American Idol - No Brainer Indeed!

Ladies and Gentlemen, meet our 6th American Idol!

American Idol 2007 Winner

JORDIN SPARKS

Hope anyone with a TIVO/DVR recorded past the 2 hour mark because the announcement of our big winner took the backseat to the long awaited BEATLES MONTAGE that filled in the final 10 minutes of the regularly scheduled airtime. Yes, Jordin Sparks won American Idol, but tonight was a night that seemed to celebrate the achievements of our PAST winners, primarily Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood. And of course, Clive Davis made it very clear that Chris Daughtry is outselling and overachieving Taylor Hicks. Hicks put on a good show with his new single "Heaven Knows" though. Maybe the publicity of the Idol Audience will help him out a bit. But still, there were only a few numbers that featured our Top 12, and one of the ONLY top 12 contestant to be showcased by themselves? Inexplicably...SANJAYA. Of course even HE was accompanied by Joe Perry of Aerosmith...and predictably...the crying girl (who continues to cry away). 2 Hours of performances. My personal highlights from the night?

• Kelly Clarkson returning to the Idol Stage to perform her new single "Never Again." We thought we'd never see her return, but there she was. Good times! Watching Clive clap after the performance was a nice touch too considering all of the rumors swirling that he's not happy with the direction of her new album.
• Carrie Underwood receiving her 6 Million Albums Sold plaque from Clive and also performing her cover of "I'll Stand By You" which was first heard during "Idol Gives Back" I don't think there's any question that Carrie is American Idol's poster child and she should be! She's a class act.
• The Beatles Montage featuring ALL IDOL WINNERS except Fantasia! Doesn't get much better than that. Even if Miss Clarkson forgot the words to one of the most known Beatles songs of all time (especially with a teleprompter in the audience WITH the lyrics on it!)
• Blake Beatboxing with Doug E Fresh. So bizarre that this was actually featured on the idol stage, but it sure was entertaining.
• Tony Bennett. I was actually pretty impressed with the guy. He's still got it!

Things I could've done without:

• 2nd Annual Golden Idols
• Bette Midler

There were tons of other performances including showcases for Melinda and Jordin. Green Day and Gwen Stefani filled in some time. Paula got pretty much NO airtime, but if you caught her on the Red Carpet before the show, you might've seen why. She must've been on so many pain killers, that it almost rendered her unable to walk (I would say Talk also, but she can barely do that as it is anyway!). But she still found a way to dance in place for the entire 2 hours! By the way, Simon stated during the red carpet that he will definitely be done on the show after 3 more seasons (ugh..can you imagine still watching this show 3 years from now?). Should be interesting to see if they pull the plug on the show then or keep it going.

Well, that's it for the year folks. CONGRATULATIONS JORDIN! I'm glad I picked the right one to follow this year, ONCE AGAIN! Hope everyone enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing! It was a rough season and I can't make any promises about my investment in the show next year. But knowing me, I'll find a way to write SOMETHING! Have a great "Off-Season" and see you next year for season 7!

American Idol - Jordin vs Blake - Season 6 Final Performances

Well folks for the 6th time, we are finally here. From what seems like ages ago (remember those auditions that just wouldn't end?), we have whittled down over 100,000 applicants aspiring to be our next American Idol down to our final 2. Many people are shocked at the final 2 left standing. Many people are upset. Many people have lost the will to care! Yes, Melinda Doolittle, arguably one of the best voices ever to grace the Idol Stage, did not have enough power with the American Public to outlast the far more marketable Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis. Yes, it's a singing competition, but at the end of the day were any of you going to rush out and buy Melinda's album when it came out? I guess it could be argued that no one will buy Jordin or Blake's albums either...but I personally think they have more of a fighting chance. One thing is for sure though, Season 6 will be remembered (in my eyes) as the first season since season 3 where the American Idol Formula has shown its weakness and is screaming for a desperate RE-INVENTION before becoming a parody of itself (might be too late for that!).

If you have been a reader since Seasons 4 or 5, you will know what I like to do in the Season Finale Blog. Oh yes, I love doing my little walk down memory Lane of the past seasons! Let's revisit one more time the 2 contestants from each of the past 5 years that made it to the big show at the Kodak Theater. Let's recapture some of the the drama and the history we experienced:

(I'll warn you, I got long winded here! Feel free to SKIP this Prior Season Analysis and move onward to the Final 2 Performances Recap!)

Season 1: Kelly Clarkson vs Justin Guarini

Many people missed the first season of Idol, only to discover it in season 2 through word of mouth or the ad campaigning during the Super Bowl that year. Perhaps some people were able to catch up over the past TV Season watching American Idol Rewind, which focused on Season 1 from start to finish. American Idol started off as a cheesy Summer Talent Show. A spinoff of the British sensation POP IDOL (also starring Simon Cowell as a judge) that spawned British Pop Superstar WILL YOUNG (yeah...he never really made it over here. And if you watched Idol Rewind or Season 1, you may remember HE HAD A LISP too!!!! That stuff just doesn't fly with us Americans!) Anyway, that summer, Idol grew through word of mouth....and the watercoolers were buzzing across the work places. And millions and millions of people got to meet and be amazed by an undiscovered budding superstar in Kelly Clarkson. I will admit, I was/am caught up in it! (oh hell, anyone that knows me knows that I feel I have a personal stake in her career since she was my favorite back in season 1!) Anyway, looking back on Idol Season 1, there seems to have been just as many bad contestants that made the TOP 10 (yep, from season 2 onward they extended to a Top 12 to get 2 more weeks of premium commercial air time). But there was lots of drama. America was introduced to Simon Cowell and boy they didn't like him! But at the same time, we grew to love his brutal honesty! I could go on and on about Paula and Randy, and Brian Dunkleman (nice move on IDOL's part of getting rid of that guy!), and how Tamyra Gray had an off night and a surprise outing in the final 4....but we've covered all of that. It all boils down to crowning our first American Idol and STILL the most successful to date (although she has some huge competition!), Multi-Platinum selling, Grammy Award Winning artist, KELLY CLARKSON. 3rd Album "My December" hits stores Tuesday, June 26th and we're all waiting to see if Kelly can continue her amazing success!

My Personal Rank of Season 1 out of 6: 1 (Can never top an original, can you?)

Season 2: Ruben Studdard vs Clay Aiken

Yes, the season that most of America discovered American Idol. It was the first one I watched from start to finish. The lousy auditions cracked me up, and I was excited to see that the talent pool seemed to grow deeper. With more people knowing about Idol, more great singers auditioned. But for some reason, season 2 didn't live up to my expectations. I couldn't imagine anyone being as good coming out of it or capturing the hearts of America as Kelly Clarkson did. Yet, many found their prayers answered in Clay Aiken. The geek with the HUGE voice. No one could deny that his pipes were/are incredible. And American Idol may as well have been Extreme Makeover in season 2. They were dealing with some very interesting looking contestants. Season 2's theme? "AMERICA IS NOT SHALLOW" (Season 6's theme? total opposite!) Both Plus sized singers Kimberly Locke and Ruben Studdard had some appeal about them that went past physical appearance and allowed them to sail to the final 3 (of course who knows what would've happen if Frenchie Davis didn't get booted from the show?). Everyone thought Clay had the show in the bag....but Ruben had a lot of support in Area Code 205 as well as the entire country. It came down to possibly the closest vote ever in Idol history, but Ruben took the crown. I argue to this day, that Idol Producers intervened and allowed Ruben to win as a marketing strategy to get the most sales out of both contestants. Of course, looking back now, does it really matter? Neither of them are lighting up the charts like Kelly and another Idol winner I'll be discussing shortly.

My Personal Rank of Season 2 out of 6: 4

Season 3: Fantasia Barrino vs Diana DeGarmo

This was the first sign that America was getting tired of the American Idol format. Ratings were slipping a bit and there were really no likable contestants. But there was Fantasia....the judges worshiped the illiterate single mother that was barely scraping by in life. She had an attitude about her that just seemed to make me want to throw something at the TV or at the very least, turn it off! But she was a good singer, if you liked the raspy Macy Gray stuff. But, we already had Macy Gray! And boooooy was she uggggly! (yeah, and I'm not ashamed to say it!) Some will argue that her rendition of "Summertime" (click for youtube clip) was quite possibly the greatest performance in all of Idol History. I'll still argue Kelly's big band night performance of "Stuff Like that There" takes the cake. But the sign of Season 3's weakness could be seen in Fantasia's final 2 competition. 16 year old bubble gummy Diana DeGarmo. Great for a 16 year old, but not really that great! Diana and tone-deaf Jasmine Trias beat out vocally dominant Latoya London. Why? People couldn't really identify with miss London who seemed to have no personable qualities outside of her performances. Her performances were technically fantastic, but America always wants more in their winners. (sounds a bit like Melinda doesn't it?) Anyway....I found myself doing other things during the season 3 competition, even though I always had it on. I was about to give up on my favorite guilty pleasure TV show.

My Personal Rank of Season 3 out of 6: 6

Season 4: Carrie Underwood vs Bo Bice

Enter Season 4. Audition Age Max raised from 24 to 28, the Semi-Finals rounds were revamped (instead of Top 32 being broken into 4 groups and performing 1 Group a week so that you forget your favorite contestants, there was a Top 24 that eliminated 2 girls and 2 Guys per week for 3 weeks creating a 6 Guy and 6 Girl Top 12). The contestants were more mature and more unique. There was the pseudo-rocker Constantine (still showing up in season 6 in the audience, even tonight!), the guy with a hole in his neck Anthony Federov, the REAL rocker Bo Bice and country sweetheart CARRIE UNDERWOOD. Yes, there were many others worth noting (ahhh Scott Savol how we miss you!), but I'd like to focus on Carrie Underwood (naturally). From the minute she set foot on the audition floor, I could tell there was something special about this girl (most of us could). Her voice was so pure and so strong. It made listening to country music (fora non-country listener at the time) not only bearable, but desirable! And yes, many argued that Carrie lacked the stage presence and personality to make it all the way. But Americans were drawn to the voice, her marketable appearance, and her "small town girl meets the big world"mentality with which she approached the show. Anyone remember when Ryan asked Carrie if she had seen any Stars in Hollywood and she responded with something like "well, it's been too cloudy since I got here!" Ahhh yes. You just can't write a better story than seeing Carrie Underwood find success! And she really did! She edged out a great run by Bo Bice, perhaps with a little help in the fact that the Finale Songs favoring her vocal style more than his. But her career has flourished since her time on the show. Her album "Some Hearts" remains in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 Albums chart (just hit 6 million sold on May 9th). With her single "Before He Cheats" she has crossed over from her accomplishments in Country Music and found Top 40 mainstream success. She has won Grammy Awards and every Country Award around (including Top Female Vocalist and Album at the latest Academy of Country Music Awards). And what a treat it has been to watch the girl come out of her shell on stage to become a very engaging performer. I actually have been fortunate enough to see her in concert at the beginning of her tour with Brady Paisley and at the end of it. She was a polished poised performing machine by the end of that tour. Crazy stuff! If you want to thank anyone that you have these blogs to read every week during Idol, you can thank Carrie Underwood. She made me a believer in American Idol again!

My Personal Rank of Season 4 out of 6: 2

Season 5: Taylor Hicks vs Katharine McPhee

Ahh Season 5. I remember being disappointed at the end of last season, expecting more. But it may have been part of me coming off the season 4 high. I think it's safe to say, though, that Season 5's cast had the largest amount of talent across the board than any season of American Idol ever. Maybe not the BEST singers we've seen come out of the show, but the majority of the top 12 were GREAT singers and/or performers. Just look at the success that they're having. Chris Daughtry, Elliott Yamin,Katharine McPhee, Kellie Pickler and Bucky Covington all have had some pretty good success with their first albums (you can even hear Daughtry's "HOME" every results show during Idol this season which he even performed tonight. And of course, you hear "It's Not Over" any time you turn on a Rock or Top 40 radio station). Kellie and Bucky may be exclusive to Country fans only but still have been welcomed into the Country Community. I believe I just read that Paris Bennett's album was just released too. Never was a fan of hers, but still...the pool of talent last year was insane! And in a season so unpredictable of who would win the crown it ended up coming down to a Popularity Contest. Looking back at last year, I was a sucker for the most popular as well. Taylor Hicks, with the trademark Grey Hair came into his audition and gave a quirky yet uniquely inspiring performance. Paula and Randy loved it....Simon Hated it and said that no one would EVER vote Taylor into the top 12. America became inspired to vote Taylor Hicks not only into the top 12, but into the exclusive AMERICAN IDOL winners circle. If anyone watched and believed dialidol.com they would've seen that it was pointless to vote for any other contestant all season because Taylor was DOMINATING the votes every week. Taylor even turned in some very uninspiring performances in the middle of the season, but it never mattered. The guy had it in the bag. And this may have led to my disappointment in season 5. It had the potential to be so much more than it was, but it is hard to argue with the talent that was delivered. The ironic thing is....all of the contestants I mentioned above have actually found more success than the quirky grey haired winner. I'd love to see Taylor be a breakout success,but it just doesn't seem to be his style. Still, a very entertaining season (if not just for the entertaining BLOGS - Remember Chris Daughtry and his affair with Molly the Mic Stand? ahhh genius! and of course
Elliott as Mr. Tumnus!). But let's be honest...we were all rooting for Kevin Covais the whole time, right?

My Personal Rank of Season 5 out of 6?: 3

Season 6: Blake Lewis vs Jordin Sparks

Which brings us to this season. It would've been near impossible to draw the same amount of talent that season 4 and 5 drew which could only lead one way. DOWN....way DOWN! And sure, there were some good singers this season, but after such marketable seasons as 4 and 5, there just is not much to write home about in season 6. But, as stated before, 2 people with the best shot at success in our crazy Music Industry still remain standing. The first teenager I've ever been inspired to vote for and seems to transcend any age labels (except Randy's insistent attempts "Dude, you're 17!!!!"). The beat boxing hip Idol, with a decent voice but a fabulous sense of rhythm has found a way to land himself many many adoring female fans. It's Jordin vs Blake, Evening Gown Teenager vs a guy not afraid to put a little white in his hair or don a Tuxedo T-Shirt! Voices of the Past and Present vs Potential Sounds of The Future! Is there any way to sum up such a bizarre season that introduced us to SANJAYA? Who will win? We'll find out for sure Wednesday Night. But for now we have some work to do!

3 Songs Tonight from each Blake and Jordin. 1.) Contestant's Favorite performance from this season 2.) New Song chosen by Contestant 3.) American Idol Songwriter Competition Winning Song. Let us point out, that according to what we are shown on camera Blake wins the coin toss and LETS Jordin choose to go 2nd. Now that is just silly IF Blake is trying to win this thing! Another big note: No American Idol FINALE Choir this year! WOAAA They better be there tomorrow night or I'm soooo quitting on watching this show! They are the best unintentional comedy of the year! EVERY year! Ok, let's get down to business.

Round 1 - Blake's Favorite Performance Song vs Jordin's New Song Choice

• Blake - "You Give Love a Bad Name" - Bon Jovi - This was a no brainer for Blake. He HAD to perform this song again. It's the performance that showed his originality, the song that boosted him BACK into this competition, and his ultimate display of his beat boxing abilities. With that said, I didn't think it was as good as his first time around. He was having some "out of tune" problems here and there, and he just didn't seem AS into it the first time around. We were introduced to tonight's theme of Great Performer (Blake) vs Great Singer (Jordin) and later told that this performance was the best "PERFORMANCE" of the night.
• Jordin - "Fighter" - Christina Aguilera - I thought this was a really good choice of song for Jordin, but for some reason, she just didn't seem too into it either. Her vocals were totally there, except for those few screechy notes that Simon pointed out. I thought she was rushing the lyrics here and there a bit too. But it still led broken nose Paula to declare her prediction (that she never told anyone) that Jordin vs Blake would be the best finale ever, was indeed correct. (Yes, Paula tried to avoid stepping on her chihuahua and fell flat on her nose....ahhh good times. Stuff like this only happens to Miss Abdul, doesn't it?)

After the first performances of the night, I felt that neither Blake nor Jordin were really in this thing to win it. But had to agree with the judges that Blake edged out Jordin to win Round 1.
Blake: 1 - Jordin: 0

Round 2 - Blake's New Song Choice vs Jordin's Favorite Performance Song

• Blake - "She Will Be Loved" - Maroon 5 - Well, it looks like Blake took my advice literally when I said that Maroon 5 is the type of music he should be doing! He went ahead and followed up "This Love" from last week with "She Will Be Loved" this week (Maroon 5 is all about the LOVE in their songs!). Once again, we can just see how limited Blake's vocal range truly is. If anything, the guy did me a favor. I had been pondering bringing this song into my arsenal of Karaoke tunes. But seeing Blake struggle with it has made me reconsider! Thanks Blake! With all of that said, I was glad Blake dropped the beatbox for his 2nd two songs and sang one straight up. I always liked the song and disagreed with Simon that it's not a memorable song. But I will agree that the way Blake performed it was pretty forgettable.
• Jordin - "Broken Wing" - Martina McBride - Yeah, this was one of the Jordin gems from earlier in the season. She whipped this out on Country night and even risked singing it with Martina herself being the mentor. Once again, she rocked it out of the park. Do I have to remind everyone that she's 17? Oh Randy already did? My bad! And yet for another American Idol we could see the fix settling in as the Judges started praising one contestant over another. (Now are we really thinking Blake just was THAT nice to let Jordin go 2nd?) And I must note: Why is Paula so insistent on America thinking that "You are in Good Music tonight" is an actual expression? She used it twice tonight on Jordin. And I swear she has said it in previous seasons! Man, that crazy nose break must have her traveling back in time!

Come on Jordin ballad vs Blake Ballad? Was there even a question?
Blake: 1 - Jordin: 1

Round 3 - "This is My Now" - by Scott Krippayne, Jeff Peabody

I have to go on record saying once again that I DID vote in the AI Songwriter Competition and I do recall listening to "This is My Now." Sure, this is the bland song that the Idol producers are looking for their winner's first song release to be. But bleh....that is some generic uninspirational "muzak!" But if I had to rank the 6 finale songs, "This is My Now" does not fall to the bottom of the list. (please don't make me do it! It's too painful a task!) But the real mission/curse of the AI Song is really for the producers to get the contestant THEY want to win the competition. We saw it with Kelly beating Justin with "A Moment Like this" (Justin just couldn't hit the notes!), Ruben and Clay got their own songs because they were both "stars" that season, Fantasia made Tamyra Gray's "I Believe" a Fantasia standard and Diana DeGarmo had no shot, I still have nightmares of Bo Bice singing "I want to be inside your heaven" it just seemed so inappropriate! "Inside your Heaven" was written for Miss Underwood, and of course Taylor Hicks and Katharine McPhee had their own original songs to perform. And Taylor's crappy tune "Do I Make You Proud" was turned from a bland nothing into a Taylor classic. Katharine let her Idol song take over and drown her.

Yes folks, the Idol Song is the true test of AMERICAN IDOLISM. Do you fit the IDOL MOLD? How well can you sing a cheesy song? Can you make a cheesy song listenable? Will you inspire millions of americans to BUY said cheesy song to get your guaranteed #1 single? If so....you WIN!

• Blake - For the first minute, I was just trying to get over Blake's Sparkly gold and black vest. Then I realized his sneakers matched. After this....I noticed he was SITTING on the big Screen on the back of the stage. The epitome of cheese. It would seem Blake was trying to make up for his disinterest in selling out to the IDOL SONG by his attempt at "COOLNESS" Then I realized, he WAS trying to sing the song. But Blake just wasn't up to the challenge. "This is My Now?" try "This is My Out of Tune Performance!" The judges couldn't take it seriously and America didn't either. It's in a "MOMENT LIKE THIS" when you pretty much know how the rest of the season is going to pan out.
• Jordin - Yep, she nailed it. From first note to her breaking out in tears at the end of the song. Jordin bought into the lyrics and sang the HELL out of her Idol song. Right from the start of the top 12, we began to see Jordin Sparks turn from over-achieving 17 year old to a bonafide IDOL CROWN contender. And as the weeks went by, it became impossible for me to imagine anyone else winning American Idol Season 6. Will I buy this crappy song? Oh, I don't know if I can admit to that! But I think many Americans will be inspired to do just that!

No brainer once again. The Fix was already in once Melinda lost!
Blake: 1 - Jordin: 2

So, I guess with all of the no-brainers going on tonight, my choice for Idol winner will be a no brainer as well. But let me just state for the record, you are dealing with a very efficient Idol picking machine right here! I'm 4 for 5 for the past 5 seasons (yeah...that Clay thing got me too). Granted, only season 2 and 4 were really too close to call, but STILL! You gotta give me some credit this year for picking Jordin at the start of the top 12! And yes, all of these words will come back to haunt me if Blake somehow miraculously wins tomorrow night. With all of this said here is my pick:

AMERICAN IDOL WINNER 2007: JORDIN SPARKS!!!!!

Never thought I'd pick a teenager to win the whole thing until this year. But Jordin earned it this year! Good Luck Jordin!

Well kids...that's it for me tonight. As always, tomorrow night's blog will be quite short due to pulling double duty with a 2 hour LOST finale. But that's why I put a lot of extra time into tonight's blog. Hope you enjoyed!

Your turn everyone, thoughts on season 6? I know some of you are angry that Jordin is the favorite to win this thing. I know some of you will support Blake right to the end. But are some of you still crying over Melinda's departure? Any thoughts for how they can re-invent the show next year? Only thing I can think of is to Audition myself! It IS the last year I can!

We got 12 comments for the Finale Performance Blog last season (and 36 comments on the Lost blog last WEEK!)....Let's see if we can break some records! Post away and see you after we crown the winner!

My Personal Rank of Season 6 out of 6?: 5

American Idol - Finally, a shocker!

We had to wait all the way until the top 3 performances, but we finally got our shocking elimination! And yeah, I know I've been saying the past couple weeks that I could see a Blake/Jordin showdown in the finale....but after last night, it just seemed impossible for Melinda NOT to be there. Stupid me listening to Simon. After the Taylor Hicks incident of season 5, we must know that anytime Simon makes a promise, America is going to do the opposite! Ladies and gentelemen our neckless pitch-perfect background singer has left the building!



Eliminated: Melinda Doolittle
My Pick: Blake Lewis

Farewell, Melinda...and great run! That means our winner of season 6 American Idol will be Jordin Sparks or Blake Lewis! Blake has sure picked up a lot of steam these past few weeks. But, I think we had already figured that if either Melinda or Jordin were to face blake in the finals, the competition will already have been decided. Of course, I've spoken too soon before, but I will stick with my prediction from way back at the start of the top 12 that Jordin Sparks will be wearing that crown and singing the dreary new Idol song at the end of the show next year. Speaking of the songwriter's contest. I listened to the Top 20 songs submitted, and most of them are much much much worse than Inside Your Heaven and Do I Make You Proud combined. There were a couple ones that are at least listenable, but none of them will lend themselves easily to a beatbox (non-subtle hint hint!)

Highlights from tonight:

• Maroon 5 performing their new single "Makes Me Wonder" and watching singer Adam Levine (that is his name, right? or did I just make it up?) cover his mouth instead of saying the dreaded "F" word! Real subtle once again!
• The homer simpson intro? Really? was that necessary?
• Melinda's writing on her dress "Death Cheater" huh???
• Blake's Dad's refusal to leave the stage leading to Ryan saying "seriously, take a seat!"
• Blaker girl's t-shirt stating "Marry Me" but the "Marry" and the "Me" were never on level with each other on the t-shirt! (yeah...none of us are being real subtle tonight!)
• Our very own Mr. Tumnus returned to the stage with NEW TEETH! And man were they white! Was glad to hear him sing "Wait For You" that's a good tune. For those who didn't read the season 5 blogs, of course I'm talking about Elliott Yamin! I'm so happy for that crazy fawn! He really did create his own magical land of Narnia! Good Job Elliott!

Well that'll just about do it! 2 blogs remain before we wrap up yet another season of Idol. Anyone super shocked that Melinda has left us? Will you refuse to watch the finale? Who will win it all? Comment away! See you next week!

American Idol - Top 3 Perform

Well, I think I kinda figured I'd find myself in a conundrum after our final 3 performed this season. In a season lacking a clear star, there have been 3 contestants that have been really soaking up the compliments on any given week. Those 3 people? Yep, Jordin, Blake, and Melinda. Jordin - The Marketable Idol, Blake - The HIP/Hoppity/Beatboxin Idol, Melinda - The "hasn't sung a bad note all season" Idol And as the weeks have gone by us readers of the Idol Addicts Blog (tough to say that word "addicts" this year with such a painful season!), have been split amongst these 3 people. Plenty of "Blaker" Girls roaming the comments section of the blog. We have some secret Doolittlers amongst us too, so I've learned! And then there are us realists. Those behind Jordin! (obviously I kid folks! Especially after tonight!) When the top 12 started, we thought it was going to come down to Melinda and Lakithsha and began to saw the hint of a Jordin threat to Lakisha. We watched Lakithsha deteriorate in front of our very eyes. I think when Chiths ThSligh left the competition, her mutant LISP powers were able to absorb his to make her the ultimate speech challenged contestant! Yes yes, I really was looking for an excuse to mention the lisp at LEAST one more time! Anyway...my point is...it then became a 2-way race between Melinda and Jordin. Blake was always the best of the guys but his voice just didn't seem to meet theirs. Then came Bon Jovi night a couple weeks ago....and he found himself a whole lot of new fans. Why? Well, it's two-fold. 1.) Chris and Phil went home....and all the teenage girls needed a new man to vote for 2.) People saw hints of greatness from Blake back in the auditions and in the semi-finals, but then saw him turn into a glob of gooey cheese in the top 12. BonJovi night restored some faith as he brought the beat box back in such a stunning way.

Now we find ourselves in this mess. A night with 9 pretty decent performances. Simon seems to have chosen his 2 to support. How do we pick someone to leave? Will it come down to past performances? Will it come down to their LAST performance? Will it come down to a popularity contest? Will it come down to Appearance? Will it come down to whose neck is the longest/shortest? Well, we'll know tomorrow! But until then, I know you are all just dying to find out who I am picking on this crazy night! I'll tell you now...I really thought I had it figured out weeks ago that Jordin had this thing in the bag. Now, I really can see ANYONE going home tonight. This competition is wide open!

3 Songs tonight - Judge's Pick, Producer's Pick, and Contestant's Pick. Let's break it down!

Jordin Sparks

Simon's Pick: "Wishing on a Star" - Rose Royce

Producers's Pick: "She Works Hard for the Money" - Donna Summer

Jordin's Pick: "I Who Have Nothing" - Shirley Bassey

Well, I am not going to pretend to say I can understand ANY of the songs PICKED for Jordin tonight, with exception to her personal pick "I Who Have Nothing." That was, in fact, the song when I declared this competition was Jordin's to lose. Simon was in a bit of a crazy mood tonight, bashing the arrangements of his and the producer's picks calling them too Old Fashioned. And of course, he called Jordin's song TOO old for a 17 year old. Which, I have to agree with Jordin....Simon PICKED an old song for her! And seriously, who really rocks out to Rose Royce on their Ipods? And then, as my top Blog advisor mentioned to me, they had a 17 year old singing about a Prostitute working hard for her money! This had to be the inspiration for the laughter behind the judges table when Paula said "Jordin, you worked hard for your money tonight!" Well, that, and it was TOO inevitable that Paula would say something cheesy like that! Besides all of the lousy song choices, I gotta say Jordin did GREAT with her performances and showing off her style. As stated before, she LOOKS the part. And she has that edge over the other female singer in this competition. Plus, she's got a kickin Voice. But those songs???? ugh.....I don't know. If we had to judge based on just tonight, those songs would not help her. Good Luck Jordin! Overall, thumbs up tonight especially with your handicaps in the song choice genre.

Speaking of the judges though, I have to have a little sidebar here. Tell me I'm not the only one waiting with baited breath for VH1 or E! to do a "Behind the Music" or "True Hollywood Story" behind American Idol and the Trio of Judges and Mr. Seacrest himself? I mean did you see how giddy they all were tonight with their inside jokes, uncontrollable laughing, eyerolling and Drunkenness accusations? Can't you see it now? "BEHIND IDOL: The Drugs, The Alcohol, The Downfall, The Redemption!" Obviously, if Idol never really takes a nosedive in the ratings....the tragedy of the story (as all of those crazy documentaries has a real Tragic moment, before the "hope for the future" moment) would have to be the Corey Clark scandal that arose in season 4 that tied perfectly with Paula being absolutely intoxicated every week on the show (now it's just every other week). Oh, I'm telling you kids, it's inevitable! It's coming! And I can't wait!

Now back to the show!

Blake Lewis

Paula's Pick: "Roxanne" - The Police

Producer's Pick: "This Love" - Maroon 5

Blake's Pick: "When I Get You Alone" -Robin Thicke

Well, what did tonight prove to us about Blake? Well, pretty much what we all figured. If you put someone else in charge of his music, he really has a chance at being a star in the music industry. I always thought Sting or the Police would suit Blake pretty well (as I kinda thought he adopted some of Sting's mannerisms) but "Roxanne," Paula??? really? I had constant "Lost"-like flashbacks of trading swigs of "water" (yeah, my family is reading!) with my friends on the "Roxanne's" and "Red Lights" during the whole song! Now, while the drinking game has forever ruined the song....Blake still sounded very good on it. We can attribute this partially to the special Idol Sound Effects department (again, nice Echo-effect guys! I really thought Blake was doing that naturally!). But Blake still did his own thing...and even unleashed his inner rocker accidentally with letting the Microphone fly off of the stage at the end of the performance. Blake's weakness? Those cheesy dance moves! Gotta love them though! But come on....you all were rocking with me on his Maroon 5 performance. That was spectacular. And I have to agree with Randy....that's what he should be doing. And the beat boxing on this song was subtle enough that it didn't take away from the song, but just added a nice BLAKE'ness to it. Loved it. The Robin Thicke song, though? I don't know. All I could think about was when this dude actually showed up at a results show singing like a pre-teen girl. I guess there are lots of Thicke fans out there...but I didn't get this choice at all. Sure, it shows off BLAKE's Hipster vibe. But I don't really think this is where his fans are. It's just where Blake WANTS his fans to be.

I think I have read an interview that Blake would prefer to LOSE This competition so he could have Chris Daughtry-like success and make his own kind of album. If that's the case, then maybe his final song choice was a strategic move at doing just that. But, song 1 and 2 may have guaranteed him a spot in that final 2. Really tough call. But Thumbs Up overall on Blake tonight.

Final note on Blake. Yes, you were not seeing things. Blake was definitely rocking it out with Sir Mix-A-Lot in the fabulous state of Washington. crazy....

Melinda Doolittle

Randy's Pick: "I Believe in You and Me" - Whitney Houston
Producer's Pick: "Nutbush City Limits" - Tina Turner
Melinda's Pick: "I'm a Woman" - Leiber & Stoller

Ahhhh Melinda. We've been through a lot together, haven't we? You and me, we've said some things. Some really nice things AND some really mean things. And you know what? I've meant every word of them! We've said it every week. (I think I've even said "we've said it every week" every week!) This girl can SING! We all know the story. The humble background singer gone pro. Simon said it himself, she has been consistently singing well throughout the whole competition. And if this competition was based purely on vocals, Melinda would have this thing in the bag. Unfortunately, for Miss Doolittle, she has a bit of an image problem. There have been drastic improvements throughout the competition as I've noted. But she still has certain tendencies when she sings that make me cringe every time she does them. And I really wanted her to unleash some fury on the songs....like the Tina song and even "I'm a Woman" And it really looks like she tried.....but does it look to anyone else that her emotional gestures during her performances just don't come naturally? They all seem forced to me....which is where I think Jordin wins out. Hey...maybe it's just the fact that when Jordin hits the big notes, she DOESN'T unleash the monster teeth, shrug her shoulders (shielding the sun from her neck) and look like she's fighting some nasty case of the constipations. So Maybe she just looks better by comparison in that aspect? I really can't place my finger on it. But man...did Melinda produce the CHILL factor for anyone else during her rendition of the Whitney tune? I know you all think I can't stand the girl. And that I probably bust on her appearance too much. The appearance you can get past....IF the performances are THAT memorable. And hers really just haven't been THAT memorable for me. I've just wanted her to come out of her shell every week, but she never has. And that makes it hard for me to root for her. So, personally, I still think Jordin should win this thing! And she may go home this week. But it's a matter of personal preference! Don't worry, though, even if I'm not a fan....the judges are rooting for Melinda to make the finals...which means she probably will!

Well, I've tried this philosophy before and it worked, so I'm going to stick with it. Everyone did well tonight. We have a natural ranking of talent of our remaining 3 contestants. And only ONE of these contestants has been in the bottom 3 AND the bottom 2. Randy said it's going to be a Female vs Female finale. Paula said for the first time, she is not going to make a decision (oh I'm laughing so hard right now! First time????). Simon just said Melinda will be there. What does Mike say?

Safe: Melinda Bottom 2: Jordin, Blake

Elimination Pick: Blake Lewis - I like you dude. Maybe too much beatboxing on certain weeks, but you're a pretty cool nerd. But this season is all about the DIVAS. Beat-box your exit cue dude!

It's just my pick. I would not be surprised for ANY possible pairing out of these 3 for the final 2. But I just wasn't ready to say goodbye to Jordin! And I'm thinking some other people are not either!

I know some of you have some things to say to me. Don't be bashful....defend your contestants! Who do you think is going home? I've laid my picks on the table. Why don't you share? Hope you enjoyed! See you tomorrow night!

American Idol - Nothing but Clear S's from Now On!

Well, you never hear the expression "I should've went against my gut!" But that's exactly what I did last night when I made my pick last night. My gut kept telling me "It has to be a surprise elimination" Anyway, I'm not going to brag about getting it right this week. Everyone was picking LaKisha or Blake to go home. Plus I kept harping on the whole Melinda thing! Instead let's give a fond farewell to another POWER VOCALIST and the final speech challenged contestant this season!





Eliminated: LaKithsha Jones
Bottom 2: Blake, Lakisha
My Bottom 2 (my pick in Blue): Blake, Lakisha



And a quick yay to me for getting 3 in a row! So things are still going as planned. The best 3 still remain and if our calculations are correct, Blake is the next to go. But would it be so surprising to see Blake in that Final 2 playing spoiler to the Diva Duel? He DOES have a lot of support out there. And as one of our frequent commenters brought up today, he probably has a large portion of the Chris and Phil supporters backing his cause now too. Really depends on what Melinda brings to the stage next week. If the final 3 goes down like other seasons, the songs will probably be 1 of the contestant's choice and the other a judge's joice. But, they mix that up every once in awhile. So we shall see!

Let's see...anything worth noting from tonight's long hour?

• Pink performed...and was not sporting any PINK. But her guitar player had pinkish red hair. Discuss amongst yourselves!
• How about that Barry Gibb Medley from the contestants. Sure look like they barely practiced it didn't it? I love how they all kept looking at each other to make sure they were singing the right part of the right song. I could tell Lakisha was Lisping in all the wrong places as that tongue kept flying between the teeth on lyrics that didn't even have Th's or S's. That was fantastic!
• Lots of "Paula clapping" galore from all 3 judges. If Blake killed the Beatbox last night...the judges "Pulled a Blake" on the Paula clap. But you gotta love Paula Abdul ruining the surprise that Jessica Alba was in the audience by inexplicably repeating how "HOT" she is. Gotta love the awkward silences when Ryan doesn't know how to segueway to the next topic!
• 2 words for Blake - TUXEDO T-SHIRT? REALLY? (i know...that was 3)
• Then there were the video interview clips of all 4 contestants. Highlights are KiKi asking the world to cry for her because "Nobody knows what I've been through" But even better was when she was saying "American Idol is the best thing that has happened in my life" AS they were showing pictures of her and her daughter! YOU Can't script this stuff any better! Jordin did get my welling with the tears though! (well it's allergy season...give me a break!)
• And I think we all could've done without comparing the Fantastic 4 with the AI Final 4 for a ridiculous movie promotion! The worst thing is, I didn't even see it coming!
• And yes...I didn't forget. Barry Gibb treated us to his best Aaron Neville impression. And he did it all while wearing a see-through blouse! That takes guts!

Well that's it for this week kids. See you next week has we whittle this group down to the final 2! In the meantime discuss...are we happy that the LISPS are finally gone this season? Good Night!

American Idol - Top 4 Perform

There really is nothing like the sweet high pitch sounds of Barry Gibb is there? Ahhh yes, seems like the perfect fit for Idol to separate the pretenders from the real deals. The only problem is, we're kinda missing the "Real Deal" this season! Sure, I have my favorite and others have their favorites. But no one is really fitting that bill. And tonight kinda proved it. Since the departure of Sanjaya, things have gone down exactly as they should. We have the 4 contestants we're supposed to have at this point in the show. But do you recall a season where there still wasn't SOME surprise left to happen after the WORST contestant leaves? Usually a front runner gets a surprise ousting. Remember Chris Daughtry last season? He had an early exit around this time. Latoya London in season 3? She was supposed to duke it out with Fantasia and hopefully beat her. She left early too due to personality problems. Tamyra Gray? She was supposed to battle Kelly Clarkson for the coveted 1st American Idol crown. She lost her voice during the final 4 performances and stuck us with Philly Local Fro Boy Justin and Awful Karaoke wannabe Nikki. I have a disturbing feeling tonight that something like this may happen again this year...especially with some mediocre performances. But I probably won't be brave enough to actually pick him or her to leave us tomorrow night. Who do I think the victim might be? Oh you know me better than that....I'll explain in my recap below!

2 Songs Each from the Barry Gibb/Bee Gees Collection mentored by the great dog whistler himself! Here's what went down tonight!

Melinda Doolittle

Song 1: Love you Inside and Out

Song 2: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart

It's tough to put into words what we think about Melinda Doolittle. We all know the girl can sing. We've said it every week in this blog. We all know she's a very humble person. We've said it every week in this blog. Well, if there's anyone who can sum it up best....we must turn to Paula Abdul. "You are BRILLIANT TECHNICIAN!" Okay, well let me translate for her as Simon always needs to. Melinda will always hit all of the right notes, she will sing the hell out of her songs, but she will always leave the audience expecting MORE from her performances. Paula again states that she's still waiting for Melinda to throw down and SURPRISE the audience. Unfortunately for Melinda, she has reverted back to her comfort zone. A step back from last week and the weeks prior. Again she appeared to be the unmarketable background singer that came into this competition. I'm not going to keep you guessing who I was talking about above that could make a surprise exit. I was referring to Melinda. However, Simon does hate to be wrong doesn't he? And he said that the 2nd half of her 2nd song will be what people remember and will be enough to get her into the semi-finals (didn't realize we called the top 3 the semi-finals!) I'll keep my fingers crossed for Miss Doolittle.

Blake Lewis

Song 1: You Should Be Dancin'

Song 2: This Is Where I Came In

1 Week later after the Beat Box returned, I'm begging the Beat Box to go away again! I am definitely an individual who likes to keep jokes running long after their expiration date until someone says "Dude, you killed it" But come on Blake! If you Beat Box on every song....it is no longer unique....it is no longer shocking...it's expected...and it's YAWN inducing, Eye roll inspiring! (I'm also very good at rolling my eyes as many have pointed out to me!) And the beat boxing this week wasn't even that good! He kinda just forced it into the songs...he HUMMED the horn instrumental during "Dancin." And that 2nd song? What on earth was that? Even Barry said the song was a dud! But no...Blake has to be different! Blake has to be cool! No Blake....BLAKE has to be DORK! Not a good week for the Blakester. But I think we can all agree that we hope he sticks around over KiKi. It's really a tough call this week!

LaKithsha Jones

Song 1: Sthtayin' Alive

Song 2: Run to Me

Well LaKisha brought out the big guns again this week. And yes, I AM referring to her upper torso. I mean seriously! PUT THOSE THINGS AWAY! Well, she didn't bring them out until Song 2. Song 1, we got to be distracted by the Center Background Singer sporting some kind of Dominatrix Attire. This is a Family show, right? Anyway, LaKisha showed off her best strutting abilities during Staying Alive. But the song overall just didn't really work. She slowed down the tempo and screeched away. And I think the last note of her 2nd song pretty much said it all as she gasped for air and totally missed the note. Randy and Paula already had their critiques prepared before hearing that last note and had to change it up a little bit with the "well don't worry about the last note...it was still better than the last!" type of comments. If we are going by our Top 12 Ranking....then LaKisha is the next on the list to go. But I just don't recall a season when things were THAT easy! Perhaps my accurate double elimination picks last week are going to my head and I'm over-thinking this one!

Jordin Sparks

Song 1: To Love Somebody

Song 2: Woman In Love

And then there is Jordin! Well, I'm going to guess after Jordin's rough week last week, the Idol producers strategically gave her the coveted LAST performance spot of the night. And if "To Love Somebody" was her final song, it would've been a perfect strategy! But still, I think more often than not, people are more willing to remember who went last than who went first. Not that any of this matters. Jordin clearly had the best night of the bunch. Song 2 had some pitch problems....Simon thought she was a bit old fashioned for a 17 year old. But my take is....I could still see her commercial appeal shining through that slow, sappy song and the evening gown. And why harp on the 2nd song? Her performance of "To Love Somebody" was the evening's best performance. Jordin looked the part of an Idol winner and sang wonderfully. Yes, this contradicts my early statements in this blog that NO one fits the part, I know! But it's all relative people! Jordin is BACK and the only one I think that's safe tonight.

Well I've been brushing up on my Idol history, reading some old blogs from last year. Chris Daughtry was a Final Four victim last season...but he also fell into the bottom 3 a couple weeks prior when Ace was booted out of the competition. Melinda and Jordin have never seen the bottom 3 or 2. Lakisha and Blake both have. But Dialidol.com has also had problems predicting rank this year due to the voting being so close (either that or the website is just a fraud as I initially suspected last season!) Bottom line is...I don't have enough guts to pick Melinda to go home. But just remember all of my hesitation about it tomorrow night when we see who DOES go home!

Bottom 2: Blake Lewis, LaKisha Jones Wildcard: Melinda Doolittle Bonus Wildcard: duh!

Eliminated: LaKisha Jones - You should be athshamed of yourself for stealing Chris Sthligh's championed LISP trademark! But due to you being around longer, you were the benefactor of all of my comedy! Now, it'ths time to go!

Well, once again, this pick is just what I WANT to happen and what SHOULD happen. But America votes in all crazy kinds of ways. And Idol has been without a TRUE shocking elimination this season. So I just would be prepared for the worst! What do you guys think? Am I wuss for backing out of my Melinda guess? Who do you think is going home?

Hope you enjoyed my ramblings as always, and I'll see you tomorrow night for the results!

American Idol - Sometimes I impress even myself

Well, it had to happen sooner or later. I've been on a very cold streak. I think perfecting a double elimination prediction gives me some street cred back though! Ladies and gentelmen (the very few of you probably reading!), we have our final four!

Eliminated: Phil Stacey, Chris Richardson
Bottom 3: n/a
My Bottom 3 Picks (elimination picks in blue): Chris Richardson, Phil Stacey, LaKisha Jones

Phil, farewell, you sure went down in a blaze of glory. Chris, you overstayed your welcome. Goodbye to you as well!

I guess it was nice of Ryan/producers to let Jordin not sweat too much worrying about elimination. I really didn't notice it last week, but people were pretty upset that they made Jordin think she was going home. I just figured the finalists were all in on the SHOCKING non-elimination. But based on Jordin's tears, maybe not! Anyway....I think a final four of Jordin, Melinda, Blake, and Lakisha is satisfying for the subpar season. All 4 of them have now delivered a great performance where they all deserve to be here. I guess there still could be a few twists and turns along the way, but LaKisha should be the next one out the door. Especially when Barry Gibb rolls into town for BOOGIE FEVER! Yippie!

Couple notes about the dragged out hour of a results show.

• Ummmm Robin Thicke? what on earth was that?
• Ruben, Fantasia, and Taylor all gave a public service announcement asking for donations. Translation: You guys are the winners of idol that we like to hide....we gave Kelly and Carrie singing appearances. You guys can't do much harm just talking for a couple minutes each! (although note: Taylor got the most applause out of all of them).
• Bon Jovi performs their supposed debut into the COUNTRY Music arena. Still soundslike a Bon Jovi sappy power ballad to me! "Remember all that hair we used to have?" Oh yes Jon...how could we forget those beautiful lockes??!
• Carrie Underwood's top selling Itune cover of "I'll Stand By You" is used as Exit Music for Phil. Man that is a powerful little rendition. Who hasn't bought it yet???

Alrighty...as always...it's almost 10:15...so I've shared enough thoughts for this week. Time for LOST! Feel free to congratulate me as always! It's been a subpar elimination picking season for me. But I just doubled my accurate guesses from 2 to 4! Yay! See you next week. Put on your boogie shoes!

American Idol - Top 6 Perform (again!)

Well call me confused! So many rumors were swirling around this week about the Theme night. I was getting fired up! I heard last week it was Bon Jovi week. Then I read later on that it was ROCK SONGS mentored by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora. Well kids, it's option 3. BON JOVI songs mentored by Jon Bon Jovi and David Bryan (or however you spell it!) As much as this year's crop of kids aren't up to the task....you still gotta be excited when you know you're going to hear 6 songs you probably grew up listening to and actually like! So, even with some terrible renditions tonight, I might have to go ahead and say that Bon Jovi night trumps Country Night for me! (SORRY SOUTH!) Not in terms of performances...just in terms of my enjoyment of the tunes! And the worst part about it? My favorite season 6'r is in BAD shape after tonight! But we must keep in mind folks...due to the Idol Gives back debacle (a 70 Million dollar and counting debacle!) we have to tally up 2 weeks worth of votes. Have you been pondering this as much as I have since last Wednesday? If you have, then you haven't really been pondering much at all! But we'll get through this together and come up with 2 people to kick off the show. It's not going to be pretty. But, it must be done! Let's get to it!

Phil Stacey

Jon Bon Jovi - "Blaze of Glory"

Well Simon is definitely singing a different tune from last week. Last week he says Phil is not in trouble, then all of a sudden he doesn't think it was enough tonight. Maybe he saw some voting tallies from last week? I dunno, but I thought Phil was pretty darn good tonight. I'm not even a fan of the crazy alien. Weird faces, bald head and all...I thought he kinda rocked it. And doing a little pounding of the fists with Randy never hurts! Of course...if he turned it into an explosion like Michael and Andy on "The Office"....there would be no way he'd get eliminated tomorrow!Phil is going to be a tough call. But for now I'm saying he's safe. After we do some math below...I may change my tune.

Jordin Sparks

Bon Jovi - "Livin' On a Prayer"

I gotta say, once I heard Jordin was doing "Livin' On a Prayer" (or as the 80's child version of me used to call it "Living on a Prairie") I was a little scared for her. It kinda reminded me of her picking No Doubt's "Hey Baby." Kinda like....if you're a child of the 2000's and you hear about No Doubt - the song you'll know is "Hey Baby" for Bon Jovi? Come on...it's ALWAYS going to be "Living on a Prayer." I just think she should've followed the path Lakisha did and took a shot at one of the Bon Jovi Power ballads. This was just a trainwreck all over. And I'm a little scared for her. I'm not sure what happens when you have the BEST performance on a charity night and the worst performance on the week that follows. But I gotta think that the votes from last week will work in her favor! Here's hoping!

LaKithsha Jones

Bon Jovi - "Thith Ain't a Love Thong"

Well, I can't knock KiKi this week. She did her thang. Well...on second thought, of course I can knock her! How about her not finishing her words and breathing properly when she sang lyrics like "I cri-- and i cri-- ev--ri--nigh--dat i di--- for you baaaaaabbbbbbaaaaay" I mean come on! How hard is it for her to take some big breaths and just sing it right?? Other than that...she had one of the better performances of the night. She played it right. Just took a ballad and LaKisha'ized it. I didn't like her last week...she was better this week. Judges seem to think she's safe. Don't get me started on Simon kissing her and then wiping his lip for the next 5 minutes! I'm leaning towards thinking she safe too. BLECH!!! (yep...that's just how i feel)

Blake Lewis

Bon Jovi - "You Give Love a Bad Name"

So, Simon said half will hate it, half will really love it. Are you going to hate me forever if I say I was part of the LATTER group? Okay okay...I won't go that far. But Blake has gone WAY too long without doing some of what got him into this competition in the first place and how he earned his popularity. Yes folks....he brought the BEAT BOX back...starting off with laying the record down...and going crazy. Sure, he didn't sing much...but when he DID sing...it was in tune and convincing. And this is what I had been missing from Blake. His confidence that he actually can sing. It seems that when he lets loose his inner beat boxer....it gives him the confidence he needs to put on a good show. American Idol SINGING sensation? No.....American Idol Entertainer? Yes. He ain't gonna win Idol...but he's definitely going to sell some albums after he gets booted. And I agree with Simon this was his right move and enough to keep him rolling into the final 4.

Chris Richardson

Bon Jovi - "Wanted Dead or Alive"

In one word? HORRIFIC. Chris has definitely run his course in this competition. I thought he was a goner this week. Now I'm absolutely certain he will be making his exit Wednesday night. He even admitted it was risky performing this after Chris Daughtry nailed this in the semi-finals last season (sorry..too hard to find on youtube...he's performed it too many times since then!) Well...I'll admit it...I tuned Mr. Richardson out 2 seconds into his performance and was text messaging away. Every couple seconds I'd look up and just say outloud to the empty house "MAN HE IS AWFUL!" So...if he can't even capture my attention for 2 seconds? He's a goner! (now don't feel sorry for me that I was home alone! I still had my HDTV!)

Melinda Doolittle

Bon Jovi - "Have Nice Day"

The past 3 weeks, I have been continuously surprised by our "resident pro," as Randy calls her. And it's not her singing...we knew she could sing. It's what she's bringing to the table every week. Her stage presence is getting more confident....her outfits are more 21st century, her hair is finally looking her age, her neckline is remaining visible at least for 10% of the time. Yes folks...I may stretch to say she is ALMOST marketable! There is no doubt, after a string of good performances and the BEST performance tonight...she has just edged out Jordin for the lead again. We have to hope Miss Sparks can survive this bad night (which she even admitted was not a good genre for her) so we can see these two Diva wannabes duke it out in a couple weeks!

Alright...those are the performances. Let's recap my thoughts from last week and then do some analysis on this week...combine....compare, contrast..and come up with our outcasts!

My Picks Last week

Bottom 3: Chris Richardson (I picked to go home), LaKisha Jones, Blake Lewis Wildcard: Phil Stacey Bonus Wildcard: Melinda Doolittle (Meaning Jordin was #1)

My Picks this week if it was JUST this week's Votes

Bottom 3: Chris Richardson, Jordin Sparks, Phil Stacey Wildcard: Blake Lewis Bonus Wildcard: LaKisha Jones (Meaning Melinda was #1)

Combined Picks for this week

Bottom 3: Chris Richardson, Phil Stacey, LaKisha Jones Wildcard: Jordin Sparks Bonus Wildcard: Blake Lewis

Elimination Picks:

• Chris Richardson - Dude really...you're awful. Go home!
• Phil Stacey - Sorry alien man. I was rooting for you this week. But this is just how the math works. You've been a middle of the pack player and it's time to go home!

I was doing a lot of thought combining those bottom 3's...trying to figure out how I could put Jordin in there and still keep her safe. But then I thought more about it. The rankings of the contestants has been pretty consistent 1.) Melinda, 2.) Jordin (they rotate every now and then) 3.) Blake 4.) Lakisha 5.) Phil 6.) Chris. So...I'm thinking...with 2 weeks worth of votes for all of the contestants...things even out...and contestants will pretty much end up around where they are ranked. What does this mean? We take our worst 3 people and put them in the bottom 3....and get rid of the bottom 2. Too easy? Maybe....but I would say a final 4 of Lakisha, Blake, Melinda and Jordin makes the most sense ever, wouldn't you? They are the only 4 that people have really been talking about since the top 12 began. Let them have some more time to shine...and rid us of these other fluff players.

That's all I have kids! Less Comedy in this blog and more LOST-like analysis. Hope I didn't lose anyone! I'd love to hear all of your theories on how this interesting results night will pan out. Please COMMENT! And I'll see you tomorrow after the hour results show to see what exactly went down!

American Idol - Looks Like I get the night off!

Well, apparently we were told last night that there was a surprise during the results. I read a rumor today that there might be NO elimination. Seems to be a contradictory message to eliminate someone at a charity event. So for that reason, it makes sense that they didn't kick someone off. Of course, to have a charity event in the middle of the competition is kind of silly in the first place! But whatever, it's still for a good cause. So, I guess just keep in mind what we all discussed this week, because we're going to have to do some crazy math next week in figuring out what 2 contestants will leave based on 8 hours of voting (4 hours this week and 4 hours next week). That should be fun!

Highlights from the night? Definitely not Earth Wind and Fire, as predicted! Carrie Underwood's rendition of "I'll Stand By You" will definitely be downloaded to my Ipod tomorrow. As well as Kelly Clarkson's "Up To the Mountains" with Jeff Beck. We won't disqualify her for her awful attire. We're used to that by now! I even was impressed with Il Divo. I was happy to see 2/6ths of the FRIENDS (Ross and Phoebe) reunited and dancing for charity! TOM from Myspace was there! That's always a good time! And it was refreshing to see that no one was really promoting any movies or albums. All music was of the inspirational sort. So that was cool.

We kept pondering the Bono thing all through yesterday and today and in the final 2 minutes of the show, he appeared to the Idol contestants and gave them a song to sing. Faaaantastic! Thanks Bono!

All in all, good event, great for charity. But pointless to be blogging about it! So with that said, we'll return in a week to kick off 2 to get our final 4! In the meantime, feel free to debate in the comments about Elvis and Celine: Revoltionary TV or Super Ultra Cheesy? See you next week.

American Idol Gives Back - Top 6 Perform

My friends, welcome back for another rendition of the American Idol Blog. It's hard to make fun of the show on a week like this when they're actually doing something for a really good cause. Sure it's going to bring in big ratings for Fox, and be a perfect platform for many artists to plug new albums or actors/actresses to plug their summer blockbusters about to be released. But, the more eyes that are glued to the TV translates to lots of money to help "make poverty history" at home and abroad! Yes, my friends....LIVE AID/8 has invaded AMERICAN IDOL! Very touching clips throughout the show bring into our homes the horrific scenes of poverty around the world. I even found myself picking up the phone to make a call for my favorite instead of texting (but yeah..I did that too!)

Anyway, I'm not here to express my political views on the world! Just here to talk about amateur talent! So after a 2 hour telethon/concert tomorrow night, we will have narrowed down our top 6 to 5. Someone has to go home. Tonight, as Simon stated, seemed like the competition got serious. The Haley's, Chris Sligh's and Sanjaya's are out of our "hair" (no pun intended). Everyone left can sing, even though some of them may still seem like the devil and drive us absolutely nuts! So who goes home next? I'll be honest...I have no idea! But I'm sure as hell going to try and figure it out as I always do! Let's dive in to our SONGS THAT INSPIRE and try and figure out exactly what "MENTORED BY BONO" really means!

Chris Richardson

Song: Change the World

Artist: Eric Clapton

Remember the days of the MOVIE Soundtrack? Oh I do. I remember that crazy movie Phenomenon where John Travolta became a genius overnight! (Only in the 90's!). I remember wanting to own that crazy soundtrack. Why? Well that escapes me now. The only thing I remember now is that Eric Clapton wrote this nifty little song for it. How did Chris do? Well, not too bad I guess. He hit all of the notes. He went on a few runs near the end. His voice remains the weakest of the competition, but he still has an appeal about him. The judges thought it was great. Simon even called the guy sexy! I know that's the first thing I think of when I see blazer/cargo pants ensemble! But let's remember, Chris has been in the bottom 3 a few times now. His time may be running short. But there are still others that may bail him out this week.

Melinda Doolittle

Song: There Will Come a Day

Artist: Faith Hill

I really am impressed with the miracle workers in the Idol Dressing Rooms. They really have outdone themselves with Melinda. 2 weeks in a row, she's looking pretty good. And it compliments her fantastic vocals very well. I am not very familiar with the Faith Hill song (funny how a couple contestants opted to stay in the Country genre for the 2nd week straight), but no one can deny she sang the hell out of it once again! I still say that she's missing that Idol-winning quality, and I'm even more convinced after another performance tonight. But I've come around on Melinda, and I can see why there are many out there that like her. She's definitely safe!

Blake Lewis

Song: Imagine

Artist: John Lennon

Oh, I know Blake is all cool and stuff...but what's up with him not pronouncing his P's Properly anymore? It's like he whispered them and they came off as B's. "Imagine all the Beople....living life in beeeeeeeeeez" Awesome dude! There is no doubt, that the Lennon song is a beautiful song. Possibly one of the most inspirational songs ever written! But as I was listening, I was just as conflicted as the judges. There just isn't much you can do with the song to showcase your talents. And Blake didn't even try to take it anywhere. On the other hand...where do you take it? As the judges say, he WAS sincere as he sang it (except for minding his P's and B's. That was all for the "Blake Effect"). I'm lost on this one. But, if anyone else is as perplexed as me on what to do with Blake, he may just find himself sitting in the bottom 3. Hey, he was there last week, right? And there isn't much room for error now that we're down to 6 and we had 3 pretty decent performances.

LaKiTHsha Jones

Song: I Believe

"Artist": Fantasia Barrino (written by Season 1 finalist Tamyra Gray)

I can't believe I'm going to say this. I actually miss Fantasia! Like it or not, if you watched the season 3 finale, all you will ever remember when you hear this song is Fantasia jumping up and down, and going crazy with the Idol Choir backing her up and the confetti dropping from the sky. Take that image, and replace Fantasia with LaKisha. Can you imagine this scene? Can you imagine LaKisha being crowned the winner of American Idol? I didn't think so. Not much else to say. The performance was okay...and as the judges say...it wasn't Fantasia. I despise Fantasia, but I'll always remember that performance. Watch it for yourself by clicking here.

Phil Stacey

Song: The Change

Artist: Garth Brooks

Remember Crazy Alien Phil? (see picture above) Something about him tonight did NOT remind me of an Alien. I'm so confused! Did they put makeup on his chrome dome to make it not stand out as much? The only thing strange about him tonight was a few of those trademark weird faces he makes during his performance (again....see picture above). Even though I'm a country convert, I didn't get around to the entire Garth Brooks collection (I'm only on "Thunder Rolls," "2 Pina Coladas," "Friends in Low Places," and the Chris Gaines experiment). So, I didn't know this one. But Phil did a pretty decent job on it. I agree with Simon that he lost some of the appeal from his Country "TONE" he had last week. The judges seem pretty optimistic he has nothing to worry about this week. I'm going to take their word for it. (famous last words!)

Jordin Sparks

Song: You'll Never Walk Alone

Artist: written by Rodgers & Hammerstein for musical Carousel. Later performed by Frank Sinatra, Patti LaBelle, and Elvis Presley

Why do I not care about who goes home this week? Because I know who isn't going home this week. In fact, this performance may have sealed the deal for Jordin Sparks. She may never have to worry about going home. Yes, I have been supporting Jordin since the beginning of the top 12 performances and I am pretty convinced now that she gave her Idol Winning performance tonight. I may change my mind next week, but she was fantastic! And yes, of course Ryan told us before the break that Jordin was going to give us a showstopping performance. So, we already had it built in our minds that it was fantastic. But come on kids, it was! Yes, it's amazing that she's 17 and singing as well as she is. But it would STILL be amazing for anyone at 28. Melinda, you're no longer the front-runner. Jordin is the one to beat!

Alright. Not a bad week. 2 Great performances, 1 very good performance, 3 OKAY performances. So it's no surprise who my bottom 3 is. I guess I'll just pick one at random to go home!

Bottom 3: Chris Richardson, LaKisha Jones, Blake Lewis Wildcard: Phil Stacey Bonus Wildcard: Melinda Doolittle

Eliminated: Chris Richardson - Sorry Timberfake, you've flirted too many times with the bottom. It's time to pack up your things and ship out.

As always, if anyone is a betting Man/Woman, then I just went ahead and helped you figure out who NOT to go with!

So, now it's time to get amped up for the 2 hour results show tomorrow night. I'm not gonna lie. Kelly and Carrie are going to be there. I'm excited! Has everyone downloaded Kelly's new single "Never Again" on itunes today? Well, what are you waiting for?! Oh yeah...and duh! HARRY POTTER himself is going to be on AMERICAN Idol! You'd think one Brit would be enough on the show! Anyway...don't expect a complete recap of the 2 hours tomorrow night. As always, this blog is mainly for the competition aspect! (and for my gloating over Carrie and Kelly)

On a final note, in the spirit of the celebs on Idol Gives Back tomorrow night, I thought I'd do a little plugging of my own. As we all know, the American Idol songwriting competition is in full effect. While I haven't had time to sit down an pen a tune myself, my uncle has submitted a couple of tunes! If you want to check out what he put together, he has a myspace page out there promoting the tunes. Feel free to check it out and show your support, if you so choose! Good Luck Uncle Joe!

See everyone tomorrow night and enjoy IDOL GIVES BACK! Guess we'll have to wait until then to figure out exactly how Bono is involved!