selected by Randy and Kara. The song didn’t work for me – the reason it works for John Mayer is because his voice is so unique and it fits his style completely. But instead of mixing it up, Casey sang it straight and it was a bit boring for me – nothing that was a “wow” moment. But Randy said the song “fit him like a glove”. Ellen thought it was beautiful. Kara said the song showed the more artistic side of him and complimented herself for picking the song. Simon said it was a much better song choice, but it was a bit of a lazy arrangement – the climax was quite limp and he held Kara and Randy responsible for not providing him a vocal climax. Kara, of course, was very defensive. But, Simon continued that the song didn’t have a “Wow moment” – he was right – but Kara jumped right back in that “it’s because that’s the way that song was written”. Hmm.. I think a bit of skewed thought there from Kara – as she’s typically the one telling contestants that they need to bring it up a notch, have a “moment”, etc. But obviously she helped pick the song, so it couldn’t have been the wrong choice. (insert sarcastic smirk here).

Ellen DeGeneres chose the song for Crystal Bowersox. I was interested in seeing what she chose and if it would really allow Crystal to shine. “Maybe I’m Amazed” by Paul McCartney. Hmm. Interesting choice. I only thought the song phrase “maybe I’m a man…” were a little awkward and it didn’t seem that Crystal was loving the song, but she did a good job and it was certainly different than her typical song. Randy “Great song, Great vocals, and we’ve got somebody else in it to win it!” Ellen “You did it. I couldn’t have asked for more.” Kara “you really showed parts of your voice that I don’t think we’ve heard until tonight – you did a lot of risky things tonight and I think it paid off.” Simon, “I must admit that when I heard the song choice, I was a bit surprised. But now I get it…. you’ve got soul… after that, you may be thanking Ellen next week for putting you in the final.”

I have to admit I was happy that Simon chose a song for Lee – and excited to hear what the choice was – with the hopes that it would be a “wow” song. “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen. Simon said he thinks Lee will do the song and have a “moment” – “This is his night”. Lee began to sing and I got chills – I would absolutely buy this. Excellent choice, and even having the gospel choir join in seemed to work. Even with a couple bad notes, I still loved it and the depth he gave the song. My predicted winner of the night as well as the competition. The crowd just kept cheering and cheering on and on and on. Randy “I’ve been waiting all season to see who is going to throw down the gauntlet – (Simon) set you up, that was the biggest moment, that was unbelievable”. Lee thanked Simon for choosing the song even though he was a little scared about it. Ellen said “there is nothing more to be said – that was stunning”. Kara “Lee, you are what this show is all about – incredible epic moment… you just owned the entire night.” Simon “I’m very, very, very proud of you… before this show, you were working at a store, and looking for a break… you’ve proved that you are a fantastic singer, a great person…” Lee seemed so overwhelmed. I love that someone like him can finally have his time in the sun. I hope he keeps his humility because that’s what I like the best about him.

And on to the voting…

 

 

 

There are more changes for American Idol this season. Not only are there going to be new judges, and a lower age requirement – there is a new way to audition. American Idol and MySpace have partnered up to allow people to submit audition videos on the popular social network.

Deadline is October 6th for submission of a video audition less than 40 seconds long. Contestants are also required to select from a specific list of songs for the auditions.

Go to www.MySpace.com/AmericanIdol to find out how to submit your audition video.

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Simon Cowell Changes Name to “Lightning Cowell”

It’s true. Simon Cowell has changed his name to “Lightning Cowell” – albeit only for 24 hours. Our favorite ex-American Idol judge became irritated with a contestant on his new show The X Factor. The potential contestant wanted to be called “Storm Lee” – and Simon refused to call the singer by his preferred title. Simon went as far as claiming that if he changed his name to “Lightning” everyone would consider it ridiculous.

Thinking the event good enough to play up – during the live broadcast of a spin-off show The Xtra Factor – Simon was surprised with the papers to legally change his name. Jokingly Simon agreed and officially became “Ligntning Cowell” (with the statement “Okay, for 24 hours then”.)

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American Idol… and the Voting Begins!

American Idol voters are busy picking up the phone voting for their favorite to win the overall competition. Who will it be? Crystal Bowersox or Lee DeWyze?

Who do you think will win? Vote now!

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And are you going to miss Simon Cowell? This is his final week on American Idol … do you think the show will survive without him?

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American Idol Says Goodbye

… to another contestant.

Who is the American Idol who was sent home tonight? If you guessed Texan Casey James… you were right. After a nice evening showcasing highlights of home-town visits, one time fan favorite Casey James was eliminated from the competition.

I don’t think his elimination would have come as a surprise to many, but I did wonder if Texas would pull him through with their overwhelming support.

But now on to the finale next week…
Who are you voting for?

At this point I think both Crystal Bowersox and Lee DeWyze deserve to win and I do have mixed feelings about who I want to win. I like Lee the best – but I also think that the winner is tied up for a whole year doing press and whatever the American Idol conglomeration wants them to do – whereas the runner-up is free to sign a record deal and get in the studio. I also think the runner-up typically has more say in what type of album they put out. However… both Lee and Crystal are clearly defined and also I think have strong enough artistry that either one will do great … “win or win second.”

I guess I’ll wait until next week to determine who I’ll vote for. Right now I’m still leaning toward Lee – simply for the fact that I would love him to have the win – in order to prove to himself that he has what it takes and America loves him.

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J-Lo and Steven Tyler as new American Idol Judges

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Reports keep coming in confirming Jennifer Lopez (J-Lo) and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith fame as the new judges on American Idol. Honestly I don’t mind that Jennifer Lopez would be joining the team – I think she’ll be honest and yet have a good sense of humor. I would have loved to see her bantering with Simon Cowell but alas, he will not be there.

But my personal hesitation comes from the announcement that Steven Tyler will be a judge. First, I just think he’s a bit creepy (no offense to all those who love him) and doesn’t seem to represent the “good mainstream clean-cut American Idol” image. Of course, Adam Lambert didn’t represent that “image” either – but I believe that a judge should be more representative of the show image. If this were “rock idol” then Tyler would be a good fit.  I just am not sure he will be a good addition or if his behavior will make him a distraction rather than an asset. I guess we’ll just have to watch to find out.

Anyone else want to weigh in?

Are you happy or unhappy about the choices for the new American Idol Judges?

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Who is Our Next American Idol?

With the 2010 season of American Idol having so many ups and downs, and even losing in the ratings to “Dancing with the Stars” – it brings up the question – will American Idol survive another season? — Especially without Simon Cowell?

I think the announcement of who will be replacing Simon will either make or break the future of the show.

But now on to tonight’s performances. Who do you think will win American Idol this season?

Let’s begin with Casey James – he sang “It’s alright with me”. Ah, not a great choice. Kind of a one sentence, one grove song without a big moment, without that emotional showcase, and really without much excitement. I think Casey came out of the gate as a fan favorite, but as the season has progressed he seems to have floundered and lost a bit of his confidence and coolness. I think once he was in the bottom two that was the turning point for him and he hasn’t quite gotten it back. But … with that being said, he has a big enough fan base that even if he doesn’t make it into the top 2 – he will do fine and I expect to see an album fairly quickly from him. The judges agreed and said he needed to “blow us away”, but it didn’t do that. Simon said “that song will leave no lasting effect” and a “dud song choice, but you sounded good”. Comparing the song to a salad in a meal – hoping that something more substantial is coming – Simon was hoping that the next song Casey performs will be bigger and better.

Crystal Bowersox – I found out last night that Crystal is my brother’s favorite on the show – and when I commented that she’s super talented but seems to lack a little connection with the audience, his quick comeback was – “It’s because she has a direct connection with me.” Well, that explains it. So, he’s voting for her, and I’ll be voting for Lee – hopefully I’m a bigger fan than he is and Lee will come off victorious.

Crystal chose “Come to My Window” by Melissa Etheridge. Coming to the stage with both her guitar and harmonica, the audience and judges seemed to expect great things from Crystal tonight. But did she deliver? Getting off to a little bit of a rough start, and not really making it her own version, she did a respectable job of performing the popular song. The tone of her voice fit the song well, but it didn’t really allow her to shine either. The judges are looking for a winner – Randy didn’t love the arrangement, but he liked is that Crystal’s vocal was great and it worked for him in the end. Ellen agreed and thought it was the exact type of song she anticipating from Crystal. Kara said she struggled but it was a good vocal – hesitantly stating that Crystal is capable of having “a moment” and hopes she will get that tonight. Simon commented that she hasn’t compromised herself and has remained true to herself as an artist, calling it an “honest performance”.

And now on to Lee DeWyze. I love that when Ryan says Lee’s name – all the girls in the audience scream (that bodes well for his career). Singing “Simple Man” by Leonard Skinner – Lee commented that he always likes to pick a song that he relates to because he feels that he can give a better performance that way. I loved the way the song fit Lee’s voice perfectly and seemed to bring out a bit more raspyness – I was hoping he would take it really big at the end and do something outrageous, but he kept it a little mellow and cool. I liked it though. Randy said it was a great song choice and he could see Lee doing that on an album. Both Randy and Ellen said he is confident and they loved it. Kara – “What you did tonight is what every contestant needs to do. In my opinion – round one goes to Lee”. Simon said the song choices during the evening had been “Okay” but Lee’s song choice was “on the money” and “I don’t think you won round one, I think you crushed it!” (Yeah – that sounds good for Lee – I just hope all his fans don’t take it for granted.

Now on to the judge choices for songs:

Casey James sang “Daughters” by John Mayer selected by Randy and Kara. The song didn’t work for me – the reason it works for John Mayer is because his voice is so unique and it fits his style completely. But instead of mixing it up, Casey sang it straight and it was a bit boring for me – nothing that was a “wow” moment. But Randy said the song “fit him like a glove”. Ellen thought it was beautiful. Kara said the song showed the more artistic side of him and complimented herself for picking the song. Simon said it was a much better song choice, but it was a bit of a lazy arrangement – the climax was quite limp and he held Kara and Randy responsible for not providing him a vocal climax. Kara, of course, was very defensive. But, Simon continued that the song didn’t have a “Wow moment” – he was right – but Kara jumped right back in that “it’s because that’s the way that song was written”. Hmm.. I think a bit of skewed thought there from Kara – as she’s typically the one telling contestants that they need to bring it up a notch, have a “moment”, etc. But obviously she helped pick the song, so it couldn’t have been the wrong choice. (insert sarcastic smirk here).

Ellen DeGeneres chose the song for Crystal Bowersox. I was interested in seeing what she chose and if it would really allow Crystal to shine. “Maybe I’m Amazed” by Paul McCartney. Hmm. Interesting choice. I only thought the song phrase “maybe I’m a man…” were a little awkward and it didn’t seem that Crystal was loving the song, but she did a good job and it was certainly different than her typical song. Randy “Great song, Great vocals, and we’ve got somebody else in it to win it!” Ellen “You did it. I couldn’t have asked for more.” Kara “you really showed parts of your voice that I don’t think we’ve heard until tonight – you did a lot of risky things tonight and I think it paid off.” Simon, “I must admit that when I heard the song choice, I was a bit surprised. But now I get it…. you’ve got soul… after that, you may be thanking Ellen next week for putting you in the final.”

I have to admit I was happy that Simon chose a song for Lee – and excited to hear what the choice was – with the hopes that it would be a “wow” song. “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen. Simon said he thinks Lee will do the song and have a “moment” – “This is his night”. Lee began to sing and I got chills – I would absolutely buy this. Excellent choice, and even having the gospel choir join in seemed to work. Even with a couple bad notes, I still loved it and the depth he gave the song. My predicted winner of the night as well as the competition. The crowd just kept cheering and cheering on and on and on. Randy “I’ve been waiting all season to see who is going to throw down the gauntlet – (Simon) set you up, that was the biggest moment, that was unbelievable”. Lee thanked Simon for choosing the song even though he was a little scared about it. Ellen said “there is nothing more to be said – that was stunning”. Kara “Lee, you are what this show is all about – incredible epic moment… you just owned the entire night.” Simon “I’m very, very, very proud of you… before this show, you were working at a store, and looking for a break… you’ve proved that you are a fantastic singer, a great person…” Lee seemed so overwhelmed. I love that someone like him can finally have his time in the sun. I hope he keeps his humility because that’s what I like the best about him.

And on to the voting…

If anyone wants to help me beat my brother… VOTE FOR LEE!

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Breaking News: Ellen DeGeneres Leaving American Idol!

Ellen DeGeneres has announced on her website: “A couple months ago, I let FOX and the “American Idol” producers know that this didn’t feel like the right fit for me. I told them I wouldn’t leave them in a bind and that I would hold off on doing anything until they were able to figure out where they wanted to take the panel next.”

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“It was a difficult decision to make, but my work schedule became more than I bargained for. I also realized this season that while I love discovering, supporting and nurturing young talent, it was hard for me to judge people and sometimes hurt their feelings. I loved the experience working on “Idol” and I am very grateful for the year I had. I am a huge fan of the show and will continue to be.”

Ellen will be missed as a judge – but we look forward to seeing contestants on her show and her continued support of great up and coming talent!

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Congratulations to Lee DeWyze – 2010 American Idol Winner!

Well, it looks like my online informal poll which predicted Crystal Bowersox as the American Idol winner this season was wrong – Lee DeWyze was announced as the formal winner – and fond farewells were bid to Simon Cowell.

I predict Simon’s new show (American version of “X Factor” will be a huge hit as American Idol flounders. There is just something about Simon – that makes you anxiously await whatever comes out of his mouth. Is he going to be mean? Is he actually going to give a compliment? What is Simon’s response? The other judges don’t really carry much weight in their comments sorry to say. It will be interesting to see what comes of American Idol and who tries to fill Simon’s shoes on the judging panel. I wonder if they will shake everything up dramatically or just add another judge? Well, I suppose I’ll just have to wait.

I do have to say that I am happy Lee DeWyze won this year – even though he was not the best singer of the group – I like his humble attitude, his personality (at least what we saw), that he was an underdog and had made mistakes in his past and was getting a break in his life. I love the tone of his voice and can’t wait to see how his career takes off. I’m confident Crystal will also have a hugely successful career as she’s totally unique and incredibly talented – and now has an amazing fan base.

Thanks everyone for tuning in.

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