Idol-Talk: Season 10 Top 11 Redux

American Idol 10: Top 11 Redux
Air Date: Wednesday, March 30, 2011 [8-10pm]

Theme: Elton John

Source: mjsbigblog.com

The top 11 attend an Entertainment Weekly photo shoot, which is featured more in depth during everyone's intro videos.

Ryan introduces the songwriting contest with Taio Cruz. Taio will perform the winning song at the finale on May 25.

Click on each of the below links to open up those studio performances on iTunes. You will not be charged for clicking on these links, unless you click 'buy' in the iTunes Store.

I have really been enjoying Jimmy Iovine's comments as the in-house mentor. He is very blunt and honest, not even holding back when talking to the singers. I really think he should become a judge next season. You would obviously have to get rid of one of the current judges (I vote for Randy, even though he's stepped up this year). Since Simon is no longer on the show, Jimmy is in a way his replacement, providing those honest comments.

1. Scotty McCreery - "Country Comfort"
There was nothing really wrong with his voice. The same consistency as usual. But that's also a detractor as well. Every song he does sounds the same; I can't tell any of them apart. I found this to be a little boring.

2. Naima Adedapo - "I'm Still Standing"
There were moments where her pitch improved over previous weeks, and other times that were flat. She took a risk by putting a reggae twist on the song. And there's actually a part of me that enjoyed it, but I don't know if voters will appreciate this. She may be nearing the end of her run.

3. Paul McDonald - "Rocket Man"
He's only had one good performance so far (Top 24). Here, he improved a tad over recent ones, but he can't stretch his voice that far. I couldn't recognize the song at first, but I liked it at times. If he can continues this improvement, then maybe he can get his groove back and continue to get better.

4. Pia Toscano - "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me"
Another day, another ballad from Pia. I wanted to yell at the TV when I heard she was doing this song, because it's been done to death on American Idol. I don't think hers matched up to someone like Clay Aiken's, but my favorite part was the last half, where she really belted it out.

5. Stefano Langone - "Tiny Dancer"
His voice stayed consistently good from last week. But the biggest improvement was obviously his stage presence - eyes open most of the time and connecting to the audience. When he made his way over to the judges, I was rooting for him.

6. Lauren Alaina - "Candle in the Wind"
This song suits her vocals very well. That's gutsy of her to take on this song. But she held her own - beautiful voice. My only criticism is that at times her face showed no expression or emotion of any kind.

7. James Durbin - "Saturday Night's Alright"
This is James at his best - working the crowd (even the ones above/behind the stage), throwing the mike stand away, standing on the piano. And the fire coming from the piano really added to the mood. A few notes at the start and end were off, but overall - he knows how to work it.

8. Thia Megia - "Daniel"
I'm a little surprised with her song choice; because of her age and musical inexperience, I would have thought she'd go for something like "The Circle of Life." At times I enjoyed it, but it was a little boring. And during the last few lines, it looked like she was trying to make herself cry. Jimmy Iovine said to forget what you learned growing up and in plays and such, and listen to the words of the song. He really gives great advice, because he knows (and we do too) that Thia has never used those words of wisdom.

9. Casey Abrams - "Your Song"
When the song started off, I wasn't sure because the voice was off and he didn't seem all there. But that quickly subsided, and Casey gave us a very tender performance. He lost his mojo these past couple of weeks, but here he came back softly, but no less powerful.

10. Jacob Lusk - "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word"
I've been getting tired of him, but after his best performance last week, he's getting his footing a little better now. He seemed to get better and better as the song progressed. But like Thia, it just looked like he was trying to force the tears to come.

11. Haley Reinhart - "Bennie and the Jets"
This one of her best, if not her best. She really got into it, with the grows and rasp that only made it better. Her confidence and level of comfort on stage were great. Before tonight, I would have said she's a goner this week, but after this, who knows.

Compilation Album - Top 11 Redux Season 10: Click on this link to see the compilation album in iTunes of all of the above songs.

Favorite Performances: James Durbin / Casey Abrams / Haley Reinhart

My Votes: James Durbin - 45 votes
When I first started voting, there were a lot of busy signals. And a few times the start of the recorded messages got cut off. And once, the recording referred to contestant 5, but I was voting for contestant 7. I don't know what the deal was with the voting last night. I don't know if others had any of the same problems.

Bottom 3 Prediction: Naima Adedapo / Stefano Langone / Thia Megia
Since two are leaving this week, I'm not sure if there will be a Bottom 3 or not. These are my predictions in case there will be one.

Elimination Predictions: Naima Adedapo / Thia Megia

Below is the latest Idol social media stats (the combination of Twitter, Facebook and MySpace). These stats were compiled on 3/29/11 at 10:55pm.

1. Scotty McCreery - 90,145
2. Casey Abrams - 62,175
3. Paul McDonald - 53,603
4. James Durbin - 52,274
5. Pia Toscano - 45,465
6. Lauren Alaina - 44,520
7. Thia Megia - 42,082
8. Stefano Langone - 39,081
9. Jacob Lusk - 27,790
10. Haley Reinhart - 23,098
11. Naima Adedapo - 20,979

The names in blue haven't changed their positions from last week to this week. The only major change is that Pia and Lauren have switched places, with Pia going up and Lauren going down. I believe that last week, Pia moved past Thia. And now she's moved past Lauren. I still don't get it with her. Since James is my favorite, I will mention that James is continuing to close the gap with Paul; I expect him to move into third pretty soon.

As I mentioned above, since two will be eliminated, I don't know if there will be a Bottom 3. If so, the most obvious choices are Naima, Stefano and Thia. In terms of who's going home, I think it's safe to assume a combination of two from this group. Naima performed near the start of the night and took a risk by really changing up the style of the song, so she has a good chance of going home. As for that last spot, like I said, either Stefano or Thia. Stefano performed in the middle; did voters remember him by the end of the night? But he really improved in his stage presence and may be rewarded for that. Thia, on the other hand, was a little boring, even though she performed near the end. Both of them have things going for them and against them at this point. I ultimately went with Thia, because I think Stefano's improvements may have done enough to save him. But again, I wouldn't be surprised if he goes, though.

Since no one went home last week, there will be two eliminations tonight (8-9pm). Fantasia will return to the Idol stage to perform her new single, "Collard Greens And Cornbread." And will.i.am and Jamie Foxx will perform a song from the upcoming animated film, Rio. See ya then...

Idol-Talk: Season 10 Top 11 Results Show

American Idol 10: Top 11 Results Show
Air Date: Thursday, March 24, 2011 [8-9pm]

Source: @CAbramsAI10

Well, where do I start? That was one of the most jam-packed, entertaining, and drama-filled results shows that American Idol has ever aired!

Over 30 million votes were cast this week.

Video: The contestants talk about being pitchy. Jennifer Lopez's husband, Marc Anthony, mentors the Top 11 on using the in-ear devices to help keep them on pitch.

The Top 11 perform "Ain't No Mountain High Enough." Stevie Wonder comes out (they did a great job of keeping that under wraps) and performs "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" with them. Stevie transitions into singing "Happy Birthday" to Steven Tyler. After the song ends, Ryan brings the judges up on stage, where there is a cake for Steven.

Ford Music Video: "All This Beauty"

Lauren Alaina, Pia Toscano and Scotty McCreery:
All three are safe!

Sugarland performs their catchy first single from The Incredible Machine, "Stuck Like Glue." That album has been out since October; don't they have a new single out by now?

Video: The Top 11 are interviewed on the topic of sports and wrestling. James Durbin (and Paul McDonald) is apparently a huge wrestling fan.

Speaking of them...

James Durbin and Paul McDonald:
Ryan says they are not safe...he means it, they're really not safe. Some big dramatic music begins and Hulk Hogan comes out, much to the delight of James. Hulk faux-punches Ryan, who then faux-stumbles into the audience.

But both James and Paul are safe...from elimination, that is.

Jacob Lusk, Thia Megia and Stefano Langone:
Jacob is safe.
Thia Megia - Bottom 3
Stefano Langone - Bottom 3

I realize that Stefano wasn't one of the best this week, but I was surprised that he's in the Bottom 3.

Naima Adedapo, Haley Reinhart and Casey Abrams:
Naima and Haley are safe.
Casey Abrams - Bottom 3

Whoh! What is the deal tonight?! I guess if there's any sort of explanation for this, it's that Casey performed first and people forgot about him by the time the show ended.

Jennifer Hudson performs her new single, "Where You At." This song has really grown on me, and I love hearing it each and every time! And her fellow season 3 finalist George Huff is one of her backup singers.

Thia is safe!? Really?! Even though this is a strange Bottom 3, I would have thought Thia would be the one going, but again, she does have an at least somewhat strong fan base.

Stefano is also safe, which means that Casey has received the lowest number of votes! Again - whoh! In the words of SNL's Seth Meyers - Really!?

Casey begins singing "I Don't Need No Doctor." Not even 30 seconds into it, Randy cuts him off and hands it over to Steven. Steven says they don't even need to hear him sing; the judges are obviously going to save him. This whole part with the judges cutting his performance off seemed so staged, but it made for great television, didn't it?

Casey Abrams - JUDGES SAVE

When Casey finds out his fate, he looks like he's either going to pass out or throw up, or both. Ryan is quickly at his side, making sure he doesn't fall down. Ryan looks really worried for him. Casey is bleeped about three times. He goes over to the judges and to his family. The shock on his face and in his body language is great to see. He seems genuinely surprised that the judges would even consider saving him. That shows what a great guy he really is, that he is that humble and genuine.

As the show is closing, Ryan makes an announcement. Two will be going home next week. And it has been predetermined that if the Judge's Save was used during the week that the tour members were decided, the summer tour will consist of the Top 11 instead of the usual Top 10! Wow, this is a change. For the first time in the history of the Idol tour, 11 will be performing. I guess the more the merrier. Will the concert be longer or will some people have to give up some songs in order for that 11th person to be there? Who knows. I've been to every single Idol concert, and it's obvious that the tour would have been less entertaining had Casey Abrams been eliminated this week.

Nigel Lythgoe tweeted a little (well, huge actually) teaser for the results show: "#Spoiler Alert: Shocking #AmericanIdol news tonight!!!" I actually didn't take this seriously at all, because of the use of the words 'shocking news' instead of saying 'shocking results.' But Nigel's teaser really was an understatement, to say the least. I guess I'll be taking his tweets seriously from now on :)

Next week, the Top 11 perform again for our votes, and only for our votes and not for the Judge's Save anymore. As I said, two will be eliminated, and I doubt Casey will even make the Bottom 3. You know darn well his fans will rally behind him to make sure he's safe.

Idol-Talk: Season 10 Top 11

American Idol 10: Top 11
Air Date: Wednesday, March 23, 2011 [8-10pm]

Theme: Motown

I don't have much to say to start off this blog, so let's just get right into it:

Source: mjsbigblog.com

Click on each of the below links to open up those studio performances on iTunes. You will not be charged for clicking on these links, unless you click 'buy' in the iTunes Store.

1. Casey Abrams - Marvin Gaye's "I Heard It Through the Grapevine"
After coming off of one of the worst Idol performances (with "Smells Like Teen Spirit"), anything Casey did this week would have been an improvement. This song (along with many other Motown songs) has been done a lot on the show, but Casey was able to bring a great tone to it that kept my attention and he breathed new life into it.

2. Thia Megia - Martha and the Vandellas' "Heatwave"
I'm glad she picked a more up-tempo song. A part of me did think it was a little generic, though, but she was able to show a different side of herself - so that's a plus. But at one point it did look like she lost the words; I saw her look behind her as if she was trying to cover it up.

3. Jacob Lusk - Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell's "You're All I Need to Get By"
I will say this upfront - I was too nice on him last week (when he did "Alone") - it was terrible. This genre fits him perfectly, so if he messed it up... I haven't been the biggest fan of his, but he did extremely well. There was more control to his voice, which helped. This may be his best performance to date.

4. Lauren Alaina - The Supremes' "You Keep Me Hanging On"
Jimmy Iovine mentioned that she hasn't been herself lately. I've definitely noticed that. But she shrugged off the criticisms of late and that helped her to be herself last night. This is a great song (and Blake Lewis did his own take on it in season 6) and her voice was top notch.

5. Stefano Langone - Lionel Richie's "Hello"
This was one of David Cook's top 2 best performances back in season 7. So Stefano had a lot to live up to. And last week he became the dark horse. His voice was smooth as usual here. But after the advice he got of keeping his eyes open, they were closed for the last half. Will I remember this after tonight? I'm not so sure.

6. Haley Reinhart - "You Really Got a Hold on Me"
She started off a little rough during the opening, both with her voice and coming down the stairs. And the twang she has in her voice didn't match the song. The last half she stepped it up more and I heard that great tone to her voice that I love. But I wouldn't be surprised if she's back in the Bottom 3 (if not eliminated).

7. Scotty McCreery - Stevie Wonder's "For Once in My Life"
With someone like Scotty, I thought this was why Nigel Lythgoe didn't want specific genres like this. This was one of his weakest to date. The country in his voice didn't mesh well with the instruments. And it did come off as loungy - Mr. Iovine said it could.

8. Pia Toscano - Stevie Wonder's "All in Love is Fair"
Last week she broke her normal mold, but this time took it right back to the ballads that she always does. Her voice is perfect for them, but with Motown, we could have gotten something different from her. And I'm still not feeling a connection to the audience.

9. Paul McDonald - Smokey Robinson's "Tracks of My Tears"
Adam Lambert did a brilliant job with this song in season 8, so it's obviously hard for Paul to match up to that. His voice sounded kind of weak during the first half. But I thought he stepped up at the end - he vibed well at that point. This might be a good studio recording, though.

10. Naima Adedapo - Martha and the Vandellas' "Dancing in the Street"
She certainly is a performer, for sure. She took the song literally and did an African dance at the end. With what the genre is, it is just right for Jacob and Naima. I heard a huge improvement in her voice; somehow the pitch problems diminished. Is it enough to keep her out of the Bottom 3?

11. James Durbin - Stevie Wonder's "Living for the City"
James continues to make song choices that fit his voice perfectly. The high notes had just the right level to them. He brought out some dance moves with his footwork, and he connected with the audience. I think many of the contestants should look to him to see how a performance should be done.

Compilation Album - American Idol Top 11 Season 10: Click on this link to see the compilation album on iTunes of all of the above songs.

Favorite Performances: James Durbin / Jacob Lusk

My Votes: James Durbin - 40 votes

Bottom 3 Predictions: Thia Megia / Haley Reinhart / Naima Adedapo

Elimination Prediction: Haley Reinhart

You may have noticed that I didn't do my usual blog on the Idol Social media Stats. I'm thinking about including it briefly into Idol-Talk. Below is the stats of the Top 11 as of 3/21/11 at 5:10pm (combination of #'s on Twitter, Facebook and MySpace):

1. Scotty McCreery - 68,306
2. Casey Abrams - 44,482
3. Paul McDonald - 39,675
4. James Durbin - 37,699
5. Lauren Alaina - 34,104
6. Pia Toscano - 33,518
7. Thia Megia - 32,683
8. Stefano Langone - 29,241
9. Jacob Lusk - 20,668
10. Haley Reinhart - 16,000
11. Naima Adedapo - 15,858

The names in blue haven't changed their positions from last week to this week. Pia Toscano and Thia Megia have switched places. Does this spell bad news for Thia? If she's in the Bottom 3 this week, then the answer may be yes. And Haley Reinhart and Naima Adedapo have switched places. Regardless of that switch, I still think Haley will be eliminated and not Naima. But I'm just waiting for James Durbin to move up. He's closing the gap with Paul McDonald, and with the weak performances that Paul's been giving lately, I hope James makes the jump soon.

It think it's pretty obvious that Haley will be leaving us this week. For some reason, I can't really see anyone else being eliminated. She's been in the Bottom 3 every week now, and has the second lowest number of social media followers (as of Monday when I tallied everything up). Naima certainly stepped it up and took a risk by adding in that dance. Regardless of that dance or her performing second to last, there's a part of me that thinks she will make her second appearance in the bottom. She does have the least number of online followers, so there's something to be said for that; obviously not a whole lot of people are feeling the same sort of attachment to her that the judges have felt. As far as that last spot goes, to me it could be either Thia, Lauren, or Paul. I don't think Lauren will be there just yet. At first, I kept coming back to Paul, but he did give a unique take on a great song ("Tracks of My Tears") and sang near the end of the show, whereas Thia was a little generic and performed near the top of the first hour. That placement might not be good for her. Now, I do realize that she has a pretty solid fan base coming on to the show, so that could save her, and I don't think she will be gone just yet either.

I have correctly predicted everyone going into the Bottom 3 every week now. I have this funny feeling that I won't get every spot correct this week. I don't know why, but I have this feeling...I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

Tonight, one more is eliminated as we find out who will be hitting the road this summer for the American Idols Live! Tour 2011 (8-9pm). Plus, we will have performances by Idol alum Jennifer Hudson as well as Sugarland. Nigel tweeted that there will be some shocking news tonight. Some people online are thinking it will be a shocking elimination. But I don't think it will be. He didn't say there will be shocking results, but instead shocking NEWS. Who knows how serious this is or if it is more light-hearted (maybe they'll talk about the Idols moving out of the mansion because of the ghost?). See ya then...

Idol-Talk: Season 10 Top 12 Results Show

American Idol 10: Top 12 Results Show
Air Date: Thursday, March 17, 2011 [8-9pm]

Source: @KRodriguezAI10

The Top 12 perform a mash-up of "Born to Be Wild" and "Born This Way." So they're definitely sticking with doing it live this year. As much as I have complained over the past I don't know how many years that they lip-sync the group songs, at least they're "vocals" were good then. I think they need to work with them to make sure their voices sound good together.

Ford Music Video: "Val Kilmer"

There have been 250 million music downloads since the show began. Ryan Seacrest promotes the new American Idol: 10th Anniversary - The Hits Volume 1 CD. He tells everyone to look under their seats: everyone in the audience gets a free copy of the album.

Video: Top 12 interviews

Ryan wants the lights dimmed for the results; instead, we get some St. Patrick's Day lighting and music.

Jacob Lusk, Lauren Alaina and Casey Abrams are called up first:
All three are safe!

Haley Reinhart and Paul McDonald:
Haley Reinhart - Bottom 3 [Correct Prediction]
Paul is safe.

Lee Dewyze performs his new single, "Beautiful Like You," and does a pretty good job!

Scotty McCreery, Pia Toscano and James Durbin:
Everyone's safe in this group.

Stefano Langone and Naima Adedapo:
Naima Adedapo - Bottom 3 [Correct Prediction]
Stefano's still on the show.

Karen Rodriguez and Thia Megia:
Karen Rodriguez - Bottom 3 [Correct Prediction]
Thia's safe.

The Black Eyed Peas perform "Just Can't Get Enough." Two points to make here: One - Was that really Fergie? It looked nothing like her. And two - I found it funny how the new music director Ray Chew said in a recent interview that Auto-Tune is a no-no for the contestants on the show, and yet the guest performers come on here and use it. Just a little ironic. Oh, and I guess there's a three - Where were the judges? Was this performance pre-taped?

Naima's the first from the Bottom 3 to be told she's safe.

Haley's safe as well.

Karen performs "Hero" and is actually pretty decent. Smart move on her part to go back to that song. But in a decision that is not unanimous, the judges do not save her. One blog I read online said that it was probably Jennifer Lopez who wanted to save her, since they're both Latin American singers. I guess I wouldn't be surprised. But if that's the case, Jennifer needs to realize that we're still really early in the competition and you can't just be wasting a save this early on someone who would not have had a chance at winning.

Karen Rodriguez - Eliminated [Correct Prediction]

I hope this is not just a fluke, but these past couple weeks I have correctly predicted not only everyone going into the Bottom 3 but who's being eliminated as well.

Idol-Talk: Season 10 Top 12

American Idol 10: Top 12
Air Date: Wednesday, March 16, 2011 [8-10pm]

Theme: Songs from the Year You Were Born

Source: mjsbigblog.com

The show started off with a cold open. The judges and Ryan Seacrest tell us that Idol will be doing their part to help with the tragedy in Japan. If you buy any of the Top 12 songs, proceeds will go to the Red Cross.

Is it just me, or is Steven Tyler becoming more useless week by week? Jennifer Lopez has found the right balance between being nice and providing constructive critiques. But Steven only says positive comments. And even then, sometimes I have no idea what he's saying. He's still fun to listen to, no doubt, but he needs to step it up.

At one point during the show, Ryan sat between So You Think You Can Dance judge Mary Murphy and Idol alum Tamyra Gray. But during that entire exchange, he completely snubbed season 7 alum Carly Smithson, who was sitting next to Mary. Who cares about Mary! She's from a different show. This is American Idol, and you should acknowledge your Idol family.

Click on each of the below links to open up those studio recordings on iTunes. You will not be charged for clicking on these links, unless you click 'buy' on iTunes.

1. Naima Adedapo - Tina Turner's "What's Love Got to Do with It"
I am so glad Jennifer called her out on her pitch, because every week her voice is not on key. The song didn't necessarily hurt her; it actually fit her very well. But if she wants longevity, she needs to work on singing in key.

2. Paul McDonald - Elton John's "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues"
With him, it seems like he could be different week to week in terms of how good or bad he is. I don't know if he'll ever be consistent. The first half was pitchy. There was a moment in the middle I liked. And the last half he put it all in, though still not the best obviously.

3. Thia Megia - "Colors of the Wind" from Pocahontas
Even though it's birth year songs, this song really showed her age and musical inexperience. I think if she continues down this path, it'll be the end of her. On the plus side, her voice improved greatly and had a lot of control.

4. James Durbin - Bon Jovi's "I'll Be There For You"
So far tonight, James is the only one to show he's a star. I don't think it was one of his best (a few pitch problems), but what made up for it was everything else. I wasn't sure about the song choice at first, but I'm opening to it.

5. Haley Reinhart - Whitney Houston's "I'm Your Baby Tonight"
Haley's in the same boat as Thia. Her song choices are so different from week to week that it's hurting her chances. Though, this one was the best by far for Haley. I heard a few great moments that showed her unique voice. She could continue down this vibe.

6. Stefano Langone - Simply Red's "If You Don't Know Me By Now"
He picked a great song. And what made it great was that he left the song alone and sang it as is. The power note at the end was off, but overall he brought it.

7. Pia Toscano - Whitney Houston's "Where Do Broken Hearts Go"
I've been kind of hard on her lately, so I'm glad she stepped out and didn't choose the traditional ballad. When she really belted it out, I heard a little Kelly Clarkson in there. On a related note, I don't know how she's the odds-on favorite to win at the moment. She hasn't picked the best song choices (nothing that stands out), and she's in the middle of the pack when it comes to social media followers.

8. Scotty McCreery - Travis Tritt's "Can I Trust You With My Heart"
I actually enjoyed this. I may not have been blown away, but he has a nice tone to his voice. And when he held out the note at the end, I think it was his best moment.

9. Karen Rodriguez - Taylor Dayne's "Love Will Lead You Back"
Yet again she chose a big song. It was the best choice of the three, but I wonder why she keeps doing these types of songs. Also, she said she wasn't going to do Spanish this week, but she threw a little in during the song.

10. Casey Abrams - Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
What was that? People are either going to love it or hate it, and I didn't get it at all. It was too intense, too much anger, and not at all what we like from Casey. I doubt he'll be in danger this week, but he needs to tone it down.

11. Lauren Alaina - Melissa Etheridge's "I'm the Only One"
I wouldn't have been able to tell from the song that she is sick. Overall, her voice held up pretty well. She started off a little rough, but once she got to the upper register, things were a lot better.

12. Jacob Lusk - Heart's "Alone"
I can see why he performed last - it was a good way to close out the show (though there were better people than him tonight). On the negative - the opening was off, and some of the high notes were sharp. It's big to take on this song on Idol since this is Carrie Underwood's signature song from the show, and Allison Iraheta brought her own great take on the song as well.

Compilation Album - American Idol Top 12 Season 10: Click on this link to see the compilation album on iTunes of all of the above songs.

Favorite Performance: James Durbin

My Votes: James Durbin - 25 votes

Bottom 3 Predictions: Naima Adedapo / Haley Reinhart / Karen Rodriguez

Elimination Prediction: Karen Rodriguez

There are about four people who are in danger of heading to the Bottom 3: Naima, Thia Megia, Haley and Karen. Karen is guaranteed a spot. Haley also has a good chance of being there as well. But for that final spot, I can really see it being either Naima or Thia. I kept going back and forth, and I could really see either one being there (or even both). But I ultimately went with Naima, because Thia I think has the bigger fan base of the two.

As of this past weekend, this was the social media bottom 3: Karen (10), Naima (11), Haley (12). Incidentally, that's my Bottom 3 prediction.

Tonight, one more is eliminated (8-9pm). Also, last year's winner, Lee Dewyze, will return to the Idol stage to perform his new single, "Beautiful Like You." Plus, the Black Eyed Peas. See ya then...

American Idol Scorecard - Top 12

IDOL 10: TOP 12

The above link takes you to Google Docs. To make sure the formatting remains in its original form, I suggest clicking on 'File' and 'Downloading original' to open up the original Word document. You will know the formatting is correct if the headings (Vocal Ability, Song Choice, etc) are on their sides in a vertical fashion.

Idol-Talk: Season 10 Top 13 Results Show

American Idol 10: Top 13 Results Show
Air Date: Thursday, March 10, 2011 [8-9pm]

Source: @AJonesAI10

First off, I apologize for being late in putting this up. If you read my tweets, you'll know why.

30 million votes were cast.

The Judges Save is back and can be used until the Top 5. I was kind of hoping they wouldn't bring it back. They've done it the past two years, and both times the saved contestant would not have won anyways. Then again, I'll have to bite my tongue if there is a huge shocking elimination that is truly deserving of the Save.

Ryan announces that Casey Abrams is not there because he is ill and in the hospital. This is the second time in the past couple of weeks that he's been to the hospital. I hope he doesn't have to pull out of the competition. Why does this seem to happen to the stronger contestants? Crystal Bowersox last year and now Casey.

Video: The Top 13 check out for the first time the mansion they'll be living in. They haven't had a mansion in quite a few years; lately, the top finalists have been living in apartments. How much time are they really going to be spending there relaxing? Probably not a lot. But what I liked about this video is that we got to see their personalities.

The Top 13 (minus Casey) perform a Michael Jackson medley. Thia must be in heaven. Are they actually singing live? Wow! The group performances haven't been sung live in years; they're usually lip-syncing. If Nigel Lythgoe is behind this change, then good for him. The first indication that told me they were actually singing was that not every note was in tune. Also, I could actually hear their individual voices. When it's lip-synced, their voices are somehow magically perfect and in perfect harmony together, and they all sound the same.

Ford Music Video: "The World"

Video: Top 13 at the Red Riding Hood Premiere

Jacob Lusk, Stefano Langone and Karen Rodriguez are up first:
Jacob Lusk - Safe
Stefano Langone - Safe
Karen Rodriguez - Bottom 3 [Correct Prediction: +]

Adam Lambert performs an acoustic version of "Aftermath"

Lauren Alaina, Ashthon Jones and Haley Reinhart:
Lauren Alaina - Safe
Ashthon Jones - Bottom 3 [Correct Prediction: +]
Haley Reinhart - Bottom 3 [Correction Prediction: +]

Everyone else is safe.

Diddy-Dirty Money with Skyler Grey performs "Coming Home."

Karen Rodriguez - Safe

Haley Reinhart - Safe

Ashthon Jones - X

Ashthon performs "When You Tell Me That You Love Me." She sounds just as terrible as when she performed it on Wednesday. America voted her out because of that song, so what made her think doing it all over again would be any different?

The judges unanimously decide not to save her.

Ashthon Jones - Eliminated [Correct Prediction: +]

During the goodbye video, we heard this year's exit song, David Cook's cover of "Don't You (Forget About Me)."

Stats: Idol Top 12 - Social Networks

Source: hubspot.com

Last weekend, I tallied up how many total followers each of the Top 13 Idols had on Twitter, Facebook and MySpace. And now that we have had our first elimination, I've gone back through their social media pages to see if there were any changes in the lineup. And the answer is yes. But before I get into any specifics, below is the updated social media stats for the Top 12.

[Note: I compiled these stats on 3/13/11 at 11am. The numbers will obviously change over time and will not reflect what they show now]

1. Scotty McCreery - 48,580
2. Casey Abrams - 32,402
3. Paul McDonald - 28,691
4. James Durbin - 25,283
5. Lauren Alaina - 24,089
6. Thia Megia - 23,671
7. Pia Toscano - 22,469
8. Stefano Langone - 18,594
9. Jacob Lusk - 14,058
10. Karen Rodriguez - 12,375
11. Naima Adedapo - 11,543
12. Haley Reinhart - 10,865

Eliminated:
13. Ashthon Jones - 7237

To see last week's stats, click HERE.

Scotty McCreery still retains the top spot by a wide margin, though he is no longer number one on twitter (that title goes to Casey).

The names in blue above are what I want to focus on first. Both last week and this week, Casey, Paul, James and Lauren were in spots 2-5, but this time they have switched order. Casey has made a significant leap up from fourth to second. I'm wondering if his returning illness caused more people to follow him.

The four names I just mentioned are the only ones out of everyone to move positions. What's really interesting to see here is that the sixth through twelfth place names are in the exact same order as last week. I found that to be fascinating. Now this really makes me want to continue following these stats to see any possible changes.

Last time, I speculated if the number of followers everyone has would give us a hint of who's going home. Of our first bottom 3 of the season, all three were somewhere in the bottom four on the social media list, two of whom were at the very bottom. Ashthon Jones had the least number of followers and was eliminated. Haley Reinhart now has the least number of followers (when you take Ashthon out of the picture). Since she also was in the bottom 3, it looks like there a very good possibility that Haley may be the next to depart.

On a final note, it will be interesting to see how long Naima Adedapo lasts. She is second to last after Haley now. She has stood out more as a performer than a singer and was chosen by the judges and not America. Performing last certainly helped her, but will she be at a disadvantage again when she performs near the start or middle of the show?

If you want to follow any of the Top 13 contestants, click HERE.

Idol-Talk: Season 10 Top 13

American Idol 10: Top 13
Air Date: Wednesday, March 9, 2011 [8-10pm]

Theme: Songs from Your Musical Idols

Source: mjsbigblog.com

The grand entrance staircase is back, and Ryan is the one to make that grand entrance.

In-House Mentor Jimmy Iovine and some big-time producers are now working with the contestants. A producer is assigned to each singer. I wonder if they will have the same producer week in and week out or will there be a new one every time.

After coming back from commercial breaks, they showed some of the backstage reaction by the singers. They tried this for about a week a year or two ago; why did they bring it back? To fill up time? I actually don't mind seeing those videos.

In interviews and earlier episodes, Randy kept saying that this year is "Season 10 the remix." And he brought that phrase back last night. Is anyone else annoyed by this broken-record?

Before I get to my commentary, I just wanted to say that you can click on each of the below links to open up those studio recordings on iTunes. You will not be charged for clicking on these links, unless you click 'buy' on iTunes.

1. Lauren Alaina - Shania Twain's "Any Man of Mine"
It would have been hard for her to beat last week's performance. But even so, I felt letdown this time. With this song, I hope her young age doesn't start (or continue) affecting her song choices. Her voice, while nothing really wrong, didn't stand out against the original.

2. Casey Abrams - The Beatles' "With a Little Help From My Friends"
It's no surprise that Joe Cocker is his Idol. And now that his health seems well, I could hear an improvement in his voice. He should certainly continue with this vibe, because he could continue to do well with it. I might buy this on iTunes.

3. Ashthon Jones - Diana Ross' "When You Tell Me That You Love Me"
I found this to be a very bland performance. She started off on the wrong notes to begin with, which continued throughout the first half. We got to see the voice that we love later on, but by that point it was too late.

4. Paul McDonald - Ryan Adams' "Come Pick Me Up"
In hindsight, I think I was too tough on him last week. So I was going to try to be more open-minded this time. Unfortunately, though, he didn't bring it. The start with the soft notes didn't sound right, and there were pitch problems.

5. Pia Toscano - Celine Dion's "All By Myself"
For the second week in a row, she has picked songs that are not only so well-known, but are in some respects similar in nature to each other. She's definitely a balladeer, but I hope she doesn't rely too heavily on that because I want to see what else she can do. On a positive note - her voice sounded better than last week.

6. James Durbin - Paul McCartney's "Maybe I'm Amazed"
After covering such a rock-heavy song last time, I was a little surprised by this choice, but it 100% worked. A few off notes, but overall, he is proving to be very versatile. Great song choice - Another one I might buy on iTunes.

7. Haley Reinhart - LeAnn Rimes' "Blue"
From Alicia Keys last week to LeAnn Rimes this week, it's obvious she doesn't know who she is as an artist. She needs some better focus in that area. On the good side - the yodel-like part was really well done and her voice was better, but I was bored the whole time.

8. Jacob Lusk - R. Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly"
Why oh why did he have to sing one of the safest songs ever to cover? He has a sort of warble to his voice that I'm not a fan of. What saved him, though, was the brilliant high note run near the end, because it it weren't for that, this wouldn't have stood out as much.

9. Thia Megia - Michael Jackson's "Smile"
The more intimate beginning was definitely the best part. But partway through, the beat and arrangement changed completely and threw off the entire vibe and brought the performance down. If her producer suggested that, maybe she needs a new one.

10. Stefano Langone - Stevie Wonder's "Lately"
This was a little strange for me. He tried to make his voice sound differently at the start, but it didn't work. By the end, though, he got his voice back on track and saved himself. The worst part was the backtrack; the beat did not fit the song or his voice at all.

11. Karen Rodriguez - Selina's "I Could Fall in Love"
A few people tonight are picking songs that are too big for them. This was one of them; the song swallowed her up. She couldn't hit any of the low notes, sounding flat. And the high note was sharp.

12. Scotty McCreery - Garth Brooks' "The River"
Like with Paul, I decided to be more open-minded this time around. He has a great voice and the song obviously fit him perfectly. But regardless of his signature low voice, I hope he can sing a song where I can just listen and go - that's a Scotty McCreery song, because I'm still not completely getting why he has the top social media spot of the Top 13.

13. Naima Adedapo - Rihanna's "Umbrella"
She has such a great style about her, which livens up the competition. But she didn't have control of her voice, and I didn't like the rapping. The dancing didn't help the voice either. Overall, not my favorite, but this might be a great studio recording.

Compilation Album - American Idol Top 13 Season 10: Click on this link see compilation album on iTunes of all of the above songs.

Favorite Performances: James Durbin / Casey Abrams

My Votes: James Durbin - 30 votes

Bottom 3 Predictions: Ashthon Jones / Haley Reinhart / Karen Rodriguez

Elimination Prediction: Ashthon Jones

It was pretty easy this week to pick who's going home tonight. Ashthon was among the three weakest singers of the night. Even if someone else is cut, there's no doubt that she will at least be in the Bottom 3. Speaking of which, who will join her there? It also seems obvious that Haley and Karen should be there as well. But if any of them aren't, there's always the chance that Lauren Alaina may sneak in (she sang first and disappointed), or even Paul McDonald, though these two have pretty big fan bases so there's less of a chance.

Getting back to Ashthon for a moment. She has the least amount of social media followers, as you can see in my analysis last weekend. So that's more evidence of her early demise.

Tonight, we're back to the one-hour results show (8-9pm). Diddy-Dirty Money will perform. And Adam Lambert will return to the Idol stage to I'm sure blow us away with an acoustic version of his song, "Aftermath."

Stats: Idol Top 13 - Social Networks

Source: WareSeeker.com

The day after the Top 13 was announced for season 10, American Idol unveiled the social media accounts for each of the contestants, on Twitter, Facebook and MySpace (who uses MySpace anymore? Idol also used MySpace for online auditions).

If anyone remembers, there was a very, very brief time last year at around this point in the competition where the top finalists were allowed an online presence. But that was quickly abolished after they must have realized (and how could you not) that you could find out which singers were popular and which were not. At least, I'm pretty sure that's why they got rid of it.

But they've brought it back this year, supposedly for the rest of the season. I have no idea why they're bringing it back after what they did last year, but now that Nigel Lythgoe is back, maybe he wanted it to return.

But no matter, we can still find out who is popular and who isn't based on how many followers, likes and friends they have. I wrote down the stats for each contestant on each individual social network, and then found the total across all platforms for everyone.

Here are the stats for the combined followers/likes/friends on Twitter, Facebook and MySpace:
[Note: I compiled these stats on 3/6/11 at 11:30am. The numbers will obviously change over time and will not reflect what they show now.]

1. Scotty McCreery - 23,920
2. Paul McDonald - 13,377
3. Lauren Alaina - 11,901
4. Casey Abrams - 11,494
5. James Durbin - 11,428
6. Thia Megia - 11,032
7. Pia Toscano - 9003
8. Stefano Langone - 9000
9. Jacob Lusk - 7373
10. Karen Rodriguez - 5892
11. Naima Adedapo - 5343
12. Haley Reinhart - 5193
13. Ashthon Jones - 3910

Source: @SMcCreeryAI10

What surprises me the most is that Scotty McCreery has the top spot (and not just the total top spot, but when you look at the stats of the three networks individually, Scotty is ahead on each one). And not only that, but he has a huge majority. I know that Scotty is popular, but I didn't realize it would be at such an advantage. Now, that doesn't mean he's the frontrunner and will win. While I'm not a fan of his yet, I am trying to look at this logically. And I don't see how he can win, unless he can really break out from the pack over the course of the next several weeks.

Regardless of the order, the top five or six doesn't really surprise me: Scotty, Paul, Lauren, Casey, James and Thia. Overall, this top group does seem to be more talented than the rest that make up the bottom group.

Source: @AJonesAI10

Now that we've looked at who took the top spot, let's look at who is at the bottom of the pack: Ashthon Jones. I mentioned that Scotty is number one on all three networks and not just with the overall total. The same (but at the opposite end) holds true for Ashthon. She is last on Twitter, last on Facebook and last on MySpace as well. While she is talented and deserved a spot in the Top 13, I will explain my reasoning for her position below.

Rounding out the bottom 3 with Ashthon is Haley Reinhart (#12) and Naima Adedapo (#11). Except for one spot, I see a connection between who ranks in the bottom three here and who the judges selected for their Wild Card picks. Both Ashthon and Naima were chosen by the judges. Since America did not vote them in, I am not surprised that they ended up at the bottom.

Haley, who is positioned between those two but not a Judge's pick, has a legitimate reason for being there. I was surprised when America voted Haley into the Top 10; I'm thinking that she barely made it in. Of the contestants that we voted on, Haley may be the weakest and most forgettable.

Will these three be our bottom 3 on this week's results show? Maybe, maybe not. I think that Haley very well could, but with Ashthon and Naima, it all depends on how well they perform this week. Now that I know how everybody ranks online, I'm looking forward to seeing how it compares to the bottom 3 on the show, and how much overlap there might be. If there's a lot of overlap, then we may be able to gauge who's going home by how many followers they have online. If that's the case, what if Idol picks up on that and decides to cancel the accounts? Wouldn't that be interesting?

But what about the third Wild Card pick, Stefano? He ranks in the middle. He has a decent voice and may be around for at least a little while because the girls will vote for him, no matter how he might do. And I think that is why he's not near the bottom of the social network list.

While I'm not giving a guarantee, my hope is to do this every weekend after another person is voted out and track the changes in followers as the competition gets smaller and smaller. Whenever someone is voted out, many times I look at who their fans might draw to next. It could be an indication of staying power...or not. That's how I believe Kris Allen won in season 8. He and Danny Gokey held a similar fan base. When Danny came in third, his votes went to Kris, who then...well, we know the tragedy that unfolded next. Will the same sort of situation happen online this year? After someone is voted out, will we see any drastic changes in the stats with anybody? That's what I'm curious to see, and want to track every week.

If you want to follow any of the Top 13 contestants, click HERE for all the links. By the way, I am currently following Lauren, Casey and James (on my personal Twitter and Facebook accounts). Speaking of twitter, you can follow TV Watch Online HERE; T.W.O. does not currently have a Facebook page.

Remember, every week here on the T.W.O. BLOG I give my recap and commentary on each episode of American Idol in a segment called Idol-Talk. And on the weekends (at least for the time being), I post a new scorecard for the following week's performances.

American Idol Scorecard - Top 13

Last week, I added links to scorecards (for the Top 24) I created and use to comment on the American Idol performances.  I have decided to continue putting them online for anyone to download and print for the time being.

IDOL 10: TOP 13

The above link takes you go Google Docs. To make sure the formatting remains in its original form, I suggest clicking on 'File' and 'Download original' to open up the original Word document. You will know the formatting is correct if the headings (Vocal Ability, Song Choice, etc) are on their sides in a vertical fashion.

I have added some new sections to the bottom of the scorecard now that we are in the Top 13. All of the headings are: Theme, My Vote(s), Bottom 3 Prediction, Bottom 3, Elimination Prediction, Eliminated. Last year, I added the 'Bottom 3 Prediction' because I found myself over the course of the season making predictions not just for who would be eliminated, but also for who would end up in the bottom 3 as well.

And as always, there is room to write in each contestants name, song title, comments, and grade them based on their voice, song, personality and stage presence.

Idol-Talk: Season 10 Top 13 Revealed!

American Idol 10: Top 13 Revealed
Air Date: Thursday, March 3, 2011 [8-10pm]

Source: mjsbigblog.com

Since this is a two hour results show, the show starts off immediately with a filler video of dramatic flair. Ryan Seacrest announces that 40 million votes were cast over the course of the two voting nights this week - the highest number of votes the show has seen at this stage in the competition.

More filler: a recap of the guys performing, Ryan chatting with them and a video where the guys are interviewed.

Let's get on with the results:

Scotty McCreery and Robbie Rosen are up first:
Scotty McCreery - Advancing to Top 10 [Correct Prediction: +]
Robbie Rosen - Eliminated (waiting to find out if judges pick him)

Next up: Clint Jun Gamboa, Jordan Dorsey and Jovany Dorsey
All three are eliminated

And now on to the girls: a recap of their performances and a video with interviews and photo shoots.

Pia Toscano and Lauren Alaina are called up first:
Lauren Alaina - Advancing to Top 10 [+]
Pia Toscano - Also Advancing to Top 10 [+]
No surprises there.

Ta-Tynisa Wilson and Julie Zorrilla are the next two girls to face the results:
Both are eliminated.

Another group of three: Kendra Chantelle, Ashthon Jones and Karen Rodriguez
Ashthon Jones - Eliminated
Karen Rodriguez - Advancing to Top 10 [Incorrect Prediction: --]
Kendra Chantelle - Eliminated

And back to the guys: Tim Halperin, Casey Abrams and Jacob Lusk
Jacob Lusk - Advancing to Top 10 [+]
Casey Abrams - Advancing to Top 10 [+]
Tim Halperin - Eliminated
Some more obvious results.

Naima Adedapo, Thia Megia and Lauren Turner:
Naima Adedapo - Eliminated
Thia Megia - Advancing to Top 10 [+]
Lauren Turner - Eliminated

Brett Loewenstern and Paul McDonald:
Paul McDonald - Advancing to Top 10 [+]
Brett Loewenstern - Eliminated
For the most part, these results are becoming too obvious.

Haley Reinhart and Rachel Zevita:
Haley Reinhart - Advancing to Top 10 [--]
Rachel Zevita - Eliminated
While Rachel deserved to be cut, I'm kind of surprised that Haley didn't go as well.

Stefano Langone and James Durbin are the final two to find out their fate:
James Durbin - Advancing to Top 10 [+]
Stefano Langone - Eliminated

Of the fourteen that did not make the Top 10, the judges selected six (three guys and three girls) to perform again for a chance to be the Wild Card picks.

Wild Card Performances:

1. Ashthon Jones - "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" from Dreamgirls
It's hard to match up to the original, but as a standalone, she rose to the occasion and really belted it out. Her voice was definitely an improvement over Wednesday.

2. Stefano Langone - "I Need You Now"
Again, an improvement over the other day. He put everything he had into it. But it's hard to tell his chances after only two have performed. It all depends on how the rest do.

3. Kendra Chantelle - "Georgia on My Mind"
She started out kind of shaky, leveled out in the middle and went all out at the end. If she makes it, it will be because of the end. But I can't see her standing out from the crowd.

4. Jovany Barreto - "Angel"
On Tuesday, he was forgettable. And while is voice is good (very smooth), I don't know if he's one of the better singers. But I'm liking that some of the contestants are including Spanish in their songs.

5. Naima Adedapo - "For All We Know"
I heard flat notes and pitch problems throughout. She's definitely better than this. She could really liven up the competition if she makes it.

6. Robbie Rosen - "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word"
I was disappointed by him the other night, but now he stepped it up and provided the best performance of all six.

After the break, Ryan asked if the judges had made a decision. Jennifer Lopez had an anxious look on her face and said no. That whole exchange seemed a complete set-up; I bet they had already made their decisions, because why else would they be all ready to show the music video? And if you looked at what time it was, there was no way they would announce their picks and then show the video, because you want people to tune in to the very last minute.

After the six performed, I made my predictions for who the judges might pick:
Robbie Rosen
Ashthon Jones
Naima Adedapo

Jennifer debuted the music video for her new single, "On the Floor." I may need to listen to it more, but it wasn't one of my favorite songs. There were moments that I liked, though. I wonder if she will ever perform live during the season, and if so, will she actually be singing or lip-syncing?

And finally, the judge's Wild Card picks are announced:
Ashthon Jones (after her name was called, Ryan asked how many more there would be; the judges said two) [+]
Stefano Langone [--]
Naima Adedapo [+]

We have a Top 13!

As Ryan is closing out the show, he gives a shout-out to the new music director, Ray Chew, and we get a camera shot of him. After not even giving Rickey Minor a goodbye of any sorts last year, I'm surprised they actually mentioned Ray.

Next Wednesday, the Top 13 will perform "Songs By Their Favorite Artists" in a two hour show. And Adam Lambert (!) will be performing an acoustic version of "Aftermath" during Thursday's results show; I know I'm jumping the gun a bit here, but I can't wait! See ya then...