Clay Aiken, Fantasia and David Archuleta

It was a very good Christmas this year because I finally got some of the great CD's released in 2010 by some of the Miss American Idol finalists. In these three releases, you can see the broad range of diverse and high quality talent that is coming out of American Idol.

David Archuleta: The Other Side of Down - This is the second album released in October 2010 by the Season 7 Miss American Idol 1st Runner Up. From his first album he had a hugely successful single, Crush, that hit #2 on the Billboard HOT 100, but he had no such success with this release. The first single called Something 'Bout Love is a very catchy song with a great beat, but it just didn't connect with radio and music buyers. David is a very talented young man with a great voice and with a fresh, young innocence that it would appear is just too pure for the mainstream. I am very glad to add this fresh, young and innocent music to my collection as it is very enjoyable and you can feel the sincerity in every word David sings.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6J1-eYBbspA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhRvd0bzIoE&feature=channel

Clay Aiken: Tried and True - In June when this collection of pop standards was released by the Season 2 Miss American Idol 1st Runner Up, he stepped out in front of all the others by having 5 Top 10 albums hit the Billboard charts. Being a collection of covers like Misty, Moon River and Who's Sorry Now, it's no surprise that none of them made a dent on the Billboard HOT 100 singles chart. Having come out as openly gay, Clay is more at peace than ever doing the kind of music that he wants to do and that he does best. He exhibits his exceptional and pure vocal range on every track and the big band, jazz arrangements are outstanding. He is definitely a singer that does not need to rely on studio production at all to sound amazing. Clay is a great live performer and he makes each one of these interpretations into a fantastic showstopper.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MT7vyxzxEY&feature=related

Fantasia: Back To Me - With her third release in August, the Season 3 Miss American Idol winner reached her highest position on the Billboard albums chart 8 years after her win. The years of hard work in the music business and her personal struggles have all contributed to the creation of a raw, gritty and genuine R&B album. On each track you can hear the emotion in her voice and you feel all of it as if it were happening to you. Fantasia has never been and will never be a product that is put together by a record company. She is a REAL down to earth artist with deep down in your heart SOUL. Her performance of I'm Here from the Color Purple that is included on the album illustrates her unique ability to tell a story and bring a song to life with her passionate voice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84KUK3Cq0fg

Crystal's BIG Debut!

The first album from Season 9 Miss American Idol 1st Runner Up Crystal Bowersox makes it's debut on the Billboard albums chart at #28 this week. She had one week sales of 58,000 copies which puts her at almost 20,000 more than the Season 9 Miss American Idol winner, Lee DeWyze was able to move in his first week. For the third year in a row, we are now seeing the Miss American Idol 1st Runners Up making a bigger splash on the music scene than the winners are.

After only 5 weeks on the chart the debut album, Live It Up, from Lee DeWyze is at #119. The latest album, Back To Me, from Season 3 Miss American Idol winner, Fantasia, is at #123 after 17 weeks on the chart.

Leave it to the Supreme Miss American Idol, Season 4 winner, Carrie Underwood to be making the most significant impact on the charts to still be at #63 after 59 weeks on the chart.

Go Back Home in New 'Idol' Winners Special

All nine "American Idol" winners, from Kelly Clarkson to Lee DeWyze, traveled to their hometowns and reflected on what life has been like since being crowned America's favorite singer on "AI: Welcome Home," a special that aired on Fox affiliates over the weekend.

In the special, the Supreme Miss American Idol, season four champ and country star Carrie Underwood visits an animal shelter with her mother and gushes about her home state of Oklahoma, saying that it "has the best people. They're wonderful and nice, and throughout my whole career you can still, at any given moment, walk down Main Street and see signs in store windows and things like that. They're very supportive."

"I love Texas," first-ever "Idol" winner Kelly Clarkson gushes of her home state. "I always call it my Tara -- from 'Gone with the Wind,' you know, it's the place where Scarlett O'Hara finally went home and felt at peace. That's what Texas is for me."

Season three victor Fantasia says her goal is to "always make High Point, North Carolina, very, very proud. They support me during 'American Idol.' They support me during anything. I don't care what happens, they got my back," she laughs.

Reigning "Idol" champ Lee DeWyze, meanwhile, talks about what winning season nine meant for him. "I look at American Idol as a huge stepping stone for me," the Chicago native says. "It was a huge stepping stone and a great experience. But now it's onto the next goal."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Smq5gJ3pDY

Use the link above to see the full special.

Artists of the Year - Carrie Underwood

Carrie Underwood:

The producers of American Idol got very lucky the day that young Carrie Underwood left Checotah OK to go to her very first audition for the show. She has become the living and breathing example of how the show can discover a phenomenal talent who becomes a superstar.

Carrie took her place right from the beginning as the Supreme Miss American Idol and Season 4 winner and here it is, 5 years later and she is still raising the bar higher and higher. In 2010 she not only gave an example for what the American Idol finalists can hope to achieve, but she is coming out on top of all of the others in the music business as well.

The collection of awards she has won in 2010 is staggering! She is the ACM Entertainer of the Year for the 2nd year in a row. She won the CMT Video of the Year Award for Cowboy Casanova. She won the favorite Country Album of the Year for Play On at the American Music Awards. She was honored with the CMT Artist of the Year. She completely cleaned up at the American Country Awards taking home all 6 awards that she was nominated for including Artist of the Year. And she is ending the year with another Grammy nomination for Best Female Country Vocalist - something that she has won three times and has been nominated for every year that she has been eligible.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oM7NQQ0Lfu4

In 2010 Carrie followed up Cowboy Casanova with a string of outstanding singles from Play On. The 1st one was the emotional ballad, Temporary Home, that Carrie co-wrote and holds a very special place in her heart. Her live performance of Temporary Home from Invitation Only won the CMT Award for Best Live Performance of the Year. The next single was Undo It and it was a favorite song to do a fun and sexy shadow to at Charlie's. The latest single, Mama's Song, is a wonderful song for a smooth and sweet two step with a favorite dance partner.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LraOiHUltak&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywtJYvDBKek&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpFW4Yhy08k&feature=channel

Carrie Underwood showed the world in 2010 that she is an all-around amazing superstar talent. She has flawless beauty and she looks stunning in everything from runway fashions to jeans and a t-shirt. She has a pure and versatile vocal talent that is unmatched. She has built up an impressive and diverse catalog of songs from her first three albums. These songs have become classic standards that people will be listening to, dancing to and being emotionally moved by for many many years to come. And along with all of this, Carrie Underwood is beloved by so many fans because she is a true sweetheart and a genuine class act.

Artists of the Year - Lady Antebellum

Lady Antebellum:

As 2009 was coming to an end Country super group Lady Antebellum finally crossed over onto the pop charts with their amazing ballad, Need You Now. It easily claimed a place in my 2009 Top 10 Favorite Songs of the Year. From the very first time I heard this song it was so much more than just another love song. It speaks to me, like it does for so many others, of that deep feeling of desire to be with the one you love when you are apart from each other. Hearing just the first few notes played at Charlie's, you can see the wave of emotions come over the room as everyone looks around to find that special dance partner with whom to share a very meaningful two-step.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWWDm9x48ak

This connection that people have with the song propelled it into the upper stratosphere of super huge mega smash hits. When the Album, Need You Now, was released it shot to #1 on the charts and became the best seller of the year. Need You Now is a wonderful collection of songs from beginning to end. The other singles all have become dance floor favorites at Charlie's. American Honey is a warm and sultry shadow and Our Kind Of Love is the undisputed favorite county line. They are now touching our hearts again with their latest single, Hello World.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tzzr7RbzUTs&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaOKbvpxnTo&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HXw3EIQoZk&feature=related

These fantastic songs have lead to many well-deserved awards throughout the year including the CMA Group of the Year, CMT Group Video of the Year and the CMT Artist of the Year. Lady Antebellum is also nominated for Grammys in the Album of the Year and Record of the Year categories.

Artists of the Year - Katy Perry

Katy Perry:

I cannot imagine what 2010 would have been like without the bouncy and vibrant music of Katy Perry! With each new single and video released she kept on entertaining us with more and more unapologetic pure FUN! Back with her debut album two years ago she developed a solid base of fans and with her second album this year those fans just multiplied and took over the world!

It all started with the colorful trip to candy land and California Gurls that kept us dancing and singing all summer long. It was such a huge smash that it seemed impossible for her to follow it up with something even better, but with Teenage Dream, that's exactly what she did. When California Gurls and Teenage Dream dominated the radio airplay and the sales charts they both became #1 hits on the Billboard HOT 100 and she finished up the year with the third single, Firework, quite literally exploding onto the scene and becoming her third #1 hit song in a row.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F57P9C4SAW4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98WtmW-lfeE&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGJuMBdaqIw&feature=related

In addition to the fans not being able to get enough of her, she earned the respect of her peers who honored her with multiple Grammy nominations including Album of the Year and Pop Album of the Year! She is truly the feel good success story of the year and I still can't get enough of these great songs!

Artists of the Year - Usher

Usher:

Some would say that Usher peaked in 2004-2005. Back then he had a multi-platinum album with a string of huge #1 hits on the Billboard HOT 100, but I never really liked any of those songs all that much.

He started out 2010 releasing a couple of singles from his upcoming new CD Raymond Vs. Raymond, and once again they weren't really impressing me. But then, he appeared on American Idol to mentor the Season 9 finalists and he performed his single, OMG. Now he finally had my attention. This song had a great beat and energy like he has never shown before. OMG skyrocketed to #1 after this appearance and he released an equally high quality next single in DJ Got Us Falling In Love.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RnPB76mjxI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-dvTjK_07c

But it wasn't just his own career that he kicked into high gear in 2010. Usher is also the mastermind behind the success of teen idol, Justin Bieber! He literally ushered his young discovery and himself to huge success in 2010 and it was all pretty great.

Artists of the Year - Fantasia

Fantasia:

At the start of 2010 the Season 3 Miss American Idol winner, Fantasia, was completely off the radar. It had been a few years since her last big hit and it didn't seem like there was anything on the horizon. But then it was announced that she was going to have her own reality show on VH1, Fantasia For Real. On the show fans had the chance to see how hard she has worked to maintain her career and support her family.

We got to see an up close and personal look at her working on the release of her new album, Back To Me. It ended up making a very strong debut on the sales chart. The first single, Bittersweet, is one of the best singles she has ever put out there. It's very catchy and she performs the heartfelt lyrics with amazing depth and emotion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80lh4Oj2Ys4

She is ending 2010 with Fantasia For Real being one of VH1's highest rated shows of the year. In addition she has three Grammy nominations for Back To Me and Bittersweet. And her latest single, I'm Doin Me, is making impact on the charts as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qF6EVk2yHTk&feature=channel

Crystal Bowersox - Farmer's Daughter

We interrupt the Artists of the Year series for this important update:

The Season 9 Miss American Idol 1st Runner Up, Crystal Bowersox, has her debut release, Farmer's Daughter, ready to hit the shelves on December 14th.

She played a big role in writing most of the songs on this collection so it will truly be a reflection of who she is as an artist. We know she has a great voice, but is lacking somewhat in the area of showmanship.

While it would be great if this catapults her into being one the Artists of the Year for 2011, but we'll have to wait and see what kind of reception this gets at radio and how good the sales are.

From Season 7, the 1st Runner Up, David Archuleta did much better on the HOT 100 with his single, Crush, than anything released by winner David Cook.

From Season 8, the 1st Runner Up, Adam Lambert is completely blowing the winner, Kris Allen, away in all areas from sales and airplay to media buzz and awards.

The Season 9 Miss American Idol winner, Lee DeWyze, has already set the bar pretty low with the release of his first album and single, so there's a very good chance that Crystal could continue the pattern of the 1st Runners Up doing better than the winners.

Artists of the Year - Bruno Mars

Bruno Mars:

He was just a featured vocalist on the first single, Nothin On You, from rapper B.o.B., but in 2010 Bruno Mars stepped right into the spotlight all by himself. Nothin On You is incredibly catchy, it shot to #1 on the Billboard HOT 100 and it has earned a Grammy nomination for Record of the Year. And that was just a taste of what's to come....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PTDv_szmL0&feature=related

The first single from Bruno's solo album, Just The Way You Are, also leaped to the #1 position on the Billboard HOT 100 and it has earned a Grammy nomination for him in the Best Pop Male Vocalist category. And once again, just the tip of the iceberg...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjhCEhWiKXk

Bruno's album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans, is sure to be a hit factory moving into 2011. The next single from this outstanding collection, Grenade, is already in the top 5 with a bullet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR6iYWJxHqs&feature=channel

The TV show Glee has already covered his songs twice so he is definitely one to watch and enjoy!

Artists of the Year - Justin Bieber

Justin Bieber:

Yes, that's right. I am living in the real world and I see no point in denying that 2010 was the year of the Bieber Fever epidemic. Just stating the facts here - his two albums: My World and My World 2.0 were huge sellers - he swept the American Music Awards which are voted on by the fans taking 4 awards including Favorite Artist of the Year and he even got two Grammy nominations which are voted on by an Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences big wigs. He is up for the Grammy for Best New Artist.

The music snobs can't stand him, but the fans can't get enough of him. In my expert musical opinion, I think the songs are fun and catchy so I have nothing to complain about. That being said, I can also acknowledge that his success is due in large part to contributions from many talented musical collaborators. He hasn't actually had a big solo hit. He also has not had a song that reached the #1 position on the Billboard HOT 100. His biggest hit, Baby, managed to get into the top 10 and it featured a guest rap with Ludacris. Other hits that failed to make the top 10 are Eenie Meenie which is a duet with Sean Kingston (who had one of my favorite hits of 2009 in Fire Burnin) and Somebody To Love which didn't become a hit until a remix was released as a duet with Usher.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kffacxfA7G4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prmmCg5bKxA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOI4OF7iIr4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkyhvCdJ_vM

So Justin may have gotten a lot of help in 2010, but the songs were good and he deserves some recognition as one of the Artists of the Year.

Artists of the Year - Taio Cruz

This is the first in a series of entries where I will be listing my favorite artists of 2010. I hope you enjoy it!

Taio Cruz:

2010 got off to a very slow start where all the best music on the radio at the start of the year was holdovers from 2009. Things were looking quite bleak and I was getting close to accepting that 2010 was just going to be the end of my being able to find and enjoy new hit music every year. I was so happy when that ended up not being the case when Taio Cruz burst onto the scene with the exhilerating club dance beats on his #1 smash Break Your Heart. It was like the dark clouds were clearing to reveal the bright and colorful spotlights on a million mirrored disco balls!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_SI2EDM6Lo

And it was even better when Taio showed that he's not going to settle for being a one hit wonder when the exhuberant sounds of his follow up song Dynamite started to get airplay. This song became THE definitive dancefloor anthem of the year!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vysgv7qVYTo

Who knows what's in store for Taio Cruz in 2011, but he will always go down in history as one of my favorite artists of 2010. :)

2010 Year End Charts

The #1 album on the Billboard charts for all of 2010 is I Dreamed A Dream by Susan Boyle. None of the Miss American Idol finalists managed to get into the top 10 on the year end albums chart, but it's no surprise to see who got closest...Coming in all the way up at #12 is Play On, the hit packed third album from the Supreme Miss American Idol, Season 4 winner, Carrie Underwood.

Further down at #29 for the year is the fun and energetic debut release by Season 8 Miss American Idol 1st Runner Up, Adam Lambert, For Your Entertainment. And still going strong into another year, the second album by Season 5 Miss American Idol 3rd Runner Up Chris Daughtry, Leave This Town, lands at #59. The third album, Back To Me, from the Season 3 Miss American Idol winner, Fantasia, checks in at #105 while the debut from Season 8 Miss American Idol winner, Kris Allen, ends up at #115 for the year.

The Top 5 singles for 2010 on the Billboard HOT 100 are: #1 Tik Tok by Ke$ha, #2 the most spectacular song Need You Now by Lady Antebellum, #3 Hey Soul Sister by Train, #4 California Gurls by Katy Perry and at #5 OMG by Usher.

The Miss American Idol finalist who makes the highest showing on the year end singles chart is the Season 8 Miss American Idol 1st Runner Up Adam Lambert at #45 with his top 10 smash Whataya Want From Me. Also landing in the top 100 songs of the year is the Season 8 Miss American Idol winner Kris Allen at #48 with Live Like We're Dying and the Season 1 Miss American Idol winner, Kelly Clarkson #74 with Already Gone. Carrie Underwood lands at #88 with her crossover hit Undo It and Daughtry manages to squeeze in at #96 with Life After You.

With all of this Miss American Idol success on the albums and singles charts, they also did very well on the Billboard 2010 Top Artists of the Year chart: The Supreme Miss American Idol, Season 4 winner Carrie Underwood comes in the highest at #23, Adam Lambert is at #27, Daughtry is at #51, Kris Allen lands at #57 for the year and Kelly Clarkson makes the list at #90.

Idol GRAMMY Nominations!

This year's Grammy nominations have been announced and some of the Miss American Idol's were lucky enough to hear their names:

The Supreme Miss American Idol, Season 4 winner Carrie Underwood is once again being recognized in the Best Female Country Vocalist category for her hit Temporary Home.

The Season 8 Miss American Idol 1st Runner Up, Adam Lambert is getting the first Grammy nomination of his career in the Best Male Pop Vocalist category for his smash Whataya Want From Me. While this is a very exciting nomination, he unfortunately was not nominated for Best New Artist even though he should have been.

It has turned out to be a very big year for the Season 3 Miss American Idol winner, Fantasia who ended up getting three Grammy nominations! She is up for Best R&B Female Vocalist, Best R&B Album for her latest release, Back To Me, and Best R&B Song for her fantastic single Bittersweet.

The Top 10 songs of 2010!

2010 has been a great year for fun pop songs and here's the Top 10 of the year:

Teenage Dream - Katy Perry: No other song this year embodied the vibrant thrill of being young and in love than the title track from Katy's latest album. Not only that, but it reached the broader audience of older listeners making them feel young again. Then, this amazing song was used in an episode of Glee and it was elevated to an even higher place of significance in all of our hearts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98WtmW-lfeE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E46BhMIRujI

Whataya Want From Me - Adam Lambert: The Season 8 Miss American Idol 1st Runner Up released a fantastic collection of songs on his debut release For Your Entertainment and was asked to be a mentor to the Season 9 finalists. They were a very dreary group, but even Adam's dynamic range and performance style couldn't get them out of their doldrums. When he performed this second single from his album on the show it leaped into the Billboard HOT 100 Top 10 singles chart. This song is the perfect response to how the media loves to scrutinize his free spirited personality.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1Fqn9du7xo

Break Your Heart - Taio Cruz: 2010 was getting off to a very boring start in the first three months of the year and that all changed when Taio Cruz released his debut single. This song can take credit for the sudden turn around making the radio fun to listen to again. It lead the charge of the club friendly dance beats that came to dominate the rest of the year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_SI2EDM6Lo

Only Girl In The World - Rihanna: Her dismal release Rated R is responsible in large part to what was making radio so boring in the first part of the year. Rihanna clearly wanted everyone to be in just as bad a mood as she was, but thankfully the first single from the album Loud turned all of that around. This song is a joyous anthem that demands your attention and you feel fantastic with no regrets afterward.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pa14VNsdSYM

OMG - Usher: As one of the biggest artists of the decade, Usher was never one to be a follower, but this year he could have been accused of jumping on the club dance beat bandwagon. The fact is that while this song is very danceable, it is nothing like the generic throb found in other songs. He is continuing to be an innovator releasing the most entertaining and enjoyable single of his career. Usher was also a mentor on American Idol this season and his appearance helped catapult this song to the #1 position on the Billboard HOT 100.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RnPB76mjxI

Nothin' On You - B.o.B. / Bruno Mars: When you pair two completely new artists together the odds of having a hit are slim to none, but when the song is this catchy it becomes impossible to ignore.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PTDv_szmL0

I Like It - Enrique Iglesias: Everything about this song from it's strange Lionel Richie tribute to the fact that it's by Enrique Iglesias, who has never put out anything all that great, made me think this was just a throwaway track. Even the inclusion of the horrible Jersey Shore cast in the video couldn't stop me from admitting that yes, Baby - I LIKE IT! It's a completely feel good and fun jam every time you hear it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9X0QzUdjhIg

Cooler Than Me - Mike Posner: Here's another unknown artist who managed to find the perfect song to introduce him to the public. It's completely infectious and who can't relate to the lyrics?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqWq_48LxWQ

Just The Way You Are - Bruno Mars: After the success of his smooth vocals on Nothin On You, Bruno was primed and ready to have a huge solo hit and it came in the form of this toe tapper. Once again, just like with Teenage Dream, while it was still at the top of the charts, the cast of Glee injected some more life into an already amazing smash.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjhCEhWiKXk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttwW7y1x1rk

Baby - Justin Bieber: Every generation needs to have their teen idols and in 2010 they were all catching Bieber Fever. This was his biggest hit and it is well crafted to have all the ingredients of young love and innocence to appeal to exactly who it's supposed to, teenage girls and me. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kffacxfA7G4

Lee DeWyze makes his debut

Season 9 Miss American Idol winner, Lee DeWyze, released his debut album, Live It Up last week and the totals are in. He ended up selling just under 40,000 copies which was good enough to chart at #19 on the Billboard Albums chart.

Last year at this time the Season 8 Miss American Idol winner, Kris Allen, broke the record for having the lowest number of copies sold in his first week and now Lee has completely shattered that record and taken it for himself!

Elsewhere on this week's Billboard album chart the Supreme Miss American Idol, Season 4 winner, Carrie Underwood, can be found at #71 with her latest release Play On. This fantastic collection of songs has now been on the chart for over a year at 55 weeks. It has sold 1.8 million copies so far and at the American Music Awards last week it was just honored with the award for Favorite Country Album of the Year.

Also on the Billboard Album chart, in it's 13th week the latest release by the Season 3 Miss American Idol Winner Fantasia is at #80 with Back To Me. Things are continuing to be very dramatic on her VH1 Reality show, Fantasia For Real, as we are watching her embark on her album promotion efforts while trying to hold her personal life together.

2010 CMA Viewing Party!

As the 2010 Country Music Association Awards was approaching I was filled with anticipation. Of course, I was looking forward to seeing the Supreme Miss American Idol, Season 4 winner, Carrie Underwood perform live on stage, but there was even more to be excited about.

A wonderful friend decided to host a 2010 CMA's Viewing Party in the Movie Theater at his condo. How awesome is that!!!! Watching on a big screen TV, eating pizza, cookies and cupcakes with your favorite friends!!!

The night turned out to be a super fun blast even though I am sad to report that Carrie ended up not winning either of the awards she was nominated for. But even though she didn't take home an award, she was still quite the star of the evening as she hosted the show once again with Brad Paisley. Carrie looked stunning as usual pleasing the crowd with 7 different costume changes.

She opened the show with a performance of her high energy jam Songs Like This.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=az4_6wHhuzE

Later in the show she came back to sing her latest single whose video just hit the #1 position on the CMT Top 20 Countdown, Mama's Song. For this lovely song she stood center stage in a beautiful long lilac gown.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbbxfS2AR1I

In addition to hosting the show and having two performances, Carrie was spotted in not just one, but two commercials that were airing during the show. Carrie is the radiantly beautiful and flawless face of the new Olay ad campaign and the new commercial for the Chronicles of Narnia film features a new song written and sung by Carrie. It's called There's a Place For Us and the film opens in theaters on December 10th.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LE3KeVmLl1g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ2Vzw33v6w

Season Five Miss American Idol finalist Kellie Pickler made an appearance on the show as a presenter exuding her usual bubbly personality in a fabulous gold sparkly number. The Season One Miss American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson is also getting back in touch with the Country audience after her successful duet with Reba a few years back. This time Kelly performed a duet on stage with Jason Aldean. She truly provided one of the best vocal performances of the night.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyUZQodw_wY

All award shows should be viewed this way because even though none of the awards went to any of our favorite Miss American Idols, a great time was had by all and we all felt like winners! Thanks Andrew!

It doesn't get more REAL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0YrpnpaWSY&ob=av2n

Season 3 Miss American Idol winner, Fantasia, has been doing very well lately with her latest album, Back To Me, getting some of her best sales ever. She's also back on the radio with Bittersweet recently peaking at #7 on the Billboard R&B chart and her next single, I'm Doing Me, steadily climbing that chart as we speak.

But during all of this Fantasia has had to deal with some very unhappy times with a relationship falling apart, lawsuits, and a serious suicide attempt.

She is now in the second season of her VH1 reality show, Fantasia For Real, and she has not been shy about letting her fans see every detail of what's going on in her life, the good and the bad. In a recent episode she simply sat with the camera pointing at her and described her thoughts leading up to the overdose. It was very emotional, and honest and reality TV just doesn't get more REAL than this.

In other news, the season 9 Miss American Idol winner, Lee DeWyze, has released his first single called Sweet Serendipity and the complete album titled, Live it Up! will be released on Nov. 16th. So far it has not made a ripple on the airplay or the sales charts. We'll just have to wait and see what happens.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SaSxJkH5do

The Other Side Of Down

It looks like the Season 7 Miss American Idol 1st Runner Up, David Archuleta, made a big mistake by naming his second album The Other Side Of Down. The album was just released and after debuting at #13 last week on the Billboard Album chart it has dropped DOWN DOWN DOWN all the way to #71 this week. It's a real shame that the audience is not connecting with this very talented young man. The songs are very catchy and he has great vocals.

Meanwhile, after 50 weeks on the chart the latest album, Play On, by the Supreme Miss American Idol, Season 4 winner, Carrie Underwood is still hanging in there ahead of David at #65 this week.

Also, after 8 weeks on the chart the latest album, Back To Me, by the Season 3 Miss American Idol winner, Fantasia is going strong at #36 this week.

And Award Season continues....

The Supreme Miss American Idol, Season Four winner Carrie Underwood is in the middle of collecting even more recognition for her fantastic music. She's already hosting, performing and poised to win a couple of awards at the CMA's coming up on November 10th and now she's nominated for more awards at two more upcoming ceremonies...

The 2010 American Music Awards will air on November 21st and Carrie is up for the Favorite Female Country Artist and for the Favorite Country Album for her latest release Play On.

Also, there's a brand new award show this year called the American Country Awards that will air on December 6th. Carrie is up for 6 awards including the overall Artist of the Year, the Female Artist of the Year, Album of the Year for Play On, Female Single of the Year for Cowboy Casanova, Touring Headline Package of the Year, and Female Music Video of the Year also for Cowboy Casanova.

Carrie is finding herself in direct competition for the first time of her career with another Miss American Idol finalist, Season Five runner up Kellie Pickler. Kellie has two nominations for her song Didn't Know How Much I Loved You. One is for Female Single of the Year and the other is for Female Music Video of the Year.

Season Eight 2nd Runner Up, Danny Gokey, is even finding himself with a nomination for Breakthrough Artist of the Year!

New music, TV and videos!

The Season 7 Miss American Idol 1st Runner Up, David Archuleta, released his 2nd full album of music on October 5th called The Other Side of Down. The 1st single, Something 'Bout Love, has been out for a few weeks now but it has failed to generate much sales and airplay even though it is a very fun and catchy dance pop song. It's a shame. Next week we'll see how well he does on the album chart....

On the Billboard HOT 100 singles chart, the Season 8 Miss American Idol 1st Runner Up, Adam Lambert reaches a new peak position of #30 with his awesome high energy hit If I Had You. Also, The Season 5 Miss American Idol 3rd Runner Up, Chris Daughtry also reaches a new peak position of #40 with his latest single, September.

Just as predicted after seeing her in concert, The Supreme Miss American Idol, Season 4 winner Carrie Underwood, has filmed the video for her latest single, Mama's Song, and it depicts her real life mother looking through a scrapbook of memories after Carrie's wedding to hockey player Mike Fisher. Let's hope the lyrics to the song ring true and Carrie has really found the man who her mother can be assured is "good and treats your little girl like a real man should".

The 2nd season of the reality show starring the Season 3 Miss American Idol winner, Fantasia, has started on VH1. The good news is that Fantasia has kicked her brothers out of her house and her mother has gotten a place of her own. It's a step in the right direction for Fantasia to start taking better care of herself and her daughter. She's also got to be able to focus on finishing her latest album and getting to promoting it and getting the video filmed. It's a lot of fun seeing all the behind the scenes action leading up to its release.

Finally, it is official that the new judges panel for Season 10 will be Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson. It doesn't really matter who the judges are as long as we get some talented and interesting finalists. Last year's group was so bland and boring the show can only go up from here....

CMA 2010 Nominations

November 10th 2010 is looking to be another great night for the Supreme Miss American Idol, Season Four winner Carrie Underwood. This is the night that she will join Brad Paisley for the third year in a row as the hosts for the CMA Awards. In addition to showing off her wonderful personality for the entire night, we are sure to see her in a whole new assortment of beautiful fashions with each different moment on stage. And, of course, she will add another outstanding live television performance to the list of ones she's already done. With her recent marriage to hockey player Mike Fisher, I predict that she will sing the lovely and appropriate Mama's Song, which could be the next single from her amazing album Play On now that the current single, Undo It, is ending its reign as the undisputed song of the summer.

While being the queen of the night with her hosting duties and performance, Carrie is in the running to add some more awards to her impressive collection. She is once again nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year and her Album, Play On, is up for Album of the Year.

Fantasia's BIG Debut

The Season Three Miss American Idol winner, Fantasia, makes a big debut on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart at #1 with her album Back To Me selling 117,000 copies in the first week.

This is her first #1 album on this chart as her previous album Free Yourself peaked at #2 and her self-titled Fantasia peaked at #3.

On the Billboard 200 Albums chart this is good enough for Back To Me to debut at #2 which makes this her highest charting album yet on this comprehensive chart.

Free Yourself peaked at #8 in 2004 and Fantasia peaked at #19 in 2006.

Over on the R&B/Hip Hop songs chart, Bittersweet is at a new peak position of #7 while it is at #74 on the Billboard HOT 100 singles chart.

Carrie Underwood - LIVE In Concert! - Part 2

It was exactly a year ago when I first saw the Supreme Miss American Idol, Season Four winner Carrie Underwood perform live at the Ravinia Festival in Highland Park IL. When I learned that she was coming back for another performance, I immediately went online back in April and bought tickets for myself and some of my favorite cowboys so we could enjoy the fun of music under the stars with Carrie once again.

Carrie has been riding high on an fantastically successful 2010 already being named the ACM Entertainer of the Year for two years in a row, winning the CMT Video of the Year for Cowboy Casanova and having her 10th #1 hit on the Billboard Country singles chart with Undo It. In fact, just today the fantastic video for Undo It has now spent a record breaking 12th week at #1 on the CMT Top 20 Video Countdown.

With so many wonderful songs in her catalog the anticipation for this live performance was HUGE! We arrived at Ravinia at 3:20 and the crowd of fans was already lined up to get into the park. The Premier members were fortunate enough to get in early and get some prime picnic space while the rest of us regular people had to wait until 4:00 to finally get in. Thankfully, we were able to find a very cozy square of space under a tree that was large enough to accommodate our group of cowboys who were eager to have fun and enjoy the music.

It was a very hot and steamy day with the sun shining bright and temperatures climbing over 90 degrees. The food was delicious, the wine was chilled and the fans were fun and friendly so the time just flew by until the Supreme Miss American Idol finally took the stage at 7:15.

She opened the show were her crowd pleasing smash hit, Cowboy Casanova. The band played the familiar riff a few times and then Carrie walked onstage looking absolutely stunning in black skinny jeans lined with rhinestones and a lovely strapless top with glittering fringe. She segued directly into track 2 on her latest hit album Play On, Quitter. The set list for tonight's show was much different from what she did last year as she was able to pull huge hits from all three of her multi-platinum albums, Some Hearts, Carnival Ride and Play On.

She didn't have any costume changes through the evening as she went through a spectacular string of hits including Wasted, Just A Dream, Temporary Home, All-American Girl, Jesus Take The Wheel and So Small. One of the best parts about seeing a show at Ravinia is that fans have the space on the lawn to get up and dance to this fantastic set-list of songs. I thoroughly enjoyed dancing with my handsome cowboy friends to these songs and it was very clear that the other fans in the park loved seeing us two-step and shadow along with Carrie.

The show came to a very exciting culmination as Carrie sang her smash hits Last Name and Before He Cheats while the crowd sang along with satisfaction and approval. She closed the show with the very fun and catchy track from Play On called Songs Like This. The fans seemed to love it and it appears that this might be a likely future single to be released.

The Supreme Miss American Idol proved once again why she is the multi platinum selling artist who is adored by fans young and old. It was a great night with friends. The fried chicken was tasty, the shrimp cocktail was delicious, the ham was succulent, the cowboys were wonderful and the music was amazing! How lucky I feel to have been there. :)

Upcoming IDOL releases

A few of the Miss American Idol finalists have some new music that is going to be released in the next couple of months:

The one coming first is from Season Three Miss American Idol winner Fantasia. Her new album, Back to Me, will be in stores this Tuesday August 24th. The first single from the album, Bittersweet, is continuing to make small gains each week on the chart so it could have at least Top 40 potential.

The Season Seven Miss American Idol 1st Runner-Up, David Archuleta, will have his new music in stores on October 5th. We've already heard the first single, Something 'Bout Love, but it still hasn't made a ripple on the charts yet. The video for the song was just released so that might give this very fun and catchy dance pop jam a little more exposure and get people to pay attention to it.

Finally, on November 16th the Season Nine Miss American Idol winner, Lee DeWyze, will have his debut album in stores. No new single has leaked out yet so I can't really say much else except he's gonna have to work really hard to have a hit.

It's good to LIKE Fantasia!

In just one week there will be new music available from the Season Three Miss American Idol Winner, Fantasia. Her new album Back To Me is going to be out on August 24th.

The first single from the album, Bittersweet, is at #90 on the Billboard HOT 100 this week and it's picking up spins on the radio airplay chart. Bittersweet also peaked at #10 on the Billboard R&B songs chart recently.

In addition, this album contains the song Move On Me that Fantasia talked about during the first season of her reality show, Fantasia For Real. She campaigned very hard for this song to be the first single, but that clearly did not happen. Now will be our chance to finally hear what she was raving about all that time.

This is also an opportunity to get a listen to some of the amazing work Fantasia did on Broadway while starring in The Color Purple. Her version of I'm Here from the Original Cast Recording is included in this collection.

BUT why wait till next week when you can get a listen to the entire album RIGHT NOW!!! Just go to the Fantasia fan page on Facebook and click that you LIKE her. This will give you access to stream every track on the album before you can buy it. I'm actually listening to it right now and loving it quite a bit.

So much IDOL news!!!

I finally got a chance to see the VH1 Behind The Music episode of Season Three Miss American Idol finalist, Jennifer Hudson. It really was a great chance to re-live all of the exciting moments of her getting better and better each week. She did a spectacular job singing Circle of Life and Weekend in New England. What a shock it was when she not only ended up in the bottom two, but got sent home so early in the competition. There was such controversy back here in Chicago that night because of the tornado and the phone lines being down for so many fans who would have surely voted for her if they could have. Then of course, the show featured her fabulous return in the movie version of Dream Girls where she was outstanding in the role of Effie White singing And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going. This, changed things forever as she became: Oscar Winner, Jennifer Hudson!

After being brought to tears because of the pride in her amazing success, the show then took our tears to another level covering the tragic murders of her mother, brother and nephew. She has shown wonderful strength being able to carry on with her life, marrying a great man and having a new baby son.

It's also been a great week for the Supreme Miss American Idol, Season Four winner, Carrie Underwood who now has her 10th #1 smash hit song on the Billboard Country songs chart with Undo It. She is now in a very elite group of female country artists achieving this significant feat. Over on the Billboard HOT 100, Undo It is still going strong at #24 this week.

The only other Miss American Idols making a ripple on the Billboard HOT 100 this week are the Season 8 1st Runner Up Adam Lambert at #69 with If I Had You and the Season 3 winner Fantasia at #95 with Bittersweet.

Then of course we have all the news that came out this week about the revolving door of American Idol Judges. It's sad to see the fantastic Ellen Degeneres leave after only one season, but this really never was the perfect fit for her. She needs much more the 10 second sound bites of airtime to be at her funniest. I'm not going to miss Kara at all. She always seemed unnecessary and never really added anything special.

I think the addition of Jennifer Lopez might actually be a good thing. At least she has some pop music credibility to bring to the panel with her extensive history of success on the Billboard HOT 100. She has the following list of #1 hits to her credit: If You Had My Love - 5 weeks at #1 in 1999; I'm Real - 5 weeks at #1 in 2001; Ain't It Funny - 6 weeks at #1 in 2002; All I Have - 4 weeks at #1 in 2003. While these songs haven't really become classics, she knows quite a bit about creating the image and sound that is going to generate sales and airplay.

After the dismal reality that was American Idol Season 9, the show definitely needs a serious makeover. Lee DeWyze has barely made a ripple on the charts with his single so far and the outlook for his album is not good.

Something Bout Love

The Season 7 Miss American Idol 1st Runner Up David Archuleta has released a new single to itunes today. It's called Something Bout Love and it's a very fun and catchy dance pop summer anthem. It's a little more radio friendly than his earlier singles so it could actually have some potential to be a hit. In it's first week out it's only at #94 on the itunes chart, but who knows what might happen.

Elsewhere on the itunes chart, The Season 8 Miss American Idol 1st Runner Up Adam Lambert is at #42 with If I Had You. It's a great song that deserves more sales and airplay.

The Supreme Miss American Idol, Season 4 winner Carrie Underwood is still hanging in there at #30 with Undo It, but there aren't any other Idol finalists having much chart impact lately.

Idol Videos in heavy rotation

There's some great new videos by Miss American Idol finalists that are getting a lot of airplay on VH1 and MTV Hits lately!

The Season 8 Miss American Idol 1st Runner Up Adam Lambert is still getting hits off of his debut album For Your Entertainment. The latest single, If I Had You, has a great beat and an infectiously catchy hook that makes watching the visually exciting video even more entertaining. The song should get into heavy rotation on all of your favorite playlists.

The Season 3 Miss American Idol winner Fantasia has been working like crazy to have another hit. She got some great exposure from her VH1 reality show Fantasia For Real, but it didn't result in more sales or radio airplay. Then she performed her latest single, Bittersweet, on an American Idol results show, but once again, there was no significant bump. I was very happy to see the new video for Bittersweet get some airplay on VH1 finally. It's a wonderful song with touching lyrics connecting to Fantasia's heartfelt vocal interpretation. Even if she doesn't end up at the top of the charts with this one, it totally deserves heavy rotation on your favorite playlist.

Clay Aiken is BACK!

FIVE Top 10 Albums on the Billboard 200 Chart:

With his latest album "Tried & True" becoming his fifth top 10 on the Billboard 200 with a debut at No. 9 this week, The Season Two Miss American Idol 1st Runner Up Clay Aiken passes The Season One Miss American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson for most top 10s on the tally by an "American Idol" graduate.

The Supreme Miss American Idol, Season Four winner Carrie Underwood ranks third among the Fox TV series' former finalists with three top 10 albums: Some Hearts, Carnival Ride and Play On.

The Season Five Miss American Idol 3rd Runner Up, Chris Daughtry, Season Five finalist, Kellie Pickler, The Season Six Miss American Idol Winner, Jordin Sparks and the Season Two Miss American Idol Winner Ruben Studdard have all had two top 10 albums on the Billboard 200.

Clay Aiken first appeared on the Billboard 200 with "Measure of a Man," which spent its first two weeks at No. 1 in November 2003. This album still holds the record for the highest one week sales for any Miss American Idol finalist. He revisited the top tier with "Merry Christmas With Love" (No. 4, 2004), "A Thousand Different Ways" (No. 2, 2006) and "On My Way Here" (No. 4, 2008).

VIDEO OF THE YEAR!!!!!

The awards just keep coming for the Supreme Miss American Idol, Season Four Winner, Carrie Underwood!

After performing her smash single Undo It at the CMT awards, it was time to present the buckle for the CMT Video of the Year. It was no surprise at all the the fantastic video for Cowboy Casanova which is the first single off Carrie's latest album, Play On, ended up taking the top prize of the night.

As usual she was extremely appreciative of her fans in her acceptance speech.

Her toughest competition in the category came from Miranda Lambert's White Liar which ended up getting Female Video of the Year and Lady Antebellum's Need You Now which took home the Group Video of the Year.

Carrie also won the CMT Performance of the Year for Temporary Home from her CMT Invitation Only Concert.

Another big chart leap for Carrie!

While the season nine Miss American Idol winner Lee DeWyze is fizzling on the Billboard HOT 100, The Supreme Miss American Idol, Season Four winner Carrie Underwood is burning up the charts with the third single off her album Play On.

After putting in an amazing performance of the song Undo It, Carrie makes a huge leap from #59 last week up to #25 this week on the Billboard HOT 100. This is just one position behind Lee at #24 with Beautiful Day. And while his single is likely to drop down next week, Undo It is expected to keep rising higher.

Meanwhile on the Billboard Country Songs chart, Undo It keeps moving up a little more each week to land at #11 this week.

No #1 for Lee

This season's "American Idol" winner and runner-up make a more tepid entry onto the Hot 100 and Digital Songs charts than in past years as Lee DeWyze sends three solo songs onto the Hot 100, Crystal Bowersox one, with the pair teaming up for a fifth debut. A year ago Kris Allen and Adam Lambert combined for nine chart entries in the week that followed the season finale.

DeWyze takes the chart's Hot Shot Debut at No. 24 with his coronation song "Beautiful Day." Assuming a dip in rank next issue, the title will be the lowest peaking "American Idol" winning performance and only the third to fall short of the top 10, joining Jordin Sparks' "This Is My Now" (No. 15) in 2007 and Kris Allen's "No Boundaries" (No. 11) last year.

Other debuts from the "Idol" finalists are DeWyze's "Hallelujah" (No. 44) and "The Boxer" (No. 88), Bowersox's "Up To the Mountain" (No. 57) and the pair's "Falling Slowly" (No. 66). As a reminder, many of the contestants' songs have been available for purchase in the iTunes Store for weeks now, but -- as has been done in years' past -- their weekly sales are withheld from SoundScan (and from appearing in the iTunes Store's own popularity lists) so as to not influence the voting public in the course of the season.

And the new American Idol is......

Season Nine is coming to an end tonight and in two hours the new American Idol will be revealed, but there's a whole party to be had leading up to that announcement. The top 12 got things started dressed in their prep school uniforms to rock it out with Alice Cooper and his top 10 hit from 1972, School's Out.

Last year at this time Adam Lambert was all over the media on magazine covers and websites as the clear front runner to win the season eight Miss American Idol crown, but in a shocking twist the title ended up going to pretty boy with no personality, Kris Allen. His first single, Live Like We're Dying, was a modest hit that failed to crack the top 10 so I'm sure there's hope that by performing his second single, The Truth, in front of millions of people tonight might make it into a hit.

The Bee Gees spent three weeks at #1 in 1977 with How Deep Is Your Love from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. Siobhan Magnus has the voice and the personality that should have gotten her farther in the competition, but instead of being in the finals she had to sing this adult contemporary slow jam with the tiny little pixie, Aaron Kelly. Thankfully, the surviving members, Barry and Robin Gibb, appeared on stage to sing along with them.

The Doobie Brothers, lead by Michael McDonald, took Takin It To The Streets up to #13 in 1976 and he was joined on stage with finalist Michael Lynche. The judges wisely used the save to get Michael all the way up to the final four and earn him this chance to perform with a music industry great.

The top six girls sang a medley of Christina Aguilera hits including Beautiful and Fighter. The winner of the 1999 Grammy for Best New Artist has a new album, Bionic, coming out June 8th so she appeared tonight to debut a new song for the fans. Rather than doing her uptempo dance jam, Not Myself Tonight, she went for an intense ballad that showed off her big voice.

The top six boys sang a medley of Hall & Oates hits including the #1 smash hits I Can't Go For That and Maneater. The most successful duo of all time on the Billboard HOT 100 charts showed up in the flesh to make our dreams come true.

Crystal Bowersox put in the performances necessary all season to show that she is vocally talented and has the performance skills to be a very worthy Miss American Idol winner. She graced the stage to sing the Alanis Morisette song, Ironic, that peaked at #4 in 1996. Crystal sounded much better than the original and she continued to outsing the real Alanis who showed up to sing You Ought To Know along with her.

The Supreme Miss American Idol, season four winner Carrie Underwood has gone on to sell millions of albums, top the charts and win numerous awards including the 2006 Grammy for Best New Artist and the ACM Entertainer of the Year two years in a row. Tonight she came back to the American Idol stage to sing the latest single from her smash third album. After making huge hits out of Cowboy Casanova and Temporary Home, Undo It is sure to race up to the top of the country chart.

Bret Michaels and Poison took Every Rose Has Its Thorn to #1 in 1988 and he was joined on stage with this year's 2nd runner up, Casey James to make his "look at me, I'm a live and well" reappearance to the world.

Both Crystal and Lee went to their first American Idol audition in Chicago and Lee is actually from the Chicago suburb, Mount Prospect. So it's quite fitting that the legendary classic rock super group of the same name would be here tonight to sing with Lee. This was the perfect fit for Lee because with the huge horn section you could hardly hear his weak vocals at all.

In honor of this being the last night on American Idol for Simon Cowell, former judge Paula Abdul came back to make a loopy speech in his tribute. It was kinda nice to see her, but it was also pretty awkward. And then things turned around when the parade of Miss American Idol winners started with Season One Winner Kelly Clarkson singing an inspirational ballad. She was joined by Ruben Studdard, Fantasia, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks, Jordin Sparks and Kris Allen. For some reason David Cook couldn't make it, but the season seven 1st runner up David Archuleta lead the pack of other former finalists who filled the stage in appreciation of Simon.

How do you follow such a jam packed stage full of stars? With superstar Janet Jackson of course! She started with a medley of Again and Trust In Me and then shouted "Gimme a beat" and launched into her classic pop jam, Nasty.

With just minutes remaining until one of them is crowned the new Miss American Idol, Crystal and Lee sang a rousing version of With A Little Help From My Friends along with Joe Cocker.

And then the announcement was made. The golden envelope was opened to reveal that the Season Nine Miss American Idol is ... Lee DeWyze!

Crystal was robbed just like Adam Lambert was. I guess we have the American Idol voters to thank for this musical embarrassment.

Crystal and Lee face off in the FINALS!

The top two finalists will sing three times tonight. 1. their favorite song from the season so far. 2. selection from the American Idol producers and 3. the new song that will become their first single if they win. Crystal won the coin toss and she selected to sing second. :)

Lee's favorite song from the season was the Simon and Garfunkle's The Boxer. All season he has lacked any emotion and personality and this performance was his typical sleepwalking presentation.

Crystal's favorite song from the season was Janis Joplin's #1 smash Me and Bobby McGee. This was the perfect song choice that illustrates why Crystal has been the front-runner all season long. She has passionate vocals and she also demonstrates that she is an accomplished musician as well.

R.E.M hit #29 in 1993 with Everybody Hurts. The American Idol producers somehow thought that this sad ballad would elevate Lee DeWyze into an area that is remotely interesting, but it didn't work. The best part about this was that a large gospel choir got up on stage with him and sang loud enough to drown out his dismal vocals. He needs all the help he can get up there as he has learned nothing about showmanship in all these weeks in the competition.

Alannah Myles spent two weeks at #1 in 1990 with Black Velvet. This was a wonderful selection on the part of the producers for Crystal Bowersox. This song allowed her to showcase even more of her range and abilities. She looked great rocking a sultry little black dress and she completely owned the stage making a grand entrance down the stairs and then interacting with the crowd.

The first single released by Lee DeWyze will be Beautiful Day and he took the stage to introduce the world to it. Once again this big song was saved by the impressive orchestration that accompanied Lee's strained vocals. Much of it just came off as painful screams. Not just painful to the ears listening to it, but the pained look on Lee's face as he tried to get through the whole song. He looked totally out of place wandering aimlessly at center stage with his eyes glazed looking out into the crowd.

The first single released by Crystal Bowersox will be Up To The Mountain and she sat center stage with her guitar and shared this emotional story with the audience. It was an outstanding connection in every respect. Her voice has been great all season long, but she managed to raise it up another notch higher and sound even more pure and vulnerable. It was definitely an example of saving the best for last!

I can't really say this is a prediction, but it's clearly my preference that Crystal Bowersox becomes the Season Nine Miss American Idol winner over Lee DeWyze. She has star quality in mass quantities in comparison to his dreary drop in the bucket.

The Results - Judges Choice

Perez Hilton found a video of Travis Garland online one day and now here he is performing on the American Idol stage in front of millions of people. Perez says Travis is better than Justin Timberlake, but with only his new single Believe to judge by, he's just OK. This song may grow on us over time, but it didn't make an immediate WOW impact. This really is the true test of the American Idol bump. The world will be watching the sales and airplay charts closely...

The top three finalists all get the chance of a lifetime to go back to their hometown and get treated like a rock star. They have the police stop traffic for them, stadiums filled for them and they get to perform for thousands of fans screaming for them. It's an emotional ride that will be coming to an end for one of them tonight...

Justin Bieber is a baby-faced Canadian teen idol and at just 16 years old he has scored a nomination for a 2010 Black Entertainment Television award. He's up for Best New Artist and tonight he took the American Idol stage to show off his R&B musical style. His songs are very fun and catchy and he's sure to be riding high at the top of the charts for a long time to come.

Lee DeWyze and Crystal Bowersox will be competing next week in the finals leaving Casey James to finally be sent home for good.

The Top 3 sing the judges choice

The top three finalists will each sing twice tonight: one song of their choice and another selected for them by the judges.

Casey James selected OK, It's Alright With Me for himself. He explained that he feels this is the kind of song he would write for himself. It was plain, simple and bland. There was no showstopper moment and no energy in this performance.

Crystal Bowersox selected the Melissa Etheridge hit Come To My Window for herself. She used this performance to showcase what a great live performer and musician she is. She played both her guitar and her harmonica while at the same time bringing the song to life with a thoughtful interpretation of the lyrics.

Lee DeWyze selected Lynard Skynard's Simple Man for himself. This was a simple performance for the simple guy who has no desire to expand beyond being the generic rock guy that he's been all season long. He is completely unable to convey any personality or showmanship when he is on stage.

Daughters by John Mayer won the 2004 Grammy for Song of the Year and Randy and Kara selected this song for Casey James to sing. This was never a very interesting song, so it is the perfect choice for Casey who hasn't been able to do anything interesting all season. The song requires no vocal range so that was a good fit for him, but it does require an emotional connection and Casey just wasn't convincing at all.

Maybe I'm Amazed by Paul McCartney hit #10 on the Billboard HOT 100 in 1977 and Ellen selected this song for Crystal Bowersox to sing. For the very first time this season a finalist has given the audience a fantastic showstopper to be excited about. Crystal put all the instruments down and just let her outstanding vocal range speak for itself. She took us with her to every high and low and made us feel amazed every step of the way.

Jeff Buckley's Hallelujah has already been performed this season by finalist Tim Urban, but that didn't stop Simon from selecting it for Lee DeWyze. To be honest, Tim's version sounded better vocally and more sincere than Lee's. What Lee had in his favor was a much bigger and more dramatic arrangement with many back-up singers and swelling instruments to cover for his lack of vocal talent. To the untrained ear, one could be fooled into believing this was a good performance, but it was all smoke and mirrors unlike the true talent that Crystal was able to deliver.

It's very clear that Lee and Crystal should be in the finals and Casey should definitely be sent home. It's more than just a prediction, it should be considered an inevitability.

The Results - Movie Music

The Season Three Miss American Idol winner, Fantasia, has been working hard to get back on the top of the charts. Most recently she exposed her entire life in the reality show, Fantasia For Real, where we learned that she was financially supporting her entire family. The season wrapped up with the members of her family finally giving her a Thank You for all that she does for them. Tonight she returns to the American Idol stage to perform her new single, Bittersweet. It's a wonderful R&B ballad that should hopefully get a nice American Idol bump on the sales and airplay chart after this high profile performance.

Casey James is the first finalist to make it into the top three.

Chris Daughtry, The Season Five Miss American Idol 3rd runner up, refused to listen to any of the mentors that tried to work with him each week. No matter what the theme of the week was, Chris performed his standard rock song time after time. While the judges loved him, he ended up being a surprise elimination and didn't make it into the top three. When he released his first album, he showed everyone that it doesn't matter if you win or lose as it became the best selling album of the year for all of 2007. He came back to the American Idol stage tonight to sing his latest single.

Lee DeWyze is also safely taking his place in the top three.

One of the best rock bands of all time, Bon Jovi, came to the American Idol stage to sing their latest hit single, Superman Tonight. Bon Jovi has successfully evolved from 80's hair metal band to a top selling classic rock band of today.

Crystal Bowersox gets the last position in the top three leaving Michael Lynche to be sent home. He was saved by the judges and he made good use of it surviving all the way up to the final four!

So there was no surprise elimination tonight as I had predicted. So much for any excitement getting added to this season.....

The Top 4 sing Movie Music

Tonight, Jamie Foxx, the Oscar winning star of Ray and DreamGirls (in which he co-starred with Season Three Miss American Idol finalist and also an Oscar winner, Jennifer Hudson) is here to work with the Top 4 as they attempt to interpret songs from the silver screen.

Seal won the 1996 Grammy for Record of the Year with his smash that hit #1 on the Billboard HOT 100 for one week in 1995, Kiss From A Rose. It was featured in the movie Batman Forever and Lee DeWyze sounded completely off-key and flat during this dreary performance. He is still completely lacking any personality so this was just sleep inducing instead of energizing.

Michael Jackson took Will You Be There up to #7 on the Billboard HOT 100 in 1993. This inspirational gospel choir ballad is from the film Free Willy, but it didn't really give Michael Lynche a chance to truly shine. His voice is very good, but with the songs arrangement having so many layers the voice ended up getting a little buried within it all.

Falling Slowly won the 2008 Oscar for Best Original Song from the movie Once and tonight Lee DeWyze and Crystal Bowersox joined forces to introduce it to the American Idol audience. They both faced each other as they played their guitars, but where her vocals were pristine and flawless, his were mumbled and unintelligible. Crystal did a wonderful job saving this duet from being a total disaster.

Simon and Garfunkle spent three weeks at #1 on the Billboard HOT 100 in 1968 with Mrs. Robinson from the movie The Graduate. Casey James sat on the edge of the stage with a ukulele and proceeded to tragically drain the life out of this fantastic song. His vocals were bland and laid back and the energy was totally lacking.

Kenny Loggins hit #7 in 1980 with I'm Alright, the theme from Caddyshack. Crystal Bowersox put on her own Lilith Fair music festival with this rousing acoustic rendition that was highlighted by her exceptional vocal range and talent. It had a fun and high energy vibe that was completely entertaining and infectious.

Bryan Adams spent five weeks at #1 on the Billboard HOT 100 in 1995 with Have You Ever really Loved A Woman? from the film Don Juan DeMarco. It was a dreary song back then and it was even more dreary with Casey James and Michael Lynche trying to make something of it. They also stood there with their guitars, but the song didn't allow them to really show off their voices. Casey just fumbled and once again the material let Michael down.

This is it - the night of my big and bold prediction! I see Casey and Lee being in the bottom two and the shock of the season will be that Lee is going home.

The Results - Sinatra

The top four boys opened the show with a medley of Frank Sinatra hits. The first one was The Lady Is A Tramp and Crystal was quite noticeably absent from the performance. Thankfully, her wonderful voice and talent was saved for a grand entrance leading to the second verse. She proved once again that she's the only finalist this season with any star quality.

Lee was the first to learn that he has safely made it to the Top Four.

Lady Gaga has successfully accomplished the impossible feat of teaching millions of fans on dance floors all over the world to chant "Ra Ra ah ah ah, Roma Ramala, Ga Ga oh la la" at the top of their lungs on a repeated basis. It's amazing that her smash hit Bad Romance only peaked at #2 on the Billboard HOT 100 while it's still a huge crowd pleasing popular favorite. Tonight on the American Idol stage, Lady Gaga brought her impressive avante garde style of performance art to introduce the world to her latest single Alejandro. It's sure to be the latest in her ongoing string of hits.

This week's mentor, Harry Connick Jr., then took the stage and stepped away from the Sinatra songbook to sing a song from his latest CD. This time he is interpreting a song from another legendary songbook. The Beatles hit #12 in 1964 with And I Love Her and Harry's version was just as classic and jazzy as you would expect. The Top 5 finalists then attempted to entertain us with a medley of Harry's music, but their efforts fell flat.

Crystal and Casey are both safe leaving Michael and Aaron as the bottom two. After weeks of hoping for this to finally happen it turns out that Aaron Kelly was the lowest vote getter and we are finally through listening to his whiny little voice.

While I predicted that Casey would be going home, I am very pleased that I was wrong and Aaron is being sent packing instead.

The Top 5 sing Sinatra

The modern day crooner who is keeping jazz standards alive for a new generation is Harry Connick Jr. Tonight he worked with the top 5 finalists to help them prepare to sing the songs of Frank Sinatra. In addition, he personally worked with each one to arrange the music for their performance. And not only that, Harry is going to be up on stage playing with the band as they sing. Let's see if these kids can learn from his good advice...

Aaron Kelly is just a little kid playing dress up. His voice was mildly pleasant as he sang Fly Me To The Moon, but the performance completely lacked any integrity. His stage presence is completely diminutive and forgettable. There was nothing cool about this at all. It was actually quite whiney.

Casey James had nothing but his voice to carry him through his performance of Blue Skies. No guitar, no swinging of the blond hair, no shaking of the hips, nothing but that bland and lifeless voice. The sad fact is, without his standard gimmicks, he put in a very sad performance.

Crystal Bowersox walked out on stage in a glamorous long gown and with her dread lock hair styled in an up do to sing Summer Wind. She is showing off even more of her seemingly limitless range and versatility each week. We already know she has a great voice and this week we learned that she can be just as convincing with jazz as she is with bluesy rock.

Michael Lynche is really getting better each week. He has a wonderful ability to interpret a song and bring it to life. He did a fantastic job introducing his smooth vocals to The Way You Look Tonight and elevating the performance to a professional level.

Lee DeWyze has this empty and blank expression on his face every week and he always looks like he has very tired eyes. It's depressing that this complete lack of personality is passing for talent. His attempt at That's Life was so totally dreary and lame there are no more words to describe it.

The prediction this week is very easy - Michael and Crystal were very good and Aaron, Casey and Lee were totally lousy. Since my ideal to have a three way tie and have all three of them go home, I'll predict that it will be Casey being sent packing this week.

The Results - Shania Twain

Unstoppable by Rascal Flatts is the latest in their long string of hits. They opened tonight's results show with an inspiring performance of this song.

Lee, Aaron and Crystal are safe leaving Michael, Casey and Siobhan as the bottom three this week.

Sons of Sylvia is a new band that is getting a huge break with the release of their new album - they are going on tour with the Supreme Miss American Idol, Season Four winner, Carrie Underwood! She was here tonight to introduce them as they performed their latest single. It was good, but to hear them at their best you really must listen to their duet with Carrie, What Can I Say, that is track 12 on her latest release, Play On. It's an outstanding song that is packed with emotional lyrics and wrapped up in an amazing vocal arrangement.

The best song of 2010 so far is actually a song that was a huge favorite in 2009 as well. Lady Antebellum released their single Need You Now last year and it was instantly a huge hit on the country charts, but it didn't stop there. This fantastic song about drunk dialing in the middle of the night just keeps getting more popular. With the Academy of Country Music Awards winners for Best Vocal Group performing tonight on the American Idol stage their audience of fans is certain to get even bigger.

Shakira is one of the first beneficiaries of the American Idol Bump when her single Hips Don't Lie skyrocketed to #1 on the Billboard HOT 100 after she performed it on American Idol in 2006. Tonight, she's sure to be hoping for a similar bump for her latest single, Gypsy, which she performed with Rascal Flatts.

Both Casey and Michael are safe which means that Siobhan Magnus is going home way too soon. She left the audience with one last performance of Think - you better think about what you're trying to do to me...

This week I only got one of my predictions correct with Casey being in the bottom three.

The Top 6 sing Shania

Shania Twain has the biggest selling album by a female artist of all time, Come On Over. Tonight she worked with the top six finalists as they attempted to interpret her songs...

You're Still The One was her biggest hit on the Billboard HOT 100 peaking at #2 in 1998. Lee DeWyze took this simple heartfelt ballad and did his best to make it his own. His efforts at having a personality looked painful and his gravely vocals removed all of the sentiment from the lyrics.

What a blessing it is that the judges decided to save Michael Lynche! It Only Hurts When I'm Breathing was the perfect song from Shania's songbook to showcase his exceptional vocal range and his fantastic ability bring the lyrics to life.

Casey James has been coasting week after week in this competition by simply doing more of the same. Tonight, with his performance of Don't, he actually sang using more than three notes and made an effort to connect with the lyrics. It was better than he's done before, but it's still a step below Michael.

Truth be told, Shania's songbook doesn't give the finalists very many interesting choices. Crystal Bowersox decided to go with a cutesy little love song that she could relate to her boyfriend. While it wasn't very catchy material, she made up for it with her wonderful vocal range and winning personality.

Aaron Kelly has a way of presenting his shortcomings with every performance he does. Tonight he attempted You've Got A Way and it fell completely flat. He simply doesn't have the effortless vocal range or mesmerizing personality to get away with songs that are bigger than he is.

Any Man Of Mine was the song that first introduced Shania to the music buying public. It's a fun uptempo song that allowed Siobhan Magnus to break out even more of her style, energy and outstanding vocal abilities.

Despite the fact that the material was a little bland, some of the finalists managed to provide pretty good performances. The other three are my prediction for this week's lowest vote getters: Lee DeWyze, Casey James and Aaron Kelly. This finally has to be the week that Aaron Kelly goes home.

Adam Lambert goes Top 10!!!

The Season Eight Miss American Idol 1st Runner Up, Adam Lambert finally gets some well deserved and hard earned chart success. After his appearance last week as the mentor for the Season Nine finalists and performing his hit single, Whataya Want From Me, the song makes a big leap up the Billboard HOT 100 this week.

American Idol is still the top rated show on TV and a high profile performance on the show can lead to a significant "American Idol Bump". Whataya Want From Me became the biggest digital gainer of the week, meaning that fans ran over to itunes after watching his amazing interpretation of his song and downloaded the single.

It catapults from #23 last week all the way up to #10 on the Billboard HOT 100 this week.

The Results - Inspiration

More than two hours of musical entertainment tonight for Idol Gives Back: (but brace yourself because the show was pretty dreary)

Things got off to a fun start with the Black Eyed Peas singing another jam after releasing three #1 smash hits from their album The E.N.D. - Boom Boom Pow, I Gotta Feeling and Imma Be. Could the song they performed tonight, Rock That Body, be headed to the top of the Billboard HOT 100 next?

Joss Stone and Jeff Beck did a cover of I Put A Spell On You followed by this week's mentor, Alicia Keys taking the stage. She did a medley starting with Unthinkable and leading into her recent #1 hit Empire State of Mind.

The highlight of the night came from the Supreme Miss American Idol, Season Four Winner and ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR, Carrie Underwood. She performed a fantastic song called Change from her spectacular multi-platinum latest album, Play On. She looked and sounded even better than ever.

It seems like Annie Lennox has completely given up on singing anything catchy and entertaining since about 1989. She once again showed up at Idol Gives Back to drone out a heartfelt, but completely boring song about a Universal Child.

One of the biggest hits on rock radio of all time is Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven and it never even cracked the Billboard HOT 100. Maybe that will change with the new cover performed tonight by the Queen of Hip Hop, Mary J. Blige. It's possible that a new generation of fans is ready to take this classic up the charts.

Elton John first hit the Billboard HOT 100 at #8 in 1970 with Your Song and forty years of hits followed. His performance tonight of this lovely debut single was just as moving and inspiration as always.

I am pleased to report that I correctly predicted two of the bottom three. I knew there was no way Lee was going to be in there, but he's just completely over-rated and the judges are giving him a free pass so I took advantage of the chance to take him down a notch. Unfortunately the two I correctly predicted to be in the bottom, Casey and Aaron, are both coming back to torture us again next week. That leaves the charming and bright smile of Tim Urban getting cut from the competition. He showed some great growth from week to week and we wish him well.

The Top 7 sing Inspiration

It's Idol Gives Back week and the theme is Songs of Inspiration. The Top 7 Finalists had the honor of working with Grammy winning number one hit maker Alicia Keys.

Casey James selected the Fleetwood Mac jam that hit #3 in 1977, Don't Stop. While this is a very optimistic pop song, he completely failed to connect with the lyrics and convey any emotion. His vocals were very mundane and forgettable.

Simon and Garfunkle hit #7 in 1969 with The Boxer. It's a truly lovely song, but you couldn't tell with the wretched and strained screams coming out of Lee Dewyze. It was thoroughly painful to listen to and it lacked any human connection at all.

Tim Urban chose to sing Better Days by the Goo Goo Dolls. He once again is working the smile and the trendy hair style while strumming his guitar and singing. He seemed to really understand the lyrics and was able to convey the meaning well, despite the few clunky notes he hit here and there.

I Believe I Can Fly by R Kelly peaked at #2 in 1996 and it was a big inspirational ballad that little Aaron Kelly tried to make his own. Once again, he is too small all around to take on this kind of choice.

Mariah Carey hit #15 with her theme song from The Prince of Egypt, When You Believe. Siobhan Magnus was able to do a wonderful vocal justice to this difficult song. She clearly has an exceptional vocal range and a skillful ability to interpret powerful lyrics. And on top of that, she can successfully get away with butterfly accessories on her dresses.

Michael Lynche is making the best of his repeated opportunities to come back with a winning interpretation of Hero from the Spiderman soundtrack. He is a very good singer, but his only flaw is that he continues to select songs that don't pack a big enough punch to really show off his skills.

People Get Ready has been covered many times since the Impressions hit #14 with it in 1965. Crystal Bowersox brought more emotional depth to this vocal performance than any of the other contestants combined. She looked lovely in a long black gown and sounded flawless. It was hard to hold back the tears after hearing this wonderful rendition.

Too bad only one finalist will be going home this week, because more than three are deserving of being in the bottom. My prediction for the bottom three this week is Casey James, Aaron Kelly and Lee DeWyze. All of these boys made our ears hurt this week, but the biggest culprit is little Aaron who should be sent packing.

Entertainer of the Year! 2.0

The Supreme Miss American Idol, Season Four winner, Carrie Underwood was a true vision of loveliness as she performed Temporary Home at the Academy of Country Music Awards. Her vocals were complete perfection and her gown of spring flowers looked stunning as the auditorium was showered with colorful petals. Just a wonderful and moving musical experience.

Throughout the show Carrie looked beautiful even though she wasn't winning in her categories. Miranda Lambert was a big winner taking both Album of the Year and Female Vocalist of the Year from Carrie. Then in the Song of the Year and Single Record of the Year categories, Carrie made room for Lady Antebellum's wonderful song Need You Now to take the awards.

But when it came down to the top, most prestigious award of the night, Carrie Underwood, for the second year in row, was named the ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR!

Carrie's latest album, Play On, is simply packed with amazing songs with incredible lyrics that showcase her wonderful voice. Pure enjoyment from beginning to end. She is totally and completely deserving of this fantastic honor.

The Results - Adam Lambert!

Last week's results show performers, Jason DeRulo and Rihanna, don't need any bump from their American Idol performance as they are already enjoying long rides at the top of the Billboard charts. The Season Seven 1st Runner Up, David Archuleta, surely would have liked a bump after his performance last week, but there is no new action for him on either the Billboard HOT 100 or the itunes chart this week. Usher, the mentor from two weeks ago, sees his single, OMG, land at #14 on the Billboard HOT 100.

Once again, the opening group performance sounds so incredibly fake and over produced that it's shameful. It's like the producers are openly admitting that these kids can't sing. This medley of Elvis hits was downright cheesy.

Aaron, Casey and Andrew were all called to the center of the stage hopefully to all be eliminated tonight, but unfortunately, both Aaron and Casey are safe. The only good news to come from this is that Andrew is finally being sent home. The world can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that we won't have to be bored by his dreary singing ever again.

Season Seven finalist Brooke White wasn't a very good singer back then and tonight upon her return to the American Idol stage we learn that she still isn't very good. She got up there still completely lacking vocal range and personality to sit at her piano again and sing another sleep inducing song. There is no American Idol bump expected after this weak effort.

Crystal, Siobhan and Lee are all safe this week leaving Michael, Tim and Katie up for possible elimination.

In Season Eight, the audience was treated each week to one of the most dynamic, electric and mesmerizing entertainers in American Idol history. Adam Lambert somehow ended up as the 1st Runner Up, but he's the only finalist to ever come back and mentor the latest group. He once again commanded the stage with an exceptional performance of his latest single, Whataya Want From Me. Even with his own songs, he knows how to mix up the arrangement and the vocals and present something fresh and captivating. It recently peaked at #20 on the Billboard HOT 100, but it should hopefully see a significant bump after this great showstopping effort.

Tim and Michael are both safe leaving Katie Stevens to be eliminated from the competition way too soon. She's a talented young woman with her whole life ahead of her that will surely be filled with many more opportunities.

I only got one of my bottom three predictions correct, but at least it was the long overdue elimination of Andrew Garcia. The elimination of Katie was completely unexpected. We wish her the best!

Adam Lambert Returns!!!

The Season Eight Miss American Idol 1st Runner Up, Adam Lambert, knew how to bring something exciting and entertaining every week of the competition. This week he is trying to teach some of his amazing skills to the otherwise drab Season Nine Finalists. They performed music from the Elvis Presley songbook:

Crystal Bowersox mixed things up by using an electric guitar for a change and raised the roof with Saved. She totally brought the gospel energy to the song and her voice was just as dramatic, bluesy and soulful as ever.

Only someone as boring as Andrew Garcia can successfully suck the life out of the huge smash Hound Dog. The arrangement was sleep inducing and his vocals were totally forgettable.

Can't Help Falling In Love was a huge #1 smash for UB40 and only hit #2 for Elvis. Tim Urban provided a very smooth and sensitive acoustic rendition that may have changed the minds of many who were against him. His vocal range shined even brighter than his smile.

Lee Dewyze is proving himself to be a generic rocker one trick pony. His version of A Little Less Conversation was just another example of his screaming and showing no personality.

Blue Suede Shoes is a classic piece of rock-n-roll history and in the tiny little hands of Aaron Kelly it lost all of it's meaning. There was nothing convincing about the little pixie trying to sing this song.

Siobhan Magnus has already been compared to Adam Lambert because of her unique style and she earned that comparison again tonight with her version of Suspicious Minds. She totally turned the song around and made it a whirlwind vocal extravaganza.

Michael Lynche got lucky last week and was saved to sing one more time. Unfortunately his subtle performance of In The Ghetto may not have been enough to win any more votes. The vocals were very nice but it lacked star quality.

Last week Katie Stevens finally found her powerhouse diva voice and tonight she brought it again on Baby What Do You Want Me To Do. She belted out more big notes and sounded great every step of the way.

Casey James is clearly coasting on his looks. He is putting no extra effort into his performances and he didn't listen to a word Adam said. Ignoring good advice is not a good thing.

With Michael getting saved last week that means two finalists will be sent home this week. My prediction for the bottom three is the same as last week: Aaron Kelly, Andrew Garcia and Casey James. If we are lucky, both Aaron and Andrew will be sent packing.

The Results - Lennon/McCartney

Last weeks mentor, Usher, had a huge sales week after his performance on the show selling over 300,000 copies of his latest release, Raymond Vs. Raymond, to debut at #1 on the Billboard album chart. The song he performed, OMG, is currently #6 on the itunes sales chart so it should make a pretty strong leap on the Billboard HOT 100 chart as well. Unfortunately, the Season Two Miss American Idol winner, Ruben Studdard, saw no such sales bump as a result of his performance last week.

This week, the top 9 opened the show with a Beatles medley that sounded completely over-produced and fake. None of these finalists actually sound this good. It was a very obvious lip sync. But the girls looked simply fabulous in their 60's mod mini dresses!

Getting the good news out of the way first, it was revealed that all three girls, Crystal, Siobhan and Katie are all safe this week.

Jason Derulo hit #1 in 2009 with his smash hit dance jam Whatcha Say and tonight he performed his follow up single that recently peaked at #8 on the Billboard HOT 100, In My Head.

One of John Lennon's most amazing songs, Imagine, hit #3 in 1971 and was performed on the American Idol stage in Season Seven. David Archuleta, who ended up being the Miss American Idol 1st Runner Up that year, came back tonight to entertain the fans with his fantastic rendition of this exceptional song. He sounded great.

Lee, Casey and Tim are all safe leaving Michael, Andrew, and Aaron as the bottom three. Aaron was then informed that he was also safe.

Rihanna has been the biggest hit maker on the charts of the last 5 years hitting #1 on the Billboard HOT 100 six times including Rude Boy which is at the top of the chart this week. Tonight she introduced the world to her next single, Rock Star 101, which is sure to be another hit.

With Andrew finally in the bottom two where he belongs, we got the shock that he is once again safe and Michael Lynche is the lowest vote getter of the week. He did a great job singing for his life hoping the judges would save him. And it worked! All nine finalists will be coming back next week including Michael.

I got two of my predictions right this week with both Andrew and Aaron ending up among the lowest vote getters. If we are lucky, they will both go home next week.

The Top 9 sing Lennon/McCartney

John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote and performed some of the greatest songs of all time with The Beatles, but are the songs great enough to survive what these finalists will do to them?

Aaron Kelly performed the song that spent two weeks at #1 in 1970, The Long and Winding Road. The arrangement was very true to the original but the vocals were much more drab and dreary. The little pixie added nothing interesting.

Katie Stevens selected another song that also spent two weeks at #1 in 1970, Let It Be. Thankfully this turned out to be the strong vocal performance that we knew was hidden in there all along. She finally belted out some big notes that complimented the song perfectly and she looked even cuter than usual.

Andrew Garcia brought his very special brand of not cool to his performance of the song that spent five weeks at #1 in 1964, Can't Buy Me Love. He's a dumpy guy with and weak voice and even the fun energy of the song couldn't save it from being another embarrassment.

Michael Lynche added some great life and power to Eleanor Rigby that peaked at #11 in 1966. His vocals were larger than life and the arrangement was vibrant and fun. It was a very interesting live performance that you may actually want to hear again.

Crystal Bowersox performed a song that spent one week at #1 in 1969, Come Together. As expected she brought her accomplished bluesy vocals and style to this fantastic song. She is continuing to stand out as a cut above the rest.

Tim Urban performed a song that sounds like a hit but it never actually hit the Billboard HOT 100. All My Loving was originally on the 1963 album With The Beatles and Tim performed the song with his hair styled like he was a member of the band and a big smile on his face. He was clearly having fun and so was the audience.

Casey James tried to show another side of himself with John Lennon's Jealous Guy. Rather than just being the good time party boy, he showed off his sensitive side. All this emotional depth can be great and all, but with him it was pretty boring.

Siobhan Magnus allowed her lovely vocals to take center stage as she performed Across The Universe, an album cut from the 1970 release Let It Be. She does something different every week not only with her voice, but with her look and style as well. She's a quirky young woman underneath it all, but she owns it and makes it work.

Lee Dewyze selected to take on the biggest Beatles hit of all time that spent nine weeks at #1 in 1968, Hey Jude. His manner of singing probably made much of the audience want to say, HEY LEE! Stop screaming at me! Lee clearly has his fans, but he's really not all that.

The finalists were very respectful of the Lennon/McCartney songbook and none of them messed it up too seriously. My prediction for the bottom three this week is Aaron Kelly, Andrew Garcia and Casey James. None of these guys did anything extra special, but the least of them should be Aaron Kelly going home.