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- The judges and host Ryan Seacrest take a special walk down memory lane in their hometowns while auditions in search of the most talented singers and musicians continue.
- Viewers embark on a nationwide search across Los Angeles, Nashville and the judges' hometowns to find the next singing sensation.
- The competition heats up as last week's votes are in and this seasons top 20 will be revealed; the remaining contestants will perform and viewers at home will vote once again to determine who will make it to the next round.
- Talented hopefuls inch one step closer to Hollywood stardom as they audition for the judges; viewers get a glimpse into the judges' own beginnings with memorable trips to their hometowns.
- Superstar judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie share where their own dreams began with trips to their hometowns, bringing heart, laughter and antics to another round of auditions in search of the next American Idol.
- The stakes are high in the final round of auditions; aspiring superstars perform in hopes of advancing to Hollywood Week.
- The competition narrows during the final showcase round.
- Hopefuls perform for the judges in three cities; the second platinum ticket winner is revealed.
- Auditions across Los Angeles; Austin, Texas; and Nashville, Tenn., come to an end; the final Platinum Ticket winner is revealed.
- 2002– 1h 25mTV-PG8.7 (27)TV EpisodeThe search for the next superstar continues as some of the most prolific alums in the show's history return to mentor the contestants; fan favorites from auditions take the stage for the genre challenge to sing their hearts out.
- The judges pick songs for each of the top 11 to perform; each contestant selects their favorite song.
- Contestants perform beloved Disney tunes in hopes of securing America's vote.
- Fan favorites form dynamic duos and hit the Hollywood stage for the duets challenge; platinum ticket winners handpick their duet partners and rejoin the competition in hopes of making it through to the next round.
- "American Idol" greats -- including Ruben Studdard, Scotty McCreery, Jordin Sparks, David Cook, Lauren Alaina, Kris Allen, Maddie Poppe, Laine Hardy, Willie Spence and Caleb Lee Hutchinson -- reunite on the Idol stage.
- A search across New Orleans, Las Vegas and Nashville, Tenn., to find the next singing sensation.
- The hopefuls encounter surprises as they continue to compete with the Hollywood duets challenge.
- The judges continue their search for the next singing sensation in Los Angeles; Austin, Texas; and Nashville, Tenn.
- Hopefuls audition for the judges in New Orleans, Las Vegas, and Nashville, Tenn.
- 2002– 1h 25mTV-PG8.5 (23)TV EpisodeFilmed at Aulani, a Disney resort and Spa in Ko Olina Hawai'i, 12 of the Top 24 hit the stage for another night of star-making performances as America votes for the top 20; Jelly Roll mentors, performs and joins the judges on the panel.
- 2002– 1h 25mTV-PG8.4 (34)TV EpisodeThe search for the next superstar continues with Hollywood week; fan favorites from auditions return to the stage for the genre challenge.
- 2002– 1h 24mTV-PG8.4 (32)TV EpisodeThe remaining contestants perform for the first time this season with a band, vying for their spot in the top 24; the judges share a surprise twist.
- The remaining contestants perform for their last shot at making it to the live shows.
- Auditions continue across Los Angeles, Calif., Austin, Texas and Nashville, Tenn.
- The search for the next superstar continues with the showstoppers round; taking the stage for their first time with a band, Idol hopefuls sing their hearts out in their last chance to make it into the coveted top 24.
- 2002– 1h 23mTV-PG8.4 (22)TV EpisodeThe contestants wrap up two nights of top 24 performances; Bebe Rexha mentors hopefuls as they belt out unforgettable tunes in hopes of making it through to the next round.
- Auditions in New Orleans, Las Vegas and Nashville.
- A search across New Orleans, Las Vegas and Nashville, Tenn., to find the next singing sensation.
- 2002– 1h 25mTV-PG8.4 (24)TV EpisodeNoah Cyrus serves as mentor, offering advice to contestants hoping to earn America's vote.
- The Top 20 contestants perform live, with overnight voting results revealing 10 Idol hopefuls who will continue; judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie will choose two singers to round out the Top 12.
- 2002– 1h 25mTV-PG8.4 (26)TV EpisodeThe top 12 contestants perform; America's vote for the top 10 is revealed.
- The judge's song contest returns as the judges each suggest songs for the contestants to choose from; America votes for the top seven.
- 2002– 1h 25mTV-PG8.4 (21)TV EpisodeThe top 24 travel to Hawaii, with 12 taking the stage for America's first vote this season; Tori Kelly mentors, performs and joins the judges on the panel; reigning American Idol Iam Tongi performs.
- The top 40 contestants take to the beach and perform solo in front of a live audience in Ko Olina, Hawaii; the judges sit down with each contestant to reveal their fate, culminating with the show's top 20 finalists.
- The stakes grow higher as the top 20 finalists perform in front of a live audience.
- Auditions continue in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Ojai, Calif., as the all-star judging panel searches for the next superstar.
- Contestants try to showcase their talent by performing duets with surprise celebrity guests for a chance to make it to the live shows.
- 2002– 1h 25mTV-PG8.3 (24)TV EpisodeSinger-songwriter Allen Stone mentors hopefuls vying for America's first open vote of the season.
- Special performances from music legends and today's top artists; the top three contestants take the stage for the final time as America decides who will become the next American Idol.
- Tensions are high as hopefuls battle it out in solo and group round performances; one lucky contestant receives a heartfelt gift from Luke Bryan.
- Aspiring singers from Savannah, Ga., Milwaukee, Washington D.C., Los Angeles and Sunriver, Ore., perform in hopes of earning a ticket to Hollywood.
- 2002– 1h 25mTV-PG8.2 (37)TV EpisodeContestants perform a song in their selected genre.
- 2002– 42mTV-PG8.2 (82)TV EpisodeOne contestant is faced with elimination; former "American Idol" winner Taylor Hicks performs a song from his latest album.
- 2002– 1h 25mTV-PG8.2 (32)TV EpisodeThe contestants showcase their talent by performing with a band for their last chance to make it into the coveted top 24.
- Hopefuls audition for the judges in New Orleans, Las Vegas and Nashville.
- The judges search New Orleans, Las Vegas and Nashville, Tenn., to find the next singing sensation.
- The contestants return to Hollywood to learn the results of America's first votes for the top 20; contestants perform in hopes of securing a spot in the top 12; last year's winner Noah Thompson and runner-up HunterGirl also take the stage.
- Ten of the top 20 finalists perform duets with celebrity partners as the search for America's next superstar continues.
- Auditions in Savannah, Ga., Milwaukee, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Sunriver, Ore., come to an end.
- Hopefuls battle it out with solo performances, showcasing their unique voices and star power in hope of advancing to the next round of the competition.
- Auditions continue across Los Angeles, Calif.; Austin, Texas; and Nashville, Tenn., where the show's iconic judge auditions will surprise audiences and hopefuls alike with never-before-seen twists.
- 2002– 1h 25mTV-PG8.1 (24)TV Episode"American Idol" returns to Hawaii to kick off two nights of performances by the top 24; Jimmie Allen offers advice to aspiring superstars vying for America's vote, marking the first time overnight voting opens to audiences at home.
- America's votes determine which 10 hopefuls continue on their musical journey; the judges choose an additional four singers to join the top 14.
- 2002– 1h 25mTV-PG8.1 (26)TV EpisodePerforming with a band for the first time, hopefuls sing for their last chance to make it to America's vote; two pairs of contestants face off, with the judges sealing their fate for the next round.
- The top 14 perform for the judges; the top 12 are revealed.
- All Star Round - Duets, Part 1
- Aspiring singers from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, New York, Louisville, Ky., and Los Angeles see if they have what it takes to earn a coveted golden ticket to Hollywood.
- Contestants battle it out in group rounds and solo performances in the hope of advancing to the next round of the competition.
- The contestants partner up for duets on the Orpheum Theatre stage; one pair's tensions run high as they can't agree on a song, while sparks fly with another pair; two pop divas come together for a powerful rendition of a Celine Dion song.
- 2002– 1h 25mTV-PG8.0 (31)TV EpisodeThe top 40 contestants head to Hawaii to soak up the sun and perform a concert on the beach before awaiting their final judgement for a spot in the coveted top 20 and the chance to compete for America's vote.
- Hopefuls audition for the judges in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Ojai, Calif.
- The final auditions in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Ojai, Calif.
- The top 16 are revealed and perform in hopes of securing America's vote.
- The results of the comeback show; the top nine travel to Walt Disney World for a one-on-one session with a celebrity mentor; the top seven finalists are revealed.
- The Top 5 contestants travel to Las Vegas to be mentored by Carrie Underwood; each contestant will perform two songs.
- Contestants form dynamic duos and hit the Hollywood stage for the duets challenge; platinum ticket winners handpick their duet partners and rejoin the competition in hopes of making it through to the next round.
- Performing with a band for the first time, hopefuls sing for their last chance to make it to America's vote; two pairs of contestants face off, with the judges sealing their fate for the next round.
- 2002– 1h 25mTV-PG8.0 (22)TV EpisodeIt's Hollywood Week and the pressure is on for the finalists.
- The top 20 take the stage again as host Ryan Seacrest reveals the 10 hopefuls America has voted to advance; the judges select the remaining four who will round out the top 14.
- Aspiring singers in Louisville, Kentucky; Coeur d'Alene, Idaho; Los Angeles; New York and Denver see if they have what it takes to earn a coveted golden ticket to Hollywood.
- Aspiring singers from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, New York, Louisville, Ky., and Los Angeles see if they have what it takes to earn a coveted golden ticket to Hollywood; a fan favorite returns; Lionel Richie's walk down memory lane.
- Aspiring singers from Los Angeles, New York, Louisville, Ky. and Denver see if they have what it takes to move on in the competition; an audition surprises the judges.
- In hopes of winning over the hearts of viewers and being voted through to the next phase of the competition, the top 14 contestants perform on the iconic Idol stage for the first time.
- The seven contestants with the most votes by America take their spot in the top 10; the seven remaining contestants sing to impress the judges.
- A look at each finalist's journey thus far, highlighting new, never-before-seen songs, stories, performances and footage; favorite moments from the season.
- Hopefuls perform for the judges in Savannah, Ga.; Milwuakee, Wis.; Washington, D.C.; and Los Angeles; including a subway performer from Harlem, N.Y., a garbage collector and a hopeless romantic who encounters her own fairy-tale twist.
- 2002– 1h 23mTV-PG7.9 (29)TV EpisodeThe remaining top 40 contestants perform in a concert showcasing their artistry before awaiting their final judgment for a spot in the coveted top 20.
- Auditions across California -- Los Angeles, San Diego and Ojai -- continue as the all-star judges bring laughs, emotions and surprises in the search for America's next singing sensation.
- The top 12 contestants perform Oscar-nominated songs in hopes of securing America's vote into the top nine; Lionel Richie performs.
- 2002– 1h 25mTV-PG7.9 (25)TV EpisodeThe remaining finalists perform one song dedicated to the special loved ones in their lives in honor of Mother's Day and a second song from the Coldplay songbook, mentored by the band's lead singer, Chris Martin.
- Country music star Gabby Barrett returns to mentor the top 14.
- 2002– 1h 25mTV-PG7.9 (25)TV EpisodeThe top eight contestants perform; Alanis Morisette mentors contestants; Ed Sheeran guest judges alongside Luke Bryan.
- The top five perform Disney classics live and America votes for the top three; Sofia Carson mentors the contestants at Disneyland Resort; Halle Bailey performs.
- The top 20 Idol hopefuls perform a song of their choice to capture America's vote once more as the results from the top 24 vote are revealed.
- Each contestant takes on a song from the Queen catalogue, before partnering up for classic movie duet performances; Adam Lambert acts as celebrity guest mentor.
- Aspiring singers from Savannah, Ga., Milwaukee, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Sunriver, Ore. perform in hopes of earning a ticket to Hollywood.
- Aspiring singers from Savannah, Ga., Milwaukee, Los Angeles, and Sunriver, Ore., perform in hopes of earning a ticket to Hollywood
- 2002– 1h 27mTV-PG7.8 (34)TV EpisodeThe top 20 perform remotely for a spot in the top 10.
- Following America's overnight vote, 10 contestants are revealed from the top 16; six contestants perform for a chance to be in the top 12.
- In a special Mother's Day episode, the top seven dedicate songs to their mother or the mother figure in their lives; will.i.am returns to mentor the remaining contestants vying for a spot in the top five.
- 2002– 1h 25mTV-PG7.7 (34)TV EpisodeThe top 10 are revealed; the judges must choose whether to save a contestant; the judges give the finalists a master class on what it takes to be a superstar; Phillip Phillips performs.
- The top five contestants perform; Carrie Underwood performs.
- After more than 97.5 million votes were tallied, America crowned David Cook the seventh American Idol with 56 percent of the vote. Celebrity performers included The Jonas Brothers, OneRepublic, Donna Summer, Seal, Graham Nash and George Michael.
- 2002– 1h 24mTV-PG7.6 (31)TV EpisodeThe remaining finalists perform two songs each, one from the Disney songbook and one dedicated to the mother figures in their lives; Laine Hardy performs.
- The top three perform, and a winner is chosen; guest performers include Carrie Underwood, James Arthur, Sara Bareilles, Gabby Barrett, Michael Bublé, Deana Carter, Earth, Wind and Fire, Melissa Etheridge, Flo Rida, Ben Platt and more.
- "American Idol" alumni return as mentors to build confidence, stage presence and songwriting as they prepare for performances on the Hollywood Week stage.
- The final winner of American Idol is chosen.
- Aspiring singers from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, Louisville, Ky., and Los Angeles see if they have what it takes to earn a coveted golden ticket to Hollywood.
- Ten finalists from the previous season return to make their debut on the "American Idol" stage, where they sing for America's vote; one remains in the competition this season, rounding out the top 10.
- Each contestant performs three songs, including a pick from mentor Bobby Bones, a song dedicated to their heroes in honor of Mother's Day and a selection from Elton John's catalog.
- The remaining 10 contestants of the top 20 perform duets with celebrity partners.
- "American Idol" - Finale - May 20, 2009 Ryan tells us a record of nearly 100 million votes came in. As Ryan intros the judges we get video packages of each of them with montages of their tics: Randy "for me for you," Kara "sweetie," Paula stumbling over words, Simon asking "what?" "pardon?" "sorry?" He intros Kris and Adam who are both rocking all-white ensembles. We get shots of each of their hometowns with former "Idols" as hosts, Mikalah Gordon in Conway, AR and Carly Smithson in San Diego, CA Performance: The Top 13 do a version of "So What" by Pink. It's a typical group sing train wreck with horrible choreography but it's nice to see Alexis and Jorge. Performance: David Cook, "Permanent." It starts out as a piano ballad and blossoms into a power ballad. Good vocal, great song. Afterward Cook and Ryan chat about his late brother, how this song will be available to benefit his cancer charity, and how Cook thinks with Adam and Kris as choices America can't get this wrong. Ugh, the show is reprising its "Golden Idol" awards for the delusional people from the auditions. Among the "winners" is Nick Mitchell aka Norman Gentle. He wins the Outstanding Male award for pretending to give an acceptance speech and then busting into his "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going." Performance: Lil Rounds and Queen Latifah, "Cue the Rain" It's an uptempo r&b number that will be Latifah's next single from her forthcoming album. Lil looks great rocking a long wig. The always fierce Latifah looks as good as she can in an unforgiving jumpsuit. Performance: Jazon Mraz, Alexis Grace, Anoop Desai, "I'm Yours." The trio bounces harmoniously through this happy trifle and the Top 13 flank them with a little choir-style back-up. Video Package: We get a recap of Kris' "journey." Performance: Keith Urban and Kris Allen, "Kiss a Girl." Cute boys singing a cute song about kissing girls. Hee. Performance: The ladies of the Top 13, "Glamorous" by Fergie. They do a bit of it and then Fergs herself comes out and does a bit of "Big Girls Don't Cry" and the rest of the Black Eyed Peas come out for "Boom Boom Pow." More "Golden Idol" awards. Best Attitude goes to Katrina Darrell aka Bikini Girl- she's gotten a boob job- and does a bit of "Vision of Love" by Mariah Carey. And the best thing that has happened all season: Kara Dioguardi arrives to show up Bikini Girl just like she did in her audition by singing circles around her and then ripping open her dress and showing off that her body ain't so bad either. Ryan says they bet her that she wouldn't do that and since she did, they'll donate money to her favorite charity. Performance: Allison Iraheta (the last girl standing this season) and Cyndi Lauper, "Time After Time." It starts off sweet and tender and takes a bizarre left turn into odd scatting. Performance: Danny Gokey, "Hello" by Lionel Richie. Lionel arrives and he and Gokey do Lionel's new Caribbean-themed single "Just Go" and then launch into "All Night Long." Video Package: We see Adam's "journey." Performance: Adam Lambert, "Beth" by Kiss. He's wearing some insane costume with arachnid-like skeletal shoulders like something out of "Mad Max," it's amazingly awesome. And then in the best thing that has happened all season really KISS (!) arrives and they all do a deliciously over-the-top medley of "Detroit Rock City" and "Rock 'n Roll All Nite" complete with pyrotechnics and flames. Good, awful times. Performance: Carlos Santana, "Black Magic Woman" ...and then Matt Giraud jumps in...and then the whole gang joins for "Smooth" with Adam, Kris, Matt, and Gokey taking the lead. Yikes. Ford Commercial: "I Will Remember You" - it's a montage of previous commercials as Adam and Kris earnestly sing. David Cook hands keys over to a surprised Kris and Adam to their brand-new Ford Fusion hybrids. Performance: Steve Martin, Megan Joy, Michael Sarver do a version of the bluegrass tune "Pretty Flowers" written by Martin and appears in his new album "The Crow". Performance: The boys of the Top 13 do "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy" by Rod Stewart. All in natty black suits executing the truly awful choreography. Rod Stewart arrives to do "Maggie May" ...slowly. The final "Golden Idol" for Outstanding Female goes to Tatiana Nicole Del Toro. Her video package highlights her giddy and weepy moments, all the time asserting that she is a "damn, good vocalist." When Seacrest tells her to remain in her seat as the show is running late, she evades stage security who pretend to chase her, but she manages to grab her award and sing "Savng All My Love" for the fourth time this season. Oy. Performance: Adam and Kris do "We Are the Champions" by Queen. Queen actually arrives to help out as do a real choir and the rest of the Top 13. The Winner Is: Kris Allen. Even he can't believe it, he says it feels good but that Adam deserves this. He sings the utterly chiched "No Boundaries" and the confetti comes down.
- 2002– TV-PG7.3 (64)TV Episode"American Idol" - First Results Show - March 3, 2011 Ryan informs us we are live and tonight will have the largest cut ever made at this point in the season. He also says 40 million votes came in. The top 24 is introduced alphabetically, from Casey Abrams to Julie Zorrilla. Ryan reminds us that after the top 10 is picked by America, the judges will have some of the folks who are cut sing again to compete for one of the wild card spots. Ryan starts with the guys and intros the video recap of Tuesday's performance show. Ryan banters with the guys and then intros a video recap of behind the scenes guy outtakes/bloopers and confessionals. Finally he brings up the teenagers Scotty and Robbie. Scotty is in, Robbie is out for now. Ryan reminds the boo-birds that he might have a wild card spot. He calls up Clint, Jordan, and Jovany next. Clint and Jordan are out, as is Jovany but Ryan waits to tell him after he sends the other two away. Annoying. Now Ryan throws to a video recap of ladies night. Now he chats with the ladies about how hard this is. Now we get the behind-the-scenes video stuff. He calls up Pia and Lauren A. They're both in and join Scotty on the couch of glory. Up next Ta-Tynisa and Julie. They're both out. Kendra, Ashton, and Karen hit center stage. Ashton and Kendra are out and Karen is in. Ryan calls up Tim, Casey, and Jacob. Casey and Jacob are in. Tim is out. Next is Naima, Thia, and Lauren T. Naima and Lauren are out. Thia is in. Up next Brett and Paul. Brett is out and Paul is in. And then Hailey and Rachel. Hailey is in. Rachel is out. And finally we're on to Stefano and James. And James is the winner of the final slot in the public vote. Now it's time for the wild card sing offs. Six aspirants, three girls and three guys will get to sing. Ashton is up first and sings "And I'm Telling You, I'm Not Going" from "Dreamgirls." It's full of attitude and sounds pretty good. It's not a knockout punch though. Steven thought she brought it like she brought it before. Jennifer felt her passion. Randy still loves the attitude. Stefano gets the next shot and sings "I Need You Now," by Smokie Norful and it sounds pretty great. Randy loves Smokie Norful and loved that he picked that song. Jennifer says he came through and there's no way to not get it right or wrong with these kids. Steven says he brought it again and gilded his lily with passion. Kendra is next and sings "Georgia On My Mind." She starts in a low, sultry place and then belts out the chorus and ends with a nice growl. Randy thinks she rocked out. Only time for one judge now since they're running long. Jovany gets another shot and sings "Angel," Jon Secada. He sings in Spanish and English and really goes for it. Jennifer says he did the best he could do. Naima gets the final shot for the girls. First Ryan brings the other girls-- Lauren T, Ta-Tynisa, Julie, and Rachel-- down for a goodbye first. Naima sings "For All We Know," by Donny Hathaway. Her nerves are pretty raw but she does pretty well but cries at the end. Steven says she came from way deep down inside again and brought it to him. And Robbie gets the last potential spot for the guys. Ryan brings the others- Clint, Brett, Tim, and Jordan-- down for their goodbye. He sings "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word," Elton John. It's a huge improvement over his take on "Angel" on Tuesday. Randy says it was very nice and tender and says the Robbie he fell in love with is back. Randy says this is the toughest night ever. Ryan brings all the wild card contenders to the stage. The judges confer during the break and when we return they make the kids wait and show JLo's new video for "On the Floor." And then another break. The wild card picks are: Ashton, Naima,and Stefano The Top 13 Naima Adedapo, Lauren Alaina, Casey Abrams, James Durbin, Ashton Jones, Stefano Langone, Jacob Lusk, Scotty McCreery, Paul McDonald, Thia Megia, Haley Reinhart, Karen Rodriguez, Pia Toscano,
- All Star Round - Solos, Part 1
- Prince Special.
- Bobby Bones mentors the three finalists, Caleb Lee Hutchinson, Gabby Barrett, and Maddie Poppe.
- The winner of the talent contest is named, as decided by popular vote.
- Celebrity mentor Rebel Wilson joins the contestants at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, Calif., where they prepare to perform fan-favorite Disney songs.
- 2002– 1h 25mTV-PG7.2 (32)TV EpisodeEach contestant performs one inspirationally powerful song with the help of Lauren Daigle, then take on a song performed at the famed Woodstock music festival in 1969; Gabby Barrett performs.
- 2002– 1h 23mTV-PG7.1 (30)TV EpisodeA deeper look into the lives of the top 21 contestants, featuring never-before-seen performances.
- Hopefuls perform for the judges in four cities.
- "American Idol" - Final Two Performance Show - May 19, 2009 Theme: Three songs each: Contestant's choice of a favorite from the season; producer Simon Fuller's choice; the song co-written by Kara which will be the first single. Contestant #1: Adam Lambert Song: "Mad World," Tears for Fears Performance: Adam reprises his season favorite and this time he gets a stage full of dry ice and the staircase to work with. He sounds lovely and understated and it is very dramatic and windswept. Randy: Gives him an A plus Simon: Says it was all a little too "Phantom of the Opera" for him. Contestant #2: Kris Allen Song: "Ain't No Sunshine," Bill Withers Performance: Kris' season favorite is very quiet and earnest. And then the band kicks in. He acquits himself nicely, emotional but not overwrought. (I would've voted for "Falling Slowly"). He gets a big ovation. Randy: Calls it one of his best performances ever. Kara: Agrees and says if you can't feel a Kris Allen performance there's something wrong with you. Paula: Thinks he awakens the spirit in all of us by "Allen"-izing his songs. Simon: He's honest that he wasn't sure America made the right choice when his name was called last week but he takes it back now after that performance. He calls round one for Kris. Adam Performance #2 Song: "A Change is Gonna Come," Sam Cooke Performance: He looks good in his suit and he sounds fine but something about the song choice - not his I know, I know- just doesn't fit right, it's like he's impersonating someone's old southern grandma. Until he wails. Wails on key of course, but good God almighty, it's like taking the juke joint to the Steel Dragon show. It's fine but again, totally overbaked. Randy: Thinks he can sing his face off and that it was unbelievable. Kara: Thinks it may be his best performance and interpretation yet. Paula: It was the best she's ever heard him sing. She thinks he's going to be iconic. Simon: Says he's 100 percent back in the game. Kris Performance #2 Song: "What's Goin' On," Marvin Gaye Performance: He starts out solo acoustic and then the small band - percussion, bass- around him kicks in gently. It's earnest but not revelatory. Randy: Calls it a real live dual competition. His only thing was that it was a little lite for this point in the competition. Kara: Loves that he's been true to himself and that Simon picked a socially conscious song for him. Paula: She thinks he tore the song up and made (a dead) Marvin Gaye proud Simon: He thought it was like three friends in their bedroom strumming along with Marvin and not substantial enough given the night's gravity. He calls round two for Adam. Adam Performance #3 Song:"No Boundaries" Performance: It's a ballad, of course, that builds slowly. The back-up singers sound out of tune and they might be throwing him off. He's very emphatic and working his on the verge of tears face. The song is mediocre and it's all about climbing mountains and digging deep within yourself etc. It's fine but definitely short of special and the song is part of the problem. (It's worth a reminder that Kara really has written or co-written some terrific, catchy pop songs including Christina Aguilera's "Ain't No Other Man," Kelly Clarkson's "Walk Away," and Pink's "Sober"). Randy: Reiterates he could sing the phone book but that was just alright for him and a little pitchy in spots. Kara: Speaks on behalf of her co-writers Cathy Dennis and Mitch Allen that it's amazing when someone with his level of talent sings a song they've written. She's moved and proud and thanks him for giving her that moment. He tells her he digs the song. Paula: She says she can't express what he's brought to the show and she'll be a fan forever. (She's forever his girl.) Simon: He says he's not going to judge the song but Adam and says over the entire season he's been one of the best, most original on the show ever. He says the point of the show is to find a worldwide star and he genuinely believes they've found that with him and he congratulates him. Ryan asks if he got the job done. Adam thinks he did and enjoyed his songs. Kris Performance #3 Song: "No Boundaries" Performance: It starts a little low for him and the arrangement seems a little faster and less contemporary in terms of the rhythm track. But as it builds to the chorus he makes it work for him in the higher register. His puppy dog earnestness works better for this song than the mournful tearfulness of Adam. Although the speed of the middle bit seems to get away from him and his breath control. He recovers well and the shouty part of his voice works well on this kind of song. Randy: Says he should be very proud of himself since he was an amazing competitor even though the key was probably not quite right. He thinks the song fit his voice better than Adam's. Kara: Doesn't want him to be judged on that song since the key was problematic but on the fact that he's been such a compelling artist all season. Paula: She tells him to take it in and be proud and that this has been one of the most compelling final showdowns ever. She wishes him the best of luck. Simon: Thinks his highlight was the first song he sang but watching him tonight has been incredible since he came so far from the audition. He sees the pride on his parents' faces and he says he deserves it and his spot on the stage. Performance: "Home Sweet Home," Carrie Underwood. Carrie sings the Motley Crue ballad over a montage of season highlights.
- The top three finalists perform and the winner is announced; scheduled performers include Lindsey Buckingham, Alessia Cara, Luke Combs, Sheryl Crow, Fall Out Boy, Mickey Guyton, Chaka Khan, Leona Lewis and Macklemore.
- Never-before-seen footage of this season's finalists; a deeper look at the journeys from hometown to Hollywood.
- The winner is announced; scheduled performers include Adam Lambert, Carrie Underwood, Daddy Yankee, Dan + Shay, Jon Pardi, Kane Brown, Kool and the Gang, Luke Bryan, Montell Jordan, Shayy and Weezer.
- "American Idol" - Top Three Performance Show - May 12, 2009 Theme: Judges' Choice/Personal Choice In the audience: "Lie to Me" co-star Kelli Williams; Jillian Barberie; Nigel Lythgoe; Contestant #1: Danny Gokey Song: "Dance Little Sister," Terence Trent D'arby (Paula picked it because Danny has a similar magical quality to his voice.) Performance: It's a funky uptempo soul number that pushes Danny's voice to the limit. Danny does a call and response scat with the sax player. It's animated and rocking. It's fine. Randy: Says let the games begin, liked it, thought it was dope. Kara: Liked that Paula kept him in his money spot but she didn't like the gyrating dance moves. Paula: As a choreographer thinks he did really good and is glad he let the magic part of his voice come out. Simon: Reminds them it's a singing show not that "funny little dancing show next door." He agrees the dancing was "desperate" but that vocally it was very good but didn't like the sax solo. He thought it TTD was a good choice but wished Paula had picked a better song like "Sign Your Name." Contestant #2: Kris Allen Song: "Apologize," OneRepublic (Chosen by Kara and Randy who chose it for its big range and dark melodic line.) Performance: Kris sits at the piano and starts off softly vocally against a big rhythm track. He hits the falsetto of the chorus without a problem, the arrangement is threatening to overwhelm him though. It's gentle, then emphatic, then gentle -- his specialty. Randy: Thinks he could have a song like this in the future and thinks it was nice. Kara: Thinks it was a really competent performance but at this stage he needs to be swinging it out of the park. She wanted him to make it more his own and hopes he does that with his next song. Paula: Liked the song choice, is proud of him even though he hit a loud bum note. Simon: Wonders how Paula can say he hit a bum note and then is proud, this doesn't make sense to him. And he takes Kara to task for choosing a song for Kris and then blaming him for singing it as is. She fires back that he's got no business talking to her about interpreting songs since he's never interpreted a song in his life. Simon goes on to say it was a competent version of the original but not quite as good. He says Randy and Kara should've worked out the arrangement, which is what he did for Adam apparently. Not much advice for Kris but plenty of criticism for Randy and Kara. Contestant #3: Adam Lambert Song: "One," U2 (Simon's choice since it's one of his favorite songs in the world, he got a call from Bono saying it would be their pleasure to have Adam sing it. Show off.) Performance: Adam starts it as a gentle, slightly quivery piano and voice ballad. It starts to build when he skips to the bridge and quickly goes into full-blown diva mode. As usual it is totally vocally impressive and unnecessarily overwrought. Randy: Thinks he's still in the zone and is very hot, didn't love that he went off the melody a bit but ultimately he's very talented. Kara: Thinks he's an amazing strategist and loved that he changed up the melody and instrumentation. Paula: Her life is miserable because Simon is gloating but thought it was brilliant and that she's staring at the "American Idol." Simon: Although he admits it's biased he calls it a great song choice. Kidding aside you put together great artist, great song, and a great arrangement and you get a great performance. He says if Adam's not in the final next week it will be one of the biggest upsets ever. Video Package:Ryan gives us an "Idol Gives Back" update. They've raised $140 million dollars. And we see a clip of Carrie Underwood going to Angola to work on the fight against malaria. Contestant #1-Song 2: Danny Gokey Song:"You Are So Beautiful," Joe Cocker. He picked it because it gave him some good ideas arrangement-wise. Performance: He starts off gently, sitting on a stool with musicians - acoustic guitar and strings- grouped around him. It's very tender and quiet. The band slowly comes in on the second verse and he starts to push it vocally, testifying gospel-style a bit and going intense with the melisma and long-notes. It's probably his best pure vocal to date. Randy: Gives a shout out to the late great Billy Preston who wrote the song tells Danny he's here because he can really, really sing and he loves his mad vocals. Kara: Says everything he didn't do in the first performance, he just did and thought it was stunning. Paula: Says he left all of them breathless and he infused his own thing into it. Simon: Loved the song but not the arrangement but thought it was a vocal master class. Contestant #2-Song 2:Kris Allen Song: "Heartless," Kanye West. Kris says it was an easy choice and it's fun. Performance: He does it with just voice and acoustic guitar and puts a little more emotional quiver into it. He puts a nice melodic structure on Kanye's rapped verses and a little more funk than he would normally show into the other bits. And, bonus, no Auto-Tune. Nice. Kanye will no doubt love it. Randy: Says this is going to be one of the toughest voting nights of the whole year, he likes it better than the Fray's version and Kanye's version. Thinks he's in it to win it and loves it. Kara: Wonders why he didn't do that with "Apologize." Calls it bold, brave, fearless, and perfect Paula: She calls him brave for singing a song about Simon. She says this keeps him relevant and gives him a "Bravo!" Simon: Had written him off after the first lame song choice and that has all changed after that performance. Contestant #3- Song 2:Adam Lambert Song: "Cryin'," Aerosmith. He picked it because it's brilliant as is and he wants to do Steven Tyler proud. Performance: He does it pretty straight as promised, the back-up singers are a little too loud. It's confident, assured, and dramatic. It's actually not his most amazing performance ever but reliably good. Randy: Says he's one of the best they've ever had on this stage. He thinks he should be a rock star because that's who he is. Kara: She wonders how he hits those notes and talk the next day. (He says it's tough). She says we'll see you at the finals. Paula: Says if Steven Tyler was the mentor he wouldn't have anything to say. He sets the bar so high she hopes he's getting frequent flyer miles. She also says see you next week. Simon: Wants people to vote for him because he's earned it, not assume he's going to get in.
- The top 12 perform their favorite Billboard hits live from Hollywood; two Idol journeys come to an end as the top 10 is solidified.
- The winner is crowned in the Season 1 finale. (Reality).
- 2002– 1h 23mTV-PG6.9 (30)TV EpisodeA deeper look into the lives of the top 21 contestants, featuring never-before-seen performances; America's votes are revealed as the top 21 is cut down to 20.
- Hopefuls perform for the judges in three cities.
- "American Idol" - Top Nine Performance Show - April 6, 2011 Ryan tells us that Gwen Stefani styled the contestants and will.i.am helped coach them. Theme: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame In the audience: Christian Slater; Todd Rundgren Video Package: We get a history on the Hall narrated by Hall of Famer himself Steven Tyler. Contestant: Jacob Lusk Song: "Man in the Mirror," Michael Jackson, which he switched from "Let's Get it On," Marvin Gaye. He claims if he's in the bottom three it won't be because he sang the song badly but because people weren't ready to look in the mirror. Performance: It's gentle and straightforward with a couple of pitchy moments at the beginning. He does a little back and forth with a back-up singer who looks like Siedah Garrett. He takes it a little higher on the chorus but never gets really get crazy on it. Steven: Calls Garrett back out for a curtain call as the co-writer of the song. Says each time he sings he brings another piece of himself to the party and calls it beautiful. Twice. JLo: Says he makes everybody know that if you believe in yourself you can do anything. Calls it perfect on every emotional level. Randy: Loves that he switched songs over his moral convictions and the deeper message of the song and he's also proud that there were "Jacob moments" all over it and calls it hot. Contestant: Haley Reinhart Song: "Piece of My Heart," Janis Joplin. She says the judges have been throwing the name around all season. Will says she sounds like an artist not a singer but he wants her to feel something when she looks in the camera, to look at it as if it were he boyfriend that messed up her head. Performance: She's doing that rough up thing on her voice that sounds like it hurts. It sounds fine but feels affected but she hits a great, gritty last note. JLo: Says they're off to a strong start and she's showing people that she's a contender. Randy: Says what she did was what they wanted not so much Janis specifically but to get bluesy and gritty. Steven: Couldn't find nothing wrong with that. Says Janis gave the voice to rock and roll back in '68 and Haley did it again tonight. Contestant: Casey Abrams Song: "Have You Ever Seen the Rain," Credence Clearwater Revival. He was going to sing "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic" by the Police but Jimmy didn't like it. Performance: He plays his upright bass and does a fun, swinging, laid-back almost tropical version with charm and grit. Randy: Says he made CCR proud and that he's making the upright bass cool and calls it revolutionary. Steven: Thinks he should put some wheels on it and ride it around town. He calls him a true musician and he brings something every time. JLo: Says that's exactly where he belongs and she's paying top dollar to be in the front row. Contestant: Lauren Alaina Song: "(You Make Me Feel Like a) Natural Woman," Aretha Franklin. Jimmy and Will love that she's combining country and soul and tell her to be in the moment. Performance: It's all fine and good if a little stiff until the final third when she lets loose a little. Again she sounds fine but I'm not sure she's really "feeling" what it feels like to be made to feel like a natural woman. Steven: Says he loves her and says she came in a little girl and tonight she became natural woman. JLo: Agrees with the crowd that she's amazing. Randy: Says she picked one of the most difficult songs and he wasn't jumping up and down but she did a good job. Contestant: James Durbin Song:"While My Guitar Gently Weeps," The Beatles. He wants to do something unexpected and slow it down. Will respects the danger of it but says he has to make sure his energy is high as the other people who are doing rock songs. Performance: Seated with slanted mood lighting over his face he takes it slow and easy, hitting a few rough pitch patches. It's very Lambert-lite. He throws a big scream on the end that doesn't fit the song at all. He didn't butcher it but it was kind of boring. JLo: She liked to see that other side that makes the rock and roll thing work, she likes that he's vulnerable to share with them. Randy: Really loved seeing the real true emotional side of him, he liked that he wanted to take a chance. Steven: Loved that he gently wept as well and called it a proud moment for him as well. (He notes, oddly, "Not only did the Beatles write great songs but George Harrison did as well." Um, yeah, George Harrison was a Beatle.) Contestant: Scotty McCreery Song: "That's Alright Mama," Elvis Presley. Will tells him to combine country and rock as if this is some kind of news when an Elvis song. Scotty says he's going to switch it up this week. Performance: Ack, that weird microphone to the right thing is back. He sounds great, walks around a bit, scats, and gets a bit gritty. He's having fun which is nice to see. They then let a bunch of girls run onstage and hug him, screaming. Randy: Says Scotty is in it to win it. Says anybody who thinks he's a one-trick pony is wrong, liked that he was having fun. Steven: He thought he was all hat and no cattle but Scotty made it cool and he hopes Scotty brings that kind of music back into vogue. JLo: Also loves that he was having fun, being funny, and bringing a little flavor to it. Contestant: Pia Toscano Song: "River Deep, Mountain High," Tina Turner. Will and Jimmy worry about Pia being compared to Tina and want her to turn on her personality and wow people. She says she can't wait to show that other side of her. Performance: She sounds great, is rocking a cute ponytail, a bizarre polka dot jumper. Honestly, it feels like a ballad peformance in an uptempo wrapper since she's not really moving too much. (That could be the shoes). But she sounds terrific and the song has momentum of its own. Steven: Calls her a murderer because she killed it. Says there's a million guys in a million bars having a million drinks over her. JLo: Calls it amazing and calls her special, and wants her now to study great performances so she can become more amazing as a performer. Randy: Says she showed that she could definitely do the uptempo thing and now she does need to work on the performance. Contestant: Stefano Langone Song:"When a Man Loves a Woman," Percy Sledge. Will gives him some tips on performance and building anticipation. Ryan Tedder tells he can own the song or be owned by it. Stefano thinks it's going to be a big week for him. Performance: He starts seated and a feathery falsetto. For the first time he seems more connected to the words as opposed to just the notes. He has a couple of nice quick runs and has a decent sense of dynamics. This may be his best performance. JLo: She says she knew he had it in him and calls it beautiful and that she loved it and says she felt it had another layer of emotion. Randy: Wasn't jumping up and down because the start was a little jerky. Steven: Like the old-timey part in the beginning and liked that he played with it, liked the passion and thought he nailed it. Contestant:Paul McDonald Song:"Folsom Prison Blues," Johnny Cash. Jimmy tells him to sing it like he's out of his mind. He vows to sing it like he's crazy. Performance: He seems less crazy but just really really cheerful even when he's talking about wanting to stay in prison. It's a good, strong vocal though and he's very engaged and energetic yelling at the crowd to make some noise. Randy: Has three words: "I loved it." Steven: Also loved it. JLo: Thought it was a perfect way to end the show. Right in his lane. Bottom Three Prediction: Haley, Jacob, Stefano
- "American Idol" - Auditions #1-Savannah - Jan. 18, 2012 And, we're back. The eleventh season kicks off with auditions in Savannah, GA. We start with a look back at Kelly's big moment way back in the day interspersed with current auditioners watching the show as kids and home video of them singing and then watching them walk into the audition room and talk about how they've been waiting their whole lives for this moment. Then there's a lot of Ryan talking about "Idol" and how it's the biggest platform for star-making. We also hear that the auditioners will be telling their stories from their point of view as well, via home video of their "journeys." Then there's a montage of the many yes's that are to come. And now... a montage of some contestants preparing for/driving to the auditions. First up is a very youthful looking 17-year-old named David Leathers, Jr. who claims to be a ladies man. He's very confident. It turns out that he once competed against Scotty McCreery in a local singing competition and won. He sings "Remember the Rain" by Century 21. He's pretty good and they ask if he can sing a Michael Jackson. He busts out "Never Can Say Goodbye," which is even better. He's going to Hollywood. We're told 9,000 people showed up to the cattle call. Next up is Gabi Carrubba a singer and tap dancer. We get video of her dancing as a baby. She points out that when Steven likes someone he makes a certain, Zen-like peaceful face and she's hoping to see that. We get a montage of Steven making the face. When she walks in she first hugs producer Nigel Lythgoe who is sitting off camera. She loves him on "So You Think You Can Dance." She sings "Sunday Morning" by Maroon 5, they all really like her. She's going to Hollywood. Steven makes "the face" We then get a montage of yes's to Brianna Faulk, Neco Starr, Molly Hunt, and Elise Testone. Randy, Steven, and JLo are loving how good everyone is on the first day. Next up is Jessica Whitely who says singing is all she ever thinks about so of course, she's terrible. They are all speechless until Randy says it was awful and that this is not her groove. She says she'll see them in Texas, for that audition. We get a montage of people acting like Ryan Seacrest. It culminates in him doing an actual impersonation in front of Ryan and other contestants and the other judges, who love his impression. His name is Shawn Kraisman and of course, he's not very good. Next is Shannon Magrane who is 15 and sporty and the daughter of a former major league pitcher. We get to meet the whole family. She then sings right there in the middle of her family. She does an Etta James song and her mother mouths it right along behind her. The judges start clapping along. She's pretty good for 15. She's going to Hollywood. We get a montage of the awful and delusional. Then we meet Amy Brumfield who lives in a tent in the woods because she's struggling economically. She's not amazing but they decide to be nice and give her a trip to Hollywood. Which, just guessing, will be as far as she goes. Next up is Joshua Chavis, whose biggest dream is to sing the national anthem at a Nascar race. He is overconfident and therefore not very good. He melts down on the way out, flipping off the camera. Then we meet 15-year-old Stephanie Renae who has wanted to do this since she was 8. We watch her on her way to the auditions. She's got good power and stamina but she's a little shrill and sharp.They tell her that she's good but she needs vocal lessons. Randy says no but JLo and Steven say yes. She's going to Hollywood. Schyler Dixon auditioned with her brother last year but is going it alone this year. She's nervous without him. The judges force her to bring in her brother Colton. She sings "Breakeven" by the Script. She is good, much better than the last girl. They make Colton sing even though he's not technically auditioning. She is not happy with this turn of events clearly. The judges tell her she's grown and that he has grown even more. The judges want them both. They're both going to Hollywood. She does not seem happy about this. We get a montage of the teary rejects. Next up is Lauren Mink who works with adults with intellectual disabilities. Of course we go to her job with her and meet some of her clients. She, inexplicably, sings "Country Strong" and she's pretty good. She gave JLo goosebumps. She's going to Hollywood. Day 2 brings us montages of people dancing and complaining about the heat. We meet Mawuena Kodjo, who came all the from Africa. There are weird and mildly offensive subtitles to compensate for his accent. He says he's going to blow them away. He sings a Rascal Flatts song. It is awful. They openly laugh at him. They tell him that he was off key and all over the place and Randy says it was terrible. Mawuena says he's good. Randy tells him to go sing for strangers and prove him wrong. So Ryan brings him out to sing for people and convince them to change his mind. The only ones he can find are some children, whos father/grandfather/guardian who asks if he's a runner. Oy. Mawuena leaves saying he's going to be the first African country music star. Next is Ashlee Altise who comes on like a classic "Idol" trainwreck-- overconfident, badly dressed, possessed of her own dance-- but she's better than expected on the Beatles "Come Together." We get another montages of no's. Then there's country singer W.T.Thompson, who is just not quite good enough on on Little Big Town's "Boondocks." Steven says no, JLo says yes-- he's got a baby on the way-- and Randy says yes. He fakes out his family pretending he got a no. We get a montage of women talking about how hot Steven is, some of whom he hugs, kisses on the mouth, and dances with. We meet happy, laughy Erica Nowak from Buffalo who just loves Steven.She hugs him and grabs his butt. He tells her she better sing good. She has train wreck vibe but she's not a train wreck she's just not great on Joss Stone's "Super Duper Love." She gets a hug from Randy before she goes. She grabs his ass too. Next is NBA dancer Brittany Kerr who sings "Spoiled" by Joss Stone. (What's up with all the Joss Stone?) It's fine, soundalikey.Randy and Steven are obviously smitten, they both say yes. It seems like JLo says no just 'cuz the boys like her. (Later she's overheard saying she thought she was good but that her voice wasn't "strong" enough. (I believe the pot is now on the line with a message for J.Lo). The final contestant is Phillip Phillips who works at his dad's pawn shop, which we visit of course.We also meet his dad Phillip Phillips, Sr. He brings in his guitar. His mother tells Ryan how handsome he is. PP sings Stevie Wonder's "Superstition." It is growly, overemotive,twitchy, and push his voice too hard. And of course they love it. They ask him to grab his guitar. He plays an acoustic version of "Thriller." He's got a very Dave Matthews vibe about him. He's going to Hollywood. 42 singers made it through.
- "American Idol' - Top 4 Results Show- May 10, 2012 Ryan reminds us that the contestants really want to make this cut because it means a hometown visit. Group Sing: The final four sing "California Dreamin'' by the Mamas and the Papas. Video Package: We get a behind-the-scenes look/advertisement for the Ford commercial. Yes, it's a commercial for a commercial. Ford Commercial: The contestants sing "Feeling So Good" by Jennifer Lopez and drive around, each breathing on the windows and drawing little pictures in the condensation. Results: Phillip Phillips. Jimmy Sez: He was confused by Phillip's lack of guitar playing and addition of a saxophone to the Creedence song but confused in a good way since it indicated Phillip is finding himself. He thinks he delivered on the promise of all season on the Damien Rice. He thought all the elements were magnificent. Ryan says after 70 million votes... Phillip will find out what happens in a little while since they'll be "building the top 3" tonight. Hollie Cavanagh. Jimmy Sez: On the Journey song he thought her over-the-top style was perfect for the song. He thought the Bonnie Raitt song crashed and burned and that she didn't really understand what the song was about. Again Ryan says the actual results will wait. Performance: David Cook performs his song "The Last Song I'll Write For You." He looks good, natty in a suit and sounds just fine. The song's kind of a dud though, slow, middle of the road. Results: Joshua Ledet. Jimmy Sez: He didn't like the gospel-ization of the Josh Groban song. He likes when he sings gospel just not that song. He loved the James Brown song calling it a piece of magic. He says he's seen Prince and Bruce Springsteen do that kind of thing but never on "Idol." He wonders how they'll find a song as good as that for his album. Jessica Sanchez. Jimmy Sez:He thought the Etta James song sounded good but was more of an impersonation and he compares her growl to a trick and that everyone knows the rabbit is going to come out of the hat. He says he'll encourage her to keep the rabbit more in the hat on her record. He thinks the "Dreamgirls" song was flawless and says it was shock and awe and that Tommy Mottola emailed him to say he was impressed. He adds that last year he knew Scotty was going to win the whole thing but this year could go to anyone. Performance: Jennifer Lopez "sings" her hit "Dance Again." There are pyrotechnics and dancers and guys poundign drums and JLo writhing. Ryan fills time talking with the judges about the top 4. Then he begins: Jessica is safe. Joshua is safe. Phillip is safe. Going Home: Hollie She sings herself out with "The Climb."
- "American Idol" - Final Two Performance - May 22, 2012 Phillip Phillips and Jessica Sanchez face off. They'll each sing three songs, one is producer Simon Fuller's choice, one is their favorite song from the season, and finally the song that will be their potential first single. Contestant: Jessica Sanchez Song: "I Have Nothing," Whitney Houston Performance: It's a big diva-licious ballad that isn't particularly exciting but is sung very well, controlled and tuneful, especially the high notes at the end. Apparently, there is no judging tonight. Contestant: Phillip Phillips Song: "Stand By Me," Ben E. King Performance: This is a very odd choice for Phillip by Fuller. He, of course, slows it down and twists the melody until it sounds like most of his other performances. Guest Performance: Jason DeRulo sings the song that the fans helped write "Undefeated." Contestant: Jessica Song: "Prayer," Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli Performance: She's going all in on the diva trip tonight and again does a good job. The song is a snoozefest but again she sounds good and the high notes at the end are quite good. Contestant: Phillip Phillips Song: "Movin' Out," Billy Joel Performance: I'm surrprised he didn't pick the Damien Rice song. He does a better job on this than he actually did on Billy Joel night, he's got more energy and it's not quite as menacing and more playful. Contestant: Jessica Song: "Change Nothing" Performance: Flanked by a large string section and seated on the piano, she sings... a big piano ballad. It starts a little low in her range but works it way up to her power voice. The song isn't doing her any favors either in terms of range or quality. She has pitch issues from the first pre-chorus and then intermittently to the end. Judging: Randy says he didn't like the song but he liked that she made more of it then it was and she needs to record tunes with swagger. JLo agrees and says she wouldn't choose that song as her first single but says she tried to bring herself to it and says when she goes to make records to stand up for herself. Steven agrees and ends by saying "yeah, baby." Contestant: Phillip Song: "Home" Performance: It's a jaunty acoustic roots pop tune. Phillip looks wan but like he's trying to push through. It's got a Mumford & Sons-ish vibe as it builds which suits him much better than Jessica's song did her and sounds like it could actually be on the radio right now. A drum corps enters and beefs up the beat. He gets a standing ovation from the judges. Judging: Randy loves the song, Phillip, the production, marching band, and says it was his best performance of the night, calls it Mumford and Sons-ish, and says it's brilliant. JLo says it was him and he sounds like nothing else on the radio. Steven says he was perfect and recalled a little Paul Simon and he thinks Phillip is the man. Prediction: Um, yeah, Phillip's got this. Performance: The reigning "Idol" sings his goodbye song "Please Remember Me" over video recapping the entire season.
- Hopefuls audition in New York, Los Angeles, and Nashville, Tenn.
- 2002– 42mTV-PG6.6 (51)TV Episode"American Idol" - Two Contestants Eliminated - April 22, 2009 Ryan says 45 million votes came in, the most of the season. Video Package: Paula choreographs the group sing. Group Sing: Disco Medley: "Shake Your Body Down to the Ground." We're back to lip-synching. Ford Commercial: "I'm Good, I'm Gone." The Idols are baking, washing dogs, and working on construction sites for some reason. Results: Lil is going home, no stopping at the stools of doom. She reprises "I'm Every Woman." The judges bid her a sweet adieu and say nice things to her. Performance: Disco Medley: Freda Payne, "Band of Gold"; Thelma Houston, "Don't Leave Me This Way"; K.C. and the Sunshine Band, "Get Down Tonight" Results: Anoop and Allison are the other 2/3 of the bottom three. Performance: David Archuleta, "Touch My Hand" Midtempo dross that he sounds somewhat shaky singing. Archie tells Anoop and Allison that it's not over no matter what. Going Home:Anoop
- "American Idol" - Finale - May 26, 2010 Ryan announces that there was a less than two percent difference in votes between Crystal and Lee. Group Sing The top twelve sings "School's Out" by Alice Cooper with Alice Cooper and Orianthi. Performance Kris Allen sings "The Truth" Video Package The first tribute to Simon. Performance Siobhan Magnus and Aaron Kelly sing "How Deep is Your Love" by the Bee Gees and then the Bee Gees show up. Performance Michael Lynche and Michael McDonald of the Doobie Brothers sing that band's "Taking it to the Streets" Performance Dane Cook needles Simon in a song seemingly called "Simon Said," saying he has the honesty of Abe Lincoln and the charm of the man who shot him. A bunch of the people who took Simon's abuse including Bernardo and Tatianna come onstage and commandeer the microphone. Performance The top six ladies- Crystal, Paige, Didi, Siobhan, Lacey, and Katie- sing "Beautiful" and "Fighter"- by Christina Aguilera, who joins them onstage for the finale of "Fighter" and then sings her own new song.. Performance "You Lost Me," Christina Aguilera Ricky Gervais checks in via satellite to congratulate Simon on his success and poke fun at him. Performance"I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)"/"Maneater." The top six men- Lee, Casey, Andrew, Michael, Aaron, and Tim- tackle the Hall and Oates medley. Performance Then the men themselves, Daryl Hall and John Oates pop up to sing "You Make My Dreams" with the top six joining them at the end. We head back to Toledo where Crystal's fans have gathered to wave signs and scream. Performance Crystal performs "Ironic" by Alanis Morrissette and is then joined by the Canadian songbird herself for a run through some of "You Oughta Know." Performance Idol champ Carrie Underwood returns to sing her new single "Undo It." Video Package Kris Allen presents Lee and Crystal with their custom decorated Fords. Ford Commercial "My Wish," Crystal and Lee sing the uplifting tune over a montage of this season's Ford commercials with their fellow contestants. Performance "Every Rose Has Its Thorn," Casey James. And then, ailing rocker and "Celebrity Apprentice" winner Bret Michaels comes out to sing with him. Ryan announces that in addition to the already announced audition cities the show will also taking the contest online in conjunction with Myspace.. Performance Lee performs a medley of hits by Chicago with Chicago in honor of their shared hometown including "Does Anybody Really Know What Time it Is?," "If You Leave Me Now," and "25 or 6 to 4." We check in with Lee's screaming and sign-waving fans in Mt. Prospect, Illinois. Video Package We get a montage of clips in tribute to Simon Cowell the flirt. Performance "Pants on the Ground," Gen. Larry Platt and he's got some moves. William Hung shows up to help out as do a cadre of pants-dropping dancers. Video Package We get Paula Abdul reminiscing about her years working on "Idol" with Simon. Performance Paula emerges and shares a little mutual admiration with the judges and Ryan. She jokes that she and Simon had a baby. She needles him and pays tribute to him. Video Package A montage of clips of Simon throughout the years set to Frank Sinatra's "My Way." He gives thanks and says he's going to miss us. Performance All of the previous winners Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Carrie Underwood, Jordin Sparks, Taylor Hicks, Kris Allen to sing "Together We Are One." A whole host of previous contestants contestants to join the choir. Notably absent is David Cook. Ryan calls Simon up onstage. He gives a short speech giving heartfelt thanks. Performance The top 12 sing "Again" with Janet Jackson. She then sings her new ballad "Nothing (Trust in Me)." Then we get classic JJ with "Nasty" complete with a cadre of dancers. (None of whom is Paula Abdul, sadly). Video Package We get a montage of Lee and Crystal's "Idol" journeys. Performance Crystal and Lee sing Joe Cocker's version of "With a Little Help From My Friends." And then, yup, there's Joe Cocker. Winner Lee Dewyze
- 2002– 1h 25mTV-PG6.5 (23)TV EpisodeArtist FINNEAS mentors the finalists, who are grouped to perform two of his songs; the top four perform two additional songs each; FINNEAS performs with Ashe; the top three finalists are revealed.
- "American Idol" - "Auditions #2-New Orleans"- Jan. 20, 2011 New Orleans is the second audition city and we get lots of montages of stereotypical NOLA/southern stuff: Mardi Gras, the French Quarter, alligators, outtakes of Ryan from a previous season in NOLA being goofy. Jordan Dorsey a charming piano teacher from Louisiana, impresses the judges with his jazzy rendition of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and gets three yes's and gives JLo goosebumps. We get a couple of awful singers and arrive at Sarah Sellers who impresses Tyler with her mouth and her version of Bob Dylan's "To Make You Feel My Love" and is through to Hollywood. Going with the body parts theme Jovany Barreto is the next golden ticket winner based not only on his singing but his love for JLo, her husband Marc Anthony, and his "melodic sensibility" according to Tyler on the Luis MIguel song he sang. So excited to get his golden ticket Jovany takes off his shirt to show off his abs to JLo, and Randy and Tyler needlessly join him. Hoping to have an in with Randy Jacquelyn Dupree brings along his old football coach, to the audition. Her singing on "I'll Stand By You" was fine so the combination gets her through. "Bohemian Rhapsody" is a gutsy song to sing at an audition but Brett Loewenstern's version is enough to impress the judges, they also enjoy his well-conditioned hair and childhood tale of bullying. A geeky sorta Mick Jagger/Steven Tyler lookalike Gabriel Franks has none of the talent of those two famous men and his not totally tuneless take on Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" gets him the congenial boot. Montage of bad singers. Next up is Jacee Badeaux a cherubic, unassuming 15-year-old with a lovely voice who bowls the gang over with his sweet rendition of Otis Redding's "Dock of the Bay." The easiest golden ticket of the night. As is the show's custom, it ends with an up and close and personal story, this one of Paris Tassin, a single mom of a special needs child from New Orleans. JLo gets choked up as she sings Carrie Underwood's "Temporary Home." That's three yes's. All told 37 folks got the greenlight to Hollywood.
- "American Idol" - Hollywood Round No. 3 - Feb. 10, 2009 It's Day 4 and we're down to 72 and it's time for single performances with the band and back-up singers, and instruments of their own if the hopefuls so choose. We start with the end of the day as we see the hopefuls in a holding room, a montage of them performing, and the judges going over the Polaroids. We now flashback to the beginning of the day as the contestant awake, practice, and get their order numbers. Seacrest tells us the folks will sing but there will be no judges responses, each hopeful will have to wait until the end of the day. We meet contestant number one, spiky-haired Adam Lambert who has a background in musical theatre. Previously, Kara had told him that he was still too Broadway but Paula thought he was great. Adam says he wants to be on "Idol" so he can take songs we've heard a million times and put a unique twist on them. Simon likes this idea. He sings "Believe" by Cher. He does it as a slow piano ballad and sounds a lot like a woman. Not Cher, but a woman. A very strong, powerful, and vocally gifted woman. Next up, Matt Giraud who does "Georgia on My Mind" behind a piano. It's ambling and soulful if a little hammy. Paula and Randy and his fellow contestants give him a standing O. Next up, Jamar Rogers who does "Hey There Delilah" by Plain White T's, his quirky, soulful take on it is killing Kara. Good friend Danny watches supportively from the wings. Then it's Danny Gokey's turn. He sings "I Hope You Dance" by LeAnn Womack. Paula is squirming with joy. Simon smiles. He's got that nice rasp going. Next up, Anoop Desai who does "My Prerogative" which sounds good. Then Jorge Nunez who does "Closer" by Ne-Yo, pretty nice. Then the blind hopeful Scott McIntyre, who also sings behind his piano. He sings "Home" by Daughtry. Honestly? It's kind of pitchy. Paula gives him a standing O. Then Kendall Beard who does Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats," who sounds kind of shaky. Then Stevie Wright who does Colbie Caillat's "Bubbly," which sounds okay. Then Lil Rounds who sounds like she's killing Alicia Keys' "If I Ain't Got You." Next up, Kristin McNamara who was in that nightmare drama group with Nancy and Nathaniel. She does "Because of You," by Kelly Clarkson and she sounds great. Then Mishavonna Henson who does a sweet but pitchy version of what I think is a Michael Buble song. We see one group of 18 moved to a separate room. And then another 18. We get a journey through the really annoying Tatiana Del Toro's audition process. Then her final audition, Whitney Houston's "I'm Your Baby Tonight" which sounds good in parts but is mostly incredibly overdone. She floats away on a cloud of overconfidence. Then we get a quick run through of Alexis Grace doing "Before He Cheats," so-so. Kenny Hoffpauer, doing something jazzy, also so-so. Jasmine Murray who does "Tattoo" by Jordin Sparks. She was so great last time but this time she's a lot more shaky. She's in the second group room with Nathaniel Marshall so I'm guessing this group is one that doesn't make it. We see Nathaniel's dramatic audition process up to today, where he does "Disturbia" by Rihanna with the aid of an acoustic guitar. It's marginal. Then we go through the Joanna Pacitti audition process. She was the one with previous albums/"Annie" experience. She won't be making it most likely since her final audition ends in a heap of forgotten words to "If I Ain't Got You." As does Casey Carlson's version of "Tattoo." Then up next, Stephen Fowler who we see not worrying about lyrics during rehearsal the night before and then forgetting the words during the actual audition. He's given a chance to start again and messes up again, bangs his keyboard, and gets up and walks away. He gets sent to the same room with Tatiana, Joanna, Casey, Alexis, Nathaniel, etc. And then Tatiana is called out of that room. We move on to the next half of the contestants and see Tatiana walking through the hallway. Next up, Nick Mitchell aka Norman Gentle. For his final audition he sings "Georgia On my Mind" as Norman. It's miserable and not funny. Randy, inexplicably, loves it though. We see the judges finish making their decisions. In room 3 we see Lenesha Young and in room 4 Nick Mitchell. The ones in the Nick room are wondering if they are out. We get a montage of "I Hope You Dance"s including Annemarie Boskovich's which is not perfect. Then Ju'not Joyner who does a "neo-soul" take on "Hey There Delilah" that sounds nice. Tatiana now goes to room 4. Her arrival makes the folks in this room worry that for sure they're going home. We see the contestants wait and crack under the pressure. We see the auditions of room 3 waiters Kaylan Lloyd who does "If I Ain't Got You." She does pretty well but Simon ended her song. Even though he did it with a smile, she is still upset. And then Leneshe Young who does "Love Song" by Sara Bareilles. She sounds spunky, but doesn't show off much range. Over in Room 2 we meet Kai Kalama and see his mediocre, crackling audition on Stevie Wonder's "Part-Time Lover." And in that room also, roughneck Michael Sarver who does a pretty good take on O-Town's "All or Nothing" which has Kara singing along. Simon has to catch a flight, so the news will be broken by Randy, Paula, and Kara. They enter room two: the one with Nathaniel, Stephen, Joanna, Kai, Michael, Alexis, Casey, Jasmine, Michael and others. (So all the people we were shown forgetting lyrics by the way). Paula is practically on the verge of tears with how good they all were in the beginning. Randy talks about how "sporadic" the voices were. (I think he means erratic). Then Paula apologizes. And then Kara tells them they all made it through. Eek, so there's half our 36. The group in room 3 overhears this joyous outburst. We finally see India Morrison's solo audition which is a weird, insular version of "Disturbia." Obviously since they're "unveiling" the top 36 tomorrow night, this group doesn't make it. The judges enter and Randy tells them they didn't make it. This group includes Michael (younger brother of Jason) Castro (who I don't think I saw at all), India, Kaylan, and Leneshe who leaves in tears but with humility. The judges enter room 1 and they all made it through: this group includes Anoop, Scott, Danny and Jamar, Adam, Jorge, Kristin, Lil Rounds, and Jackie. The final room, room 4, realizes that it's probably over for them when they hear the screams of the second room. Tatiana starts freaking out as the judges try to deliver the news. Kara says she's only making it harder. Then one person flat out says "so this is a no, right?" And Paula says it's actually a yes. So this group includes: Tatiana- lord help us all- Anne Marie, Jackie, Cody, Matt, Ju'Not, and Nick Mitchell, (really?). (And I'm wondering how this is mathematically possible if there are four equal rooms of 18 if three rooms got yeses. And realize that the no room simply must have been bigger? But then, I'm ashamed to admit, I went back and did a freeze frame and counted and there weren't? Whatever.) A montage of those who made it hugging and crying and calling home and those who didn't crying and hugging. So of the 36 we know 24 for sure: Anoop, Danny, Jamar, Adam, Jorge, Kristin, Lil Rounds, Scott, Jackie, Nathaniel, Nick/Norman, Anne Marie, Jackie, Cody, Matt, Ju'Not, Stephen, Joanna, Kai, Michael, Alexis, Casey, Jasmine,Tatiana
- "American Idol" - Top 10 Finalists Perform - March 25, 2009 Ryan and the judges banter about last week and their hopes for tonight. Theme: Motown Video Package: We get a recap of Motown's venerable 50 year history. We get a look at the contestants' trip to Detroit where they meet with Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson and go to the Motown museum. Smokey returned as their mentor. Contestant #1: Matt Giraud Video: Matt was intimidated by Smokey. Smokey was impressed and thinks Marvin would've been too. Song: "Let's Get it On," Marvin Gaye Performance: He sits at the piano and takes it a slightly slower pace and stripped back. The band kicks in and he stands and sidles up to the front of the stage. He sounds good, hitting some good falsetto spots. He's very personable and it's a strong performance but not quite a mind-blower. Randy: Knows there are some other frontrunners but he thinks he worked his way up to the front with his falsetto. Kara: Thinks a lot of girls are out there saying "yeah." She liked that he came out of his shell a bit. Paula: Is glad he's comfortable behind and in front of the piano, she thought it was sexy and cool, and didn't think he overdid the riffing. Simon: Thought it was a brilliant song choice and cool performance and his voice suits the song. Agrees Matt's a frontrunner now. Contestant #2: Kris Allen Video: Kris was intimidated by Smokey. Smokey liked it, a lot. Song: "How Sweet it Is," Marvin Gaye Performance: He starts it off slow with one line and then kicks in with the band. It sounds more like James Taylor's version, very buoyant and breezy. It's charming and easy. He's rocking some weird, drab grey faux-military shirt that works against the sunny vibe of the song. Kara: She says he didn't do James Taylor or Marvin Gaye but himself. She praises his phrasing, rhythms, riffs, and dynamics. She says he did everything right. Paula: Thinks he picked a great song and that his personality is coming through and that technically it was perfect. Simon: Thought it was smart that he did his version of his song and that he's having a good competition he tells him he needs to have more swagger and arrogance though. Randy: Thinks he's hit the zone and it's all good. Contestant #3: Scott MacIntyre Ryan banters with Scott on the stools about the debate last week between Paula and Simon about Scott staying at the piano or risking going without it. He agrees with Simon and says he will take risks in other ways. Video: Scott wanted to do something new with the song. Smokey liked how he made it contemporary. Smokey is a fan of his on the show. Song:"You Can't Hurry Love," The Supremes Performance: He inexplicably slows down the beginning with a bit of chorus, apparently this is the new trick. The band kicks in and the tempo speeds up and it has a slight New Orleans vibe to the piano. It seems like it might be a little too fast for him. It's fine but kind of cruise ship lounge-y and boring. Paula: She thought he brought life to the performance by having the backing singers surround the piano. She liked the beginning. She thinks when he feels it the audience feels it. Simon: Was not impressed, parroting back the song's line about "how much more can I take." He didn't like the honky-tonk piano and the backing singers. He thought it was the wrong song. He thinks he's better than the performance was. He thinks he's picking the wrong songs. Randy: Agrees with Simon and thinks it was a hotel kind of performance and when others are coming into their own he's not. He thinks he's a better singer than the song, he thought it was very average. Kara: Disagrees and liked the song and was glad that he brought the uptempo but didn't like that he took liberties with the melody and didn't nail the riffs. Good ideas, poor execution. Scott says he was originally going to sing "Reach Out and Touch Somebody's Hand" and Simon and Randy think that would've been a better choice. Paula and Kara disagree pointing out that would've been yet another slow Scott song. Ryan asks Paula a question and Simon keeps interrupting, Paula goes under the table and hands Simon crayons and coloring book. Contestant #4: Megan Joy Video: Smokey thinks her half-jazz/half-cabaret voice is refreshing and is one of the most original the show has had. Megan is excited that Smokey likes it. Song: "For Once in My Life," Stevie Wonder Performance: The brass section is killing it. For some odd reason she's dressed like a Polynesian dancing girl. She moves, shimmies and walks awkwardly. She seems to be pushing the vocals really hard and although the notes are mostly okay - although there are some clunkers- they're very flinty and belty and obscuring the more quirky things about her voice. It's an odd performance. Randy: Says he's got mad love and likes the outfit but the song was a train wreck. He thinks the song was too fast to fit her vibrato-style, he thought it was rushed, hectic, and mad-crazy. Kara: Agrees and thinks that she should've done something like "My Guy" and that it was all over the place and it was weird. The song dominated her, not the other way around. Paula: Compliments her stunning beauty. But she agrees that it was the wrong song and she never found the pocket. Simon: The good news is she looks good the bad news it was horrible. And he says whoever is advising her should be fired: bad arrangement, vocals, bad song choice. He's worried she's in trouble now. She says she had fun and that her fans are still there and they should vote. Contestant #5: Anoop Desai Video: Smokey explains how he wrote the song. As he told everyone before him, he says Anoop to do it just the way he did it. Song: "Ooh Baby Baby," Smokey Robinson Performance: Starts seated and is sort of working a varsity letterman serenade vibe. He gives good plead and sigh and is mostly nailing the falsetto. Kara: Thinks he did a pretty good job with the wide range and is impressed with how he's showing off his skill set. Paula: Is impressed he sang it in front of Smokey and Berry. She'd like to see more confidence and likes his tenderness. Simon: Thought it was a great vocal but that he looked half-asleep so to work on his showmanship. Randy: Tells him next week to turn it back up but it was good to hear him croon and swoon but to get his party on next. Contestant #6:Michael Sarver Ryan banters with Michael at the stools about him feeling unwell and having to miss the Detroit trip because of it. He feels he didn't miss any prep since Smokey came to the house. Video: Says he's going to take it to church. Smokey thinks Michael should use even more of his big voice and tells him to pound it a little more. Song: "Ain't To Proud to Beg," the Temptations Performance: He sounds okay but he's a little smile-y for a song where he's supposed to be pleading for his lady not to leave.It has nice moments - and one late in the song rough patch- but again, not a mind-blower. And he looks a little disappointed in himself at the end. Paula: Thinks it was a tough performance and a little Las Vegas lounge-y. She gives him the song dominated you, not the other way around. Simon: He couldn't wait for it to end because he was screaming and shouting. He says he is taking part in the competition and has no chance of winning it with that kind of vocal. He says he's just got to be better. Michael admits that it was below par but that he gave 110 percent and that he's not playing games. Simon says he knows he's being sincere he just has to take the criticism for what it is. Randy: Thinks the song is unbelievable but a little too big for him since he's not a true r&b singer. Kara: Says at this point it's not about singing but artistry and if he stays he has to bring that, a real interpretation. Michael thinks he can take the criticism and make it work for him. Contestant #7: Lil Rounds Video: Smokey thinks she could sing the phone book. Lil explains about how she got emotional in Detroit and how she hopes to honor the legacy of those who came before her. Song: "Heat Wave," Martha Reeves and the Vandellas Performance: It's okay, a little shouty and old-fashioned and rushed. She looks supercute though in her fringe-y flapper dress and permanent wave wig. Randy: The song was just okay for him until the end and he felt like she was rushing. Kara: Says she looks great but that it was a bad song choice for her kind of voice and that it was screamy in parts, there wasn't enough room for her to breathe interpretive life into it. Paula: Disagrees completely and thinks, although she didn't change it musically, her vocals were what made it special and thinks she owned it. Simon: Says he understands why she was emotional about the Detroit visit and thought it was an authentic tribute to Motown but agrees that it was a poor song choice: too fast and without a moment for her to truly shine. He's dying for her to blow them away again but you can't with a song like that. Contestant #8: Adam Lambert Video: Adam is intimidated. Smokey likes how he kept it tender and he's never heard it done like that. Song: "Tracks of My Tears," Smokey Robinson Performance: He sits at the edge of the stage on a stool with an "unplugged" band and rocking slicked back hair. This is my favorite performance of his by far because it is emotional but stays tender and understated and he kills the falsetto notes and plays with the melody just enough to keep it interesting but not be obnoxious. Smokey gives him a standing ovation. As do Berry and Paula and Kara. Kara: "One of the best performances of the night." Awesome. Paula: Loves his element of surprise and his artistry and loves the "clean" look. Simon: Calls it the best performance of the night. Thinks he sums up everything they were trying to tell others: song choice, originality, contemporary quality. Thinks he's emerged as a star. Randy: Thinks he showed that he's not just a cool rocker and that he showed everything in his arsenal. Contestant #9: Danny Gokey Video:Smokey thinks he's a great interpreter and that people will love it but he notices that he's leaving space for the back-up singers to fill in the ends of the lines. ("You're allright," "It's outta sight" etc.). He thinks he should sing them. Danny is skeptical but says Smokey certainly knows what he's talking about so he'll try it. Song: "Get Ready," The Temptations Performance: He chickens out of taking Smokey's advice but sounds good, is energetic, and likable. Still a little endearingly goofy dancing-wise- especially the synched choreography with the backing vocalists- but a good time overall Paula: Calls him reliably first class. Simon: Calls him a good singer but the performance clumsy and amateurish. Randy: Reminded him of the great singers like Levi Stubbs. Didn't think it was his best performance but that it had great energy. Kara: Loved his personality but thought it was good, not great. Contestant #10: Allison Iraheta Video: Smokey thinks she's going to do well because she put herself into the song. She goofed up the lyrics during rehearsal but says she's still learning it. Song:"Papa Was a Rolling Stone," The Temptations Performance: Amazing, stone cold, tremendous performance. Randy: "Blazing hot." Kara: "America you've got to vote for this." Thinks she sounds like she's been singing for 400 years and that it's a gift from God. Paula: For some reason has a mustache on her face. Thinks she's awesome. Simon: Calls her a survivor and says that was one of the best performances she's ever done.
- 2002– 1h 24mTV-PG6.1 (36)TV EpisodeThe top 5 perform a song that celebrates their induction into the top 5, and a previously performed song; America's vote determines the winner; special performances from music legends, including a performance of "We Are the World."
- "American Idol" - Top 13 Peformance Show - March 9, 2011 Theme: A song by my idol Contestant: Lauren Alaina Song: "Any Man of Mine," Shania Twain. Lauren thinks Shania was the first female performer to mix country and pop. She worked in the studio with Don Was and she liked him. Jimmy Iovine showed up and it made her nervous but she tried to keep her focus. Jimmy and Don think Lauren is going to have a big career. Performance: She's cute and easygoing and she does a nice job with a very straightforward cover but it's not really a singer's song. Steven: Loves her voice but wishes the song was a little more kickass. JLo: Says she always sounds amazing but wants her to kick it into high gear. Randy: Loves Shania and Mutt Lange but was hoping to see more of the girl they first saw, something that lets her shine beyond belief. Contestant: Casey Abrams Song: "With a Little Help From My Friends," Joe Cocker's version of the Beatles song. Jimmy instructs him to sing the first lines of the song-- about singing out of tune-- directly to the judges. Casey says he was inspired by Cocker because he made it cool to be a not so hot looking guy with a growly voice. Jimmy tells him to perform the song physically. Performance: He starts seated on the stairs and starts walking center stage as the song ramps up and some "friends" in the form of a choir join him onstage. He does nice work with the dynamics having nice fluttery moments and growly passages. He also doesn't exactly mimic Cocker's vocal cadences which is nice. It all works. The crowd digs it. JLo: Says she grabbed Randy in amazement and truly felt him. He blew her away. Randy: Says he's excited every time he comes up to sing and says he was unbelievable and perfectly in tune and he loved it. Steven: "You are a rainbow of talent," he says. "You are a plethora of passion." Contestant: Ashthon Jones. Diana Ross is one of her heroes and she got to work with Rodney Jerkins in a studio. She's nervous about how high she's singing. Jimmy was nervous but he was so inspired he wanted to invite Berry Gordy to hear it. Song:"When You Tell Me That You Love Me," Diana Ross Performance: She looks elegant in silver but her start is a bit breathy and the whole thing sounds a shade flat, long before she gets to the big note. It doesn't help that it's not a very well-known song. It's not awful but it's not inspiring either. Randy: Liked it and points out Berry Gordy in the crowd. Says he was a little worried about the song and thought it was safe but he saw her grow as a singer as she worked on pulling herself back from bad pitch moments. Steven:Has confidence in her and thinks there's a lot more in there than is showing. JLo: Thinks she's showing great professionalism. Wants her to start singing songs that the audience can sing along with her. Contestant: Paul McDonald. His idol is Ryan Adams. (Yay, Paul!) He got to work with Don Was also. Jimmy tells him he has to nail the chorus. Jimmy says Paul's voice is understated and powerful. Song: "Come Pick Me Up," Ryan Adams Performance: He starts lightly and there's some nice fiddle in the background. (The band seems less intrusive this week.) He also has to adjust the lyrics of the chorus from "screw all my friends" to "lose all my friends." Again this isn't really a singer's song and he has a couple of pitch issues but he's having fun. Steven: Loves the character and the rasp in his voice, calls it a little pitchy and tells him to nail it next time. JLo: Enjoyed watching the audience watch him, he thinks he's very unique. She doesn't know Ryan Adams or that song. She hopes America gets it. Randy: Says it wasn't the most exciting thing but likes his vibe and he also hopes America gets it because he loves him for this show. Contestant: Pia Toscano. In stool chat Ryan asks her about the behind the scenes action. She details press, photo shoots, premieres, rehearsal and living like one big happy family in a mansion. Her hero is Celine Dion. She works with Ron Fair in the studio. She hopes to make her dad proud. Jimmy is already proud. Song:"All By Myself," Celine Dion's version of Eric Carmen's song. Performance:She is also in a glittery silver dress, mini in the front but long in the back. It's like a dress mullet. The opening part in the lower register is fine but the big belting chorus is where she really shines. So she mostly does that. She does a lot of arm gesturing that doesn't add much to the moment but she sounds great. JLo: Is at a loss. She says she topped last week. Randy: Says we always tell people not to sing Celine-Whitney-Mariah, but thinks she slayed it and has such a natural gift. Hot, dope, cool, it was. Steven: He says that was the sum total of all the work she's done up to now. He wishes her happy international woman's day. He says she slammed it. Contestant: James Durbin. Paul McCartney is his idol. He worked with producer Jim Jonsin in the studio. Jimmy likes that a voice like James' can be heard on "Idol." Song:"Maybe I'm Amazed," Paul McCartney Performance: He starts off softly and keeps it simple in the more ramped up second verse,does a bit of controlled screaming, takes it down to a nice, icy piano place at the end. Easily my favorite performance of his so far. Randy:Thinks he slayed it and can sing anything, loved that he showed he had a sensitive. He says James Durbin is dangerous. Steven: Took everything he had and kicked it into the middle of next week. Loved it. JLo: Tells him to get used to the applause because he such a great melodic quality to his voice, she says he has everything. Contestant: Haley Reinhart. Apparently Leann Rimes is her hero, or at least the song "Blue" was important to her life. She worked with the duo Rock Mafia in the studio. Jimmy calls it a tough song to take on but that she sings it really well. Song: "Blue," Leann Rimes Performance: She nails the yodeling bit, she sounds good but it's not a very thrilling performance and again lots of arm movements. Nicely done. Steven: Says it was beautiful and says the country and western part of America is roaring for her. He thanks her. JLo: Says America is getting to know her and likes that she can do special things with her voice.Says she did a good job. Randy: The good part is that her range is big, but for him it was a little sleepy and boring. JLo counters that Haley's very sensual and not everyone has to run around the stage. He says that wasn't it. It was just boring. Contestant: Jacob Lusk. R. Kelly is his Idol. He works with Rodney Jerkins. Jimmy thinks Jacob has an incredible gift, he tells him to breathe. Song: "I Believe I Can Fly," R. Kelly Performance: He also gets the gospel choir treatment, he hits a lot of bad notes on his way to a nice run mid-song. Steven: Says it's pure passion, says he can't even judge him, he's just that good. JLo: She says it is hard to judge because he makes them feel it so much. She thinks everyone is good but he's at the top/ Randy: Compliments the judges on how well they did picking, notes that he fell off on one of the verses pitch-wise but thinks he's great. Contestant: Thia Megia. Her idol is Michael Jackson. She worked with Ron Fair and Jimmy. Song: "Smile," Michael Jackson's version of Charlie Chaplin's song. Performance: She sounds and looks sweet and changes it up with a little tempo halfway through, but again, not very exciting. Randy: Loved the beginning more than the end. Steven: He calls her Pia and says it was a little pitchy and agrees that the beginning was better. JLo: Agrees and wants to see her move more. Says she sings like an angel. Contestant: Stefano Langone. His idol is Stevie Wonder. He worked with Polow Da Don and he really enjoyed it. Jimmy wants him to keep his eyes open. Song: "Lately," Stevie Wonder Performance: He starts out with a traditional cover but switches to a thumpy disco rendition halfway through. The good parts are pretty great and the rest of it is fine, with a couple of clunkers. Steven: Says he pulled it off and by the end it was soaring like a volcano. JLo: Says he had him dancing and she loved that it wasn't a copy but it was really him. Randy: Says he slayed it by the middle of the song and that Stevie would be proud. Contestant: Karen Rodriguez. Her idol is Selena. She works with Jim Jonsin in the studio. Jimmy tells her to conserve her voice. Song: "I Could Fall in Love," Selena Performance: The beginning is a bit rough as her lower register is a bit raspy but when she gets to the belting parts it sounds okay but again kind of boring. JLo: Says she could tell that she was a little uncomfortable with the low and high register and wonders whether she can hear herself. She says she had a little trouble. JLo knows she's normally better than this and hopes she makes it through to next week. Randy: Agrees it felt like she was fighting the song but says it wasn't exciting. Steven: Thinks her energy was lacking and hopes she's better next week. Contestant: Scotty McCreery chats about missing his high school baseball team. (They're 2-2). He works with Don Was in the studio. Garth Brooks is his idol. Jimmy can't argue with Scotty's desire to stay true to himself. Song: "The River," Garth Brooks Performance: He's adorable, charming, poised, and sounds great. Randy: Loved it and loved that he didn't switch it up and this is exactly where Scotty belongs. JLo: Thinks he's taking us all on the ride with him. Steven: Says he did "the Garth" justice and quotes an Elton John song as a way of proving it. Contestant: Naima Adedapo. Rihanna is her hero. (Really?) She's working with Tricky Stewart who actually produced Rihanna's version. Tricky thinks it's going to be amazing and Jimmy is confident she could go right to the top 5. Song:"Umbrella," Rihanna Performance: She switches it up big time from last week getting more urban and edgy, seh breaks down into dancehall break and then after the bridge she bust a few moves. Steven: Thinks she's crazy good, a little pitchy, but thought she brought flavor that no one else has. JLo: Doesn't care if it was pitchy, she thought she was hot like a real artist. She needs to work on control. Randy: He does care about the pitchiness, but loved the whole reggae thing and wished she'd done the whole thing all the way.
- 2002– TV-PG6.0 (41)TV Episode
- "American Idol" - The First 12 - Feb. 17, 2009 The first twelve of the top 36 begin competing for a spot in the top 12. Three slots will be taken from this group. Ryan introduces the judges. He asks Randy what the contestants need to focus on. He says they really need to be in it to win it. Kara admits she's a little nervous but says the contestants can't let nerves get to them and to be as great as they can be and go for it. She says it's great to be here. Paula says they have to make magic happen in a minute and 20 seconds. Simon says it's different this year because there are no second chances. Ryan explains how it will work this year: for the next three weeks each group of 12 will perform. The girl and guy with the highest vote count and the next highest vote getter of either gender will get into the top 12. The final 3 will be decided on the wild card show. Tonight's theme: Hits from the Billboard Hot 100 since the chart began Contestant #1: Jackie Tohn Clip: We see her audition and lots of her screaming. She really wants this. Song: "A Little Less Conversation," Elvis Presley Performance: Jackie is sassy in a polka dot bustier, leather pants, and sneakers. She sounds okay, a little bit of gritty rock in her delivery. She moves a bit awkwardly with her legs bowing in and out and gets a bit goofy in places. She handles the tough cadences well though. Randy: Wasn't blown away by the vocals but thought it was all good on the entertainment side. Kara: Thinks she can work the stage and thought she did her own thing. Paula: Has always loved her and says it wasn't perfect but that perfect is sometimes boring and she's a true performer who makes people fall in love with her. Simon: Thought she played the clown and that the performance was ungainly, the song gimmicky - the crowd starts booing- and that she did herself no favors and that she blew a great opportunity by doing something silly instead of something good. Ryan talks to Jackie's parents in the red room. They're very proud. Jackie had a good time. She says everybody here is a banging singer so she wanted to show she's a rocking entertainer. She has no regrets. Contestant #2-- Ricky Braddy Ryan chat informs us he went to music school but ended up serving chicken fingers. He quit that job to follow his dream. Clip: Randy loved him in auditions. He fell apart on group day in Hollywood, but pulled it out in the solo session. He wants to show America who he is. Song: "A Song For You," Leon Russell Performance: Ricky's rocking a royal purple velvet jacket. He seems very sweet. It's a piano ballad which he sings pretty straightforwardly. He sounds good, seems comfortable, and hits some nice falsetto notes. It's not flashy but it works. Paula gives him a standing O. Randy:This is what he's talking about and thinks it was unbelievable and it was the true jump off for season 8. Kara: Thinks he killed it and that he has an incredible gift. Paula: She's proud America gets to see how talented he is and that he deserves to go far in the competition. Simon: He's not jumping out of his chair as much as the others. He thinks he has a great voice but not star quality in terms of charisma and self-belief. In the red room the parents -wearing "Braddy Bunch" t-shirts- are touched. Ricky feels incredible. Contestant #3 - Alexis Grace Clip: She goes over her audition in which they told her to dirty it up. By Hollywood she had by putting in pink highlights and featuring her decolletage. Song: "I've Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)," Aretha Franklin Performance: In a pretty little black dress and blood red lips she tries to vamp it up but it feels a little put on. The vocal is pretty strong though, if a touch strident in places. She ends it up smartlyand tosses in a little rasp that works for her. Randy: He says she found the dirt and the soul and is loving her right now. Kara: Thinks the genie is out of the bottle and it's been a pleasure to watch her come out of her shell. Paula: Thinks it's fantastic that she's so young and cute but has so much inside her. Simon: Thinks she was the best so far and that she clearly has self-belief. Says she might be a dark horse like Kelly Clarkson. In the red room dad and dad's girlfriend are awestruck. Alexis feels like she's in a dream. Contestant #4 - Brent Keith Clip: We get some kind of glitch showing the wrong tape. Ryan covers by bringing Brent down to the stage. Then they roll the tape. Brent works at a home improvement warehouse. His audition was the one where Paula and Kara went under the table. He explains that he and his wife live paycheck to paycheck. Song:"Hicktown," Jason Aldean Performance: He seems a little nervous but he's doing well vocally and he's quite the drink of water with a killer smile. Randy: Likes what he did and that he returned to his country roots. He likes him and thinks he would make a good country artist. Kara: It was a little safe for her and not rangey enough. She wondered where the soul she saw in the auditions went. Paula: Agrees that it was safe but she sees him as a country-western star and look what happened for Josh Gracin and Bucky Covington. Simon: Wonders what did happen to Bucky Covington. He thinks that Brent is a nice guy but it wasn't safe but forgettable. He thinks he just blew a massive opportunity. Brent says that country fans won't forget that. In the red room Brent's wife Nicole says they never put a deadline on him pursuing his dream. Brent seems perturbed but thinks he made the right choice since they're supposed to show what they will do as an artist and that's what he wants to do. Ryan points out that country music does quite well. Contestant #5 - Stevie Wright Clip: She's 17 and her auditions went well with all the judges except Simon. She wants to showcase her bubbly young age more like the judges counseled her. Song: "You Belong With Me," Taylor Swift Performance: It seems pitched too low on the first few lines and then gets in a better register for her. But, she's hitting some clunkers and seems nervous doing side to side dancing and getting behind the beat and out of breath at points. Her movements seems to be disrupting her breath control. It is not good. Randy: It was not hot for him and thinks she's a better singer than that and if she'd sung that way before she wouldn't have made it this far. Kara: Thinks she has an identity crisis, that the song was young, sure, but not right for her. Paula: Agrees it was not the right song and points out the range issues. She wasn't the contestant they fell in love with. Simon: Says the others are being polite and that it was terrible, out of tune, out of her depth. The good news is she got some experience from this and hopefully will learn from it. Celebrity alert: Ted Danson and Neil Patrick Harris cheer for Stevie as she leaves the stage. In the red room her parents hug her and thinks the judges gave confusing advice. Ryan gives her props as a 16-year-old who has never done this before for being brave. And she is being brave,no tears. (Even though her clip package said she was 17). Contestant #6 - Anoop Desai Clip: He's 22. The judges were surprised by his soulful voice. He wants to bring energy. Song: "Angel of Mine," Monica Performance: He rocks this slow r&b jam nicely. He's very sweet if a little awkward with his arms. He hits some rough patches but is charming overall if a little adult contemporary. Randy: Loves him but didn't love the song choice and thought he was sharp the whole time. Kara: Isn't sure he had the riffs to pull off what she thinks is a hard song. She thinks he has great potential and believes him when he's singing. Paula: Thinks America has already connected with him and that whether he was a little sharp or not that he has a Brian McKnight quality. Simon: Thinks it was a little too grown up and serious for him. Anoop gets all earnest and says for him it's all about thanks. Simon says they've heard him better but that he has massive likability. In the red room his parents are taken aback. He says he was nervous but that the band makes them all sound better. Contestant #7 - Casey Carlson Clip: She's 20 and works at a tea shop. Her auditions went well and it's been an incredible process. She loves Jordin Sparks. Song: "Every Little Thing (He) Does is Magic," the Police Performance: She starts pretty well with a nice tone, closer to the Shawn Colvin cover version of the song and then she hits a rough note. And then it unravels. She starts a strange pinwheeling motion with her arm. She recovers but is a little shaky and does a goofy wink to the camera. She's a little pagaenty and cutesy and pitchy. She's gorgeous though. Randy: Says it was not good for him. The song was completely wrong for her and weirdly karaoke. Kara: Says everything about it was wrong. Says she's a beautiful girl but that she shouldn't touch a song by the Police. She wishes she had done a girlie anthem. She also thinks the dancing was bad. She had such high hopes for her since she's a "package artist" but that it fell flat. (Casey looks down sadly). Paula: Says guys tell her that she's the most exquisite, beautiful girl but that picking that song was a mistake, there was no connection and her phrasing was weird. Simon: Asks her how she thinks it went. She says she had fun. He says he's trying to think of something positive. He says she looks good but the singing was just atrocious and reinforces that it was a bad song choice. He follows through with the blown opportunity theme. Paula tells her to cut out the winking and faces and stuff too. Simon says he liked that and it was the least of her problems. In the red room her mom tells her she rocked and that she's proud of her. Dad hugs her too. She says she chose the wrong song but she had a blast. She tries not to cry and gamely succeeds. Contestant #8 - Michael Sarver Clip: He's 27 and a roughneck. We see him working on the rig and hanging with his wife and kids. Song: "I Don't Wanna Be," Gavin DeGraw Performance: He seems comfortable and has good stage presence but his vocals range from competent to pretty good, never spectacular. Randy: Thinks he can definitely sing but was pitchy and liked him better on a soul tip. Not a bad choice for him but not a great performance. Kara: Thinks it's a great crowd-pleaser song but it wasn't his best performance. She likes that it was true to him and thinks he's likable. Paula: Isn't going to be as tough on him and thought he did a good job. She was distracted by the microphone hand switching. She thought the song showed a different side and since so many former contestants have sung it that apparently means Gavin DeGraw is a great artist. Simon: Thinks it's tricky. He thinks they put him through because they like him because he's a good honest guy who needs a break but says it wasn't the best vocal. If he gets through, which Simon hopes he does, it will be because America likes him not because his performance was great. In the red room Brent's wife says she told him to sing pretty. His mom is there too. Brent is glad to hear everyone thinks he's such a nice guy. Contestant #9 - Ann Marie Boskovich Clip: She's 22, a waitress, and a demo singer. She was the one who was sent away during her auditions to change up her look. She feels blessed to be here. Song: "(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman," Aretha Franklin Performance: She's singing it very lightly. She keeps bending her knees and pointing with her arm. She gets to meat of the song and she monkeys with the cadences and is hitting some some bad notes. This isn't really the song for her voice but she ends it okay. (Ted Danson liked it but Danny Gokey's friend Jamar is clapping the clap of obligation). Randy: Asks her how she thinks she did. She says "pretty good." (Uh-oh). He disagrees and says it was a bad choice and that she couldn't tackle such a big song. Kara: Says the song is so big and you have to kill it and it felt a bit old-fashioned. She wanted to hear something a little more girlie like "Love Song" by Sara Bareilles. Ann Marie points out that song isn't as good, or at least, not as classic. Randy and Simon laugh and thinks that's sassy. (But really, it's simply true. That's a fun song but it's no "Natural Woman" and I doubt Sara Bareilles would argue that.) It gets odd. Paula: Says she thinks she did better compared to Hollywood. She agrees it's a huge song but that she gave it her all. Simon: He goes the hotel singer route. He says her voice is simply not good enough for that song and it just destroyed her. In the red room, her mom was bummed by the judges comments. Contestant #10 -Stephen Fowler Clip: He's 26 and a musician. He's the one who goofed up his lyrics and walked off during the solo audition in Hollywood. Song: "Rock With You," Michael Jackson Performance:He's got a sweet smile but this song is in an odd place in his register and he ends up sounding flat on the verses and sharp on the choruses. He's got an easygoing likability and there are some good bits but an equal amount of rough ones and it's not amazing. He also keeps pointing skyward "Saturday Night Fever"-style. He does remember the words. Randy: Says it's not the joint for him to be singing. Kara: She says she got more from him at the piano when he forgot the lyrics since he seemed more connected to the music. He says to go by what he did in Hollywood because he's not comfortable singing without the piano. (You know Simon's not going to like that.) Paula: She's glad he remembered the lyrics but that it would've served him better to sing the David Cook song that he botched in Hollywood since he felt a connection there. She says singing that song is a kiss of death since the song belongs to Michael Jackson. She's disappointed... Simon: ...as is Simon especially given Stephen's experience and stated drive to win. Simon also says the arrangement was terrible, particularly the keyboard parts. He says it was corny. Stephen says he's corny guy. Simon says he's not. There's no one in the red room for him. Contestant #11 - Tatiana Del Toro Clip: She's 24. Oy. You remember the screaming, the crying, the drama, whatever. She was hurt to be judged in Hollywood. Song: "Saving All My Love For You," Whitney Houston Performance: She sounds fine in the low register, better in the high. She plays with the melody in a way that isn't too annoying. She hits the big note and brings it on home. But it's definitely a little hotel lounge-y. It's shockingly understated though. She poses dramatically at the end ensuring that it concludes annoyingly. Randy: Was worried about her singing this song but thought she had some moments. He thought the melody in the second verse was weird but that she can really sing. Kara: Calls Tatiana a rollercoaster ride and thought this was very reserved. She agrees there were good moments and she hit some big notes but she wonders how she fits in the industry. Tatiana thinks she can do all genres. Paula: Thinks she's the most talked-about contestant so far. She's not used to the demure Tatiana but thought there were beautiful moments too. But she doesn't know who she is. Paula, of all people, says she misses the crazy and Kara actually asks for it. (Of course Tatiana's just being savvy, she knew the drama would get her screen time in the early going but that she'd have to tone it down if she actually wants to go through). She says sometimes she gets nutty and that Hollywood was stressful and exciting and she says isn't usually like that and her friends were surprised. Simon: Says she's a complete and utter drama queen. (She smiles demurely and nuttily). He says she's desperate to be famous, like Paula Abdul was. Paula says "like you aren't." Tatiana says she does marketing "as a business" and she wants to market herself to another level. To get back to her singing he says it wasn't bad at all. He says she needs to lose the slightly weird demure thing she's got going now. (And it is very strange as she nods and smiles sweetly.) He says it's making him nervous. It gets even weirder as Kara tells her to go crazy and Simon asks for the weird laugh. She doesn't do it and says her friends say she's never laughed like that and then all the judges laugh like that. She smiles a big smile but doesn't do the laugh. In the red room are two of her friends from Puerto Rico. Ryan asks who the real Tatiana is- the calm girl or the crazy lady- and she says she's a multi-faceted woman who went through an experience she never expected to have and she didn't know she was going to react that way. She says this is more like she normally is and she laughs but it's not that crazy laugh. Ryan tells us there's more to the "psychic" story and we'll hear it if Tatiana goes through. Ryan gives the numbers and Tatiana appeals directly to America to keep her dream alive. Contestant #12 - Danny Gokey Clip: He's 28 and a widower and looks like Robert Downey, Jr. He's a church music director. (And is probably your next "American Idol,' or at least top 3). He wants to encourage people. Song: "Hero," Mariah Carey Performance: It's not perfect but pretty close, soulful and believable and, definitely, likable. And he seemed calm and confident. (Paula and Kara love it, as does the audience, Jamar looks on approvingly.) Randy: Calls him the redeemer of the night and says it was blazing hot. Kara: Calls him the hero, says he gives us all hope and that he was great pounding the table. Paula: She has two words with a hyphen: sold-out arenas. Simon: Bringing it back to earth, he says he thought it was good but not fantastic and that the arrangement was a bit heavy-handed, but he's a very good singer. Kara interjects that she loved it. Simon likes him but he's not buying the hype right now. Danny says he was envisioning people rising above rough circumstances while he was singing. I'm calling Danny, Anoop, and Alexis. I'm calling Danny, Casey and Jackie.
- "American Idol" - Top Four Finalists Perform - May 5, 2009 Theme: Rock and Roll Ryan tells us there was an accident on the set so the contestants didn't have their normal dress rehearsal. He also tells us that the contestants are pairing up for duets as well as solo songs. Video Package: We get a recap of mentor Slash's career. He's mentoring them with a live band at the Roxy. He thinks it's going to be a good time. Contestant #1: Adam Lambert Video: Slash tells him not to improvise so much in the high register, but otherwise thinks he's effortlessly good. Song: "Whole Lotta Love," Led Zeppelin Performance: It's actually a pretty straightforward cover with Adam aping Robert Plant and then doing a few extra runs and notes here and there. It is convincing technically but feels very put on from an emotional/performance standpoint, like he's "playing" the rocker. Randy: This is the Adam he loves. He thinks no one's ever going to think about Broadway again. (That's the first thing I thought and I'm so sick of hearing this as if it's some kind of insult.) Kara: Thinks he's not only a rock star, he's a rock god. Paula: Thinks he's a whole lotta perfect. Simon: Agrees that it was great and that no one can top this performance now. Contestant #2: Allison Iraheta Song: "Cry, Baby," Janis Joplin Video: Thinks if she pulls it off that it will be great. He thinks she needs to get past the fear. Performance: She sings it well, hitting all the right notes and emotional high points but the song is a yawn. Randy: Thinks she can sing her face off but didn't love it. Kara: Liked that it was Janis, but wanted "Piece of My Heart" or something with more melody. She sees her personality in her performances unlike Simon. Paula: Calls her fearless and if they make a movie about Janis, she's got the role. Simon: Thought she had complete confidence and it was a great vocal but that it was a little copycat unlike Adam's more original performance. Allison fights back saying that she really felt the song and that "Piece of My Heart" is overdone. Simon likes that she's fighting back. Performance: Kris and Danny do a duet of "Renegade" by Styx. It's meh. For rock night it's not very exciting. Randy: Thought the individual vocals were just okay but that the harmonies were good. Kara: Agrees that parts were strong. Paula: Thought it was powerful and compelling. Simon: Thought Danny was better than Kris. Contestant #3: Kris Allen Song: "Come Together," The Beatles Video: Slash makes him nervous by making him play guitar. Kris wanted to pee his pants. Slash tells him to be more animated onstage. Performance: He goes in a more Aerosmith direction with the tune and is a little too smiley in the beginning and seems nervous. But he sings it well enough, nothing spectacular but not embarrassing. Randy: He enjoyed it even though Kris isn't really a "rock, rock" guy, but he liked the guitar work he did. Kara: Didn't think it was a great performance and didn't like the song and calls him a "soft rock" guy. Paula: Thinks the Beatles was risky but that his "artistic delivery" was all over it and she thought it was truly compelling and that he needed a little more energy. Simon: Didn't like it that much, saying it was like eating ice for lunch meaning that it will leave you with nothing to remember afterwards and calls the song boring. (Two of the judges insulted the Beatles, oy). Contestant #4: Danny Gokey Song: "Dream On," Aerosmith Video: Slash thinks he's naturally gifted and points out that he has to do the scream at the end. Danny wants to push himself. Performance: Such a bad idea as this is one of the most recognizable vocals in rock history. (Much like "Whole Lotta Love.") Danny is marginal to adequate at the beginning, adds unnecessary and embarrassing doo-doos-doos in middle and then almost lands but then completely botches the scream at the end. Randy: Knows this is not his genre and thought it was alright but he'll give him an A-plus for a valiant effort. Kara: Thinks he took the swagger advice too far. She then makes the colossally ridiculous statement that she thinks he should have done "early" Aerosmith like "Cryin'" or "Crazy." THIS WAS OFF AEROSMITH'S FIRST ALBUM. Oy. She commends him for being bold and going for it though. Paula: She knows it's a tricky genre for him and didn't think this was the perfect song but gives him an A-plus-plus for going for it. Simon: Agrees and says the last note was like watching a horror movie. He still thinks he's going to be safe. Performance: It's another duet. This time Adam and Allison do "Slow Ride" by Foghat. It's a ridiculous non-song but they still smoke Danny and Kris for sure. Randy: Thinks they should duet on their albums and that it was hot. Kara: Calls them rock god and rock goddess and that they pushed each other to be better. Paula: Agrees saying it's a perfect marriage. Simon: Says in the battle of the duets they won.
- "American Idol" - Jan. 29, 2009 Auditions - Puerto Rico & New York Ryan is all excited that they're bringing us two cities in one show! We see all the hopefuls in both places. We meet Adeola who quit her job the day before because she's so confident and has been compared to Mariah Carey. She is, of course, awful singing "And I'm Telling You" from "Dreamgirls." They let her go on and on. Simon says she needs to retract her resignation letter because she was terrible. He says he will phone her boss to help get her job back. She tries to sing again. They tell her to keep her day job. Simon says they should seriously get her boss on the phone. They do. Simon sits with Adeola and asks the boss for her job back. The boss says she will give it to her. We switch to Puerto Rico and Jorge, who is very excited to rock America with his voice. He sings "My Way" in Spanish. He sounds okay, sort of Marc Anthony-esque, very dramatic. He tries "What a Wonderful World" in English. They compliment his voice. Kara says it was better in Spanish. They vote him through unanimously. We meet Jessica a giggler from Michigan, who brought her whole family to San Juan. She's won lots of prizes in her life. She sings "I Surrender" by Celine Dion. She's not horrible, although her pink outfit is. Simon says he surrenders too. Simon calls it awful. She begs for another chance. She cries and begs more. Simon says no. Randy says the sound of her voice is not on point. She says she's nervous and can prove she can sing. Paula says it was really "shrilling." They all turn her down. Randy says it was a bad audition. She walks out saying she knows they're wrong. We see a montage of people getting rejected and walking out claiming they're actually really great. We meet Melinda a barefoot, black hippie from Connecticut. She likes to dance naked in her room. She tells Simon she wants to uplift humanity with her voice. They discuss her desire to live in a nudist colony. She sings "Feelin' Good" by Nina Simone. She's pretty good. She smiles and giggles. Randy kinda likes her and her voice and pleasant disposition. Kara calls her a vitamin boost. They vote her through unanimously. We meet Jackie who's been singing since she was a child and also plays the guitar and considers herself a "rocker." She sings "I'm Yours," by Jason Mraz. She's raspy, goofy, and awful and very busker-esque. Simon asks for her own voice on a regular song. She sings a more straightforward country sounding song and sounds a lot better. "I Do it All"(?). Randy, Kara, and Paula say yes and as Simon is about to cast his vote Jackie asks for direction and the window appears to fall down behind him. Simon nimbly ignores the calamity behind him and tells Jackie the worst thing she can ask someone is what kind of artist she should be. That said, they vote her through unanimously. We get a montage of bad singers in Puerto Rico who beg and plead pitifully. We see a montage of bad people from both places including "comics" like the "crazy rocker" Joel from Puerto Rico who is annoying and awful and arrives "wearing" an iPod. He's a "guyPod." Simon says it's everything he hates, the whole act is excruciatingly bad. Joel busts out his lion puppet and sings "Circle of Life." They reject him unanimously. We meet another "comic" Norman Gentle in New York. Simon says he hates comedy, he just wants him to sing. He sings "And I'm Telling You" badly. They banter back and forth about getting kicked in the groin. Norman tries "Amazing Grace." Simon begs him not to be funny or pull faces. He sits and sings it and is a little a more sincere and is markedly better but still not a great singer. He busts into a Sammy Davis impression. Simon gets annoyed. Paula and Kara say yes because even though he doesn't have a shot in hell,Norman is entertaining. Simon says no. And Randy, because he's a doofus, says yes. We get a montage of the good singers and/or the hot chicks that sing okay who get put through. We get another montage of bad singers, Simon making mean quips, and Randy laughing at people. We meet Monique and her cute kid brother who brought the judges a shell. She sings "You Can't Hurry Love" by the Supremes and she's cute too, breathy but sweet. She sings "I Turn to You" by Christina Aguilera, which is a little weaker. Simon says she should've chosen someone more in her range. Kara says she needs more confidence. They don't think she's ready. Randy and Kara say no. Paula says yes. Simon says yes. She's going to Hollywood. We meet, again, Alexis an angry contestant from last year who does Buddhist chants now and says she's changed her attitude. They show her angry rants from last year. They show her being friendly to people now. She enters the audition and sings "Like a Prayer" by Madonna. She is still awful. And as it turns out she's still evil when she gets rejected. Simon says she got worse. Kara agrees. Alexis gives them two middle fingers. Simon thanks her. She thanks them and calls Simon an a-hole. We meet Patricia. Her parents got married at the hotel where the auditions are being held. She sings "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" by Whitney Houston and it's just okay. Simon says it was a bad choice since Whitney, blah, blah, blah. Kara agrees. Simon gives her 30 more seconds. She sings something in Spanish, it actually sounds worse. Randy says yes. Paula says no. We cut away for suspense' sake, which just tells us she made it. And she did. Auditions, over.
- "American Idol" - Top 11 Results Show - March 15, 2012 With last night's ouster of Jermaine Jones, we will be getting our top 10, i.e. the group that goes on the tour, tonight. Jimmy Iovine is sitting in the audience. We see the cover of Vogue, which features JLo. And we hear that she has a new single coming out. We also learn that Tommy Hilfiger is going to be this season's "image advisor" and we get a video package/interview with him. Ryan reminds us of the judges' save, which they can use up to the top 5. Ford Commercial: "Ghost Town" Some of the contestants visit a haunted house, others are the ghosts. Results: Ryan calls up Phillip,Skylar, Elise, and Joshua. We get a recap of each performance and the feedback as well as Jimmy's response. Jimmy sez: He was really proud of Phillip, especially since he was sick. He has a lot of faith in Skylar and didn't think her song was totally right for her. He thought Elise killed it and he was captivated by her and he thinks she's in it for the long haul. He thought Joshua was great and that all Interscope artists need to eat crawfish before performances. They also got an email from Percy Sledge who thought Joshua did a great job on his song. Phillip, Joshua, and Skylar are safe and Elise is in the bottom three. Performance: Demi Lovato sings her song "Give Your Heart a Break." Results: Ryan calls up Colton, Shannon, Deandre, and Jessica. Jimmy sez: It may have been the wrong song choice for Deandre, which he suggested. He explains how the songs are chosen saying they come in with three songs and ultimately it's their choice and he thinks he did a good job in rehearsal but not so much on the show. Jimmy agrees with Steven that Colton's song choice might not have been the best. But he was confused by Randy saying the song didn't matter and takes him to task for it. (We get a little inset of Randy's reaction to this. He's smiling.) He thinks Shannon is at her best when she doesn't push too hard but he thinks she pushed too hard last night. He supports Jessica 1000 percent and he thinks when she lost her breath and she lost her rhythm and the judges were right about that but that she's not going anywhere. Colton, Jessica, and Deandre are safe. Shannon is in the bottom three. Performance:Daughtry perform their new song "Out of My Head." Ryan talks about their upcoming U.S. tour. Results: Ryan calls up Hollie, Heejun, and Erika. Jimmy sez: He gives Hollie straight A's but he hated her styling. He says he's got himself boxed in with his song choices and he needs to get some tempo. He does predict an Asian pop explosion, although he's not sure Heejun is going to lead it. He says Erika fell into the "Idol" trap of oversinging and he takes Randy to task for dogging the arrangement he suggested to Erika. Hollie and Heejun are safe and Erika is in the bottom three. Bottom Three: Erika, Elise, Shannon Shannon is the lowest vote getter and is given a chance to sing for her life for the judges save. She reprises "One Sweet Day." She doesn't push as hard as she did last night but it starts to fall apart near the end pitch-wise she recovers some and has some nice bits but it was not enough. Going Home: Shannon Magrane
- 2002– 42mTV-PG5.9 (46)TV Episode"American Idol" - Hollywood Round #4-Top 36 Chosen - Feb. 11, 2009 The final 54 enter the mansion where their fate will be decided. (That number also explains my fuzzy math last night, I was forgetting the whole walk of shame/final judgement portion of the eliminations after the judges review the tapes). And there's a twist : "Sing for your survival," says Simon in teaser. In other words there will be sing-offs. First up: Anoop Desai. Kara says he's continually surprised them. Clips. He's through. Next: Von Smith. He's super-nervous. Clips. He addresses Simon's comment about him singing like a self-indulgent child and talks about how he went against his family's advice on his last song. Right choice says Simon. He's through. Cody Sheldon. They ask him to sing again. As he picks "Love Remains the Same" by Gavin Rossdale, Alex Wagner-Trugman is being summoned for a sing-off, although he doesn't know it. Cody sings and it sounds fine. Simon sends him out. Alex arrives and freaks out when he finds out from Cody that he's going to have to sing again, and that only one of them will make it through. Alex sings "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" by Elton John. He's a little stronger but goofier in presentation. Simon sends him out. The judges deliberate. They bring them both back in. Alex is through. Cody is going home. They walk out together, Alex being appropriately sad for his friend. They tell the room. Some clap for Alex, some hug Cody. Adam Lambert, i.e. musical theatre/metal guy who sang "Believe" by Cher. Simon says Hollywood was good but that they have to judge on whether they think he can win and be a recording artist. He's through. Taylor Vaifanua. She's through with a minimum of fuss. As are, in short order: Jasmine Murray, Arianna Afsar, Casey Carlson, Megan Corkrey, Mishavonna Henson, and Stevie Wright Next up: Joanna Pacitti. Clips show her forgetting the words in every round in Hollywood. Kara asks her when she's really going to step out and show herself. Joanna says now. Simon says when somebody gives her a break. Paula says it's a tough business but unanimously they put her through. They say now she has to bring it. Then a montage of quick rejections: T.K. Hash, Chris Chatman, and Reggie Beasley. (Anybody remember any of these guys?) Kenndall Beard. She's nervous. Clips, some bad, some good. But she's cute, blond, and perky, so she's through. Then a sing-off: Kristen McNamara - the soulful blond from the drama group- and Jenn Korbee - the blond who auditioned with her husband. Jenn goes first and sings the Dixie Chicks' "Not Ready to Make Nice." (I don't even need to hear Kristen, she smokes Jenn and she's gotten way more camera time). Kristen sings "I Will Always Love You," by Whitney Houston and she's miles better. Simon asks whether they should put through the attractive blond or the other one. Paula and Kara say the one who can sing. (I think they're both cute, but Simon clearly prefers the look of Jenn since Kristen is the far better singer). Kara snipes if that's how he wants to do it why not just have a bunch of models come through? Outside, Kristen is unsure. Inside, Randy likes Kristen better. Simon disagrees. They girls go back in hand-in-hand. Kara says Jenn is truly beautiful. "And that's the problem," snarks Simon. (Is this really going to be the "conflict" this year? Oy.) Kara says Jenn has a good voice but isn't always emotionally connected. Paula says Kristen has an identity crisis. They put Kristen through. But they tell her she has a lot of work to do. Simon says he completely disagrees with this decision. Alexis Grace, single mom of one. She's through. Scott MacIntyre, blind guy. He's through. Lil Rounds, mom of three, confident. She's through. Montage of rejects: Felicia Barton, Ashley Hollister, Devon Baldwin. Sing-off: Frankie Jordan, stay-at-home mom vs. hippie-ish, and forebodingly overconfident Jesse Langseth. Judging by the clips alone, Frankie is stronger. Frankie sings "The Story" by Brandi Carlile, she hits some clinkers but is strong and emotional. Jesse sings a song about a wishing well. Less clinkers, but not crazy impressive. Simon calls it a horrible song. Randy calls for a vote and Simon says neither. They go back in. Jesse is through. Simon says if it's any consolation Frankie wouldn't have won anyway since she didn't stand out. Simon says based on Jesse's sing-for-survival moment she won't win either. Bad call. Duet of rejects: Shera Lawrence and Derik Lavers Allison Iraheta, 16 years old. Clips. She's through. Danny and Jamar wait outside together. Clips. Fears over one being sent home. Luckily, no sing off. Danny Gokey. He's through. Jamar Rogers. He's going home. (This is actually shocking considering the boys they've put through so far). The room is aghast, as they should be. Jamar is shocked too. Danny is freaked. The room applauds his "this isn't the end of the road for me" speech. Montage of acceptances: Ricky Braddy,Matt Giraud, Ju'Not Joyner, Jorge Nunez, and Brent Keith. Stephen Fowler. He's through. Norman Gentle/Nick Mitchell. He offers to do anything to get through. Wash Simon's cars. Wear a bikini. The judges say they've spent a lot of time on him. He starts being serious and Kara stops him and wonders where the shtick is. Nick says his dream is if they allow him to perform as the character. He's through. He says it's unbelievable, Simon agrees. (If I was Jamar Rogers I'd be amazingly pissed off right now.) (When he returns a ton of people who've already been put through/rejected are still sitting in the room so he got through early, even more annoying). Jackie Tohn, raspy, "fun" girl. She's through and she's really excited. Tatiana Del Toro Really annoying clips. Simon asks her to try to not be annoying. She fails as she babbles about buying Paula's QVC jewelry. She's through. (Simon points out it's not unanimous. If I was Jenn Korbee I'd be amazingly pissed off right now). She screams all the way back to the room. Sing-off: Nathaniel Marshall drama king who got tons of screen time but is a so-so singer vs. Jackie Midkiff who we've never seen before but in clips seems like a good singer. Jackie sings "When a Man Loves a Woman." Kara wonders why he's in a sing-off since he's so good. Simon and Randy disagree that he's that good. We get Nathaniel's sob story and then he sings "Already There." The other guy was better but, of course, Nathaniel goes through. Jackie takes it very well. Montage of acceptances: Jeanine Vailes, Kai Kalama, Annemarie Boskovich, and Kris Allen. Sing-off between final two: Matt Breitzke, a welder vs. Michael Sarver, the roughneck. We certainly saw a whole lot more of Sarver so my money's on him, even though the early clips make it look like the other guy was better. Matt sings some bluesy song I don't recognize. Simon didn't like the song. Michael sings another song I don't know, also kinda bluesy, he's better, shows more range, and confidence. They're both through. (And clearly we weren't keeping track of the numbers).
- "American Idol" - Top Eight Performance Show - April 7, 2009 Theme: The year the contestant was born. Because of this we're going to see baby pictures throughout the night so we get to see some of the judges as well. Contestant #1: Danny Gokey Song: "Stand By Me," Ben E. King (but he's doing Mickey Gilley's version from 1980). Video: His dad told him he could sing when he was a little boy. His pictures are adorable. Performance: He looks smart in black and mauve but I'm not grooving to the slow arrangement and slightly pitchy vocalizing of this tune. The band kicks in with a little conga-driven groove, it still sounds a little off in places. But his performance is very likable and the crowd loves it. Randy: Says when he first came out he didn't love the arrangement but Danny made him love it through his vocals. Kara: Agrees about the arrangement but thought it got progressively better and unique. Paula: All can she say is wow and he's set the bar very high. She liked the arrangement. Simon: He liked the beginning, thought the middle was lazy, and the end was terrific so overall it was great. Contestant #2: Kris Allen Song: "All She Wants to Do is Dance," Don Henley (1985) Video: Also a very cute kid, unsurprisingly. His mother says they'd be just as happy if he was a taxi driver. His father's not so sure about that. Performance: What an insane choice this is - it's one of Henley's more politically-bent numbers- and what an insane semi-Latin, chopped up re-arrangement of the song. It's probably a good thing he dropped out the "molotov cocktail's the local drink" line. He's out in the pit with the people strumming a white electric guitar. The vocal is fine but it's all very bizarre. Kara: She's a huge fan and is glad he picked an uptempo but it felt like jazz-funk homework and it lost a lot of its youth. Paula: She thinks he's heartfelt and took a melodicially boring song and made it his own and he's one of the most likable contestants they've had. Simon: Likable yes, he agrees, but also indulgent, boring, and forgettable. He thinks he came over as a guitarist trying to be a singer, instead of singer and that it was a stupid song choice. Randy: Agrees the arrangement was indulgent- and thoughtfully namechecks the song's co-writer and guitarist Danny Kortchmar-and he lost Kris because of it. Contestant #3: Lil Rounds Song: "What's Love Got to Do With It," Tina Turner (1984) Video: She got her name from her grandmother Lily. She was really cute as a kid too. Performance: Strike 1: She comes out dancing like Tina in the video. Strike 2: She's dressed somewhat like Tina is in the video. Strike 3: Her version is not that special and there are a few rough notes. She looks great though, love this week's wig. Paula: Thinks she looks very hot. She hoped she would go outside the box and prove who she is an artist. She knows she's a great vocalist but wasn't a leader when it came to changing up a classic. She's worried that it's becoming a beautiful karaoke rendition. Simon: Says they're not looking for a second or third rate version of Tina Turner and notes that she came walking out like Tina. Other than some nice parts near the end he calls it a ghastly copycat version and they've lost who she is and she's not making the right impact because she's making bad choices or getting bad advice. She needs to be more original. Randy: He says she's mad talented and agrees with Simon and Paula and thinks she made a bad choice. Kara: Says it is about that leap from singer to artist. Lil looks sad. She tells Ryan she takes in everything they're saying. Contestant #4: Anoop Desai On the stools Anoop apologizes for his seeming arrogance after Kara's critique last week. He thinks he overreacted. Song: "True Colors," Cyndi Lauper (1986) Video: Very cute child. Performance: He sits on a stool and sings sincerely. He makes a few small change-ups but sings it straight in the main. And even though it's slow he definitely seems more engaged and lively. It's nice. Randy: He thought it was hot and it was a nice, controlled vocal. Kara: She says he controlled the song and not the other way around and injected a pop song with soul. Paula: Calls his song choice flawless, phrasing was beautiful, and where it sat in his voice was magical and showed his true colors. Simon: He calls him a singing yo-yo, he's down and up. Last week was abysmal but he thought it was really good and made it his own. And he tells Anoop he doesn't need to apologize. Contestant #5: Scott MacIntyre Song: "The Search is Over," Survivor (1985) Video: Also adorable. Wanted to be a train conductor as a child and played spooky music on Halloween. Performance: This song is a big guilty pleasure of mine and Scott can't hold a candle to the melodramatic power of the original. And Paula's advice to abandon the piano? Not so good as his stance with the guitar is not as assured. And oh my, some of the high notes were not pretty. Kara: She commends him for coming out and playing guitar. She wouldn't have picked that song for him and thought he had some good moments but some bad ones too. Paula: She also credits him for stepping away from the piano. She finds it odd that he played electric. He jokes it was his punk side coming out. She laughs and compliments his sense of humor but contends that the high notes at times came off screechy but overall "bravo." Simon: Suggests he go back to the piano, where he's comfortable. He says the song was horrible. And the guitar playing wasn't much better. He thought it was him trying to be somebody else. Randy: The problem for him was it was just all okay: the song, the vocals. It didn't show him as a star and he's looking for that. Scott says at least it showed he's versatile. Contestant #6: Allison Iraheta . Song: "I Can't Make Love You Me," Bonnie Raitt (1992) Video: Also? Adorable. Talked a lot as a kid and the doctor said she would be a singer. Performance: This seems a bit mature, no? Seems like something like "Thing Called Love" would've been better choice since she can't really nail the pathos of a song like this. Technically, she sounds great and relaxed though. Understated and nicely done. Paula: She thinks she's very distinctive and loved that she showed some tenderness. Simon: Thought it was very good. He says they have to sort her out and make her more likable. Randy: She reminds him so much of Kelly Clarkson who could sing her face off and so can Allison and he thinks Allison should be more engaging. Kara: Thinks it was impressive how she took adult content and made it youthful and believable. Kara wants to go make a record with her right now. Contestant #7: Matt Giraud Song: "Part-Time Lover," Stevie Wonder (1985) Video: Adorable? Check. Video of him as a child in a Christmas pagaent. Performance: The go-to trick, the slow open. He's rocking a fedora. The song has a little more spare funk bounce to it than the original that definitely sounds more timeless. This is exactly what the judges want song-wise so they should like it. His jerky movements are messing with the vocals just a tad but on the whole he sounds strong to the end. Randy: Says vocally it was one of the best of the night. Kara: Says "incredible on every level." Paula: "Two words: standing O." Simon: "A million times better than last week, well done." Contestant #8: Adam Lambert Song: "Mad World," Tears for Fears (1982) Video: His parents talk about how as a very cute kid he loved everything, books, music. And then in what may be one of the most perfectly delivered comic lines in "Idol" history his dad says: "Sports, not so much." Adam talks about enjoying dress-up and we see him in various guises: cowboy, "Phantom of the Opera" etc. All adorable. Performance: Shrouded in darkness and backlit- and doing the Gary Jules/"Donnie Darko" arrangement with an Erasure/Bronski Beat-tinge to his falsetto yearning- Adam is the picture of controlled vocals and emotions. It's a lovely, tender performance. Even better than the "Tracks of My Tears" from Motown week and leaps and bounds better his de facto histrionics. Perfect choice for him. Simon: Because they ran over time Simon is the only judge who gets to talk and he says words are unnecessary and gives him a standing ovation. Fearless bottom three prediction: Lil, Scott, and Allison (only because she's been in the bottom three for a few weeks).
- "American Idol" - "Auditions #1" - Jan. 19, 2011 The tenth season of "Idol" kicks off with a grand-- and long-- introduction of new judges, Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez, and mentor Jimmy Iovine. And, oh yeah, Randy's back too dawg. Ryan tells us that 125,000 people auditioned and claims that winning "American Idol" is the country's "most illustrious prize in music." Um, okay. I think the Grammys might have something to say about that. Eventually, we get to the actual first audition in New Jersey. Constantine Maroulis introduces Ryan at the Meadowlands. We get lots of Jersey-related stuff in terms of lingo, fashion, and hairdos. And the singing begins. We start with Rachel Zevita whom JLo claims she remembers from her season 6 audition. It was oddly operatic but she was put through, only to get cut on the first day of Hollywood. She sings Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," and again gets put through with three yes's. Next up Caleb Hawley a mopt top young man from New York. He sings "Hallelujah, I Love Her So" and Steven Tyler provides percussive back up and sings along and gives one of patented screams. He goes through with three yes's. Kenzie Palmer a 15-year-old musical theatre fan who goes to performing arts high school sings Carrie Underwood's "We're Young and Beautiful" and impresses JLo but Steven and Randy think she needs more pizazz. Ultimately she gets three yes's and a golden ticket. We get a quick montage of three golden ticket winners to whom we are not introduced. Then a woman named Achille Lovle comes in and sings a very unwieldy, Grace Jones-ish version of Madonna's "Dress You Up," that falls way flat and the no's are unanimous. During a break Jennifer admits that it's hard saying no, especially to the ones who "really, really believe." We get a lesson in how to tease hair from Tiffany Rios JLo's biggest fan. She cries when she gets in the room with her and starts talking about the inspirational "Selena." JLo hugs her. She finally sings, a goofy original song about getting put through to the next round and unveils mirrored stars on her bikini top. She sounds so-so but the gimmicky stuff is awful. She gets a chance to sing another song- Celine Dion's "Power of Love"-- and is marginally better and hits some decent notes and some horrific ones. She gets a unanimous golden ticket with the caveat that it should be less about gimmicky boob stuff and more about singing. Steven likes her energy. We get a montage of a bunch of bad singers and people begging, especially the softie JLo. She finally starts getting the hang of "no." We meet 16-year-old Robbie Rosen who was afflicted by a disease that put him in a wheelchair for a period of time as a toddler. He's always dreamed about being on "Idol." He sings "Yesterday" by the Beatles, and impresses them all, especially Steven, and gets a unanimous put through. We get a montage of contestants talking about being excited to meet the various judges. And then a montage of 62-year-old Steven Tyler ogling young, hot contestants. Chris Cordeiro is up next. He's an 18-year-old Boy Scout, excited about becoming an Eagle Scout. He comes in very sort of preppy and goofy-looking and then he sings a bizarre version of Frank Sinatra's "My Way" that does not work. Oddly, they intercut it with his mother singing the same song at the prompting of Ryan outside the room and she sounds a lot better than her son. JLo asks Randy how he did this for ten years and Steven makes sad trombone noises. We get a montage of the judges finally getting a handle on saying no. We meet Michael Perotto who burps when he gets nervous. He's also not a good singer and gets three no's for his "Proud Mary." Tyler quotes "Cool Hand Luke" about a "failure to communicate." He walks out saying "ouch" and saying he's not going to give up even though he got three no's. The world's biggest Britney Spears fan Ashley Sullivan is full of spunk and is very brassy, if overpowering the room. JLo says she belongs on Broadway. Ashley wants to be the first "showtune pop star." She begs and pleads and cries. And, JLo and Steven put her through. Randy calls them insane. Steven says he's going to personally work Ashley into something good. A sweet southern 16-and-three-quarters-year-old named Victoria Huggins charms the judges with her twang, pageant enthusiasm and version of "Midnight Train to Georgia." That's three yes's. We get the dramatic story of Kosovo native Melinda Ademi and her refugee parents, who escaped the war-torn nation. She sings Alicia Keys' "If I Ain't Go You" and gets the unanimous golden ticket. We move on to the second day of New Jersey auditions. Devin Rush, a singing waitress in Times Square sings "God Bless the Child" and gets pretty funky and groovy with it. Steven calls it delicious. Randy says she has the right amount of sauce. JLo says her voice is the star and she needs to start acting and dressing that way. Then a montage of a couple of bad singers. And then a full audition from a really bad singer and former Michael Jackson-impersonator named Yoji "Pop" Asano. He does a disastrous version of "Party in the U.S.A." by Miley Cyrus. And then we get a montage of bad singers singing "Party in the U.S.A." Another montage of terrible singers. Staten Island native Brielle Von Hugel really loves her dad who was in a doo-wop group. He had cancer and she helped him through it. Apparently, her "Endless Love" is enough to get her through after the judges ask her to bring her dad in. We get a montage of the sad and rejected. The final contestant is, of course, a heartwarming story about a teen. Travis Orlando grew up in a gang/crime/drug-infested part of the Bronx and he spent time in a shelter. And of course, he sings the Beatles "Eleanor Rigby" and Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours" well enough to get put through with three yes's. We get a montage of some of the 51 others who got golden tickets.
- 'American Idol" - Semifinalist Girls Perform- Feb. 29, 2012 Contestant: Chelsea Sorrell She's from a two-stoplight town in North Carolina.. She fishes and hunts. We meet her mama. Song:"Cowboy Casanova," Carrie Underwood Performance: She's cute and sparkly and pretty polished.Not specutacular but well done. Randy: Welcomes her and says she can definitely sing but wasn't sure it was the best song choice in order to separate herself out. JLo: Is a huge fan from the beginning and she felt the song made her sound nasally which wasn't something she'd heard before. She wants her to loosen up. Steven: Tells her to watch her phrasing and timing but that she sang good. Contestant:Erika Van Pelt She takes us home to Rhode Island and meet her mom and her sister. Song: "What About Love," Heart Performance: She's straightened her hair and it looks great. Great song choice and she sounds good, not showing off a ton of range but good power and presence. Steven: Thinks it was beautiful and magical and thinks her confidence breathes wings into the song. JLo: Likes watching her be comfortable and thinks she can let loose even more. Randy: Also loved her confidence and called it an Adele vibe. Contestant: Jen Hirsh We go with her to her apartment in Agoura Hills, CA and meet her dog Sadie and her boyfriend Jason and see her family's vineyard. Song: "One and Only," Adele Performance: It's a piano ballad and she builds in confidence and strength. She's got great control of her notes as well. The song is kind of limp but she hits some big notes well near the end. Jlo: Liked that she let loose and the feeling of the song. Steven: Also likes her confidence and thinks she has what it takes. Randy: Has loved her since day one and her runs and she's one of greatest singers in the competition this year. Randy admits that they were a little lenient on the guys last night after watching the show back. Contestant: Brielle Von Hugel She says she's a typical teen from Staten Island. We see her school and her cheer squad. Song: "Dock of the Bay," Otis Redding Performance: She starts out sitting on the edge of the stage serenading the boys. It seems pitched a little low for her throughout the first verse. She takes it up on the second and it's a bit jarring and shrill. She can obviously sing there's just something odd about the performance. It's a weird song choice too. Steven: Loved it and thinks she has a great sense of the blues. JLo: Loves she's a true performer and eats up the stage. Randy: He thought it was too low in the beginning but liked when she hit the sweet spot in the middle. He was surprised by her swagger. Contestant: Hallie Day We go with Hallie to Baltimore and her waitressing job and meet her husband and his family in New Hampshire. Song: "Feelin' Good," (many people, notably) Nina Simone Performance: She looks lovely and starts off slow and jazzy and sultry. She gets into it as the tempo picks up and hits a confident last note. JLo: Thougt it had some beautiful moments and thought she looked like a star. Steven: Thinks she's beautiful and loves her old-timey voice...like Adele. Randy: Asks what she wants to do? She says she wants to sing soul music. He brings up Lana Del Ray and Adele and wonders where she fits with her big amazing voice. Contestant:Skylar Lane We got mudding with her in Mississippi and meet her BFF and she loves living in a small town. We revisit her struggling family store. Song: "Stay With Me," The Faces Performance: She brings the twang. She's wearing a cute sparkly dress and seems confident but she's pushing too hard on that growly voice thing for my taste. She really gets into it in an authentic way though which is refreshing. The last big note is a little rough but she commits Randy: Loves that she's a rocking performing country girl. Like Reba mixed with Kelly Clarkson and Tina Turner adds JLo. JLo: She loves her energy and twang and that it was all brand new. Steven: Says she was on fire and a pistol and made Galveston proud. Contestant:Baylie Brown We visit the horse in her barn and see the high school where she was a cheerleader. We meet her grandpa who wants to fatten her up. Song: "Amazed," Lonestar Performance: She starts off very wobbly pitch-wise. It doesn't improve a whole lot until she gets to belting part of the chorus and even then it's not, um, amazing. This is her worst performance by far. She's smiling through it but she seems like she knows she's struggling. It sounds like her nerves may be pinching her voice. Steven: Doesn't like the song choice and didn't think it was her best performance but he thinks she's pretty. JLo: Agrees that it could've been better and she didn't have control but she's beautiful. Randy: Thought it was good but not great, kind of shaky and never in control. Contestant:Hollie Cavanagh She takes us to her home in Texas and meet her supportive family and cute dog. Song: "Reflection," Christina Aguilera Performance: It starts off oddly, maybe pitched a little too low and Hollie swallowing the ends of her phrases and seeming very serious for such a young girl. As usual, the belting chorus sounds stronger and gets better as she goes along and her face is very expressive.She's got a great, big voice. Steven: Thought she was perfect and beautiful and hits the notes just right. JLo: Thinks she can win it. Agrees with Steven that she should let her hair down. Randy: Says she's one of their favorites and agrees she could've let go more. He says it wasn't all perfect but the parts that were genius were brilliant. Contestant:Haley Johnson She's from Oregon. We meet her cat. We see the rain in Oregon and the coffee shop she used to work at as a barista. We see her doing crazy gymnastic flips. Song: 'Sweet Dreams," Eurythmics Performance: She has a pretty alto at the beginning and then slides up to higher notes. She seems to be going for an unbridled a Florence + the Machine vibe but it's a little shouty and there are several big pitch problems.It's vocaly flailing but she's definitely committed and has good stage presence. JLo: Hopes America could hear all the special things she could do with her voice but she didn't love the song choice. Steven: Says it wasn't perfect and she pulled it through and the money shots were spot on. Randy: Says it was a bit of a nightmare instead of a dream. (Yay, a real criticism.) He says she wasn't spot on and he was a little dizzy. Contestant: Shannon Magrane Ryan tries to bait Shannon's dad into fighting Steven over his audition comment. Then we go home with Shannon to her home in Tampa and check her out playing volleyball and doing homework. Song: "Go Light Your World," Kathy Troccoli Performance: She's wearing a beautiful white gown but has a kind of beauty pageant about her. The song starts slow, low, and shaky. There are both good and shaky parts, the song-- a big generic contemporary Christian anthem-- is pretty terrible. She's adorable and impassioned though. Randy: Says she came out swinging and thinks she's got a lot of promise. He's a fan. JLo: Can't believe how much passion she sings with at 16. She got goosies. Steven: He says his reality check bounced and she took it to another leve. Contestant:Jessica Sanchez She sits with Ryan and talks about how her vocal cords were inflamed and that she's nervous. Then we see her video trip home to San Diego. She goes to the mall. (She's 16). Song: "Love You I Do," Jennifer Hudson (from "Dreamgirls") Performance:Again it starts out low and a little shaky but gets better as the notes ascend and get more powerful. For someone worried about her vocal cords she seems very confident and does a lot of what is probably ill-advised growling. She ends on a big, strong money note and earns a standing O from the judges. Randy: He believes she can really sing, regardless of whatever's going on with her doctor. JLo: Loves her swag, attitude, and moves and the punctuation of her body on the ends of her phrases. Steven: Says she has exceptional timing and her pitch is perfect. Contestant:Elise Testone We go home with her to Charleston, SC.She loves it. We also see her visit her parents in New Jersey. Song: "One and Only," Adele Performance: Yes, this is the song Jen Hirsh sang. Elise sings it at the piano and is immediately much stronger and brings a lot more soul and heft to the song. Jen was good. Elise was great. Steven: Says she blew out of the water. JLo: Was impressed by her unique tone and thinks she may be the best singer on the show. Randy: He hopes America gets her and she's a force to be reckoned with. My guess for who's getting the boot: Shannon, Baylie, Haley, Chelsea, Brielle, and Jen, and that Jen will be brought back as a wild card.
- The 2016 Ferrari Challenge heads to the iconic Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans. The 13.629 kilometer track with a total of 38 turns is not only host to the famous 24 hours race, but also the third round of the Ferrari Challenge. This time the race novices from the Trofeo Pirelli and the professional drivers from the Copa Shell will start together in one single race.
- 2002– 42mTV-PG5.8 (38)TV Episode"American Idol" - Top 8 Results Show - April 8, 2009 Ryan banters with the judges. Randy was disappointed with last night's performances. Kara thinks some early frontrunners are having an identity crisis and others are very sure of themselves. We get a joke baby picture of Simon and Paula. Ryan shows us a clip of a number one song the year Simon was born. It's Frankie Avalon singing "Venus." Avalon shows up in real-life to finish the song and reveal that Simon was born in 1959. In the audience: Mario Lopez; the mayor of Kalamazoo, MI; Group Lip-Synch: "Can't Get You Out of My Head," Kylie Minogue. Wow, it actually sounds like they're singing tonight. Scott's doing an excellent job of navigating the stage, steps and all. Clip package: Behind the scenes of a Ford commercial shoot. The theme is magic at an old theatre in downtown L.A. Ford Commercial: "Circus," Britney Spears. The theme is magic, they make cars disappear. Results:Adam and Kris are safe and Anoop is in the bottom 3. Performance: Flo Rida, "Right Round." Dead or Alive hook, live chick singer, bouncing, confetti. Proof that some people, no matter how good they may be in studio should never sing live. Almost as bad as Lady GaGa from the previous week. Results: Danny, Matt, and Allison are safe and Scott and Lil are in the bottom three. Performance: Kellie Pickler, "Best Days Of Your Life." Wow, how lucky was Pickler. She's adorable and looks amazing but her singing leaves much to be desired. (But the song "I Wonder" on her first album is really touching). Going Home: Scott (Ryan tells us that only 30,000 votes separated the two of them out of 34 million votes). He sang MUCH better tonight. Simon said the panel was split down the middle but tells him that alas, it's his time to go.
- "American Idol" - Top Seven Finalists Perform - April 14, 2009 Theme: Movie Songs In the audience: Little Steven Van Zandt; Katie Couric; Quentin Tarantino who is tonight's mentor. Video Package: We get an overview of Tarantino's career. He's an admittedly "avid" fan of the show. They show us the film music studio where he'll mentor the kids. He thinks it's a good group. In a change-up tonight they only have two judges critique each performance in an effort- futile as it turns out- to come in on time. Also the band is onstage tonight. Contestant #1: Allison Iraheta Song: "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing," Aerosmith (from "Armageddon") Video: Quentin Tarantino elicits what he thinks is a great performance from Allison simply by sitting down and asking her to sing again. She felt like she was auditioning for one of his movies. Performance: It's not her best performance, the low parts in the beginning are sort of breathy and the power bits are a little heaving. She puts her back into it though. The crowd loves it. Paula: She says she has vocally championed Adam but Allison has the same special sauce. She rhapsodizes about her skills. Simon: He says he thinks it was barbecue sauce Paula was referring to and says she's the girls' only hope in the competition and she's getting stronger and more confident. Contestant #2: Anoop Desai Song: "Everything I Do (I Do It For You)," Bryan Adams (from "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves") Video:Quentin wants him to dig deep and rough it up vocally and kill the audience with a big vocal. Performance: He doesn't really take Q's advice, and goes with a pretty straightforward, earnest performance. He hits some rough notes ending the verse and going into the chorus but recovers. Randy: He thought it was going to be rough but he thinks he's found the zone in the last couple of weeks and he's rocking the house and it was in tune and it had some emotion jumping off. He thought it was really good. Kara: She agrees he's found his place in pop songs and adding his soul to it. Thinks it was one of his best vocals and she really felt connected to him. Contestant #3: Adam Lambert Song: "Born to Be Wild," Steppenwolf (from "Easy Rider") Video: Q is excited to see what Adam is going to do for his funky arrangement this week. For some reason he only gets to see a little bit and remains excited about getting surprised. Q thinks he's the real deal. Performance: He does a campy electro version of the song. Sort of a "bad boy" Scissor Sisters take of the tune. He attempts some headbanging. It ends in an incredibly silly, overwrought faux metal screamathon. Again, his technique, control, stage presence, and range are incredibly impressive but it's cartoony when he goes up into the new wave of British heavy metal/hair band shriek. He is super-likable though and has an adorable smile and laugh at the end. Paula: Stands up and hoots and says he dares to dance in the path of greatness and that fortune rewards the brave and he's one of the bravest contestants she's ever witnessed. Simon: He says vocally it was incredible but the downside was that it was a little like watching the "Rocky Horror Picture Show" musical in parts. Simon opines that it probably won't be as popular as last week since it will probably split the audience. He says he liked it but that last week was more original and current. Contestant #4: Matt Giraud Song: "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman," Bryan Adams ( from "Don Juan DeMarco") Video: Q thinks it will be one of Matt's top 3 performances. Matt loves the song. Q tells him to not lose the enunciation of the lyrics. Performance: Matt sits at the piano and sings it all sing-song and earnestly to begin. Then the band and strings kick in. There are a few pitch issues but he does seem really in the moment. He gets a little choppy in the bridge and his falsetto falters a bit. He ends nicely though with a trilling falsetto. Randy: Thinks it started cool but hit a rough patch at the bridge for him. He thinks that you shouldn't do "all that stuff" with a really simple melody. Doesn't think it was one of his best performances. Kara: She calls it the struggle - rock vs. soul - and she appreciates that he tried to soul it up but in doing so he took away some of the core melodies. Contestant #5: Danny Gokey Song: "Endless Love," Lionel Richie/Diana Ross (from "Endless Love") Video: Danny loves this song. Q wants him to keep the hand gestures to the minimum so the power of his emotion can come out of his eyes and not dissipate out of his fingers. Performance: He's using hand gestures right away and he hits a very odd note near the beginning. He recovers from that and it's a typically fine vocal performance but he can't stop his hands to save his life. Also, no glasses tonight. Paula: She was worried about the key at the beginning but thinks he pulled it together in the middle and that it was beautiful. Simon: Can't fault the way he sang the song but is disappointed by the boring arrangement. Having said that he thinks the song clearly means a lot to Danny personally - given the subject matter and the death of his wife- so he congratulates him for that. Contestant #6: Kris Allen Song: "Falling Slowly," Glenn Hansard and Marketa Irglova (from "Once") Video: Thinks he lived up to the spirit of the competition the most because he picked a song from a movie that meant something to him. Q suggests playing an instrument... or not. Performance: He decides against playing and is a little shaky to begin with since sustain is not his strong suit in his low register. The female backing vocalist comes in and outshines him. He's clearly connected to the song emotionally and it gets stronger as it builds and he hits a lovely falsetto note. The second half of this might be my favorite performance of his yet. Randy: It never quite caught on for him even though he loves the song. For him it was pitchy from note one. Kara: She thought it was a risk to pick an obscure song but she thought it was one of his best moments ever. Contestant #7: Lil Rounds Song: "The Rose," Bette Midler (from "The Rose") Video: Q's a big fan of Lil's and was thrilled to meet her. He likes how she switches in the middle from a more straightforward cover to a gospelized version. Performance: She looks great. You know what that means. It starts okay but then it goes all over the place, flat, sharp, occasionally in tune. It's messy especially after the switch. It was like she couldn't hear herself. I'm also beginning to think her nerves get the better of her. Paula: She compliments the song and paraphrases the lyrics, saying the road is long. She essentially says nothing. Simon: Thinks she's getting it completely wrong: the song was too soft and middle-of-the-road. It had some nice moments but was not right for her and she is not the artist that they met 7 or 8 weeks ago. Lil tries to talk back saying that they tell her to be an artist and when she heard the song she thought it was beautiful and tried to add her own R&B spin to it. Simon responds that it was a Bette Midler song. She says that she knows Bette Midler is not an artist you'd picture Lil singing but that she put an R&B feel to it. Paula tells her to not be afraid to say what she feels. Bottom Three prediction: Matt, Lil, and Anoop
- "American Idol" - Top Seven Results - April 14, 2009 Ford Commercial: "Freeze Frame," J. Geils Band. The gang dances and sings the song on the covers of magazines. Group Sing: "Maniac," Michael Sembello. They're still singing live and it sounds fine. Kris and Allison attack the judges. Anoop almost trips on the stair. Matt meets them on the platform behind the judges. Kara and Paula are rocking out. Adam and Danny join in from the balconies. Lil struts across the stage where they all do the high school musical thing. Video Package: We watch the gang attend the "17 Again" premiere. Zac Efron is in the audience. Results: Allison and Adam are safe. Anoop is in the bottom three. Video Package: We get a recap of Jennifer Hudson's career from "Idol" to "Dreamgirl" to her solo album. Performance: Jennifer Hudson, "If This Isn't Love." She looks great and she sounds wonderful. The song's not amazing but it's got a good hook and she's making the most of it. (She's singing to a track though. Her band couldn't make it?) She and Ryan banter about the Grammys and her current tour with Robin Thicke. Results: Kris is safe, Lil and Matt are in the bottom three. (Simon, since he didn't get to talk the night before tells Kris he was brilliant.) Anoop is sent to safety. Performance: Miley Cyrus, "The Climb." Shrouded in fog, Miley sings her song about self-empowerment and enjoying the journey. She sounds fine, better than some of the contestants did last night. No reference at all to "Hannah Montana" despite the fact that "The Climb" is from the "Hannah Montana the Movie" soundtrack AND that movie's in theaters now. Going Home: No one. The judges use their save on Matt. As the others come to hug him Simon points out the downside. Next week two people will go home and it's disco week.
- 2002– 42mTV-PG5.8 (45)TV Episode"American Idol" - Final Four Results Show - May 6, 2009 Ford Commercial: "Move Along." The Idols are on billboards and magazine covers and come to life in one dimensional form and get in a Ford and drive away. Group Sing: "School's Out," Alice Cooper. The kids are in over their heads and are drowned out by Slash and his merry band of turn it up to 11-heads. Even Adam and Allison who get a nice moment going can't be heard over Slash's guitar riffing. In Kris and Danny's case this is probably a good thing. Slash was impressed by the kids last night. Slash is working on his new record which will have a different famous, great singer on every track. With time to kill they talk about last night: Kris is humble, Adam had fun with Zep and his outfit, Danny laughed at his crazy last note, Allison was ready to talk back. Video Package: Paula Abdul career recap in preparation for her first ever performance on "Idol." Performance: "Im Just Here for the Music," Paula Abdul. Wow, it takes some sweet nerve to lip synch on this show as a judge, right? She's still very limber if understandably a little slower moving. Oh look, now she has two microphones she's not using. It's a forgettable, throwback, Prince-ly dance jam with Paula being bounced around by a bunch of male dancers. In Paula fashion, I'm happy to sincerely say she looks amazing. After the break Ryan asks why now? Paula says it's the most undeniable happy place to be, onstage. Performance: "Just a Girl," No Doubt. Speaking of throwbacks. In an effort to promote their upcoming summer tour the ska-popsters return. She looks great and does a little call and response with the audience. Ryan tells us there were 64 million votes cast. Video Package: We get a look at previous visits home, which is what the top 3 get. Results: Kris is safe. Video Package: We get a recap of Chris Daughtry's career from "Idol" to the present. Performance: "No Surprise," Daughtry. The first single from their forthcoming sophomore album it's a strong song which will be a strong song throughout the year, It could even be a #1 hit on Billboard Top 200. Simon, Kara, Paula and Randy gave him a standing ovation. Ryan has Kris present him with a plaque signifying that the band's first album has gone quintuple platinum. (5 million in sales). Bottom Two: Allison and Danny. Going Home: Allison. All the judges stand for her and cheer. She sings "Cry, Baby" again, she goes down to the judges and the crowd.
- 2002– 42mTV-PG5.8 (47)TV Episode"American Idol" - Top 3 Results Show- May 13, 2009 Ryan tells us that only one million votes separate the top two vote-getters. In the Audience: Kevin Bacon; David Alan Grier; the rest of the top ten Ford Commercial: "Break My Stride," Matthew Wilder. The boys are cartoon characters and then they're real, tooling around in a, you guessed it, Ford. Alicia Keys is in the house to ask us to pledge money via text to aid Africa and introduce us to Noah from Rwanda who wants to make an album to help those afflicted by HIV/AIDS in his country. He comes out and sings "I'm The World's Greatest." He is lip synching but he's adorable. Video Package: Gokey's Hometown Visit to Milwaukee The standard issue visit: police escort, screaming fans, Fox morning show appearance, screaming fans, radio show appearances, screaming fans, a reunion with good buddy Jamar, parade, screaming fans, show, screaming fans, Mayor declares it Danny Gokey day, first pitch, screaming fans, teary limo ride. Lather, rinse, and repeat below. Results: He recaps Danny's performances from last night...and then sends him to the couches without telling him who's in the finale. Video Package: Kris' Hometown Visit to Little Rock Yup, same stuff. He actually goes home to his parents' house and greets his own big family on the lawn and he hugs his dad tight. It's sweet. We actually get a shot of him singing "Falling Slowly." So far, numbers-wise it seems like Kris is winning the hometown visit derby. Again Ryan sends Kris to the couch, results-free. Performance: Jordin Sparks, "Battlefield." Ryan Tedder, co-songwriter, is playing piano in the band. It's a Ryan Tedder special: piano, surging midtempo rhythm track and Jordin kills it all intense-like. Video Package: Adam's Hometown Visit to San Diego Same stuff, except he had a streaker. And he went to sing for the Marines, which is nice. Kris is definitely the hometown visit derby winner. Ryan sends Adam to the couch. Danny wants to get it over with, Adam wants to see Katy Perry. Performance: Katy Perry, "Waking Up in Vegas." Katy is rocking an Elvis-like leotard jumpsuit with a cape that reads "Adam Lambert" on the back. She's surrounded by Vegas-style fan dancers. Not a great singer but very cute. Going Home: In something of an upset, Danny Gokey. And the final face-off will be as it should be. Gokey watches his journey and takes to the microphone again for "You Are So Beautiful."
- "American Idol" - "Hollywood Round No. 2" - Feb. 4, 2009 We are down to 107 contestants and Ryan tells us that there will be tears, triumph, and tragedy in the group round. We get a recap of Round 1. The contestants split into groups but there are a few strays. Including the giggly Tatiana, who takes over the group she joins and gets all bossy and then all desperate and dramatic. She goes to try and work with a new group and while Kristin is accepting, Nancy and Nathaniel don't want her. We watch the groups rehearse. Some are happy, some are not, like Rose, who is in a group with Bikini Girl who she is clearly not on the same wavelength with. The two best friends Danny and Jamar are enjoying their group and sound good. At 1 a.m. some groups are still rehearsing, others going to bed, and Tatiana is having second thoughts about the group she bullied her way into. She tries to reconnect to her old group. The second group gets mad at her for leaving them and comes to yell at her. Tatiana apologizes. It's 2:30 and the group Tatiana left is trying to rehearse and have fun. The one she rejoined is trying to come up with choreography. She starts to fight with one of her group members, who realizes Tatiana's psycho. Back at group she tried to join they are fighting about taking a break. Nancy is yelling at Kristin, who is mad about the drama. Nancy keeps yelling saying Kristin clearly doesn't want it as bad as everyone else making Kristin cry, Nathaniel stands in the background incredulous. Rose's group is mad that Bikini Girl wants to go to bed instead of rehearsing. Bikini Girl goes to bed and cries. It's 4 a.m. and the Nancy-Nathaniel-Kristin triad is all atwitter. Nathaniel is crying about everyone's dreams, Nancy is mad about taking a break, Kristin doesn't want the drama, she just wants to rest her voice since she's been singing all day. It's 7 a.m. as the contestants awake. Contestants talk about how little sleep they got. Folks rehearse. The Rose group goes to find Katrina. Her roommate answers the door and informs them that Katrina's not feeling well and doesn't want to see anybody. (The other two girls in this group are never introduced so I'm guessing they don't make it through and Rose does). The Kristin-Nancy-Nathaniel group is still splintered and worried. The Rose group tries to rouse Katrina. They can't. She quits. Rose tells her to have a fun trip home and tells the cameras that she can't believe someone would give up such a big opportunity. The groups practice with an accompanist, it's not going well. The happy groups dance and hug and rehearse, including Tatiana's group who are all happy now. Someone calls roll and Rose tells them that Katrina quit. We cut to Katrina, fully dressed and making her way to the ballroom, exhausted. Her "strategy" when going up to her group is to be honest. She flops down and joins them, they look annoyed. She asks them to teach her what she missed. They get up and walk away from her. Rose tells the cameras that they will be that group who is a train wreck. They are all seated in the theatre nervous. The judges arrive and Simon informs them: "forget the words, you're out." Of course, this makes them worried about forgetting the words. The first group starts with beatboxing, rapping, and a fun quartet version of the Jackson 5's "I Want you Back." The three boys sounded okay but the girl didn't do much actual singing. It was a great upbeat performance though and all four are through. They show us a montage of groups mangling "Get Ready"by the Temptations and messing up the words and choreography. A few from each group make it including Jorge and Nick. The next group is the "Action Squad" and they sing "Don't Stop" by Fleetwood Mac. It's kind of hokey and some are better than others, Ryan is particularly good. They all mess up the words though. They send away Ryan and Emily, who were much better than their counterparts who got to stay. Emily cries and hugs people on the way out. Ryan feels manipulated and insulted. We get a montage of groups and Simon complaints and insults. Sample: "A succession of horrors." The Danny and Jamar group- which includes two girls- are doing "Somebody to Love" by Queen a cappella. They kill it. Randy liked the harmonies and Simon liked that it was a cappella. They all get through. We see a mixture of groups doing "Some Kind of Wonderful," and most the singers they show us are varying degrees of good. We see Rose's group, Team Diva, rehearsing. Apparently they patched it up with Bikini Girl and Rose is feeling more confident. They take the stage and sing "Mercy"- Lauren sounds good, Jasmine is great, Bikini Girl actually isn't that bad, but Rose totally blows it, muffing the words and flailing around. Simon says he can guarantee that they didn't work together. Lauren tries to explain their woes but Simon tells her to name names. Lauren says she and Jasmine stayed up. Bikini Girl becomes a fountain of excuses: in heels since 5 a.m., up til 3.a.m., scoliosis. Simon calls it a good excuse, but then says he's kidding and yells at her and asks who's to blame. Only Jasmine makes it. Rose hugs her. Bikini Girl walks by with a little wave. Kara says she must be ready for her close up and calls her something that Fox censors. The girls debrief and when Lauren tries to say that some didn't have a good work ethic, Katrina gets mad, stalks away and calls them "fake girls." (How quickly will she be hitting the cover of "Playboy"?) Then they try a group hug which Katrina says she won't be part of. Rose walks away crying saying she hated her group. (Lauren and Jasmine too?) . We get a montage of the rejects including the Osmond boy and other people we met. It's time for the last two groups, the ones spotlighted from the night before- Crazy Tatiana and Nancy-Nathaniel-Kristin. The Tatiana group does "I Want You Back" - they only show us two of the singers- they sound pretty marginal. Tatiana keeps singing after they finish the audition which the judges put a stop to. They put them all through. Tatiana melts down afterwards thanking God and everyone involved with the show in a psychotic burst of teary histrionics. It's finally time for Team Compromise, who have a little prayer circle before they go on. They explain that they are not friends. They sing "Mercy" by Duffy. Nathaniel is very flamboyant. Nancy is sassy and prety good but muffs the words. Kristin isn't bad either and hits a crazy note. Simon thinks the girls were sabotaging the back-ups, the judges say it was uncomfortable. He says one girl is safe and one isn't. Nancy cries. Paula is sad everyone is sad. Kristin and Nathaniel are through, Nancy is out. Nancy cusses out Kristin on the way out. She goes in the back to cry. She should be crying because she was better than plenty of people they put through. We see a montage of rejects- including free, dancing naked girl- crying as they get the news. And then a montage of folks they put through celebrating.
- The "American Idol" auditions landed in Milwaukee, Wisc., for the first time in 10 seasons (yes, that's "ever"). And Season 8 favorite and Milwaukee native Danny Gokey was on hand to help excite the crowd. But the first big audition of the night was a 16-year-old baseball player from Garner, N.C., named Scotty McCreery gave some good, old-fashioned, deep-voiced country vibes that made Jennifer Lopez smile. Scotty's audition prompts Steven Tyler's previously teased quip, "Will hellfire save matches, (bleep) a duck and see what hatches." Steven is surprised to learn he can't say that on TV, while Scotty moves on to Hollywood. An awkward-looking fellow in a red polo shirt, khaki shorts and sandals named Joe Repka is an aspiring radio disc jockey and gets some pointers from Ryan Seacrest before his audition. He's a charming enough guy who seems to be up for a beating from the judges. And he is. After much buildup, he gives a wildly off-key rendition of Billy Joel's "For the Longest Time." He's panned, but the judges encourage him to stick with the radio gig. A 15-year-old girl from Littleton, Colo., drove her family most of the distance from her hometown to Milwaukee. She recalls being 5 when she watched Kelly Clarkson win Season 1. Emma Henry sings Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors" with a bit of a raspy, bluesy voice that seems to captivate the judges. Steven doesn't know why, but says he loves it because it's "got a lot of character." Jennifer tells her to keep working on her "special quality" and "tone that nobody else has." Randy isn't sure she's yet ready, but doesn't make an official vote. Jennifer says no, but Steven says yes. When it's down to Randy, she cries and he tells her he's worried she'll "get swallowed up" in the competition. With a bit of encouragement from Steven, Randy tells her she's got another shot and send her on to Hollywood. After Emma leaves the room, Jennifer tells Randy his first instinct was right and that Emma will "get eaten up in this competition." A montage of four awful singers, including a guy who did a little martial arts routine to his version of Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" and later asked Randy for a sip of his Coke Zero. Apparently, Milwaukee is home to one of the world's biggest music festivals, called "Summerfest." Singer Naima Adedapo, 25, works maintenance at the event, cleaning up the grounds, but hopes to one day grace a stage and provide for her daughter with a singing career, crying as she talks about this dream. She sings Donny Hathaway's "For All We Know." A strong, smooth voice, Jennifer and Randy like her, and Steven says she's "all that." She's through to Hollywood. We got a little glimpse into the "rift" between J.Lo and Seacrest as they joked about how they can't stand each other and their ways, just before watching a cameraman gets stomped in the face while trying to film a guy doing a backflip over him. What followed was brief montage of two singers, including a 54-year-old dentist with an oversized toothbrush. A bar mitzvah singer from New York named Jerome Bell, 27, put forth a smooth, soulful rendition of Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On." The judges were excited and completely in agreement that he's going to Hollywood. A 15-year-old name Thia Megia flew out from California to Wisconsin because she couldn't stand waiting until the auditions hit the west coast. She tells Randy she's been seeing him on TV since before she knew how to read. She sings Adele's "Chasing Pavements." Steven and Jennifer give dreamy smiles while she sings and both say yes, along with Randy, and Thia's going to Hollywood. Ryan then tells us that every 15-year-old who walked into the judges' audition room walked out with a ticket. A Civil War re-enactor named Nathaniel Jones strongly shares his feeling that his father is "not a hippie" (despite his long beard and bandana) because "hippies believe in sex." Dressed in his full Civil War regalia, Steven says it was "outstanding," and after Randy laughs Steven says he isn't sure it's right for "American Idol." Jennifer says no and Randy agrees, saying, "We kind of got the measure of what you are." Mason Wilkinson, a 23-year-old construction worker, has trouble facing the judges before he starts singing. He turns his back to them for a moment -- a long moment, which doesn't let up ... for a while... and then... after much delay... he... finally... starts singing. And he's terrible. Molly DeWolf Swensen, a White House intern and Harvard graduate from Seattle, tells Randy he punched her in the face (and there is video evidence, which is quite hilarious and shown twice). She sings Otis Redding's "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay." Steven loves it and Jennifer says she loved Molly's lower pitch. With three yes votes, she's off to Hollywood and Randy tells her to "tell Obama we need you!" Even more good fortune: They show the replay of Randy punching her in the face once again. After a successful Day 1 in Milwaukee, the judges happily bounce into the audition room for Day 2. Haley Reinhart, an 18-year-old who was bounced by the judges last season, Randy, the only judge on hand to send her packing last year, is the first to say yes this time, and he's followed by an enthusiastic Jennifer and Steven, and Haley is Hollywood-bound. Tiwan Strong, a 29-year-old day care teacher, gives an energetic rendition of "Twistin' the Night Away." Steven says he sees a sparkle in Tiwan's eyes, Randy likes it and Jennifer is thinking about it for a moment before voting yes. A certified public accountant and auditor named Steve Beghun, 27, says he doesn't have many friends because of his occupation. Steve hits a high note that reverberates and Steven says he's "disturbingly great," just before the rest of the judges agree to send him to Hollywood. He tears up as he walks away looking at his golden ticket. Vernika Patterson, 20, tries to sing "Loving You" but trips up because, as she says, "the lady's looking at me." She's talking about Jennifer, who agrees to look away. Jennifer and Steven tell her it isn't going to work, and Vernika gets upset and asks whether it's because she's "not skinny like these other girls." She walks right by Seacrest outside the audition room and continues to insist she can sing better than half of the contestants (still, that leaves roughly 50,000, right?). Albert Rogers III, 24, does a half-decent Barack Obama impression before stepping in front of the judges. Steven tries to be nice, saying he likes it but it's not for the show. Randy says it was "terrible, and a joke." Scott Dangerfield, a 22-year-old student teacher, is mocked a bit by the judges for his vivid red lips. He's a somewhat awkward looking dude, but his bluesy voice earns praise from Jennifer, who says he might be one of her favorites. Randy and Steven say yes and Scott is heading to Hollywood. After a quick ode to the Green Bay Packers, Megan Frazier proves she's not quite as good of a pop singer as she is a Packers fan. She sings an operatic version of Justin Bieber's "Baby." Randy admits he's long been looking for a self-composed opera version of Justin Bieber. A rocker chick named Alyson Jados, 26, walks in and Steven is in awe, saying, "You look like you could be one of my ---" He stops himself before adding, "nope, can't say it." Before going into the room, she said she'd lose it if Steven sent her to Hollywood. Steven gives her a hug. She says she's singing "Come Together" by The Beatles (and it's worth noting Aerosmith did a pretty famous cover of the song, as well). Steven asks her to sing more and she launches into "Dream On," while admitting she can't do the final high notes -- so he does them for her. Getting a bit serious, Steven says she's "very pitchy" and jumps all over the place. Jennifer seems to like her. Randy says no, Jennifer says yes. Suddenly, it's down to Steven, and he let's Ally's dream live on. Chris Medina, 26, from Chicago is the last audition, but it's clear his story was saved for last (the judges are wearing the clothes their wore on Day 1). He talks about his fiancee, who suffered a traumatic brain injury in an accident in 2009 and was in a coma for a month and a half. Since then, he's been caring for her with her mother as she still needs constant care. He sings nicely and the judges ask him to bring his fiancee in so they can meet her. In one of the sweetest moments you'll ever see, Steven bends down and tells Chris' fiancee, who seems mostly unable to speak, that Chris sings so beautifully because he's singing for her. He's going to Hollywood.
- "American Idol" - Finale - May 25, 2011 The opening reminds us that 125,000 people auditioned. Ryan says a record was set last night with 122 million votes. In the audience; Previous contestant Michael Johns and winners David Cook and Lee Dewyze; Lori Loughlin, Harold Perrineau, Group Sing: The Top 13 performs "Born This Way" by Lady Gaga. Performance: James Durbin and Judas Priest perform a medley of "Livin' After Midnight" and "Breakin' the Law." James is in full metal regalia. Video Package: A tribute to Randy and all of his "what kind of blank is this?" questioning and his endless "in it to win it"-ness. Ryan points out that Randy needs a new writer. Performance: Jacob Lusk performs "I Smile" with Kirk Franklin and Gladys Knight. Performance: Casey Abrams performs Queen's "Fat Bottomed Girls" with Jack Black. Girls ride in on bikes and Casey and Jack have a scat off. Performance: The ladies of the top 13, minus Lauren, perform Beyonce's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," "Irreplaceable," "Get Me Bodied," "If I Were a Boy," and "Deja Vu," giving them all a nice solo. Ashthon and Haley in particular sound good together. Beyonce shows up to sing "Crazy in Love" with the girls. Video Package: A tribute to Steven Tyler and all of his nutty jive talk. Yet, oddly, in light of Randy's "tribute" not all of his endless "beautifuls." Performance: Haley Reinhart performs "Steppin' Out" with Tony Bennett. They're adorable. He is, unbelievably, 84 years old. Video Package: The tribute to Jennifer and all of the people who called her "beautiful." Which is perhaps why they didn't string together all of Steven's. Performance: TLC performs with Lil Jon and Thia, Karen, Ashthon, and Naima. For some reason they don't let Chilli say "broke ass" during the "No Scrubs" portion of the medley that also includes "Waterfalls." Performance: Scotty performs "Live Like You Were Dying" with Tim McGraw. (Not to be confused with the Kris Allen/Script song of the similar name "Live Like We're Dying.") Scotty starts out just holding his own just fine but he really gets into it and kills the last chorus. Video Package: A collection of the delusional contestants and mishaps from the auditions. Performance: Marc Anthony performs and is joined by Sheila E. on drums and his wife on dancing-- along with a bunch of fan dancers. Video Package: The eliminated contestants talk about the eliminations and debate which was "most shocking." He and James joke back and forth about their eliminations and how they were both supposed to win it. And then Pia shows up with a tiara and a "most shocking elimination" banner around her. Performance: The top 13 guys perform and each gets a little solo: Stefano on Prince's "Kiss," Paul McDonald on Tom Jones "She's a Lady," James on Jones' "What's New Pussycat," Scotty on Jones' "Green Green Grass of Home," Jacob on "Love Me Tonight," (yes I'm cluing in to the fact that this is a tribute to Jones), and Casey on "Delilah." And of course, Sir Tom himself shows up to sing "It's Not Unusual." Jack Black is dancing along happily in the audience. Video Package: Ford gives money to Lauren and Scotty's schools and also gives them and their teachers' cars. Performance: Lady Gaga performs her new single "The Edge of Glory." She is wearing a nutty drapes/hanging beads headdress. Her dancers writhe around her on a faux rock formations. She then takes off her outer cape to reveal one of her leather bikinis, dances with a hot shirtless guy while Clarence Clemons bleats his saxophone down on the stage near the dancers. Performance: Lauren sings Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats" and Underwood joins her onstage. Lauren seems like she's having fun and a little awed at the same time. Video package: The other contestants pick fun at Scotty and Lauren being teenagers. Performance: Beyonce debuts her single "1+1." It's a big piano ballad. It's not terribly melodic but she's killing it vocally with a lot of soul, a little growl and a dash of gospel. Performance: Bono and the Edge and Reeve Carney, the star of "Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark" perform the song "Rise Above" from the musical. A Spider-suited actor flips around the air above the audience. It's one of those gauzy, electro-beat heavy U2 songs. It's fine but it's not really a musical-type song. There's a big spider web backdrop and lots of dry ice drifting over the stage. Peformance: Steven Tyler performs a truncated version of "Dream On" sans the rest of Aerosmith. The Winner Is!: Scotty McCreery
- American Idol auditions begin with Austin, TX and Boston, MA.
- Celebrites are slated to appear and perform as part of the "Idol Gives Back" charity cause; in a surprise move, no one is voted off the show.
- Two of the six remaining contestants are asked to leave; rocker Jon Bon Jovi performs.
- "American Idol" - Top Two Performance Show - May 20, 2008 The "Rocky" theme music plays as a microphone descends boxing style and the "Let's Get Ready to Rumble" guy does his "Let's Get Ready to Rumble" thing introducing David "Chocolate" Cook and David "Babyface" Archuleta, who are both wearing boxing gloves and robes. (He snarks that Archuleta weighs 100 pounds soaking wet). In the audience: Luke Perry with his daughter on his lap; Clive Davis; the rest of this season's contestants; Constantine Maroulis; Gina Glocksen Seacrest susses out who is in Cook's corner and who is in Archuleta's. It seems about even with the screams higher pitched for Archuleta. He introduces the judges and tells us the rules for the night. Each will sing three songs, each will have three numbers, and there will be four hours to vote. Video Package: The boxing theme continues as analyst Jim Lampley obviouses that in any one to one confrontation there's only one winner. Seacrest voices over that victory is reserved for superstars and then oddly shows us only two victors: Carrie and Kelly and one fourth place finisher Chris Daughtry. The final show is apparently happening at the 7,000 seat Nokia Theatre in L.A. Archuleta does his best to look tough and says his strategy is to keep on doing what he's been doing. Cook says they'll both come out with their strongest stuff and it will be interesting to see how it pans out. Apparently they'll have "trainers" in two very old, white men, Clive Davis and Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber. ALW doesn't know who'll win but thinks it will be the one who is a little more daring. Clive tells them they've earned the right to be the finalists. They tell us that neither has ever been in the bottom three. Lampley, strangely sweaty, returns to tell us that winning is about being able to trust your instincts. Seacrest introduces the Davids who are wearing depressingly drab colored jackets, a sort of grey-brown for Cook and grey-green for Archuleta. On the screen we see the coin flip that wasn't televised last week in which Archuleta won and decided to go second. Seacrest asks them how it feels to be on the big stage. Cook goes to the audience for reaction and Archuleta says it's a dream come true. He asks Archuleta how he prepared. He says rehearsal and that he feels ready. Cook says he prepared by trying to find the right energy for the songs. Seacrest goes to the judges and asks what it will take to win. Randy advises leaving everything on the floor. Paula bucks them up by saying everyone is loving them and to enjoy it and soak it all up. Simon's final thoughts include having a desire to win and hate for your opponent. Since Cook just said it was a tall order to keep up with this kid and Archuleta probably couldn't find hate in a dictionary this seems unlikely. Seacrest offers them a chance to say something to each other. Archuleta says Cook is awesome and wishes him the best. Cook tries to muster some mock hate but calls Archuleta one of the consistently nicest people on the show from 24 to 2 and as far as he's concerned the competition is over and now they're just having fun. Awww.... First round songs were chosen by Davis. ROUND ONE David Cook Song: "I Still Havent Found What I'm Looking For," U2 Video: Davis tells Cook that he looked for a song that captured the yearning of a generation, looking for answers, love, spiritual guidance, the meaning of life. Yikes! ALW in rehearsal says it's a tough one but that Cook can afford to be brave. Performance: Right off the bat it's got a Christian-rock vibe going on, not unheard of for a U2 song, but it's nicely scaled back to just a simple guitar riff and Cook's voice and he's singing in a good, high but not shouty part of his voice. He gets a little grittier as the band kicks in to a very faithful rendition of the song. David tries to find what he's looking for on the platform behind the judges. This was a good choice in that it's a song everyone knows, most people like, is in a good range, and that earnestness wont hurt, in fact it's encouraged. Randy: Proving that he's stuck in the past, he thought it was a great way to start off this duel of 2007 (!). He thought it was a great song choice, doesn't know if Cook did everything he could with it but he liked the note at the end. Paula: She says we have found David Cook and that he's in good voice. Simon: Believed that he looked understandably tense and emotional at the top of the show and considering all of that he thought it was phenomenal. David Archuleta Song: "Dont Let the Sun Go Down on Me," Elton John (I love that Davis mentions lyricist Bernie Taupin too. Bernie never gets enough credit.) Video: ALW reminds us that young David has it as long as he doesn't sing with his eyes closed. Archuleta vows to keep his eyes on the prize. Performance: Sitting on the steps David admits he can't light any more of our darkness. His eyes are open and he's very serious. His voice sounds good but he's fighting the urge to close his eyes. Sometimes he loses the fight. Honestly, a few eye closes aren't the end of the world right? Especially if thinking about it makes him self-conscious and we as viewers are distracted by it. He stands up and brings it home like he normally does. The tacking on of an extra reprise is a little awkward rhythmically but is in tune. He closes with a big note and very closed eyes. He looks a little freaked out. The crowd goes wild. Randy: Calls it one of the best performances of the season and that he picked the right time to peak. Flawless and unbelievably molten hot. David looks like he's going to cry. Paula: Has chills and her heart is still pounding and the sun is never going to go down on him because he brings out so much sunshine with his singing. Simon: He tries to temper the over-excitement. Being honest he thought last week was okay but that tonight's performance was arguably his best. David silently "oh my gosh"-es. But, Simon, says hang on, taking everything into account Round One goes to Archuleta, who looks really overwhelmed. Seacrest notices and mentions it. Archuleta notes it's an important night. I want someone to get him some oxygen. He tries to smile and keeps saying thank you and trying to take measured breaths. ROUND 2 Seacrest tells us they gave the contenders the top ten favorites in the songwriting competition and let them pick the one they wanted to sing. Video Package: More sports clichés from Lampley. ALW is interested in what they pick since the songs are unfamiliar and it will show their mettle as artists. The guys choose. ALW worries that Cook is vocally tired and advises Archuleta to look into the lyrics. Clive tells them they're awesome and whatnot. David Cook Song: "Dream Big," Emily Shackelton (Quick Google Search: Shackelton won the prestigious John Lennon Songwriting Award last year, she's from Minnesota, lived in Boston while attending Berklee College of Music, from which she graduated last year, and resides in Nashville now. She entered her song at the last minute. She's been writing songs since childhood. According to her MySpace page she loves Billy Joel, James Taylor, Stevie Wonder, Carole King, and Dan Fogelberg. In her version of this song the protagonist is female). Performance: Now wearing a black leather jacket and playing electric guitar Cook really rocks up this song compared to Shackelton's more country-ish version on her MySpace page. It's kind of like Sugarland on steroids. Even at this tempo and temperature it's standard go-for-your-dreams "Idol" finale material. He hits one long note at end. (Also, fun fact, "dream big" is a slogan on the "Idol" website.) Randy: The song was just okay for him but what made it really work was that Cook was singing his face off. Paula: Was mesmerized and points out that he took a song we didn't know and made us fall in love with it. Simon: Opines that the song was a bit of lightweight, the end was okay, and he made the most of what he had. It didn't feel like a winning moment for Simon. The good news is there's another song. He gives it a 6.5 out of ten. David Archuleta Song: "In This Moment," Ryan Gilmore (Because his name is so common I can't come up with much info on a Google or MySpace search. Sorry Ryan.) Performance: It's a ballad. Shocker. The song doesnt have much oomph on first listen. But when it hits the chorus it soars nicely upwards. The bridge is kinda catchy. David closes his eyes, but effectively, on the beginning of the last chorus. There are some really nice, um, moments here. It's very clean and fluid. The rest of the top twelve are up front clapping and we also get an approving head nod from Maroulis. Truly, he sang it really well. Randy: Once again he wasn't loving the song but Randy believes Archuleta is so in the zone that he could, wait for it... sing the phonebook. Paula: Calls it another heartwarming performance and didn't love the song. Simon: Loved the fantastically self-centered lyric, thought it was more in keeping with a winning song and calls the second round for Archuleta as well. ROUND THREE Video Package: More Lampley foolishness. The contestants picked the songs themselves. ALW tells Cook to go for a cry of passion. He ignores this advice and chooses "The World I Know" by Collective Soul. (Which garners a collective sigh in this living room. Really? You can sing any song in the world and you choose this). He seems to think it has heavy-hitting parts. Clive praises the contenders' innate soul and honesty. ALW advises Archuleta to make everybody out there feel like he does. He has chosen to go the safe route by repeating himself by performing one of his best reviewed songs of the season in John Lennon's "Imagine." David Cook Song: "The World I Know," Collective Soul Performance: Wow, Cook has some incredibly generic, vanilla taste in rock and roll. He starts off just with his acoustic guitar, the band comes in, the congas are overmiked. He's in a super-basic grunge area. He sounds nice though, takes it up a bit. I also love that he has his hair spiked up off his forehead as perhaps the final word on those comb-over cracks. He ends gently on a howled falsetto note. It was a pretty tender performance. At the end he cries and the audience gives him a standing ovation. Randy: Calls it a very nice job and likes how he's showing different sides of himself. He thinks this is the kind of record David could make and get by with. David is trying to collect himself. Paula: Thinks he's standing in his truth, she applauds his integrity and originality. (Hopefully his truth has a nice strong back since we learned earlier Cook weighs 180). Simon: He just wants to say publicly that Cook is one of the nicest, most sincere contestants they've ever had. But... he thought it was a beautiful song but that it was completely and utterly the wrong song choice on the night. He thinks he should have sung "Billie Jean" or "Hello." Randy agrees it might have been the wrong song choice for the competition but it was really well done. David responds that he was looking at the show as a progression so he didn't think it made sense to do something he's already done. (Will this be perceived as a jab at Archuleta? I don't think he means it that way. Maybe a little.) David Archuleta Song: "Imagine," John Lennon Performance: Starts off with nice acoustic guitar. He again messes with the melody a bit to wedge in some money notes. He hopes he will be joined by others and the world will be as one. Since it's a repeat it doesn't feel as fresh as the first time but it was solid. Randy: Thinks Archuleta is exactly what this show is about and the best singer is standing on the stage. Paula: She's speechless and thought it was stunning. Simon: At the end of day this show is about finding a star and this has been one of the great finals and that Archuleta came out to win and he delivered a knockout. The judges are clearly pulling for little David. Will it make a difference? Seacrest thanks the boys. Ruben Studdard shows up live to sing "Celebrate Me Home." We see highlights from the season on the big screen.
- "American Idol" - Next 3 of 12 - Feb. 26, 2009 Seacrest tells us there were 25 million votes. We get a recap of how this 12 arrived. Group Sing: "Closer," Ne-Yo. This sounds fine, unremarkable. The most interesting thing about it is that Jeanine is rocking those short shorts again in a kind of Ellie Mae Clampett outfit and that Norman/Nick clearly isn't good with committing to choreography not of his own making. A recap of last night. Ryan chats with the contestants. He asks what we can expect from Nick if he doesn't make it through. He says he's looking for employment. Matt says they need to remember to enjoy themselves while they're here. He doesn't regret talking back and tells Simon it's never too late for advice. Ryan asks for a response and Simon says it's too late. Jessie says song selection is very hard and that she picked the right song.Jeanine thinks less would've been more. Alison Iraheta, Jessie Langseth, and Matt Breitzke are in, out and out respectively. Alison sings again. Kris Allen, Megan Corkrey, Matt Giraud, and Jeanine Vailes are in and all out respectively. Kris sings again, he's positively beaming, it's very sweet and as with last night, the relief of getting through allows him to sing better. We get a reprise of the "What a Wonderful World" montage. Performance: Brooke White is back to sing and tell the contestants not to Google their names. She likes her new single "Hold Up My Heart." She sings it while at the piano. It's a bland adult contemporary, vaguely country ballad. She sounds really nice though. The final five: Mishavonna Henson, Nick Mitchell, Kai Kalama, Adam Lambert, and Jasmine Murray In:Adam Lambert. He's really excited and thought Nick was really fun. Adam sings again. Something about the asymmetrical Jonas/Fall Out haircut and the voice make him seem like and Disney cartoon come to life. The guy's a pro, though.
- "American Idol" - Auditions: Nashville - Jan. 27, 2010 Auditions in Nashville start in a high note, literally as an aspirant is asked to hit a high one and does, if not exactly well or pleasantly. We get an opening package focused on "Idol" champ and country star Carrie Underwood. Auditions are being held at the Ryman Auditorium. We start with a terrible but perky, cartoon-voiced auditioner named Christine. Steven goes cross-eyed as JLo and Randy giggle. She is sent packing after a rendition of Lee Ann Womack's "I Hope You Dance." Her mom is proud of her anyway. We meet a couple of ex-es Rob and Chelsee who are auditioning together. Her new boyfriend has come along to show support. They sound really nice together on the Bee Gees "To Love Somebody." They both have a nice smoky quality. They sing separately also-- he does Marvin Gaye and she does Brandi Carlile- and do nice work. The relationship might not happen but they're both going to Hollywood. We get a montage of the bad, the costumed and the freaky, and a bunch of screams from Steven, and a funky tattoo artist named Allen who does Skynyrd passionately if not excellently. But that's a no, in fact he knows it and takes off himself. Next up is Stormi Henley, a former Miss Teen USA. Of course, Steven leers at her. She sings "Father, Can You Hear Me." She's not country strong but country average. Steven and Randy say yes, JLo says no, saying she's beautiful but the voice isn't there. We get a montage of "nos" without hearing the singing. Adrienne Beesley is a farm girl from Kentucky, she's a black girl adopted into a sweet white family, we meet them and see their farm. She sings well enough in a country/gospel vein to get her golden ticket and she chokes up and impresses them all. She calls her dad and he's tickled. Day 2 begins with the less-gifted-then-she-thinks Kameela who wails her way through Chaka Khan painfully. That's a no. Steven tells her to practice, Randy tells her to just stop singing because she's horrible. We get another montage of the bad/weird/freaky, including a guy in a full body suit. We get lots of tears and hugs for the rejected, including Ryan comforting one very depressed cowpoke. Next up Jackie Wilson, though she's not as good as her namesake she does a nice version of Aretha Franklin's "Until You Come Back to Me" and gets her golden ticket. We meet Letoya, one of those delusional types who can't say enough about themselves but can't actually sing that well. That's three no's for her version of Tamia's "When I Close My Eyes." She sings her way out and gets another no. They however do enjoy the finger-snapping Paul McDonald and th soulful Jimmie Allen and the raspy Danny Pate who they all sing along with on the Temptations' "Papa Was A Rolling Stone." We meet Matt Dillard, whose backstory including a family full of special needs foster children-- 700 in 23 years-- we meet his family. He's got a lovely gospel/country voice as well as he sings Josh Groban, very earnest and sweet. He gets yes's from Randy and Steven. The final auditioner is country girl Lauren Alaina. She's 15 and we meet her cousin Holly, who has a brain tumor. Lauren did fundraisers for her. She tells the judges about Holly. Randy asks to meet her. She comes in. Lauren sings, she's very poised and sounds lovely. They call her the best they've seen today. Everybody cries and she gets three yes's in unison. The family comes in to say hello and she sings Aerosmith's "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" and gets Steven to singalong.
- "American Idol" - Top 8 Performance Show - April 13, 2011 Ryan notes that JLo has been named the "World's Most Beautiful Woman" by People magazine. In the audience: Hank Azaria, Rob Reiner, Elvira Theme: Songs from the movies Contestant: Paul McDonald. Will.i.am thinks he should slide in like Tom Cruise. Jimmy thinks there should be beatboxing in the middle. Will thinks this is wrong, the opposite of what the song is about. They had a great time rehearsing so Jimmy hopes Paul brings that. Song: "Old Time Rock 'n Roll," Bob Seger Performance: Paul skips down the stairs in his fancy suit and then shimmies around the judges' table. It's a very energetic performance. He rocks a tambourine during the sax solo. Paul's voice just seem suited to the song, not big enough in some way. But, he had fun as did the audience. Steven: Steven wants to borrow his suit and he loves his crazy, wild abandon. JLo: Thinks he's going a little further each time and getting more polished. She thinks he killed it. Randy: Says America just witnessed the first song at a Paul McDonald concert, he loves that he's not typical. Contestant: Lauren Alaina Song:"The Climb," Miley Cyrus. Jimmy says Lauren is a much stronger singer than Miley Cyrus. She picked it because she can relate. Jimmy tells her to go get Pia's votes. (He knows that's cold but it's the reality). Will says not to steal them, but invite them with spaghetti and cupcakes. Performance: She's fine, starts off a little emotionally in the right way, then she telegraphs the chorus, has a little trouble climbing to the big note but finishes off just fine. The crowd loved it. JLo: She loved hearing her sing it and the tear in her voice. She says she doesn't need to steal anyone's votes since she's getting plenty of her own. Randy: Says the Lauren of Nashville is roaring back. Calls it amazing. Steven Says she was the first one they thought might be the "Idol," he loves what she brings to a song and what it brings to her. He says it was beautiful and she moves him beyond tears. Contestant: Stefano Langone Song: "End of the Road," BoyzIIMen. Jimmy and Will pump him up and want him to bounce back from the final three spot. They love his choice. Stefano wants to start fresh. Performance:He sings it well but if his goal was to take his performance to the next level, well he doesn't quite make it. It's a fine vocal but there's not a lot of sizzle. Although he does ramp things up at the end. Randy: Says Wanya is going to text him and tell him he slayed the song. Randy likes that Stefano now believes. Calls it his best vocal to date. Steven Says he proved tonight that he knows how to milk a song, he says this is so not the end of the road for him tonight, it's just the beginning. JLo: Says it's like he's finally got it and she knows he's singing to win instead of singing to stay. She says that was the shiz, although I think she said the other word. Contestant: Scotty McCreery Song:"I Cross My Heart," George Strait. He switches to this one mid-stream for "Everybody's Talkin'" by Harry Nilsson. Jimmy think it's fine. Performance: It's pretty perfect. Aside from the microphone thing of course. Steven Just loves his voice and that all of America has fallen in love with his voice. JLo: Says everybody wants them to be tough but she thinks he was "wow, really good." She says it wasn't her favorite song choice but he performed it beautifully. Randy: He loves that he did that song and that he's following the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" model. Says he's grown greatly. Contestant: Casey Abrams Song: "Nature Boy," Nat "King" Cole. Jimmy and Will thinks it makes him small and if he whispers he'll get lost. So they try to make him switch to Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight." But Casey says he doesn't want to lose himself in this process. Jimmy wants him to think about winning. Casey says he was torn. Jimmy thinks it's a mistake that he didn't take his help. Performance: Playing his upright bass and does a groovy, low-key bossa nova take. He throws in a bit of a growl and mugging but it works. He scats a bit over his bass solo and shows great control over his voice during runs at the end. He finishes up a sweet blue note. Jimmy was wrong. JLo: At the beginning she was nervous but as it went on she liked it and how he's crossing boundaries like Norah Jones, and she hopes America got it. Randy: Agrees and also hopes America gets it, he can see him as a Buble-type, he thought it was genius. He says the world can not to live by pop stars alone, we need art for zen balance. Steven Loved it and that he did was in his heart, not what Jimmy said he should do and that's the truest sense of artistry. He also liberally quotes a Nat Cole song that has goofy lyrics. "Ke-mo, ki-mo spare-o-spare Ma-hi, ma-ho, ma-rump-sticka-pumpernickle, sup-bang, nip-cat, polly-mitcha-cameo." (Or something to that effect.) Contestant: Haley Reinhart. Song:"Call Me," Blondie. Says it's crazy that there's only two girls left. Jimmy tells her to show off her pipes and to transform into a character that embodies the song. Performance: She's going the "sexy" route with her very short dress and high boots and the come-hither looks. She growls and writhes. She sings in French, she walks awkwardly she applies her voice to emphatically. Randy: Didn't love the beginning and that it felt karaoke and says it wasn't a singer's song to really showcase her. Steven Agrees with that but says when she nails the just right chorus she's got it going on and he loves her dress. JLo: She says she's afraid to say anything negative about the girls because she doesn't want them to go home. But, she agrees with Randy that she didn't love the song for her. Contestant: Jacob Lusk. Jimmy tells Jacob it was a mistake to preach to people last week. Jimmy tells him not to be corny. Song: "Bridge Over Troubled Water," Simon and Garfunkel Performance: Jacob starts off under control. He hits one big note in the chorus and brings it back down. He does a nice job, especially in terms of restraint and creating dynamics. Steven Pounds the table and swears and is bleeped and is astounded by how angelically he sings. JLo: Asks who does that? About his last note. Calls him a gifted vocalist and glad that it comes from another place. He pulled the chills out of her. Randy: He believes every word Jacob sings and is glad that he took his time and blew it up at the end. Contestant: James Durbin Song: "Heavy Metal," Sammy Hagar. Jimmy doesn't like it, he wonders where the hook is. James disagrees and tries to make his case. Jimmy isn't hearing it. He tries to dispute Jimmy. Will sort of backs him up. James asks America to give metal a chance. Performance: He brings out Zakk Wylde to play guitar with him. He sings it well enough. Zakk plays better, which seems like an unfair advantage. This is the first time I've believed that he's really metal, so that's something. JLo: Says it felt really, really real. She says the performance are killing it dead in the studio tonight. Randy: Says we were just at a James Durbin concert and gives big ups to Zakk. He's glad he stuck to his guns and says he can see him on the next Ozzfest. Steven Says it was outstanding. Glad he gave Jimmy some lip. Bottom Three Prediction: Paul, Haley, Jacob
- "American Idol" - Top 13 Results Show- March 8, 2012 Ryan reminds us that the judges will pick who goes home from the lowest vote getting male and female finalist. Also, Lauren Alaina and Mary J. Blige will perform. But first it's time for the... Group Sing: The top 13 perform "As" by Stevie Wonder. Judging by the smattering of clunkers, this one is live. Jermaine is holding down the bottom nicely. There's a little fancy footwork from five of the guys- Heejun, Deandre, Jermaine, Joshua, and Jeremy. This is actually pretty nicely blocked and doled out vocally. That may have been one of the best "Idol" group sings ever. (Which is not saying a lot but still.) Ford Commercial: The gang sings "Big Time" by Peter Gabriel as they appear like giants walking through city streets as a Ford zips around. Jimmy takes a moment to come to us via video to say that God mass produced a lot of artists but he stopped and made Whitney Houston by hand which is why it was so hard for the girls to sing her songs. (Although I thought the women did well for the most part besides Shannon.) He says Stevie Wonder is no walk in the park either. Results: Ryan calls up Jessica, Elise, and Hollie. We see recaps of their performances and Jimmy's reactions: he thought Elise was in trouble, Hollie was fantastic, and Jessica was perfect. Jessica and Hollie are safe and Elise is in the bottom three for the girls. He then calls up Heejun, Jermaine, and Colton. Jimmy sez: He likes Heejun's voice but Stevie Wonder's music highlighted his flaws. Thinks Colton took great direction but he's worried that he's attempting to do something that isn't really him. Felt that Jermaine had a battle going on between tuning and feel and he lost both. Colton and Heejun are safe and Jermaine is in the bottom three of boys. Ryan chats about JLo's new show "Q'Viva! The Chosen." Performance: Lauren Alaina sings her latest single "Georgia Peaches." Results: Ryan calls up Erika, Shannon, and Skylar. Jimmy sez: Erika isn't really made for the song but took it and enhanced it and made it work for her, he thinks she needs to work on presentation. Shannon has a lot of talent but needs more experience. Skylar's nasal aspect that JLo didn't like, Jimmy did. Skylar is safe and Erika and Shannon are in the bottom three. Ryan then calls up Joshua, Deandre, Phillip, and Jeremy. Jimmy sez: He gets bored of Joshua's voice and he needs to mix it up. He thought Deandre was a pleasant surprise. Thinks Phillip is a great musician and knows who he is but he's worried that the girls have vocal fireworks that will outshine him in weeks to come. Says Jeremy didn't deliver and all the girls outperformed him and Jeremy will go. Phillip and Deandre are safe and Jeremy and Joshua fill out the bottom three guys. Ryan immediately sends Joshua and Erika back to safety. Performance: Mary J. Blige sings her latest single "Why." Results: Jeremy, Jermaine, Elise, and Shannon await their fates. Ryan asks Steven if any deserve to go home, he says Jeremy. Jermaine and Shannon are sent to safety. The judges pick... Going home: Jeremy
- 2002– 42mTV-PG5.6 (29)TV Episode
- "American Idol" - Top 13 Finalists Perform - March 10, 2009 Ryan gives us the open and an announcer introduces the judges as they walk out onto the stage, which was apparently Simon's idea. We get an overhead shot of the big stage. Ryan asks the judges what the contestants need to do. Randy says they need to bring it hard. Kara says she's going to be tougher on the contestants now since they might get on the radio. Paula warns them not to be swallowed up by the stage. Simon reiterates this. After Ryan introduces the top 13, Simon informs them that tomorrow night two people will be going home since there are 13 instead of 12. Theme: Michael Jackson Video Package: We get a recap of the MJ's career: the songs, the screaming, the record sales. Contestant #1: Lil Rounds Video: We see her at home with her hubby and three kids. They've had some hard times, including when a tornado destroyed their Memphis home last year. She says even though she has three kids she has clung to her dream of being a singer. Song:"The Way You Make Me Feel" Performance: Lil is uniformly good, bopping through the song with sass and hitting a sweet high note near the end. It's a little cruise ship-y in places but a solid start. Randy: Loves it and thinks it's a great way to start the season and liked how she reimagined it with an old-school soul vibe. Kara: Thinks the other contestants have been served notice that they need to bring it. Paula: Compliments her make-up and says she's a force to be reckoned with and her high note was like angels singing. Simon: Agrees that it was good but thought it was a lazy song choice and that the second part of the song was better than the first. And he hates what she's wearing. Contestant #2: Scott McIntyre Video: His parents were devastated by learning he was almost completely blind from birth but were pleased that he was attracted to music as a child. We see him singing with his family, including his sister who is also visually impaired. The parents say they tried to instill in them the idea that nothing can hold them back. Song: "Keep the Faith" Performance: Scott sings and accompanies himself on piano. It's a gentle self-empowerment ballad with a little bounce to it that's right in his AC wheelhouse. He hits a bum note or two but acquits himself nicely. Kara: She asks if he just learned that on piano this week. He did. She is impressed that he's true to himself every week and liked the song's hopeful message even if it wasn't the most dynamic performance. Paula: Thinks it was magical and lovely and thinks Siedah Garrett the songwriter is smiling. In fact, she's there and she's smiling. Simon: Apologizes to Siedah because he hated the song. Scott says he wanted to be a little more artistic. Simon says being artistic is fine, just not on this show. He likes him, thinks he's a good singer, was glad he played the piano but didn't like the song thinks it didn't do Scott any favors. Randy: Liked the song but tells Siedah that "Man in the Mirror" was better for him and thought the performance was too safe. Contestant #3: Danny Gokey Video: He loved growing up in Milwaukee. His dad says music was an everyday thing in their big family. They made up songs together. Danny is shocked he's made it this far. Song:"P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" Performance: He starts it slow and rolls around luxuriously in his raspy falsetto and then gives it a soul shout and kicks off the uptempo part of the song. He boogies goofily but endearingly across the stage, a little unsure what to do with his free hand but not at all unsure what to do with his big voice. During the "na-na-na-na" parts he goes to Kara and Paula and the audience to have people sing into the microphone. Really well done if a tiny bit shouty, as Simon likes to say. Paula: Says the true mark of an artist is when you can hear them with your eyes closed and know who they are and he has that gift. She goes out on a limb and says he's on his way to the finals. Simon: Thought the vocals were brilliant and calls him one heckuva singer like Michael McDonald. But the dancing was hideous. Danny agrees and says he asked for an instructor. Simon offers Paula. He says it doesn't matter and that Danny was great. Randy: Loved it all, dancing and singing, because it was all just passionate. Kara: Agrees saying he has joy when he steps on stage and he should thank his parents for making him sing his homework. Danny tells Ryan he's going to keep trying to dance. Contestant #4: Michael Sarver Video: He goes back to his oil rig to chat with his peeps. His mom is thrilled to see him live his dream. He's thrilled to see his family. He grew up without a dad and that makes him want to be a great dad. His roughneck buddies cheer him on. Song:"You Are Not Alone" Performance: He begins seated at the lip of the stage. He plays well to the camera and seems more relaxed than ever before, resulting in perhaps his best performance yet. He may not be the strongest singer with the most range but he's good, plus he's telegenic and likable. Simon: Agrees with me that he's not the best singer but thinks he made up for it with passion, heart, and giving 110 percent. Randy: He's happy that he returned to an r&b vibe and thinks he's one of the best so far. Kara: This showed her that he can really sing and is impressed he brings his game every time he steps on stage. Paula: She enumerates his good qualities from likability to his instinctual choice of song. Contestant #5: Jasmine Murray Video: We see Jasmine's high school and her family cheering her on in the family room. Her mother and older sisters are her biggest fans and call her the life of the family. Song: "I'll Be There" Performance: It's not a thriller but she sings it very well, except for one tiny rough spot. (She oddly omits the breakdown in her arrangement though). Randy: Thought it was funny how she mixed the Mariah version - which he played on- and the Michael version but thought it was pretty good. Kara: She thinks a half key down would've been more comfortable but thought she really sold it and was impressed by some of the notes. Paula: Is impressed with her composure. She thought she had some bright moments and some bad ones, but overall way to go. Simon: Thought she made a good attempt, the big notes are always going to trouble her a bit, and that it was a little robotic. He thinks she needs to lighten up a bit since it feels a bit like a little girl trying to be a grown-up. Contestant #6: Kris Allen Video: We see Chris's small Arkansas town. His dad and granddad have always played music. We meet his wife, to whom he's only been married for five months. They miss each other. Song: "Remember the Time" Performance: He plays his acoustic guitar and also seems more comfortable this week. The song doesn't have much range, it's more a groove number so there are few spots to show off. He sounds fine though and he looks like he's having fun. Kara: She says the girls love him for sure. She's happy to see him with his guitar since it shows a whole other side and helps him performance-wise. She says a few notes were off but that overall it was good and points out that he helped other contestants out this week which shows he's a good guy. Paula: She thinks he helped people out because no one knows MJ's catalog better than Kris. She hopes he won't take it the wrong way but she thinks he's adorable and sexy and that he did a great job. Simon: Thought it was interesting and wasn't sure it was a song that really fit the guitar which made the performance a bit clumsy at times. But the vocals were okay and he's very likable. He is unsure he should've brought the wife out so early. He says he's kidding. Randy: He thought it was good, Jason Mraz-y, "very well job done." Contestant #7: Alison Iraheta Video: Her parents are Salvadoran and have worked hard to help her make it. We see video of her as a little girl, singing through an earthquake. She sings on the stage of a big Latin shopping center where she's been singing since she was five. She loves her parents. Song: "Give In to Me" Performance: She finds a slow rocker in MJ's catalog. She kills it. It's a lesser known track but has a strong melody which she's selling. She's making it sound like a latter day Heart song, albeit in a lower register. Nice work. Paula: Finds it mind-boggling she's only 16 and says she looks like a rock star up there. She tells her to keep doing what she's doing and that we'll be seeing a lot more of her. Simon: Thought it was good and it's clear what kind of artist she is. Also tells her to lighten up. She points out it's a dark song but that she's not dark, or a cutter (?!) or anything. Randy: Says when you've got it, you've got it, and she's got it. He knows this was a rocker but thinks she can singing anything. Kara: Tells her to keep being a rocker and that her high vocals are ridiculous. (In a good way). Contestant #8: Anoop Desai He chats with Ryan. He got a haircut. Anoop's response to last week's twist, he was shocked, he was already walking off the stage. Video: He was an only child who was the center of his parents' universe. They tried to teach him about Indian culture and music. His parents, who are immigrants, are pleased he's living the American dream since that was their goal. Song: "Beat It" Performance: He sounds good and impassioned, his moves - as he himself predicted- are a little rough in places. He uses up a lot of stage but keeps his breath control and takes some smart little liberties with notes. (Although it also sounds like he goofs up the lyrics a bit, but hey it's MJ). Paula: Says when you pick a song it's a gift to show the world what you've got and she thinks this song is untouchable and anything else sounds karaoke to her. Simon: He goes further and says he thought it was horrible and that there was no aggression and all very lightweight and that it actually looked a bit stupid, like a failed impersonation. Randy: For him it was just the wrong choice. It was very karaoke and he's got more than that. Anoop says he hopes he's there next week so he can show them what he's got Kara: Agrees and says the biggest problem is that since he can sing they didn't get to see him do any variation and for the first time she felt disconnected to him as a performer which is weird since his strength is his connection. (Wow, it wasn't his best but I thought it was much better than they did.) Ryan asks Simon if he thinks they made a mistake including him. On the back of that, yes, says Simon. Contestant #9: Jorge Nunez Video: We go to Cidra PR and meet his big family. He says they are loud and happy and like to dance. Since his grandfather died the family broke apart a bit but his being on "Idol" has helped bring them together. Song: "Never Can Say Goodbye" Performance: His shoulders seem a bit tight from nerves but his voice is both tender and soaring. He doesn't use much of the stage but he's very winning. Randy: Didn't like the song choice since it's a little old-fashioned but thinks he's got vocal chops and thought there were a few bum notes. Kara: Her problem is that since he's one of the most emotionally connected people on the show she was sad she didn't feel the connection. She would've preferred something more emotional like "She's Out of My Life." (Really good call.) Paula: Says she has mad love for him but didn't love the song either and wonders why he picked it. He says he didn't really have a choice and that MJ didn't really fit his style -although he quickly says he's not making excuses- but he says he wasn't going to sing "Bad." Simon says he sort of did. Jorge doesn't like that. Paula says she hopes America remembers what a great vocalist he is since he deserves to be on that stage. Simon: Says it was corny and he was out of his depth. (This is nutty, normally I think people are worse than the judges do but tonight, at least these last two I thought were better than they're getting credit for.) And the arrangement was awful and old-fashioned. Contestant #10:Megan Joy Corkrey Ryan asks how Megan ended up here. Her friends and family pushed her into it, she hadn't been a performer before. Video: She always imagined being a singer and superstar but never got the solos in choir or the parts in the musical. Mom says she always liked being the center of attention. Her divorce was hard but her son Ryder is her whole world. She misses him very much. Song: "Rockin' Robin" Performance: She shimmies through it and looks supercute. Again sounding good and looking endearingly goofy if a little busy with her arms and hips. She actually caws at song's end, yikes. Kara: Thinks she has a way of putting her signature on things even if it wasn't the most spectacular vocal. Paula: Loves the quirky and unique tone to her voice. She thought it was the right song but she felt a little disconnected until the end. Simon: Calls it a stupid song choice, says the vocals weren't very good, the dancing were verging on ridiculous, and the whole performance was kind of clumsy. He says if this was the first time they were seeing her they wouldn't think much of it. Kara counters people would remember her. He thinks in a bad way. Randy: He didn't think the song choice was good and didn't allow her to really be Megan. They ask an unmiked Gordon Ramsay what he thinks, it seems like he liked it because Simon says he doesn't know what he's talking about. Contestant #11: Adam Lambert Video:He moved to Hollywood from San Diego out of high school and it was a struggle. His parents say they've been there for him but he hasn't really needed them. He's glad he made it now because five years ago he would've crumbled under the pressure. His mom says it's not about success but being happy with what you're doing. Dad adds success would be good too. Adam calls this his big dream. Song:"Black and White" Performance: The song isn't the best choice, again because of lack of range. Of course, Adam adds range and ratchets it up. It ends well, impassioned. Paula: Is wowed. She says never in the history of the show has she seen someone so comfortable and seasoned. She praises his innate ability to know who he is as an artist and his ability to marry fashion with music. And again predicts he'll be in the finals. Simon: To him it was in a totally different league from everything else they've seen. He chalks it up to his stage experience. He says to make MJ work you have to be over the top and be comfortable and he was and had great vocals. Most importantly he thinks Adam will be someone people will talk about. Randy: Thinks he could make a record right now and hit the top of the charts. He loves him. He thinks he's got it. Kara: Thinks he hit notes that she didn't know existed and hopes Michael Jackson is watching tonight. Ryan says he makes it seem seamless. Paula is mind-boggled he hasn't already been snatched up. Contestant #12: Matt Giraud Video: He has a strong family. He was an energetic child. We see video of him dancing on the beach and playing ping-pong with his teary-eyed and sweet dad. His parents are hopeful for his wonderful future. Song: "Human Nature" Performance: Sitting at the piano he sings comfortably and well and hitting some sweet falsetto spots. It's a good song choice. It ends sort of oddly but sounds good. Randy: Thought it was a little pitchy but thought it was a good performance in a Justin Timberlake/Robin Thicke way. Kara: Calls him a talented guy and hopes to see him for weeks to come. Paula: Goes further saying he's talented, sexy, and amazing and she's blown away. Simon: Thought it was very good but hard to follow Adam. But thought it was a good, solid meat and potatoes performance. Contestant #13:Alexis Grace Video: The blues in Memphis helped develop her style. Her dad has been a musician for 35 years. She loves being a mom. She taught her daughter to say "Seacrest, out." Song:"Dirty Diana" Performance: It's sort of a smoky, bluesy Pat Benatar approach. She shows a good sense of dynamics, articulation, and power. A bit overwrought, but passionate and composed. Kara: Is so happy to have her back. Thinks she's a naughty girl and she liked it. Paula: Thought it was naughty in a good way too but tells her to watch oversinging. Simon: Calls it very over the top and probably not as good as she thought it was. Randy: Thought it was good, not great, but liked the attitude.
- "American Idol" - Top Nine Performance Show - March 31, 2009 Ryan banters with the judges. Randy thought it was hot last week. Kara talks about artistry: taking a song you've heard a million times and making it unique. Theme: Any song the contestant wants as long as it's a popular iTunes download Video Package: The Idols visit Ryan's "American Top 40" countdown Contestant #1: Anoop Desai Video: He thinks the competition is all about people relating to you. He's eager to get back to the high energy stuff. Song: "Caught Up," Usher Performance: He's got a cocky swagger but it's not sitting well vocally. The back-up singers are too loud and the mix is not great. He almost looks angry and he's rocking some weird MJ moves. The riffs and stuff were okay, not amazing. Randy: Thinks the vocals were good but it wasn't the right song. Kara: She thinks he should've done crazy stuff vocally and that he just did what Usher did and that maybe some frat guys dared him to do it. Paula: Thought his vocals were really good but needs to work on his stage presence. Simon: He thought it was a complete and utter mess. He thought he came over as a wannabe. It was like a college boy trying to be a rock star. He says it gave him a headache. Contestant #2: Megan Joy Video: She loves the song and thinks the judges are gonna feel her this time. Song: "Turn Your Lights Down Low," Bob Marley/Lauryn Hill Performance: She is, as always, over-enunciating and moving very awkwardly. It has nice parts but she's still got that weird affectation that throws a pall over everything. She looks great though in a sweet bustier and jeans. Kara: Really likes her but thinks she's in trouble. She wants to hear something like Adele's "Chasing Pavements" and to hear her "falsetto." (The crowd boos her.) Paula: Thinks she really needs to take us by surprise and dig really deep and thinks she should just sit in a spotlight on a stool and not move. Simon: Thinks the song was boring, indulgent, monotonous and all the things they liked about her are disappearing. (The crowd boos him too). Randy: Thinks it was like watching paint dry. He also suggests stuff like Duffy and Amy Winehouse. Contestant #3: Danny Gokey Video: He loves the song and the emotion in it. Song: "What Hurts The Most," Rascal Flatts Performance: He sounds good, the song is catchy, the crowd is digging it. He's standing still which is good for him. Very earnest. Solid. Paula: Thinks this is where he thrives, she would definitely hit repeat on this performance in her car. Simon: They were not on the same page last week but this week thought it was his best performance so far. He thinks he killed the first two contestants likening it to two snails competing with a race horse. He says Danny is doing what they should all do: get a great song, do it well.. Randy: Thinks he brought it crazy with the vocals. Kara: Thinks he moved everyone in the room tonight. She got goosebumps. Contestant #4: Allison Iraheta Video: She's nervous and excited to play guitar on the show. Song: "Don't Speak," No Doubt Performance: She's rocking spiked out hair and the beginning of this ballad. It's a little boring from a song standpoint but she sounds pretty good. Randy: Thought she was ahead of the beat and that it was cool she was playing the guitar but was distracted by what she was wearing. Kara: Thinks the rock in her can't help but come out. Paula: Thinks she has great vocal prowess. Simon: Says they can't overlook the outfit and that she looks like a slightly precocious daughter trying to dress and sing like a rock star. He thought it was a bit dressy-uppy. Plus, he thinks she shouted the song. Randy disagrees with that part. Contestant #5: Scott MacIntyre Video: Looks up to Billy Joel as a songwriter. Song: "Just the Way You Are," Billy Joel Performance: He takes a slow song and makes it even slower. The vocal is fine, much better than last week, but the whole vibe is bad hotel lounge act. Kara: Thinks he made a good song choice and thought it was a moving performance. She loves the new look. Paula: She loves him not because he's blind but because when he sings he makes her forgets he's blind. Simon: Thinks it was his best performance by a country mile. He thinks it's a different Scott this week. Randy: (Skipped?) Contestant #6: Matt Giraud Video: He wants to put his passion into a song. Song: "You Found Me," The Fray Performance: For some reason he's in a pit to the right of the judges' table, surrounded by "fans." Boring song, he's approximating "passion" by getting louder and allowing his rasp to come through. The vocal is fine but very straight up the middle. Paula: Likes that he went current but didn't like that he "aborted" what they like about him and that it was a "soundalike" performance. Simon: Says he should be happy since they don't like him this week. He agrees it was very put on, uptight, and not a good commercial song. He thinks if he had picked a great song and done what he does best they would've liked him better. Randy: Thinks it was a bad song choice and that he has more chops than the Fray and that he needs to let his flavor out. Kara: Thinks he needs to commit to one side of pop: r&b or rock and that he doesn't deserve to go home. Contestant #7: Lil Rounds Video: Is haunted by last week's song choice criticism. Song: "I Surrender," Celine Dion Performance: She goes the gown and Whitney Houston route with a big diva ballad. She sounds fine but it's kind of a yawn. Randy: For him not the best song choice for her but she surprised him by singing it really well. But he wants to hear Mary J. or Keyshia Cole from her. Kara: Also wanted her to do something younger-sounding but is impressed by her effortless power range. Paula: She doesn't want to see an adult contemporary Lil Rounds, she wants to see joy. Simon: Thinks it was a safe song and thought it was a wedding-style performance. He thought it was too old-fashioned and thinks her personality is being sucked out. Ryan brings her little daughter over to punch Randy but he hugs her sweetly. Contestant #8: Adam Lambert Video: He's going to go the opposite way this week then the stripped down Motown song last week. Song: "Play That Funky Music," Wild Cherry Performance: He's still rocking the slicked-back Elvis do. He changes up the groove for no apparent reason and goes up to his crazy faux-metal scream a bunch. As usual, technically impressive but difficult to listen to part-drag queen part hair band vocalizing. Paula: Babbles some quote about true genius shattering expectations and compares him to Mick Jagger and Steven Tyler. Simon: Thinks it was original and brave but won't make him as popular as last week. Randy: Thinks he worked it out and is definitely in the star zone. (Adam thanks the band for the great arrangement). Kara: She can't wait to see what he's going to do next and thought it was like "Studio 57" up in here. Contestant #9: Kris Allen Video: He's going to play the piano. Song: "Ain't No Sunshine," Bill Withers Performance: He starts with vocal and piano and then the band and a string quartet kick in. He's mixing up the arrangement in a much more pleasing way and he sounds pretty great. Randy: Thought it was creative and cool and is loving him. Kara: She has three words: That is artistry. Paula: Thinks he took a 30-year-old song and made it new. Simon: Thought he showed confidence and loved the arrangement and thought it was his best performance so far.
- "American Idol" - Top Seven Finalists Perform Again - April 21, 2009 Theme: Disco In the Crowd: Vince Neil of Motley Crue; Contestant #1: Lil Rounds Song: "I'm Every Woman," Chaka Khan Performance: Doing what the judges told her to do, Lil is coming off youthful, soulful, and energetic. The vocal isn't great but it's impassioned. And the crowd loves it. Randy: Says she definitely got the party started but it sounded too wild to him and didn't show what kind of artist she could be. Kara: She's been waiting for her to sing an artist like Chaka Khan but she's not sure it was worth the wait and still didn't show them who she could be as an artist. Paula: Tells us that Lil was on vocal rest yesterday and thinks she made an amazing recovery. Simon: Says she looks sad. She says she isn't and wants to say she had fun tonight. Simon says it's good she had fun but he thinks this will be her last performance since it was a copycat performance. Lil disagrees. Contestant #2: Kris Allen On the stools with Ryan he said he was worried about the theme. Song: "She Works Hard for the Money," Donna Summer Performance: He Jack Johnson-izes the song with his acoustic guitar and two percussion players. When the bass comes in it's actually pretty funky. It's actually very charming in a loose, beach bonfire performance kinda way. Kara: Thinks he took a real risk with that arrangement and it paid off big time. Paula: Thinks it had a classy Santana-vibe and was glad to see him shopping in the women's department. Simon: Called it a polar opposite to Lil since it was original, thought out, and not karaoke. Calls it fantastic. Randy: Loves that he knows who he is and he's ready for the big time, amazing. Contestant #3: Danny Gokey Song: "September," Earth, Wind, and Fire Performance: Danny bounces around and sounds pretty good- although it sounds like his voice might be tiring a little and it feels a bit emotionally disconnected. Randy: Was worried about this choice but he turned this into something that really worked for him. Kara: Says he doesn't get credit for his excellent pitch and thought it was another solid performance. Paula: Was impressed he went one step higher vocally and showed off his agility and brilliance and that he has a sexy voice. Simon: Agrees with the rest of the panel except he didn't get any star power from the performance, that it was still a little clumsy. Paula says she'll still see him at the finals. Contestant #4: Allison Iraheta Song: "Hot Stuff," Donna Summer Performance: She's doing a slow, rocked-up version that may be a touch too slow, she sounds great vocally but the arrangement was going for sultry but felt a little limp. Randy: He didn't love the arrangement but says she's one of the best singers in the competition. Kara: Agrees on the arrangement but thinks she was in the right lane and the vocals alone were a 9 or 10. Paula: She didn't mind the arrangement because it didn't veer away from her authenticity. Simon: He says taking everything into account it was a brilliant performance. Contestant #5: Adam Lambert Song: "If I Can't Have You," Yvonne Elliman Performance: He starts slow and tender vocally with an acoustic arrangement but a bit emotionally overwrought. The chorus starts to feel a bit up tempo but understated for Adam. We get a shot of Paula on the verge of tears. He goes back to end in the sweet and tender place. Randy: He says Adam is ready right now in the way he's showed off his range. He's a hot one tonight. Kara: Says he's brilliant and every week he ups it and calls his emotional connection inspiring. Paula: Has never questioned her visceral response to his performance and she felt his pain, it's like he tore his heart out and put it on the stage and thinks he'll be in the finals. Simon: Would've bet that he would do Donna Summer but it was great it was unpredictable, compliments the arrangement and his immaculate vocals. Adam makes sure to credit the person who helped him with the arrangement. Contestant #6: Matt Giraud Song: "Stayin' Alive," the Bee Gees Performance: He funks it up with some stutter-stepping rhythm. The Timberlake hat is back. He's rocking a few dance moves. He grooves with backing vocalists. He didn't show off great vocal prowess - unitl the nutty falsetto end- but he was entertaining and hard working and definitely deserves to survive this week over Lil. Randy: Didn't love the arrangement or song but thinks he can really sing. Kara: Thinks he brought disco back and liked to see him move and thought it was a good performance. Paula: Says he picks songs like she bowls, sometimes he throws gutterballs sometimes strikes. She thought this was a strike. She thinks he saved his own life this week. Simon: Didn't like it. In the real world he thinks it came over as a bit desperate and that the vocals weren't great and it wasn't original. Contestant #7: Anoop Desai Song: "Dim All the Lights," Donna Summer Performance: Rocking a cute suit and starting with an acoustic run through the chorus before the beat kicks in and he breezes through it. It's sort of a Ne-Yo-esque arrangement. It's nice and shows off some nice sustain. Randy: Didn't love the arrangement but thinks he can sing, compliments the vocals. Kara: Thought it was a great song choice and liked the arrangement and thinks he's really hitting his stride. Paula: Loves the look, thought he hit the magical zone early on. Simon: Disagrees and thought it was mediocre at best and Anoop's worst performance by a mile. Elimination Prediction: Lil and Anoop
- "American Idol" - Top Nine Performance - Take Two - April 13, 2010 Theme: Elvis Presley. The gang took a field trip to see the Presley Cirque du Soleil show and hung out with... Mentor: Adam Lambert. He says his mission is to be completely honest but constructive. He tells Ryan that his main advice was to up the energy. He compliments them all vocally. In the audience: The cast of "Glee" Contestant #1: Crystal Bowersox Song:"Saved." Adam loves her voice and it's authenticity. He counsels her to rock an electric guitar. Performance: She takes his advice and gives maybe her liveliest performance to date. Maybe not a showstopper vocally but a lot of fun and well done. Randy: He loved it, thought it was dope, calls her the second coming of Bonnie Raitt. Ellen: Calls it fantastic. Kara: Another solid performance, loves the uptempo and the switch-up with the arrangement tempo-wise. Simon: Calls it a lyric he can relate to and he loves that she didn't choose an obvious song and put her own slant on it and didn't fall into the karaoke trap. Contestant #2: Andrew Garcia In Ryan stool chat Andrew says Mike's "sing for your life" performance encouraged him. In his package Adam tells Andrew that he was bored by his performance. Adam tells him to step it up. Song: "Hound Dog" Performance: He gives it a sort of swinging Latin vibe but keeps it pretty midtempo. He takes a walk with the microphone to the platform behind the judges. It's okay but there's not much nuance to it. Randy: Says it was bad karaoke, he didn't like it at all. Ellen: Wishes he had put more swagger into it but thought that he pulled it off. Kara: Says he needed to own it and he didn't and she used his microphone as a crutch. She wanted more swagger as well. Simon: Thought it was lazy and unpredictable, and thought it was the worst performance in a musical and all of coolness has been sucked out. Contestant #3: Tim Urban Adam thinks Tim did a lovely job in his rehearsal and played guitar well. He advises him to take the end up into his falsetto for some vulnerability. Song: "I Can't Help Falling in Love" Performance: Seated on a platform behind the judges, Tim accompanies himself on acoustic on a very simple and, honestly nice, performance. There are a couple of little rough notes but really, probably his best, most straightforward performance yet. Randy: He liked it. Ellen: Really enjoyed it and thought it was beautiful. Kara: Her favorite Tim performance ever: authentic, current, and meaningful. Simon: Tells him he has managed to go from zero to hero in two weeks. Congratulates him on his growth. Contestant #4: Lee Dewyze Thinks Lee is great but says there's nothing go on with his face and tells him to smile and be playful and to "perform" reminding him he's not in the guitar studio. Song: "A Little Less Conversation" Performance: Playing his acoustic guitar Lee starts at eleven vocally and doesn't have really have anywhere to go. He sounds really strong but there's not a ton of shifting dynamics. Randy: Thinks Lee is in the zone, calls it great and amazing. Ellen: Thinks he made it current and likes that he's engaging more with the audience. Kara: Is impressed that he "went for it" vocally but she wished that he had been less serious and more playful. Simon: Simon asks what she means by playful. She says looser. He says it was on the money full stop. Contestant #5: Aaron Kelly Adam says he had underestimated Aaron and says he really likes his voice. He counsels him to be more energetic and to use his growl a bit more. Adam thinks Aaron doesn't believe in himself more. Aaron admits that he thinks the song might be wrong "in every possible way." Song: "Blue Suede Shoes" Performance: He seems nervous but sounds fine. It is sort of high school talent show-esque. He breaks it down at the end and gets a little bluesy and it sounds better and feels stronger. Randy: Thought it started weird but loved the bluesy half-time part. Ellen: Thought it was a big song to take on and thinks he didn't get all the way there but he did a good job. Kara: Says he's out of his comfort zone and she liked it and made him seem younger. Simon: Completely disagrees and says it seemed old-fashioned and telepathically agrees with my high school talent show vibe. Contestant #6: Siobhan Magnus In Ryan stool chat she confesses she wrote a sixth grade report on Elvis. In her video package Adam compliments her pipes but says her first pass is too sleepy and to add some tempo and fire to her next try. She calls it an honor to be compared to him. He respects that she likes to be different. Song: "Suspicious Minds" Performance: She starts off gentle and sweet and oddly affected, but strong vocally. At the end she breaks it down and starts going for a few of those big notes. Some work better than others. It's an odd performance. Most of the vocal is fine but it's oddly earnest and disjointed. She absolutely nails the last few notes though. Randy: Thinks the girl can sing but liked the second half of the song better than the first. Ellen: Says she looks fabulous and she agrees the second half was better. Kara: Goes further saying Siobhan has two voices and that she's confused and she likes the second voice better also. She wasn't crazy about it. Simon: Says it was like she was put into a time machine and that she was a completely different person. He thought the first part was terrible and some of the big notes were not accurate. He says she was erratic and screechy, not one of her best performances. Siobhan responds that even she can't always pinpoint who she is all the time and she's taken pride in the fact that she's not one kind of singer. Ryan makes a Dunkelman joke! Contestant #7: Michael Lynche Siobhan recommended his song. Adam thinks he should pick it up a little and bring the actor out. Michael is resistant to that since Simon commented negatively on that. Adam thinks he deserves to get right down to the end. Song: "In the Ghetto" Performance: He goes the straightforward, simple route as well accompanying himself on acoustic with a little assist from the pianist. A little quiet but nicely done. Randy: Calls it a little sleepy but hot vocally. Ellen: She says she's glad they saved him. Kara: Calls it a beautiful song and sung well. Simon: Calls it a million billion percent better than last week and one of his favorite performances. Contestant #8: Katie Stevens Katie told Adam she wanted to channel her frustration into her song. So he advises her to go with that. She says she's got the pipes and the look now she has to make us believe it. Song: "Baby What Do You Want Me To Do" Performance: She's doing the unfortunate neck snap thing again. She sounds okay, but there are more than a couple tough spots which is contradicting her confident attitude. Randy: Said it was nice vocally and entertaining. Ellen: Liked it and calls it horny because of the horn section. Kara: Says she showed them. Simon: Calls it loud and annoying. Didn't like the song. Contestant #9: Casey James Adam tells him to build more of an arc into the song and give it more of a climax. Song: "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" Performance: He starts out acoustic and then the band kicks in with a little funk. It's a more typical Casey bar band blues performance but he sounds great and is engaging. Randy: Thinks he's in the zone, another solid performance. Ellen: Wasn't as exciting as he's been and says he's still great. Kara: Says he's capable of brilliance and wants to see that next week. Simon: Calls it a wasted opportunity given that it was Elvis week and the song was forgettable but that the vocal was good.
- "American Idol" - Auditions #7: San Francisco - Feb. 9, 2011 The cold open is a tearful woman who claims she was rejected because she farted. Ryan says the judges claim they'll be tough. First up is a very confident young girl from the Ukraine whose belly dancing and yoga poses and cutesy girlishness impresses the judges but her version of Air Supply's "All Out of Love" does not. She is all dramatic and tearful on the way out. We get a montage of the rejected and people being pooped on. We get snippets of several auditioners who were put through Brittany Mazur, Lara Johnston, Matthew Nuss. Our first up close and personal story tonight is that of Stefano Langone who survived a horrible accident in 2009 that put him in a wheelchair for a few months. He overcame the ordeal faster than expected and the accident did not injure his voice which bowls over the judges when he sings "I Heard it Through the Grapevine." He gets three yes's. Next is karaoke host Clint Jun Gamboa. He's been told he should do more with his singing. He does when he wows the judges with his rendition of Travie McCoy's "Billionaire." He's going to Hollywood. We get a montage of the "crazy" folks hanging at the auditions and a quick montage of some awful auditions. Taking the cake is a young man who has made himself a very impressive looking "Transformers" outfit but clearly isn't serious about singing. Next is snippets of five California girls who get put through, none of whose names we learn. That's because we needed time to hear the story of Julie Zarilla whose parents fled war-torn Colombia when she was 8. The judges love her shoes and the producers love her story. It's her birthday. Her version of "Summertime" is good enough to get her the best birthday present ever: a golden ticket. Randy is especially impressed. They speculate she might even be good enough to win. Steven Tyler likes Dave Combs' long hair but not so much his take on the Beatles "Oh Darlin." This is the start of a montage of bad singers who drive Tyler crazy prompting him to be the "mean" judge. For a change of pace we get the truly sad story of Emily Anne Reed whose house burned down the week before the auditions. Her jazzy, Blossom Dearie-like version of "You're Getting to be A Habit With Me" is very charming. Steven says no but Randy and JLo put her through. As is custom the final auditioner has a touching tale to share as well as a song. James Durbin never really knew his dad and then he lost him to a drug overdose when he was 9. He ended up being diagnosed with Tourette's and Asperger's and was bullied at school. His girlfriend changed his life and they have a baby son. He's unemployed and doing the best he can. He's worried about his Tourette's in front of the judges even though he hasn't had any problems with the interview. He sings and shows off a very big voice in the Adam Lambert mode. They ask for another song and he asks Steven's permission to sing "Dream On." They love it. He's going to Hollywood.
- "American Idol" - Las Vegas Round- Feb. 23, 2011 We pick up where we left off last week with all of the happy folks celebrating their continued survival and then the judges inform them that they're headed to Vegas the next day. There are 61 folks still standing. Ryan informs us that it will be, wait for it, "their toughest challenge yet" and the teasers promise lots of drama on the way to the unveiling of the top 24. The contestants ride buses to Vegas. The previous evening they divided themselves into duos and trios and picked Beatles songs. They arrive at the Mirage at the site of the Beatles "LOVE" stage. We watch them rehearse to get their songs together and get tough love coaching from the vocal coaches, one of whom is especially mean, Peggy Blu. In one group, judge favorite Lauren Alaina starts to crack under the pressure. We get a montage of folks saying they're not familiar with the Beatles. Jimmy Iovine shows up to school them in the Fab Four. They take in some auditions including Lauren's group, who sound pretty terrible. Iovine tells them to pick a different song. Others are equally bad judging by Jimmy and his entourage of producers' reactions. The contestants get a break and go to see the actual "LOVE" show. First up are Stefano Langone and James Durbin doing "Get Back." The judges seem to dig it, even James' screaming. Then it's Pia Toscano and Karen Rodriguez friends from high school doing "Can't Buy Me Love." JLo feels like they "get it." The other judges like it too. Jacob Lusk, Naima Adedapo, and Haley Reinhart are next. The day earlier the group was told by Iovine to not oversing. They did not take his advice but the judges seem to enjoy the overbaked, overwroughtness of it all, especially JLo. The judges go over the top in their praise, Randy tells Jacob to never hold back. Rachel Zevita is singled out in her group doing "Eleanor Rigby." Lauren Turner is singled out in her group doing "Let it Be." Tim Halperin and Julie Zorrilla do a piano duet of "Something" that works really well. And is nicely understated. Lakeisha Lewis, Jerome Bell, Tatynisa Wilson do a sassy take on "I Saw Her Standing There." The judges liked it mostly with specific compliments and complaints to each contestant. Steven liked it unequivocally. Kendra Chantelle and Paul McDonald tackle "Blackbird" in a very quiet, warm manner. There are some clunkers in the harmonies but it's pleasant. The judges loved it. We get a montage of others showing "flair" including Clint Jun Gamboa, John Wayne Schulze and others. We go on a shopping rip with drama-prone contestant Ashley Sullivan who has decided to get married while she's there, just like Britney did. The camera guys serves as the witness. It's the next day and the second group of contestants are hitting the stage. Thia Megia and Melinda Ademi do "Here Comes the Sun." After all that evil coaching they are perfectly fine and cute. The judges were a little disappointed in the combo seeing as how they like them both alone. Ryan chats with Ashley and Sophia Shorai before they do "We Can Work it Out.' They sound pretty good but they're sort of lifeless. The judges think it was "not hot." Lauren Alaina, Denise Jackson, and Scotty McCreery are next and have switched to "Hello Goodbye." They're really cute. Not any of their best vocal performances but good enough to get them all through. They get a "good try" from the judges. We then get a montage of two groups that include Chris Medina, Carson Higgnins and Casey Abrams that are kind of manic but we don't see the judging. The finale comes from Robbie Rosen, Jordan Dorsey, and Aaron Sanders on "Got To Get You Into My Life." Nice work from all. They all get good marks. The judges deliver the results and familiar faces going home include Carson, Ashley, Denise, and others. So the six singled out to the next round are: Thia Megia, Scotty McCreery, Jordan Dorsey, Ashton Jones, Robbie Rosen, Lauren Alaina. The rest are told as a group including Brett Lowenstern, Chris Medina and others. We head back to L.A. for the final cut from 40 to 24 as the final aspirants audition in an airplane hangar for some reason. They intercut this final audition moment with the final judgement itself. First up is Naima Adedapo who made it through. Even though she was inconsistent the judges think she deserves a shot. Next is Hollie Cavanaugh the girl who cried in her first audition and got a second chance. But she doesn't make it. Jennifer tells her she was outvoted and that Hollie belongs and JLo says she can come back in two years and win the the whole thing. They tell her to make sure she comes back. We get a pair of of nos including Lakeisha and one guy I swear I never saw named Alex Ryan. Others are broken up on their behalf. Next is Clint Jun Gamboa who is through after another grilling about dumping Jaycee. And then Hailey Reinhart gets the good news. It's a no for Deandre Bracken and the judges say they're sad to see him go. Paul McDonald gets the good news. Ashton Jones gets a yes. But Chris Medina gets a very tearful no. He takes it very well. Randy and Steven have to talk JLo down, she feels bad about the way she told him no. She says she doesn't want to do this anymore. We get a "to be continued" and Ryan telling us that Jennifer may make Randy and Steven do the rest of the eliminations alone. So the five members of the top 24 revealed tonight were: Naima Adedapo, Clint Jun Gamboa, Hailey Reinhart, Paul McDonald, and Ashton Jones
- "American Idol" - "Performance Challenge" - Feb. 16, 2012 Hey baby, let's go to Vegas! 70 people are on the way to Sin City. Heejun is on the bus shooting video and then we move into a recap of last night including the jubilant celebration and the judges telling them that they will be singing the songs of the '50s and performing on the "Viva, Elvis!" stage. The contestants have to form in groups to sing a song chosen by the producers. The groups rehearse with the vocal coaches. Ryan tells us there will be brutal cuts in immediate elminations. The first group includes Skylar Lane and Colton Dixon. Colton's sister watches from the audience. They sing "This is Dedicated to the One I Love." They all sound great. The harmonies that Skylar was struggling with come off just fine. The judges compliment them on the harmonies and the way they stretched. They single out the other girl Cari as weak. Colton, Skylar, and Chase are through, Cari is not. Caris says her goodbyes. The next group inlcudes Jeremy Rosado, David Leathers, Jr., Gabi Carrubba, and Ariel Sprague who all met at the Savannah auditions. They struggled with their coaching/arrangement sessions. They sing "Rockin' Robin" and they are supercute and sound great. Randy thinks it was hot. They are all going through. Next is a group that includes Adam Brock, Angie Zeiderman, Erika Van Pelt, and Shelby Tweten. They sing "Great Balls 'o Fire." There's a lot of choreography, it's fun and they all sound good. They're all going through although they make Angie sweat. We get a montage of the group's preparing their look and choreography. Next up is a group that includes Schyler Dixon, Brielle Von Hugel, and a girl named Molly and They sing "Why Do Fools Fall in Love." They're dressed like the Andrews Sisters. They put Brielle and Schyler through and send Molly home. We get a montage of other people who get sent home: Wayne Wilson, Ashley Robles, Stephanie Renae, Aubrey Deckmyer, Janelle Arthur, and Tina Torres. The next group includes Reed Grimm, Elise Testone, Eben Franckewicz, Haley Johnson. They sing "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes." It starts as a showcase for Reed but everyone gets a moment and they do a nice job, Eben is a little strident in places but adorable and energetic. They have great chemistry and nail the choreography. They get a standing O from the judges. They're all going through. The next group is a duo with cowboy Richie Law and Jermaine Jones. They're both baritones. Richie is feeling confident. They rehearse and it's rough. The coach Debra Byrd tells them to drill the melody. They then struggle personality wise in working it out. They sing "Make it Easy on Yourself." They make some of it work, Jermaine sounds great, Richie is a little affected but has good parts. They get a nice round of applause. JLo loved it. They both go through. We get a montage of girls who were put through Hallie Day, Baylie Brown, and Chelsea Sorrell. The next group, the last of the first day, includes Jessica Sanchez, Deandre Brackensick, and Candice Glover. They're very confident in that they changed up the arrangement of Buddy Holly's "I Guess it Doesn't Matter Anymore." They funk it up and bring it off nicely. It's not very exciting but sounds good. They get a standing O from the judges. They're all going through. The contestants put through are asked back onstage. They are cautioned that if they love the groups tomorrow they might have to make another round of cuts so even though they were told their safe, they might not actually be. It's day two. The first group includes Adam Lee Decker, Clayton Farhat, Curtis Gray, and Scott Dangerfield. They sing "Jailhouse Rock." They're choreography is cute and each have at least one decent moment and a couple have a few rough moments.They give them mixed reviews. Only Scott and Clayton and Adam are going through. They have a nice bromance moment saying goodbye to Curtis. We get a montage of groups who sang Elvis songs and people who were put through including Joshua Ledet, Shannon Magrane, Caleb Johnson, Joshua Sanders, and Curtis Finch. Johnny Keyser's group is chilling in the hot tub. The next group is Courtney Williams, Britnee Kellogg, Jessica Phillips. They sing "You Keep Me Hangin' On." They have no chemistry onstage but they all sing well, with a couple of clunkers, individually with Britnee the weakest. The judges loved Britnee and have more mixed reviews for Courtney and Jessica. Britnee and Courtney are through but it's the end of the road for Jessica. (Jessica was the one with the boyfriend was a stroke victim.) She's really angry about those who did and says some of them are not "real artists." The next group is Lauren Gray, Mathenee Treco and Wendy Taylor. They had a tough rehearsal with vocal coach Peggy Blue. They sing "Will You Love Me Tomorrow." Each has a nice solo moment and sound good together, there are a few rough spots but overall well done if not very exciting. Lauren and Wendy are put through. The next group is Heejun Han, Phillip Phillips, Jairon Jackson, and Neco Starr. They sing "I Only Have Eyes For You." It's very sweet. They're all going through. They all collapse simultaneously. Heejun is very emotional. The final group is Creighton Fraker, Jen Hirsh, Nick Boddington, and Aaron Marcellus. They are being coached by Katharine McPhee's mom Peisha. They sing "Sealed With a Kiss." They do a lot of close harmony that sounds great and just quick solo spots. It's pretty silky with a few strident moments in the solo spots as they ratchet up the melisma to put themselves over individually. All but Nick are going through. His team members support him. So now we come to another round of cuts. They bring all the contestants back onstage to cut down to the top 40. Cuts include Gabi, Angie, Candice, Johnny, Jairon, Britnee and Schyler (Colton's sister.) (They actually only manage to get it down to 42.)
- Hollywood auditions reveal the top 32.
- 2002– TV-PG5.5 (29)TV Episode
- 2002– TV-PG5.5 (49)TV EpisodeOver 45 million votes were cast, and Brooke White goes home.
- "American Idol" - Second Group of 12 - Feb. 25, 2009 Ryan introduces last week's winners Michael, Alexis, and Danny and the judges. Randy says the second 12 have an advantage from watching last week. Kara says to do the best they possibly can. Paula says she hopes they picked the right song. Simon says it's too late for advice now. Contestant #1: Jasmine Murray, 17 Video Clip: We see her journey to the stage. Simon liked her. Her mom predicted she would be on. Song: "Love Song," Sara Bareilles Performance: She starts off in a low register that seems like an odd spot for her voice. The chorus is better. The crowd stands. She's very natural and has an easy stage presence. It's okay but not amazing. Randy: He thought there were good and bad moments and that it was pitchy all the way through. He didn't think it was the right song. Kara: Thinks she's very commercial but that the song was all over the place and started badly. Paula: Wants to disagree with Kara and Randy but she can't. She liked her confidence but thought it was the wrong song. Simon: Was disappointed because he likes her. She's got the right attitude, look, and confidence but doesn't have a great voice. He thinks she's a couple of years too early. He asks what she thought. She had fun. Ryan asks Randy if she deserves a spot. He's unsure. (Apparently there will be no parents in the red room this week as Jasmine's mom was in the audience.) Contestant #2: Matt Giraud, 23, the dueling piano man Video Clip: We see his journey. He needs to pinch himself because it's so surreal. Hollywood week went well for him. Song: "Viva La Vida," Coldplay Performance: He sings without a piano. The beginning is a little shaky. He tries to add a few little runs but the song's pace doesn't really allow for it. He seems a little breathless and an attempt at falsetto is a bit rough. He adds some runs at the end that are equally spotty. Kara: She was blown away in Hollywood week and wasn't tonight. For a bluesy guy she thinks it was the wrong song and it didn't lend itself to the interpretation he tried to put on it. She still loves him. Paula: She thought his performance was better than the rehearsal but thinks it was probably the wrong song. Simon: Echoes the women and says he thought it verged on horrible and he went from bluesy thing to a wannabe pop star. He thinks he's got talent but didn't showcase himself well. Randy: Echoes all of them saying that he's pulling for him but again, wrong song. Matt says this is the type of music he wants to do as an artist. Simon says Matt doesn't deserve a spot in the top 12 if that's what he wants to do. Contestant #3: Jeanine Vailes, 28 Video Clip: Her journey went well. Simon found her believable as a recording artist. She tripped on the table when she went to hug Randy when she got through. Song: "This Love," Maroon 5 Performance: Very weird choice, it doesn't really show off her voice. She is, however, showing off her legs in short shorts. She has good presence but she doesn't sound that great until a Chaka Khan-y final note. Paula: Says she has great legs and says it's season 8 and turns to Simon. Simon: Thought it was terrible and that she made the absolute wrong choice. He agrees she has good legs. Randy: Agrees on the hot legs and the wrong song. Kara: Says she's very pretty but that the song was so overdone and it was all wrong. She says that since she's been so under the radar - getting little camera time up till now- that she had to come out strong. Kara says she overcompensated. Jeanine agrees but says she can pick a better song. Simon thinks she blew it. She says she hasn't blown it yet. Paula thinks she might've blown it. Kara says she doesn't deserve a shot at the top 12. She begs for votes and says she can prove it. Contestant #4: Nick Mitchell/Norman Gentle, 27 Video Clip: We get a greatest hits recap of his bad comedy auditions. He says he's doing what he knows how to do since he knows he will not be the next Justin Timberlake. He's having an identity crisis but just wants to entertain America. Song: "And I'm Telling You, I'm Not Going," from "Dreamgirls" Performance: He dedicates his performance to group 2. He's wearing white tails, khaki shorts, the headband, and the shirt. In the audience his mother grins but his dad looks either nervous or angry or both. It's nasal but he's hitting the notes. Now his dad's clapping. He's vamping, dropping the glasses and jacket and jokes with the crowd. He hits a horrible note and goes offstage to the judges table to stroke the "Idol" logo. He points out "Doogie"- Neil Patrick Harris- in the audience. He hits one big real note and then ends on a totally goofy note. Simon is actually laughing. It wasn't a great vocal but it was the funniest he's been to date. Granted the bar was set pretty low. Simon: He hopes he's speaking on behalf of America when he says he prays he doesn't go through to the next round. He's booed. He apologizes and wonders why Nick's mom and dad are looking at him like that. Although his mom is laughing. He says it was arguably one of the most atrocious performances they've ever had. He calls it horrific comedy. Nick says it takes one to know one and calls him sassy pants and does some karate kicks. Randy: Says it was one of the most entertaining performances ever on "Idol." He says the vocals were not happening. He thought it was funny. Kara: She says at least they remember him and he wears the same shirt every week like Simon. She says he's not a terrible singer although she doesn't see him in the music market. She says she enjoyed him tonight. Paula: Says since this is America singers come in all shapes, sizes, sounds, looks, and fashion. She thinks that sometimes he's paying homage to Jerry Lewis and Olivia Newton-John. She says he's a true performer but doesn't know if this is the stage for him but that there are plenty of stages. She calls him fun. Ryan says this is the first time someone's gone to second base with their logo. He asks the judges if Nick is not a terrible singer. Nick says he wants to own the fact that they had five rehearsals but when he went on his knees his vocals went off. He then says Simon is looking at him like he wants to kill him. Simon says he's listening and asks Ryan if he liked it. He says in a different way than Simon probably did. Ryan says there's chemistry between Nick and Simon. Ryan asks Paula if she'd vote for him based on vocals from that performance. She's confused thinking he was asking Simon and points out that Simon was smiling the whole time. Ryan clarifies he was asking her. She literally babbles. Ryan asks Nick if he thinks he deserves a spot in the top 12. Nick asks Ryan. Ryan says probably not but says it was entertaining. Contestant #5: Alison Iraheta, 16 Ryan asks her about "Idol" school since she's out of public school. She acts very goofily. Video Clip: She got a "generous" yes to get to Hollywood. She's the one Simon said to keep an eye on and Kara said had "raw, natural talent" at final judgment. Song: "Alone," Heart Performance: She's got a pleasant little rasp and a soulful texture to her voice on the opening verse. She's killing it, especially the hard rocking parts. The backing vocals are a little too loud but she's rolling with it. The best performance thus far, by far. Randy: Thinks she blew it out the box and is thrilled that now real singing is jumping off. Kara: Says she's serious and Alison doesn't even know how good she is. She says she just needs to work out her stage fright and she could have a big hit on the radio. Paula: Thinks she can sing the telephone book and worked the microphone and stand really well. She thinks she's very seasoned at 16. Simon: Says she's the best tonight by a clear mile and it's like the competition just started. He says it's amazing since she was so boring upstairs with Ryan and was a totally different person onstage. He was very impressed. Contestant #6: Kris Allen, 23 Video Clip: His audition went well although Simon was put off by his modesty. (I don't remember this guy at all). We see a little bit of him playing guitar on a Michael Buble song. Song: "Man in the Mirror," Michael Jackson Performance: Again kind of an odd choice for the early low register, but he's very likable and sweet. The chorus is loads better than the verses and he hits one big note real well. Solid but not spectacular. Kara: Says the back half was better than the front but doesn't touch what he did in Hollywood week. She misses the soulful voice and thinks this was completely the wrong song and doesn't see him doing this. Paula: Disagrees completely and thought he nailed it and that the songwriters would be proud and that he was charming. Simon: Agrees with Paula and she kisses him. He doesn't think he's the best singer in the competition, Danny is, he says, but that he did what they asked by showing confidence and that the girls will dig him. He's proud of him and thinks he put himself in the running. Randy: Agrees partially with Simon and says he wasn't sure he could pull it off without the guitar but he did. Contestant #7: Megan Corkrey, 23 Video Clip: She was one of Simon's early favorites. She has a two-year old son, Ryder. Song: "Put Your Records On," Corinne Bailey Rae Performance: Her hands on her hips stance is awkward and she's a bit ungainly but she sounds pretty good: jazzy, different, and sweet. Paula: Thinks she picked the right song, is hip, beautiful, relevant, and telegenic and that she did everything right. Simon: Thinks she's a funny little thing and looks gorgeous. Thought it started well but that it got a bit shouty in the middle when she got overexcited. She says she thinks she rocked it. He hopes America votes for her and agrees that she is relevant and current. Randy: Is a big fan and thinks she's in the Duffy, Adele, Winehouse sphere. Calls it a nice job. Kara: Says she's a package artist because she's pretty and unique and with the right song she could break out. Contestant #8: Matt Breitzke, 28, the welder Video Clip: We see him weld. He was starstruck by the judges. He's doing this for his family. His song "encapsulates true love." Song: "If You Could Only See," Tonic Performance: He's very earnest and moves a bit funny for a big guy but he sounds okay. The first part isn't great in terms of showing off range, in fact none of the song really is. It's first rate karaoke but doesn't rise to the size of the occasion. Simon: Really likes him but absolutely hated that song and is frustrated. He thinks it was boring and forgettable and that the performance part was uncomfortable. If he knew Matt was going to choose it he would've tried to talk him out of it. Matt appreciates it but disagrees. Randy: Thought it was just okay, not enough edge and energy. Randy also likes him and thinks he's cool. Kara: Agrees they all like him but thinks the song didn't show any side of him and it fell really flat and that most disappointing is that he can actually sing but it was poor song choice. Paula: Knows he puts his whole guts and soul into it and that it was all in key but not who they saw in Hollywood. Contestant #9: Jesse Langseth, 26 Video Clip: Simon really liked her. She's a single mom to an 8-year-old. She was in a sing for your life situation at final judgment and is glad Simon talked trash to her because it fuels her fire. Song: "Bette Davis Eyes," Kim Carnes (Which she thinks is "one of the greatest songs ever written." YIKES!) Performance: It starts a little shaky and strident. (The backing band is killing that terrible '80s keyboard sound). She seems nervous. She's hitting some decent notes and has some skills but her nerves seemed to be getting the best of her breathing. Randy: Thought it was okay, the song was cool, but right now everyone should blow them away and she didn't. She asks what he wanted to see. He says more range vocally. Kara: Says it's her best look and that it was slinky and sexy. She thinks she hit some bad notes but that there were good moments and she took some interesting risks but that it didn't show off her range. (She starts talking about the drum pattern, wasting time. Oy, another chatty Brooke White-type). Paula: Found her captivating throughout the whole process and thinks she's cool and has an identifiable sound and her phrasing is unique. She didn't think it was a perfect song for her but reiterates that Jesse is cool. Simon: He disagrees and says she was forgettable which is too bad since she has a nice voice but that she was too cool for school. Contestant #10: Kai Kalama, 27 Video Clip: Kara thought he was cute. Simon tells him he needs confidence. Hollywood went well. His energy is going for his sick mom. Song: "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted," Jimmy Ruffin. Performance: It's kinda boring and cheesy. He sounds fine, some nice notes, but no wow factor, kind of cruise ship-esque. Kara: Likes him but thinks he had some pitch issues and that the song is a little old-fashioned and would like to see something contemporary. Paula: Echoes Kara and didn't realize he was such a good performer. Simon: Old-fashioned, corny, wedding/hotel singer, unoriginal, forgettable, thinks he would be a very good back-up singer. Randy: Agrees with Simon, says it was too safe. Contestant #11: Mishavonna Henson, 18 Video Clip: She made it to Hollywood last year but got cut. So excited to have made it to the top 36. She promises to not let America down. Song: "Drops of Jupiter," Train Performance: She's giving a very earnest, female singer-songwriter-type performance. She's hitting the notes but again, not very exciting. Rough landing. Paula: Thinks she sang it well but it didn't excite her. Simon: Thinks it's a great song, and that she's technically a great singer, but it left him cold and that she's too serious. He wishes she was a bit more fun. Randy: Agrees that she feels so much older than 18. He also didn't like a solo singer singing a band song. (Really?) Kara: She also loves the song and says she wants her to loosen it up a bit. She thinks she is a good singer but they're all wondering where she fits in the industry. (Paula sneezes). Contestant #12: Adam Lambert, 27 Video Clip: Paula thought he was the best they've seen. He's been in musical theater his whole life. He was criticized for not being emotionally connected. He realizes he needs things to be a little more internal. Song: "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," The Rolling Stones Performance: He ill-advisedly slows down the beginning and gets overwrought as it speeds up. Also not a great song to show off range but he adds some crazy, inappropriate runs. He toggles between sounding like a woman and the musical theatre performer he is. He's definitely got power on his side though. Paula gives him a standing O. Paula: Feels like she's at an Adam Lambert concert and thinks he's in a league of his own and is leaving some people in the rearview mirror. Simon: He thought there were parts that were excruciatingly bad and parts that were brilliant. He thinks it's going to be a love it or hate it performance but thinks he will get through. Randy: Loved it because he thinks he's very relevant. He think it's Steven Tyler meets Fall Out Boy meets Robert Pattinson meets My Chemical Romance. He says it was manic in places but loved it. Kara: Thinks his technique is outrageous and his range is crazy in a good way. Predictions: Alison, Adam, and Megan
- "American Idol" - Top Two Performance Show- May 24, 2011 Ryan reminds us this is the youngest finale match-up ever. Ryan talks to the show doctor about how Lauren blew out one of her vocal cords but she's going to do great. Theme: Three songs: contestants favorite song from the season, songs chosen by the contestants idols-- Carrie Underwood in Lauren's case, George Strait in Scotty's-- and their potential singles should they win. In the audience: The season 10 contestants; David Archuleta; Camryn Manheim; Contestant: Scotty McCreery Song: "Gone," Montgomery Gentry Performance: Although the walking around in the routine has him a bit breathless in places, it's a great, natural, fun, performance that the crowd seems into. Contestant: Lauren Alaina Song: "Flat on the Floor," Carrie Underwood Performance: She's a little raspier than usual and all her power isn't there, hence the disclaimer at the top of the show and she seems nervous about the blocking. It was fun but felt a little cautious. Contestant: Scotty Song: George Strait picked his own song "Check Yes or No" Performance: The song is a cutesy schoolyard crush number, midtempo, that isn't particularly exciting. Scotty does what he can with it. Contestant: Lauren Song: Carrie Underwood picked "Maybe It Was Memphis" by Pam Tillis Performance: Another sort of midtempo, vanilla pop country number. Aside from a few breath issues, she sings it fine. There are some high notes that she goes breathy on the end but hits the last note hard and strong. Ryan goes to the judges. Randy:Says America is going to have a tough decision and that it's very even. He loved both of their performances but gives slight edge to Scotty in round one and to Lauren in round two. JLo: Agrees with Randy's assessment of the rounds and thought it was an explosive start. Steven: First and second rounds to Lauren only because she's prettier than Scotty. Performance: Taio Cruz performs the perfectly average song -- "Positive"-- that was written as part of this year's songwriting challenge. Halfway through his microphone goes out. It comes back. The song is fine and he performs it in green fog surrounded by faux marching band dancers miming banging drums. Contestant:Scotty Song:"I Love You This Big," Jimmy tells him to make it big, that this song plays both to his emotional qualities and his vocal gifts. Performance: As video of his "Idol journey" plays behind him he sings a boilerplate country ballad about being young and in love. He sings it well enough and the audience sways along with him. Randy: Is marveling in the two youngest finalists and although he didn't love the song he thought it showed off his range and he's, um, yeah in it to win it. JLo: Says he's the show's great storyteller and thinks he did an amazing job with the song. Steven: Says he's come a long way and repeats the thing about not being able to take a three point shot from under the net. Scotty says he's enjoying himself and can't believe he's there, but he says it very calmly. Contestant: Lauren Song: "Like My Mother Does" Jimmy thinks this captures Lauren's journey and it will showcase her in her best light and that mom's will be moved. Performance: As her journey plays on the video screen, Lauren sings about how awesome her mom is while she wears a white gown and her mom sings along for the audience. She's doing fine, she stumbles a bit on going for one big note, but it's more raspinesss than a clunker. She goes and hugs her mom in the audience. Randy: Loves it, loves it, loves it and gives her a standing ovation and says she's arrived. JLo: Says it's a tight race but Lauren may have just won. Steven: Predicts she's going to win and is the winner in his eyes. Randy and Steven say Lauren took round three and JLo says it's too close to call. Performance: David Cook sings this season's sing-out song, his version of Simple Minds "Don't You (Forget About Me)"
- "American Idol" - Auditions #1 - Jan. 16, 2013 And we're back! Tonight we meet new judges Keith Urban, Mariah Carey, and Nicki Minaj and say hello to old dawg Randy Jackson. We kick off with a performance from last year's winner Phillip Phillips and his hit song "Home" with a montage of his video, the U.S. gymnastics team, and this year's wannabes. We then go to a montage of successful previous winners and contestants from Carrie to Kelly to Fantasia to Jennifer Hudson. Then a montage introducing us to the new judges and reacquainting us with Randy, and their various accomplishments. We then get a teaser montage of people excited to have gotten their golden tickets to Hollywood. And others angrily yelling at the camera. And the judges disagreeing. Our first audition city is New York. Mariah references Nicki's hat and the first of the spats. It's interrupted by a Michael Buonopane singing his own version of Queen's "We Will Rock You" with lyrics about the judges. He talks a lot about his plan coming in and starts singing a bunch of different kinds of music and dancing. Then they ask him to actually sing but he doesn't get a chance and they turn him down. They are being primped during the break and Mariah and Nicki fight about the movie "Mean Girls." At one point Nicki pretends like she's going to choke Mariah. They both use fake British accents. Nicki keeps making "funny" angry faces. The next contestant is Tenna Torres who actually went to "Camp Mariah" when she was a little girl and got to sing for Carey when seh was 13. She tells Mariah and shows her pictures. Mariah is thrilled and wants copies. She sings "You've Got a Friend" by Carole King. She overdoes the melisma a bit, just like her idol, but she can clearly sing. And she is lovely. She gets four yes's and her golden ticket to Hollywood. We get a montage of three other good singers and their yes's. Next up is a young man named James Bae who is a Justin Bieber superfan. He attempts to sing a Bieber song except he cannot sing and is turned down. Nicki gives him a pep talk. Mariah tells him to be a deejay. Next up is Christina "Isabelle" who apparently has struggled with her weight and has lost 50 pounds. Randy calls back "Mean Girls." She sings "Summertime" from "Porgy and Bess." She can sing, but also overdoes it, as they so often do in the auditions to show off all of their skills. She's very strong. She gets four yes's and is going to Hollywood. Next up is Evan Ruggiero who has primarily been a dancer and wanted to hit Broadway. He was diagnosed with cancer at 19. After multiple surgeries and lengthy chemo, he had to have his leg amputated, obviously devastating for anyone, but especially a dancer. He sings "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz. He's got sparkle and precision but he's clearly nervous and is having pitch problems. Then he plays "Wanted: Dead or Alive" by Bon Jovi, which sounds much stronger and better. A little nasal but more assured pitch-wise. Keith sings along. They don't feel his star power but think he's talented. They tell him not to give up and to find his niche. Ryan tells us about the "I Nominate" campaign about people who have been nominated by people in their lives since they have been reticent. Randy goes to see one of them Jessica Kartalis on Staten Island. He gives her a number to audition. She sings an original song with her guitar. She plays in the wrong key at first. She sings well enough. She asks to sing a second sing. Nicki tells her to come back next year and the others agree. Up next is Shira Gavrielov who is from Israel and had a hit there. Now she wants the American dream. She's okay singing "Valerie" by the Zutons. She's got power but not a lot of sense of dynamics. She starts at 10 and keeps going there. She gets four yes's and a golden ticket. The last contestant on the first day is Frankie Ford who is from Brooklyn and sings on the train to make money. He sings "Sweet Dreams" by the Eurythmics. He starts a little high and then stops himself and says he's nervous. He starts again a little slower and more contained. He's got power and pitch and they love him. Four yes's and a golden ticket and a hug and a handshake from Keith and everyone. Day two in NYC begins and the table line-up has changed, Randy, Nicki, Keith, and Mariah from left to right, which is the opposite of the previous day. But then when it's showtime it's switched back? First up is BenjaminGaisey. He is dressed in MJ-esque red leather and a horrible wig and you just know he's going to be terrible. And, he is. He sings "I'll Make Love to You" and "Every Time I Close My Eyes" to Mariah and Nicki respectively. He is awful and they laugh at him and Nicki makes him sing more. They laugh at him some more.Keith actually hides under the table saying "It's not safe." They all say no as nicely as possible. Except Randy who says he's terrible. Next up is Rozanna Shindelman who is very supported by her parents. She sings "To Know Him is to Love Him." She is loud but not very good. That's a no. Nicki says it's harder than she thought to say no.And then we get a montage of no's, some of whom angrily yell at the camera. Keith calls Randy Obi-Wan Kenobi for being able to say no so easily. Next up is Sarah Restuccio who talks about being from the rural part of New Jersey where she works on a blueberry farm. She sings "Mama's Song" by Carrie Underwood. She is flat for a lot of the audition but for some reason they love her. She is sweet and confident. Mariah sees a complete package. Randy wants to hear another song. She does "Super Bass," nearly flawlessly. Nicki, of course, loves it. And the others love it too. Keith says he doesn't know who she is. Nicki says she's amazing that she does it all. Nicki kind of yells at Keith saying she has to choose one. It's four yes's and a golden ticket. Mariah gives the contestants a pep talk and tells them to be themselves. Up next is Albert Chang who is a receptionist. He should stick to answering phones. He sings "Phantom of the Opera" and he is terrible including a duck-like high end. They mock him and then Nicki goofs on Mariah's famous range. We get a montage of Nicki's British accent,which she says comes out when she's nervous. Then Mariah starts doing it as well. It is all insufferable. Next up is Angela Miller who has hearing loss in both ears. She sings "Mama Knows Best" by Jessie J. She can definitely sing, and it is very loud. They really like her. Four yes's and a golden ticket. Next up is Brett Holt who is a huge "Idol" fan. Ryan quizzes him. He's auditioned seven times. They show him struggling to stay awake. He sings "When I Fall in Love." We see, apparently, a fantasy where all the judges say yes but in reality, it's a no. Next up is Gurpreet Singh Sarin who coordinates his turban with his outfit. He has 40-50 and calls himself "The Turbanator." He sings "Sunday Morning" by Maroon 5. He is a nice energy but only a serviceable voice. Nicki likes his look. Keith thinks his voice is too light. Mariah and Randy say yes. Keith says no. He begs Nicki, the deciding vote, and she is swayed by this. Three yes's and he's going to Hollywood. The final audition arrives. Ashlee Feliciano has a large family including many foster siblings, many of them "medically complex," and all of them are there to support her. She sings "Put Your Records On" by Corinne Bailey Rae. She is very cute and does a good job. The judges love her and ask her family to come in and hear the verdict. Four yes's and a golden ticket.
- "American Idol" - Auditions #6 - Jan. 31, 2013 Our final audition city is Oklahoma City, OK. We are reminded that Carrie Underwood is from Oklahoma. First up is Karl Skinner who was found during the small town audition bus tour. He's a newlywed. He sings "I Feel Good" by James Brown. He's a little goofy but he can sing. He then plays his guitar and sings an original song. The song is not much but he sings it alright, overdoing it a bit to his detriment. Randy and Nicki like him and Randy thinks he could be an "Idol" mascot. It's four yeses and a golden ticket. We get a montage of the terrible. Next up is Nate Tao who is an American Sign Language instructor. Both of his parents are deaf. He sings "For Once In My Life" by Stevie Wonder. He has a weird breath thing but he sings well. (It's truly a shame his parents can't hear him.) He gets four yeses and a goldent ticket. His dad is very excited for him he teaches Ryan how to sign "Congratulations." Next up is Halie Hilburn who is a puppeteer/ventriloquist who has a puppy dummy named Oscar. She/they sing "Cowboy Sweetheart" by Leann Rimes. (Oscar provides the yodeling at the end.) They sound pretty good but it feels silly. She then sings on her own and it's lovely. They tell her to leave Oscar behind. Keith, Mariah, and Nicki say yes. Randy says he was going to say no but it doesn't matter. She gives Oscar to Ryan.There is a goodbye montage set to Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" and Oscar ends up in the dumpster. Next up is an obvious train wreck, Zoannette Johnson who butchers the national anthem It's so scary Keith falls off his chair on "free." There are actually a couple of okay moments but she's just so loco she can't control herself.Nicki isn't kidding when she says her voice is out of control. Zoanette than starts babbling about getting an invitation to the White House.They, insanely, all say yes. We get a montage of people crying/trying not to cry, either with nerves or being rejected or one tearful who actually gets put through. Next up is Anastacia Freeman who is also tearful but gathers herself and then trips on her way in. She takes her shoes off before she sings. She sings "Unbreak My Heart" by Toni Braxton. She is terrible. They laugh at her. She asks if they're laughing at her. They say no. She continues to sing. They laugh more. Randy asks if someone told her to audition. She says God did. They do a bizarre, mean "re-enactment." That's a no. As she leaves she says she will no longer listen to Mariah and she never listened to Nicki because she heard she worshipped Satan. Okay. The final contestant is 16-year-old Kayden Stevenson who suffers from Cystic Fibrosis and his life expectancy is 35 years old. He sings "I Wish" by Stevie Wonder. He's adorable and has a great spirit which they really like. That's four yeses and a golden ticket. We get a montage of some of the 44 others who got a golden ticket. Then they show us a "bonus" audition. It's Steven Tyler in drag. It's a pretty good get up. He's come to wish them well on the new season. He gets a golden ticket.
- 2002– 42mTV-PG5.4 (31)TV Episode
- Two male and two female contestants are asked to leave on the first live results show of the season.
- "American Idol" - Last Group of Three Chosen/Wild Cards Revealed- March 4, 2009 Group Sing: An abysmal version of Katy Perry's abysmal song "Hot and Cold" with abysmal chair choreography. We get a recap of how this group of 12 arrived. We get a recap of last night. Ryan banters with the contestants. The results begin: Lil Rounds is in. Kara says she expects Lil Rounds to bring ridiculous vocals every week unless something ridiculous happens to her. She sings "Be Without You" again very well. Arianna Afsar is out. Taylor Vaifunua is out. Alex Wagner-Trugman is out. But as he said in Hollywood he'd rather lose as himself than win as someone else so...there you go. Kendall Beard and Scott McIntyre. She's out, he's in. This is a dream come true for him. Randy says he expects Scott to blow up the stage every week and can't wait to hear him play his keyboard and sing. He sings "Mandolin Rain" again and again it's pleasant. Nathaniel Marshall and Kristen McNamara are both out. Von Smith and Felicia Barton are both out. Ju'Not Joyner and Jorge Nunez are out and in. Jorge expresses great thanks in English and Spanish. He doesn't sing right away since the wild card info is up next. Ryan explains the eight wild card peeps are about to be introduced. In addition to all of tonight's rejected contestants, eligible contestants in the red room include Anoop, Matt, Brent, Ricky, Matt B., Jesse, Jackie, Megan, Jasmine, Nick/Norman, and Tatiana. Ryan re-introduces the 9 already through. First though, Simon explains that historically this process allowed Clay Aiken and Jennifer Hudson to get in and gives a second chance to people they believe in who made bad choices. He says they totally support this system and that one of these wild cards could win the whole thing. Randy picks: Von Smith, Tatiana Del Toro (eek) (She cries and bows and says thank you so much and that she wants to sing for them more than anyone wants to do anything in the world. Randy also notes this was a unanimous choice). Simon picks: Megan Corkrey, Anoop Desai Kara picks: Jasmine Murray, Matt Giraud Paula Picks: Ricky Braddy, Jesse Langseth (Paula also notes that this was unanimous) Jorge sings "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" again.
- "American Idol" - Top Five Perform - April 28, 2009 Theme: Standards from the Rat Pack Era Video: The Idols meet their mystery mentor, it's... Jamie Foxx. So we get a video package on Jamie's acting and music career. He wants to teach them that these songs are going to live forever. He tells them about Vegas, the Rat Pack, and the gangsters. He promises to say what's on his mind. Contestant #1: Kris Allen Video: Jamie likes how he's not into doing "throat olympics." Jamie wants to make a record with him. Kris likes that. Jamie calls him his number one. Song: "The Way You Look Tonight" Performance: He does a slow, up-a-lazy-river version that's sexily soporific. Like Jamie said, Kris will not be winning the throat olympics with this but it's pleasant. It switches to a slightly zippier tempo halfway through that also sounds fine and then settles back down. He ends on a sweet falsetto note. Randy: Thinks it's his best performance to date, he took his time, told his story, and had mad nice vocals. Kara: She thinks he's set the technical standard really high for the evening: diction, timing, phrasing. She calls him a dark horse. Paula: Is pleased by his transformation from boy next door to sophisticated gentleman. His performance was near impeccable. Simon: Thought it was good but is not quite as enthusiastic as the others since it was a bit "wet." He compares him to a well-trained spaniel. He doesn't get the feeling from him tonight that Kris can win the competition. Contestant #2: Allison Iraheta Video: Jamie Foxx is knocked out by her. He tells her to think of her family while she sings since she's too young to have a boyfriend. She seems touched by that. Song: "Someone To Watch Over Me" Performance: This is a great marriage of singer and song. We get to see a more tender side and a little bit more of the higher register. Her phrasing is effortless and her pitch is terrific. It's a beautiful performance with just a bit of grit to it. She really embraced the style and the moment. Randy: Says she looks like Brittany Murphy and dope, sounds like Pink but with more octaves, and thought it was the bomb. Kara: She's not nervous for Allison anymore since she probably converted new fans with that performance, which was gut-wrenching and terrific. She thinks it was good enough to get her in the finals. Paula: Thinks it was alluring and tender with an innocent sensibility. She's really proud of her. Simon: Asks if she thinks she can win. She says she thinks she can. He says he asked because he doesn't feel that belief coming from her and thinks maybe she's been overshadowed by some of the other personalities on the show. He thought the performance was great though. He's worried she could be in trouble. He said it felt mechanical and was a 7 out of 10. Kara says Simon is crazy. Randy tells Allison the vocal was on point. Contestant #3: Matt Giraud Video: Jamie tells him not to worry. But after Matt's session is over he calls him back in and advises him to change the key. He guarantees the key change will garner a standing ovation. Song: "My Funny Valentine" Performance: Matt, oddly, chooses not to play the piano. He sits on a stool and sings it pretty straight, hewing to the melody and staying off big runs. He bends a few notes here and there. His training is serving him well, although his breat support at the ends of phrases isn't as good as it could be. Jamie's "moment" does draw a cheer as does the last trilling high note. Not exactly electric but well sung. Randy: Calls it one of the hardest songs to sing and that he was up to the task but that it was a bit pitchy and that it didn't all come together. Kara: She says the competition is tough but you need to be a leader and that she appreciates what he tried to do technically but she didn't feel the emotion. He responds with an inredulous "what?" Paula: Loved it and the fact that he took Jamie's advice and she felt the emotional connection. She thought it was pure, simple, and really impressive. Simon: Disagrees with Randy and says that it was the only believable, authentic song tonight and that he heard some Nat "King" Cole-type phrasing and he thought it was brilliant. Contestant #4: Danny Gokey Video: Jamie thinks Danny is "this close." Danny says he's not going to change it up much, just give it a little bluesy feel. Jamie gets right up in his face to get his emotion to come out. Song: "Come Rain or Come Shine" Performance: He gives it a slight New Orleans vibe with the horn arrangement. He sings it pretty straight and it sounds pretty good, more like a performance than storytelling though and a bit sleepy until the end when he amps up the grit and energy. In fact, the end is pretty stunning. Randy: Says he's the only one so far tonight that could have an album of songs like this. He says forget the connection stuff, this is a singing competition and Danny can sing. Kara: Says what she's been missing from him is the Rat Pack swagger and he had it tonight. She says the end of the performance was the most creative he's been all season. Paula: Stellar and she knows he can see the finish line. Simon: Agrees with Kara and thinks that he came out and proved a point. He thought it was his best performance in weeks. He compliments Rickey for the great arrangement and Jamie for what he's bringing out in the contestants tonight. Contestant #5: Adam Lambert Video: Jamie is impressed and thinks he's going to knock everybody's head off. Jamie laughs and says it's great that Adam doesn't care who he is at all. Adam laughs and in his separate interview says he kept his eyes closed because he was freaking out that he was standing three feet away from Jamie Foxx. Jamie hugs him. Song: "Feelin' Good" Performance: In a white suit he struts down a staircase lit hot pink. The bump and grind rhythm kicks in and he digs in. It's confident, technically assured -even the tongue out metal scream- and a little naughty. Next to "Mad World" and "Tracks of My Tears" one of his best, and least annoying, performances. Randy: He says it was a little too theatrical for him but Adam is in the zone consistently for him. Kara: Her mouth drops open every time and says he's shocking and confusing in a good way and sleazy and superb and way over the top but she likes it. Paula: He makes her feel better than good, she says it's like watching the Olympics and he's their Michael Phelps. Simon: Laughs at Randy for calling Adam theatrical since that's like complaining when a cow moos. He likes this year's competition because normally there are people "bleating" about how winning isn't important but he gets the feeling from him and at least two others that he wants to win and to entertain. Calls it the best entrance he's had all season.
- "American Idol" - Jan. 28, 2009 Auditions- Salt Lake City We get a look at the line of hopefuls at 5 a.m. and then a little later in the day. They're very chipper. The judges are hopeful about the talent. Ryan brings up the Osmonds, since they're from Utah. We meet David Osmond, son of Alan Osmond, the oldest. We go to his house and meet his big family and see old footage of his dad's group. He and his dad both have MS, David talks about the remittance and relapse process and we see a picture of David in a wheelchair and his dad tearfully talking him up. He makes it to the audition room and sings "Something Within Me" by Take 6. He got the family gift plus a tiny bit of soul. Nice control too. Paula thinks he needs to start thinking of himself as a solo artist, instead of a group thing which is his background. Randy doesn't like the song. Kara thinks the runs don't show who he is as an artist. Simon says he shouldn't consider himself contemporary, because that would be a mistake. They seem reluctant. The producers don't show the vote and he walks out sheepishly and then produces his golden ticket. We meet Tara an overweight, redheaded goth, with jacked up lipstick. She says she's not a goth. She says she has ESP and knows when people are going to die. She sings "One Day I'll Fly Away," from the "Moulin Rouge" soundtrack. She is tuneless. Randy laughs. Simon says the whole thing was horrendous from the outfit to the song choice. She leaves, flipping off the cameras on the way. We see a montage of people practicing and then a montage of terrible singers. We meet Chris who has a friend there to support him named Greg the Rabbit who's dressed in a big pink rabbit suit. Chris also has a picture of Simon on a stick, like a fan. He sings "Roll to Me" by Del Amitri and it's not good. Simon is distracted by the rabbit and the fan. Chris puts the fan down and the bunny steps back. He gets two words of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" out and they stop him and send him away. Randy says he likes the bunny. The bunny hugs and lifts Simon off the ground, Chris is good-natured about it. We see a picture of David Archuleta as Ryan opines on what a good mood everyone is in, we see a montage of people being dismissed by the judges and thanking them on the way out. After seeing all this graciousness Ryan goes out to the holding room and gives the auditioners a pep talk saying they shouldn't concede so easily to the judges if they actually came to win. We meet Frankie, a stay-at-home mom who feels like she can do anything now that she's had a baby. She's here to entertain. She's very confident and has been visualizing getting through. She sings a good chunk of "You Know I'm No Good," by Amy Winehouse. She's Winehouse-y in that she's bluesy and jazzy and sounds pretty good.They all like her voice and Simon thinks she has a cute face. They put her through unanimously. (Frankie goes to Hollywood, Ryan tells us.) We meet Megan -- also a mom, who has recently decided to get a divorce. Today's her birthday. She sings "Can't Help Loving Dat Man," from "Show Boat." She's got a great jazzy style with a funky rasp and neat blue notes and colorings. Randy kinda likes it. Paula thinks she's loving her. Simon says it's one of his favorite auditions because she's different and memorable. Kara says she's got a glow about her. They vote her through unanimously. The judges confer afterward reiterating how much they liked her. We see a montage of people getting golden tickets. We do not get to hear them sing. We meet Andrew who sings a gospel hymn in a deep baritone/bass. He's actually not terrible but he's terribly goofy. They say he has "a" soul, but not soul. He's gracious about it. We meet Austin who's class president and we see him going about his class president tasks at school. He's auditioning to inspire people. He sings "When I Look to the Sky," by Train. He's earnest but not very good, a little flat both in terms of pitch and delivery. Randy and Simon didn't like the song. Austin says they don't want him to fail, right? Simon says they haven't joined the fan club yet. He tries an "old soul" song, by RAFFI??? "It Takes A Village." He doesn't sound much better. And memo to Austin, this is not a soul song. Randy says he's got a voice but doesn't like the song choices but says he has perseverance so he says yes. Kara thinks there's something going on and says yes. Paula thinks he's charming and says yes. Simon says he needs to "become young." They put him through unaninmously. We get a montage of people crying after being rejected. We get a glimpse of Jarrett who I can't tell if we're supposed to like or not as he sings "Put Your Records On" by Corinne Bailey Rae. Then we get a montage of the worst singers. We meet Taylor who is from the islands in the Pacific and who's family moved back to the States in order to help facilitate the careers of their children. She's 16, beautiful, and very tall, 5'11''. She sings "Joyful, Joyful" pretty well, but she has pitch problems in her future. Randy calls it one of the best vocals he's heard. They put her through unanimously. We meet tonight's Inspirational Story: Rose. She lives with her best friend's family. She grew up with her hippie dad, who died when she was 13. She shows us pictures of him. Her mother died when she was 15. She's 17. (God bless her). Her older brother tells us how well she's done with that. She wishes her parents were there to see her thrive. She enters the audition room, barefoot, and Simon thinks she looks fantastic. She sings "I Feel The Earth Move," by Carole King. She's very cute and not bad and she's Inspirational Story girl so she gets voted through unanimously. She hugs and kisses the judges. 12 people got golden tickets.
- "American Idol" - Top 12 Male Semi-Finalists Perform - March 1, 2011 Ryan asks Randy how it feels to be sitting at the table with Steven and JLo. Randy unsurprisingly loves it and is very excited. No theme this week. The contestants could pick any song they wanted. Contestant: Clint Jun Gamboa (The karaoke host) Song: "Superstition," Stevie Wonder Performance: Clint tries to work the stage but the movement is making his voice shaky and the band is swallowing him up. He seems nervous but gets off some shouts that will undoubtedly win him some points with the people who like that kind of thing. Steven: Thinks it was beautiful and started and ended strong. Brilliant, he says. JLo: Knew he had jitters but thinks it didn't affect his performance. Randy: He loved it and says there's no karaoke singer in the world that's got that kind of talent. Contestant: Jovany Barreto (The shipyard worker who showed his abs with Steven and Randy) Song: "I'll Be," Edwin McCain Performance: He sounds mostly fine, with a few clunkers, on an awful song. Not a lot of charisma beyond some sweet smiling. He hits the bridge nicely and finishes well. Steven: "Holy Shipyard," says Steven. Calls it beautiful. JLo: Is happy because people got to really see him for the first time. Randy: He didn't really get it and thought it was very karaoke. Contestant: Jordan Dorsey (The music teacher who quit his group in group week). Song: "OMG," Usher Performance: He tries to get modern with a newer song and work a sexy thing by throwing off his coat but this is not a singer's song really. And when he finally gets a chance to sing he muffs his falsetto. Not a great performance. Steven: It wasn't an OMG over the top for him. JLo: Has loved him and she isn't sure that's who he is as an artist. He admits it's not. She wants him to be Nat "King" Cole. Randy: Reiterates that he has to bring something new to it and that his falsetto was "pitchy" and agrees with me that it's not a singer's song. He promises Ryan, and America, that he can and will be better. Contestant: Tim Halperin In stool chat Tim says everyone is really supportive of one another and the guys are like his brothers. Song: "Streetcorner Symphony," Rob Thomas Performance: He has pitch issues right out of the gate but recovers pretty well but it's not really working, it's a weird fit, kind of monchromatic. Steven: Says the song didn't do him justice. JLo: Says he did it well but it didn't show America who he really is an artist. Randy: Thinks he's been much better before. Contestant: Brett Loewenstern (The redhead) Song: "Light My Fire," the Doors Performance: He does this weird finger-pointing thing that's kind of creepy. And he keeps tossing his hair and shaking his hips. He sounds okay I guess, it's an odd performance. Unique for sure. Steven: Thinks he did it again and brought it home. JLo: Says it was more hair tossing than her and Beyonce in the past ten years together. She likes that he is who he is. Randy: He says the vocals had some pitch problems but got it together at the end but he likes that he's bold and is going to do what he's going to do. Contestant: James Durbin (The guy with the hair metal scream) Song: "You Got Another Thing Coming," Judas Priest Performance: There's a lot of Vince Neil squeals, over the head clapping, and "rock" guitar squalling in the background. He has a few pitch issues and makes sure to get in a couple of big screams. It's like he's auditioning to be in "Rock of Ages," not be an actual rock star. Steven: Swears in service and says he's crazy good and loves that he's over the top. JLo: Loves the way he performs and that it's an organic. She says that's the way everyone should perform. Randy: Says this is how you do it. Says he was nice and tasty with the "high thing." Contestant:Robbie Rosen (The likable kid from Long Island) Song:"Angel," Sarah McLachlan Performance: This seems like a weird choice and the arrangement and the way he's rushing it make it feel awkward. It's a very soft performance, there's little vocal heft to it. He goes to a falsetto place that's a bit rough. Steven: Says he can sing a ballad like nobody's business and calls it a beautiful thing. JLo: Says that he's the special type of singer that can tell a story and she loved the different choices he made. Randy: Dissents and says the chest into the head slide didn't really work and it didn't quite settle in. Robbie says he had fun with it. Randy tells him when he listens back he'll hear what Randy's talking about. Contestant:Scotty McCreery (The Southern teen who kept singing that one country song) Song:"Letter From Home," John Michael Montgomery Performance: He sounds great, it's a savvy song choice. The only drawback is he's sort of working a cheeseball leaning thing but the girls love him. Steven: Doesn't think he could've picked a better song. JLo: She says he was born to sing country music. Randy: He likes that he's a throwback country guy, he's a big fan. Contestant: Stefano Langone (The guy who was in a car accident) Song: "Just the Way You Are," Bruno Mars Performance: He also goes the modern route but he picked a much better song as a singer. He may not be amazing, but it's a great vocal, with just one minor -- if loud-- clunker. Steven: Loves how his voice cuts through the air, thinks he's so good. JLo: Thinks he's very consistent. She says there's nothing awkward about him and calls him a beast. Randy: Agrees that they were all rocking like they were at a concert and they believed him. Contestant:Paul McDonald (The soft rocking guy with the raspy voice). Song: "Maggie May," Rod Stewart Performance: He sounds fine and seems happy but his movements are kind of awkward and pteradactyl-esque. It's simultaneously kind of goofy and boring. But the vocal was lovely. Steven: He calls the movements the "McDonald two-step" and loves his character onstage. JLo: Calls his movements very unique and even though he's wearing all black but his smile lights up the whole place. She calls it a "good" performance. Randy: Says he's different from anyone that's ever been on "Idol" and hopes that the show can embrace his quirkiness. Contestant:Jacob Lusk (The guy with the technically amazing voice who oversings everything). Song:"A House is Not A Home," the Luther Vandross version Performance: He starts off soft and velvety and restrained enough. His sly little smile seems a bit self-satisfied but he's doing a fine job. He impressively keeps his melisma monster under control until the very end. Steven: Thinks it's great that America gets to hear him, he's honored to be in his presence, and he makes him cry. JLo: Luther was JLo's favorite singer of all time and even though he's gone now they have Jacob. Randy: Agrees and thinks that he's the best, like Luther but different with a little something else. Contestant: Casey Abrams (The sweetly goofy guy who played melodica and upright bass). Song: "I Put a Spell on You," "Screamin'" Jay Hawkins Performance: It's pretty shouty but he's very endearing and committed and he ends on a sweet, clean tender note. Steven: "In your mind good, out of your mind unreal" Okay. Loves his notes and melodic sensibility. Calls him crazy good. JLo: Says he's sexy. Says it's clear he wants it bad. She loved how he "ate it all up." Randy: Loves that he's so different and unique and says "more, more, more, yes, yes, yes."