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Golden Globes 2012: My Predictions vs. Winners

2012-01-16T14:26:00.000-08:00

Last night, NBC aired the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Out of the 25 categories in which awards were handed out, I only missed six. So I got 76% correct predictions this time around. Hopefully that bodes well for my Oscar predictions next month.

Below are the list of winners along with my predictions:

MOTION PICTURES:
Best Drama:
The Descendants
My Prediction:
The Descendants (+)

Best Comedy/Musical:
The Artist
My Prediction:
The Artist (+)

Best Animated Film:
The Adventures of Tintin
My Prediction:
Rango (-)

Best Foreign Language Film:
A Separation
My Prediction:
In the Land of Blood and Honey (-)

Best Actor - Drama:
George Clooney, The Descendants
My Prediction:
George Clooney, The Descendants (+)

Best Actress - Drama:
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
My Prediction:
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady (+)

Best Actor - Comedy/Musical:
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
My Prediction:
Jean Dujardin, The Artist (+)

Best Actress - Comedy/Musical:
Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn
My Prediction:
Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn (+)

Best Supporting Actor:
Christopher Plummer, Beginners
My Prediction:
Christopher Plummer, Beginners (+)

Best Supporting Actress:
Octavia Spencer, The Help
My Prediction:
Octavia Spencer, The Help (+)

Best Director:
Martin Scorsese, Hugo
My Prediction:
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist (-)

Best Screenplay:
Midnight in Paris
My Prediction:
The Descendants (-)

Best Original Score:
The Artist
My Prediction:
The Artist (+)

Best Original Song:
"Masterpiece," W.E.
My Prediction:
"The Living Proof," The Help (-)

TELEVISION:
Best TV Drama:
Homeland
My Prediction:
Homeland (+)

Best TV Comedy/Musical:
Modern Family
My Prediction:
Modern Family (+)

Best Miniseries/TV Movie:
Downton Abbey
My Prediction:
Downton Abbey (+)

Best Actor - Drama:
Kelsey Grammer, Boss
My Prediction:
Kelsey Grammer, Boss (+)

Best Actress - Drama:
Claire Danes, Homeland
My Prediction:
Claire Danes, Homeland (+)

Best Actor - Comedy/Musical:
Matt LeBlanc, Episodes
My Prediction:
Matt LeBlanc, Episodes (+)

Best Actress - Comedy/Musical:
Laura Dern, Enlightened
My Prediction:
Zooey Deschanel, New Girl (-)

Best Actor - Miniseries/TV Movie:
Idris Elba, Luther
My Prediction:
Idris Elba, Luther (+)

Best Actress - Miniseries/TV Movie:
Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce
My Prediction:
Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce (+)

Best Supporting Actor:
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
My Prediction:
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones (+)

Best Supporting Actress:
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story
My Prediction:
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story (+)

You can view the full list of nominees, winner and my predictions on TV Watch Online's Golden Globe Awards page.

T.W.O: Golden Globes 2012 Predictions

2012-01-14T13:41:00.000-08:00

Sunday night is the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards, airing at 8pm ET/5pm PT on NBC. As usual, I have made my predictions on who will win in each of the 25 movie and TV categories. Below are my predictions, and check out T.W.O.'s Golden Globes page for a list of all the nominations. So, without further ado, here are T.W.O.'s 2012 Golden Globe Award predictions:

MOTION PICTURES:
Best Drama:
The Descendants

Best Comedy/Musical:
The Artist

Best Animated Film:
Rango

Best Foreign Language Film:
In the Land of Blood and Honey

Best Actor - Drama:
George Clooney, The Descendants

Best Actress - Drama:
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady

Best Actor - Comedy/Musical:
Jean Dujardin, The Artist

Best Actress - Comedy/Musical:
Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn

Best Supporting Actor:
Christopher Plummer, Beginners

Best Supporting Actress:
Octavia Spencer, The Help

Best Director:
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist

Best Screenplay:
The Descendants

Best Original Score:
The Artist

Best Original Song:
"The Living Proof," The Help

TELEVISION:
Best TV Drama:
Homeland

Best TV Comedy/Musical:
Modern Family

Best Miniseries/TV Movie:
Downton Abbey

Best Actor - Drama:
Kelsey Grammer, Boss

Best Actress - Drama:
Claire Danes, Homeland

Best Actor - Comedy/Musical:
Matt LeBlanc, Episodes

Best Actress - Comedy/Musical:
Zooey Deschanel, New Girl

Best Actor - Miniseries/TV Movie:
Idris Elba, Luther

Best Actress - Miniseries/TV Movie:
Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce

Best Supporting Actor:
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones

Best Supporting Actress:
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story

The X Factor: Season 1 Finale Recap/Review

2011-12-26T12:32:00.000-08:00

If you didn't know already, OMGWire (the site that I do my X Factor recaps for) is undergoing some changes and is offline at the moment. So that is why my recap for the X Factor finale is now online yet. But since OMGWire won't be back up for a while, I've decided to just post it here. Check it out below:

The X Factor: Season 1 Finale
Air Date: Thursday, December 22, 2011 [8-10pm]

We're here, everyone! It's the very first finale for The X Factor USA! It's down to our Top 3: Josh Krajcik, Chris Rene and Melanie Amaro! Let's see how it plays out...

The Top 12 perform Lady Gaga's "The Edge of Glory." Drew is a brunette now. And almost everyone is pitchy, dawg.

Melanie Amaro performs Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You." By the way, this is one of my favorite Christmas songs ever; I just love it! And Melanie hit those high notes effortlessly. Following her performance, we see a video of people from her hometown and from the British Virgin Islands sending messages to Melanie: friends, family, teachers, co-workers.

Chris Rene performs "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" along with a friends/family video for him, too.

Josh Krajcik performs "Please Come Home for Christmas." Each of the Top 3 cry during and after their respective videos.

Justin Bieber performs "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)" with Stevie Wonder. When Justin was promoting Under The Mistletoe in November, his voice wasn't that good. But tonight, he sounds a lot better. Stevie on the other hand? Wow! That was a vocal mess. I've noticed that about Stevie the past few years or so; most of the time he's very pitchy. Then Stevie's gone and Justin performs "Santa Claus is Coming to Town." Just when we think the song is over, Justin brings Drew out and she helps him finish the song. She's going gaga over meeting him. If you remember, her audition song was "Baby."

The first results of the night are now. The singer ending up in 3rd place is...Chris Rene. I'm a little surprised by that. After he did "Young Homie" for his final song, I would've thought that song would have gotten people to vote hard for him. I guess not. Once Steve announces Chris is eliminated, here's my thought: Melanie just won.

A video is shown of the Top 5 Most Shocking Moments of the season. #5 is auditioner Zander Alexander. #4 is Astro's brat attitude when he initially refused to perform in the survival round. #3 is some random auditioner. #2 is some auditioner's dad flipping out backstage. And #1 is Rachel Crow's elimination.

Following this video, out comes Rachel Crow herself and jokingly says she's taking over Steve's job. She introduces Leona Lewis, who performs "Run" while a video plays in the background looking back over the season. It's very fitting that Leona's performing tonight, since she's an X Factor winner herself in the UK and became a global superstar because of this Simon Cowell created franchise.

Auditions are coming soon for season 2 (I believe you can audition online right now). Steve says something like, "We'll be back next year." My thought is, I don't think YOU will, Steve.

A video plays: L.A. vs. Simon - Smackdown, showing the back and forth snarky comments between each other over the course of the season.

Derek Fisher (who?) introduces 50 Cent, who performs "Waiting Until Tonight." During the beginning of the song, a bunch of stuff had to be bleeped out. What a trashy performance, what with the female "dancers" (they seem like they could be prostitutes or strippers or something like that) and the bleeping. A bunch of seemingly random people come out and join them on the stage. Who are any of these people? They didn't do a very good job introducing them. Astro joins in near the end.

We see a hilarious video of Paula vs. Nicole - The Cryoff. It kept going back and forth between showing all the times Paula and Nicole cried this season. I think it ended up being Nicole with 14 points and Paula with 10 or something like that.

Pitbull featuring Ne-Yo perform "Give Me Everything." Marcus Canty joins in near the end; I'm a little embarrassed that I actually didn't realize that was Marcus at first. All of a sudden it dawned on me who it was.

The Top 2, Josh and Melanie, perform "Heroes." Since they wouldn't have known who would be eliminated before this, I wonder if each of the Top 3 rehearsed this so they would be prepared no matter which two ended up being in the Top 2. But no matter, both Josh and Melanie sound great together, and they have excellent chemistry.

The very first winner of The X Factor USA is...MELANIE AMARO!!! Yes! It's amazing how this is the very first season and the right person actually won.

Melanie performs "Listen." She's obviously really emotional during the performance, not singing a few times because of the emotion, but is able to stay on the right beat when she starts singing again. I love her reactions during the song. These are classic moments on these singing talent shows. Kelly Clarkson's winning performance is probably the most classic winning moment. And Melanie's was just as fantastic.

I'm not trying to come off as cocky when I say this, but it's true that I predicted that Melanie would win when we first saw her audition way back when. This is only the second time that I've correctly predicted the eventual winner based on their audition (among these singing shows). The first was Carrie Underwood on American Idol. Both are stars, for sure.

3rd Place: Chris Rene

Runner-Up: Josh Krajcik

WINNER: MELANIE AMARO

Well, we're now done with the first season of the American version of The X Factor. What do we do now? Other than get ready for American Idol in January, I mean. How about we look at the Top 3 (and others) and look at marketability. Let's start with our darling winner, Melanie Amaro. It's really fitting that both her audition and winning song was "Listen." That was sung by Beyonce in Dreamgirls. And for a little while now, I've been thinking that they need to market her as a Beyonce type singer. That could be her best shot at being an accessible singer. For Josh Krajcik, he needs to go down the Daughtry route with that kind of rock music (and maybe a little of David Cook thrown in as well). I'm sure L.A. will make sure that Chris Rene is signed, and he'll obviously be doing hip/hop, R&B and rap.

What about outside of the Top 3? I'm sure Marcus Canty will get a record deal somewhere, but he won't do well. There's nothing that distinguishes him from other R&B singers like Usher. There've been rumors that Disney is after Rachel Crow. I hope she does something like that, because I could see her doing really well with that. It's hard to tell right now what they would do with someone like Drew, maybe songs similar to Demi Lovato? Astro will most likely get a deal somewhere. Unfortunately, I don't see anything big happening with the others: LeRoy Bell, Lakoda Rayne, Stacy Francis, The Stereo Hogzz and InTENsity. I'm sure most of them will try to put out music, but nothing will happen from it.

We're now less than a month away from the return of the show that started it all. American Idol season 10 premieres January 18 and 19 at 8pm on FOX.

This has been a fun few months recapping The X Factor on OMGWire. For even more from me, follow me on Twitter @TheJeffDodge, @TVWatchOnline and @Bieber_Guy (and follow OMGWire @OMGWire). I hope we can do this all over again next fall. In the meantime, it's time to sign off and say...see ya then...

BuddyTV Writer

2011-12-23T17:36:00.000-08:00

You may have noticed some of the article links I've posted on TV Watch Online have been preceded by a mention of BuddyTV. I want to say that I am now a freelance editor and writer for BuddyTV.com.

According to BuddyTV, "BuddyTV is every TV watcher's friend. With the website, users can read news about their favorite shows and actors and interact with other fans in our rabid community. Users can also play addictive games on the sites such as Trivia, Personality Quizzes, and Celeb Rater."

I am excited to have joined their team as a freelancer. Any articles that I write for them will be linked to on TV Watch Online. I already have six articles posted online for them (one is a slideshow).

To make it easier to find all of my articles, you can click HERE my articles page with a full list of and links to everything I write for them.

The X Factor: Top 4

2011-12-16T22:10:00.000-08:00

My recaps/reviews of this week's Top 4 episodes of The X Factor is now up at OMGWire.com. Below are some excerpts from my commentary.

Click HERE to read the entire performance show article & HERE for the results show.

Marcus Canty - "I'll Make Love to You" [Boys / Mentor: L.A. Reid]
It was a very conservative performance. This isn't going to cut it at this point in the competition. I know he and L.A. didn't choose the song (it was chosen by the public in the Pepsi Challenge, but it was still safe. What was the deal with the rose and the dancers? Overall, very boring, to say the least.

Melanie Amaro - "Hero" [Girls / Mentor: Simon Cowell]
I'm sure some would say this is safe as well. The difference, though, is that Marcus doesn't have the voice that Melanie has. Simon said she would be doing a twist on the song - what was it, that it was a tad slower? I don't know. But her voice is still exceptional.

Josh Krajcik - "Hallelulah" [Over 30's / Mentor: Nicole]
This reminded me of when he did "Wild Horses" a few weeks ago - slow, haunting, emotional. Josh seems to always do great when going down this route. This is the perfect time to pull out a song and performance like this, right when he's trying to get into the finals. And L.A. is back to doling out criticisms just for the heck of it, and not for any particular reason.

Click HERE & HERE to read the entire recaps/reviews.

The X Factor: Top 5

2011-12-08T12:23:00.000-08:00

My recap/review of last night's Top 5 performance episode of The X Factor is now up at OMGWire.com. Below are some excerpts from my commentary.

Click HERE to read the entire article.

Chris Rene - "Live Your Life" [Boys / Mentor: L.A.]
Even though this isn't something I would go seek out to watch, this is absolutely the kind of performance we see by established artists. And you know what? I loved it. This is the avenue he needs to go down post-X Factor. And I loved the added touch of the moving floor.

Melanie Amaro - "When You Believe" [Girls / Mentor: Simon]
This is the perfect song for Melanie. We're halfway through the night, but this is by far the best of the night so far. Her vocals were flawless, and the choir coming out was just perfect. The feel of this felt like she was in the Top 2 and gave the performance that caused her to win (if not the winning performance itself).

Rachel Crow - "Music and Me" [Girls / Mentor: Simon]
This is definitely an improvement over her first song. And while it allowed her voice to shine, there was still something about it that seemed disconnected to me. I have a feeling that she could be in danger this week.

Click HERE to read the entire recap/review.

The X Factor: Top 7

2011-12-01T18:35:00.000-08:00

My recap/review of last night's Top 9 performance episode of The X Factor is now up at OMGWire.com. Below are some excerpts from my commentary.

Click HERE to read the entire article.

Josh Krajcik - "Dirty Diana" [Over 30's / Mentor: Nicole Scherzinger]
It may not have been as strong as last week, but overall I enjoyed it. On the downside, the song forced him to sing a lot of low notes, which didn't help him. And they really need to fire the dancers. Josh is a rock artist - when do you ever see dancers like this on stage with a rock performer? You don't. Get rid of them.

Rachel Crow - "Can You Feel It" [Girls / Mentor: Simon]
Her voice was shaky or something during the first half. Fortunately, her voice was powerful and on by the end. And I think it was the song that caused those problems overall. So in that regard, maybe it wasn't the best song choice. I think it's about time that Rachel take charge again.

Marcus Canty - "Pretty Young Thing (P.Y.T)" [Boys / Mentor: L.A.]
In a way, this theme is right up Marcus' alley, depending on the song. Michael Jackson knew how to put on a show, and so does Marcus. Simon is right on that the vocals weren't the best at times. But regardless, I enjoyed watching it as a performance.

Click HERE to read the entire recap/review.

The X Factor: Top 9

2011-11-23T11:32:00.000-08:00

My recap/review of last night's Top 9 performance episode of The X Factor is now up at OMGWire.com. Below are some excerpts from my commentary.

Click HERE to read the entire article.

Melanie Amaro - "The World's Greatest" [Girls / Mentor: Simon]
Dedicated to: God. The song perfectly suited her dedication. It's hard to tell yet where this will rank among all her sets (not one of her best), but she was virtually flawless vocally. In previous weeks, some may have called her bland, but she really showed personality when she was talking afterwards. And her accent during that talking got really thick - what was up with that?

Chris Rene - "Let It Be"/"Homie What You Tripping On" [Boys / Mentor: L.A.]
Dedicated to: Tim, a counselor from his rehab. "Let It Be" is a great song, but turning it into an R&B/Hip-Hop song didn't work - it didn't fit him at all. Then he segued into "Homie What You Tripping On," his audition song. While the vocals weren't perfect as usual, the second song was enjoyable to listen to.

LeRoy Bell - "In the Arms of An Angel" [Over 30's / Mentor: Nicole Scherzinger]
Dedicated to: mom. He started off a little rough, but improved as the song went on. By about the middle, he was back in good form. I've already been a fan of his, so I enjoyed that last half. But I'm not sure if it was enough to garner new fans/more votes.

Click HERE to read the entire recap/review.

The X Factor: Top 10

2011-11-17T17:51:00.000-08:00

My recap/review of last night's Top 10 performance episode of The X Factor is now up at OMGWire.com. Below are some excerpts from my commentary.

Click HERE to read the entire article.

Rachel Crow - "I Can't Get No Satisfaction" [Girls / Mentor: Simon Cowell]
The reason why last week worked was because she took control and chose her own song. But this one harkens back to the Top 17 and Top 12 weeks, which were weak. They brought out the dancers and the outfit that doesn't look right on her (just as those weak weeks I just mentioned did). I'm just not understanding why all the judges gave her standing ovations. Her voice wasn't her strongest.

Josh Krajcik - "The Pretender" [Over 30's / Mentor: Nicole]
Josh is rock, so this has to be his week. I'm not familiar with the song - kind of a strange song (mainly because most of the song is sung in the same note). But you know what? He delivered. It was rock through and through.

Marcus Canty - "Piece of My Heart" [Boys / Mentor: L.A.]
In the intro video, he talked about moral values. Then during the song, he slides across the floor underneath a line of scantily clad women? Come on. Just to let you know, Marcus, R&B/Hip-Hop (which is the area he's obviously going to end up in post-show) and moral values don't mesh very well. As for his voice and performance, possibly one of the best of the night. At first, I wasn't sure, but I liked it by the end.

Click HERE to read the entire recap/review.

"Why I Refuse to Say Goodbye to Harry Potter" - An Original Essay by Jeff Dodge

2011-11-12T14:32:00.000-08:00

At the end of July and beginning of August, I just had this weird feeling going through me. It was only a few weeks after seeing the final Harry Potter movie for the first time. It was hard to imagine that there would be no more Potter movies. So I started writing down my thoughts. I put it aside for a while. A while ended up being about months (I didn't plan on waiting that long). As the DVD release date approached for the final film, I got the essay back out and went back through and edited the essay.

Yesterday was the release date for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, the final one. And to coincide with that release, I released my essay on OMGWire.com. I talk about how I was first introduced to the series, and transition into my feelings on the series coming to an end and what that means for me. I suggest reading the whole essay so you can understand why I titled it "Why I Refuse to Say Goodbye to Harry Potter."

Below is a short excerpt from the essay:

I didn't want to write this. I really didn't. It's been about four months now since the final Harry Potter movie came out, and I may have been in denial. In denial that the end was here and it's passed by me in a flash. I didn't want to write this, because I didn't want to say goodbye.

I first met Harry Potter in 1999. I was 11, the same age Harry was when he received his letter to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I never received mine, but I got so much more than just a mere letter. On Christmas Eve of that year, I received the first three books as a Christmas gift from my step-grandma. I had never heard of this series before, but thanked her because she knew I loved to read. Little did she (or I) know how much that one choice would change my life forever, would turn out to be more than just a simple gift.

But it didn't start that way. I began reading Sorcerer's Stone, and can you believe it when I say I didn't get very far before I stopped reading and stored the books away? At that time, it didn't catch my attention for some reason. A few months later, though, I was going through my closet and rediscovered Harry Potter sitting there with my other books. I decided to give it another chance. And boy am I glad I did. I can't even imagine what my life would have been like if I didn't. Before I knew it, I had swallowed up all three pretty much in one gulp and hungered for more. The problem? The fourth book wouldn't be released until summertime. And so Harry Potter went on the backburner again, but only temporarily. On the morning of July 8, 2000, I received a call from my mom (I had stayed at my grandparents' beach house the previous night) that UPS or some other delivery truck had pulled up and delivered a package. She didn't think she had ordered anything, so she was a little confused. But when she opened it, there was Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I had completely forgotten that I had entered a contest through one of the bookstores at the mall to win a free copy of the book. I told her to make sure to bring it with her when she came out to the beach house later that day. To the average person, two weeks might seem like a short time to read a 734 page book. And at the time, it was fast for me. (My speed time would quicken dramatically for the remaining books).

Goblet of Fire changed everything. Not just for me, but for the fandom and the franchise. After Goblet of Fire, I discovered Harry Potter fansites, who were all dissecting and analyzing the books for clues to what would happen next. I read through every single news item and rumor to see what the plot of book 5 would be. It was excruciating to have to wait three (THREE!!!) years for Order of the Phoenix.

Tragedy struck just over a year later...

The entire essay is much longer than this. To read the full essay, click HERE.

The X Factor: Top 11

2011-11-12T14:15:00.000-08:00

My recaps/reviews of this week's Top 11 performance and results show episodes of The X Factor are now up at OMGWire.com. Below are some excerpts from my commentary.

Click HERE to read the Top 11 recap/review.

Click HERE to read the Top 11 Results Show recap/review.

LeRoy Bell - "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," Runaway Bride [Over 30's / Mentor: Nicole]
"I'm Already There" was one of his weakest. But he's back in good form tonight. His soulful voice was a pleasure to listen to.

Chris Rene - "Gangsta's Paradise," Dangerous Minds [Boys / Mentor: L.A.]
Since he did rap, let's compare him against Astro. Who was better tonight? Chris Rene, because his song was one that went back and forth between rap and regular singing. I seem to like these kinds of rap songs better than ones with strictly rap, like Astro's. And I found myself getting into this performance. There were only a few pitch problems. Well done, Chris!

Bieber Guy Is Moving To OMGWire!

2011-11-09T12:32:00.000-08:00

Announcement:
Bieber Guy Is Moving To OMGWire!

I teased on Twitter recently that I had a big announcement coming soon regarding the future of Bieber Guy, and that it would be good news.

I am excited to announce that the Bieber Guy blog will be moving to OMGWire.com! If you haven't checked out OMGWire before, please do so. They provide the latest entertainment and celebrity news every single day. I first started writing for OMGWire back in June when I provided the recaps/reviews for America's Got Talent; I am currently doing them for this fall's The X Factor.

I apologize for the delay in my latest Bieber Guy review. The reason for the delay was because I was in the middle of setting up the new site.

So here's what's going to happen now: the Bieber Guy blog will still be up and running for at least a little while until everything has been transferred over (and I will link to any articles I write at the new site). OMGWire has started up a brand-new area of their site called Bieber Blog at this link: bieber.omgwire.com. This will be OMGWire's top spot for providing the latest Justin Bieber news.

I haven't pinned down a date yet for when my next Bieber Guy Review will be up. I apologize for the delay, but I am excited by this new opportunity that OMGWire has provided. And there will be other writers as well providing Bieber news on OMGWire's Bieber Blog as well.

To find out the latest TV, movie and entertainment news, visit the main TV Watch Online site and OMGWire.com (Twitter: @TVWatchOnline @OMGWire).

To stay updated on everything related to Bieber Guy and when the next review will be online, follow me on Twitter @Bieber_Guy. Twitter is the best and fastest way to find out about any news, announcements, articles, or reviews.

The X Factor: Top 12

2011-11-03T12:18:00.000-07:00

My recap/review of Wednesday night's Top 12 performance episode of The X Factor is now up at OMGWire.com. Below are some excerpts from my commentary.

Click HERE to read the entire article.

Rachel Crow - "Walking on Sunshine" [Girls / Mentor: Simon Cowell]
A great song. She wasn't always on pitch, especially during the first half. But she has a great personality to make up for that. I didn't understand why they changed the lyrics from "Walking on sunshine" to "You're my sunshine." It messed up what is a fantastic song. And ever since the live shows (both last week and tonight), I haven't been a fan of her clothing or hair style, or on-stage props.

Lakoda Rayne - "Landslide" [Groups / Mentor: Paula]
I wasn't impressed. It was a very safe song choice. And there was some shaky vocal moments (and one flat voice during the harmony), but their harmonies were pretty solid. The seasons aspect was corny.

Josh Krajcik - "Jar of Hearts" [Over 30's / Mentor: Nicole]
How do you top what he did last week? Since it worked, maybe Nicole thought he should do another slow song. And while not as beautiful as last time, his voice was still pretty good. Since he looks like a rocker, I think he needs to try out a more upbeat song, something more rock-like.

Marcus Canty - "Beautiful Girls"/"Every Little Step" [Boys / Mentor: L.A.]
The Boys category hasn't been the strongest, but Marcus has always had strong vocals. Tonight, his voice wasn't the strongest. Then he stepped up more in the second half and it felt more like he was an established artist.

Click HERE to read the entire recap/review. I realized after the fact that while I did made my bottom 2 prediction, I didn't type up my elimination prediction. So, I'm saying here that I predict that InTENsity will be sent home this week.

Elimination Prediction: InTENsity

The X Factor: Top 17

2011-10-28T11:34:00.000-07:00

My recap/review of this week's Top 17 (& first live) episode of The X Factor is now up at OMGWire.com. Below are some excerpts from my commentary.

Click HERE to read the entire article.

Chris Rene - "Love Don't Live Here Anymore"
His song choice wasn't the best; maybe a little too subdued? I don't know. He still needs to work on his voice because it's still not the best. I hate to say it, but Astro might have been better. By the way, Chris Rene was one of the contestants I saw audition live in person when I attended one of the Seattle tapings back in June.

The Stereo Hogzz - "Try A Little Tenderness"
They're the best of the night so far. They have the whole package - excellent choreography and dance moves, great vocals, and the lead singer has a great voice. And a fantastic arrangement.

LeRoy Bell - "Nobody Knows"
Dexter gets the Most Energy Award, but LeRoy gets the Voice Award over him. I love his voice. The song was such a pleasant song. Some may say it's the wrong choice, but I liked it.

Melanie Amaro - "I Have Nothing"
She's been my favorite the entire season so far, and before tonight, I pegged her as the winner already. She's a pop star in the making. The song choice was a tad predictable, but she did great with it. My only negative is that she got a little off-pitch when she really went for those high notes, but it was quickly remedied once she steadied onto those high notes.

Who was eliminated, and who's in the Top 12? Click HERE to check out the entire recap/review.

Bieber Guy's 'My World' Reviews

2011-10-11T14:58:00.000-07:00

It has been almost two months now since I launched the new Bieber Guy blog with my first review. If you haven't checked out Bieber Guy yet, here's a summary of what the blog is all about:

Justin Bieber's core demographic fan base is tween and teen girls. I, however, am a 23-year-old MALE college graduate. No matter where you turn, there Bieber is: on every TV show and website imaginable. I can certainly understand why the girls are in love with him, but I am not necessarily a fan. But neither am I a hater and dislike him either; I would consider myself a neutral outsider. That's there this new blog comes into play. I will become the Bieber Guy and explore the world of Justin Bieber (listening to all of his songs and albums, watch his music videos, read his book, watch his movie, view his YouTube videos, etc). This isn't necessarily to see if I will have Bieber Fever by the end; I'm not guaranteeing I will. The purpose of this project is to understand him as an artist rather than judge him or write him off as a fad, as many people have done without even taking the time to listen to much of his music. There are many who have said he will have lasting power in the music biz, unlike other young singing stars like Miley Cyrus or the Jonas Brothers. Why is that? Let's explore...

As I said, I am two months into this project now. And I really am enjoying working on it, being able to listen to his music. And so far, I have found that I am enjoying much of his music more than I thought I would. But I digress; my overall thoughts will be left for a future day.

I am currently in the middle of reviewing Justin's full-length album, My World 2.0, which is his second music release. But before I go any further, I thought I would let you all know where you can read all of my reviews from his debut, the My World EP. Below are all the links to those reviews:

Debut Single: "One Time" (Updated)

2nd Single: "One Less Lonely Girl"

Promo Singles: "Love Me" & "Favorite Girl"

EP: My World

You can also check out that blog for the reviews I've done so far for My World 2.0. I'll make sure to let you all know when I'm completely done reviewing the songs from that release.

If you follow TV Watch Online on Twitter (@TVWatchOnline), I do post links to all my reviews there. But if you really want to stay updated on everything related to Bieber Guy and when the next blog and/or review will be online, follow Bieber Guy on Twitter @Bieber_Guy.

Emmys: My Predictions vs. Winners

2011-09-19T11:48:00.000-07:00

The 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards were held last night. And to be honest, I didn't do too well. At the Golden Globes and Oscars earlier this year, I got 84% and 79% correct, respectively. But for this year's Emmys, I only got 46% correct, less than half! Oh my!

Here's the list of winners along with my predictions:

Outstanding Drama:
Mad Men
My Prediction:
Mad Men (+)

Outstanding Comedy:
Modern Family
My Prediction:
Modern Family (+)

Actor - Drama:
Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights
My Prediction:
Jon Hamm, Mad Men (-)
Nobody expected Kyle Chandler to win, but everyone is so excited and glad over his win, though. So good for him!

Actress - Drama:
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
My Prediction:
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife (+)

Actor - Comedy:
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
My Prediction:
Steve Carell, The Office (-)
Most people were hoping that Steve Carell would win, since it was his last year on The Office.

Actress - Comedy:
Melissa McCarthy, Mike & Molly
My Prediction:
Laura Linney, The Big C (-)
I loved this moment during the Emmys! When the presenters named the first nominee in this category, Amy Poehler, who's name that was, jumped out of her seat and went up to stand on stage. Then each time a nominee was named, each of the women went up and they all stood up in a line. And when Melissa's name was called as the winner, they gave her a bouquet of roses and tiara. Loved it! This was probably THE best moment of the entire show!

Supporting Actor - Drama:
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
My Prediction:
John Slattery, Mad Men (-)

Supporting Actress - Drama:
Margo Martindale, Justified
My Prediction:
Kelly Macdonald, Boardwalk Empire (-)

Supporting Actor - Comedy:
Ty Burrell, Modern Family
My Prediction:
Chris Colfer, Glee (-)
Well, Chris, let's hope you get it at the Golden Globes!

Supporting Actress - Comedy:
Julie Bowen, Modern Family
My Prediction:
Betty White, Hot In Cleveland (-)
I don't think anybody predicted Julie to win. Everyone was saying it would be either Jane Lynch or Betty White. I was so hoping that we would get an acceptance speech by Ms. White - that would have been great.

Guest Actor - Drama:
Paul McCrane, Harry's Law
My Prediction:
Michael J. Fox, The Good Wife (-)

Guest Actress - Drama:
Loretta Devine, Grey's Anatomy
My Prediction:
Loretta Devine, Grey's Anatomy (+)

Guest Actor - Comedy:
Justin Timberlake, Saturday Night Live
My Prediction:
Justin Timberlake, Saturday Night Live (+)

Guest Actress - Comedy:
Gwyneth Paltrow, Glee
My Prediction:
Tina Fey, Saturday Night Live (-)

Reality Competition Program:
The Amazing Race
My Prediction:
The Amazing Race (+)
And this year showed that American Idol will never ever win the Emmy. And it has nothing to do with the new energy in season 10. It's because EP Nigel Lythgoe keeps submitting the same episode each year, which is the season finale. The season finale is basically just an episode where a bunch of guest singers perform. He needs to be choosing competition-type episodes, such as the episode when Casey Abrams was eliminated, then the judges saved him. Now that is drama at its finest!

Reality Program:
Deadliest Catch
My Prediction:
Antiques Roadshow (-)

Reality Host:
Jeff Probst, Survivor
My Prediction:
Jeff Probst, Survivor (+)
Good for you, Jeff! You're the greatest!

Variety, Musical or Comedy Series:
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
My Prediction:
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart (+)

Variety, Music or Comedy Special:
The Kennedy Center Honors
My Prediction:
The Kennedy Center Honors (+)

Movie or Miniseries:
Downtown Abbey
My Prediction:
Mildred Pierce (-)

Actor - Miniseries or Movie:
Barry Pepper, The Kennedys
My Prediction:
Edgar Ramirez, Carlos (-)

Actress - Miniseries or Movie:
Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce
My Prediction:
Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce (+)

Supporting Actor - Miniseries or Movie:
Guy Pearce, Mildred Pierce
My Prediction:
James Woods, Too Big to Fail (-)

Supporting Actress - Miniseries or Movie:
Maggie Smith, Downtown Abbey
My Prediction:
Maggie Smith, Downtown Abbey (+)

Well, I guess better luck next time for me.

You can view the full list of nominees, winners, and my predictions on TV Watch Online's Emmy Awards page.

T.W.O: Emmy Predictions

2011-09-17T18:14:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow are the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards, airing at 8pm ET/5pm PT on FOX, hosted by Glee's Jane Lynch. On the eve of the show, I have now made my predictions on who will win in each of the categories. Below are my predictions, and head on over to T.W.O.'s Emmy Awards page for a list of all the nominees. So, without further ado, here are TV Watch Online's predictions for the 2011 Emmy Awards:

Outstanding Drama:
Mad Men

Outstanding Comedy:
Modern Family

Actor - Drama:
Jon Hamm, Mad Men

Actress - Drama:
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife

Actor - Comedy:
Steve Carell, The Office

Actress - Comedy:
Laura Linney, The Big C

Supporting Actor - Drama:
John Slattery, Mad Men

Supporting Actress - Drama:
Kelly Macdonald, Boardwalk Empire

Supporting Actor - Comedy:
Chris Colfer, Glee

Supporting Actress, Comedy:
Betty White, Hot in Cleveland

Guest Actor - Drama:
Michael J. Fox, The Good Wife

Guest Actress - Drama:
Loretta Devine, Grey's Anatomy

Guest Actor - Comedy:
Justin Timberlake, Saturday Night Live

Guest Actress - Comedy:
Tina Fey, Saturday Night Live

Reality Competition Program:
The Amazing Race

Reality Program:
Antiques Roadshow

Reality Host:
Jeff Probst, Survivor

Variety, Musical or Comedy Series:
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Variety, Music or Comedy Special:
The Kennedy Center Honors

Movie or Miniseries:
Mildred Pierce

Actor - Miniseries or Movie:
Edgar Ramirez, Carlos

Actress - Miniseries or Movie:
Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce

Supporting Actor - Miniseries or Movie:
James Woods, Too Big to Fail

Supporting Actress - Miniseries or Movie:
Maggie Smith, Downtown Abbey

America's Got Talent 6 - Finale Week

2011-09-15T11:38:00.000-07:00

My recaps/reviews of this week's Top 4 performance episode and Finale of America's Got Talent are now up at OMGWire.com. Below are some excerpts of my commentaries.

Click HERE to read the entire Top 4 Recap/Review and HERE for the Finale Recap/Review (& HERE for the Quick Results Recap).

Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr. - Singer
Song: Frank Sinatra's "My Way"
The opening lines of the song fit the evening perfectly: "And now the end is near / And so I face the final curtain." However, the first half of the performance was not as fitting, not spectacular. Very boring. Fortunately, though, he was perfectly on form during the final half. Since the song picked up, he was able to really show off his voice. And I loved the final drawn out notes. Since he's a singer, he could very well win, since this show basically only votes singers as its winners. But I'm wondering if the producers purposefully had him perform first, so that a singer wouldn't win.

---

During Wednesday night's performance episode, some technical difficulties occurred just before Silhouettes was about to perform. Now, we see the backstage video of what really went on. The huge door behind the stage broke down and wouldn't open up, even when the crew tried to manually open it. Finally, they were able to get it, and the show went on.

America's Got Talent 6 - Top 10 Results Show

2011-09-08T11:15:00.000-07:00

My recap/review of last night's America's Got Talent results show is now up at OMGWire.com. Below is an excerpt of my commentary.

Click HERE to read the entire article.

Up next are Poplyfe and Landon Swank. I guess they're doing everything in two's tonight. As with Team iLuminate, it's a no-brainer here that the illusionist is the only option. But wait...Poplyfe advances to the next round! What?! What just happened? I think this just goes to show that America is so indoctrinated by the million singing competitions on every network that they just vote for singers over the truly talented. Yesterday I said that I didn't think a magician has ever made the finals on AGT. And that will unfortunately hold up this season as well. One of the most talented acts to ever grace the AGT stage in the history of the show has been eliminated.

America's Got Talent 6 - Top 10

2011-09-07T11:28:00.000-07:00

My recap/review of last night's Top 10 of America's Got Talent is now up at OMGWire.com. Below is an excerpt of my commentary.

Click HERE to read the entire article.

There are usually 12 acts that perform each week. But since there are only 10 this week and the episode is still two hours, that means they have two segments to try to fill up. They start out by showing a filler video of the judges hanging out and chatting with the Top 10 at the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills.

To fill up the final filler spot, last year's AGT winner, Michael Grimm, performs. I wasn't sure about the song at first, because it was a little slow. But as the song went on, it did pick up a bit and Michael really just got into the song and tore it up.

America's Got Talent 6 - Semifinals (Group 2) Results Show

2011-09-01T11:20:00.000-07:00

My recap/review of last night's America's Got Talent results show is now up at OMGWire.com. Below is an excerpt of my commentary.

Click HERE to read the entire article.

Three acts are called to the stage: Gymkana, Steven Retchless, and Silhouettes. As much as I want to see Steven get a chance to redeem himself, it's going to be Silhouettes. And yes, Silhouettes are in the Top 10!

America's Got Talent 6 - Semifinals (Group 2)

2011-08-31T12:01:00.000-07:00

My recap/review of last night's final Semifinals of America's Got Talent is now up at OMGWire.com. Below is an excerpt of my commentary.

Click HERE to read the entire article.

The Kinetic King - Variety Act
As well as he did last week after a stumble a few weeks or so ago, he should not have made the Top 24. Nick told the audience and judges to put on their safety goggles, because the pieces will fly towards them. This set-up went by a lot faster than last time, which worked better in terms of me not getting bored. But this isn't a Vegas act. This has to be the end of the road for him.

America's Got Talent 6 - Semifinals (Group 1) Results Show

2011-08-25T18:35:00.000-07:00

My recap/review of last night's America's Got Talent results show is now up at OMGWire.com. Below is an excerpt of my commentary.

Click HERE to read the entire article.

Three more acts are called to the stage: Melissa Villasenor, Miami All Stars, and Kevin Colis. Since there are only two spots remaining, and the judges will choose one of them, then that means only one of these three acts can stay on. And even though I really like Melissa, the huge dance group will be on the one. The act advancing is Miami All Stars.

America's Got Talent 6 - Semifinals (Group 1)

2011-08-24T11:34:00.000-07:00

My recap/review of last night's first Semifinals of America's Got Talent is now up at OMGWire.com. Below is an excerpt of my commentary.

Click HERE to read the entire article.

Zuma Zuma - Acrobatic Dancers
Still in the animal print attire, Zuma Zuma performed a variety of acrobatic routines. One of them did the limbo under a bar on fire. Some balanced upside down on a bunch of stacked chairs. And near the end, they all stood on top of each other. While impressive, they didn't raise the bar from their performance in the previous round. Unfortunately, it wasn't good enough to make it to the next round.

America's Got Talent 6 - Wild Card Results Show

2011-08-18T19:51:00.000-07:00

My recap/review of last night's America's Got Talent results show is now up at OMGWire.com. Below is an excerpt of my commentary.

Click HERE to read the entire article.

Shevonne, Yellow Designs Stunt Team, and West Springfield Dance Team are the first three acts called to the stage to find out their fate. Since Shevonne hasn't been featured on the show, she has very little chance of making it. So it comes down to Yellow Designs and West Springfield. In my predictions yesterday, I went with the stunt team, but said I wouldn't be surprised if the dancers make it. And in fact, the West Springfield Dance Team are in the Top 24!

America's Got Talent 6 - Wild Card

2011-08-17T18:42:00.000-07:00

My recap/review of last night's Wild Card episode of America's Got Talent is now up at OMGWire.com. Below is an excerpt of my commentary.

Click HERE to read the entire article.

The Kinetic King - Variety Act
Chosen By: Piers Morgan
It's no surprise they brought him back after his disastrous performance last time around. And I'm glad they gave him a second chance, for that very reason. But when it comes down to it, this isn't a Vegas act; in fact, this isn't any sort of an act that people would pay to go see. In terms of this particular performance, the domino effect started out a little slow, so it didn't grab my attention. But the last half was much better. And of course it's my luck that while I'm trying to watch all the intricate things going on, they're showing local election results at the bottom of the screen, so I was trying to do two things at once. But anyways...I'm glad he got a second chance, like I said, but this is the end of the road. And really, has anyone who performed first on this show ever made it to the next round? Most, if not all, of the acts who make it were featured in the last hour of the two hour episodes.

New Bieber Guy Blog Explores the Justin Bieber Phenomenon

2011-08-15T11:51:00.000-07:00

Justin Bieber's core demographic is tween and teen girls. I, however, am a 23-year-old MALE college graduate. No matter where you turn, there Bieber is: on every TV show and website imaginable. I can certainly understand why the girls are in love with him, but I am not necessarily a fan (but neither am I a hater and dislike him either); I would consider myself neutral. That's where this new blog comes into play. I will become the Bieber Guy and explore the world of Justin Bieber (listening to all of his songs, watch his music videos, read his book, watch his movie, view his YouTube videos, etc). This isn't necessarily to see if I will have Bieber Fever by the end. I'm not guaranteeing I will; the purpose of this project is to understand him as an artist rather than judge him or write him off as a fad, as many people have done without even taking the time to listen to much of his music.

As of this morning, I have begun my venture as the Bieber Guy, reviewing his very first single, "One Time." Click HERE to read my review, where you can also find links to listen to the song for yourself. As you will read in that blog entry, I started off with a lukewarm reaction, but eventually warmed up to it and his voice. Read for yourself why I changed my opinion.

My plan is to review next his second single, "One Less Lonely Girl," then either the two iTunes promo singles or the debut EP as a whole. To stay updated on everything related to Bieber Guy and to find out when the next blog entry will be online, follow Bieber Guy on Twitter @Bieber_Guy.

America's Got Talent 6 - YouTube Results Show

2011-08-12T11:28:00.000-07:00

My recap/review of last night's America's Got Talent results show is now up at OMGWire.com. Below is an excerpt of my commentary.

Click HERE to read the entire article (& HERE for the quick recap).

The first two acts brought to the stage are Gymkana and Powerhouse. My first reaction is that both will be going through. Since Powerhouse performed last, I'm surprised that they didn't make it. But Gymkana is in the Top 24.

YouTube sensation Tay Zonday quickly performs "Chocolate Rain." That was way too quick to even know what was going on.

America's Got Talent 6 - YouTube Acts

2011-08-10T11:34:00.000-07:00

My recap/review of last night's YouTube episode of America's Got Talent is now up at OMGWire.com. Below is an excerpt of my commentary.

Click HERE to read the entire article.

TNC Elite - Cloggers
They were trying to clog to the beat of the song ("I've Gotta Feeling"), but the beat of the song doesn't work for a clogging routine, because there were moments they lagged or were slow depending on the beat and how fast or slow the parts of the song were.

America's Got Talent 6 - Top 48 (Group 4) Results Show

2011-08-04T11:09:00.000-07:00

My recap/review of last night's live results show of America's Got Talent is now up at OMGWire.com. Below is an excerpt of my commentary.

Click HERE to read the entire article (& HERE for the quick recap).

Frank Miles, Avery and the Calico Hearts,Taylor Davis, and Fatally Unique are the first four acts to find out the results. I know I keep saying the same thing every week like a broken record, but yet again it’s completely obvious what’s going to happen. Frank Miles and Taylor Davis have no chance. The Chipmunks, I’m mean Avery and the Calico Hearts, may have somewhat of a chance, but I hope they don’t. Fortunately, Fatally Unique is in. Sharon just loves the Chipmunks so much, I wouldn’t be surprised if she puts them in the Wild Card round in two weeks.

America's Got Talent 6 - Top 48 (Group 4)

2011-08-03T11:47:00.000-07:00

My recap/review of Tuesday's live performance episode of America's Got Talent is now up at OMGWire.com. Below is an excerpt of my commentary.

Click HERE to read the entire article.

1. The Kinetic King - Variety Act
His act (the domino-like effect using tongue depressors, etc.) took two days to set up. At the start of the performance, he had some female assistants, one of whom pulled a string that should have started the chain reaction. Problem was, nothing happened…at all. So he went over and tried to start it manually, but it only went about a foot or so. He tried it again a few more time and again it only went a couple feet or so. After the failure, he goes all over the stage and wiggles and kicks various parts of the setup. It’s not much better; only a couple of the areas move. Nick joins him on stage to help. This whole thing really was a trainwreck. And to his credit, it wasn’t necessarily his fault. He’s experienced with working on this type of a hobby. He knows how it should have gone. But for whatever reason, it didn’t work. America can still vote, but I doubt they will.

America's Got Talent 6 - Top 48 (Group 3) Results Show

2011-07-28T12:04:00.000-07:00

My recap/review of last night's (Wednesday's) live results show of America's Got Talent is now up at OMGWire.com. Below is an excerpt of my commentary.

Click HERE to read the entire article (& HERE for the quick recap).

Ian Johnson,Summerwind Skippers, and Purrfect Angelz are the first three acts to face the results. I really can’t see any of them making it, so this perplexes me. And all three are eliminated!

America's Got Talent 6 - Top 48 (Group 3)

2011-07-27T11:23:00.000-07:00

My recap/review of Tuesday's live performance episode of America's Got Talent is now up at OMGWire.com. Below is an excerpt of my commentary.

Click HERE to read the entire article.

Summerwind Skippers – Jump Rope Team
I think the producers purposefully puts the forgettable acts in the first spot of the night, because they probably won’t have a chance at advancing. And I think the same can be said of this group. They were just average during the first half of the performance, from the schoolyard amateurish jump-roping to the dancing being done more than the jump-roping itself. But about halfway through, they improved greatly, and their jump-roping moves impressed me. Regardless, though, this isn’t a Vegas-worthy act, no matter how good they may be.

America's Got Talent 6 - Top 48 (Group 2) Results Show

2011-07-21T11:26:00.000-07:00

My recap/review of last night's (Wednesday's) live results show of America's Got Talent is now up at OMGWire.com. Below is an excerpt of my commentary.

Click HERE to read the entire article.

The Rhinestone Ropers,Thomas John, andSilhouettes are the first three acts to find out their fate on the show. To me, it seems obvious that Silhouettes are advancing. No matter my comments on their performance this week, they are the only act of the three that has talent. And yes, Silhouettes are heading into the Top 24.

America's Got Talent 6 - Top 48 (Group 2)

2011-07-20T10:57:00.000-07:00

My recap/review of Tuesday's live performance episode of America's Got Talent is now up at OMGWire.com. Below is an excerpt of my commentary.

Click HERE to read the entire article.

Dani Shay – Singer/Guitarist
Song: “Babylon”
In the previous round, I said she should have stuck with the Bieber schtick, because that’s what worked for her in the auditions. But she’s not going back to that. In her intro video, I can see how passionate she is about music. So it’s unfortunate that this was her weakest performance to date. Her voice got worse as the song progressed, with it shaking a lot at times and barely in tune. And I don’t think they should have put those furniture props on stage to make it seem like she was in a living room; it made the act cheesy.

2011 Emmy Nominations: Amazing Race, Desperate Housewives, Glee, Survivor, American Idol, Grey's Anatomy, America's Got Talent

2011-07-14T14:49:00.000-07:00

Today, the 2011 Emmy Award nominations were announced. Click HERE to read a list of the major categories, and HERE for the full and complete nominations (including behind-the-scenes noms).

For shows that are featured on TV Watch Online, I have compile all of their nominations below:

The Amazing Race:
*Outstanding Reality - Competition Program
*Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Reality-Competition Program
-Phil Keoghan
*Outstanding Cinematography For Reality Programming
*Outstanding Directing For Nonfiction Programming
*Outstanding Picture Editing For Reality Programming
*Outstanding Sound Editing For Nonfiction Programming (Single Or Multi-Camera)
*Outstanding Sound Mixing For Nonfiction Programming

Desperate Housewives:
*Outstanding Voice-Over Performance
-Brenda Strong

Glee:
*Outstanding Comedy Series
*Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series
-Chris Colfer
*Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series
-Jane Lynch
*Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series
-Kristin Chenoweth
*Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series
-Dot-Marie Jones
*Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series
-Gwyneth Paltrow
*Outstanding Casting For A Comedy Series
*Outstanding Costumes For A Series
*Outstanding Hairstyling For A Single-Camera Series
*Outstanding Makeup For A Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic)
*Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup For A Series, Miniseries, Movie Or A Special
*Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (One Hour)

Survivor:
*Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Reality-Competition Program
-Jeff Probst
*Outstanding Cinematography For Reality Programming
*Outstanding Picture Editing For Reality Programming

American Idol:
*Outstanding Reality - Competition Program
*Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Reality-Competition Program
-Ryan Seacrest
*Outstanding Art Direction For Variety, Music Or Nonfiction Programming
*Outstanding Directing For A Variety, Music Or Comedy Series
*Outstanding Short-Form Picture Editing
*Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction For A Variety, Music, Or Comedy Series
*Outstanding Sound Editing For Nonfiction Programming (Single Or Multi-Camera)
*Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Variety Or Music Series Or Special
*Outstanding Sound Mixing For Nonfiction Programming
*Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video Control For A Series

Grey's Anatomy:
*Outstanding Guest Actress In A Drama Series
-Loretta Devine
*Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media [ABC's Grey's Anatomy Sync]
*Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup For A Series, Miniseries, Movie Or A Special

America's Got Talent:
*Outstanding Hairstyling For A Multi-Camera Series Or Special

The 2011 Emmy Awards will air on Sunday, September 18 at 8pm ET/5pm PT on FOX.

America's Got Talent 6 - Top 48 (Group 1) Results Show

2011-07-14T12:04:00.000-07:00

My recap/review of last night's (Wednesday's) first live results show of this year's America's Got Talent is now up at OMGWire.com. Below is an excerpt of my commentary.

Click HERE to read the entire article.

The first three acts to face the results areFearless Flores Family, Duo Aero, andSnap Boogie. Only one will move on to the next round. In my previous recap/review, I predicted that both Flores and Snap would make it, so right off the bat, I’m going to get one prediction wrong even if I get the other right. And Snap Boogie is advancing into the semifinals.

America's Got Talent 6 - Top 48 (Group 1)

2011-07-13T23:06:00.000-07:00

My recap/review of Tuesday's first live episode of this year's America's Got Talent is now up at OMGWire.com. Below is an excerpt of my commentary.

Click HERE to read the entire article.

Miami All Stars – Dance Group
With how many people are in this group, it could have been a mess onstage, with everyone doing their own thing, and us not knowing who to look at (as has happened with large dance groups on this show before). But their choreography was all together, no one was out of place, and they were flawless. But I wasn’t blown away. I’m not the biggest fan of dancing groups on this show, so they have to be absolutely extraordinary to make me pay attention.

Lifetime's J.K. Rowling Biopic, "Magic Beyond Words," Premieres July 18 (Watch a Movie Clip Here)

2011-07-08T12:44:00.000-07:00

Lifetime will be premiering Magic Beyond Words: The J.K. Rowling Story on Monday, July 18, at 8pm ET/PT. This unauthorized TV movie biopic recounts Rowling's struggles to make ends meet before Harry Potter came into her life.

Below is the synopsis of the movie, via Lifetime's website:

"Magic Beyond Words: The J.K. Rowling Story" dramatizes the British author's struggle to bring the beloved wizard fantasy of Harry Potter to life. Starting out as a single mother on welfare, she became one of the world's wealthiest women, with more than 400 million copies of her visionary books sold across the globe, resulting in a billion-dollar film franchise. The film is an inspiring look of a woman's rise to become one of the most influential writers ever -- from her humble beginnings as an imaginative young girl and awkward teenager to the devastating loss of her mother and the genesis of the Harry Potter phenomenon in her early twenties. The rags-to-riches tale also follows Rowling's tumultuous first marriage, becoming a mother, her divorce and the dark days of living on government assistance while publisher after publisher passed on her first novel ... before it became an international best-seller and established Rowling's rightful place in literary and cultural history.

Visit the Magic Beyond Words page on Lifetime's website for more information on the movie.

Finally, Poppy Montgomery, who plays Rowling in Magic Beyond Words, appeared as a guest on Live with Regis and Kelly this morning to promote the movie; the show aired a clip, in which Rowling is in the process of applying for governmental assistance. Watch the interview and clip below:

TV Watch Online provides the latest TV, movie and entertainment news every day. Check back here to the T.W.O. BLOG for all of my recaps/reviews, commentary, opinions, and more. And don't forget to follow us on Twitter @TVWatchOnline.

The X Factor Seattle Audition Taping: On-the-Scene Report

2011-07-07T14:37:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned on Twitter, I attended one of last week's audition tapings in Seattle for Simon Cowell's new singing competition show, The X Factor. My On The Scene report recounting my experience is now up at OMGWire.com. Below is an excerpt from my report.

Click HERE to read the full On The Scene Report.

Conversations With The Contestants:
Whenever a singer or group came on stage, the judges would ask various questions, including finding out their name, age, job and musical influences. And what I found surprising was that the judges would ask for a different song after they first performed. I know that that happens on the Idol auditions, but they asked for different songs quite a lot, even asking some for the list of songs they had lined up. Overall, the judges spent a lot of time with each contestant. There was only one time where they whisked a contestant off fast. After her song, they did a quick no vote and that was the end of that.

Most of the time when the judges were waiting for another singer to come out, they would be chatting amongst themselves the entire time. And even when a singer or group came out, they would continue talking to each other and not acknowledge the singers until they got to their spot on the stage. Even though I would hate to have a seat behind the judges (you wouldn’t be able to see hardly anything), I would have loved to be sitting right behind them and try to hear what they were saying.

The X Factor premieres Wednesday, September 21 and Thursday, September 22 from 8-10pm on FOX.

Visit TV Watch Online's American Idol & X Factor News page for all the latest news on The X Factor.

America's Got Talent 6 - Final Auditions & Vegas Week

2011-07-07T14:20:00.000-07:00

My recaps/reviews of both of this week's episodes, covering the final auditions and Vegas Week, of America's Got Talent are now up at OMGWire.com. Below are excerpts of my commentaries.

Click HERE to read Tuesday's article, and HERE for Wednesday's article.

As host Nick Cannon introduces the judges, Howie comes out hugging everyone in the audience. But wait…out comes the real Howie, unscathed. He sent out a look-alike to do the “dirty” work for him.

Avery and the Calico Hearts – Three 9-10-year-old Female Singers
Song: Justin Bieber’s “Baby”
Did anyone else think they sounded just like Alvin and the Chipmunks? When someone pointed this out to me, I couldn’t help but laugh during the rest of their performance. These girls certainly are not scared of being on this large stage in front of a huge audience. But neither does it feel like their parents have forced them into this; they aren’t acting too old for their age or anything. Howie votes yes. Piers says no. But Sharon sides with Howie and sends them to Vegas. I knew the minute they walked on that stage that they would be heading to Vegas, because these judges can’t seem to say no to kids. If it weren’t for the success of last year’s 10-year-old Jackie Evancho, I would absolutely say there should be a minimum age limit on this show.

Now that the judges have viewed the Judges Favorites, Day 2 brings us the standby acts, who will perform for the remaining spots in the Top 48.
First up are the Magicians. The first couple of magicians aren’t impressing anyone. But Landon Swank shows how it’s done. He makes a box rise up in the air a little. When he opens the box, some balloons come out, and then a woman. The song, John Mayor’s “Gravity,” sets the tone of the act very well. The assistants of the next magician drop a cube-like structure from its pedestal. They’re able to get it back on, but the judges don’t like that a mistake is made. The rest of his time is used well, though, especially when he turns into a woman (though I know how that one is done). The way this segment is edited, it seems like Landon will be the one making it through.

America's Got Talent 6 - 6/29/11 Auditions

2011-07-02T22:18:00.000-07:00

My recap/review of Wednesday's audition episode of America's Got Talent is now up at OMGWire.com. Below is an excerpt of my commentary.

Click HERE to read the entire article.

The judges, apparently, have a hard time finding their way through the theatre building. Howie ends up getting lost in what seems to be the basement (the bowels of the theatre). A cheesy, staged incident like this fits in well with the cheesiness of “America’s Got Talent,” don’t you think? I love it.

Eric and Christlo – Singers
Song: “Don’t Go Chasing Waterfalls”
The two members of this singing duo have cheesy choreography, and do not sing any note in tune. Both Piers and Sharon X them. And all three judges vote no.

Combined American Idol & X Factor News Page

2011-07-01T19:08:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed that whenever any major X Factor news articles come in, I have put them on the American Idol News page. And starting today, I have decided to make it official, and rename that page 'American Idol & X Factor News.' (It still retains the same URL). On that page, you can find all the latest news on both American Idol and The X Factor. I am doing this because I have not yet decided if I will give X Factor its own page to chronicle the competition over the course of each season (but I very well may). I also did this because it makes it easier for you all to clearly see that that page covers news on two shows, and not just on Idol.

America's Got Talent 6 - New York Auditions (Pt2)

2011-06-30T08:24:00.000-07:00

My recap/review of Tuesday's audition episode of America's Got Talent is now up at OMGWire.com. Below are excerpts of my commentary.

Click HERE to read the entire article.

Rak and Tak – Singers
Song: Heart’s “Alone”
The two members of this duo are not only husband and wife, but doctors as well. In their intro video, they go on about how good a voice the other one has. I already have a bad feeling about this. And what do you know, they’re completely tone-deaf. The worst part is her high notes, which hurt my ears. But unbelievably, they receive no X’s from the judges. Fortunately, though, Howie and Sharon vote no; I don’t have any idea why Piers votes yes. But during their comments on the performance, Rak and Tak don’t pick up on the judges hints that they’re bad.

Michael Jackson's Death: 2 Years Later...

2011-06-25T15:01:00.000-07:00

On June 25, 2009, I sat down to my laptop to search the Internet for the most recent entertainment news to put up on TV Watch Online. I saw a headline that said Michael Jackson was rushed to a hospital and was in a coma. Upon seeing this, I immediately opened up this L.A. Times article. It was an article that was continuously being updated with the latest on this breaking news item. A few moments later, I refreshed the page, and this was the new headline I read: "Michael Jackson is dead." My jaw opened in shock and my heart beat furiously. I wasn't a diehard MJ fan or anything, but this came out of nowhere, and anybody would be shocked by this. Once I got out of my daze, I immediately ran upstairs to ask if the news was on. We turned on CNN, and were glued to the TV for quite a while.

As I mentioned above, I wasn't necessarily a Michael Jackson fan, per say, and I'll tell you why. I am 22 years old, which means I grew up in the '90's and '00's. I didn't grow up with Michael Jackson's music. If I heard his name on TV or elsewhere, I did not think of "Thriller" or "Billie Jean" or "Bad." I thought of the child molestation allegations, the plastic surgery (seeing bandages over his shrinking nose), the court proceedings, seeing him arrive to court in his pajamas, and being found not guilty on all counts. Those were the thoughts I had of him, because that's all I ever saw surrounding him my entire life.

But even though June 25, 2009 was a day of mourning, something amazing also happened starting on that day. During the 24/7 news coverage that followed his death in the hours, days and weeks to come, his personal life was not the overshadowing analysis by the talking heads or America. His music, rightly, came back to the forefront (his music dominated iTunes and Amazon). And as a result, I became a fan of Michael Jackson - the artist, the performer, the singer, the entertainer. In the days that followed, I spent my time pouring YouTube to listen to all of his singles and other well-known songs, and watched all of his music videos (including the genius that is "Thriller").

Even though the music overpowered all, there was still the soap opera drama that followed, trying to figure out why he died, what drugs he might have taken, and if Doctor Conrad Murray was at fault. Then the cash cow began. Everyone tried to get their hands on making some money from his death. Rehearsal footage from what would have been his comeback tour was released as the concert/documentary This Is It. And then Sony released MJ's first posthumous album, Michael.

But when it came to Michael Jackson himself (putting aside all other persons involved), the music reined supreme, and that is a good thing, indeed.

Today, on the two-year anniversary of Michael Jackson's death, let us not focus on his death. Rather, let us look back on his contributions to the world of music...

"If you enter this world knowing you are loved and you leave this world knowing the same, then everything that happens in between can be dealt with."
-- Michael Jackson

"And my goal in life is to give to the world what I was lucky to receive: the ecstasy of divine union through my music and my dance."
-- Michael Jackson

"In a world filled with hate, we must still dare to hope. In a world filled with anger, we must still dare to comfort. In a world filled with despair, we must still dare to dream. And in a world filled with distrust, we must still dare to believe."
-- Michael Jackson

America's Got Talent 6 - New York Auditions

2011-06-23T07:23:00.000-07:00

My recap/review of last night's (Wednesday) audition episode of America's Got Talent is now up at OMGWire.com. Below are excerpts of my commentary.

Click HERE to read the entire article.

When host Nick Cannon introduces the judges, Howie comes out in a large, clear ball. Hilarious! If you watch The ‘Ellen DeGeneres Show,’ you know that Ellen at one time gave Howie one of those clear balls to walk around in (though I can tell it’s not the same as this one). Seeing something like this, how can you not love Howie?

Triple Threat – Broadway Act
They call themselves ‘Triple Threat’ because in the world of Broadway, a triple threat is someone who can sing, act and dance, and this act can supposedly do all three. The singing is not good at all. And the dancing is amateurish and basic. The judges all X’s them, so we don’t get to see any acting.

America's Got Talent 6 - Atlanta Auditions

2011-06-22T23:54:00.000-07:00

My recap/review of Tuesday night's audition episode of America's Got Talent is now up on OMGWire.com. Below is an excerpt of my write-up. Click HERE to read the entire article.

Hershae Chocolatae – Drag Queen
Hershae does impersonations with some dancing added in. He starts out performing as Macy Gray. His voice is very flat. Even though we can tell it’s Macy he’s impersonating, the tone and pitch of the voice should be better than what he’s offering. Then “Last Dance” begins and he does some dancing for the remainder of his time. Piers votes no. But both Sharon and Howie vote yes. Now, I’m all for having impersonators on the show, but you have to be great at it, not just good.

Jennifer Lawrence: From Winter's Bone to The Hunger Games

2011-06-19T13:18:00.000-07:00

Recently, I sat down to watch the Oscar Best Picture-nominated film Winter's Bone on DVD. Winter's Bone has never been on my radar of movies to watch, even during the high of Oscar season. So why, you might ask, did I decide to finally watch it? The answer is because of Jennifer Lawrence, who has been cast in the role of Katniss Everdeen in next year's highly-anticipated The Hunger Games, based on the first book in the bestselling Young Adult trilogy by Suzanne Collins.

When Ms. Lawrence was first cast as Katniss, there was an uproar among fans of the book series that she was too old, too blonde, not thin enough, etc. etc. Even during Oscar season, I didn't pay any attention to her, because everyone said she had no chance at winning Best Actress. When her name popped up as the frontrunner for this role, I'm not lying when I say I had no opinion either way on if she was the right person to play Katniss. I was willing to give her a chance at this, and not make harsh judgments when we hadn't even seen any images or video clips of her in the film yet. I didn't really understand why fans were so upset by this casting decision. Somehow, they overlooked the fact that you can change a person's hair color, you can use makeup and other effects to darken skin. You can do all sorts of things to make her look like Katniss. I mean, look at the Harry Potter films or The Lord of the Rings trilogy; hair and makeup, prosthetics, and special effects can go a long way (Tom Felton? Yeah, not a natural blonde).

Then Entertainment Weekly released the first promotional photo shoot of Jennifer in full makeup and costume with brunette hair. Suddenly, the fandom breathed a big sigh of relief, and thus there was a sense of calm and order in the world again. And, by the way, I love the promo shot and immediately got excited for her to play this role.

But back to Winter's Bone now. As far as I'm aware, I have never seen her act in anything before. And since a huge part of why Jennifer was cast in The Hunger Games was because of her moving and powerful role in Winter's Bone, I felt compelled to actually watch it. Jennifer plays Ree, whose father is out on bond and has put the house and property up as his bond. If he doesn't show up for court, Ree and her family will lose the house. So Ree sets out to find him.

There is a scene where Ree's uncle grabs her by the neck/face. Here is where we see Jennifer displaying a great sense of fear and vulnerability, whereas in the scenes before that, we see her defiant and trying to act tough and strong (putting on a front, perhaps?). The character of Katniss in The Hunger Games is not this hugely tough, Lara Croft-type heroine. She does have vulnerability. She does have fear. She is human and has flaws. And Jennifer perfectly captured all of that when playing Ree. And in a scene near the end which takes place in a boat (for those who don't want to be spoiled, I won't say what actually happens in that scene), Ree is very overwrought with emotion. Jennifer's acting in these types of scenes are breathtaking to watch. She is a brilliant actress. And after watching her Oscar-nominated performance in Winter's Bone, I don't have any worries about her taking on the role of Katniss.

When a million names were flying all over the Internet on who should play Katniss Everdeen, one of the front-runners at one point was Kaya Scodelario, who played Effy Stonem in the hit British drama, Skins. I am a fan of that show and thought she should play Katniss after seeing her on that TV show. One of the reasons why other fans thought she would be perfect as well was because she is pretty thin, since Katniss is supposed to have a starved appearance over the course of the games. And many are not happy with the fact that Jennifer is not thin. I'm not sure how they will deal with this aspect, but I'm sure they'll come up with something. This is the only area where I can understand why fans would be upset.

I have faith in Gary Ross, Suzanne Collins and all the filmmakers to create an excellent film that lives up to our expectations. People are saying this new movie franchise could be the next Twilight, not in terms of the story, but in terms of the anticipation, buzz, hype, and box office draw. I believe it does have a chance at that; it's already started. Harry Potter is ending next month. Twilight ends next year. We need a new Young Adult/fantasy franchise to take over, and I am confident that The Hunger Games can fill that role. And with Jennifer Lawrence as the face of these movies, we the fans should have nothing to worry about. I'm not making any judgments about any of the casting choices until I see them in their roles. And I hope others can do that as well. I'm not saying I won't make criticisms about certain elements of the movie; I'm sure I will, but for now, I'm staying out of that department. There is a reason we love the books. So let's support the filmmakers in this journey of translating the story to the big screen.

For all the latest news, rumors and filming updates, visit TV Watch Online's The Hunger Games page.

America's Got Talent 6 - Seattle Auditions Pt2

2011-06-15T10:50:00.000-07:00

My recap/review of Tuesday night's audition episode of America's Got Talent is now up on OMGWire.com. Below is an excerpt of my write-up. Click HERE to read the entire article.

Brian Jackson - Blowing up hot water bottles
This man blows up hot water bottles until they explode. He has broken bones before doing what he does. He wants to break a world record, which I think he said was blowing up three in 90 seconds. Howie times him for 90 seconds. Piers X’s him right away. When time is up, Howie X’s him as well. He can’t even manage to get through one. His excuse is that he hasn’t used this brand before. Uh huh, ’cause that’s the reason why. Does he really think this is something we all would want to see done again and again and again each and every week, the same thing over and over? Three no’s from the judges and he’s eliminated.

America's Got Talent 6 - Houston/Minneapolis Auditions

2011-06-10T11:19:00.000-07:00

My recap/commentary on Wednesday's audition episode of America's Got Talent is now up at OMGWire.com. Below is an excerpt of my write-up. Click HERE to read the entire article.

Rhinestone Ropers – Knife Thrower
Dan throws knives at Melanie. We all know the drill here: everyone freaks out and the “victim” is fine. Then he spins her on a sort of wheel and continues throwing knives. And they also shoot guns at balloons. I can’t see them going much further than what we just saw on stage, but they’re definitely great at what they do. All three judges send them to Vegas.

Mona Lisa – Female Singing Duo
Three yeses.

Charles Peachock – Glow-in-the-Dark Juggler
The glow-in-the-dark aspect brings a unique take on the usually predictable juggling act. Three yeses from the judges.

America's Got Talent 6 - Seattle Auditions

2011-06-08T07:47:00.000-07:00

As I announced earlier this week, I am now a writer for OMGWire.com. This summer, I am doing recaps/reviews of America's Got Talent. Below is an excerpt of my write-up of Tuesday night's episode. Click HERE to read the entire article.

We’re in my home state of Washington for this audition stop! And of course it’s raining when the judges come to town. Our stereotypical Pacific Northwest weather shines through (or rather, doesn’t shine). Howie Mandel is driving around Seattle, looking for the Paramount Theatre; at one point, he drives down the wrong way of a one-way road. And we see a shot of Lincoln’s Toe Truck. If you’re from the area, that’s typical to see in Seattle. If you didn’t catch the truck on the show or didn’t know exactly what you were seeing, click HERE to see a picture of it.

Melissa Villasenor - Comedian/Impressionist
The judges ask her what she does. She says, “I work at a retail store,” in a sad voice. Melissa begins by doing an impression of Barbara Walters interviewing Natalie Portman. I’ve seen better Babs impressions, but her Portman sounded spot on. And of course she does Miley Cyrus. Now, that’s a voice that anybody would recognize. But then, out of nowhere, she does an absolutely perfect and spot-on Kathy Griffin. Wow! I’ve never heard anybody do her voice before, but it sounded exactly like her. And I’m a huge fan of Kathy Griffin, so I loved this. Finally, Melissa closes out her set with Christina Aguilera (and an perfect plug-in for Christina’s show, ‘The Voice,’ airing right after AGT!). All the judges vote yes and she’s sent through to the Vegas round.

OMGWire.com Writer

2011-06-05T17:19:00.000-07:00

I mentioned on Twitter earlier today that I would have announcement regarding my blogging. As of today, I am now a writer for OMGWire.com. If you aren't familiar with that website, they cover the latest TV, movie, entertainment and pop culture news.

For those of you who read my posts here on the T.W.O. BLOG, you know that the majority of what I blog about is my commentary on American Idol and America's Got Talent. I will still be blogging about AGT, but this season I will be doing so from OMGWire. I am excited to be a part of this new team, and look forward to what's to come. This doesn't mean that the T.W.O. BLOG will cease to exist. I will still be blogging here, but I will be splitting duties between the two. And just to let you know, for every article I write for OMGWire, I will link to it on TV Watch Online and on Twitter, so you will never be far from my online writing.

Below is an excerpt from my debut article at OMGWire and a link to read in its entirety:

A year later, and we're back for season 6 of 'America's Got Talent,' with the return of host Nick Cannon and judges Piers Morgan, Sharon Osbourne and Howie Mandel.

At the start of the premiere, Howie says that he's going to torture Piers all season long, to which Mr. Morgan responds, "Bring it on, baldy." If Howie sticks by his word, I can't wait to see the sparring between them (and there was literal sparring in this episode).

Frank Olivier - 50-year-old who juggled fire while in a unicycle
He has Howie come up on stage to help him out. Frank tries to keep balanced on the unicycle and holds on to Howie's head. Howie freaks out (as we all know, he's a germaphobe). Piers was just having a ball watching Howie being tortured. Howie said that he was going to torture Piers, but Piers didn't even need to do anything to seek revenge. Piers and Sharon vote yes to send him through to Vegas, but Howie refuses to even talk, let alone vote. You can see how pissed off he is. Since Piers loved seeing Howie freak out, that's obviously the only reason he voted yes. Why would you send this guy through? The act wasn't all that cohesive, and you can't really build a full show with a juggler. He should have been send home.

To read the full article, click HERE. Feel free to leave comments at the end of that article.

And finally, here is a link to my Author Archive page at OMGWire, where you will can easily access all of my articles for them.

Idol-Talk: Season 10 - FINALE!

2011-06-01T22:48:00.000-07:00

American Idol 10: FINALE
Air Date: Wednesday, May 25, 2011 [8-10:07pm]

The results are in, and we have a world record: Over 122 million votes were cast for the Top 2. And almost three-quarters of a billion votes have been cast over the course of the season.

The Top 13 perform Lady Gaga's "Born This Way." I'm not against this song or anything (I actually love it, in fact), but have you noticed that pretty much every show under the sun is featuring this song in some way? Glee performed it; it played during the closing scene of the Brothers & Sisters Series Finale, here at the Idol Finale, and many more.

James Durbin and Judas Priest perform "Living After Midnight" and "Breaking the Law." Unbelievable performance! James is in his element and loving it!

Video: Randy Jackson - Season Highlights, including his signature catchphrase this year, "In it to win it."

Jacob Lusk and Gospel star Kurt Franklin perform "I Smile," with Gladys Knight joining in later on. I have no idea who this Kurt Franklin is, but it's obvious he wanted all the attention on him, didn't he?

Casey Abrams begins singing Queen's "Fat Bottomed Girls." He kicks the couch next to him, which slides away to reveal Jack Black, who joins in with Casey. And they just let loose on their voices at the very end. You know, this performance was going really well until those women on the bicycles came out. That was an unnecessary distraction. And you realize that this song is called "Fat Bottomed Girls," yet those women were anything but (pardon the pun). And what's the deal with the bikes? Since this is a Queen song, that would have been more appropriate for their "Bicycle Race."

After Casey and Jack are finished, Ryan fills some time until they can get all the props off the stage.

The Top 13 girls perform a Beyonce Medley, including: "Single Ladies," "Irreplacable," "If I Were a Boy." Then out comes Beyonce to join them on "Crazy in Love." No Lauren among the girls. Maybe she needs to preserve her voice.

Video: Steven Tyler - Season Highlights. I loved this video package, because we all love the crazy things that Steven has said over these past months. Whatever I and everyone else has said about his lack of judging abilities, he's entertaining to say the least.

Haley Reinhart and Tony Bennett perform "Steppin' Out With My Baby." Couldn't they have gotten someone better than Tony Bennett for Haley? Like maybe someone more current, or someone that has the same musical style as her? What about Adele?

Video: Jennifer Lopez - Season Highlights, including the auditioners and contestants fascination and fawning over Jennifer's beauty.

TLC and Lil Jon, joined by the Top 13 ladies, perform "Waterfalls." Lil Jon was only there for a few seconds at the start; what's the deal with that? Speaking of which, I would have no idea who he is if it weren't for the Celebrity Apprentice.

Scotty McCreery and Tim McGraw perform "Live Like You Were Dying." Jennifer's not at the judge's table (and her chair is gone as well); will she be performing soon?

Video: Auditioner Joe introduces clips of bad auditions, including the clip of the guy who did the flips and accidentally stomped on the camera man on the floor.

Marc Anthony performs "Aguanile." Sheila E's on drums. Thanks to The Next Great American Band (the ill-fated spin-off of Idol), I knew who she was. Later on in the song, Jennifer Lopez comes out and dances. What, no singing? Is it because she already performed on the show this year? Oh well.

Video: Casey Abrams, James Durbin (and Stefano Langone briefly) talk about shocking eliminations. At the end, Pia Toscano walks over to them with a 'Most Shocking' sash and tiara on. Loved this bit! Though, to be honest, it was James' elimination that was the most shocking. Sorry, Pia, but it's not you.

The Top 13 guys perform "Kiss," "She's a Lady" and "What's New Pussycat." Scotty joins in with them on "Green Green Grass of Home," "Delilah," and I believe another one I didn't catch the title of. Then out comes Tom Jones to join them on "It's Not Unusual."

Ford Top 2 Music Video: "Whenever You Remember." Throughout the video, clips are shown from all the music videos this year.

Video: Scotty and Lauren on the teacher that most influenced them.

Those teachers are each given their own Ford Focus. Then Ryan gives the Top 2 the keys to any Ford vehicle they want.

Lady Gaga performs "The Edge of Glory." It looks like she's on a mountain. When the song ends, she and her male companion drop off the edge. Get it?

Lauren Alaina and Carrie Underwood perform "Before He Cheats." They have great harmony together; great pairing! And by the way, I noticed Jennifer's back in her seat.

Video: The Top 13 talk about Scotty and Lauren, and joke about how young they are. Great bit!

Beyonce performs "1 Plus 1."

Ryan reminds us about Season 11's audition cities.

To promote Spider-Man: The Musical, Bono and The Edge perform "Rise Above." At the start, Spider-Man swings over the audience and lands in the aisle. He returns at the end, lowering down upside-down in front of Jennifer to recreate the infamous Spider-Man/Mary Jane Watson kiss. Jennifer goes along with it at first, peeling off part of the mask, then abandons before getting to the kiss.

Steven Tyler performs "Dream On." Jennifer's really into his performance. I was anticipating the high notes near the end, waiting to see if his voice still holds up on those kinds of notes, and he's still got it.

And now the time has come. Scotty, Lauren and Ryan are center-stage. The Top 13 and the judges are on the far sides of the stage.

"The winner of American Idol season 10 is...Scotty McCreery!"

Winner: Scotty McCreery [Correct Prediction]

Runner-Up: Lauren Alaina [Correct Prediction]

Scotty performs his debut single, "I Love You This Big," and goes down to hug his family, then back on stage to hug each of the Top 13 and judges.

End Time: 10:07pm - Wow, it ended exactly on time!

I'm disappointed that they didn't do anything to celebrate 10 years of American Idol.

Even though I haven't been the biggest Scotty fan, there's a part of me that says he needed to win in order to bring some credibility back to the show, since we need someone who has the best chance at being successful. And if his outrageous support is anything to go by, then he may get that chance. During the past two seasons, the runner-up has outsold the winner, and the winner's albums have had terrible sales. In terms of American Idol as an entertainment/reality show, the addition of Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez has reinvigorated the show. But when it comes to American Idol as a show that launches superstars, well...that's been missing for a while. With the decrease in ratings the last however many years, that means that album sales will go down as well; that's a given. But now that the ratings are stabilizing, will that mean Scotty's album sales will reflect that? Only time will tell. And just because his debut single, "I Love You This Big," went up to #1 on iTunes, that's not necessarily an indication of album sales. Regardless of what I think of his talent, I hope he does well, for the sake of the show's credibility.

Now, on to Lauren. Once James and Haley were voted out, Lauren became my favorite by default. Lauren has the potential to do well. She's in the vain of Carrie Underwood, which bodes well. But, to be quite honest, I don't believe she will have that level of success. With her, as well as with Scotty, she needs a great, catchy lead single for her debut album in the fall. It needs to stand out, and be one that can play regularly on country radio (and an added plus if there can be crossover to pop radio a la Carrie and Taylor Swift). I hope Interscope hooks her up with producers that have worked with Carrie, Taylor, or even Kellie Pickler (since she has had some catchy singles). And with her as well, I will be rooting for her to do well. Hopefully, during this process of making an album, she will gain a lot of experience that will help her to mature not only as a singer, but as a person, while still holding on to that bubbly personality.

When their debut albums come out later in the year, who will rein supreme? If I had to bet on it, I would go with Scotty, though I would love to see Lauren do better than expected. But, again, Scotty's going to have to beat Lauren in sales for the sake of the show. On iTunes at the moment, Scotty is doing better with his single. And how does this coronation song compare to the previous winning songs?

Kelly Clarkson: "A Moment Like This"
David Cook: "Time of My Life"
Carrie Underwood: "Inside Your Heaven"
Fantasia Barrino: "I Believe"
Jordin Sparks: "This Is My Now"
Lee Dewyze: "Beautiful Day" (cover)
Ruben Studdard: "Flying Without Wings"
Scotty McCreery: "I Love You This Big"
Kris Allen: "No Boundaries"
Taylor Hicks: "Do I Make You Proud"

I think I would put Scotty's single near the bottom. I preferred Lauren's over his. But it seems to be doing well, though I doubt it's because of the song itself.

Before I end this final Idol-Talk of the season, I want to take a look back over season 10 and see how everything stacked up. First, my correct prediction totals for the season: 18/25. These predictions are who, during the course of the season, did I correctly predict to make the Top 13, who I correctly predicted to be eliminated from then on, and who I predicted to win. Considering how unpredictable the show can be sometimes in the results, 72% ain't that bad.

Now, onto how many times I selected a performance as my favorite, from all the voting performances this year:

James Durbin - 8
Haley Reinhart - 5
Lauren Alaina - 5
Casey Abrams - 4
Scotty McCreery - 3
Jacob Lusk - 2
Thia Megia - 1

I think this seems about right. My favorites from the season (James, Haley, Lauren and even Casey) provided my favorite performances, according to this list compiled from my previous Idol-Talk blogs.

Now, let's go a little farther back to the audition and Holllywood/Vegas rounds. I always like to look back and see how many times I mentioned someone who eventually ended up making it into the Top 13.

My Favorites from Auditions/Hollywood/Vegas (that made it to the Top 13):
Naima Adedapo - 3
Thia Megia - 2
Karen Rodriguez - 2
Haley Reinhart - 1
Lauren Alaina - 1
Casey Abrams - 1
Stefano Langone - 1
Jacob Lusk - 1

Good/Average:
Lauren Alaina - 3
James Durbin - 2
Ashthon Jones - 1
Scotty McCreery - 1
Haley Reinhart - 1
Jacob Lusk - 1
Casey Abrams - 1

And there was one moment during the Hollywood/Vegas rounds that I thought Scotty McCreery should have been eliminated. Imagine that.

And finally, I've been tracking the Top 13's social media stats over the course of the season, only focusing on those who were still in the competition each week. But now that we have a winner and all is said and done, I'd like to track the entire Top 13 one more time and see how the order stacks up to the actual order (these stats were compiled during the first weekend after the finale):

1. Scotty McCreery - 526,455
2. Lauren Alaina - 291,843
3. James Durbin - 288,037
4. Casey Abrams - 205,930
5. Pia Toscano - 199,185
6. Haley Reinhart - 190,468
7. Paul McDonald - 146,499
8. Stefano Langone - 110,457
9. Thia Megia - 77,806
10. Jacob Lusk - 64,252
11. Karen Rodriguez - 39,512
12. Naima Adedapo - 39,154
13. Ashthon Jones - 17,082

Except for four names, everyone pretty much landed within one or less spots of what place they got on the show. Casey had a strong following, but was eliminated earlier. Same for Pia. Haley had the opposite happen: she placed near the top, but had a following around the middle (Jacob had a similar pattern as well). And only three contestants placed in the same spot they ended up being in: Scotty, Lauren and Ashthon. If you recall, Idol briefly allowed the Top 12 to have Twitter accounts last year, but that barely started before they shut it down. I don't know if they did it because it became obvious who was popular and who was not. If so, then why did they not only launch it again this year but keep it the entire season? With Nigel Lythgoe back on board, maybe that was his decision.

Well, another season gone. After these past four and a half months of mania, we can all relax now. But not for too long, because NBC's America's Got Talent starts back up (I'm planning on blogging that show as I usually do as well). Then come Fall 2011, it's the return of Simon Cowell (and Paula Abdul) in The X Factor USA. As I briefly mentioned in a previous Idol-Talk, I will be attending one of the Seattle audition tapings for X Factor in about a month. I'll be providing an On-The-Scene Report for that. Then American Idol will start back up all over again in January 2012 with Ryan, Steven and Randy all returning (no confirmation yet on Jennifer's return). And now, for the final time of season 10 - See ya then...

Idol-Talk: Season 10 Top 2

2011-05-25T10:56:00.000-07:00

American Idol 10: Top 2
Air Date: Tuesday, May 24, 2011 [8-9pm]

Themes: Contestants Favorites / Idols Own Idols Choice / Debut Singles

Source: MjsBigBlog.com

It's the Final 2 and we're at the Nokia L.A. Live with 7000 fans in the theatre cheering along!

Lauren apparently blew out a vocal chord earlier and has been having a tough time with her voice. A doctor comes out and explains the situation. They've given her medicine, and she's all ready to go for tonight. Just think about that for a minute: This is the night you're competing to become the winner of the biggest show in America, and you're having vocal problems of that magnitude.

Round 1: Contestants Favorites

1. Scotty McCreery - Montgomery Gentry's "Gone"
No surprise here that he chose "Gone," which was one of his best of the season when he first performed it (if not his best). And for this encore, he brought the same energy to the stage and working the audience. His voice sounded in top form.

2. Lauren Alaina - Carrie Underwood's "Flat on the Floor"
Considering she has vocal chord problems, she did pretty darn good. You couldn't really tell until the latter half when she had to really belt it out that her voice almost gave out at times. Like Scotty, she chose to encore one of her best songs of the season.

The judges don't comment at all during this round. What's the deal?

Round 1 goes to Scotty, if only because he hit all the notes. But, obviously, that's no fault to Lauren.

Round 2: The Idols Own Idols Choose Songs

1. Scotty McCreery - George Straight's "Check Yes or No" (Chosen by George Straight)
George Straight chose a song that's comfortable for Scotty and fits his vocal ability. As he's proven before, with this type of a song, he can almost do no wrong with voters. My only problem was that it didn't let him stand out; a little too safe.

2. Lauren Alaina - Pam Tillis' "Maybe It Was Memphis" (Chosen by Carrie Underwood)
Both the songs in Round 2 were a little more subdued, more middle of the road in terms of tempo. While I thought that was a detractor for Scotty, it suited Lauren better here. I loved her voice on this one (great choice by Carrie!). And her voice was in control. One moment where she went to belt out a note, I thought she would strain it, but she didn't unlike in Round 1.

The judges gives comments on both rounds. They say Scotty won Round 1 and Lauren won Round 2.

I say Round 2 goes to Lauren as well.

We take a break from the competition for Taio Cruz to perform "Positive," the winning song from the songwriting contest earlier in the season.

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

Round 3: Debut Singles

1. Scotty McCreery - "I Love You This Big"
To close out his set, "Gone" would've been a better song. This single, like all the rest, suits his voice as always. But in terms of a debut single, I would have preferred something more upbeat as his introduction as a recording artist in the music biz. Whenever he's done slower songs, I'e never been a fan.

2. Lauren Alaina - "Like My Mother Does"
This song fits the traditional ballad-like songs that we come to expect from the coronation songs. And it allowed her to close out the show showing off how beautiful her voice is. Going down to her mother while singing this song about mothers will definitely garner votes for sure. I actually just loved her voice on this one. There was only one moment where her voice was strained.

The judges comment after each performance during this round.

To me, Round 3 goes to Lauren.

To close out the show, David Cook takes the stage to perform this year's exit song, "Don't You (Forget About Me)."

Favorite Performances: Lauren Alaina ("Maybe It Was Memphis" & "Like My Mother Does") / Scotty McCreery ("Gone")

My Votes: Lauren Alaina - 100 votes

Winner Prediction: Scotty McCreery
Who Should Win: Lauren Alaina
Who Will Win: Scotty McCreery

Runner-Up Prediction: Lauren Alaina

Below is the latest Idol social media stats (the combination of Twitter, Facebook and MySpace). These stats were compiled on 5/23/11 at 10:40pm.

1. Scotty McCreery - 320,976
2. Lauren Alaina - 198,285

No change there.

I'll comment more below, but to put it simply, Lauren won the night, but Scotty will win the show.

I have to say, I came in to this final performance show of the season not knowing who I would vote for. I say that because for the first time in the history of American Idol, my favorites aren't in the Top 2, and for the first time, I came into the night more objectively.

But I'm finally back to thinking logically, unlike last year's finale (or even the year before that). In Season 8, I overlooked the fact that Danny Gokey's votes would go to Kris Allen, thus ensuring his win over Adam Lambert. And coming into finale week last year, Lee Dewyze had had the momentum. Crystal Bowersox stumbled a little in the middle part of the competition, which helped Lee to coast all the way to the win. But after those two performed for the final time, Crystal just killed it with her final set and I mistakenly overlooked the Lee momentum and predicted Crystal to win only based on that final night.

I won't do that again this year. Scotty has had this in the bag the entire season. I don't know if I've seen that kind of continous momentum (maybe except for Carrie Underwood?). You can see how strong and solid his support system is just by looking at his social media followers versus Lauren (or anybody else who competed this year). Between him and Lauren, he probably has the best chance of having a successful music career. And we all now that's been lacking in our winners the past two years.

At the same time, I don't want to discount Lauren either. As you know, I'm not the biggest Scotty fan, so I would love there to be an upset and see Lauren win. It's unlikely, I know, but wouldn't that be great? And her stellar night last night helped her on this front, along with her vocal problems and singing to her mother. All of these fronts will help her.

Ultimately, though, it will come down to these words: "The winner of American Idol season 10 is...Scotty McCreery!" I wish them the best of luck in what's to come ahead.

Tonight (8-10:07pm) will be a star-studded two hours-plus of music stars, a Top 13 reunion, and I'm sure much, much more. I can't wait for Lady Gaga to perform "The Edge of Glory." Jack Black will be performing with Casey Abrams. I'm hoping that Steven Tyler takes to the stage. And at the very end of it all, we'll hear Ryan say the words we've been waiting all season to hear: "The winner of American Idol 2011 is..." with either Scotty McCreery or Lauren Alaina reining supreme and given the title of American Idol. See ya then...

Idol-Talk: Season 10 Top 3 Results Show

2011-05-23T00:01:00.000-07:00

American Idol 10: Top 3 Results Show
Air Date: Thursday, May 19, 2011 [8-9pm]

Source: @HReinhartAI10

Over 95 million votes were cast, the biggest nonfinale vote. And 15 million more than last year.

The Top 13 (or at least most of them) were in the audience.

Video: The Top 4 visit Bad Robot Productions, where the genius that is J.J. Abrams introduces and shows clips to them from his new movie, Super 8. This must have been taped before James Durbin was voted out, because he was there with the other three.

Ryan talks to Elle Fanning, one of the stars of Super 8.

Video: Haley Reinhart Hometown Visit - Chicago, IL. Her hometown visit includes a sort of parade I guess you could call it (where she is the only person in the parade), reuniting with her family, a visit to her school, and finally a concert for her local fans.

Ford Music Video: "Smile." You notice that none of them actually sang on camera in this one? That's how produced these music videos have become now, they don't even need to sing anymore.

Il Volo performs "O Sole Mio." I've never heard of them before now, but they have unbelievable voices.

Video: Scotty McCreery's Hometown Visit - Garner, N.C. His hometown visit includes a stop at a local radio station, visiting family, baseball game, getting emotional in the limo, visiting his old job at the grocery store, and finally a concert for the fans. Josh Turner surprises Scotty on stage while he's singing.

Nicole Scherzinger (co-host for the upcoming X Factor) and 50 Cent perform "Right There."

Video: Lauren Alaina's Hometown Visit - Rossville, GA. Her hometown visit includes a radio station stop, local AT&T store, high school, seeing the devastation from the recent tornadoes, parade, concert and a baseball game.

The first person in the Top 2, who will compete for the title next week, is...Scotty McCreery! I knew they would announce his name first, because it makes us wonder who will be the other person. If they had said Lauren or Haley's name first, we would already know that Scotty would take the other spot.

And the final person to compete for the title of American Idol is...Lauren Alaina! Even though many of us were hoping for a deserving upset by having Haley stay in and compete, this outcome is completely predictable.

Haley Reinhart - Eliminated

This is the first time in the history of American Idol where two people of the same genre (country, albeit different types of country) have made it to the Top 2.

I have to say that when it comes to a Top 2, this is the first time in the history of this show where I have no idea who I will support or vote for come Tuesday night. Season 1 - It was obvious that it's Kelly Clarkson all the way. Season 2 - Both Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken deserved it. Season 3 - Even though, in hindsight, Fantasia is the better winner, Diana DeGarmo was my favorite at the time. Season 4 - Carrie Underwood was the obvious choice there. Season 5 - Katharine McPhee was my favorite against Taylor Hicks. Season 6 - Jordin Sparks all the way. Season 7 - David Cook, obviously. Season 8 - Adam Lambert, hands down. Season 9 - Crystal Bowersox was my favorite of the two. But my top two favorites are gone. At the start of the season, Lauren Alaina was my favorite. Then James Durbin burst onto the stage and he quickly became my favorite. And then Haley Reinhart became my underdog favorite. But both of them were eliminated in the last two weeks. And now we're left with Scotty McCreery, who has never been anywhere near my favorite, but who has provided some great performances at times. And Lauren Alaina, who was my initial favorite before James and Haley wow'd us.

Even though I would love an upset and see Lauren win, it seems obvious that Scotty will win. At the moment, my gut tells me to support and vote for Lauren even though he's at a disadvantage. But I'm ultimately going to wait until I hear each of their three songs and made a final decision.

The finale episodes will be at the Nokia L.A. Live theatre on Tuesday and Wednesday instead of the regular Wednesday/Thursday timeslots (since May sweeps ends on Wednesday). On Tuesday (8-9pm), Scotty and Lauren will take to the stage for a final chance at our votes, performing three songs each. Then on Wednesday (8-10:07pm), we'll have more than two hours of extravaganza with stars taking the stage to perform (including Lady Gaga with "The Edge of Glory"), and the Top 13 reuniting. Then when all is said and done, we'll have our tenth American Idol champion. See ya then...

Idol-Talk: Season 10 Top 3

2011-05-19T10:47:00.000-07:00

American Idol 10: Top 3
Air Date: Wednesday, May 18 [8-10pm]

Themes: Contestants Choice / Jimmy Iovine's Choice / Judge's Choice

Source: mjsbigblog.com

The show expands to two (yep, that's right - two!) hours and they definitely used a lot of filler between performances.

Ryan reminds of James Durbin's shocking elimination last week. Even though he didn't make the Top 3, he still got a hometown reception after being voted out.

Click on each of the below links to open up those studio performances in iTunes. You will not be charged for clicking on these links, only if you click 'buy' in the iTunes Store. As of this posting, they are only listing three songs from the Top 3 on iTunes. I'm not sure if they only recorded one song each, but I'll update if there's a change.

The first round is the Contestants Choice, with Beyonce as the mentor (no Jimmy Iovine?):

1. Scotty McCreery - Lonestar's "Amazed"
What a surprise that he would choose this song! (Sarcasm fully intended). While I love this song, it's a safe choice for Scotty. His voice was as solid as usual, but at a week before the finale, you need to be great not good, and he was just good. Where's James when we need him?

2. Lauren Alaina - Faith Hill's "Wild One"
This was a great song choice for her. Choosing songs by female country stars like Faith Hill can certainly work to her advantage. I hate to repeat myself from Scotty, but her voice was solid as well. The difference is that Lauren wasn't boring. She's had some confidence problems once in a while throughout the competition, but her confidence was strong throughout this song.

3. Haley Reinhart - Led Zepplin's "What Is and What Should Never Be"
Round 1 goes to Haley! Her voice was great as usual, and the song allowed her to channel her inner rocker. Having her father play guitar will get her family votes, as will the fall as she headed back up on stage. But she got back up and continued on. There were some moments during the chorus where I was worried she got lost in the music, but she just nailed the song.

Round 2 is Jimmy Iovine's Choice, with Jimmy Iovine himself as mentor. The intro video before each singer's performance here revisits their auditions. I love seeing Lauren's audition again, because she had one of my favorite auditions this year.

1. Scotty McCreery - Thompson Square's "Are You Going to Kiss Me or Not"
Because "Amazed" is such a well-known song, it became very apparent that Scotty sounded just like the original. But this one is not as known, so I had a better time with it. So the song choice helped in that way, but it's also a detractor - not the best song to make him stand out and have a moment.

I believe it was after Scotty's performance when Randy and Ryan were joking around. Randy was wondering about Ryan's body waxing, and Ryan, always the quick-wit, came back at him, saying he's waiting for Randy to return it to him. Remember when Ryan and Simon used to do this sort of joking around? I miss it.

Before Lauren's performance, Ryan intro'd her backstage instead of on the stage, because her pantyhose ripped, and they had someone perfecting her legs.

2. Lauren Alaina - The Band Perry's "If I Die Young"
Jimmy picked such a great song. It's one of my favorite current country songs. Overall, Lauren did well with it, but there were a few moments where I wasn't sure, and maybe that was the 'caught up in the moment' thing the judges were talking about. Did she feel the emotion of the song? I'm not sure.

3. Haley Reinhart - Fleetwood Mac's "Rhiannon"
I loved the start - the control and focus. When the song picked up halfway through, her voice was flat for a while before she got back on track. But once she did, she did well for the rest of the song. It was slower and a nice balance to the rock song earlier.

Beyonce's "Run the World (Girls)" Music Video. Not the best song for someone like Beyonce.

Round 3 is the Judge's Choice, with the Top 3 finding out their song choice during the hometown visit. How come Haley found out her choice while she was in the car, when Scotty and Lauren were in front of huge crowds during the reveal?

1. Scotty McCreery - Kenny Roger's "She Believes in Me"
I'm glad the song picked up some a little way in, because the start almost put me to sleep. This slow song allowed us to focus on his voice, which was strong and solid. I loved the bit after the judges spoke when his father sang ("Baby lock them doors...")

2. Lauren Alaina - Lee Ann Womack's "I Hope You Dance"
This song fits Lauren's musical style and voice perfectly. And she didn't let down in the vocal department. There wasn't anything necessarily wrong with this performance, but my only criticism is that it sounded too much like the original.

3. Haley Reinhart - Alanis Morissette's "You Oughta Know"
When the song started, I wasn't sure why the judges picked this song, because she had a hard time with the verses - the low notes were flat. But as the judges said, she was brilliant on the choruses.

Favorite Performance: Haley Reinhart ("What Is and What Should Never Be")

My Votes: Haley Reinhart - 50 votes

Elimination Prediction: Lauren Alaina

Below is the latest Idol social media stats (the combination of Twitter, Facebook and My Space). These stats were compiled on 5/17/11 at 11:19pm.

1. Scotty McCreery - 259,261
2. Lauren Alaina - 164,194
3. Haley Reinhart - 136,317

Same order as last week.

Especially after James Durbin was eliminated last week, I know we shouldn't take anything for granted right before the finale and assume certain people will make it into the finale. But Scotty has been unstoppable from day one (and has been #1 online since the beginning as well), I think it would be foolish to think he won't be here next week. When it comes to this week's predictions, it's all about figuring out which girl will be with him: Lauren or Haley.

People are saying that the producers are gunning for a Scotty/Lauren finale. And I might have mentioned this last week, but there has never been in the history of American Idol two people from the same genre in the finale. And Scotty and Lauren are both country. True, they're different types of country (Scotty is more old-school, traditional country; Lauren is more modern pop country), but still country nonetheless. And for that reason, I am predicting it will be a Scotty/Haley finale. I don't think anyone would have predicted she would make it this far when we began the Top 13. But she has been the most improved, the most consistent, and the one who has provided the best live performances (aside from James Durbin). I have no idea how well or not she might do post-Idol, but for now, she deserves to compete for the title. And after the judges' relentless criticisms of Haley over these past weeks, I would love if she could stick it back to them and stay on.

Now, I don't want to discount Lauren at all. All three of the remaining singers are extremely talented and deserve to be here. But if Scotty and Lauren do end up splitting the votes, it will be Lauren who suffers as a result. She has a beautiful voice, and has had her moments a few times this year. And even though I don't know what the winning song will be, it usually fits someone with her voice better (unless they go the season 9 route and just do covers).

Personally, if I was making the decision, I would eliminate Scotty and have a Lauren/Haley finale. But we all know that's not going to happen. So, to recap, I'm going with Scotty/Haley for the Top 2, but not discounting Lauren either.

Tonight (8-9pm), we'll have performance by 50 Cent with Nicole Scherzinger, and Il Volo. And we'll find out which two singers will be here next week at the finale. See ya then...

Idol-Talk: Season 10 Top 4 Results Show

2011-05-15T16:06:00.000-07:00

American Idol 10: Top 4 Results Show
Air Date: Thursday, May 12, 2011 [8-9pm]

Source: @JDurbinAI10

Almost 72 million votes were cast this week, the highest Top 4 vote ever.

James and Scotty perform "Start a Band."

Ryan announces more season 11 audition stops: San Diego, Pittsburgh and Houston.

Haley and Lauren perform "Gunpowder and Lead."

Video: The Top 4 connect with their families via Windows 7.

The first person in the Top 3 is...Lauren Alaina! My first thought is: Well, it seems obvious now that Haley's the one going home.

VIdeo: The Top 4 prepare for Lady Gaga as their mentor by watching her perform "You and I" on TV. The footage looks like its from her Monster Ball Tour, if not from the HBO Madison Square Garden special itself.

Enrique Iglesias performs "Dirty Dancer" with what sounds like the help of auto-tune.

Ford Music Video: "Fireflies." Love this song!

Jordin Sparks performs her new single, "I Am Woman." The performance begins with a video montage of a few of her previous songs. This new song sounds like she is going in a slightly different musical direction, more grown-up.

Steve Tyler's new music video for "(It) Feels So Good" is premiered. I've listened to this song a few times now, and I just love listening to it! It's such a fun song, and fits Steven's personality perfectly.

The next to join Lauren in the Top 3 is...Haley Reinhart!? Whoh! Now, while I'm a huge fan of Haley's, I never would have thought either Scotty or James would be gone before her. Does this mean now that James is a goner? I'm holding out hope that it's Scotty going home, but I know that thinking is probably useless.

Joining Lauren and Haley to battle it out next week is...Scotty McCreery! James is eliminated. And the Top 4 curse continues (Tamyra Gray, La Toya London, Chris Daughtry).

James Durbin - Eliminated

James performs "Maybe I'm Amazed." Lauren, Haley and Scotty look upset, but I bet inside they're thinking, Our big competition is out of the way. Scotty's biggest competition was James, and now that he's out of the way, there's no stopping Scotty not only being here to compete in the Top 2, but to have Ryan announce his name at the finale.

End Time: 9:02pm - two minutes after schedule end time

Having a Scotty/James finale would have been amazing to watch. Now, we all have to think about who might be joining Scotty at the finale. Lauren or Haley? Obviously, we can make cases for each. My first instinct says that it will be Lauren. But since both Scotty and Lauren are country (even though different types of country), I think they will be splitting the votes this coming up week, which will secure Haley a place in the Top 2. If you become a frontrunner from the start of the competition and peak too early, that might be your demise (Crystal Bowersox), leading the next-in-line to take the crown (Lee Dewyze). It's really all about how you do during the latter half of the competition. And because of that, there's a strong case for Haley being in the Top 2. I'll stop this conversation for now, because I can pick it back up when I make my official Top 2 predictions on Thursday morning.

On Wednesday, the Top 3 will perform three songs each (Judge's Choice, Jimmy Iovine's Choice, Individual Choice). Then on Thursday, Il Volo will perform, as will Nicole Scherzinger and 50 Cent. I'm not really familiar at all with Nicole Scherzinger, so this will be a good opportunity for me to see how she is on stage and familiarize myself with her before I see her on The X Factor this fall. See ya then...

P.S.-Speaking of X Factor, I wanted to say that I have secured tickets to see an audition taping of The X Factor in Seattle at the end of June. I can't wait!

Idol-Talk: Season 10 Top 4

2011-05-11T22:55:00.000-07:00

American Idol: Top 4
Air Date: Wednesday, May 11, 2011 [8-9:30pm]

Theme: Songs that Inspire / Leiber & Stoller

Source: mjsbigblog.com

The show begins with footage from prior Top 3 homecoming events. This is the week we vote on which three will experience just that during the next week.

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

The first round's theme will be Songs that Inspire:

1. James Durbin - Journey's "Don't Stop Believing"
When E! Online broke the news that James would be singing "Don't Stop Believing," I couldn't wait. But I thought they said he would be giving a mindblowing version; the arrangement sounded just like the original, though. But no matter, he did great on it. There were a couple moments where I was worried his pitch would be all over the place like last week, but overall he kept it in check.

2. Haley Reinhart - Michael Jackson's "Earth Song"
While the song fits the theme, it wasn't right for Haley and didn't completely fit her vocal range. There were some pitch issues in the middle. And while I normally love her growl, she went really overboard this time. And I'm not sure voters will like her talking back to the judges in the way she did after Randy and Jennifer critiqued her.

3. Scotty McCreery - Alan Jackson's "Where Were You When the World Topped Turning"
I'm a fan of many of Alan Jackson's songs, including this one. Strategically, it's the perfect song to get votes. And to sing a sing about September 11 not even two weeks after the death of Osama bin Laden - powerful, indeed. The judges focused on the song, but not on his vocals. He started out great, but went down a notch or two at the chorus, then was great again at the end.

4. Lauren Alaina - Martin McBride's "Anyway"
"Anyway" is such a great song, and Lauren went all in with it. Her voice was beautiful, and she's making up for last week's "Unchained Melody." Bringing up the tornados will get her votes. Round 1 might just go to Lauren, if not a tie with James. Based on Round 1, Haley's going home.

The Top 2 will take on the Leiber & Stoller Songbook for Round 2, with Lady Gaga joining Jimmy Iovine as mentor. She was a great mentor, really getting them to connect with the songs and put on a show. Also, they decided to change the performance order, different than Round 1. Wouldn't that make it a little confusing for some voters?

1. Haley Reinhart - "I Who Have Nothing"
This song gave Jordin Sparks one of her best performances back in season 6. After a stumble with "Earth Song" in Round 1, Haley came back for revenge with the judges. And Gaga helped her to put her emotion and attitude into the song and really go for it, and it paid off. There was a moment where I was worried the growl would hurt her, but it didn't.

2. Scotty McCreery - "Young Blood"
This was all about showing off his personality rather the vocals. He had fun working the cameras and audience, and I had fun watching him. But we're heading into the home stretch, and at this stage in the competition, we need a higher caliber performance from a potential winner.

3. Lauren Alaina - Elvis Presley's "Trouble"
Lauren gave us a range tonight - first a ballad, now an upbeat fun song. But she fell victim to what Scotty just went through, in that the upbeat songs showcase the personality rather than the vocals. Her voice was all over the place, especially during the last part.

4. James Durbin - "Love Potion No. 9"
James bookended the night, providing both a brilliant opening (on a Journey song) and now with the closing. His vocals were flawless. And I loved the ending where he kept stopping and teasing us on the final notes. Loved it! I can't wait to see him on tour!

Compilation Album: Top 4 Season 10: Click on this link to see the compilation album in iTunes of all of the above songs.

At the end of the show as the phone lines opened, Ryan reminded us that Daughtry was voted out during this Top 4 round back in season 5, so vote vote vote!

Favorite Performances: James Durbin (both songs) / Lauren Alaina ("Anyway") / Haley Reinhart ("I Who Have Nothing")

My Votes: James Durbin - 100 votes

Bottom 2 Predictions: Haley Reinhart / Lauren Alaina
I'm not sure if they will have a Bottom 2, or if they will just keep announcing who's safe until we have our eliminated contestant. If they will, then I have my predictions just in case. To make a strong case for Lauren, the producers might do away with the Bottom 2 so we don't know who's in the top or near the bottom.

Elimination Prediction: Haley Reinhart

Below is the latest Idol social media stats (the combination of Twitter, Facebook and MySpace). These stats were compiled on 5/10/11 at 11:25pm.

1. Scotty McCreery - 217,008
2. James Durbin - 158,122
3. Lauren Alaina - 138,923
4. Haley Reinhart - 109,945

Again, no changes from last week. And I expect this to be the order everyone ends up being in once all is said and done.

It seems like a given that Haley will be going home tonight. As much as I want her to stay around, I just think the other three have stronger fan bases than her. But again, Haley has grown so much throughout the course of the season and has gained a following along the way, so there is a chance she'll be safe. If she stays, then Lauren will be gone. We all know Scotty and James aren't going anywhere, so Lauren is the only other option. If I personally were to make the call, I would go with Lauren to go home instead of Haley, but I have to look at it more analytically. This is a really hard decision, because all four of them are extremely talented and it's going to be hard to see any of them go. Usually at this stage, there's at least one person who we're ready to see go, but it's different this time.

The Top 4 round has been a strange week on Idol. Most of the huge, shocking eliminations have occurred during this week: Tamyra Gray in season 1, La Toya London in season 3, and what went down as THE most shocking elimination in the history of American Idol, Chris Daughtry in season 5. Last night, I voted the most times I have done this year, for James. I will do whatever I can to make sure he's at the finale. We the fans and voters can't take things for granted and assume our favorites will be here next week, because history has shown us that won't always be the case. But regardless of what I just said, I don't believe Scotty or James will be gone; it'll be one of the girls.

Tonight's a jam-packed results show (8-9pm) with performances by Jordin Sparks, Enrique Iglesias, Lady Gaga, and the premiere of Steve Tyler's new music video. Oh, and one more contestant will be eliminated. With how many guest performers they have booked, I'm thinking there won't be a Bottom 2. See ya then...

Idol-Talk: Season 10 Top 5 Results Show

2011-05-07T17:55:00.000-07:00

American Idol 10: Top 5 Results Show
Air Date: Thursday, May 5, 2011 [8-9pm]

Source: @JLuskAI10

60 million votes were cast on Wednesday night, the highest of the season.

The Top 5 perform "Happy Together."

Ryan announces some of the season 11 audition stops. Go to americanidol.com for more info.

Ford Music Video: "Be Yourself"

Video: The Top 5 visit Hell's Kitchen, where Gordon Ramsay instructs each of them to make an omelet. Many of them are disasters. But Lauren wins, with Jacob taking second place. I found this video to be hilarious, and we got to see these singers in a different environment, having fun and showing their personalities. To Be Continued...

Lady Antebellum performs "Just a Kiss."

Video: The Top 5 on song choice and picking out wardrobes.

Ryan says we might be surprised by the results. He didn't say it was a shocker, but that we might be surprised. Last week, he teased that we would be disappointed by the results, and Casey ended up going home. And yes, we were disappointed with that. Now, he says we might be surprised. Scotty and James would be shockers, so I'm ruling them out. No one would be surprised with Jacob going home, so he's ruled out. That leaves Haley, the one who's grown tremendously week in and week out, and Lauren, one who's fan base has grown stronger as the season progresses and has a chance at the Top 2. Since Lauren has a better chance at winning than Haley, I would say that Lauren is the only one to fit Ryan's tease.

The results begin, with Jimmy Iovine's video commentary returning.

James Durbin goes to one side of the stage (I'll call that Group 1).

Lauren Alaina begins Group 2.

Video: We're back in Hell's Kitchen. And the Top 2 from the omelet round are doing a blind taste test. It was hilarious to see their reactions to eating tofu!

Ryan, Randy and Steven are in the audience to introduce Jennifer. They act as if she's actually performing live right there and then, but it was pre-taped last week. You can easily tell when it switches over to the pre-tape and comes back live.

Jennifer Lopez, featuring Pitbull, performs "On the Floor."

Video: Teaser for Jennifer Lopez's new music video.

Jacob Lusk joins Lauren in Group 2.

Haley Reinhart goes over to Group 1 with James.

Finally, there's just Scotty McCreery left. Ryan tells him he's safe and not in the Bottom 2, and tells him to join the group that he thinks is safe. This is a tradition on American Idol, starting with George Huff back in season 3, who joined the group of Fantasia, La Toya London and Jennifer Hudson, only to find out that those three were actually the Bottom 3 (with J-Hud being sent home). And I still remember season 4 when Bo Bice was placed in this situation and refused to pick a group and sat down in the middle between the two groups.

Scotty refuses to join a group, and Ryan takes him over to Group 1, with James and Haley.

Lauren Alaina - Bottom 2
Jacob Lusk - Bottom 2 (Correct Prediction)

And now to the final results of the night:

Jacob Lusk - Eliminated (Correct Prediction)

Lauren's safe!

Jacob ends the show with "A House is Not a Home," ending the song with runs that are all over the place; he's just havin' fun and going out in his own way.

I'm seriously not understanding Ryan's tease earlier in the show that we might be surprised by the results. He must have just done that to freak us out, because out of the Top 5, Jacob's the only one I'd be least surprised to see go home. Oh well...

I have to say, the four that we have left are all really talented. There is no one in this group of Scotty, James, Lauren and Haley who is particularly weak or terrible, now that Jacob's gone. So I'm excited for the few remaining weeks we have left of the season; it should be good!

Next Wednesday, the Top 4 take on songs of Leiber & Stoller (I assume two songs each again), with Lady Gaga as mentor (can't wait!!!). Then during Thursday's results show, we'll watch the music video premiere of Steven Tyler's new single, and season 6 winner Jordin Sparks will perform. See ya then...

Idol-Talk: Season 10 Top 5

2011-05-05T10:38:00.000-07:00

American Idol 10: Top 5
Air Date: Wednesday, May 4, 2011 [8-9:30pm]

Theme: Now & Then

Source: mjsbigblog.com

Sheryl Crow joins Jimmy Iovine as the mentor this week.

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

The first round tonight will be the contemporary songs (aka the Now in Now & Then)...

1. James Durbin - 30 Seconds to Mars' "Closer to the Edge"
He started off a bit rough; since he's in his element in the upper register, the low notes at the start were flat. But he soon kicked it back up and delivered more solid vocals the rest of the way.

2. Jacob Lusk - Jordin Sparks/Chris Brown's "No Air"
Jordin Sparks has put out some great songs, and this is one of those. Jacob had the potential to do well with it, but failed miserably. For most of the song, he sang in extremely high notes; it seemed he tried to go even higher, but couldn't (as evident by his voice cracking). It felt to me as if he was trying to outdo James with those notes. And what was up with the wiggling motions he made with his body? If this is what he wants to do post-Idol, then he won't make it.

3. Lauren Alaina - Carrie Underwood's "Flat on the Floor"
I cringe whenever they do Idol covers, and I was curious to see if Lauren could pull it off (especially since both Carrie and Lauren are pop/country). And she just let loose and brought it. I love the song, and this is what Lauren should be doing. If she stays like this, she has a chance at the Final 2.

4. Scotty McCreery - Montgomery Gentry's "Gone"
Two excellent performances in a row! Scotty bores me many times, but when he delivers the way he did here, I'm a fan. If he continues along these lines, I could be on board, both on the show and after. His voice was perfect, he showed personality and proved why he should win.

5. Haley Reinhart - Lady Gaga's "You and I" (unreleased song)
Haley and Gaga in the same sentence? But you know what? It worked! I don't get why Jennifer Lopez and Randy Jackson were bashing her choosing this song. She brought her own style to the song, and I didn't really find anything wrong with it. I hope die-hard Gaga fans come out against the judges for what they said about the song.

And the final round will be the older songs (aka Then)...

1. James Durbin - Harry Nilsson's "Without You"
I love him choosing all different styles of songs. And to get emotional - it shows a deeper side to him than just the heavy metal/rock n' roll. In terms of the vocals, he was all over the place, flat on the low notes, sharp on the high notes. But he'll be here next week, especially since he'll gets sympathy votes. On a related note, Kelly Clarkson brilliantly sang this song back in season 1 (and I have to say that this one still goes to Kelly).

2. Jacob Lusk - Nazareth's "Love Hurts"
Now, that was much, much better than the first song. Even though this one also had a lot of high notes, he kept them more in check this time around. Depending on how the rest of the night goes, this could save him. But I hope it doesn't

3. Lauren Alaina - Righteous Brothers' "Unchained Melody"
Whenever I hear this on Idol, I think of Simon, since it's his favorite song. Would he have approved? Who knows, but Lauren delivered some beautiful vocals. However, the overall performance was just okay. The high note in this song is one of my favorite parts of the song, but Lauren didn't even try to attempt it, which was disappointing. And I wish she would have injected more emotion into it.

4. Scotty McCreery - "You're Always On My Mind"
With both Lauren and Scotty, their first songs should have been in this round, to save the best for last. Just when I put praise on him, Scotty has to go and return to the boring. He brought nothing new to this overdone song.

5. Haley Reinhart - The Animals' "The House of the Rising Sun"
I hope she's here next week, because this was one of the best performances of the night. The a capella at the start was beautiful, and she didn't lose anything when the music began accompanying her. What a great way to end the night!

Compilation Album: Top 5 Season 10: Click on this link to see the compilation album in iTunes of all of the above songs.

Favorite Performances: Haley Reinhart (both songs) / Lauren Alaina ("Flat on the Floor") / Scotty McCreery ("Gone")

My Votes: James Durbin - 60 votes
Haley Reinhart - 20 votes

Bottom 2 Predictions: Jacob Lusk / Haley Reinhart

Elimination Prediction: Jacob Lusk

Below is the latest Idol social media stats (the combination of Twitter, Facebook and MySpace). These stats were compiled on 5/3/11 at 10:10pm.

1. Scotty McCreery - 197,501
2. James Durbin - 140,331
3. Lauren Alaina - 126,290
4. Haley Reinhart - 92,866
5. Jacob Lusk - 55,703

The names in blue haven't changed their positions from last week to this week. The order remains the exact same as last week, so I don't really have much to add on this.

Jacob Lusk is guaranteed a spot in the Bottom 2. But the other spot may not be as easy to predict. I personally would not pick Haley to be there, but with the criticisms she received from the judges and the fact that she is usually in the bottom, that's why I'm going with her. There's a chance that James could join Jacob, but even if he is, he'll be safe because of receiving the sympathy votes for crying. Could Lauren and Scotty end up there? I doubt Scotty will be, but it could go either way with Lauren. But back to Haley for a moment. She was unfairly criticized by the judges, and I hope her fans came out in full force last night. This was actually only the second times this season where I voted for someone other than James (but of course I can't skimp on voting for James either), because she certainly deserves to stay, especially after giving the best performances of the night.

We've been waiting for weeks for Jacob to leave. Last week was just ridiculous that Jacob outlasted Casey. Scotty, James and Lauren have strong, solid fan bases. Haley stole the show last night. So that leaves Jacob, who was almost unbearable to listen to last night. If he stays, I am just going to be speechless. And when he is eliminated tonight, then we'll have a really solid Top 4 with a lot of talent to go around.

Tonight, we'll find out who makes the Top 4 (8-9pm). Can you believe we're almost at the finish line?! And there will be performances by Lady Antebellum and Jennifer Lopez. See ya then...

X Factor E-Mail List Hacked!

2011-04-30T11:23:00.000-07:00

I received an e-mail from Fox Broadcasting Company with the subject line: "Important Message About Your Request to Receive Information from THE X FACTOR." Back when the auditions were first announced, I signed up to their e-mail list to receive audition information. This e-mail reveals that "computer hackers illegally accessed information you and others submitted to us." Below is the entire message from FOX (click on the image for the full-size version):

Some excerpts from the message:

"We are writing with regard to your registration on Fox.com to receive audition information about THE X FACTOR. This week, we learned that computer hackers illegally accessed information you and others submitted to us to receive information about THE X FACTOR auditions. As you may recall, the information you provided to us did not include your Social Security number or any financial information (such as bank account or credit card information), and you were not required to enter a user name or password to access our site. As a result, no financial information, Social Security numbers, or passwords were accessed by this unauthorized party. It is possible, however, that the information you did provide to us, which included your name, email address, zip code, phone number (which was optional), date of birth, and gender, may have been accessed.

"We are taking this matter very seriously and took immediate steps to stop the illegal intrusion. We are also working with federal law enforcement authorities to investigate this illegal action.
...
"...If you receive an email that appears to be from Fox.com or THE X FACTOR asking for personal information, please forward it to askfox@fox.com and then delete it, as it did not come from us. You can also send an e-mail to askfox@fox.com if you have any questions or concerns."

If you are on the e-mail list for information about The X Factor auditions, you most likely received this e-mail. I thought I would share this with you all so that everyone is aware of the situation and knows how to handle any suspicious activity.

Incidents like this should always be taken seriously, so if you do have any questions or concerns (or information regarding the hackers), I urge you to e-mail FOX at the address above.

Idol-Talk: Season 10 Top 6 Results Show

2011-04-29T18:26:00.000-07:00

American Idol 10: Top 6 Results Show
Air Date: Thursday, April 28, 2011 [8-9pm]

Source: @CAbramsAI10

At the start of the episode, Ryan Seacrest says, "A lot of fans are going to be disappointed with tonight's results." I didn't quite know what to make of this statement. Whenever there's a shocking or semi-shocking outcome, Ryan usually teases it right from the get-go. Whenever he does this, I try to pick up on key words he throws into that teaser. You notice he didn't say it would be a shocking elimination, but rather that a lot of people would be disappointed. If it was shocking, it would have been either Scotty or James. Using the word 'disappointed' tells me that it could be Casey Abrams or possibly Lauren Alaina. And then it wouldn't really be a shocker if Jacob or Haley got the boot. And when I was sifting through the names in this way, Casey's name kept coming back to me. And, unfortunately, I was right.

You know, Casey might not have always been consistently great (some were great and there were a few okay ones thrown in there as well), but he certainly brought a lot of energy to the show and we never knew what kind of style he would bring to the stage. Ever since the judges saved him, I never thought he had a chance of winning after that moment. But unlike someone like Pia, who while really talented, never brought the excitement or stage presence that Casey almost always did. I thought he would at least make it to the Top four or five. But I can't wait to see him on tour!

Video: Top 6 at the British Consulate for Brit Week. Just when I think I can escape from the beyond annoying royal wedding coverage and gossip for an hour by watching American Idol, think again!

Top 6 perform a medley of Carole King songs.

Ford Music Video: "Our House"

Crystal Bowersox performs "Ridin' on the Radio." She's bringing the total Crystal flavor with her signature funky mike stand and the huge rug covering the stage. Loved it!

Ryan asks the Top 6 questions provided by fans.

When Ryan calls up each of the contestants to face the results, we are shown a video with a performance recap as well as Jimmy Iovine's blunt and honest commentary on each of the performances. Not everyone may be on board with Jimmy yet, but I find it refreshing to have those brutally honest critiques on Idol. Steven, Jennifer and Randy have for the most part acted as if almost every performance is great and "beautiful," to quote Steven Tyler.

Haley Reinhart is called up first. After her video, the audio is gone for a moment, as we realize that Haley must have been bleeped after reacting to Jimmy's comments. But no matter, Haley is safe!

Scotty McCreery: Ryan tells Scotty to hang tight and sit back on the couch for a moment.

Lauren Alaina: Lauren also is asked to sit back down and wait out her results as well.

Casey Abrams: Ryan says the results will be coming soon...

James Durbin is rightly safe!

We're left with Jacob Lusk, Casey, Lauren and Scotty. Lauren is safe, which means that Jacob Casey and Scotty are in danger of going home. But never does Ryan say they are in the Bottom 3. I wonder if this is just something Nigel is trying out to mess with our heads, or if someone like Scotty or James was in the bottom and he didn't want us to see that. I doubt James was there, but still, I wonder why they did it this way. By making it seem as if Scotty's in danger, you know darn well that Nigel has now put that thought in his fan's heads to ramp up the voting even more to ensure Scotty wins.

Bruno Mars performs "Lazy Song."

Ryan wants to reiterate that the results are in random order, meaning the two safe people in this group may or may not have been in the Bottom 3. Jacob is safe. What!? I could understand it better if someone like Haley went home instead of Jacob, but to have him safe as a result of someone like Casey or Scotty going home? I don't get it.

Casey Abrams - Eliminated

Scotty's safe.

After the goodbye video, Casey performs "I Put a Spell on You." During the song, he gives hugs and kisses to each of the judges as well as many audience members. When he's back on stage and singing the final line, "You're mine," he's facing Haley and singing it to her. Well, I think that pretty much confirms they're together. I was actually expecting the song to end with him kissing her, but oh well.

Next Wednesday, the Top 5 will be performing two songs each, with the theme being Now & Then. Then on Thursday, Jennifer Lopez will take to the stage for "On the Floor" with Pitbull, and Lady Antebellum singing as well. And while I don't think it's confirmed, I thought I remember reading that Lady Gaga will premiere her "Judas" music video during the show also. See ya then...

Idol-Talk: Season 10 Top 6

2011-04-28T10:33:00.000-07:00

American Idol 10: Top 6
Air Date: Wednesday, April 27, 2011 [8-9:30pm]

Theme: Carole King

Source: @mjsbigblog.com

Kenny "Babyface" Edmund joins Jimmy Iovine as a mentor for the Top 6.

The American Idols Live! Tour 2011 has been announced. Tickets will go on sale May 13; visit americanidol.com for all the information. Can't wait for this year's tour!

Each contestant will have two phone lines this week to help with voting.

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

1. Jacob Lusk - "Oh No Not My Baby"
Out of everybody, Jacob has been most at risk of going home (and I'm glad Jimmy said as much). He needed to come out and give it his all. And you know what? He did. There were a few notes that were off, but you could tell he had a lot of fun and I had fun watching. Going first will hurt him, but if he goes, at least he would have gone out on a high.

2. Lauren Alaina - "Where You Lead"
She's starting to get back to her normal self again. That confidence showed through when she worked the stage and interacted with that one audience member. There were a few moments that bored me a tad (mainly at the start), but moments like the chorus were great. Did she plan to pull a random audience member up to the stage?

Haley Reinhart & Casey Abrams - "I Feel the Earth Move"
In the intro video, it was obvious that they're an item - they have great chemistry. And after their genius jazz duet two weeks ago, I think we were all wanting more from them. As far as the performance went, they put their chemistry to good use with beautiful harmony together. They had fun up there.

3. Scotty McCreery - "You've Got a Friend"
If you look at my past comments, you'll know I'm not the biggest fan of Scotty's. But tonight, he surprised me. Usually his slower songs bore me, but it wasn't so much that way this time. The arrangement, though, was interesting; there were times I didn't recognize the song. But if he can continue to be as good as he was here, then maybe I'll be more on board with him.

4. James Durbin - "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow"
Lately, we've had the rock and theatrical from James. This time, he changed it up and showed us another side of him. There were a few sharp notes in there, but it didn't distract me from how he performed it. The a capella at the start was brilliant, and I would've loved to hear him sing an entire song that way. I loved it!

Scotty McCreery & Lauren Alaina - "Up on the Roof"
I guess it seems obvious that they would pair the two country crooners together. This slow song allowed their voices to really come through, and I thought their voices really played off each other really well.

5. Casey Abrams - "Hi De Ho"
When they said the song title, did anyone think of Wilson from Home Improvement? Anyway...I haven't been that on board with his past couple songs, but I got really into this one. I liked the way he went around the stage, from the pianist to the guitarist to the backup singers. I loved the beat of the song - Casey's getting back to being Casey.

6. Haley Reinhart - "Beautiful"
Instead of going straight into the song after the intro video, we got Ryan and Haley on stage explaining a technical snafu. After Ryan left, did anyone notice him dancing next to the musicians? And did anyone feel like this could have been an ode to Steven Tyler's most over-used word: beautiful? But with Haley - I loved the ending more than the start; the vocals weren't perfect. But her voice is still great, regardless.

Jacob Lusk & James Durbin - "I'm Into Something Good"
I'm not sure if I was completely in love with this. James was definitely the star of the performance; I could hear the warble back in Jacob's voice. And what is the deal with singers and Jennifer Lopez lately? First Iggy Pop getting up in her face. Then Casey did pretty much the same thing and then kissed her. And now Jacob and James come up behind her and slide her chair away from the desk. That really caught her off guard. But they had fun together, working off each other really well.

Compilation Album: Top 6 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 / Scotty McCreery

My Votes: James Durbin - 80 votes

Bottom 3 Prediction: Jacob Lusk / Lauren Alaina / Haley Reinhart

Elimination Prediction: Jacob Lusk

Below is the latest Idol social media stats (the combination of Twitter, Facebook and MySpace). These stats were compiled on 4/27/11 at 5:05pm.

1. Scotty McCreery - 180,903
2. Casey Abrams - 134,858
3. James Durbin - 120,014
4. Lauren Alaina - 114,486
5. Haley Reinhart - 78,038
6. Jacob Lusk - 52,578

The names in blue haven't changed their positions from last week to this week. James had finally inched up from four to third place. And I expected him to stay there when Paul left, but Lauren took Paul's place, leaving James to head back to fourth. But now Lauren and James have switched places for the second time, and James is in third. It seems like James is slowly closing the gap with Casey. I would love to see a switch there pretty soon.

I have to say, this was a pretty solid and strong night of performances. There really weren't any terrible sets at all, which is refreshing for a change.

This week, it seems pretty obvious that Jacob will be the one heading home. While he did better than he normally does, he's been at the end of his run for a while now, and he sang first. And as usual, Haley will also return to the Bottom 3. What could help her beat Jacob is the fact that she performed last (not counting the final duet). I enjoyed her song, but she was a little off at times. Since we're at the point where half of the singers will be in the Bottom 3 this week, I don't think there's any way Haley can be anywhere other than in the bottom group. So, Jacob and Haley are obvious choices. But for that final spot, it could either be Lauren or Casey. Scotty and James will be safe, and rightly so, which leaves either Lauren or Casey. I could easily see either one being there. Some people might not have been completely on board with the style that Casey brought to his song, which could put him in danger. Lately, Lauren's fanbase has gotten stronger and stronger (based on her social media stats), which could help her. But voters may have forgotten about her by the end of the night.

Tonight, the competition will be narrowed down to the Top 5 (8-9pm). After Lee Dewyze returned this year earlier in the season, I was hoping that Crystal would be invited back as well. And here we go: Crystal Bowersox will perform tonight during the results show; I believe she will be performing "Ridin' with the Radio." Bruno Mars will also take to the Idol stage to perform. And Jennifer Lopez will perform her new single, "On the Floor," featuring Pit Bull, in a pre-taped performance. See ya then...

Idol-Talk: Season 10 Top 7 Results Show

2011-04-22T17:43:00.000-07:00

American Idol 10: Top 7 Results Show
Air Date: Thursday, April 21, 2011 [8-9pm]

Source: @SLangoneAI10

Over 52 million votes were cast on Wednesday night.

Lauren Alaina, Haley Reinhart, Stefano Langone and Jacob Lusk perform "Hey, Soul Sister."

Ford Music Video: "World."

Casey Abrams, Scotty McCreery and James Durbin perform "Viva La Vida."

During Ryan's couch chat with the contestants, Casey shows a piece of art he received from a fan.

Casey and Jacob are up first to face the results:
Casey is safe!
Jacob Lusk - Bottom 3 (Correct Prediction)

David Cook performs "The Last Goodbye."

Video: The Top 7 go to a Dodgers game, then bowling and finally to the spa.

Lauren, James and Stefano are next:
Stefano Langone - Bottom 3 (Correct Prediction)
Lauren and James are safe!

Finally, only Haley and Scotty are left:
Scotty's safe.
Haley Reinhart - Bottom 3 (Correct Prediction)

Immediately, Ryan tells Haley that she's safe.

Katy Perry becomes a Lady Gaga-wannabe and performs "E.T" featuring Kanye West. It was oh so obvious that she was lip-syncing. Near the start of the song when she began walking towards the front of the stage, you could hear her voice singing but her lips weren't moving. Then, when she did start to move her lips, they weren't matching with the vocal. So, she tries to imitate Lady Gaga by dressing outlandishly. But Katy, if you're going to emulate her, you should try singing live. Gaga doesn't lip-sync.

The final results:
Stefano Langone - Eliminated (Correct Prediction)
Jacob's safe.

Stefano performs "Lately." James is visibly upset over Stefano going home. Based on that and their interaction after the song, they must have become close friends.

Now that Stefano's gone, none of the judge's Wild Card picks are left. This goes to show that the Wild Card round doesn't really impact the final outcome. The only exception to that was Clay Aiken, who made it to second place. But even with him, it was America's Wild Card pick and not by the judges. Another choice that made an impact post-Idol, though not on who won, was Jennifer Hudson (chosen by Randy).

Next Wednesday, the Top 7 will perform Songs of Carole King. And I can't, can't, can't wait for Crystal Bowersox to perform on Thursday! See ya then...

Idol-Talk: Season 10 Top 7

2011-04-21T10:22:00.000-07:00

American Idol 10: Top 7
Air Date: Wednesday, April 20, 2011 [8-9:30pm]

Theme: Songs from the 21st Century

Source: mjsbigblog.com

At the top of the show, the Top 13 contestants that have been eliminated so far (Ashthon Jones, Karen Rodriguez, Naima Adedapo, Thia Megia, Pia Toscano, Paul McDonald) perform Pink's "So What." Paul sounded terrible against the girl's voices. Since Idol has made most of this year's episodes 90 minutes long, they're getting to that point now where they need filler. Enter: "So What." With only six next week, what will they do to fill the time then? Bring them back again? I doubt they'll have time for the Top 6 to do two songs each, so who knows.

After the song, the camera cuts to Mark Ballas (and his father Corky) from Dancing with the Stars, who is supposedly dating Pia. The two shows are on different networks, so it's obvious both are playing this up as much as they can: having Mark on Idol this week (Ryan even trying to get him to say something about it), and Pia will be on Dancing next week.

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

1. Scotty McCreery - LeAnn Rimes' "Swingin'"
Another pretty solid vocal from Scotty. I actually really enjoyed it as it started. But he lost me at the chorus; that's when it started to feel pretty much the same as we've always seen/heard from him. Nothing necessarily wrong, but like Jennifer and Randy said, he needs to step it up and not take the safe route. But the audience just went wild whenever he hit the low notes. And when he went for it during the final note, he knew the reaction he would get, so he played it up as he was preparing to go for those notes.

2. James Durbin - Muse's "Uprising"
It looks like Lee Dewyze's bagpiper from last year has brought along his marching band drummers for James. From the outfit to the theatrics and the way he owned the stage (including the way he carried the mike stand), I almost could've mistaken him for Adam Lambert. He owned that part of the performance, but the vocals weren't the best. So I'm not sure if it was one of his best, but regardless, just when we thought his high notes couldn't get any higher, it did. This might be better as an iTunes studio recording.

3. Haley Reinhart - Adele's "Rolling in the Deep"
I was excited to find out she was doing Adele, because Adele has such a beautiful and unique voice, and the style of her songs fit Haley really well. To follow up on what Randy said, it wasn't perfect, but she's recovering from last week. On the plus side, she shone best during the chorus. As an aside, did anyone notice that Casey Abrams was missing from her intro video (where the others are supposed to talk about the singer who's about to perform)? Maybe he didn't want to do it because he thought it would show through his feelings for her (since they are rumored to be dating). But I think that his absence made it even more apparent.

4. Jacob Lusk - Luther Vandross' "Dance with My Father"
If you look at the types of songs he's sung so far, it's not surprising he would go with this one. I'm glad Randy called him out on the vocals and saying they need some constructive comments once in a while (is he listening to us?), because it was just okay. After being thrown off during the first line, I wasn't sure how the rest would go, but he came back with the same warble vibrato he normally gives us. Unfortunately, he may be safe because of why he sang this song (dedicating it to his deceased father).

5. Casey Abrams - Maroon 5's "Harder to Breathe"
I can't believe Casey had the nerve to kiss Jennifer on the cheek at the end there (let along get up in her face, closer than even Iggy Pop did to her). I'm not sure if the performance was the most cohesive. Some places such as the chorus just felt like it didn't match up to the original. But he picked it up during the last quarter of the song. And what was it that Steven Tyler said to cause him to be bleeped for the longest time? Randy and Jennifer's jaws were on the floor.

6. Stefano Langone - Ne-Yo's "Closer"
I wouldn't be surprised if this is the style he goes towards post-Idol. But regardless, I wasn't blown away - he didn't match up to the original. On the plus side, though, he improved greatly during the last half when holding out his notes. And he felt more comfortable on stage (dancing, and working the audience). The sex appeal that he obviously purposefully added in will help him with voters, but will it be enough to save him?

7. Lauren Alaina - Sara Evans' "Born To Fly"
It thought it was a pleasant performance. Nothing much more than that. The song didn't allow her to belt it out, so it may have been a safe song choice. I was a little let down when she basically said she's not as confident in what she can do. In order to change that, she needs to take risks, because it could pay off. She needs to believe in herself.

Compilation Album - Top 7 Season 10: Click on this link to see the compilation album in iTunes of all of the above songs.

Favorite Performance: I don't know that I had a favorite performance this week.

My Votes: James Durbin - 60 votes
Some busy signals at the start.

Bottom 3 Prediction: Haley Reinhart / Jacob Lusk / Stefano Langone

Elimination Prediction: Stefano Langone

Below is the latest Idol social media stats (the combination of Twitter, Facebook and MySpace). These stats were compiled on 4/19/11 at 10:30pm.

1. Scotty McCreery - 161,487
2. Casey Abrams - 116,542
3. Lauren Alaina - 98,650
4. James Durbin - 98,221
5. Stefano Langone - 74,549
6. Haley Reinhart - 62,463
7. Jacob Lusk - 47,103

The names in blue haven't changed their positions from last week to this week. Last week, Paul sailed above James. But now that he's out of the equation, I would have expected James to reclaim 3rd place. But Lauren, surprisingly, took that spot, keeping James in 4th. It seems she is slowly but surely gaining a bigger following. This shows that she has a chance at making the Top 2.

Haley, Jacob and Stefano have pretty much always seemed to be at risk. And except for Casey, it's only been those three in the bottom 3, of the remaining contestants. And it seems obvious that it will be those three in the bottom group this time around. I would just love to see Scotty in the bottom, but even though he performed first, I doubt that'll ever happen. And if it does, it will only make his fans make sure he wins. James wasn't at his best, but he knows how to put on a show, and I really hope he's not in danger. I could easily see him making it all the way to the final two without ever being in danger. Even though there was that strange week with Casey almost being eliminated a while ago, I can't figure out where he might stand in terms of the voting. And as I mentioned above with the social media stats, Lauren is continuously gathering a stronger fan base and will be safe.

Now, back to Haley, Jacob and Stefano. Haley is recovering from last week, so I hope she is safe. Jacob should have been gone a long time ago, but I have a feeling that he'll be safe. He will get the sympathy vote for dedicating the song to his deceased father. That leaves Stefano. The only way I can see him staying on is if his fan base voted even more due to the sex appeal factor that Stefano added in.

Tonight, yet another contestant will be eliminated (8-9pm). And season 7 champ David Cook will perform his new single, plus a performance by Katy Perry. See ya then...

Idol-Talk: Season 10 Top 8 Results Show

2011-04-17T22:47:00.000-07:00

American Idol 10: Top 8 Results Show
Air Date: Thursday, April 14, 2011 [8-9pm*]

*The episode ran a minute over, ending at 9:01pm.

@PMcDonaldAI10

Over 53 million votes were cast this week.

Lauren Alaina and Scotty McCreery perform "American Honey."

Video: Behind-the-scenes of this week's music video, where they are turned into zombies.

Ford Music Video: "Animal"

Casey Abrams and Haley Reinhart perform "Moaning." Out of all the group performances this year, this one is by far the best! I hope they are able to encore this song either at the finale or on tour, cause I just loved it!

The four that have performed face the results:

Scotty, Lauren and Casey are safe!

Haley Reinhart - Bottom 3 (Correct Prediction)

Video: Rob Reiner gives the Top 8 advice on movie songs.

Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson (!) perform their new hit single, "Don't You Wanna Stay." Jason was a little generic, but Kelly proved why she is our inaugural Idol and possibly the best as well.

Jacob Lusk, Paul McDonald, Stefano Langone and James Durbin perform "Sounds of Silence"/"Mrs. Robinson." I know we're not voting on these group songs, but they sounded terrible together. Sorry.

James and Jacob are both safe!

Stefano Langone - Bottom 3 (Correct Prediction)

Paul McDonald - Bottom 3 (Correct Prediction)

Rihanna performs "California King Bed."

The Bottom 3 find out their fate:

Both Haley and Stefano are safe!

Paul McDonald - Eliminated (Correct Prediction)

Jennifer Lopez requests that Paul sing "Maggie May." That seemed a little staged to me.

Finally, a guy is sent home! Haley broke the curse! Depending on how the next round of performances go, we may see a second guy going home (either Stefano or Jacob).

On Wednesday, the Top 7 will perform 21st Century Songs. And then season 7 champ David Cook will return to debut his brand-new single, "This Loud Morning," as well as a performance by Katy Perry, on Thursday. See ya then...

Idol-Talk: Season 10 Top 8

2011-04-14T10:32:00.000-07:00

American Idol 10: Top 8
Air Date: Wednesday, April 13, 2011 [8-9:30pm]

Theme: Songs from the Movies

Source: mjsbigblog.com

After the judges take their seats, Ryan congratulates Jennifer Lopez for being named World's Most Beautiful Woman by People magazine today.

And will.i.am is back to help mentor with Jimmy Iovine. Rio is being heavily pimped during commercials. Is he mentoring every week because of the movie, or will be continue to be there even after the movie's out? I'm don't think I'm totally against him being there; he's providing some great comments and humor as well. He works well with Jimmy.

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

1. Paul McDonald - Bob Seeger's "Old Time Rock n Roll"
Last week, Paul started to get his mojo back, and that's fortunately continued this time around. He just had so much fun on that stage, and I had fun watching him. I'm not sure, though, about the drum beat. Closing out the show last time helped him with voters, but now going first - could that hurt him?

2. Lauren Alaina - Miley Cyrus' "The Climb"
I guess I'm not surprised Lauren chose this song - it shows her age (and I have a feeling that if Thia Megia were still here, she would have chosen this song). It is a great song - as long as Miley's not singing it. But for Lauren, I have to say I pleasantly enjoyed it; her voice sounded pretty solid. But I don't think Pia Toscano fans will be happy with Jimmy telling her about stealing Pia's votes; what if that fan base turns on Lauren?

3. Stefano Langone - Boys II Men's "End of the Road"
I don't know if I'm just in a good mood or what, but the night is going really well so far. Stefano really belted it out. After being in the Bottom 3, he stepped it up and did what he could to save himself. Going third isn't always helpful, but he did really well.

4. Scotty McCreery - George Straight's "Cross My Heart"
Picking a slower song, I was expecting to be bored. And there were definitely moments where I was. Maybe it wasn't the best song choice, but by sticking to who he is, it's hard for him to go wrong with the majority female voting block.

5. Casey Abrams - Nat King Cole's "Nature Boy"
I'm not really understanding why the judges gave him a standing ovation or praised him to the extend that they did. His voice sounded strange, and overall the whole vibe of it was off in my eyes.

6. Haley Reinhart - Blondie's "Call Me"
Now that she's found her musical footing, I'm not surprised by this song choice. My favorite parts were the chorus. Unfortunately, she had a hard time with the low notes and some of the runs were all over the place. She's become one of my favorites lately, so I would hate to see her go.

7. Jacob Lusk - "Bridge Over Troubled Water"
I cringed when Jimmy suggested this song because I knew he would butcher it. It sounded again like he was trying to gurgle water at times. If he's not in the Bottom 3, it'll be because of those last few notes, which were impressive, I have to admit. In my eyes, this is almost an untouchable song on Idol, because Clay Aiken gave a winning performance back in season 2 with this song.

8. James Durbin - "Heavy Metal" from Heavy Metal
And we're back to the rock (or in this case, metal) that James slays. He's the only one tonight who gave us a show as if it's post-Idol already. But will people be turned off by the metal genre? And what about James giving lip to Jimmy? I wonder if Jimmy wasn't too happy about that; maybe inside he was smiling.

Compilation Album - Top 8 Season 10: Click on this link to see the compilation album in iTunes of all of the above songs.

Favorite Performance: James Durbin

My Votes: James Durbin - 60 votes
I got a whole lot of busy signals throughout the time that I voted. I hope that's good news for him.

Bottom 3 Prediction: Paul McDonald / Stefano Langone / Haley Reinhart

Elimination Prediction: Paul McDonald

Below is the latest Idol social media stats (the combination of Twitter, Facebook and MySpace). These stats were compiled on 4/12/11 at 10:15pm.

1. Scotty McCreery - 140,573
2. Casey Abrams - 101,780
3. Paul McDonald - 86,900
4. James Durbin - 83,369
5. Lauren Alaina - 80,800
6. Stefano Langone - 64,437
7. Haley Reinhart - 50,976
8. Jacob Lusk - 42,278

The names in blue haven't changed their positions from last week to this week. Last week, there were three switches going on. This time around, one of those three has switched back: Paul and James. I was excited when James inched up to third, but Paul has reclaimed that spot. I'm thinking it's because Paul gave such a fun performance last week, whereas James had a more subdued song. Speaking of last week, Lauren had slid past Pia. And now Lauren is closing the gap with James.

The singers who I believe are eligible for the Bottom 3 are Paul, Stefano, Haley and Jacob (I'll add Casey in there as well because some people online are saying he could be in danger as well). I want to pick Jacob, but I think those final few notes he belted out will save him. And even though I enjoyed Paul's and Stefano's performances, they performed at the start of the show; that will most certainly hurt their chances, so I'm going with them. As for that last spot, I'm going with Haley, just because she was one of the weakest (after stepping up these past few weeks). But since she did stumble a little, her fans might have come out in droves to save her. If that happens, maybe Casey will make a return trip to the bottom group. As far as who's going home, it's between Paul and Stefano. I could easily see either one getting cut, so I'm just going to go with Paul since he performed first and voters might not have remembered him by the end of the night.

Tonight, one will be heading home as the competition narrows down to the Top 7 (8-9pm). Also, Kelly Clarkson and Jason Aldean will hit the Idol stage to perform their new hit single. See ya then...

Idol-Talk: Season 10 Top 9 Results Show

2011-04-08T17:56:00.000-07:00

American Idol 10: Top 9 Results Show
Air Date: Thursday, April 7, 2010 [8-9pm*]

*This episode actually ran one minute over and ended at 9:01pm.

Source: @PToscanoAI10

"Welcome to what could be very shocking results." So said Ryan Seacrest at the start of this week's results show. I can understand why he said "could be," because when it comes to Pia, people either loved her or know she doesn't have the "It" factor.

The Top 9 perform a rock medley of "I Love Rock & Roll," "The Letter," and "Sweet Home Alabama."

Ford Music Video: "Love Gun"

Video: Russell Brand coaches the contestants on performing and stage presence. Charisma Coach? Maybe he should travel back in time to season 9 and coach that group instead.

Casey Abrams, Stefano Langone and Lauren Alaina:
Both Lauren and Casey are safe!
Stefano Langone - Bottom 3 (Correct Prediction)

Constantine Maroulis performs "Unchained Melody." I'm not understanding the reason for his appearance. Shouldn't he be either singing a song from Rock of Ages or one of his own songs? But no matter, he brought a rock arrangement to this great song and just butchered it as a result. It was unrecognizable for much of the song.

Video: Gwen Stefani styling the girls.

Paul McDonald, Scotty McCreery and Pia Toscano:
Scotty is safe! Doesn't that mean Paul will make a reappearance in the bottom 3? No?! It's Pia!?
Pia Toscano - Bottom 3

Video: The Top 9 visit TMZ. When Ryan introduces the video and mentions TMZ, the audience begins booing. Hilarious!

James Durbin, Haley Reinhart and Jacob Lusk:
Both James and Haley are safe, obviously. And Jacob is again obviously in the bottom.
Jacob Lusk - Bottom 3 (Correct Prediction)

Iggy Pop performs "Real Wild Child." What in the world was that? Shirtless and going all over the stage. I'm assuming he's a has-been who has lost his touch?

Jacob is safe, which leaves us with Paul and Pia. I know I keep using the word 'obvious,' but it seems obvious that Paul is the one to go home. But instead Ryan announces that the possible shocker is that Pia is eliminated. Okay, here's the deal. Even though the audience and judges almost always seem to love her, there's no way she could have won. Maybe if she showed more personality and took risks with her song choices, then maybe she had a chance. But I do have to say that I never expected her to get the boot this early in the competition. She is in 6th place with the social media stats, so I figured she'd be around for at least another few weeks, if not longer.

Pia Toscano - Eliminated

Everyone had been saying that it's due time for one of the guys to leave, and I wholeheartedly agreed. Not a single guy has been cut yet. Hopefully, either Jacob or Stefano goes next week, because both Lauren and Haley are better than them. Who will Pia's votes go towards? I hope to the remaining girls. Maybe that will help with this. Even though I wasn't the biggest fan of Pia's, this makes me extremely frustrated over the results of no guys going home yet.

Next week, the Top 8 will perform Songs from the Movies. And the original Idol Kelly Clarkson will return to her home turf (can't wait!) See ya then...

Idol-Talk: Season 10 Top 9

2011-04-07T10:38:00.000-07:00

American Idol 10: Top 9
Air Date: Wednesday, April 6, 2011 [8-9:30pm]

Theme: Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame

Source: mjsbigblog.com

Will.i.am joins Jimmy Iovine as a guest mentor this week (I thought there weren't going to be any guest mentors this year, Nigel?). And Gwen Stefani helped with styling.

Ryan announces that there have been 15,000 lyric submissions so far for the songwriting contest with Taio Cruz.

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

1. Jacob Lusk - Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror"
I was worried for him after hearing the song choice - this is one of my favorite MJ songs. But I have to hand it to Jacob; he did a pretty great job. The best part was the half half when he could really belt it out. But will going first hurt his chances, especially considering he's in last place on the social media totem pole.

2. Haley Reinhart - Janis Joplin's "Piece of My Heart"
The past couple of weeks, Haley has really come into her own and been able to figure out her musical style. That has carried over to tonight as well. Her growl and rasp meshed well with this Janis Joplin song. One of Carrie Underwood's weakest performances back in season four was with this song, and I have to say, Haley bested her.

3. Casey Abrams - Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Have You Ever Seen the Rain"
After "Smells Like Teen Spirit," he calmed it down a lot with "Your Song." That calmness has carried over to tonight. While I'm not sure if it's as memorable as "Your Song," he still brought his own thing to the song.

4. Lauren Alaina - Aretha Franklin's "Natural Woman"
On American Idol, this is Kelly Clarkson's song. Lauren certainly has the voice to take it on, but I was a little bit underwhelmed. Her voice wasn't necessarily bad, but the whole thing was a tad bland. Kelly still takes it with this one.

5. James Durbin - George Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"
He usually does the uptempo rock songs, so I like that he went out on a limb and slowed it down. I'm not really sure what to think of it. His voice seemed flat at the start. But the emotion he showed at the conclusion of the song will help with voters. And my favorite part was the note at the end. But overall, maybe not one of his best.

6. Scotty McCreery - Elvis Presley's "That's All Right"
The judges and audience may have loved it, but I wasn't as much. It seemed a little karaoke to me. What stood out, though, was his personality and moves; that will certainly make the girls vote for him.

7. Pia Toscano - Tina Turner's "River Deep, Mountain High"
To prove she's not a one-trick pony, she picked an uptempo song. There were a few moments that her voice was either shaky or not right (lower register). But the best part was the last half - her voice was a powerhouse. So a part of me was unsure and a part of me liked it. Now, what she needs to do is make these songs her own and let more of her personality shine through.

8. Stefano Langone - Percy Sledge's "When a Man Loves a Woman"
If I remember correctly, didn't Big Mike kill it with this song last year? Lately, Stefano's been accused of being kind of loungy. I sensed still some of that here. The song does fit well with his voice, but I wasn't blown away. The opening and closing notes were not good.

9. Paul McDonald - Johnny Cash's "Fulsom Prison Blues"
Like Casey, I'm not sure if I will remember this. But what I loved is that he's headed back to the Paul that we loved early on - the full-blown energy and personality all over the stage.

Compilation Album - Top 9 Season 10: Click on this link to see the compilation album in iTunes of all of the above songs.

Favorite Performances: Haley Reinhart / Jacob Lusk

My Votes: James Durbin - 40 votes
There were some busy signals when I first started voting.

Bottom 3 Prediction: Jacob Lusk / Lauren Alaina / Stefano Langone

Elimination Prediction: Stefano Langone

Below is the latest Idol social media stats (the combination of Twitter, Facebook and MySpace). These stats were compiled on 4/5/11 at 5:25pm.

1. Scotty McCreery - 108,671
2. Casey Abrams - 78,995
3. James Durbin - 64,017
4. Paul McDonald - 63,911
5. Lauren Alaina - 57,926
6. Pia Toscano - 55,852
7. Stefano Langone - 46,552
8. Haley Reinhart - 33,991
9. Jacob Lusk - 32,547

The names in blue haven't changed their positions from last week to this week. There were three switcheroos this time around: James and Paul have switched places (with James finally making his way up to third), Lauren is now ahead of Pia, and Jacob has taken last place below Haley. With Lauren and Pia, maybe people are starting to realize that Lauren is more interesting on stage, unlike Pia. And Haley's great performances lately have helped her to not be in last.

Coming into this week's performance episode, everyone has been saying that Jacob could very well be going home this week. I agreed with that statement. After hearing everyone sing now, I think he still could go home, but he did extremely well. He did perform first, though, so I think he will at least be in the Bottom 3. Stefano will join him as well. As for the last spot, I'm going with Lauren for some reason; a part of me doesn't think she will be there, so I am a little on the fence with this choice. Haley did sing near the start of the show, which could hurt her, but she performed really well, and I hope she's not in danger. I think that leaves Lauren, who not only is lost in the shuffle by singing in the middle of the show, but gave a bland performance as well. I think she has a pretty good fan base, so that could keep her out of the bottom group. Ultimately, though, it will come down to Jacob and Stefano. I can see either one going, but I chose Stefano since, of the two, he was just okay once again.

Tonight, one will be eliminated from the competition (8-9pm). And Constantine Maroulis will return to the Idol stage. See ya then...

Idol-Talk: Season 10 Top 11 Redux Results Show

2011-04-02T13:05:00.000-07:00

American Idol 10: Top 11 Redux Results Show
Air Date: Thursday, March 31, 2011 [8-9pm]

Source: @NAdedapoAI10

Source: @TMegiaAI10

Over 55 million votes were cast this week, a new record at this stage in the competition.

They're changing things up this time around. Instead of one big group performance, the contestants will be split up into smaller groups. First up, Lauren and Scotty on "I Told You So."

Both Lauren Alaina and Scotty McCreery are safe!

Ford Music Video: "Kryptonite"

Ryan says that the contestants have been getting a lot of fanmail. James shows one he got: a WWE belt.

Naima and Jacob perform "Solid." Strange arrangement.

Naima Adedapo - Bottom 3 (Correct Prediction). Jacob Lusk is safe.

Fantasia returns to the Idol stage and performs her new single, "Collard Greens and Cornbread." Perfect! As usual, she knows how to perform on stage. I love it! Her advice to the contestants is to not always surround yourself around yes people, but people that will be honest and tell you no sometimes. Not everything will be easy. She gave some great advice, considering everything she's been through since winning, let alone everything that happened before Idol.

Haley, Thia and Pia perform "Teenage Dream."

Pia Toscano's safe. Thia Megia - Bottom 3 (Correct Prediction). Haley Reinhart is also safe.

Video: A week in the life of the Top 11, including going to Interscope Records, Celebrity Fight Night, Ford video shoot, and moving out of the mansion because water's leaking in the house (is this the real reason they're moving, or is the Haunted Mansion story still the main reason?)

Paul, Casey, James and Stefano perform "Band on the Run." I hate to say it, but that wasn't very good.

Casey Abrams and James Durbin are safe. So is Stefano Langone. Paul McDonald - Bottom 3.

Jamie Foxx and will.i.am perform "Hot Wings" from the upcoming animated film, Rio. That was strange.

And now, back to the results...

Paul is safe, which means that both Naima and Thia are going home this week.

Naima Adedapo - Eliminated (Correct Prediction)

Thia Megia - Eliminated (Correct Prediction)

Next week, the Top 9 will take on songs from the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame and Constantine will return to the Idol stage to perform (will this be part of Rock of Ages or is it a solo performance?). See ya then...

Idol-Talk: Season 10 Top 11 Redux

2011-03-31T11:22:00.000-07:00

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

2011-03-26T12:27:00.000-07:00

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.