Idol Says Goodbye to Haeley, Michelle, John, and Jermaine

I couldn’t be happier with this week’s Idol eliminations.

Goodbye to Haeley’s whiney, crackling voice. Michelle couldn’t even sing on key tonight. I knew the judges were on crack when they said she did well last night. John’s a cappella group got their wish and Jermaine can get back to rocking his onesie at home.

And what’s up with all the girls wearing feathers?

Idol Recap: Top 10 Girls Stronger Than The Guys

Photo: Michael Becker / FOX

All day long, there was one question on everyone’s mind, “Is Crystal Bowersox performing tonight on Idol?” That question was answered just before the show went live thanks to a tweet from Ryan Seacrest confirming that Crystal would be performing. They took a second to comment on Crystal’s condition during the opening of the show and Crystal told us all that she’s a “tough cookie.”

And, as it turns out, Crystal was up first tonight for the girls.

Crystal Bowersox – ‘Long As I Can See The Light’ – Creedance Clearwater Revival – It’s hard to believe this girl just spent the past day in the hospital. She truly is an artist with undeniable talent. She’s raw, she’s real, and I watched every second of her performance. She’s definitely a frontrunner and proved it tonight. If she can deliver a performance like that fresh out of the hospital, there’s no stopping her.

Haeley Vaughn – ‘The Climb’ – Miley Cyrus – This is bound to be a disaster. I just can’t stand her voice because I know she’s going to go high and belt and it’s going to do that thing, and you know exactly what I’m talking about, that country crackle whine. She’s just not ready for this level of competition. I don’t understand why the judges put half of these people through!

Lacey Brown – ‘Kiss Me’ – Sixpence None The Richer – She couldn’t even hit the first note. Shouldn’t that be a sign? She looks the part, but she has not proven that she can sing consistently. It took her more than half of the song to warm up and hit the tone that the judges liked from Hollywood week. That’s just not acceptable.

Katie Stevens – ‘Put Your Records On’ – Corinne Bailey Rae – Solid performance. Not incredible, but I’m happy she chose something more contemporary, although she can do better. I love the depth of her voice. Looking at her, I wouldn’t expect her to sound the way that she does. I just want her to be a kid and I wish that she had sung ‘The Climb’ instead of Haeley.

Didi Benami – ‘Lean On Me’ – Bill Withers – I wasn’t crazy about hearing Didi say that she was trying a new style tonight. She is a singer/songwriter and I wish that she had taken this song and made it her own by performing with her guitar. It wasn’t as horrible as the judges made it out to be, though. There was no need for Kara and Simon to bring Didi to tears the way they did. At the end of the day, we’re all human.

Michelle Delamor – ‘With Arms Wide Open’ – Creed – The expression on her face at the end of the song said it all. She knew she was off. She’s beautiful, but she’s not interesting and her voice isn’t strong enough. I don’t understand why Kara and Simon liked it. Maybe my new speakers are broken.

Lilly Scott – ‘A Change Is Gonna Come’ – Sam Cooke – She’s got a style all her own and she knows how to tackle every song in her own unique way. Glad to see her opening her eyes and focusing on the performance to connect with the audience. Nothing by good things to say about Lily.

Katelyn Epperly – ‘The Scientist’ – Coldplay – I definitely got excited to see her performing at the piano. She made a great first impression at the start of the song, but it did feel very slow. Nonetheless, she totally caught my attention tonight and completely surprised me and a lot of other people. If she takes Kara’s advice and zones in on what her style as an artist is, she could go far.

Paige Miles – ‘Walk Away’ – Kelly Clarkson – I didn’t like this song choice or what she did with it. No one should be doing Kelly Clarkson anyway. And could someone please do something about this girl’s bangs. Did anyone else see Simon rubbing his nipple during the other judges critiques? Awkward.

Siobhan Magnus – ‘Think’ – Aretha Franklin – If I close my eyes and listen, she’s great. But when I open my eyes, she’s awkward to watch. That last note was insane. She just looked somewhat uncomfortable during the song, which might be a reflection of the song choice. She’s interesting, though.

The girls definitely showed they’re stronger than the guys tonight. Katelyn really surprised me tonight.

Crystal, Lilly, and Katelyn were my favorites tonight. Who were yours?

Idol Recap – Top 10 Guys Disappoint Once Again

Photo: Fox

The show started off on a somber note as we learned that Crystal Bowersox was hospitalized this morning and under doctor’s orders not to perform. So the guys agreed to take the stage a day early. It was another night of disappointment, although a couple guys improved and the curse of the song choice may have changed the game for others.

Here’s how it went down –

Michael Lynche – ‘It’s A Man’s World’ – James Brown – Ruben Studdard should take some lessons from this guy. He’s got a great voice and tonight he proved that he’s got what it takes to make it far in this competition. Definitely a good start to the show, but I know this performance won’t set the tone for several of the other guys to come.

John Park – ‘Gravity’ – John Mayer – It was hard to hear him say his a capella group wants him to lose so he can sing with them again when we all know he’s not going to last much longer in the competition. He’s got some really great qualities to his voice, but he makes some really bad choices with his vocal runs and melodies. He’s one of those singers who knows he has a good voice, but needs someone to come in and tell him what to do with it because when he makes his own decisions, it doesn’t go so well and he loses all that’s special about his voice.

Casey James – ‘I Don’t Wanna Be’ – Gavin DeGraw – First of all, after 8 seasons of Idol, I find it hard to believe when a contestant claims they’ve never seen an episode of Idol before they made it onto the show. And the staged pre-show ritual was obnoxious. His voice was completely affected during this performance and he seemed distracted by his own guitar playing. The whole thing felt a bit awkward as he tried to be a rock star that he isn’t. Hopefully this is the end of Kara’s cougar comments, too. And why does she always stare at Simon after she speaks?

Alex Lambert – ‘Everybody Knows’ – John Legend – Wow. He’s come a long way in just a week. Excellent song choice and, damn, he’s got such a great tone to his voice. Don’t get me wrong, he’s got a long way to go, but tonight he delivered a performance to stay in the game. Kara’s right, because of his nerves, everyone’s rooting for the underdog. As long as he keeps gaining confidence, he could be one to keep an eye on, but it’s still early in the competition.

Todrick Hall – ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It’ – Tina Turner – I haven’t even heard him sing yet, but I can tell this is going to be a disaster. Kelly Clarkson last week and now Tina Turner…wtf. Awful song choice. It’s time for him to go back to the dance studio. And the producers need to stop telling the audience to stand up during such an awful performance. He did not deserve a standing ovation.

Jermaine Sellers – ‘What’s Going On’ – Marvin Gaye – Ok, I’ll admit the onesie was funny. He might have rocked the onesie, but he didn’t rock this performance. He was all over the place vocally and I can’t take him seriously as an artist. He’s got a very likable, playful personality that might stick with viewers and keep him around a little longer. And he did not deserve the standing ovation either.

Andrew Garcia – ‘You Got Somethin’’ – James Morrison – The early favorite disappoints again. Randy’s right, he needs to be doing more acoustic soul songs and arrangements. That’s what he did during Hollywood week and that’s what we fell in love with. He’s got to bring that back next week and remind everyone why he was favored to win in the beginning.

Aaron Kelly – ‘My Girl’ – The Temptations – It was an ok song choice. You could hear his nerves in his voice. Did he have to throw a run on the end of every single phrase? It was just too distracting. I wish he would choose something more current, something pop country. With all the talk of Justin Bieber, maybe he should do a Bieber song. That alone would probably keep him around.

Tim Urban – ‘Come on, Get High’ – Matt Nathanson – Improvement, yes. But his voice just isn’t strong enough for this competition. Ellen’s right, if he can act, that’s the direction he needs to go in. I, however, would not want to see him on Glee.

Lee Dewyze – ‘Lips Of An Angel’ – Hinder – I get it, he’s the rocker, the David Cooke of Season 9, but he’s rough around the edges. His voice is probably the most memorable of all the guys, which makes his lack of confidence frustrating. But, he’s got plenty of time to work on it because he’s going to be around for a while.

So there you have it.

Who do you think is headed home this week?

Idol Recap: Tyler, Ashley, Janell, and Joe Eliminated

And there you have it. Tyler Grady, Janell Wheeler, Ashley Rodriguez, Joe Muñoz were eliminated last night on American Idol’s first round of live eliminations.

I’m still in shock that Tim Urban wasn’t sent home. Joe deserved to stick around for awhile, but America voted and clearly didn’t like him, or people assumed that he would get enough votes and didn’t vote for him.

Ashley was a frontrunner during the audition rounds of Idol this year, but she chose the wrong song when she decided to sing Leona Lewis’ ‘Happy’. And during the judges critique, Ashley came off as quite arrogant, but she doesn’t have the talent to back it up. She clearly thinks she’s a diva and she’s not.

Janell’s elimination wasn’t a big surprise. Her voice wasn’t strong enough to last in this competition.

And Tyler…oh Tyler…I couldn’t be happier. He didn’t stand a chance at winning and I’m glad we won’t have to endure the pain of watching him anymore. However, seeing the clip of him rehearsing in his bathrobe was hilarious.

Hopefully, next week’s performances will be better. This was the worst first round of live shows and the early frontrunners failed to deliver strong performances.

Who do you think are the frontrunners after the first week?

Idol Recap: Top 12 Guys Fail To Deliver

Photo:Fox

First off, what the hell was wrong with FoxHD tonight? The broadcast got off to a pretty rough start with all of the interruptions in the feed. We completely missed the opening of the show and the audio was all over the place throughout the show.

When it was finally time for the guys to take the stage, it was one disappointment after another. Something is seriously off this season. Where is the talent? Is Idol proving that it’s lost it’s thunder?

Here’s what went down -

Todrick Hall – ‘Since You Been Gone’ – Kelly Clarkson – When they announced his song choice, I thought it had potential with a male vocalist, but Todrick’s version was awful. I’d love to hear Kelly Clarkson’s thoughts…

Aaron Kelly – ‘Here Comes Goodbye’ – Rascall Flatts – Great song choice for his voice. It’s refreshing to see a young guy who can sing and doesn’t even know how good he is. The judges said he needs more confidence, but they all liked him Simon even called him ‘very cute’.

Jermaine Sellers – ‘Get Here’ – Oleta Adams – My ears hurt. Why did he sing in his falsetto so much?! Of all the songs to choose, why do people pick such obscure songs on the first night. Sure, it’s a classic, but I felt like I was watching season one all over again. It’s season 9. Pick something current.

Tim Urban – ‘Apologize’ – OneRepublic – They brought him back? Yikes. And could he please cut his hair. That hairdo is so 2009. Kris Allen did apologize last season and nailed it. Tim should have remembered that when he was choosing his song and picked something else. He even admitted the song was a last minute switch.

Joe Muñoz – ‘You And I Both’ – Jason Mraz – He’s young. He’s cute. Sang well. Kara liked him and said he was the best so far, but has a long way to go. Simon said he’d forget the performance within 10 seconds. Nonetheless, he’s safe this week.

Tyler Grady – ‘American Woman’ – Guess Who – He was born in the wrong decade and God help us all if he lasts in this competition. I completely agree with Kara that he belongs in a band, but Idol isn’t for him. This isn’t a screaming competition. Next.

Lee Dewyze – ‘Chasing Cars’ – Snow Patrol – My favorite performance so far. Started of well, but hit a few wrong notes when he got to the chorus. The song was a bit too high for him to be completely comfortable singing it. What I loved about this performance was his voice. It’s authentic and natural. He’s definitely got potential to go far this season.

John Park – ‘God Bless The Child’ – Billie Holiday – What in the world was he thinking? So awkard. ‘God Bless The Child’…really?? Goodbye.

Michael Lynche – ‘This Love’ – Maroon 5 – The only reason his performance stood out from the other lackluster ones was because he chose an upbeat song, not because he delivered a memorable vocal. And I don’t remember his voice being that nasally. He’ll make it through because of his personality.

Alex Lambert – ‘Wonderful World’ – James Morrison – Another guy that needs a haircut. The mullet is not cute. He was so uncomfortable to watch because of his nerves. There’s a quality in his voice that could be great, but he’s got a lot of work to do. It would be cool to see him grow as a performer this season, but the pressure of the competition and the cameras might get the best of him.

Casey James – ‘Heaven’ – Bryan Adams – The judges spent way too much time joking around about his looks. And the banter with Kara needs to stop. The song was a good choice for his voice. I’m just not sure how well his voice will hold up in the coming weeks as the genres of music change. The female vote alone should keep him around for a while.

Andrew Garcia – ‘Sugar, We’re Going Down’ – Fall Out Boy – It was an odd arrangement of the song, but his voice was the strongest of the night. He’s by far the most talented of the contestants this season and I wish the judges had recognized that in their critique. He’s got my vote.

Not a good night. This season has started off on such a terrible note….

After the first two nights, who are you guys voting for?

Idol Recap: Top 12 Girls Leave Us Wanting More

Fox

The Top 12 girls took the stage tonight for the first live show of this season on American Idol and failed to deliver the spark that fuels our Idol addiction. At times, I thought about watching the Olympics instead.

Here’s the recap:

Paige Miles – ‘All Right Now’ by Free – Nervous voice. Boring. Are the judges on crack? Yes, she sang well during Hollywood week, but tonight she needed to prove herself for the first time live and she didn’t deliver. And what’s up with those creepy colored contacts?

Ashley Rodriguez – ‘Happy’ by Leona Lewis – Horrible song to choose for your first live impression and an awfully dull arrangement. The song didn’t chart well for Leona Lewis, so why on earth would you think you could win over America with your own version of it? Bad move. Ashley comes off like she thinks she’s a lot better than she actually is.

Janell Wheeler – ‘What About Love’ by Heart – The song was just too big for her and her voice just wasn’t right for this one. She’s got the kind of intimate voice that draws listeners in and she needs to pick songs that will let her unique voice shine and not overpower it.

Lilly Scott – ‘Fixing A Hole’ – The Beatles – Unique. I’ll give her credit for that. But, totally random and forgettable. Yes, she’s an artist and she stayed true to herself, but, at some point, she’s going to have to give in and strike a chord with the American Idol consumers .

Katelyn Epperly – ‘Oh! Darling’ – The Beatles – At this point in the show, she was the best one so far. The raspy quality in her voice is cool, but the new image isn’t working for her.

Haeley Vaughn – ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’ – The Beatles – At times she sounds like a good singer, but then she sounds like she’s screaming. Her constant smile is obnoxious and has a negative effect on her vocals.

Lacey Brown – ‘Landslide’ – Fleetwood Mac – I can’t stand Stevie Nicks at all, but I’d rather hear her singing this song than Lacey. She was visibly nervous and her voice was shaky. Tonight was the night for Lacey to show that the judges were wrong to send her home last year, but she didn’t deliver.

Michelle Delamor – ‘Fallin’’ – Alicia Keys – I’m so tired of girls on Idol singing Alicia Keys ‘Fallin’’. Are my speakers broken because I completely disagree with Ellen. Sure she can sing, but that performance lacked power.

Didi Benami – ‘The Way I Am’ – Ingrid Michaelson – I completely agree with Simon that all of the performers so far are missing that spark that gets you excited. But, Didi nailed the song and I thought it was a great choice for her voice. Ingrid Michaelson isn’t a pop star that every knows, so it was a bad song to win over America. She’ll make it through, so here’s hoping she learns to pick better songs.

Siobhan Magnus – ‘Wicked Game’ – Chris Isaak – What happened to the girl from Hollywood week who blew us away with her powerful vocals? She sang the song well, but such a boring choice.

Crystal Bowersox – ‘Hand In My Pocket’ – Alanis Morisette – Well the first thing I noticed was that she had her front two teeth fixed. Sure there are tons of people outside of subway stations singing the same way all over the country, but the difference is, they’re not trying out for American Idol. I loved her performance. Is she the first contestant to play two instruments at the same time on Idol? I think so.

Katie Stevens – ‘Feeling Good’ – Michale Bublé – Katie reminds me a lot of Jojo. She’s got such a great voice for being so young, it’s crazy. But tonight, she chose a song that was much too old for her. The judges were right. No need to worry, she’ll be sticking around.

Tomorrow night, the Top 12 guys perform and on Thursday 2 guys and 2 girls will be sent home.

Which 2 girls do you think will be sent home?

Lady Gaga Live On Ellen

Lady Gaga’s making the rounds to promote her new CD The Fame Monster and today she performed life on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

‘Bad Romance’ –

‘Speechless’ –

Jay Sean Performs ‘Down’ Live On Ellen

Jay Sean is quickly becoming a household name with the success of his hit ‘Down’, which is currently at the #1 spot on the Billboard chart.

Check out Jay Sean’s performance of his smash hit ‘Down’ on the Ellen DeGeneres show –

Brad Paisley Performs ‘Welcome To The Future’ on Ellen

Brad Paisely performed his latest single ‘Welcome To The Future’ on the Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Paisely is currently nominated for 7 Country Music Awards!

If you’re a fan of country music, let us know what you think of his latest single.

Ellen: I’m the New Judge on ‘American Idol

Ellen announced the big news during a taping of her talk show today, saying “I have a big announcement to make. No one knows this … I am going to be the new judge on ‘American Idol.’”

Watch the clip below! I think she will be a fun judge!

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