Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Idols on the Charts!
The Supreme Miss American Idol, Season 4 winner Carrie Underwood leads the pack of 6 albums on in the upper portion of the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart this week. Her release Blown Away is holding at #3 for a 2nd week after spending its first two weeks at #1.
The newly crowned Season 11 Miss American Idol winner, Phillip Phillips' "Journey to the Finale" album debuts at #11 with 24,000 units sold. The set is exclusively sold via the iTunes Store.
The Season 8 Miss American Idol 1st Runner Up, Adam Lambert is at #12 with his album Trespassing.
The Season 10 Miss American Idol 2nd Runner Up, Haley Reinhart starts out at #17 with her debut album Listen Up! with 1st week sales of 20,000 copies.
With 18,000 copies sold, the "American Idol Season 11 - Top 2 Season Finale" EP starts out at #21. This is a collection of songs by both Phillip Phillips and the Season 11 Miss American Idol 1st Runner Up, Jessica Sanchez.
Further down the list at #26 is the debut of the 2nd album the Season 8 Miss American Idol winner, Kris Allen. His collection called Thank You Camellia sold 17,000 copies in its first week. Allen's self-titled debut started at #11 with 80,000 copies sold in 2009.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
And the Season 11 Miss American Idol winner is....
The Season 11 Top 12 finalists opened the show with a very fun group performance of the Bruno Mars track Runaway Baby. It was great to see Colton, Deandre, Skylar and Hollie out there showing off what they can do.
Credence Clearwater Revival accumulated 17 top 40 hits on the Billboard HOT 100 in the four short years between 1968 and 1972. They did them all with the impressive lead vocals of John Fogerty. John took the stage with Phillip Phillips to sing Have You Ever Seen The Rain and Bad Moon Rising and what stood out most is that after all these years John still a a great vocal range that makes Phillip's pale in comparison.
The Season 11 2nd Runner Up, Joshua Ledet then performed the Elton John classic Take Me To The Pilot with the Season 3 Miss American Idol winner Fantasia. With their voices and musical styles being so similar it was hard to distinguish where Joshua ended and where Fantasia began. But then all you had to do was realize that Fantasia was the one wearing the glittery body suit that was slit up and down both legs! And she thought everyone was going to be paying attention to her glamorous, silky long hair....
Erika, Elise, Shannon, Skylar, Jessica and Hollie performed a medley of Chaka Khan favorites including Ain't Nobody and Through The Fire. It culminated with the diva herself joining them on stage to sing I'm Every Woman. It seems like she took fashion advise from Fantasia as she chose to rock a glittery body suit as well.
Since 2006 pop princess Rhianna has been cranking out #1 hits on the Billboard HOT 100 with We Found Love, Only Girl in the World and S&M being the three most recent. With tonight's explosive performance of Where Have You Been it's quite likely that she could be adding another one to the collection.
Skylar Laine then had the opportunity to strut her country girl stuff for a duet with legendary superstar Reba. They performed her recent hit, Turn On The Radio and they were both in their element looking and sounding great.
Early in the season, Jessica Sanchez set herself apart as the clear front-runner with her exceptional rendition of the Whitney Houston smash #1 hit from 1992, I Will Always Love You. Tonight she recreated the moment with flawless vocal perfection.
Colton, Heejun, Jeremy, Deandre and Joshua took over the stage to sing the Neil Diamond anthems America, Cracklin' Rosie and I'm a Believer. The grand finale came when the man himself joined in for Sweet Caroline. It was quite the fun karaoke party on that stage!
Jennifer Lopez took advantage of the chance to perform in front of this huge audience. She served up some more of her signature dance, latin, pop music.
The Season 3 Miss American Idol 1st Runner Up Diana DeGarmo and Season 5 Miss American Idol finalist Ace Young have been maintaining their music careers on the Broadway stage where they had a chance to meet and get to know each other better. In a romantic surprise Ace took advantage of being back on the American Idol stage to ask Diana to marry him and she immediately accepted.
Hollie Cavanagh showed off her amazing voice on You'll Never Walk Alone and demonstrated what a fierce competition it would have been if she had been in the finals going head to head with Jessica Sanchez. Hollie welcomed the Season 6 Miss American Idol winner, Jordin Sparks on stage with her and this turned into a lovely duet with two beautiful young women. Colton, Heejun, Jeremy, Deandre and Joshua then got together one more time to perform a Bee Gees medley in tribute to Robin Gibb
Jessica Sanchez continued to be the front-runner throughout the season when she performed the dramatic ballad from DreamGirls, And I Am telling You I'm Not Going. Tonight she had the privilege of singing it with the original artist who set the standard that all other have tried to live up to, the amazing Jennifer Holliday. It was truly electrifying to see them together and actually keep pace with each other.
Since Jennifer had her turn to perform, it was only fair that Steven Tyler and Aerosmith also got a chance to perform a medley of their hits.
Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes spent three weeks at #1 in 1982 with Up Where We Belong. It was a classic combination of the soft paired with the scruffy as Jessica and Phillip did one last duet together. They then both went center stage to have the final results revealed. The Season 11 Miss American Idol winner is.... PHILLIP PHILLIPS!
He took his guitar, he sang his debut single Home, and the glitter fell around him as he held back tears.
Credence Clearwater Revival accumulated 17 top 40 hits on the Billboard HOT 100 in the four short years between 1968 and 1972. They did them all with the impressive lead vocals of John Fogerty. John took the stage with Phillip Phillips to sing Have You Ever Seen The Rain and Bad Moon Rising and what stood out most is that after all these years John still a a great vocal range that makes Phillip's pale in comparison.
The Season 11 2nd Runner Up, Joshua Ledet then performed the Elton John classic Take Me To The Pilot with the Season 3 Miss American Idol winner Fantasia. With their voices and musical styles being so similar it was hard to distinguish where Joshua ended and where Fantasia began. But then all you had to do was realize that Fantasia was the one wearing the glittery body suit that was slit up and down both legs! And she thought everyone was going to be paying attention to her glamorous, silky long hair....
Erika, Elise, Shannon, Skylar, Jessica and Hollie performed a medley of Chaka Khan favorites including Ain't Nobody and Through The Fire. It culminated with the diva herself joining them on stage to sing I'm Every Woman. It seems like she took fashion advise from Fantasia as she chose to rock a glittery body suit as well.
Since 2006 pop princess Rhianna has been cranking out #1 hits on the Billboard HOT 100 with We Found Love, Only Girl in the World and S&M being the three most recent. With tonight's explosive performance of Where Have You Been it's quite likely that she could be adding another one to the collection.
Skylar Laine then had the opportunity to strut her country girl stuff for a duet with legendary superstar Reba. They performed her recent hit, Turn On The Radio and they were both in their element looking and sounding great.
Early in the season, Jessica Sanchez set herself apart as the clear front-runner with her exceptional rendition of the Whitney Houston smash #1 hit from 1992, I Will Always Love You. Tonight she recreated the moment with flawless vocal perfection.
Colton, Heejun, Jeremy, Deandre and Joshua took over the stage to sing the Neil Diamond anthems America, Cracklin' Rosie and I'm a Believer. The grand finale came when the man himself joined in for Sweet Caroline. It was quite the fun karaoke party on that stage!
Jennifer Lopez took advantage of the chance to perform in front of this huge audience. She served up some more of her signature dance, latin, pop music.
The Season 3 Miss American Idol 1st Runner Up Diana DeGarmo and Season 5 Miss American Idol finalist Ace Young have been maintaining their music careers on the Broadway stage where they had a chance to meet and get to know each other better. In a romantic surprise Ace took advantage of being back on the American Idol stage to ask Diana to marry him and she immediately accepted.
Hollie Cavanagh showed off her amazing voice on You'll Never Walk Alone and demonstrated what a fierce competition it would have been if she had been in the finals going head to head with Jessica Sanchez. Hollie welcomed the Season 6 Miss American Idol winner, Jordin Sparks on stage with her and this turned into a lovely duet with two beautiful young women. Colton, Heejun, Jeremy, Deandre and Joshua then got together one more time to perform a Bee Gees medley in tribute to Robin Gibb
Jessica Sanchez continued to be the front-runner throughout the season when she performed the dramatic ballad from DreamGirls, And I Am telling You I'm Not Going. Tonight she had the privilege of singing it with the original artist who set the standard that all other have tried to live up to, the amazing Jennifer Holliday. It was truly electrifying to see them together and actually keep pace with each other.
Since Jennifer had her turn to perform, it was only fair that Steven Tyler and Aerosmith also got a chance to perform a medley of their hits.
Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes spent three weeks at #1 in 1982 with Up Where We Belong. It was a classic combination of the soft paired with the scruffy as Jessica and Phillip did one last duet together. They then both went center stage to have the final results revealed. The Season 11 Miss American Idol winner is.... PHILLIP PHILLIPS!
He took his guitar, he sang his debut single Home, and the glitter fell around him as he held back tears.
Adam Lambert is #1
The Season 8 Miss American Idol 1st runner up, Adam Lambert makes a strong debut at the #1 position on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart with his second release, Trespassing. He had first week sales of 77,000 copies sold.
This is a very significant moment in Miss American Idol history as it is the first time that one "American Idol" replaces another at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart. His arrival bumps last week's leader, The Supreme Miss American Idol, Season 4 winner, Carrie Underwood's "Blown Away," down to #3.
In addition, with a Miss American Idol ruling the chart for three weeks in a row, it's the longest that "Idol" has monopolized the #1 slot. There have been two-week runs atop the list, but always from a singular album -- like Carrie Underwood just did these past two weeks with "Blown Away."
This is Adam Lambert's first #1 album and is his second major label studio set. It follows 2009's "For Your Entertainment," which debuted and peaked at No. 3 with 198,000 sold in its first week.
Adam Lambert is the seventh Miss American Idol finalist to reach #1 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart following Season 1 winner, Kelly Clarkson, Season 2 winner, Ruben Studdard, Season 2 1st runner up, Clay Aiken, Season 4 winner Carrie Underwood, Season 5 3rd runner up, Chris Daughtry, and Season 10 winner, Scotty McCreery.
This is a very significant moment in Miss American Idol history as it is the first time that one "American Idol" replaces another at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart. His arrival bumps last week's leader, The Supreme Miss American Idol, Season 4 winner, Carrie Underwood's "Blown Away," down to #3.
In addition, with a Miss American Idol ruling the chart for three weeks in a row, it's the longest that "Idol" has monopolized the #1 slot. There have been two-week runs atop the list, but always from a singular album -- like Carrie Underwood just did these past two weeks with "Blown Away."
This is Adam Lambert's first #1 album and is his second major label studio set. It follows 2009's "For Your Entertainment," which debuted and peaked at No. 3 with 198,000 sold in its first week.
Adam Lambert is the seventh Miss American Idol finalist to reach #1 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart following Season 1 winner, Kelly Clarkson, Season 2 winner, Ruben Studdard, Season 2 1st runner up, Clay Aiken, Season 4 winner Carrie Underwood, Season 5 3rd runner up, Chris Daughtry, and Season 10 winner, Scotty McCreery.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Jessica VS. Phillip
We have reached the Season 11 Miss American Idol final face-off between Jessica Sanchez and Phillip Phillips.
Jessica went first and started with a performance of Whitney Houston's #4 hit from 1993, I Have Nothing. Her voice is perfect for this type of ballad that requires a singer with an impressive vocal range like hers. She looked very classy as she delivered a wonderful rendition. For the next round Jessica tackled another song from an accomplished diva. This time it was The Prayer by Celine Dion. Once again, this young 16 year old finalist proved that she can easily rise to the vocal challenge. It was simply beautiful. Her final song was an original composition called Change Nothing. This mid-tempo pop selection allowed Jessica to connect her outstanding voice to some new material and genuinely make it her own. She belted out some amazing power notes that clearly proclaimed that she is the best singer left in the competition.
Phillip took on the classic Ben E. King song Stand By Me that originally hit #4 in 1961. As usual, Phillip lacks the vocal range, skill and talent to actually sing the song well. The lyrics were merely spoken with no melodic inflection at all. He then decided to musically mutilate the Billy Joel song, Moving Out as he had done earlier in the season as if once wasn't enough. The saving grace of his performances was the last one as he stood center stage for an original song called Home. And stand center stage is all that he needed to do as the band played loudly and the background singers did all the work to drown out his minimal voice. He was also upstaged by a marching band that thankfully pulled focus away from his clumsy awkwardness.
As showcased tonight, Jessica Sanchez should easily win the Season 11 Miss American Idol Crown. She has the looks, style, stage presence and most importantly, the outstanding and impressive vocal range to take her time from this competition and translate it into a long career in the music industry.
Jessica went first and started with a performance of Whitney Houston's #4 hit from 1993, I Have Nothing. Her voice is perfect for this type of ballad that requires a singer with an impressive vocal range like hers. She looked very classy as she delivered a wonderful rendition. For the next round Jessica tackled another song from an accomplished diva. This time it was The Prayer by Celine Dion. Once again, this young 16 year old finalist proved that she can easily rise to the vocal challenge. It was simply beautiful. Her final song was an original composition called Change Nothing. This mid-tempo pop selection allowed Jessica to connect her outstanding voice to some new material and genuinely make it her own. She belted out some amazing power notes that clearly proclaimed that she is the best singer left in the competition.
Phillip took on the classic Ben E. King song Stand By Me that originally hit #4 in 1961. As usual, Phillip lacks the vocal range, skill and talent to actually sing the song well. The lyrics were merely spoken with no melodic inflection at all. He then decided to musically mutilate the Billy Joel song, Moving Out as he had done earlier in the season as if once wasn't enough. The saving grace of his performances was the last one as he stood center stage for an original song called Home. And stand center stage is all that he needed to do as the band played loudly and the background singers did all the work to drown out his minimal voice. He was also upstaged by a marching band that thankfully pulled focus away from his clumsy awkwardness.
As showcased tonight, Jessica Sanchez should easily win the Season 11 Miss American Idol Crown. She has the looks, style, stage presence and most importantly, the outstanding and impressive vocal range to take her time from this competition and translate it into a long career in the music industry.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Idols dominate the 2012 Billboard Music Awards
The Supreme Miss American Idol, Season 4 winner Carrie Underwood is sitting comfortably at the #1 position on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart for the second week in a row with her album Blown Away. Her performance of the title track from the album was without a doubt the highlight of the 2012 Billboard Music Awards. Her vocals had all the power and drama necessary to bring the story of abuse and revenge to life for the crowd of cheering fans. It was combined with wind from giant fans, bursts of smoke, glitter falling to the ground and Carrie looking amazing is a flowing red gown.
In addition to Carrie, the Season 6 Miss American Idol winner, Jordin Sparks was also there to participate in a tribute to the late Whitney Houston. Jordin performed a stellar rendition of I Will Always Love You with wonderful vocal perfection and heartfelt emotion. Jordin will soon be co-starring with Whitney in the remake of Sparkle that will be in theaters later this summer. A new duet with Jordin and Whitney was just released from the Sparkle soundtrack today called Celebrate. It's a fun and upbeat dance groove that has potential to be huge hit.
The Season 1 Miss American Idol winner, Kelly Clarkson, was also at the Billboard Awards to perform the third single from her album Stronger. This week Kelly is returning to TV on a new show called Duets where hopefuls will compete for the chance to sing and record a song with her.
Finally, the winner of this season's Celebrity Apprentice was named and unfortunately it was not the Season 2 Miss American Idol 1st runner up, Clay Aiken. For some reason, Donald Trump decided to give the honor to Arsenio Hall instead. Once again, Clay has found himself in the 1st runner up position.
In addition to Carrie, the Season 6 Miss American Idol winner, Jordin Sparks was also there to participate in a tribute to the late Whitney Houston. Jordin performed a stellar rendition of I Will Always Love You with wonderful vocal perfection and heartfelt emotion. Jordin will soon be co-starring with Whitney in the remake of Sparkle that will be in theaters later this summer. A new duet with Jordin and Whitney was just released from the Sparkle soundtrack today called Celebrate. It's a fun and upbeat dance groove that has potential to be huge hit.
The Season 1 Miss American Idol winner, Kelly Clarkson, was also at the Billboard Awards to perform the third single from her album Stronger. This week Kelly is returning to TV on a new show called Duets where hopefuls will compete for the chance to sing and record a song with her.
Finally, the winner of this season's Celebrity Apprentice was named and unfortunately it was not the Season 2 Miss American Idol 1st runner up, Clay Aiken. For some reason, Donald Trump decided to give the honor to Arsenio Hall instead. Once again, Clay has found himself in the 1st runner up position.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
The Results - Top 3
Jessica, Phillip and Joshua opened the show with a group performance of a song that Earth Wind and Fire took to #9 in 1978, Got To Get You Into My Life. As the only one who can really sing, Jessica really shined while the boys were simply her back-up singers.
While waiting to find out which of the three finalists are going to be competing in the finals next week, we were treated to some interesting entertainment. Lisa Marie Presley made her very first appearance on the American Idol stage to perform her new single. It was pretty hard to describe. There were some elements of retro classic rock in there along with some mystical, hippie vibes. Hopefully this high profile opportunity will result in the career boost that she's looking for.
The highlight of the night came from a dynamic and explosive performance from the Season 8 Miss American Idol 1st runner up, Adam Lambert. He sported his signature shiny look along with some neon yellow as he delivered his amazing vocals on the single Never Close Our Eyes. With this performance, he is likely to see the album, Trespassing, make a very big debut on the Billboard Top 200 albums chart next week.
It was then revealed that Jessica Sanchez would be going head to head with Phillip Phillips next week in the Season 11 Miss American Idol finals. Joshua Ledet was the lowest vote getter of the week, so he must be eliminated from the competition.
I am very happy that I got my prediction wrong this week and that Jessica has made it to the finals. She is a world class, top-notch vocalist and I am very excited to see how she completely blows Phillip off the stage next week.
While waiting to find out which of the three finalists are going to be competing in the finals next week, we were treated to some interesting entertainment. Lisa Marie Presley made her very first appearance on the American Idol stage to perform her new single. It was pretty hard to describe. There were some elements of retro classic rock in there along with some mystical, hippie vibes. Hopefully this high profile opportunity will result in the career boost that she's looking for.
The highlight of the night came from a dynamic and explosive performance from the Season 8 Miss American Idol 1st runner up, Adam Lambert. He sported his signature shiny look along with some neon yellow as he delivered his amazing vocals on the single Never Close Our Eyes. With this performance, he is likely to see the album, Trespassing, make a very big debut on the Billboard Top 200 albums chart next week.
It was then revealed that Jessica Sanchez would be going head to head with Phillip Phillips next week in the Season 11 Miss American Idol finals. Joshua Ledet was the lowest vote getter of the week, so he must be eliminated from the competition.
I am very happy that I got my prediction wrong this week and that Jessica has made it to the finals. She is a world class, top-notch vocalist and I am very excited to see how she completely blows Phillip off the stage next week.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
The Top 3 Perform
The top 3 finalists will each sing three songs tonight:
Randy Jackson selected an a bluesy Etta James song, I Would Rather Go Blind, as the judge's choice for Joshua Ledet to sing. It was more of the retro-same usual for him. He delivered the same over the top gospel tinged classic R&B vocals that he always does.
Jennifer Lopez selected a song that became Mariah Carey's 13th #1 hit song on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1998, My All, for Jessica Sanchez to sing. This tender ballad allowed Jessica to show off even more of her outstanding and impressive vocal range. In addition to sounding wonderful, she showed off her incredible breath control as she tackled this very difficult musical composition.
Steven Tyler selected a song called Beggin for Phillip Phillips to sing. He is who he is and that's all that he is. Same clothes he always wears. Same guitar. Same painful, strained attempt at singing.
For his own personal song choice, Joshua Ledet decided to sing the classic and inspirational John Lennon anthem, Imagine, that hit #3 in 1971. It started out better than it finished. He showed some classy vocal restraint on the first verse that illustrated how less can be more sometimes. He completely lacks subtlety in every vocal interpretation that he provides as he ended up taking it over the top when it was unnecessary.
For her own personal song choice, Jessica Sanchez decided to sing the Aerosmith song that spent four weeks at #1 in 1998, I Don't Want To Miss A Thing. Without a doubt she sang it better than Steven Tyler ever could have no matter how hard he tried. In her hands it was an entirely new song elevated to a higher plane of enlightenment.
For his own personal song choice, Phillip decided to sing a watered down and bland version of Disease by Matchbox 20. Same clothes he always wears. Same guitar. Same painful, strained attempt at singing.
Mary J. Blige took No More Drama to #15 in 2002. This is the most current thing that Joshua Ledet has attempted in a long time and it's an example of what he might sound like on the radio someday. What he lacks in versatility he makes up for with his energy. So unlike the song title, he brings more drama with an extra serving of drama on the side.
Mariah Carey took I'll Be There to #1 in 1992 (her 6th #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100). This is a song selection that is supposed to combine the maturity of Jessica's amazing voice with her actual youthful age of only 16. Once again, she sounded incredible and totally ageless. She simply has a rare vocal gift that is exemplified by her ability to do such a great job on Mariah Carey classics.
We've Got Tonight hit #6 in 1983 by Kenny Rogers and Sheena Easton and it is one of the most romantic and beautiful love songs ever written. Phillip Phillips was a complete mess trying to sing it. He looked like a deer in the headlights nervously forgetting the lyrics and failing to hit any of the notes accurately. It was a sad, flat and lifeless attempt.
There's no point in making predictions anymore. Phillip doesn't get any better and yet he is still around, so he's clearly on a path to winning the Season 11 Miss American Idol crown next week. The judges have gushed with praise for Joshua all season long. Jessica is the most talented vocalist the competition has seen in a few years so she is probably the one who is leaving the competition tomorrow to make room for a Joshua/Phillip face off in the finals.
Randy Jackson selected an a bluesy Etta James song, I Would Rather Go Blind, as the judge's choice for Joshua Ledet to sing. It was more of the retro-same usual for him. He delivered the same over the top gospel tinged classic R&B vocals that he always does.
Jennifer Lopez selected a song that became Mariah Carey's 13th #1 hit song on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1998, My All, for Jessica Sanchez to sing. This tender ballad allowed Jessica to show off even more of her outstanding and impressive vocal range. In addition to sounding wonderful, she showed off her incredible breath control as she tackled this very difficult musical composition.
Steven Tyler selected a song called Beggin for Phillip Phillips to sing. He is who he is and that's all that he is. Same clothes he always wears. Same guitar. Same painful, strained attempt at singing.
For his own personal song choice, Joshua Ledet decided to sing the classic and inspirational John Lennon anthem, Imagine, that hit #3 in 1971. It started out better than it finished. He showed some classy vocal restraint on the first verse that illustrated how less can be more sometimes. He completely lacks subtlety in every vocal interpretation that he provides as he ended up taking it over the top when it was unnecessary.
For her own personal song choice, Jessica Sanchez decided to sing the Aerosmith song that spent four weeks at #1 in 1998, I Don't Want To Miss A Thing. Without a doubt she sang it better than Steven Tyler ever could have no matter how hard he tried. In her hands it was an entirely new song elevated to a higher plane of enlightenment.
For his own personal song choice, Phillip decided to sing a watered down and bland version of Disease by Matchbox 20. Same clothes he always wears. Same guitar. Same painful, strained attempt at singing.
Mary J. Blige took No More Drama to #15 in 2002. This is the most current thing that Joshua Ledet has attempted in a long time and it's an example of what he might sound like on the radio someday. What he lacks in versatility he makes up for with his energy. So unlike the song title, he brings more drama with an extra serving of drama on the side.
Mariah Carey took I'll Be There to #1 in 1992 (her 6th #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100). This is a song selection that is supposed to combine the maturity of Jessica's amazing voice with her actual youthful age of only 16. Once again, she sounded incredible and totally ageless. She simply has a rare vocal gift that is exemplified by her ability to do such a great job on Mariah Carey classics.
We've Got Tonight hit #6 in 1983 by Kenny Rogers and Sheena Easton and it is one of the most romantic and beautiful love songs ever written. Phillip Phillips was a complete mess trying to sing it. He looked like a deer in the headlights nervously forgetting the lyrics and failing to hit any of the notes accurately. It was a sad, flat and lifeless attempt.
There's no point in making predictions anymore. Phillip doesn't get any better and yet he is still around, so he's clearly on a path to winning the Season 11 Miss American Idol crown next week. The judges have gushed with praise for Joshua all season long. Jessica is the most talented vocalist the competition has seen in a few years so she is probably the one who is leaving the competition tomorrow to make room for a Joshua/Phillip face off in the finals.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Blown Away and Trespassing
The Season 8 Miss American Idol 1st Runner Up has just released his second album, Trespassing.
As you can see, both of these great albums have made it into my CD collection.
Monday, May 14, 2012
Great job - Clay Aiken!!!!
http://clayaiken.com/news/79301
The Season 2 Miss American Idol 1st Runner Up, Clay Aiken, made a wonderful appearance on Face The Nation in support of Same Sex Marriage. He has boldly stepped into the the role of an advocate and activist. See the link above to see the entire segment.
In addition, Clay has made it to the final two on the Celebrity Apprentice! Hopefully he will end up the big winner and take the $250,000 for his charity. Back in Season 2 on American Idol he was in the finals with Ruben Studdard, and now on Celebrity Apprentice he goes up against comedian Arsenio Hall. It would be a real shame if he ends up being the 1st runner up again.....
The Season 2 Miss American Idol 1st Runner Up, Clay Aiken, made a wonderful appearance on Face The Nation in support of Same Sex Marriage. He has boldly stepped into the the role of an advocate and activist. See the link above to see the entire segment.
In addition, Clay has made it to the final two on the Celebrity Apprentice! Hopefully he will end up the big winner and take the $250,000 for his charity. Back in Season 2 on American Idol he was in the finals with Ruben Studdard, and now on Celebrity Apprentice he goes up against comedian Arsenio Hall. It would be a real shame if he ends up being the 1st runner up again.....
Thursday, May 10, 2012
The Results - California
The top 4 finalists opened the show with a performance of a song that peaked at #4 in 1966 - California Dreamin by The Mamas and The Papas. Given the theme for the week, this was the perfect song to allow Jessica and Hollie to show off their wonderful voices and impressive vocal range. For the next hour, they had to wait patiently to find out if they would be moving on in the competition....
The first distraction came from the Season 7 Miss American Idol winner, David Cook. He performed his latest single called The Last Song I'll Write For You. It was a simple little soft-rock number that didn't leave much of an impression.
Then the finalists got a chance to see Jennifer Lopez get up from behind the judges table and perform her current dance pop hit song, Dance Again. For the past two years in a row now that Jennifer has been on American Idol, she has been able to get herself back on the radio with hit songs and back on the charts. This has turned out to be a very good career move for her.
In the last minutes of the show it was finally revealed that the Season 11 top three finalists are: Jessica Sanchez, Joshua Ledet and Phillip Phillips. Unfortunately that means that the lovely and talented Hollie Cavanagh has joined the list of finalists who have been eliminated too soon from the competition. As the show came to close she performed her version of The Climb and demonstrated that vocally she is simply outstanding. She is such a sweet and attractive young woman and definitely has potential to have a career in the music business someday.
The first distraction came from the Season 7 Miss American Idol winner, David Cook. He performed his latest single called The Last Song I'll Write For You. It was a simple little soft-rock number that didn't leave much of an impression.
Then the finalists got a chance to see Jennifer Lopez get up from behind the judges table and perform her current dance pop hit song, Dance Again. For the past two years in a row now that Jennifer has been on American Idol, she has been able to get herself back on the radio with hit songs and back on the charts. This has turned out to be a very good career move for her.
In the last minutes of the show it was finally revealed that the Season 11 top three finalists are: Jessica Sanchez, Joshua Ledet and Phillip Phillips. Unfortunately that means that the lovely and talented Hollie Cavanagh has joined the list of finalists who have been eliminated too soon from the competition. As the show came to close she performed her version of The Climb and demonstrated that vocally she is simply outstanding. She is such a sweet and attractive young woman and definitely has potential to have a career in the music business someday.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
The Top 4 sing California
The Top 4 finalists are singing songs in the theme California Dreamin along with a second song that they wish they had written themselves.
Phillip Phillips got the show off to a less than dreamy start with his dreary rendition of Have You Ever Seen The Rain that Credence Clearwater Revival took to #8 in 1971. John Fogerty has a strong and distinctive voice, but Phillip's vocals were completely weak and forgettable.
Journey climbed all the way up to #11 with Faithfully in 1983. Hollie Cavanagh performed this romantic power ballad with grace and confidence. Her vocals were just as outstanding as always belting out the big notes with complete purity.
You Raise Me Up delivers a climatic punch when originally performed in 2004 by Josh Groban. Even with a gospel choir backing him up, though, Joshua Ledet wasn't really able to get the song off the ground. His lead vocals were simply lacking the power and range that is necessary to really sock it to us.
The legendary blues/jazz/R&B singer Etta James was known for her honest and true interpretations of heartfelt lyrics on songs like Steal Away. Jessica Sanchez has the mature vocal range to effortless do justice to an Etta James classic.
Maroon 5 went to #5 in 2004 with This Love, but as a duet with Joshua and Phillip it felt forced and out of whack. Neither of them has the personality or vocal range to get close to the character found in the original. Then compare it to the artful vocal blending and harmonizing found when Jessica and Hollie take on the 1989 #1 smash Eternal Flame by the Bangles. They are both so talented and this song really highlighted their strengths and skills. It was beautiful. All four of the remaining finalists ended up sounding pretty good on the huge mega hit Waiting For A Girl Like You that spent 10 weeks at #2 in 1981. In a nut shell, the strength of the girls voices helped to cover up and compensate for the vocal shortcomings of the boys.
Volcano by Damien Rice is the kind of song and the kind of music that Phillip Phillips likes best. This explains a lot. It was boring and vocally flat. The musicians on stage with him and the girl singing background vocals with him were more interesting and entertaining than he was by leaps and bounds.
I Can't Make You Love Me is a #18 hit for Bonnie Raitt in 1992. Hollie Cavanagh shared a more vulnerable side of herself with this tender and expressive performance of the song. Her voice is so crystal clear and she wears her emotions all over her face for everyone to see.
It's a Man's Man's Man's World hit #8 in 1966 for the Godfather of Soul, James Brown. Joshua Ledet provided a very straightforward and predictable version of the song. It was very true to what James Brown is famous for, but there was nothing exceptional added to it.
The Season 3 Miss American Idol finalist, Jennifer Hudson, went on to win an Oscar for her earth shattering performance of And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going from the film DreamGirls. Jessica Sanchez simply has the vocal gift necessary to do this song justice. She stood still center stage and yet was able to blow the roof off the place with her voice alone.
The duet tonight between Hollie and Jessica was a sample of how exciting and entertaining the finals of Season 11 could be. They are both very talented and likeable young women and hopefully will have impressive careers ahead of them. I am very hopeful that this final face off could become a reality, so the prediction this week for the bottom two has to be Phillip and Joshua. After weeks of lackluster performances, it's finally time for Phillip to leave the competition.
Phillip Phillips got the show off to a less than dreamy start with his dreary rendition of Have You Ever Seen The Rain that Credence Clearwater Revival took to #8 in 1971. John Fogerty has a strong and distinctive voice, but Phillip's vocals were completely weak and forgettable.
Journey climbed all the way up to #11 with Faithfully in 1983. Hollie Cavanagh performed this romantic power ballad with grace and confidence. Her vocals were just as outstanding as always belting out the big notes with complete purity.
You Raise Me Up delivers a climatic punch when originally performed in 2004 by Josh Groban. Even with a gospel choir backing him up, though, Joshua Ledet wasn't really able to get the song off the ground. His lead vocals were simply lacking the power and range that is necessary to really sock it to us.
The legendary blues/jazz/R&B singer Etta James was known for her honest and true interpretations of heartfelt lyrics on songs like Steal Away. Jessica Sanchez has the mature vocal range to effortless do justice to an Etta James classic.
Maroon 5 went to #5 in 2004 with This Love, but as a duet with Joshua and Phillip it felt forced and out of whack. Neither of them has the personality or vocal range to get close to the character found in the original. Then compare it to the artful vocal blending and harmonizing found when Jessica and Hollie take on the 1989 #1 smash Eternal Flame by the Bangles. They are both so talented and this song really highlighted their strengths and skills. It was beautiful. All four of the remaining finalists ended up sounding pretty good on the huge mega hit Waiting For A Girl Like You that spent 10 weeks at #2 in 1981. In a nut shell, the strength of the girls voices helped to cover up and compensate for the vocal shortcomings of the boys.
Volcano by Damien Rice is the kind of song and the kind of music that Phillip Phillips likes best. This explains a lot. It was boring and vocally flat. The musicians on stage with him and the girl singing background vocals with him were more interesting and entertaining than he was by leaps and bounds.
I Can't Make You Love Me is a #18 hit for Bonnie Raitt in 1992. Hollie Cavanagh shared a more vulnerable side of herself with this tender and expressive performance of the song. Her voice is so crystal clear and she wears her emotions all over her face for everyone to see.
It's a Man's Man's Man's World hit #8 in 1966 for the Godfather of Soul, James Brown. Joshua Ledet provided a very straightforward and predictable version of the song. It was very true to what James Brown is famous for, but there was nothing exceptional added to it.
The Season 3 Miss American Idol finalist, Jennifer Hudson, went on to win an Oscar for her earth shattering performance of And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going from the film DreamGirls. Jessica Sanchez simply has the vocal gift necessary to do this song justice. She stood still center stage and yet was able to blow the roof off the place with her voice alone.
The duet tonight between Hollie and Jessica was a sample of how exciting and entertaining the finals of Season 11 could be. They are both very talented and likeable young women and hopefully will have impressive careers ahead of them. I am very hopeful that this final face off could become a reality, so the prediction this week for the bottom two has to be Phillip and Joshua. After weeks of lackluster performances, it's finally time for Phillip to leave the competition.
Carrie Underwood is #1
The Supreme Miss American Idol, Season 4 winner, Carrie Underwood easily trounces the competition this week as her fourth album, "Blown Away," debuts at #1 on the Billboard 200. According to Nielsen SoundScan her first week sales were 267,000 sold.
"Blown Away" marks the third chart-topper for Underwood on the Billboard 200, following 2007's "Carnival Ride" with first week sales of 527,000 and 2009's "Play On" with first week sales of 318,000.
Also debuting in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 albums chart this week is the "Smash" TV soundtrack featuring music from the Season 5 Miss American Idol 1st Runner Up, Katharine McPhee. It starts out at #9 with first week sales of 39,000.
In other news, the Season 2 Miss American Idol 1st Runner Up, Clay Aiken, is doing very well on this season of the Celebrity Apprentice. He has made it to the top 3 without getting fired! Clay is competing on the show for the greater goal of raising money and awareness for the charity of his choice. The last person standing will be "hired" as the Celebrity Apprentice and have the honor of delivering a $250,000 bonus check to his designated charity which is the National Inclusion Project.
http://www.inclusionproject.org/
Before Clay Aiken became a music superstar, he worked at a summer camp and was disappointed when he saw that disabled children were not allowed to participate in many of the programs. So Clay eventually helped start National Inclusion Project, which works with schools and summer camps to help create a curriculum and programs that integrate kids with and without disabilities. The National Inclusion Project partners with different organizations, trains their staff and makes sure that their programs are more inclusive for children of all types. Clay is excited at the opportunity to put his charity on the map and to stand up for kids who are frequently on the sidelines.
"Blown Away" marks the third chart-topper for Underwood on the Billboard 200, following 2007's "Carnival Ride" with first week sales of 527,000 and 2009's "Play On" with first week sales of 318,000.
Also debuting in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 albums chart this week is the "Smash" TV soundtrack featuring music from the Season 5 Miss American Idol 1st Runner Up, Katharine McPhee. It starts out at #9 with first week sales of 39,000.
In other news, the Season 2 Miss American Idol 1st Runner Up, Clay Aiken, is doing very well on this season of the Celebrity Apprentice. He has made it to the top 3 without getting fired! Clay is competing on the show for the greater goal of raising money and awareness for the charity of his choice. The last person standing will be "hired" as the Celebrity Apprentice and have the honor of delivering a $250,000 bonus check to his designated charity which is the National Inclusion Project.
http://www.inclusionproject.org/
Before Clay Aiken became a music superstar, he worked at a summer camp and was disappointed when he saw that disabled children were not allowed to participate in many of the programs. So Clay eventually helped start National Inclusion Project, which works with schools and summer camps to help create a curriculum and programs that integrate kids with and without disabilities. The National Inclusion Project partners with different organizations, trains their staff and makes sure that their programs are more inclusive for children of all types. Clay is excited at the opportunity to put his charity on the map and to stand up for kids who are frequently on the sidelines.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
The Results - The 60's
Joshua, Phillip and Jessica were revealed to be safe while Hollie and Skylar were in the bottom two. While waiting to find out who was going home, they were treated to a very good concert of live music.
27 weeks ago British supergroup Coldplay made a big debut at #1 on the Billboard Top Albums chart with their collection Mylo Xyloto. They should expect to see a nice rise up the charts from this weeks position at #65 after tonight's performances. First they sang their most recent hit, Paradise, that hit #15 back in November 2011 and they followed that up with the first single from the album, Every Teardrop is a waterfall that peaked at #14 in June 2011.
While Coldplay was very good, the real showstopper and highlight of the night came from the Supreme Miss American Idol, Season 4 winner, Carrie Underwood. She just released her fourth album this week and she returned to the American Idol stage to sing the title track, Blown Away. This young woman is truly the best thing that ever happened to American Idol. She has become a huge superstar selling more albums than any of the other Miss American Idol finalists and winners. After seeing the way that she truly commands the stage it's no surprise at all that she is the top seller. This dramatic song showcased her amazing and powerful vocal range and she simply looked radiant and stunning as she recreated the beautiful pose from the album cover as she belted out the last verse of the song.
Somehow the finalist who should have been sent home tonight, Phillip, is still safe, while the cute and talented Skylar Laine had to hear that news that she is leaving the competition too soon. She performed her signature tough country girl song, Gun Powder and Lead one last time.
Skylar is the only one who I correctly predicted to be one of the lowest vote getters. It makes absolutely no sense, after hearing clips of Phillip's awful version of Time Of The Season again, that he is still around. His complete lack of vocal range and inability to hit any high notes is an insult to all of the finalists who been sent home before him. His place in the top four would have been much better filled by Colton, Deandre or Skylar.
27 weeks ago British supergroup Coldplay made a big debut at #1 on the Billboard Top Albums chart with their collection Mylo Xyloto. They should expect to see a nice rise up the charts from this weeks position at #65 after tonight's performances. First they sang their most recent hit, Paradise, that hit #15 back in November 2011 and they followed that up with the first single from the album, Every Teardrop is a waterfall that peaked at #14 in June 2011.
While Coldplay was very good, the real showstopper and highlight of the night came from the Supreme Miss American Idol, Season 4 winner, Carrie Underwood. She just released her fourth album this week and she returned to the American Idol stage to sing the title track, Blown Away. This young woman is truly the best thing that ever happened to American Idol. She has become a huge superstar selling more albums than any of the other Miss American Idol finalists and winners. After seeing the way that she truly commands the stage it's no surprise at all that she is the top seller. This dramatic song showcased her amazing and powerful vocal range and she simply looked radiant and stunning as she recreated the beautiful pose from the album cover as she belted out the last verse of the song.
Somehow the finalist who should have been sent home tonight, Phillip, is still safe, while the cute and talented Skylar Laine had to hear that news that she is leaving the competition too soon. She performed her signature tough country girl song, Gun Powder and Lead one last time.
Skylar is the only one who I correctly predicted to be one of the lowest vote getters. It makes absolutely no sense, after hearing clips of Phillip's awful version of Time Of The Season again, that he is still around. His complete lack of vocal range and inability to hit any high notes is an insult to all of the finalists who been sent home before him. His place in the top four would have been much better filled by Colton, Deandre or Skylar.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
The Top 5 sing the 60's
The Top 5 finalists performed music from the 60's and the British Invasion.
Sweet, lovely and talented Hollie Cavanagh got the night off to an outstanding start with a fun and fabulous performance of the Phil Spector standard, River Deep Mountain High. She looked fantastic as she completely broke out of her shell and worked the stage to perfection. Her vocals were just as pure and flawless as always. It was amazing then, that she was able to raise the bar even higher with her next song, the #1 hit by Leona Lewis from 2008, Bleeding Love. This rendition was so vulnerable and raw that every lyric went directly to each and every listener's heart on a genuine and personal level. Hollie stole the show even further when she sang Jackie Wilson's #6 hit from 1967, Higher and Higher, with Jessica and Skylar as her back-up singers.
Phillip Phillips was a complete mess for the entire night. First he completely sucked the life out of the 1967 #1 smash, The Letter by the Boxtops by forcing it into his safety zone of screaming with no melody. On a duet with Joshua, Phillip exposed that he has no vocal range at all when he destroyed You've Lost That Lovin Feeling that was a #1 hit for the Rightgeous Brothers in 1967. And just to prove that he is completely incapable of learning his lesson, he tried to hit high notes once again on a dreadful version of the Zombies #3 song from 1969, Time Of The Season. It was sad and embarrassing to see him sitting there painfully straining to hit notes that were so far and away out of his range.
Country girl Skylar Laine brought her big voice and big personality to the #14 hit from 1969, Fortunate Son, by Credence Clearwater Revival. She clearly loves to be on stage and has a great time giving her fans what they expect. She followed that up with Dusty Springfield's #4 it from 1966, You Don't Have To Say You Love Me. It was really great at the beginning showcasing an impressive vocal range, but it got pretty sloppy and unfocused by the end.
The Temptations #13 song from 1966, Ain't Too Proud To Beg was the first selection to get the Joshua Ledet treatment. It was pretty close to the original and his vocals didn't really add anything exceptional to the mix. His second song choice was To Love Somebody, that the Bee Gees took to #17 in 1967. It was good once again, but it's hard to imagine what he can bring to new material.
Jessica Sanchez looked wonderful as she took the stage to sing Tina Turner's signature song that peaked at #4 in 1971, Proud Mary. While it lacked the over the top showmanship that Tina is famous for, Jessica delivered the vocals necessary to make it work. But that was just a taste of her exceptional vocals. When she sat center stage to interpret You Are So Beautiful (#5 in 1975 by Joe Cocker) it was exactly what this show is all about. She sounded simply beautiful hitting a full range of pure notes so effortlessly.
Making a prediction for the bottom three this week is very easy because the top two are so clearly far ahead of them. Hollie and Jessica are wonderful singers and performers who have so much potential to be releasing hit singles and be getting loads of radio airplay. That leaves Skylar, Joshua and Phillip to be in the bottom three. The one who should be going home this week is the one who has zero potential to release a hit single and get any radio airplay. Phillip should just get out of the competition now.
Sweet, lovely and talented Hollie Cavanagh got the night off to an outstanding start with a fun and fabulous performance of the Phil Spector standard, River Deep Mountain High. She looked fantastic as she completely broke out of her shell and worked the stage to perfection. Her vocals were just as pure and flawless as always. It was amazing then, that she was able to raise the bar even higher with her next song, the #1 hit by Leona Lewis from 2008, Bleeding Love. This rendition was so vulnerable and raw that every lyric went directly to each and every listener's heart on a genuine and personal level. Hollie stole the show even further when she sang Jackie Wilson's #6 hit from 1967, Higher and Higher, with Jessica and Skylar as her back-up singers.
Phillip Phillips was a complete mess for the entire night. First he completely sucked the life out of the 1967 #1 smash, The Letter by the Boxtops by forcing it into his safety zone of screaming with no melody. On a duet with Joshua, Phillip exposed that he has no vocal range at all when he destroyed You've Lost That Lovin Feeling that was a #1 hit for the Rightgeous Brothers in 1967. And just to prove that he is completely incapable of learning his lesson, he tried to hit high notes once again on a dreadful version of the Zombies #3 song from 1969, Time Of The Season. It was sad and embarrassing to see him sitting there painfully straining to hit notes that were so far and away out of his range.
Country girl Skylar Laine brought her big voice and big personality to the #14 hit from 1969, Fortunate Son, by Credence Clearwater Revival. She clearly loves to be on stage and has a great time giving her fans what they expect. She followed that up with Dusty Springfield's #4 it from 1966, You Don't Have To Say You Love Me. It was really great at the beginning showcasing an impressive vocal range, but it got pretty sloppy and unfocused by the end.
The Temptations #13 song from 1966, Ain't Too Proud To Beg was the first selection to get the Joshua Ledet treatment. It was pretty close to the original and his vocals didn't really add anything exceptional to the mix. His second song choice was To Love Somebody, that the Bee Gees took to #17 in 1967. It was good once again, but it's hard to imagine what he can bring to new material.
Jessica Sanchez looked wonderful as she took the stage to sing Tina Turner's signature song that peaked at #4 in 1971, Proud Mary. While it lacked the over the top showmanship that Tina is famous for, Jessica delivered the vocals necessary to make it work. But that was just a taste of her exceptional vocals. When she sat center stage to interpret You Are So Beautiful (#5 in 1975 by Joe Cocker) it was exactly what this show is all about. She sounded simply beautiful hitting a full range of pure notes so effortlessly.
Making a prediction for the bottom three this week is very easy because the top two are so clearly far ahead of them. Hollie and Jessica are wonderful singers and performers who have so much potential to be releasing hit singles and be getting loads of radio airplay. That leaves Skylar, Joshua and Phillip to be in the bottom three. The one who should be going home this week is the one who has zero potential to release a hit single and get any radio airplay. Phillip should just get out of the competition now.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
New Music!
It's a very big day for new music from the Miss American Idols.
First and foremost, the long wait is over for a new release from the Supreme Miss American Idol, Season 4 winner, Carrie Underwood. Her 4th studio album, Blown Away, hits stores and itunes today. It contains her latest single, Good Girl, that is now in it's 5th week at #1 on the CMT Top 20 Video countdown.
Also in stores today is the soundtrack to the hit TV show SMASH starring the Season 5 Miss American Idol 1st runner-up, Katherine McPhee. It contains her extremely fierce dance track Touch Me along with many other great songs like Let Me Be Your Star.
Finally, the number one movie at the box office for the past two weeks has been Think Like A Man and it includes a theme song performed by Season 3 Miss American Idol finalist and Oscar winner, Jennifer Hudson. It's a great collaboration with Ne-Yo that showcases her amazing voice.
First and foremost, the long wait is over for a new release from the Supreme Miss American Idol, Season 4 winner, Carrie Underwood. Her 4th studio album, Blown Away, hits stores and itunes today. It contains her latest single, Good Girl, that is now in it's 5th week at #1 on the CMT Top 20 Video countdown.
Also in stores today is the soundtrack to the hit TV show SMASH starring the Season 5 Miss American Idol 1st runner-up, Katherine McPhee. It contains her extremely fierce dance track Touch Me along with many other great songs like Let Me Be Your Star.
Finally, the number one movie at the box office for the past two weeks has been Think Like A Man and it includes a theme song performed by Season 3 Miss American Idol finalist and Oscar winner, Jennifer Hudson. It's a great collaboration with Ne-Yo that showcases her amazing voice.
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