Favorite Albums of 2015

These were my favorite new albums of 2015:

Brett Eldredge - Illinois: This is the second album from Brett and he decided to name it after his home state, Illinois. This collection is a wonderful mix of sounds from multiple musical genres while still being heartfelt country at the core. Songs like Fire and Shadow have a strong rock edge while his duet with Thomas Rhett, You Can't Stop Me, has a light and funky disco beat. And of course, with a wonderful voice like his, he had to include some amazing love songs like Wanna Be That Song and If You Were My Girl. The lead single, Lose My Mind, is a high energy song that makes you want to get up and dance and the second single, Drunk On Your Love, perfectly takes you to that drunken love place.

Carrie Underwood - Storyteller: The Supreme Miss American Idol, Season 4 winner, Carrie Underwood decided to show a slightly different side of herself on her 5th collection of all new material. Where earlier songs like Blown Away and Something In The Water are all out vocal showcases where she proves she can belt out the big notes more impressively than anyone else, this album shows her holding back a little more. Her songs have always been true to the great country tradition of telling the stories of people's live and she goes into it full throttle here. The drama of an abusive husband is told in Church Bells, a cheating husband in Dirty Laundry and a perfect husband in Heartbeat. The sound of the album is also more traditional country than her previous albums, but she can easily sing anything. On her third album, Play On, she did a special song about her mother, appropriately titled, Mama's Song. Here, she shows some love to her father on The Girl You Think I Am. The range of different stories she tells on this collection shows her unique ability to convincingly interpret lyrics and relate to her audience.    

More Favorite Songs of 2015

I recently listed my Top 10 Favorite Songs of 2015. Just for clarification let me explain that those songs all had to meet the eligibility for that list by reaching the Top 10 on the Billboard HOT 100 during 2015. I happen to be one of those people that believes that "It's not a hit until it's a hit on Billboard". Just in case you don't know, in order to reach the top of the Billboard HOT 100, a song must get the most sales and radio airplay for any given week.

There were lots of other songs that I loved in 2015 that failed to make the top 10 on the Billboard HOT 100 singles chart. Here's a list of some of my other favorites in 2015. One thing that I can say about all of these songs is that it's a shame it didn't get more sales and airplay to do better on the Billboard HOT 100 singles chart.

In the ideal world, great songs from Country, Pop, Dance and R and B would all find their way to the upper positions of the Billboard HOT 100.

Lose My Mind - Brett Eldredge: He's tall and sexy and he sings hot new country hits.   

Make Me Wanna - Thomas Rhett: Such a great beat paired with a handsome guy singing great vocals.   

Smoke Break - Carrie Underwood: She shifts gears to show her more down home country side on this catchy hit.


Take Your Time - Sam Hunt: Talk / Singing is totally a thing thanks to this amazing ballad. 

I Still Love You - Jennifer Hudson: What a perfect song to celebrate marriage equality!!!!  

Loving Your Easy - Zac Brown Band: A throwback sound of 60's Motown updated to perfection.  

Levels - Nick Jonas: The perfect sound for a grown up boy band member going solo. So hot he makes the Queens Scream!   

Biscuits - Kacey Musgraves: More wonderful words of wisdom by a talented young lady who is bringing classic country into the new era.   

Lay Low - Josh Turner: That wonderful deep voice always pulls me in. Yes, Josh, we would love to disappear with you for a while.  

Kick The Dust Up - Luke Bryan: This two time Entertainer of the Year can always be counted on to bring the party. 

Infinity - Mariah Carey: Her outstanding show at the Colosseum in Caesars Palace in Las Vegas has her performing all 18 of her Billboard HOT 100 #1 singles. She finishes the show with this wonderful song and leaves us all wanting more.

The Top 10 Songs of 2015

The Top 10 songs of 2015!!
2015 has been a great year for fun pop songs getting into the upper portion of the Billboard HOT 100 Singles chart. Here's my Top 10 favorite songs of the year:

Shut Up And Dance - WALK THE MOON

When you are teaching people to dance there's a saying that goes, "less talking, more dancing". Why just stand around listening when you can take what you have learned and put it into action! This song brings that saying to life in the most wonderful way! Perfect for dancing a hustle.     

Focus - Ariana Grande

This first single from her third album is continuing her streak of delivering catchy hooks, great beats and powerhouse vocals. Ariana sure looks great doing it as well. Perfect for dancing a samba. 

Ex's and Oh's - Elle King

This song has a great beat, fun and sexy lyrics and who would have thought it would come from Rob Schneider's daughter??!!! Perfect for dancing an east coast swing.   

Can't Feel My Face - The Weeknd

This song sounds like it could be from a 1978 Steve Miller Band album, and that's a very good thing! Too bad the rest the "music" from The Weeknd is so unbearably awful. And things were looking so promising on his collaboration with Ariana Grande, Love Me Harder. He should have quit while he was ahead.   

Drag Me Down - One Direction

I don't care if the group has broken up or is taking a break. I am just happy to have all of the great pop songs they have given us!    

Cheerleader - OMI

The summer was filled with the tropical sounds of trumpets playing over a conga beat thanks to this refreshing song. And as a former cheerleader there is no way I could resist it!   

Lay Me Down - Sam Smith and John Legend

Of course something very good was going to result from John Legend, the Grammy winner for Best New Artist in 2005 teaming up with Sam Smith who won the Grammy for Best New Artist in 2014. This ballad is heartfelt and captivating and their voices sound amazing and pure.   

Hello - Adele

Q: Why did Adele cross the road? A: To say Hello from the other side!!!! And she came back to say it after being away for a few years with this outstanding song.   

Uptown Funk - Bruno Mars

Quite simply everything all in one place to satisfy the masses. Perfect for dancing a cha cha.  

What Do You Mean - Justin Bieber

Just forget how much you can't stand Justin Bieber and enjoy a very good pop song. Perfect for dancing a cha cha.

American Idol Grammy Nominations

The nominations for the 58th Grammy Awards have been announced and once again there were some Miss American Idol finalists who heard their names called.

The Season 1 Miss American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson is nominated for the Best Pop Solo Performance for her track Heartbeat Song. She is also nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album for her latest release Piece By Piece. 

The Supreme Miss American Idol, Season 4 winner, Carrie Underwood, is up for Best Country Solo Performance for her track Little Toy Guns.

The winners will be announced on Monday February 15th.

2015 Year End Charts

The #1 album on the Billboard charts for all of 2015 is 1989 by Taylor Swift.

There were some strong showings from the Miss American Idol finalists on the 2015 year end charts. The Supreme Miss American Idol, Season 4 winner, Carrie Underwood has the highest ranking at #28 with her Greatest Hits: Decade #1. The Season 1 Miss American Idol winner, Kelly Clarkson comes in at #105 with her album Piece By Piece. The latest release from Carrie Underwood, Storyteller, finishes out the year at #108.

The Top 5 singles for 2015 on the Billboard HOT 100 are: #1 Uptown Funk by Bruno Mars, #2 Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeren, #3 See You Again by Charlie Puth, #4 Trap Queen by Fetty Wap and at #5 Sugar by Maroon 5.

The Miss American Idol finalist who makes the highest showing on the year end singles chart is also the ONLY Miss American Idol finalist who made the chart. Season 1 Miss American winner, Kelly Clarkson is  at #91 with Heartbeat Song.

Over on the Billboard 2015 Top Artists of the Year chart the Supreme Miss American Idol, Season 4 winner Carrie Underwood, can be found at #51. The Season 1 Miss American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson lands at #93.

Carrie wins Video of the Year - AGAIN!!!!!

The 2015 CMT Video Music Awards is always a very fun night of great music, and it usually includes a parade of Miss American Idol winners and finalists.

The Supreme Miss American Idol, Season 4 winner, Carrie Underwood went into the night as this year's top nominee with 5 total. And when the first award of the night was handed out, one of her 5 nominations turned into her first win of the night. She won Best Collaborative Video of the Year for her duet with Miranda Lambert, Somethin' Bad. 

The Season 14 Miss American Idol winner, Nick Fradiani, made his first big television appearance since winning the crown as a presenter for the Breakthrough Video of the Year. And Season 5 Miss American Idol finalist, Kellie Pickler, was also a presenter and she used this opportunity to promote her upcoming new reality show on CMT called I Love Kellie. It should be a fun show. 

About halfway through the show the award for Best Female Video of the Year was presented Carrie Underwood for her Something In The Water. So that's two wins in the evening.... SO FAR.... 

The best performance of the night was saved for last as Carrie rocked the stage to perform her latest single, Little Toy Guns. This was a very special moment because it was her first televised performance since the birth of her baby earlier this year.  

Immediately after the amazing performance of Little Toy Guns, the Supreme Miss American Idol's name was called to the stage to accept the biggest award of the night. Carrie Underwood and Something In The Water won the CMT Buckle for the 2015 VIDEO OF THE YEAR!

This is especially impressive in that she just won this same top honor last year when her video for See You Again won the CMT Buckle for the 2014 Video of the Year AND her video for Blown Away won the CMT Buckle for the 2013 Video of the Year AND her video for Good Girl won the CMT Buckle for the 2012 Video of the Year!!! 

And the Season 14 Miss American Idol winner is....

The Season 14 grand finale was jam packed with star studded performers. Tyanna performed with The Jacksons, Jax performed with Steven Tyler, Rayvon performed with Jamie Foxx, Nick performed with Andy Grammer and Clark performed with Michael McDonald. While none of the previous Miss American Idol winners or finalists performed, two of the most successful alums, Kelly Clarkson and Chris Daughtry, provided recorded messages. There was also sightings of the Season 12 Miss American Idol winner, Candace Glover, The Season 13 Miss American Idol winner, Caleb Johnson and the Season 6 Miss American Idol 1st Runner Up, Blake Lewis, sitting in the audience.  

The best performance of the night had to be when Ricky Martin took the stage with the boys of the top 12 and performed a medley of his hits. He started with his new single, but really blew the roof off the place with Livin La Vida Loca, She Bangs, and The Cup of Life. He is still a dynamic performer. 

Nick and Clark stood center stage to have the final results revealed. The Season 14 Miss American Idol winner is.... NICK FRADIANI!

He sang his debut single Beautiful Life, and the glitter fell around him. At 29, this was his last chance to have the opportunity and he took it all the way crown. It was emotionally overwhelming and he barely sang half of the song because he was too busy hugging people and fighting back his tears of joy.  

Final Face Off

Before the final face off could begin, the results had to be revealed of who had made it into the top two. I correctly predicted that Jax would be the lowest vote getter and that left Clark to face Nick in the finals tonight.

In Clark's three performances of the night he impressively showcased his skillful musicianship and outstanding vocal range. He started at the piano doing a wonderful version of Georgia On My Mind. He followed that with just his guitar on an emotionally intense rendition of Ain't No Sunshine. His last song of the night is his new and original single called Champion. It's an uplifting and inspirational anthem of hope that when matched his amazing vocals becomes a rousing chant that all of his fans will be singing along with.    

Nick smiled and shined with his handsome good looks on all of his performances. He rocked things smoothly on Bright Lights and he conveyed a sweet love song on I Won't Give Up. He really delivered a crowd pleasing showstopper of his new and original single, Beautiful Life.

I really like both of these guys. It's very hard to choose if one is actually "better" than the other. In year's past, there has always been that one who made it into the finals and I never liked them all along, but that is not the case this year at all. Nick is a great performer and has wonderful stage presence. He will be very easy to work with while putting on an album that will appeal to the music buying public. Clark is a little harder to categorize into the pop music world with his bluesy/jazzy inclinations. But my prediction for the win and my preference is going to go to Clark because he simply has the more pleasing vocal abilities. His range is exceptional and he sounds more unique and distinctive than Nick.

Clark got all of my votes.

HOME

The Top 4 Season 14 finalists all had the chance to make their trip back home and with parades and concerts and celebrations. This week they had to sing three songs to win you over and try and make it into next week's finale:

Clark is by far the front runner matching his good looks with outstanding musicianship and an incredibly impressive vocal range. He started out with a good version of Beautiful Day. Got better with his bluesy rendition of Sitting On The Dock of the Bay, but really was amazing with his take on the current Top 10 hit Earned It.

Nick is also very good, but tonight his best performance was his first one. He really rocked the house on Because The Night and his delivery of Back Home was very fun. But he finished the night with a pretty generic I'll Be.

Jax is a really nice girl from a great family. She's also pretty cute, but I'm really not very impressed with her voice. On both My Generation and Misery Business she was upstaged by the band and her vocals on My Immortal were simply boring. But the kids really like her and she ended Rayvon's winning streak. His voice and his performances were far superior to hers, but she got more votes and now there is no more Saving Rayvon.

Rayvon's performances of the current Top 10 hit Want To Want Me and the classics, As and You Are So Beautiful were absolutely flawless. His voice is smooth and pure and his smile is truly radiant.

My prediction is that Clark will be going up against Nick in the finals next week. I just don't want to hear Jax try to sing again.

From the SOUL

Tonight the Season 14 finalists had to select a song the reveals who they really are from their soul.

Clark started the night out with a wonderful vocal performance of Living For the City, but his second song was truly an outstanding show stopper. He took Josh Turner's Your Man and he genuinely made it his own with light bluesy instrumentation and totally sexy falsetto vocals. It was nothing like the deep voice that Josh sings in and it didn't matter because it was such a beautiful and genuine expression from Clark.

Jax has gotten this far in the competition by putting her own stamp on every song that she does, but some have been more successful than others. Her take on Empire State of Mind by Alicia Keys totally missed the mark. Her voice simply isn't good enough to make whatever she was doing worth listing to. She did slightly better with a sincere reading of Human, but her voice is simply too flawed for me to ever want to hear her sing.

Nick is not the best singer in the world, but he's a good looking guy and you can tell he really loves to perform. His heart is really in it when he performs Bright Lights and What Hurts The Most. He's got stage presence, a bright smile, and good vocals to tie it all together.

The bottom two vote getters this week were Tyanna and Rayvon, but the last minute Save from Twitter has come to an end. And once again Rayvon has made it through to the next round while Tyanna's Idol journey has come to an end. I thought she could have made it all the way to the finals, so it's sad that this extremely talented 16 year old is heading home. She perform Run The World to show off a taste of what her fans will get when they see her on tour this summer.

Rayvon's handsome face and silky smooth vocals were outstanding on his version of Need You Now. The depth of emotion he conveyed through these lyrics was so heartfelt and meaningful. It was enough to bring the listeners to tears as he conveyed the yearning so beautifully. And then he took us to an even deeper emotional place on his exceptional rendition of Believe. High marks all around for him this week.

My prediction for the next one to be eliminated is Jax. The kids seem to really like her, but the vocals simply aren't good enough. I don't want to hear her again.

American Classics

The finalists each performed two songs that were deemed American Classics.

Tyanna was the first one to be assured a place coming back next week. She performed Why Do Fools Fall In Love and Proud Mary. Both of these selections allowed her to show off her impressive vocal range and also her diverse stage presence.

Clark was next and he continues to be the standout front runner because of his wonderful voice and impressive musicianship. He played guitar while rocking out to Superstition and then he switched gears at the piano giving a smooth and creamy version of Moon River.

Jax channeled her inner rock chick on both of her song choices: Piece of My Heart and Beat It. Her voice still isn't that great and these did nothing to take her to another level of artistry.

Nick, on the other hand, managed to make Tom Petty's American Girl entertaining and then he very skillfully re-arranged Only The Good Die Young into a powerful ballad.

Quentin started out strong with a high energy Are You Gonna Go My Way and finished off with a moody and sullen Sound of Silence.

Once again, the bottom two had to perform and wait for the fans to go on Twitter and frantically try and save them from elimination. Tonight it was either going to be #SaveJoey or #SaveRayvon.

Joey is vocally awful. She screeched out My Funny Valentine as best as she could but she simply doesn't have the range capable of handling it. It was dreadful. So was her noisy and clunky effort at Somebody To Love.

Rayvon easily delivered flawless vocals on Long Train Running and he even added some fun choreography to the mix elevate his performance ability. His rendition of Always On My Mind was so pitch perfect and lovely it set him up as the clear favorite for the save.

Happily, Rayvon survived for another week and Joey is finally gone!

With all of the talent less contestants out of the running, it has become much more difficult to predict who will be sent packing next. My bottom two are now Jax and Quentin. I think Jax has a very big fan base, so it looks like Quentin will be the one on his way out. Even though Rayvon has consistently been in the bottom two, he is way too talented to be eliminated.

Billboard HITS!!!

This week the Idol finalists had to perform any song that was a hit on the Billboard HOT 100. Returning to the Idol stage showing them how it's done was Season 3 Miss American Idol finalist and Oscar winner, Jennifer Hudson, who performed her current hit with Iggy Azeala, Trouble.

The first one to be called to safety was Jax who performed Poker Face. When she gets it right it can be amazing, but more often than not, she misses the mark and I just don't like what she did to the song.

Nick took Teenage Dream and perfectly illustrated why so many of his fans listen to those lyrics and think of him.

Trying to prove he is more than just a high fashion artist Quentin showed off his vocal range quite successfully on his rendition of Latch.

I have always thought that Wrecking Ball was a good song, but I never wanted to hear the horrible sound of Miley's voice attempting to sing. When someone actually has a nice voice, the song can be very powerful. Joey's voice is even more dreadfully worse than Miley's so there was no improvement here.

Clark is jumping ahead of the competition by leaps and bounds with outstanding performances like Make It Rain.

Tyanna did what Joey was not able to do. Her version of Stay was powerful, emotional and vocally better than what Rihanna does. Tyanna served up a very impressive improvement of the original.

Rayvon and Qaasim were the two lowest vote getters and once again this week the fans had to tweet either #SaveRayvon or #SaveQaasim to decide who was staying.

Rayvon gave us his usual smooth as silk vocals on Set Fire To The Rain and he stepped it up another notch higher with belting out some powerhouse notes at the end.

Qaasim jumped around the stage performing Hey Ya and put on a pretty good show, but his vocals remain pure torture on the ears.

I am happy to report that the fans have spoken and Rayvon is coming back next week while Qaasim is finally going home. Two down and one to go. We just need to get rid of Joey next week and this competition can really begin!

Kelly Clarkson Week!!!!!

The Season One Miss American Idol winner, Kelly Clarkson, came back to mentor the finalists. In addition to giving them some guidance for tonight's performances she also graced the stage herself. She performed her current single, Heartbeat Song, from her recent #1 album, Piece by Piece. She also brought back At Last, the song she did at her very first audition.

The first finalist to be back for another week is Nick. He did a very nice job performing Catch My Breath.

Jax delivered her best vocal yet on Beautiful Disaster. But that's not really saying much because up til now, most of her performances have been vocal disasters.

Tyanna has consistently provided amazing vocals week after week and tonight's version of Mr. Know It All was yet another one.

Joey has been very consistent is serving up songs with a new twist on their arrangements as she did once again with Miss Independent. But as usual, her completely dreadful voice made it impossible to enjoy.

Quentin is a very stylish guy who is great to look at. While his vocals on Dark Side were only pretty good, they were still smooth enough to make it an overall good performance.

The judges saved him so now we have another week of witnessing how bad Qaasim's voice is. Tonight his lack of vocal talent was completely exposed with his acoustic version of Stronger. He is going from bad to worse...

Clark is still the shining star in this bunch as he proved tonight with his outstanding take on The Trouble With Love Is.

The bottom two this week were Rayvon and Daniel. They each performed and the audience had 5 minutes to tweet either #SaveRayvon or #SaveDaniel to decide which of the two was coming back next week. Daniel's weak and crackling voice absolutely butchered Breakaway while the silky smooth vocal styling of Rayvon elevated Since U Been Gone to a whole new level.

Thankfully the fans voted to #SaveRayvon so we are finally rid of little Daniel. One down and two to go. Joey and Qaasim will continue to be my prediction for the bottom two until they are gone.

Totally Awesome 80's Night

This week the finalists had to perform music from the 80's.

Daniel was the first to learn that he has survived for another week, but his disjointed and misguided performance of You Make My Dreams was terrible. It proved once again that he is super cute, but not super talented.

Quentin provided his own intense take on In The Air Tonight and it was right in line with the same high quality interpretation that he gives every week.

Joey put on a cute silver dress and bounced all over the stage during her take on Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, but none of that could distract from the fact that her vocals are unbearably awful. Her gimmicks and shiny objects aren't enough to hide how bad she is.

Tyanna is a real singer with genuine talent and it shined through brightly as she delivered a wonderful performance of I Wanna Dance With Somebody.

Jax is another contestant with limited talent and lots of gimmicks. She tried to make You Give Love A Bad Name her own, but she got overpowered by the electric guitar.

Nick is the real deal and his rendition of Man In The Mirror proved he is so much more than a pretty face. His ability to interpret and deliver lyrics with sincerity and conviction is outstanding.

Clark is the real deal and then some! He gave an exceptional vocal performance of Every Breath You Take while playing piano and he set himself even further ahead of the pack.

Qaasim was the lowest vote getter last week and we should have been rid of him for good. But the judges saved him so we had to suffer through his absolutely dreadful take on Addicted To Love. Bad just keeps getting worse.

Rayvon was the last finalist to perform and who will be coming back next week. He poured his smooth and silky voice all over Everybody Wants To Rule The World and it was delicious.

Because the judges used their save last week that means that two finalists were eliminated this week. It's tragic that Adanna and Maddie are gone now. They are both very talented, attractive young ladies with great voices and impressive stage presence.

Until they are finally voted off, Qaasim, Joey and Daniel will be my personal bottom three and my prediction every week to be the lowest vote getters. It's hard to decide which one is the worst from this group, but I think Daniel is the next one to be eliminated.  

Movie Night

The finalists performed music from the movies tonight.

The first one to safely make it to next week is Adanna. She performed I Love You I Do from DreamGirls and looked and sounded like a movie star. Very well done.

Somehow little Daniel got enough votes last week to sing again this week. His weak little voice squeaked its way through Lost Stars and it was mostly unbearable.

Rayvon delivered a new twist on Stayin Alive and it was fun and excited to watch.

Nick very handsomely performed Danger Zone and he was charming every step of the way.

Once again Joey chose a song that is better than her voice is. Just about anybody could sing Mad World and sound more pleasing than her grating vocals.

Tyanna has a far superior voice and she used it to its fullest potential on the Circle of Life from the Lion King.

Quentin got all serious and served up a haunting version of You're The One That I Want that was actually quite good.

Maddie is just adorable and that's all there is to it. Her sweet voice went very well with Let's Hear It For The Boy.

Clark is the leader of the pack in every way. He looks great. He sounds great. He plays instruments very skillfully. He performed Sunday Morning flawlessly.

Jax gave us a very cutesy take on I Wanna Grow Old With You. She's just good and she peaked a few weeks ago.

The lowest vote getter of the week was Qaasim. He has a terrible voice and he proved it when he absolutely butchered Come Together. It was horrific, but somehow the judges decided to use their SAVE so now we will be tortured by his atrocious vocals once again next week. At least this time when he is the lowest vote getter again, the judges won't be able to save him.

The Top 11 Perform Party Music

The Top 11 finalists each took their turn trying to get the party started:

Rayvon was the first to make it to the next round and he performed Burn. He needs to sing more in his sweet and soulful falsetto from the beginning. When he does he really sounds amazing.

Maddie sang She's Country and proved she can get down and rock it out.

Joey performed Fancy and while the arrangement of the song was entertaining her vocals were simply dreadful.

Clark sat and played piano while delivering an outstanding vocal on Taking It To The Streets.

Jax took an awful song and made it even worse with her limited vocal range. Her Blank Space was nothing to write home about.

Qaasim keeps getting worse. He tried to play guitar instead of running around frantically and all it did was show how horrible his vocals truly are. He butchered Jet.

Adanna brought so much vibrant energy and style to her fun rendition of Runaway Baby and her voice just keeps getting better.

Tyanna is a dynamic performer and it's so hard to believe that she is so young. Her version of Tightrope was very professional.

Daniel is young and inexperienced and it showed throughout his sad effort at performing Happy. He doesn't have a great voice to go along with his cute smile.

Quentin sang Rolling In The Deep and while he tried to bring the party, it just isn't a song about fun times.

Nick served up a very strong performance of Wake Me Up. He really connected with the lyrics.

After all of these performances, poor Sarina-Joi was the last one left. She sang Neon Lights in the hopes that the judges would use their SAVE, but even though she is easily one of the best vocalists in the competition, they decided not to use it. So just like Loren last night, Sarina-Joi has been eliminated way too soon while some really awful "singers" are still in the game.

Joey, Jax, Qaasim and Daniel should be the next ones to be eliminated because rather than getting better, they are just getting worse every time they attempt to sing. Of these four, Daniel is the most boring and he is my prediction to be the next one to go.  

The Top 12 Revealed

Four finalists are going to be eliminated tonight. The Top 10 vote getters from last week will perform first.then the judges will add their wild card choices leaving the remaining four to be sent packing.

Sarina-Joi Crowe was the first to get the good news. She performed Love Runs Out which was good, but didn't really showcase just how exceptional her voice is.

Rayvon Owen sang Wide Awake and truly elevated the lyrics and the vocals to a new level. It was very good.

Daniel Seavey is much better at being a cute kid than he is at singing. His performance of Straight Up was completely lacking in talent.

Maddie Walker is a bright eyed and ambitious country girl. She delivered a solid interpretation of Suitcase.

Tyanna Jones exudes confidence and showmanship on stage. She has a great voice and she knows it. Her rendition of Wings was fresh, fun and fantastic.

Nick Fradiani is a good looking man with a good voice. His version of In Your Eyes was just that - good.

Jax knows that she has a tendency to suck the life out of songs with her long and drawn out interpretations. She tried to bring the beat back to her performance of I Want To Hold Your Hand, but it was still pretty flat.

Qaasim Middleton is a big phoney. He runs around the stage with all kinds of energy and he throws in a few simple dance moves but none of that hides the fact that he can't sing. Honestly, he has a terrible voice. I never want to hear him butcher Sir Duke, or any other song, again.

Joey Cook is really pushing the limits of her quirky personality. If she was really so special and unique she wouldn't give the same boring performance every week. Tonight's King of Spain was the exact same schtick we have already seen from her.

Questin Alexander was the first of the judge's wild card selections. He delivered a very emotional and impressive version of Royals.

Adanna Duru was the second of the judge's wild card selections and her very entertaining rendition of You and I proved that they made a good choice.

I am happy to report that I correctly predicted that Mark, Adam and Alexis would be eliminated this week. But I am very shocked and disappointed to learn that the lovely and talented Loren is no longer in the competition. She was one of my favorites to make it all the way.

And now my prediction for this week's bottom three. I am going to sound like a broken record every week until we are rid of these three: Daniel, Qaasim and Joey need to go. I don't care which one goes first, but just to make a decision, I think Daniel will be the next to be eliminated.

Kelly Clarkson is #1

Season One Miss American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson earns her third No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart, as her new Piece By Piece debuts atop the tally.

It sold 97,000 in it's first week. Traditional album sales comprise 85.2 percent of that total (equating to nearly 83,000 copies sold -- which also makes it No. 1 on the Top Album Sales chart).

She last topped the Billboard 200 in 2009 with her fourth studio effort, All I Ever Wanted. She first led the list with her debut, Thankful, in 2003. She's additionally reached the top 10 four more times: Breakaway (No. 3 in 2004), My December (No. 2 in 2007), Stronger (No. 2 in 2011) and Wrapped In Red (No. 3 in 2013).

Kelly now ties the Supreme Miss American Idol, Season Four winner, Carrie Underwood, for the most No. 1 albums among Idol contestants. Underwood notched No. 1s with Carnival Ride(2007), Play On (2009) and Blown Away (2012).

The Top 8 Girls Perform

And now it was the Girls chance to take on the music of Motown as the Top 8 are revealed:

Tyanna started things off with a very good performance of Rockin Robin that showed off her playful and bouncy side.

Loren solidified her position as the front runner with a very impressive vocal performance of I Wanna Be Where You Are.

Maddie delivered a sweet and sincere reading of I'll Be There that showcased her crystal clear voice.

Joey thinks she's different, quirky and unique but that's just a different way of saying that she's not a very good singer. Her Shop Around was annoying.

Sarina-Joi served some strong and classy vocals on You've Really Got A Hold On Me proving that she is a strong contender for the crown.

Adanna's rendition of Hello was so genuine and heartfelt. She interpreted the lyrics so sincerely and she looked and sounded great.

Jax sadly sucked the life out of Ain't No Mountain High Enough in her efforts to make it her own.

I predicted that Alexis would be eliminated, but in a surprise twist, she made it to perform I Can't Help Myself. I don't think she's going to last much longer after the messed she made of it.

I correctly predicted that Lovey, Shannon and Katherine were going to be eliminated and I am not surprised that Shi is joining them.

It's a very tight race with Tyanna, Loren, Maddie, Sarina-Joi and Adanna all giving great vocals and strong performances. My prediction for the next two to be eliminated is Alexis and Joey.

The Top 8 Boys Perform

The Boys are still in Detroit and they are singing the music of Motown.

Tiny little Daniel was first and he performed How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You. He is a very cute pocket sized guy and he has a thin weak voice to go along with it. His bright smile should only get him so far.

I predicted that Mark wouldn't make it back this week, but here he was singing Papa Was A Rolling Stone. Once again, he added nothing special to the song.

Rayvon sang My Girl and his impressive vocal range shined as bright as his radiant smile.

I also predicted that Adam wouldn't be his, but it seems like the public is enjoying his comical stage presence. His arrangement of I Want You Back was actually pretty good, but I really have no interest in seeing him perform.

Clark is still one of my favorites and his version of the Tracks Of My Tears was very vocally strong and entertaining.

Nick is also one of my front runners and he did  a great job on Signed Sealed Delivered I'm Yours.

Qaasim has a lot going for him. He gave a very dynamic performance of I Wish with lots of dance moves and totally owning the stage. But all of that does not make up for the fact that his voice is awful.

Quentin sang Master Blaster and it was pretty good.

I correctly predicted that Savion and Michael would be eliminated this week and I am also not surprised that Trevor is joining them. I am very disappointed that Riley has gotten cut, though. He is one of my favorites.

Two more guys are going to get cut next week and I am hopeful in my predictions that they will be Adam and Mark.

The Top 12 Girls Perform

Tonight the Top 12 girls had their chance to sing for our votes.

Lovey started things off with vocally weak performance of Love Runs Out. It started out too low and it never got high enough to impress.

Adanna did much better with her powerful version of Rather Be. She has a great voice and she knows how to take command of the stage.

Alexis is nice looking country girl, but other than being a pretty blond Latina, there isn't really anything special about her voice as illustrated by her bland rendition of Gunpowder and Lead.

Joey thinks she is so unique with her blue hair and accordion, and while she delivered a different arrangement of Somebody Like You she still came off as a novelty act with an extremely limited vocal range.

Katherine put the entire audience to sleep with a sad reading of Safe and Sound.

Shannon is way too young and completely lacking in stage presence as evidenced by her forgettable version of Who Knew.

Loren is the kind of finalist who should go far on this kind of show. Her voice is big and capable of hitting all of the notes to dramatic songs like Note To God. She is also exceptionally beautiful.

Shi just doesn't have the kind of voice that I want to hear even once much less week after week or on an entire album. Her Umbrella sounded like strained screaming.

Maddie is a really cute country girl with a very good voice to boot. She served up a very entertaining performance of Love Gets Me Every Time.

Sarina-Joi took Mama Knows Best and knocked it out of the park. It was a strong and dynamic performance is every way.

Jax has a certain artistry that is kinda OK, but it's way too serious. I am wondering if she is capable of being light hearted and humorous and still be entertaining...

Tyanna is a good performer and her version of Lips Are Moving sounded just as good as what is getting played right now on the radio.

Loren and Sarina-Joi are leading neck and neck in this race. Tyanna and Maddie are close behind.

My prediction for the girls to be eliminated this week are Lovey, Alexis, Katherine and Shannon.

The Top 12 Boys Perform

Here we are for another season of American Idol! Tonight the Top 12 Boys performed LIVE for your votes for the very first time. They were able to sing any song of their own choosing to try and win us over.

Alex started things off with a 1980's hair metal comedy routine of I Wanna Rock. While he can sing OK, this just didn't seem like he expects to be taken seriously at all.

Michael was next doing a dreary version of How Am I Supposed To Live Without You. It was so flat and sleep inducing it is just mind boggling why on earth he chose this song. It made his voice sound meek and forgettable.

Savion tried to keep things fresh with his attempt at Hey Soul Sister, but he seemed very overwhelmed by the crowd and lacked focus.

Mark was very true to himself performing the 1970's classic, The Weight, but he didn't bring any special or exceptional to his rendition.

Trevor is a cute young teenager with a lot of energy and personality. He was all over the stage working the crowd while he sang Best I Ever Had, but his voice simply wasn't that good.

Clark was the only guy to actually impress me with his vocals. He was able to belt out When A Man Loves A Woman and he actually showed an impressive command of the stage as well.

Rayvon kept things current with his version of Jealous and since it was just merely good it made you want to go listen to the original rather than want to hear him do anything again.

Daniel is another cute young teenage with more energy and personality than talent. His version of I'm Yours was vocally forgettable.

Riley performed Homeboy and he definitely showed he has more to bring to the table in coming weeks. He clearly is a good musician and singer with some impressive stage presence.

Quentin is also someone to watch. Even though I thought his choice of I Put A Spell On You was kinda boring, his clearly has a vocal range that can hopefully be more interesting in the future.

Nick did a solid copy of Thinking Out Loud. He has the looks and the voice to make it further in the competition.

Qaasim ended the night with a performance of Uptown Funk and while he has the showmanship going for him, he just doesn't have a very good voice. His range is weak and limited and I just wanted him to stop.

Four of the guys are going to get cut after this round. I am hopeful that Clark, Riley and Nick will all be coming back and my prediction is that Alex, Michael, Savion and Mark have all performed for their one and only time.