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.