Will the ‘American Idol’ finals be a boys club this year?
All season, American Idol’s judges have raved about the strength of this year’s crop of male contestants. Turns out the viewers agree.
Of the nine finalist spots already decided, six have gone to men: Kris Allen, Danny Gokey, Adam Lambert, Scott MacIntyre, Jorge Nuà ±ez and Michael Sarver.
LAST CHANCE
ANOOP Desai, the 21-year-old “American Idol” hopeful, stood next to fellow contestant Michael Sarver, 27, two weeks ago waiting to hear which of them would advance to the final round of “Idol.”
“The person going through to our Top 12 is, ” said Ryan Seacrest before taking a long pause, “Michael!”
It was a heartbreaking moment for Desai, considered a frontrunner for a Top 12 spot from the earliest days of the sea son. He’d been elimi nated from the com petition – but not forever.
More Idol Headlines after the JUMP…
‘American Idol’ recap: Rage Against the Machine
Indeed, for every thrilling David-vs.-David finale that restores your faith and fandom in the nation’s most popular talent competition, there’s usually an infuriating counter-agent: Paula’s critique of Jason Castro last season ‘ before the dude had even performed; the cockroach-like survival skills of Sanjaya Malakar and Kristy Lee Cook; the sight of Fantasia, LaToya, and J.Hud in the bottom three, with John Stevens and Jasmine Trias sitting on the safety benches.
Phil Stacey blog: The final chair
Jorgenunez0305250 So coming into tonight, we already knew that Lil Rounds and Scott MacIntyre would easily coast into their spots in the finals. I would like to brag that I called that when we first saw them during the audition rounds. What we did not know was who was going to win that coveted third spot. No matter who got it, it was going to be a surprise to all of us.
Felicia Barton is the first cousin of a friend of mine. She is also connected to me through church relationships, so I admit that I was really rooting for her. But I knew that her lack of screen time accompanied by some unshakable nerves would together create quite a challenge in winning over the voters. She did not make it through tonight.
The Rushfield Review: The Top 12 takes shape
Lilrounds0302250 All will be revealed is the promise of many a current television epic, but Wednesday night “American Idol” featured enough curtain lifting to keep the online Idolsphere collective head whirling for a year.
Not only did we, as expected, fill out the final slots in the Top 9 (with the predictable Scott MacIntyre, Lil Rounds — pictured at left on Tuesday’s show — and Jorge Nuà ±ez) but the most puzzled-over mystery of the season was finally cleared up: The identities of the wild card contestants were unveiled.
Blind singer advances on ‹American Idol
For the first time in recent memory, …American Idol offered not only three spots in the final 12 on Wednesday, but also a valuable consolation prize to eight lucky losers: a second chance.
After Lil Rounds, Scott MacIntyre and Jorge Nunez were voted into the finals, the judges announced the singers who will perform in Thursday wild-card round. For those who thought theyd seen the last of weepy Tatiana Del Toro, it was a bad night.
“American Idol” Goes Through The Looking Glass
A performance of “Hey There Delilah” being my favorite of the night. Von Smith not being annoying. An 18-year-old with a neck tattoo. Last night’s American Idol, in which the last third of the Top 36 competed for America’s phoned-in affections, was full of odd things, and made me wonder just how the other two episodes airing this week’ tonight’s finalist announcement and tomorrow’s Wild Card round’ would out-weird the two hours that aired last night. Rankings and reactions after the jump!
The Von-a-tron
If those sitting at Braata in Lee Summit on Tuesday night had their way, Von Smith would sail through to the Top 12 on Fox American Idol.
…I thought he was awesome, said Connie Smith. …He was right on.
Smith was the first to perform on Tuesday night episode of …Idol, singing Marvin Gaye …Youre all I need to get by.
And although the first spot is usually the toughest for …Idol contestants, the judges praised the Greenwood resident on his performance.
Spotlight on Lil Rounds!
Soulful singer Lil Rounds stole the show during the final auditions for “American Idol” last night, proving that she’s a musical force to be reckoned with!
The 23-year-old mother of three belted out Mary J. Blige’s “Be Without You” for the judging panel, and while Kara, Paula, Randy and Simon weren’t impressed with Lil Rounds’ song choice, all four judges were wowed by her stellar performance!
Kelly Clarkson, “All I Ever Wanted” (RCA) [2.5 STARS]
Clarkson returned to her old sugar-buzz form earlier this year with the blunt but catchy single “My Life Would Suck without You, ” tapping the talents of veteran teen-pop maestro Max Martin and setting a record for the largest leap to No. 1. And much of the rest of her fourth album, which was in large part produced by another teen-pop giant, Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic, falls giddily in line, with the auteur cheerfully eschewing all talk of trying to rewrite Bruce Springsteen’s “Nebraska” this time around.
All I Ever Wanted (2009)
Cut to 2009, and the irresistibly anthemic (if discomfitingly titled) single ”My Life Would Suck Without You”: Does her No. 1 Hot 100 hit mean our queen is back? In a word, yes. But in a few more words, it’s not quite that simple. The introspection Clarkson favored so heavily on December is still there; now, though, she has perspective: On the piano-riddled rocker ”Impossible, ” she admits, ”I will stumble and I’ll make my own mistakes, yeah/But I won’t worry ’bout it anymore.”
Archuleta packs them in
Despite a late start to the show, David Archuleta found a very forgiving crowd awaiting him at The National in Richmond Feb. 25. It was Archuleta second time to perform his headlining tour and the soldout crowd ‘ with a large number of adolescent females ‘ frequently squealed its delight and admiration for this young artist.
Archuleta opened with …Touch My Hand from his self-titled album and managed to reach out and touch the hands of a few lucky fans pressed up as close as security would let them. He seemed genuinely appreciative of the warm reception and the fact that so many people would come to his concert. He even took pictures of the crowd saying, …Oh my gosh, this is amazing – you guys are awesome! Ive never been to Virginia before – I love it here!
Rock-It Science Festival: Rufus Wainwright makes his mother proud
Call me crazy, but I never expected to see Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It, ” Rufus Wainwright’s “Hallelujah, ” and a self-proclaimed “enchanted forest” interpretive dance to Led Zeppelin all at the same concert. But that is exactly what I got at Tuesday night’s Rock-It Science Festival at New York’s Highline Ballroom, an evening dedicated to rock and, uh, science. (Rock-It Science. Get it?) Proceeds went to The Sensation and Emotion Network.
Headliners included Wainwright (pictured), Dee Snider of Twisted Sister, former American Idol contestant Constantine Maroulis and fellow cast members of the forthcoming Broadway musical Rock of Ages. (I have yet to figure out some of these artists’ connection to science, but hey, it’s a good cause!)
Photo Coverage: ‘ROCK OF AGES’ First Day of Rehearsal at the New 42nd Street Studios!
Constantine Maroulis, (“American Idol” Season 4, Broadway’s The Wedding Singer, RENT) reprising his critically acclaimed role as “Drew”, Amy Spanger (The Wedding Singer, Kiss Me Kate) as “Sherrie” and James Carpinello (Saturday Night Fever, VH1’s “So NoTORIous”) as “Stacee Jaxx” head up ROCK OF AGES, the leads “rocked” the first day of rehearsal at the New 42nd Street Studios on March 3, 2009 and BroadwayWorld’s cameras were there!
Following an extremely successful off Broadway run and the sale of the film rights to New Line Cinema, ROCK OF AGES will open on Tuesday, April 7, 2009 at Broadway’s Brooks Atkinson Theatre (256 W. 47th Street) with previews beginning on Tuesday, March 17, 2009. The production will have a lower top ticket price than ANY other Broadway musical with a ticket range of $26.50 – $99.00.
Songwriter ‘happy beyond words’ to be Hicks’ pick
The call that local musician/songwriter Alan Little had waited for and dreamed about for 13 years came last October from Season 5 “American Idol” winner Taylor Hicks of Birmingham.
“Taylor started off by telling me to go get a beer, it was time for me to celebrate, ” Little said of his friend, who he met – not coincidentally – 13 years ago at Auburn before anybody had heard of Taylor Hicks.
Belinda Carlisle Reveals Her Dancing Problem ‘ Spinning
It was only after Belinda Carlisle had accepted a spot on Dancing with the Stars that she realized she might have a problem with a crucial dance step’the spin.
…Spinning, says Carlisle, 50, the oldest female contestant of the group. …I cant even look at a merry-go-round without getting dizzy.
Despite that little hitch, the former lead singer of the 80s band The Go-Go says she is ready to give ballroom dance a whirl even though …Ive never done anything so strenuous.
EXCLUSIVE: Source: Holly Madison Is Joining DWTS
Hours after a source exclusively confirmed to Usmagazine.com that Holly Madison is joining the cast of Dancing With the Stars, her Girls Next Door costar, Bridget Marquardt, let the news slip on live TV.
“I’m so excited for her, ” Marquardt — who next stars in a Travel Channel show called Bridget’s Sexiest Beaches — told FOX’s Strategy Room Wednesday.
“She’s wanted to do it for so long, ” Marquardt added. “It just never worked with her schedule and Hef was always like ‘I don’t want you to do that, ‘ and now it’s her time, so I’m really happy for her.”
There is speculation Madison could be replacing Jewel, who has been struggling with knee problems, and blogged last week that tendinitis could force her to drop out.
