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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.
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| 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...
American Idol 10: Top 9
Air Date: Wednesday, April 6, 2011 [8-9:30pm]
Theme: Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame
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| 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...
American Idol 10: Top 11 Redux Results Show
Air Date: Thursday, March 31, 2011 [8-9pm]
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| Source: @NAdedapoAI10 |
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| 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...
American Idol 10: Top 11 Redux
Air Date: Wednesday, March 30, 2011 [8-10pm]
Theme: Elton John
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| 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...
American Idol 10: Top 11 Results Show
Air Date: Thursday, March 24, 2011 [8-9pm]
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| 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.
American Idol 10: Top 11
Air Date: Wednesday, March 23, 2011 [8-10pm]
Theme: Motown
I don't have much to say to start off this blog, so let's just get right into it:
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| Source: mjsbigblog.com |
Click on each of the below links to open up those studio performances on iTunes. You will not be charged for clicking on these links, unless you click 'buy' in the iTunes Store.
1. Casey Abrams - Marvin Gaye's "I Heard It Through the Grapevine"
After coming off of one of the worst Idol performances (with "Smells Like Teen Spirit"), anything Casey did this week would have been an improvement. This song (along with many other Motown songs) has been done a lot on the show, but Casey was able to bring a great tone to it that kept my attention and he breathed new life into it.
2. Thia Megia - Martha and the Vandellas' "Heatwave"
I'm glad she picked a more up-tempo song. A part of me did think it was a little generic, though, but she was able to show a different side of herself - so that's a plus. But at one point it did look like she lost the words; I saw her look behind her as if she was trying to cover it up.
3. Jacob Lusk - Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell's "You're All I Need to Get By"
I will say this upfront - I was too nice on him last week (when he did "Alone") - it was terrible. This genre fits him perfectly, so if he messed it up... I haven't been the biggest fan of his, but he did extremely well. There was more control to his voice, which helped. This may be his best performance to date.
4. Lauren Alaina - The Supremes' "You Keep Me Hanging On"
Jimmy Iovine mentioned that she hasn't been herself lately. I've definitely noticed that. But she shrugged off the criticisms of late and that helped her to be herself last night. This is a great song (and Blake Lewis did his own take on it in season 6) and her voice was top notch.
5. Stefano Langone - Lionel Richie's "Hello"
This was one of David Cook's top 2 best performances back in season 7. So Stefano had a lot to live up to. And last week he became the dark horse. His voice was smooth as usual here. But after the advice he got of keeping his eyes open, they were closed for the last half. Will I remember this after tonight? I'm not so sure.
6. Haley Reinhart - "You Really Got a Hold on Me"
She started off a little rough during the opening, both with her voice and coming down the stairs. And the twang she has in her voice didn't match the song. The last half she stepped it up more and I heard that great tone to her voice that I love. But I wouldn't be surprised if she's back in the Bottom 3 (if not eliminated).
7. Scotty McCreery - Stevie Wonder's "For Once in My Life"
With someone like Scotty, I thought this was why Nigel Lythgoe didn't want specific genres like this. This was one of his weakest to date. The country in his voice didn't mesh well with the instruments. And it did come off as loungy - Mr. Iovine said it could.
8. Pia Toscano - Stevie Wonder's "All in Love is Fair"
Last week she broke her normal mold, but this time took it right back to the ballads that she always does. Her voice is perfect for them, but with Motown, we could have gotten something different from her. And I'm still not feeling a connection to the audience.
9. Paul McDonald - Smokey Robinson's "Tracks of My Tears"
Adam Lambert did a brilliant job with this song in season 8, so it's obviously hard for Paul to match up to that. His voice sounded kind of weak during the first half. But I thought he stepped up at the end - he vibed well at that point. This might be a good studio recording, though.
10. Naima Adedapo - Martha and the Vandellas' "Dancing in the Street"
She certainly is a performer, for sure. She took the song literally and did an African dance at the end. With what the genre is, it is just right for Jacob and Naima. I heard a huge improvement in her voice; somehow the pitch problems diminished. Is it enough to keep her out of the Bottom 3?
11. James Durbin - Stevie Wonder's "Living for the City"
James continues to make song choices that fit his voice perfectly. The high notes had just the right level to them. He brought out some dance moves with his footwork, and he connected with the audience. I think many of the contestants should look to him to see how a performance should be done.
Compilation Album - American Idol Top 11 Season 10: Click on this link to see the compilation album on iTunes of all of the above songs.
Favorite Performances: James Durbin / Jacob Lusk
My Votes: James Durbin - 40 votes
Bottom 3 Predictions: Thia Megia / Haley Reinhart / Naima Adedapo
Elimination Prediction: Haley Reinhart
You may have noticed that I didn't do my usual blog on the Idol Social media Stats. I'm thinking about including it briefly into Idol-Talk. Below is the stats of the Top 11 as of 3/21/11 at 5:10pm (combination of #'s on Twitter, Facebook and MySpace):
1. Scotty McCreery - 68,306
2. Casey Abrams - 44,482
3. Paul McDonald - 39,675
4. James Durbin - 37,699
5. Lauren Alaina - 34,104
6. Pia Toscano - 33,518
7. Thia Megia - 32,683
8. Stefano Langone - 29,241
9. Jacob Lusk - 20,668
10. Haley Reinhart - 16,000
11. Naima Adedapo - 15,858
The names in blue haven't changed their positions from last week to this week. Pia Toscano and Thia Megia have switched places. Does this spell bad news for Thia? If she's in the Bottom 3 this week, then the answer may be yes. And Haley Reinhart and Naima Adedapo have switched places. Regardless of that switch, I still think Haley will be eliminated and not Naima. But I'm just waiting for James Durbin to move up. He's closing the gap with Paul McDonald, and with the weak performances that Paul's been giving lately, I hope James makes the jump soon.
It think it's pretty obvious that Haley will be leaving us this week. For some reason, I can't really see anyone else being eliminated. She's been in the Bottom 3 every week now, and has the second lowest number of social media followers (as of Monday when I tallied everything up). Naima certainly stepped it up and took a risk by adding in that dance. Regardless of that dance or her performing second to last, there's a part of me that thinks she will make her second appearance in the bottom. She does have the least number of online followers, so there's something to be said for that; obviously not a whole lot of people are feeling the same sort of attachment to her that the judges have felt. As far as that last spot goes, to me it could be either Thia, Lauren, or Paul. I don't think Lauren will be there just yet. At first, I kept coming back to Paul, but he did give a unique take on a great song ("Tracks of My Tears") and sang near the end of the show, whereas Thia was a little generic and performed near the top of the first hour. That placement might not be good for her. Now, I do realize that she has a pretty solid fan base coming on to the show, so that could save her, and I don't think she will be gone just yet either.
I have correctly predicted everyone going into the Bottom 3 every week now. I have this funny feeling that I won't get every spot correct this week. I don't know why, but I have this feeling...I guess I'll just have to wait and see.
Tonight, one more is eliminated as we find out who will be hitting the road this summer for the American Idols Live! Tour 2011 (8-9pm). Plus, we will have performances by Idol alum Jennifer Hudson as well as Sugarland. Nigel tweeted that there will be some shocking news tonight. Some people online are thinking it will be a shocking elimination. But I don't think it will be. He didn't say there will be shocking results, but instead shocking NEWS. Who knows how serious this is or if it is more light-hearted (maybe they'll talk about the Idols moving out of the mansion because of the ghost?). See ya then...
American Idol 10: Top 12 Results Show
Air Date: Thursday, March 17, 2011 [8-9pm]
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| Source: @KRodriguezAI10 |
The Top 12 perform a mash-up of "Born to Be Wild" and "Born This Way." So they're definitely sticking with doing it live this year. As much as I have complained over the past I don't know how many years that they lip-sync the group songs, at least they're "vocals" were good then. I think they need to work with them to make sure their voices sound good together.
Ford Music Video: "Val Kilmer"
There have been 250 million music downloads since the show began. Ryan Seacrest promotes the new American Idol: 10th Anniversary - The Hits Volume 1 CD. He tells everyone to look under their seats: everyone in the audience gets a free copy of the album.
Video: Top 12 interviews
Ryan wants the lights dimmed for the results; instead, we get some St. Patrick's Day lighting and music.
Jacob Lusk, Lauren Alaina and Casey Abrams are called up first:
All three are safe!
Haley Reinhart and Paul McDonald:
Haley Reinhart - Bottom 3 [Correct Prediction]
Paul is safe.
Lee Dewyze performs his new single, "Beautiful Like You," and does a pretty good job!
Scotty McCreery, Pia Toscano and James Durbin:
Everyone's safe in this group.
Stefano Langone and Naima Adedapo:
Naima Adedapo - Bottom 3 [Correct Prediction]
Stefano's still on the show.
Karen Rodriguez and Thia Megia:
Karen Rodriguez - Bottom 3 [Correct Prediction]
Thia's safe.
The Black Eyed Peas perform "Just Can't Get Enough." Two points to make here: One - Was that really Fergie? It looked nothing like her. And two - I found it funny how the new music director Ray Chew said in a recent interview that Auto-Tune is a no-no for the contestants on the show, and yet the guest performers come on here and use it. Just a little ironic. Oh, and I guess there's a three - Where were the judges? Was this performance pre-taped?
Naima's the first from the Bottom 3 to be told she's safe.
Haley's safe as well.
Karen performs "Hero" and is actually pretty decent. Smart move on her part to go back to that song. But in a decision that is not unanimous, the judges do not save her. One blog I read online said that it was probably Jennifer Lopez who wanted to save her, since they're both Latin American singers. I guess I wouldn't be surprised. But if that's the case, Jennifer needs to realize that we're still really early in the competition and you can't just be wasting a save this early on someone who would not have had a chance at winning.
Karen Rodriguez - Eliminated [Correct Prediction]
I hope this is not just a fluke, but these past couple weeks I have correctly predicted not only everyone going into the Bottom 3 but who's being eliminated as well.
American Idol 10: Top 12
Air Date: Wednesday, March 16, 2011 [8-10pm]
Theme: Songs from the Year You Were Born
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| Source: mjsbigblog.com |
The show started off with a cold open. The judges and Ryan Seacrest tell us that Idol will be doing their part to help with the tragedy in Japan. If you buy any of the Top 12 songs, proceeds will go to the Red Cross.
Is it just me, or is Steven Tyler becoming more useless week by week? Jennifer Lopez has found the right balance between being nice and providing constructive critiques. But Steven only says positive comments. And even then, sometimes I have no idea what he's saying. He's still fun to listen to, no doubt, but he needs to step it up.
At one point during the show, Ryan sat between So You Think You Can Dance judge Mary Murphy and Idol alum Tamyra Gray. But during that entire exchange, he completely snubbed season 7 alum Carly Smithson, who was sitting next to Mary. Who cares about Mary! She's from a different show. This is American Idol, and you should acknowledge your Idol family.
Click on each of the below links to open up those studio recordings on iTunes. You will not be charged for clicking on these links, unless you click 'buy' on iTunes.
1. Naima Adedapo - Tina Turner's "What's Love Got to Do with It"
I am so glad Jennifer called her out on her pitch, because every week her voice is not on key. The song didn't necessarily hurt her; it actually fit her very well. But if she wants longevity, she needs to work on singing in key.
2. Paul McDonald - Elton John's "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues"
With him, it seems like he could be different week to week in terms of how good or bad he is. I don't know if he'll ever be consistent. The first half was pitchy. There was a moment in the middle I liked. And the last half he put it all in, though still not the best obviously.
3. Thia Megia - "Colors of the Wind" from Pocahontas
Even though it's birth year songs, this song really showed her age and musical inexperience. I think if she continues down this path, it'll be the end of her. On the plus side, her voice improved greatly and had a lot of control.
4. James Durbin - Bon Jovi's "I'll Be There For You"
So far tonight, James is the only one to show he's a star. I don't think it was one of his best (a few pitch problems), but what made up for it was everything else. I wasn't sure about the song choice at first, but I'm opening to it.
5. Haley Reinhart - Whitney Houston's "I'm Your Baby Tonight"
Haley's in the same boat as Thia. Her song choices are so different from week to week that it's hurting her chances. Though, this one was the best by far for Haley. I heard a few great moments that showed her unique voice. She could continue down this vibe.
6. Stefano Langone - Simply Red's "If You Don't Know Me By Now"
He picked a great song. And what made it great was that he left the song alone and sang it as is. The power note at the end was off, but overall he brought it.
7. Pia Toscano - Whitney Houston's "Where Do Broken Hearts Go"
I've been kind of hard on her lately, so I'm glad she stepped out and didn't choose the traditional ballad. When she really belted it out, I heard a little Kelly Clarkson in there. On a related note, I don't know how she's the odds-on favorite to win at the moment. She hasn't picked the best song choices (nothing that stands out), and she's in the middle of the pack when it comes to social media followers.
8. Scotty McCreery - Travis Tritt's "Can I Trust You With My Heart"
I actually enjoyed this. I may not have been blown away, but he has a nice tone to his voice. And when he held out the note at the end, I think it was his best moment.
9. Karen Rodriguez - Taylor Dayne's "Love Will Lead You Back"
Yet again she chose a big song. It was the best choice of the three, but I wonder why she keeps doing these types of songs. Also, she said she wasn't going to do Spanish this week, but she threw a little in during the song.
10. Casey Abrams - Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
What was that? People are either going to love it or hate it, and I didn't get it at all. It was too intense, too much anger, and not at all what we like from Casey. I doubt he'll be in danger this week, but he needs to tone it down.
11. Lauren Alaina - Melissa Etheridge's "I'm the Only One"
I wouldn't have been able to tell from the song that she is sick. Overall, her voice held up pretty well. She started off a little rough, but once she got to the upper register, things were a lot better.
12. Jacob Lusk - Heart's "Alone"
I can see why he performed last - it was a good way to close out the show (though there were better people than him tonight). On the negative - the opening was off, and some of the high notes were sharp. It's big to take on this song on Idol since this is Carrie Underwood's signature song from the show, and Allison Iraheta brought her own great take on the song as well.
Compilation Album - American Idol Top 12 Season 10: Click on this link to see the compilation album on iTunes of all of the above songs.
Favorite Performance: James Durbin
My Votes: James Durbin - 25 votes
Bottom 3 Predictions: Naima Adedapo / Haley Reinhart / Karen Rodriguez
Elimination Prediction: Karen Rodriguez
There are about four people who are in danger of heading to the Bottom 3: Naima, Thia Megia, Haley and Karen. Karen is guaranteed a spot. Haley also has a good chance of being there as well. But for that final spot, I can really see it being either Naima or Thia. I kept going back and forth, and I could really see either one being there (or even both). But I ultimately went with Naima, because Thia I think has the bigger fan base of the two.
As of this past weekend, this was the social media bottom 3: Karen (10), Naima (11), Haley (12). Incidentally, that's my Bottom 3 prediction.
Tonight, one more is eliminated (8-9pm). Also, last year's winner, Lee Dewyze, will return to the Idol stage to perform his new single, "Beautiful Like You." Plus, the Black Eyed Peas. See ya then...
The above link takes you to Google Docs. To make sure the formatting remains in its original form, I suggest clicking on 'File' and 'Downloading original' to open up the original Word document. You will know the formatting is correct if the headings (Vocal Ability, Song Choice, etc) are on their sides in a vertical fashion.
American Idol 10: Top 13 Results Show
Air Date: Thursday, March 10, 2011 [8-9pm]
First off, I apologize for being late in putting this up. If you read my tweets, you'll know why.
30 million votes were cast.
The Judges Save is back and can be used until the Top 5. I was kind of hoping they wouldn't bring it back. They've done it the past two years, and both times the saved contestant would not have won anyways. Then again, I'll have to bite my tongue if there is a huge shocking elimination that is truly deserving of the Save.
Ryan announces that Casey Abrams is not there because he is ill and in the hospital. This is the second time in the past couple of weeks that he's been to the hospital. I hope he doesn't have to pull out of the competition. Why does this seem to happen to the stronger contestants? Crystal Bowersox last year and now Casey.
Video: The Top 13 check out for the first time the mansion they'll be living in. They haven't had a mansion in quite a few years; lately, the top finalists have been living in apartments. How much time are they really going to be spending there relaxing? Probably not a lot. But what I liked about this video is that we got to see their personalities.
The Top 13 (minus Casey) perform a Michael Jackson medley. Thia must be in heaven. Are they actually singing live? Wow! The group performances haven't been sung live in years; they're usually lip-syncing. If Nigel Lythgoe is behind this change, then good for him. The first indication that told me they were actually singing was that not every note was in tune. Also, I could actually hear their individual voices. When it's lip-synced, their voices are somehow magically perfect and in perfect harmony together, and they all sound the same.
Ford Music Video: "The World"
Video: Top 13 at the Red Riding Hood Premiere
Jacob Lusk, Stefano Langone and Karen Rodriguez are up first:
Jacob Lusk - Safe
Stefano Langone - Safe
Karen Rodriguez - Bottom 3 [Correct Prediction: +]
Adam Lambert performs an acoustic version of "Aftermath"
Lauren Alaina, Ashthon Jones and Haley Reinhart:
Lauren Alaina - Safe
Ashthon Jones - Bottom 3 [Correct Prediction: +]
Haley Reinhart - Bottom 3 [Correction Prediction: +]
Everyone else is safe.
Diddy-Dirty Money with Skyler Grey performs "Coming Home."
Karen Rodriguez - Safe
Haley Reinhart - Safe
Ashthon Jones - X
Ashthon performs "When You Tell Me That You Love Me." She sounds just as terrible as when she performed it on Wednesday. America voted her out because of that song, so what made her think doing it all over again would be any different?
The judges unanimously decide not to save her.
Ashthon Jones - Eliminated [Correct Prediction: +]
During the goodbye video, we heard this year's exit song, David Cook's cover of "Don't You (Forget About Me)."
