Lakisha Jones .... is safe Haley Scarnato.... is safe
Antonella Barba, Leslie Hunt and Jordin Sparks are called to the center of the stage. Ryan messes with Antonella a bit, but she is safe - biggest joke ever.
Jordin Sparks.... is safe
And Leslie Hunt is the next girl voted off. She looks stunned. I almost feel for her, except that she really needed to go.
** And for those of you who wrote in, she did change up the words to her song at the end. After her little scat bit, she sang something like "Why did I have to scat? America don't like jazz." **
Overall, I'd say America voted right... except for A.J. - it shouldn't have been him this week. But not much to be done except vote next week.
Chris Richardson.... is safe Brandon Rogers.... is safe
I can't imagine Sanjaya is going home... It must be A.J. Tabaldo - what a shame. He was awesome.
Sanjaya Malakar.... is safe
And A.J. Tabaldo is the next to go home - I'm stunned. He sang so beautifully this week. And his repeat performance is just as good, if not better. America has clearly picked its favorites. What can you do?
Kellie Pickler's "Small Town Girl" has been certified gold and she's getting ready to tour with Brad Paisley. Her hair looks awful, but she's so stupidly and endearingly funny. I would love to see her in a sitcom - I had heard she was in talks with people about that, but don't know whatever happened with that. I think she's way better at being funny than she is at singing.
She sings a song she co-wrote and it's kind of dull - definitely not on the same level as Fantasia Barrino last week. Oh no... did I just compliment Fantasia? What is the world coming to? I guess I can't help it - I actually did enjoy her performance last week. I can't say the same about Kellie tonight.
Moving right along... They're on to the girls pretty quick. I guess they're trying to leave time for Kellie Pickler.
Stephanie Edwards.... is safe Gina Glocksen.... is safe (yes... dialidol.com had her dead last... I was worried) Sabrina Sloan.... is safe Melinda Doolittle.... is, of course, safe
Well America got one right... Alaina Alexander is going home. She was bad first week, bad last night, so I'm glad that we don't have to hear her sing again next week.
She can't even get it together enough to sing her song one more time. Not gonna lie - I don't feel that bad about it. Well... she's back for the second verse - she should have just left it alone. The backup singers sounded so pretty without her.
Phil Stacey.... is safe (and looking good in that hat) Chris Sligh.... is safe Sundance Head.... looks terrified... but he's safe Blake Lewis.... is, of course, safe
Jared gets called to the stage - uh oh... could be bad news... But it's not...phew... he's safe.
Nick Pedro is the first to go tonight. I'm sad - my votes meant nothing. But at least I get to hear him sing "Fever" again.
Over 32 million votes were cast this week and I'd say at least 500,000 of those were mine. I tried desperately to save Nick, even if for just one more week. I'm not sure it worked, but I can hope.
Group song tonight is "Joy to the World" by Three Dog Night. It was better than last week's song - more upbeat and entertaining. And of course, I found another outfit I liked - loved Sabrina Sloan's blazer - I wonder if there's a way to find out where they get the clothes. A couple of those long sundresses were cute, too.
By the way, did anyone notice that Ryan said Leslie Hunt sung Nina Simone? I checked it out online and it turns out that Michael Buble is not the only one to sing "Feeling Good." Which is fine - that happens, but how odd that when A.J. sang the song, they said it was Michael Buble and when Leslie sang it, it became Nina Simone. I mean, it's the same song - are they trying to get us to forget that? I don't know... seemed weird to me
Sabrina Sloan is given the last slot, so you have to assume that she's going to be fantastic. She dedicates her song to her grandmother. She says that her grandmother is glamorous and that she got her love of music from her. She talks about how her grandmother has been in and out of the hospital and how hard it is to think of her not being around, and I feel the tears coming - my own. I feel that way about my grandmother, too. She turned 87 this year and every year that passes feels like one less year I have left with her, so I'm moved by Sabrina's dedication - I'm sure her grandmother was touched to be honored in that way.
She sings "All the Man That I Need" by Whitney Houston and she is amazing. I will say that it wasn't as fantastic as I expected it would be - it wasn't a showstopper like Lakisha's closing song last week - but it was still really great. The tone of her voice is just crystal clear. She gets off key just a little on some of the high notes, but it still doesn't take away from her overall performance...
Randy tells her she's got a big old voice, but mentions the pitchy spots. Paula tells her she is fantastic and a big contender in the competition. Simon says it was good, but that she shouldn't confuse power with shouting and that she was right on the limit with that. But he assures her that she'll be back next week and I'm sure she will be - I think she's got tons more talent left to show us.
So these are my picks for tomorrow... For the guys, I think it's going to be Brandon Rogers and while it pains me to say it, I think it may be Nick Pedro's time to go, too. As for the girls, I still firmly believe that Antonella Barba should go home, but I don't think she will just yet. I think tomnorrow, it's going to be Alaina Alexander and Leslie Hunt.
Leslie Hunt dedicates her song to her late grandfather because of his unconditional love and says that she hopes to keep his spirit alive by singing.
She sings "Feeling Good" by Michael Buble and I'm wondering why she would sing a song that we heard just yesterday. The least she could have done is sing it better than A.J. Tabaldo did, which I don't think she did.
First, I need to say that she's way better than last week. Her voice is kind of husky, so she needs to sing in a lower register for it sound good, so I think this song choice was pretty good for her - it showcased her voice way better than last week. But, it's not like there aren't other songs out there that could have done the same thing for her. She could have found something else, something that would have set her apart from the rest of the group. She had a real chance here to show her personality and instead, she put herself in a position to be compared to someone she is ultimately competing against... not a smart move.
And the scat thing at the end was just kind of weird - I hope she's feeling really, really good because I'm thinking she's in for some bad criticism.
Randy tells her it was not in tune, that it was just all right. Paula says she's back in her element and Simon says that she's getting lost in the competition because she's just followed some big, big voices and tells her that she's going to be forgotten.
Haley Scarnato sings next and dedicates her song to her fiance, Bobby. She talks about how hard it is to be away from him and how she can't wait to marry him.
She speeds up the tempo this week and sings Whitney Houston's "Queen of the Night." It's OK, but it seems a little forced - like she's trying too hard to be sexy. Plus, the song doesn't have much of an actual melody, so it sounded like a lot of yelling to me. I don't know - I'm not really sure what to say about it - it wasn't terrible, but much like Leslie, she may be swallowed up by the women who can really belt it out.
Randy says it perfectly - he says that what he doesn't like about the song is that there seem to be more background parts than there are lead vocal parts. He says it wasn't great for him - that vocally, it wasn't on point. Paula says it was better than last week and that her personality came through. Simon gives her an A for effort, but that it was a little bit manic, verging on insane. He says she's vulnerable tonight, and I think he may be right.
But still, I feel bad for her - she doesn't take the news well and starts crying before she can get off the stage. How terrible to be blasted like that in front of her fiance.
Jordin Sparks dedicates her song to her younger brother, P.J. She says that he's always been there for her and he supports her unconditionally - he calls him her "other rock," besides her parents.
She sings "Reflection," the song Christina Aguilera sang for "Mulan," and it starts off a little shaky, but then she hits those big notes and the shakiness is forgotten. The song may be a bit too big for her - she struggles through the big high note and seems a little out of breath in parts. But overall, it's pretty good. Not really on par with some of the other girls, but still better than Antonella.
Is she crying? It's sweet coming from her, but it's possible that her emotion may have gotten the best of her. She should have just powered through - but who am I to say? It's probably tough being in the spotlight while still so young and feeling the words may be too hard to get past.
Randy mentions the pitchy moments, but still tells her that where she is at her age is unbelievable. He tells her he's impressed with her, even though it wasn't her best performance. Paula tells her she's infectious and that she's brilliant and talented. Simon says it wasn't her best, but compared to the others, it was excellent. He tells her she has massive potential.
Stephanie Edwards is up next - she dedicates her song to her parents. She talks about how she didn't want to audition, that her parents forced her to go.
She sings "Dangerously in Love 2" by Beyonce and I can't say I like it. I like Stephanie Edwards and her voice, but I think the song choice wasn't good for her. I think Beyonce is overrated and this song is a perfect example of why I think so. There was no clear rhythm to it - I couldn't get into it.
Plus she didn't seem comfortable singing it - she was kind of tentative and unsure of herself, which made it easier to detect the shakiness in her voice. I think she did way better last week.
Randy actually tells her she was better tonight than last week - I totally disagree - but he he also says it was a little too Beyonce-like, that he wanted to hear more of her in the song. Paula thinks the audience is silent because they disagree with Randy, but I think she's got it backwards. Surprisingly, Simon agrees with Paula and says that it was terrific.
Is it very mean of me that I'm kind of looking forward to watching Antonella Barba completely bomb? She's planning to sing Celine Dion - she could barely get through Aerosmith last week. This should be hilarious.
Let me break for a kind word - I love her dress. OK - done with that now.
She dedicates her song to her brother, Vincenzo, because she says he's always supported her. It seemed more like a free plug for him than anything else, but let's give her the benefit of the doubt. She says she misses him and loves him.
I KNEW IT!!!! I knew she was going to sing "Because You Loved Me." It's a very sweet sentiment - it's the song I plan to dance to with my Dad if I ever get married, but does she really believe she can pull it off?
For a second week, she's terrible. She's flat, she's sharp, she's everywhere but in key. I want to know what happened to the girl who completely outsang her best friend during the auditions. Are the nerves really getting to her that much? Oh... please be over soon.
Well, Randy begins by telling her that she's drop dead gorgeous. She is - can't be denied... But then he goes on to say that the song was totally wrong - way too big for her - her pitch was all over the place and he even makes some of the same noises I was making while watching - just ugh... Paula tells her that she improved from last week, and Simon says she was worse than last week.
Wait... did she really just compare herself to Jennifer Hudson??? Now I don't know too much about Jennifer Hudson, but I do know that she just won herself an Oscar and has been blowing people's minds with her singing in "Dreamgirls," so I doubt I'm the only one who just choked on her dinner and spit out some food at that comment...
If only Voteforetheworst.com didn't exist. Unfortunately, they've chosen her as their worst, so she will be around for a little bit longer, I'm afraid.
Melinda Doolittle changes things up a bit and dedicates her song to two of her closest friends, her Gayles. The name comes from the fact that they told her she could be Oprah and they'd be her Gayle Kings - cute. She says they've helped through this whole process - one being her vocal coach, the other her stylist. It was actually a really sweet interview and way more entertaining than most of these dedications have been.
Anyway, she sings "My Funny Valentine," which I believe is originally from "Babes in Arms," but I could be wrong, so please feel free to correct me. Now, I personally hate this song, probably more than any other song ever written. My band teacher in elementary school made me play it because he said it was his song with his wife since they got married on Valentine's Day. As sweet as that is, please note that I still remember that story - that's how traumatizing the experience was for me to have to practice this song over and over again, even though I so hated it.
I'm not sure what Melinda can do to make this song bearable for me. She sings it beautifully, her voice is just bigger than any song out there. There's really nothing to criticize - it sounded like it came right off an album - she's a star. But it's still boring for me, and I hope it's just the song. I'm going to have to rely on the judges on this one.
Randy says she came out there to win it - that she's the one to beat. Paula says it was astounding, out of this world. Simon says it was incredible and again talks about how she doesn't realize how good she is.
Glad to know it was just the song, because I just love Melinda. Glad they loved her, too.
Lakisha Jones dedicates her song to her grandmother, who at 89 years old traveled from Michigan to New York just to hear Lakisha sing. She talks about how her grandmother is full of life and how she has always supported her.
She sings "Midnight Train to Georgia" by Gladys Knight and the Pips. As expected, she killed it... but I have to say, having started so big last week, it was inevitable that tonight would be a slight letdown. It was fantastic - not a bad note to be found anywhere, but it just didn't live up to last week's performance.
Still, though, she's not going anywhere anytime soon - I'm sure she still tops most people's list - her voice is amazing.
Randy likes that she changed it up, that it was hot. Paula loved it and says that she loves Lakisha. Simon tells her that she is a phenomenally good singer, but that it wasn't as good as last week because she didn't come out with that "I'm going to prove a point" attitude. He also tells her he doesn't like her outfit and I'm kind of glad because I couldn't agree more. I definitely did not like the leopard-print shoes.
Gina Glocksen goes first tonight, dedicating her song to her boyfriend, Joe. She says he has been her rock and he's the one who encouraged her to try out again this year after being rejected last season.
She sings Heart's "Alone," the song that most would say was Carrie Underwood's best performance two season ago. I wonder if the judges will make a comparison, considering the fact that Taylor Hicks was mentioned last night.
Well, I really like Gina's voice - I like that her range is lower than the rest of the women - I get tired of listening to soprano voices over and over again. But her voice gets all nasal when she sings the higher notes - it loses some of its depth. It was a good performance, but nowhere near what Carrie did.
Randy says it was a good song choice for her. Paula brings up Carrie Underwood and tries to somehow say that Gina surprised them in the same way Carrie did. I don't buy it. Simon says her vocals were forced at the end and that she'll never outsing some of the other girls and that he's confused about who she is.
Alaina Alexander dedicates her song to her mom. She talks about how strong her mom is and what an influence she's been in her life. She sings "Not Ready to Make Nice" by the Dixie Chicks and while the first few notes seem promising, she blows it by the chorus. She doesn't stay in tune - her voice is shaky and just all over the place.
I'm almost embarrassed for her, it's that bad. I feel a little like Paula Abdul because I'm kind of resorting to thoughts like, "Well, she looks really good - I like her dress... her hair looks pretty." But her voice was just bad.
Randy says it started out OK, but that by the chorus, she was out of tune - I guess everyone heard it... he says it was a mess. Paula says it was pitchy and Simon says she ran out of steam.
So Sundance is closing the show - that's gotta mean that he's made a huge improvement. I hope so, anyway. He dedicates his song to his son, Levi, which is kind of touching. He talks about how his son is starting to smile and everything and he's missing it all. And he cried - what would an episode of "American Idol" be like without some tears? I can't even mock him, though, because it made me tear up, too, just listening to it.
He sings "Mustang Sally" by Wilson Pickett and I feel like the song fits him way better than last week's choice. It's upbeat and more rock and roll, which is where I think he fits best.
And he seems so comfortable singing this song - last week he was so out of his element - it was painful to watch. But tonight, he's just out there having fun and wow, the difference is unbelievable. This is the Sundance that I loved so much in the auditions - this raspy sounding, hard-rocking, soulful kind of singer. He really needed this performance - I'm glad he pulled it off.
Randy just keeps saying "Wow" and tells Sundance he dropped the bomb on America tonight. Paula gives him a standing ovation and tells him that he needs to bring it like this every week - that it was the best vocal they've ever heard from him. Simon says he's glad that Sundance is back, but that he still thinks he could do better.
Brandon Rogers dedicates his song to his grandmother - talks about how she wanted him to do better, be better. He thinks she would be proud of him, to see the kind of man he's become. He sings "Time After Time" by Cyndi Lauper and it's one of my favorite songs. I hope he does it justice.
Eh... not sure what I think. I liked it, but I can't tell if it's because I love the song so much or because he sang it well. I do like his voice - I'm just not sure if this was the best song to showcase it. It was too soft, somehow. Like you're waiting for his voice to just boom out at you, but it never comes. I don't know - I think he sold himself short on this one.
Randy liked the sentiment of the dedication, but didn't think it was the best song choice, that it didn't show what he could do.
Ouch... big mistake on Brandon's part - this is why I think he's too cocky. Just shut up and take the criticism... it's not like Ryan isn't going to ask you what you think after it's over... why interrupt??? He chimes in to say that he was trying to feel the song and put his heart into it and he didn't think it needed anything extra.
Paula says she felt his heart and a whole bunch of other gibberish. I'm glad that Simon brings it back to the singing. He says that Brandon's comments about feeling the song were rubbish (agreed). He tells Brandon that he needs to forget all the "feeling it" nonsense and go out there and show America why he's a great singer.
Chris Richardson dedicates his song to his grandmother, too. He calls her his "big momma," and that's pretty cute. He sings "Geek in the Pink" by Jason Mraz. Now, I'm already not a big fan of his - I think he should have gone home last week, so he's going to have to blow me away for me to change my mind this week.
And he doesn't. Maybe it's the song - I didn't really understand what he was saying, which made it nearly impossible for me to google the song and get its title and singer. For me, he's kind of a poor man's Blake Lewis. Blake is cool, funky and hip. For me, Chris tries to be the same, but somehow falls short.
Randy liked him last week, too and I was kind of confused by it, so I'm not surprised that I am, again, confused at the fact that Randy likes him this week, too. He tells him he was better than Jason Mraz. Huh? Simon liked it too. I may have to give this guy another look - it could be that I was just turned off by people comparing him to Justin Timberlake. I will be more open-minded about him next week - well I'll at least try.
Blake Lewis adds another parents dedication to the already long list. But I have to say that it's great to see kids show their appreciation. Parents are so often taken for granted - I think it says a lot about a person when he chooses to show his thanks in such a public way. So, while it's incredibly boring to see the same dedication over and over again, it's still quite nice.
He sings "Virtual Insanity" by Jamiroquai and I'm amazed at how he keeps picking the perfect songs for him. Jamiroquai is a bit wacky and eccentric, and I think his sound fits Blake wonderfully. Blake is the only one who's really making sure that his personality is coming through. He's the only one who seems to put his own spin on these songs.
He doesn't start off great - it's a bit loud. But he gets it under control quickly. What I love about him is that he adds a performance to his songs. So far, the guys have just kind of stood there - haven't done anything special. But Blake comes out and he's moving and bouncing and just having fun.
Plus, he added some of the beatboxing that we've grown to love. I think as a whole, he has stolen the show again. He just knows how to get people to pay attention - to stop and listen. Loved it. I think he's one of just a couple of the guys who really stand a chance at battling the women.
Randy loves it - Paula says that he's unique and that he's making smart choices. Simon disagrees - says he didn't see any originality - that he basically copied the video and says he was very disappointed. Whatever - he may be the only one who's disappointed, because Blake was terrific.
Chris Sligh dedicates his song to his wife, Sarah, who is actually quite beautiful. And all I can think in my head is, "He's MARRIED????" Totally didn't see that coming. But good for him and how nice that he chooses to dedicate his song to her. He talks about how supportive she's been and how he knows he's going to be with her forever. I hope we won't be replaying this clip in a couple of years, after their divorce, wondering if "American Idol" played a part in it.
He sings "Trouble" by Ray LaMontagne. Again, I don't know the song - never heard of the artist, but again, it's awesome. First, I love that we're seeing a non-wise-guy side to Chris. He's clearly singing the song to his wife and it's very sweet and romantic and I'm a sucker for that kind of thing.
Plus, his voice is just far better than the other guys. He knows how to make the song work for him. I think it's the best so far tonight. And as expected, the judges liked it, too.
Huh... Ryan mentions that Taylor sang the song last season - for those of you, like myself, who don't remember, here it is...
Moving on, it's time for my man, Nick Pedro. I know he's dedicating his song to his girlfriend, Caitlin, but I'm not jealous - he just hasn't found me yet...
But seriously, he says that she's great and understanding and how he hopes that singing a song to her in front of 30 million people will mean something to her because she means so much to him. I'm guessing that what it means to her will depend on how well he sings it...
He chooses "Fever" by Peggy Lee. Is there any song hotter than "Fever"? I mean really? It's sultry and sexy and Nick couldn't have picked a better song, I don't think. Plus, I think with this song, we see him go back to the smoky jazz sound he had during the auditions - kind of an old-school, 1940s vibe. I think he's way better this week than last week and I just hope the judges and America agree.
Ooh... did they just show Simon snapping his fingers? Could be a good sign... let's see.
Randy says he was a little pitchy and that he rushed a little in some spots, which he did, but he says that it was really nice, that he got back to his vibe, that he brought back the Nick that they loved. Paula says nothing of importance, as usual. Simon says it was good, but that he lacked some charisma - that he should have dressed better to match the song. It's a good point and I definitely would have loved to see what he would have found appropriate for this song...
A.J. Tabaldo dedicates his song to his parents, too. Again, because they were so supportive of him and whatever.
He sings "Feeling Good" by Michael Buble and he is slowly, but surely growing on me. I liked his voice - liked the song choice for him. It showed off his range really well and he seemed really comfortable singing the song. I think he may come out some week and blow us away like Carrie Underwood did when she sang Heart's "Alone" two seasons ago. I wouldn't count him out just yet.
Plus, I'm just noticing this week... he's really a good-looking guy, quite attractive. Would hate to see him go too soon.
Anyway, Randy likes it and comments on his improvement from last week, says that he's showing that he's got skills. Paula says he has a real good voice and Simon says it was "actually, nearly very good." which is as close as he's come to complimenting some of these guys, so A.J. should be happy with that.
Now, Sanjaya Malakar is up next and I've been wondering since the beginning of the show tonight why he's dressed like Michael Jackson. I hope he doesn't plan to imitate him in any way.
He dedicates his song to his grandfather and no matter how I try to fight it, I find that I'm drawn to this kid - he's just so sweet and lovable. He could stand up there and spew profanities and I would probably still think he was adorable. But in all seriousness, he mentioned how he wears his grandfather's ring for good luck and support and I can relate to that.
He sings "Steppin' Out With My Baby" by Irving Berlin. Ooh... not sure it was a good idea. The song is way too old for him - wonder if his grandfather used to like the song and that's why he chose it. I mean, he does OK with it - kind of smooth sounding. But really, he's like 17 years old. This song is so old that Fred Astaire sung it. I see now that he was going for a smooth kind of Rat Packer look with the hat and his hair pulled back, but he still looks like Michael Jackson in his "Smooth Criminal" video to me. I'm afraid to see what the judges think of this...
Randy didn't like it at all - says it was really weak. Paula brings it back to what the competition is really about - the singing - and says that he was on pitch, but mentions that the song was too old. Simon says it was ghastly. I don't know if it was all that bad, but he does need to do something about these song choices - they're killing him.
Ryan just announced that Jared Cotter will be singing "Let's Get It On," by Marvin Gaye, and before the commercials are over, I can already see the disaster. He needs to get away from this R&B sound he thinks he's so great at. People want to see versatility and when you're an unknown, of sorts, the last thing you want to do is appear to be a one-trick pony. Plus, the judges didn't really go crazy for him last week, so you'd think he'd try to switch it up a bit.
Well, I'm hoping he can make it work for him... I really hope he can somehow make the song his own - make a statement of sorts.
He dedicates his performance to his parents - talks about how his mom told him about the audition and how his dad introduced him to music. blah blah blah. I hate to say it, but as much as I'd love to see our Long Island boy go all the way, I think he's shooting himself in the foot. He's blending into the background too much - he needs to wow people and right now, he's barely keeping my interest.
And as expected, he does nothing special with one of Marvin Gaye's hottest songs. His voice is great, but in my opinion, not as good or as smooth as last week, which means bad news for him, since the judges didn't like his voice as much as I did last week. He seemed to be forcing a sexiness that wasn't quite there. I mean, he's a good-looking guy and I think if he had played it more natural, the sex appeal would have come through a little better. I don't know.
Audience seems to like it...let's see what the judges say. Randy says his facial expressions were kind of McSteamy, but also comments on the fact that he was a bit pitchy in spots. Paula makes a fool of herself a bit with an unintentional pun about not needing to "push" a song like that. But again, Simon zeroes in on the truth - he says it reminded him of the "Love Boat" and that it was corny. But overall, it wasn't too bad - they didn't destroy him with the comments.
Which may prove detrimental to him - if they had killed him with the comments, America might have rebelled and voted for him in order to protect him. If they had loved him, America might have agreed and voted for him because he was awesome. But given that they were only mildly critical of him and given that the performance was only average, I think he may be in trouble... He's made it too easy for America to forget him.
Phil Stacey, who was one of the better singers last week, goes first tonight and dedicates his performance to his command, Navy Band Southeast. He plays the Sept. 11 card, talks about how he joined up after the attacks to show his support for our country. Now, did I hear him wrong? Did he say he joined the military as a singer? Is that really what he did while serving our country? I mean no disrespect in any way, but does that even count as serving in the military? I mean, is singing what he did on the side or is that all he did? I'm very confused... but it makes no difference - whether he just sang or actually fought in combat, he was still brave enough to join - and that's something.
I wish he'd grow his hair out - I'm sure he's probably balding and that's why he's shaved it all off, but I think he'd look better with a little bit of hair - he looks a little gaunt and sickly with no hair.
Anyway let's get to the singing... he chooses John Waite's "Missing You." And it's OK. The song choice isn't great - it's kind of a rock song and I'm not sure his voice really lends itself to that kind of sound. It wasn't bad, but nothing about was sensational. And I'm a little nervous now because last week he was better than most of the guys and if that still holds true this week, this may be another bad show.
But all is OK with the world - Randy says it's hot and Paula comments on how great the tone of his voice is. Simon brings it back to reality and says that he's not jumping out on his chair, that Phil is completely unoriginal and just a very, very good karaoke singer. As is customary, Simon's a bit too harsh, but he has yet to tell a lie.
A new poll has been posted. Weigh in on the following (click Vote!):
Which season 6 'Idol' hopeful has the talent to reach Jennifer Hudson's Oscar success?
1. Lakisha Jones 2. Jared Cotter 3. Melinda Doolittle 4. Chris Sligh 5. Sabrina Sloan 6. Other
Again, you vote for 'Other,' and I expect a comment about who you nominate!
Hudson is not the first successful former 'Idol' contestant. Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood have taken home Grammy Awards, Ruben Studdard and Fantasia Barrino have released chart-topping singles and Clay Aiken has amassed a fan following of Claymates, among other accomplishments.
So, who will be the next star? Tell us what you think.
And in the blog post that just keeps on giving, a quick wrap-up of last week's poll. In what can be called a landslide (76.1% majority), you voted that Clay Aiken's performance of 'Solitaire' was the greatest 'Idol' performance ever. And, we had even more votes this week -- 3,613 total!
Here's Clay performing Neil Sedaka's 'Solitaire' during the March 17, 2004 results show on AI3, courtesy of YouTube. Enjoy!
I don't know about you, but I was pretty happy to see Jennifer Hudson win the Oscar Sunday night.
For me, she's an example of how AI gives young people who have been ignored by the traditional 'system', by things like economic disadvantage or shyness or outright bias, a shot at stardom.
What's that, you say? Idol voters failed to support her? She was the sixth person eliminated her year? Which shows AI's audience can't see true talent but are blinded by looks or race or cliques?
Ha! Idol fans were the only ones who even give her a shot--where were these holier-than-thou Hollywood types in 2004, when we were the only ones who even saw that this gospel singer from Chicago had big-time potential?!
And although yeah, the AI audience is prone to all sorts of ridiculous influences, to borrow from one of Churchill's favorite quotes about democracy--it's the worst way of discovering talent, except all the others that have been tried.
Besides which, Hudson wasn't ready three years ago to win 'Idol'--or an Oscar. Anyone who watched the show back then knew she had a great voice, but had trouble with things like presentation and consistency, and song choice.
Like any other young musician or actor, she needed time and encouragement to develop her craft. Tom Hanks had 'Bosom Buddies' to find himself; Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, and Christina Aguilera all had Disney. Jennifer had Idol.
As Reality TV magazine reports:
Barbara [Walters] asked Jennifer Hudson if she would thank American Idol judge Simon Cowell if she won an Oscar. Jennifer said "Wow, will I thank Simon Cowell? You know, I will probably thank American Idol as a whole, because had it not been for American Idol, they never would have known of a Jennifer Hudson to call."
Turns out some of those famously racy photos of Antonella Barba may not be of her after all.
According to today's Associated Press story, Barba's friend Amanda Coluccio--who auditioned with her but was cut during the Hollywood round--"studied" some of the photos floating around out there and decided they're not her friend.
The best quotes:
"It's not her nose. She's never had (acrylic nail) tips (like the woman in the photo) in her life. She's the least slutty person I know."
Uh, okay.
Frankly, I don't care who's in those photos--especially in this MySpace age, nobody's perfect, and I don't think it benefits anyone if young people stop acting stupid just because they don't want things to come out when they're famous and on AI.
I mean, kids should be kids; they should weigh whether to do things taking into account morality, what their parents say, what their religion teaches them, what their friends are doing....
Not what strangers might or might not think of you--that's futile and unhealthy, and opens the doors to all sorts of disorders.
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