The Top 9 GO DIGITAL on American Idol with iTunes hits! Who will pack their bags this week?

Hello out there music lovers! Welcome to another fun filled week of ridiculous analysis for this crazy show we have come to know over the years as American Idol. This week we have yet another chapter in the saga of the TV powerhouse. What songs were song on American Idol this week? Talk about a cash cow of a week. If the endless promotion of iTunes wasn't enough on the show already, the Apple founded music company was given the spotlight this week with full access to its popular downloads (well...supposedly full access. They were kinda vague weren't they?). I can see the iTunes top 10 singles tomorrow being flooded with 9 songs in particular, can't you?

So, what did this mean for the contestants? It turns out it was the week they have been looking forward to since they entered the American Idol top 13. Of course, as always, some contestants took advantage of the theme and others took major steps towards their final bow. We have some work ahead of us to figure out who is going home. And as always, I am up to the challenge! The only question is, are you ready to join me for the ride? Let's get to it!

1. Anoop Desai - "Caught Up" by Usher - Well, Anoop took the advice to get back to his GROOVY side and try to rock the audience. And as some of us feared, he just was NOT up to the challenge. I think at some point, we all have to face it that Anoop was not the guy that we thought he was going to be when he was hyped up in the earlier audition and hollywood rounds. He sang the song okay, but come on. USHER? Don't you have to be Usher to sing Usher? The dude is a crazy dancer and Anoop does NOT have the moves to match. He didn't even try! Sure, he sang it okay, but that just wasn't enough. I was not feeling the energy. He was going through the motions it seemed. As our buddy Simon Cowell pointed out, there was "no originality" to the performance. In other words? Bland Karaoke, singing the notes and just hoping to get through it. Anoop retorted the judges' comments by saying he wants to be an R&B singer and he picked a popular R&B song. Good for you Anoop! Let's see how that works out for you!
2. Megan Joy - "Turn Your Lights Down Low" by Bob Marley channeling Lauryn Hill - Really? I mean....REALLY?????? Who besides votefortheworst.com is voting for this girl? I have already expressed my feelings towards Megan pretty clearly in previous posts. There's not much else I can add to it. Her vocal style is unappealing to me. I don't even think she could carry a tune if she tried to sing normally! Sure Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi will keep pushing Adele and Amy Winehouse and Duffy. Come on! She cannot match up to these people (not that I'm a huge Amy Winehouse fan). She was not voted into this competition. This is purely the judges' fault that she was there. So now they can live with it until American decides to let the competition get more serious. And I agree with Simon. The girl was getting a bit obnoxious (if that's what he means when he says indulgent!). Ugh, it seems like the fans out there were just mockingly supporting her by booing the judges. And she took it to heart as if they really do like her. If I have my way, I'll be picking her again to leave us this week. But based on you crazy voters out there, I just may have to OVERTHINK this again!
3. Danny Gokey - "What Hurts the Most" by Rascal Flatts - What can I say that the judges didn't say? Was this Danny's best performance? I don't know if I would go there. Actually, I am still waiting for a knockout performance from Danny. But the thing about him is, he has so much energy and emotion that he brings to the stage. It just doesn't seem to matter WHAT he his singing. He opted for a modern country hit this week and he did it really well. Maybe one or 2 rough notes here and there, but his emotional performance and range made up for it. He is in another league than a lot of these other wannabes and consistently ranking above the lot. Keep it up Danny!
4. Allison Iraheta - "Don't Speak" by No Doubt - That was one crazy outfit wasn't it?! I think she got some hair tips from Carrie Underwood a couple weeks ago with that monstrosity clipped onto it. I was impressed with Allison in the BEGINNING of the performance, regardless of her appearance. I was impressed to hear her playing the guitar by herself and singing pretty nicely to the classic No Doubt tune (new album coming out this year by the way!). Then, the band kicked in and she began to scream a bit. I still cannot help but be amazed at what she is accomplishing at such a young age. Her voice is beyond her years and, like Danny, she brings an emotional presence to her performances. Now I won't get all poetic like Paula Abdul did with odes to intonation and vocal prowess (or however you spell that word that she looked up in a thesaurus years ago and just keeps using it!), but darn Allison is good! I think she will be excused for her wardrobe malfunction and live to see towards the end of this competition.
5. Scott MacIntyre - "Just the Way You Are" by Billy Joel - Just when I want to count Scott out, he knows how to reel me back in. I have admitted many times before about my obsession with Billy Joel. I guess when you grow up playing the piano, it just comes with the territory. Scott could probably tell you the same thing as he auditioned with "And So it Goes" and now moves way back to The Stranger album and stripped down his performance to just piano. Okay, I think Scott did perform it very well. He is a great piano player and has a decent voice (even if he sounds a bit British sometimes! Which is ironic because most Brits sound American when they sing!). Ugh...but I really can't stand that song! Billy Joel even admitted it himself that he is so sick of the song he cannot perform it LIVE anymore without wondering what he is going to eat after the concert. No emotional investment! There had to be so many other Billy songs he could have chosen from. But, not everyone is as obsessed with Billy that I am and probably were able to tolerate Scott's performance just nicely. I think he did a fine job. And I don't want to be stereotypical by recommending that he should have worn sunglasses this week. It's not because he is blind, it's because Billy Joel never leaves home without them! Come on Scotty! Give props to your idol!
6. Matt Giraud - "You Found Me" by The Fray - Well, I think the judges were a bit harsh with Matt this week. Which is rough considering he was a bottom 3 guy last week. Matt tried something new by bringing a keyboard out into the audience for his rendition of a Fray tune. The song was SPOT on. You can't disagree there. It sounded great. The problem? The song was SPOT on. He sounded just like The Fray with the performance. I even worried about that before I heard what the judges had to say. Does it matter though? Maybe I have a soft spot for the song because ABC used it for LOST Season 5 promos. But I thought Matt really rocked the house. What if he doesn't want to be typecast as a R&B singer? Who cares? Why can't he show versatility? Comparing it to his Coldplay performance in the semi-finals is hardly called for. That was just a complete disaster. I hope Matt is okay this week and can show us yet another side of him next week. If the judges and producers didn't want Lil in the American Idol final 4 so bad, they could have spent less time critiquing Matt and more time bashing her awful performance tonight. But don't worry, I have all the time in the world to do that!
7. Lil Rounds - "I Surrender" by Celine Dion - Strike 1, Kelly Clarkson performed this song in season 1. Mind you, she was sick when she did it and still sounded ridiculously better than Lil Rounds did.
   
   
   
   Go home wannabe Lil!!!
   
   Strike 2 - She was ridiculously off pitch for all of her BIG notes that supposedly she nailed and brought home. Give me a break judges. Who's overly large posterior are you kissing by keeping Lady Mix A Lot in this competition?
   
   Strike 3 - Celine Dion really? What on earth is Lil trying to prove to us? If they are telling everyone else to stick to their genres why is Lil an exception by taking on a Celine ballad? They went on saying how they were nervous about her doing it but how she did her thang??? Really????????!!!!! Back when Kelly did the song, they didn't have as many songs to choose from and they were almost forced to sing Celine and Mariah tunes. Thankfully Simon agreed that this was not the greatest performance for her.
   
   Strike 4 - Return of the lisp. "TITH FIRE GETTING THRONGER BABY!"
   
   Strike 5 - Even Ryan Seacrest got in on the "Let's save Lil guys we have to" act by interviewing Lil's 2 (out of 15) daughters that made it to the show. And of course, they have to go and say their cute one word answers and then hug Randy Jackson. Ugh...give me a break. Does that make Lil safe or does America see through it? Come on America, this girl is one downward spiral heading to nowhere!
8. Adam Lambert - "Play That Funky Music" by Wild Cherry - So Adam looks to show us another side from previous weeks and do the opposite of his stripped down amazing performance last week. He kept the Elvis hairdo rocking, but ugh. I am back on the "why on Earth does he keep doing these performances?" side of Adam again this week. It's one thing to change up a song and make it current. But, once again, he totally messed with the natural flow of the "Play That Funky Music." At times, it was unrecognizable. And the he went into that screeching mode again. Okay, I am not arguing that this guy can sing and probably has the best voice this season. I just want to say that I have an extremely low tolerance for the SCREECHING! It just gets old really quick. And he seems to think that it is what the crowd WANTS to hear. Parts of the performance were very theatrical again like we were doing WILD CHERRY the musical. And what was up with the Squat Dance he had going on? I mean, I agree with Simon, the guy can do no wrong after last week. But will America really tolerate performances like this every other week? Is this really what is going to sell? I just don't know folks. I'm sure I'll get some backlash on this one. But come on, STOP THE SCREECHING man! You killed it, it's old news. Bring us more quality vocals with a soothing sound!
9. Kris Allen - "Ain't No Sunshine" by Bill Withers - Man, Kris keeps on quietly impressing me each week. I thought he would be one of the first people out of the competition but he keeps changing things up just enough to make them interesting. Who knew the guy could play the piano too? Good stuff. Kris explained to us how he likes to take an old song and make it current. Well, the arrangement for "Ain't No Sunshine" was really nice with the keyboard and strings. Kris's voice was on tonight and he was emotionally charged. Did he have the "MOMENT" he was striving for? I'd say so. Was it as great as Adam's moment last week? Impossible. But he still did a great job and is chugging along quite nicely in the competition. Should make for a fun elimination show Wednesday night!

Okay kids, I've rambled on forever again! Let's cut the rest of this short and figure out what we are working with:

Definitely Safe: Adam, Danny, Kris
Will be Excused for the Outfit: Allison
What on earth was she thinking? Lil
Redemption Week: Scott
Better than Judges gave him credit for: Matt
It's getting near the end: Anoop, Megan

Bottom 3 Picks: Megan Joy, Anoop Desai, Lil Rounds Bonus Pick: Matt Giraud
Elimination Pick: Megan Joy

I know I know. I said I wouldn't do it, because that means she will live to see another day. But I just think Anoop has a strong enough fanbase to stick around (even though he went first). I think Matt will get some voting support this week from his bottom 3 appearance last week. It would be fantastic if Lil went home, but I don't see that happening. Process of elimination folks. It MUST be the Corkster this week. But based on my track record, don't take my word for it!

So, that's it kids. Yet another American Idol performance night in the books and one more ridiculously long Results show on deck. A Pre-taped David Cook will come our way along with Lady GaGa. And of course we will find out who was eliminated from American Idol this week. Discuss below your thoughts on iTunes night. And stop in after the results to see my thoughts on the elimination. Hope you enjoyed my ramblings as always and see you after the results!

This blog can also be read and discussed on Gather.com Come check it out and throw some votes my way if you have spare time!

"Ain't Too Proud to Beg" for the Judges' Save, who lost on American Idol tonight?

It shouldn't come as a big surprise who was eliminated from American Idol this week. The bigger surprise was who joined him in that bottom 3! I had our booted contestant pegged for last week and thought he might have done just enough to escape his inevitable fate this week. Ladies and gentlemen, your ousted American Idol top 10 contestant:

Eliminated: Michael Sarver
Bottom 3: Michael Sarver, Matt Giraud, Scott MacIntyre

My Bottom 3 Picks: Michael Sarver, Megan Joy, Scott MacIntyre
Dialidol.com Bottom 3 Picks: Michael Sarver, Megan Joy, Scott MacIntyre


The persistence of the Megan Joy voting public is just beyond me at this point. I guess I need to stop picking her to be eliminated and then it just might happen! But Matt Giraud being in the American Idol bottom 3 during Top 10 week? Unacceptable! Granted, it probably had to do with him going first. I thought he had done enough to be remembered! Oh well, he is safe and he will get the voting boost next week from concerned supporters. All will be right with the world. And even though Megan and Scott live to see another week, it was Michael's time to exit the competition as well. So farewell Michael Sarver, you were a great guy with a decent voice and no shot at super stardom! Enjoy the Summer Tour!

Once again, we did not hear the theme for next week, so no predictions from yours truly on how next week will pan out. As long as the shows are on Tuesday and Wednesday, I'll be happy!

Let's get to our Highlights and Lowlights for the night on American Idol's results night.

Highlight

• Stevie Wonder - Yep that was about it. His medley of his hits was fantastic. Watching the Idols and Judges dance and sing like idiots? Priceless! Only one thing I could have done without. His profession of love for the President. Come on, aren't we over this by now!? Let's see him fix the economy people! And not interrupt my Tuesday primetime TV anymore!

Lowlights

• Ruben Studdard's performance. Was it pre-recorded and then interspliced with live footage of the contestants? And did we watch Ryan walk off camera from the taped segment into the live segment near the contestants? If that wasn't what was happening, it was really sloppy camera and audio work! That's a TiVo rewind moment if I've ever seen one!
• Speaking of TiVo, thank God I have more than one in the house. Thursday is a busy night of recording and I am booked at 9:00! I had to set Idol to go over 5 minutes on by 2nd TiVo because the judges couldn't figure out if they wanted to save Michael Sarver or not. SERIOUSLY???? You only get one save! You are going to tell me you were going to use it on Sarver? Yikes.
• Ford Music Video - Just gets a nod for even existing every week.
• Smokey Robinson and Joss Stone - eh, I guess it was okay, but I know I eventually had to fast forward from the middle to the end of it!
• Private Jet Ride narrated by Lil Rounds. Pretty much anything she has to say on the show makes my Lowlight reel!
• Last but definitely not least.....the Group Medley of Motown Tunes reached an all-time low with them being pre-recorded twice over! That's right...it was not live, and they lipsynched to make the cheesiest music video in the history of American Idol! I don't even think I can explain the cheese factor that was involved in the filming and choreographing of this disaster. But let's just say Velveeta WAS involved!

Whew, so I guess that promise of half hour results shows is just totally gone yet again this season. Oh well, I do love me some unintentional comedy! And we got oodles of it tonight! Not much else I can say tonight folks, so hope you enjoyed my bashing of the results show. Farewell again to Michael Sarver...and I'll see you next week for the American Idol Top 9!

This blog can also be read and discussed on Gather.com Come check it out and throw some votes my way if you have spare time!

Top 10 get things "Smokey" on Motown Week of American Idol! Who will be sent home?

Hello American Idol Fanatics! Welcome to the annual tradition known as American Idol's Motown Week. Sometimes it sizzles, sometimes it falls flat. For the most part, the American Idol Season 8 crew were pretty darn good. What songs were sung on American Idol tonight? Well, you're going to have to keep reading to find out! Whether you were choked up at Lil realizing the importance of the sacred grounds she was standing on (eye roll folks..one big eye roll!), flabbergasted at Paula Abdul's version of the Bjork Swan Grammy Gear or her ambiguous "under the table"/"under the skirt" antics, there was something for everyone on the show! Personally, I am just waiting for Ryan Seacrest to fall down those stairs!

So Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson showed the folks (sans Michael Sarver) around Detroit Rock City (or just Hitsville!), and Smokey joined our top 10 finalists in Hollywood for some hardcore mentoring. Danny Danny Danny, be careful what you say on the cameras!

Time to go to work America. Here are the performances, critiques and my bottom 3/elimination picks for the American Idol Top 10 - Motown Week!

1. Matt Giraud - "Let's Get it On" by Marvin Gaye - Really nothing to say except WOW! Matt is improving each week. I was glad he was able to phase off of the Piano for some face time with the crowd this week. Although, the dancing? He may have been better off without that! But that voice? Those piano skills! I would agree with Simon Cowell that the man is not a dark horse, but a strong contender for the crown. In fact, by the end of this post I will state 4 contestants who have a legitimate shot at the title at this point. Everyone else should go home! Oh and Matty? There is nothing wrong with baggy pants! Maybe you should look into some!
2. Kris Allen - "How Sweet It Is" by Marvin Gaye - Smokey Robinson was floored by Kris's skills with the guitar and singing when they did their acoustic practice. I guess he didn't think about the fact that Kris's Guitar playing would be drowned out by the rest of the band on performance night! Because come on! That guitar is there for show and to make Kris feel comfortable on stage. Was the thing even plugged in? Yikes. That being said, Kris did sing the song very well. He is not one of my favorite contestants this year and I don't think he has a legitimate shot at winning, but compared to some others that need to start packing their bags, he is doing okay. The high note at the end of the performance was quite nice. And anyone that can get Paula Abdul to bring out the "INFECTIOUS PERSONALITY" comment we know and love so much, well then it's worth keeping him around another week!
3. Scott MacIntyre - "You Can't Hurry Love" by Diana Ross and the Supremes - Anyone going to get offended if I call Scott "The Pink Pants'er"? I mean come on, at least he made fun of himself! But those pants, yikes! The boys had some pants issues this week. So we found out Scott is single and waiting. You heard him ladies! Anyway, I hate to say this stuff about Scott, but eh...it really was cheesy! Simon stole my line (I can prove it! It was in my notes I promise!). And I really can't tell the difference between this song and the songs the last couple of weeks. It seems like Scott only has one bag of tricks. He's really good at it, but any way you slice it...it isn't going to win him American Idol. The problem this week is, I think the act is starting to wear on America. Hey, if I am running out of things to say about him, we know we're getting close!
4. Megan Joy - "For Once in My Life" by Stevie Wonder - Well, Megan kept her name the same for 2 weeks straight. She also kept that disease on her arm fully displayed! I was half expecting someone to come out and bring her a piña colada during that performance. This contestant and her popularity with the voters just befuddles me. Her voice is ridiculous sounding, the tattoo kills any type of attractiveness that she might have had and the nervous tick dancing that she does? It is the trifecta that causes train wrecks people! And if that didn't do it, the off-pitch high note must have drew people away from their quick draw dialing hands! The Corkster needs to go home!
5. Anoop Desai - "Ooh Baby Baby" by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles - First thing I thought when Anoop decided to do the song? Great tune, but 2 slow songs in a row for Anoop? Not the best of ideas. He still sang it great though. I, like Simon, was getting kinda bored out there. And maybe it WAS because it seemed like Anoop wasn't into it himself. Anoop needs to get back into his fast paced, crowd pumping antics. But now that he's shown everyone he can sing, he needs to bring that skill into the fold. We'll see if he can do it! But, Anoop is not one of my 4 potential winners!
6. Michael Sarver - "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" by Temptations - So Sarver was still fighting the bug going around the American Idol mansion this past week. He didn't make the trip to Detroit to see "Lil's Awakening." Smokey gave Michael some solid advice on how to sing the Temptations' classic tune. Personally, I thought Michael did a decent job with it. He sold it to me on the begging. He does have some cheese built into all of his performance mannerisms. But I can't help but love that song! Simon nailed it though. Michael is not going to win this competition. Simon went further saying how he needed to diversify a bit. But come on, I think we have seen all that Michael can bring to the table. Is this the end of the road for him? Well, I'm just not sure yet!
7. Lil Rounds - "Heat Wave" made famous by Martha and the Vandellas - Ahhh Lil. Here we go again. You would have thought that this would be Lil's week to shine, wouldn't you? I think she was still a little shaken up from her trip to Detroit, realizing that SHE should have been around in the 60's to create these timeless classics. Anyway, she tried to recreate the scene again on the American Idol stage and it turned into a screaming match. Who could sing louder? Her or the backup singers? I even caught a bit of a Lakithsha-esque slip of the lisp from Lil. She had a heat wave "burnin inthide!!!" I know I know, I promised to get away from my speech impediment knocks. But come on, how hard is it to put your teeth together and HISS out your S's????!!!! (Allison, I'm talking to you too!) I really thought the judges were going to praise the performance anyway, even though I heard a bunch of "off-pitch" notes when she went to the high ones. Surprisingly only Paula Abdul was brainwashed by the Lil. Everyone else thought Lil picked the wrong song. And when Simon mentioned "Heard it Through the Grapevine" would have been a better song to try out, I could kinda see what he meant. There isn't much vocally you can do with that song. But come on, Lil isn't going home yet. We all know that! So it's best just to move on!
8. Adam Lambert - "Tracks of my Tears" by Smokey Robinson - Well, I have been hard on Adam the past couple weeks. I think it's because I knew that he had better performances in him. But I don't think I expected anything like he did with his reinvention of "Tracks of my Tears." What a wonderful song and amazingly sung by Adam. No crazy screeching. Still using his falsetto voice though to nail some crazy notes beautifully. I liked the toned down, acoustic Adam. We even saw the return of the Box Drum! And, I think the Elvis comparisons have gone a little bit to Adam's head. How about the hairdo??? The dude looked like the second coming! If it wasn't for that high pitch singing voice though! With a performance like that, definitely a contender to win this year. Except Kara? "One of the Best Performances of the Night" = 8 words, not 6!
9. Danny Gokey - "Get Ready" by Smokey Robinson - Well, call this ingenious editing on the Idol producers' part. It was fortunate that the show was running out of time, because the judges didn't get a chance to criticize Danny for ignoring Smokey's advice. But hey, it got a good laugh out of me. Danny kept saying in the pre-performance clip how he was going to listen to Smokey and sing the background vocal part of the song, and once we cut to the live performance? He's got those crazy background singers there! Maybe Danny got overruled by the band? Maybe he made the call himself? Either way, he is the one that ended up looking bad! I am sure Ryan will have a "very special interview" with Danny during the results show. Outside of that, tough following Adam's performance but he still did a good job. Danny is an entertainer and he did just that. Maybe the twirling of the arms choreographed with the background singers was a bit much, but it was fun! He still is a contender to win the whole thing, and that makes 3!
10. Allison Iraheta - "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" by the Temptations - Seriously? This girl is 16? I still am befuddled. Normally, I cannot support them. But this girl knows her music. And if she doesn't, she is playing it off really well! I mean....WOA! I haven't been a fan of Kara's critiques since we've gone live, but she was onto something when she suggested that Allison is channeling this energy from the beyond! Her voice is fantastic, her stage presence is amazing, her emotionally charged performances are inspiring especially for her age. There's not much else I can say except, yep...she's having problems with her S's too! I think it is my biggest pet peeve on this show. I just can't get past anyone that does it. Again, though, I'm going to say it's her braces! Allison is another one to watch out for. Yeah, she was bottom 3 last week, but I think she is going to skyrocket after this performance.

Okay, so we've done our performance review, time to figure out who is going home.

Definitely Safe: Danny, Adam, Allison, Matt
Most Likely Safe: Kris, Lil, Anoop
In Dangerous Territory: Michael, Megan, Scott

Bottom 3 Picks: Michael Sarver, Megan Joy, Scott MacIntyre Bonus Bottom 3 Pick: Lil Rounds
Elimination Pick: Megan Joy - Yep, it's just because I can't stand you Megan!

Really, I think it's a toss-up between those 3. After a pseudo favorite like Alexis is sent packing the week before, things tend to level out in the voting process. So I think we will lose one of the dead weighters this week. Because I picked Megan, I'm sure it will be one of the other 2. But, when there is someone I feel has no business being there, I get stuck in a rut and want to pick them every week! So there you have it America!

Okay, Results Show will bring back Smokey Robinson for a duet with Josh Stone (interesting...), American Idol season 2 winner Ruben Studdard will rejoin us for a performance, and Stevie Wonder will be there for a Medley of Motown! Doesn't sound like there is much room for a Group performance by our top 10! Oh, I'm sure they will make time. My guess? "Ain't No Mountain High Enough." Come on, we already saw them practicing it!

Okay kids, that's all I have. Hope you enjoyed my ramblings as always and I'll see you after the results!

This blog can also be read and discussed on Gather.com Come check it out and throw some votes my way if you have spare time!

American Idol - Kelly Clarkson Clone she is Not!

So who got voted off American Idol during top 11 week is what you might call a shocker. Well, that is unless you didn't look at http://www.dialidol.com/ right after you made your blog picks! I tell you, sometimes that site is dead on with their statistical measuring and sometimes it is waaaaay off! Anyway, the producers are either breathing a sigh of relief or may have had something to do about this depending how you want to look at it. Because one of the leaked "pre-destined final 4" has left the building!

Eliminated from American Idol top 11: Alexis Grace
Bottom 3: Alexis, Allison Iraheta, Michael Sarver
My Bottom 3: Michael Sarver, Lil Rounds, Megan "I keep changing my last name" Joy
Dial Idol Bottom 3: Alexis Grace, Allison Iraheta, Megan Corkrey (yep did that intentionally!)

Well, if this is any indication for how this American Idol season is going to go, we're in for quite a ride. Because America is all over the place with who they like! But for now, I am happy to see Alexis go. I was irritated when she was compared to Kelly Clarkson so early in the competition. I'm guessing Alexis will not be topping the charts with her 2nd Number 1 album like Kelly did last week any time soon! Anyway, Alexis was still a decent singer. She just was not able to take advantage of the opportunities she was given. Farewell, Alexis! We wish you luck.

I think I have had enough conspiracy theories about the American Idol "Producer Fix" for the week, so I will let it go. The bottom line is, the gossip from earlier this week is no longer relevant. This show seems to draw so much controversy, but in the end can steer it right away!

So our top 10 is pretty solid moving into next week. You're going to have to wait one extra day to get your American Idol fix though as our fearless leader is once again taking over Tuesday. I am sorry. But this is getting out of control. Yes, I am a little biased because it makes my Wednesday nights absolutely dreadful with LOST and IDOL recapping madness! But come on! If people are depressed about the economy, the last thing they want is for the President to take away their Escapist Prime Time television! But, I will say no more on the topic! Just be ready for a less wordy recap next week as always! (That could be a relief for all of us actually!)

But there was tons more to do during the results show episode than just ponder who got voted off of American Idol! We actually had some quality performances tonight (and of course, one laughable one as always). Here are the Highlights and Low-Lights of the night!

Highlights

• Brad Paisley and his new single "Then" - WOW, that was a good time! If you ever need some music to woo the ladies, then Brad is your man! And he just dropped another quality single on us. Puts on a great live show, as I have mentioned previously...so check him out when you get a chance!
• Carrie Underwood and Randy Travis performing "I Told You So" - It's Carrie's new single and a cover of Randy's original tune. There is no doubt about it. Carrie is the finest singer American Idol has ever delivered. That performance was amazing. She remains American Idol's poster girl. But next time Carrie, let's try a different hairstyle!
• The Grand Ole Opry Mic Stands used for our Opry stars and always used on the Opry stage. That was a nice touch!
• Michael Sarver discussing missing his child. awwwwwwwww Poor Mikey!
• Simon wearing an Under-shirt on Live TV.
• Ryan trying to hit Simon and his undershirt with a water balloon and hitting a fan!

Lowlights

• Is it really a surprise? The dreadful Idol Group song "Trouble" - First, it look like it was pre-recorded a la Kanye West last week. It was nice that they got Scott out of having to learn a dance. But come on, at least put a Mic on his piano! All you TiVo kids out there, rewind and listen to the piano and watch Scott's hands for the whole performance. Yep, it so wasn't him. Bonus points if you catch Allison actually singing!
• Lil Rounds' obnoxious reaction when she found out she was safe. She was still fake-passing out when Ryan had moved on to Scott. Give me a break Lil!
• Finding out that Adam Lambert's version of "Ring of Fire" was actually Jeff Buckley's version and Randy acting like he knew that last night. I still haven't listened to Jeff's version, but I'm going to guess the melody didn't vary from the original as much as Adam's did!
• The endless promotion of the Ford Music Video. Just roll the clip like you used to!

Well, that's all I got kids. So I'm 1 for 3 with my Top 13 picks this season. But no fear, I'm still in the hunt for the winner! Hope you enjoyed my ramblings and I'll see you next Wednesday for the American Idol Top 10!

This blog can also be read and discussed on Gather.com Come check it out and throw some votes my way if you have spare time!

American Idol - Top 11 burn down the Grand Ole Opry!

Hello there American Idol enthusiasts across the land! Were you as excited for Country Week (Artists inducted into the Grand Ole Opry) as I was? It has been a slow conversion, but my country music fandom has reached an all time high. Of course, all it takes is a night's worth of performances from our amateur Idol contestants to bring my excitement down a notch! As, predicted by yours truly last Tuesday night, the 2nd week of the finals was a notch below the opening week. On top of that, Country Week usually hurts more than helps most of the contestants. But there were a handful that still impressed. Only one will go home. Who will it be? I'll try to break it down for "y'all" as best as I can!

Before we get to the breakdown, I am sure many of you caught the gossip that has flooded the main entertainment sites today. It is what I have been complaining about all season. Has American Idol gone ahead and FIXED the competition to their liking? Do we already have a defined final 4? I have no doubt in my mind that the producers like to tip the scales in their favor, especially with MOLDING this top 13. But, I cannot be blind to the fact that America's opinion has to matter at some point. And when you have a night like tonight when the CHOSEN ONES fail, for the most part, you have to think that someone else may rise from the ashes and turn this competition around! At least, that's what is going to keep me watching folks!

Anyway, tonight featured artists that have been inducted into the Grand Ole Opry (including American Idol's own Carrie Underwood). The Grand Ole Opry is one of the longest running radio shows in the country. Just add Carrie to your TiVo wish lists folks, you will get yourself some Grand Ole Opry shows recorded! I will not lie, they're a good time! Got a little choked up myself, when Randy Travis came out and surprised Carrie with her nomination to be inducted!

Okay okay, I'll stop boring you! Randy Travis was the mentor for the contestants this week. Did he help them at all? Let's break it down!

1. Michael Sarver - "Ain't Going Down 'Til the Sun Comes Up" by Garth Brooks - Well okay Mikey, you memorized a lot of words! Come on! Let's be honest. Any hardcore country fan worth their salt already has this song memorized. Michael Sarver grew up in Texas! He knows this song already! I think he sang it just fine, but agreed a bit with the judges on their not being much of a melody to show off in this tune. Although, at the same time, with the right amount of charisma it can do wonders for you. Remember Josh Gracin's performance in season 2 when they realized he was a Closet Country Music performer? When I think of Michael's performance in comparison, I'm not sure if I'm seeing it. But I still like the guy. It will be tough with him going first this week. But man were there some other stinkers I'd rather go home!
   
   I think Sarver needed to bring on the cowboy hat this week!
2. Allison Iraheta - "Blame it on Your Heart" by Patty Loveless - What can you say about Allison? She is still really impressing everyone with those powerful vocals while she is still so young. She has some mad pipes. I rarely have good things to say about the 16/17 year old American Idol contestants. But I cannot think of anything bad to say about Allison! I have also come down hard on contestants that cannot pronounce their S's correctly like Lakithsha and Chrith Sthligh in season 6. But for Allison? I'm going to blame the braces because I kinda like her! Not the best performance of the night, but she should in no way feel threatened to be booted either.
3. Kris Allen - "To Make You Feel My Love" written by Bob Dylan and performed by Billy Joel first, THEN Garth Brooks - Ahh my biggest pet peeve with this song. Billy Joel, (I am his biggest fan. Seriously, I dare you to challenge me on it!) needed some tunes to record for his 3rd Greatest Hits volume but was retired from writing new pop tunes. He went into the Bob Dylan library and found a song that Bob had written but never recorded. He thought it was amazing, and then he DID record it. Garth, who already covered a version of Billy Joel's "Shameless," came along and did an interview segment saying HE was the first to record the Bob Dylan tune and threw it on that Gosh Darn awful excuse of a movie HOPE FLOATS's soundtrack! (okay okay, I didn't see the movie!) Anyway, now country fans across the world think it's a Garth tune (just like they think "Shameless" is too). And I just wanted to set the record straight! By the way, Bob Dylan later recorded the stupid song and won a Grammy for Album of the Year! Go figure...
   
   Okay, regardless of who sang the song first, it's still an amazing song. And Kris did a wonderful job with it. I'm not even Kris's biggest fan, but I liked the fact that he stepped away from the guitar and tried to mix things up a little bit. (It's crazy when I start agreeing with Paula sometimes) Do I think he has the chops to win the thing? Naaaa But he's gotta be safe this week. Although I did roll my eyes when he added a "self-echo" effect to one of his notes. "you...oooo...oooo...oooo" Kris, if you want to keep getting compliments from me...never do that again!
4. Lil Rounds aka Madam Mix A Lot - "Independence Day" by Martina McBride" - This was one of 2 major disgraces of the night. I think we all knew that Grand Ole Opry / Country Week would be Lil's downfall on her American Idol run. Lil claims to be from Memphis, Tennessee and to never have heard a country song in her life except what is in the movies. Really? TENNESSEE???? Okay, whatever. Let's say that is true. Then why try to do Country Music justice by trying to sing it straight? You know you're only going to fail and just flat out ruin a great song! It's exactly what she did. She just uncomfortably sang the melody and then busted out some LIL for the chorus, over singing and changing the melody and all. Ugh... 2nd strike against her, Carrie Underwood sang "Independence Day" 0n American Idol and even released it as a single. I was just getting into Country Music back in season 4 so this is one of the first songs and versions of the song that I really got into.
   
   
   
   Sure Carrie had her pitchy issues during her performance, but she's a country girl and she pulled it off. Lil, just completely performed the wrong song. No fear, if she gets kicked off, she'll get saved. She is one of the CHOSEN 4 afterall! One note in Lil's favor. I think Scott MacIntyre may have slipped and discussed picking songs out of a hat. Sometimes they keep talking about song choice. And sometimes we get the impression that they really do not have many songs to choose from. So could Lil really have taken a song out of the selection and R&B'd it up? Good question. Either way, this was NOT the way for her to go.
5. Adam Lambert - "Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash - Well when I referenced the Grand Ole Opry being burned down, it was probably lit by Adam's "Ring of Fire." In the words of Simon "WHAT THE BLEEP WAS THAT???" Middle Eastern sound? Really? Okay okay, I get it. You want to mix it up and make it your own. But you do not want to insult the great Johnny Cash in the process. And I think Johnny must have been rolling over in his grave at the sound of the screeching, screaming, sitar'd rendition of "Ring of Fire." The judges were kinda on board with Adam (probably because they are paid to convince America of getting him to the final 4!). But Simon spoke up and said what he really felt. VERDICT? I think most of us agreed with Simon! I really want to like Adam. I know he has that amazing vocal range. But, if he continues down this strange path, he will make it very difficult for me.
6. Scott MacIntyre - "Wild Angels" by Martina McBride - Most memorable part of this performance will be Simon and Paula arguing over what is an appropriate critique for a partially blind contestant. Bottom line, we all still like Scott. But my problem with this performance was the same as Simon's. If you try to compare it to last week's performance, you would not be able to distinguish them apart. It's not necessarily being behind the piano. It's Scott's style that he brought to both performances. They both sounded good. But no real wow factors. I still cannot see Scott leaving us this week. But we shall see!
7. Alexis Grace - "Jolene" by Dolly Parton - Ahh another one of the American Idol producer coveted 4 contestants! Did she live up to her billing? In a word.... NOPE! I am continually waiting for Alexis to impress me. I am told she is the next coming of Kelly Clarkson and I am still not seeing it. Yeah, she has a killer voice. But, there is something about her performances that is throwing me off. It does not help that she butchered the arrangement of an infamous Dolly song. No fear, if she makes it to next week she will bring back the DIRTY! Awesome, because THAT was the issue. I loved how Kara referenced 2 Carrie Underwood songs "Last Name" and "Before He Cheats" and told Alexis that she should have been more edgy with her song choice. You heard it here folks, CARRIE UNDERWOOD = EDGY! Can't make up my mind on Alexis, but if I had my way for the results show, 3 of the 4 supposed final 4 would find their way to the bottom 3 this week.
8. Danny Gokey - "Jesus Take the Wheel" by Carrie Underwood - Not Danny though kids! I'm still a fan of the over-hyped wonder. Oh yes, I cringed when I heard his song choice was Carrie's 1st big single off of the Some Hearts album. And I agree that he needs to work on his verses a bit to build into his big finishes. But come on! This guy has mad skills when it comes to giving chills! His chorus was amazing tonight and no amount of hyping would have changed the outcome of that. There is a reason that the producers like this guy. And I refuse to accept this as a reason that I should NOT support him. He is too good to think that way! But I must throw out one prayer..."Jesus, take the Jacket" away from Danny. That thing was horrendous!
9. Anoop Desai - "You Were Always on My Mind" by Willie Nelson - Just when we thought he was out.....he pulled us back in! Finally, Anoop lived up to his previous billing with taking on the well known Willie Nelson tune. I was ready to call it quits on him, but thankfully it looks like he has done enough to keep him going into the Top 10. Can he bring us an up tempo song next week without losing his vocal ability? That will be key to his survival!
10. Megan Joy Corkrey - "I Go Walking After Midnight" by Patsy Cline - Bottom line. The judges love her, I still do not see it. Where do I start? The cheesy attempts to sound Old Fashioned and Hip at the same time? The awful dancing? The nasty tattoo draped down her right arm that she flaunts around even more so than Carly Smithson!? I just do not get it. I may get some disagreement on this one, and that is fine. Some people may like the artificial vocal style she adds to every song. Me? I see right through it and would like to see her go please! But if Lil, goes instead? That works for me too!
11. Matt Giraud - "So Small" by Carrie Underwood - Really, who would have thought at the beginning of Grand Ole Opry night that 2 guys singing Carrie Underwood songs would steal the show? Well, American Idol is the same show that brought us David Cook singing Mariah Carey and wowing us! So, I guess anything is possible. Matt's version of "So Small" was fantastic. Starting with piano, adding in some backing vocals, and crescendo'ing into the full band for the 2nd take on the chorus. And his vocals shined throughout. Danny and Matt are still my favorites. Pre-Destined Final 4 or not. These are the guys I say you should be watching!

So what do you do on a night like tonight when the world gets turned upside down on you? Do you make a bottom 3 prediction with 3 of the early favorites? Ahhh American Idol....season 8 and this show still drives me crazy! Let's do some math shall we?

Best Performances of the night therefore Safe? Danny, Matt
Great Performances - Allison, Kris
Comeback Kid? Anoop
I think was awful but Judges Liked? Megan
Okay Performance but not great? Alexis
Worst Performances of the Night? Adam, Lil
Forgot about them when I was doing this math? Scott, Michael

Bottom 3 Picks: Lil Rounds, Michael Sarver, Megan Corkrey Bonus Bottom 3 Pick: Scott MacIntyre
Elimination Pick: Michael Sarver

This was a tough decision for me! Lil or Adam should go home after this week, but Adam already has a pretty big fanbase and I'm going to guess Lil does too. Sure, Mandisa went home in country week in season 5 but her "Shania Karaoke" (thanks Carrie) may have been even worse than Lil's! Plus, if Lil or Adam get voted off, there is no way that the judges would let them go home. They WOULD, no doubt, use their Judges' save. In fact, I have no doubt that they put this rule in place BECAUSE of country week.

Oh well, anyone that has been reading my blogs over the years know that I rarely get these things right. The only thing I am concerned about is picking the winner of the whole darn American Idol season! And with that, I am a stunning 6 for 7! (Ugh, I'm still befuddled by Ruben!) I'm interested to hear all of your thoughts in the comments below!

Speaking of my country music fandom, I actually have just returned home from a Brad Paisley concert in Nashville, Tennessee this past weekend. And, I even caught Carrie Underwood's performance this past December down there. 2 great shows in a great country music town! What are the odds? This Wednesday night, both Carrie AND Brad will be on the American Idol results show. SCORE! A results show worth watching! Until then, this wraps up Grand Ole Opry performance night. Hope you enjoyed my ramblings and I will see you after the results for more discussion!

This blog can also be read and discussed on Gather.com. Come check it out and throw some votes my way if you have spare time!

American Idol: Well, America got it half right!

Okay, I won't say I'm surprised by what happened. I just didn't pick part of it! 2 female performances were the worst of the night, and only one got what was coming to her. Ladies and gentlemen, our top 13 is now 11. Here is who we didn't vote for!

Eliminated: Jasmine Murray, Jorge Nuñez
Bottom 3: Not Applicable this week - Possibly Megan Corkrey and Anoop Desai were other low votes
My Bottom 3 (picks in blue): Jasmine, Megan, Anoop
Dial Idol Bottom 3: Jasmine, Allison, Jorge

So, with enough rambling after my picks Tuesday night, I did cover the scenario where people wouldn't have voted for Jorge. I fall in this category. I thought he did much better than the judges thought, but I didn't bother voting for him! Oops! I also said that Megan's awfulness was memorable enough that she would probably stay. So, once again I went against my gut and have the results to support it!

Oh well, in the end, I still picked Jasmine right and Jorge wasn't going to be winning the show. Duh, Paula already told us who is in the running! But it's an atrocity that Corkrey is still around! We'll take care of her next week! We have more business to discuss.

The Judges Save

Okay...this is kinda ridiculous, right? Granted, it's only one time for the season that a unanimous judge vote can save an eliminated contestant. This would create a double elimination the following week to make up for no elimination that week. The reasoning? Chris Daughtry, Tamyra Grey, Jennifer Hudson... all eliminated too early. On these shocking elimination nights, they have decided to reduce the tension of the show and allow them to come back (because Chris and Jennifer haven't gone on to bigger and better things???) Here's the deal though, it's only allowable until they get to the final 5. Okay, guess what? Tamyra was in the final 4! Chris? pretty sure he was in the final 5. So what are they saying here? That people like Michael Johns will be saved in the future? WHAAAAT? So, I guess in the long run, there's really no loss here. Except tension, and stakes. There could be a good contestant that decides to mail it in one week and just anticipate getting saved! And if that darn thing gets used on Lil Rounds, I'll quit this crazy blog! Okay....soapbox over. Let's just see how it plays out!

Highlights from the show

• New elimination song this year is Carrie Underwood covering Mötley Crüe's "Home Sweet Home." Hey, anything is better than Ruben's "Celebrate Me Home" nonsense from last year!
• We're going to have an Idol (winner??) visit the results show every week. I guess this will be the excuse to drag it out to an hour and conflict with LOST every week and give me a writer's breakdown!
• But, no complaints this week as they brought back the 1st Idol winner, Kelly Clarkson complete with awkward interview with Ryan Seacrest! She hyped up her new album All I Ever Wanted saying that it crosses many genres. Man, ain't that the truth!? That crazy album is all over the place. But there's enough good tunes on it to make the purchase. So, do it! I'm sure she will get the iTunes day after Idol appearance "Sales Bump" anyway. Her performance of "My Life Would Suck Without You" was kinda off pitch in the beginning. But she pulled it through by the end.

The other low lights from the elimination show

• Kanye West and the Denim Invasion. Oh yes, he really impressed the world with THAT performance! My favorite part? The sweat towel hanging out of his back pocket. Maybe that's a tie with the leather gloves. Can't decide! I really wish he wore his black light neon outfit though. That would have been my favorite! Maybe he thought Denim on Idol = Grammy next year!
• Ford Video, they don't even try to play it off as a commercial anymore. They promote it as the FORD MUSIC VIDEO complete with Michael Sarver interview!
• Riiight the Jackson 5 medley! Man, do these things get worse every week!? Love it!
  

So that's about all I have for the results show recap. I'm sorry I was only able to deliver you one eliminated contestant accurately! But if I average 1 a week, then I should be just fine! (yep, because they normally will get rid of one. Sometimes I like to state the obvious!) Didn't catch the theme for next week, so I guess we will be surprised! Hope you enjoyed my ramblings as always and see you next week!

This blog can also be read and discussed on Gather.com. Come check it out and throw some votes my way if you have spare time!

American Idol: Top 13 take on Michael Jackson

Hello Idol Fanatics! Here we are again. The big stage. Ryan making a grand entrance as prophesied by yours truly (although, I think him flying around the studio on a wire still would've been the way to go!). Oh and remember I talked about HDTVs showing up in the most random of places? How about the STAGE FLOOR?! Ahh good times. So, all of our questions about the top 13 answered very quickly by Simon. It will be a top 11 by the end of Wednesday night! Whew, I don't know if I could take an extra week of Idol this year! Ahhh but then the mysterious TWIST (another one???) was thrown in right at the end of the episode that will include the judges in some way. Guesses? Could this be yet another way for the Idol producers to control who wins the competition? It's getting out of hand isn't it?

Oh well, that's not what we're primarily here to do. We're here to figure out who is going home. It's Michael Jackson night. I've gone on and on about how no one should try to sing Michael Jackson on Idol. It's normally been a disaster. But overall, I was impressed tonight with the performances. It seems like every season, the first week of the Top 12 finals pulls out all of the stops. It always seems like everyone can win (well not EVERYone. There's always some stinkers!) However, once next week rolls around, I think we will all be singing a different tune with which contestants are the pretenders and which are the real deal! Let's figure out which 2 will be going home!

1. Lil Rounds - "The Way You Make Me Feel" - I really need to come up with a good nickname for her. You'd think her name was a good enough nickname as it is. But the LIL just doesn't fit that posterior. I guess we'll call her Sir Mix-A-Lot's Poster Girl. Lady Mix-A-Lot? MISS MIX-A-LOT? Okay, I've probably lost half of my readers by now so let's move on! So we were given more of the sob story of how Lil got impregnated too many times to be able to provide for her family. And then she came out dressed in Memphis's finest and put on a little show for everyone! I don't recall Michael Jackson ever singing the lyric "ain't nobody biznuss" I think there was supposed to be an apostrophe and correct pronunciation in there somewhere...but nooooo LIL Rounds is the second coming of Fantasia folks! It's okay! The judges see no wrong in her! Well, save for Simon. Thankfully he basically called the outfit hideous and said it was a lazy song choice with the 2nd half being better than the 1st. I can agree with that. We all know I'm not a fan, so I'll take any judge's support I can get! That being said, she wasn't awful. It was a good way to start off the show, and she'll definitely be around for awhile. Hey, I hate her, but she CAN sing!
2. Scott MacIntyre - "Keep the Faith" - Nope, not the Bon Jovi song. Nope not even Billy Joel's version with an "ING" at the end of "Keep." No folks, it's Norway's favorite song by Michael Jackson (as Paula let us know Simon stated once on scout's honor!). Yeah, it was a rough song. Scott is all about the inspirational music. And I know I hate the sappy crap. I gave Davey the Artichoke a lot of crap about it last year. But here's the thing. Scott CAN sing these songs. I mean, the guy is legally blind is a brilliant pianist and a decent singer. Let the man do whatever he wants! I'm not so sure he'll make it to the end, but I enjoy watching him do his thing. I can't imagine, he'll get sent packing just yet. He played the piano beautifully tonight. And yeah, Simon did state very bluntly this isn't the show to really show that off. Who cares? Like I said, let the man do his thing. We'll see what else he has. But yeah, after "Mandolin Rain" and "Keep the Faith" maybe something we all know next time?
3. Danny Gokey -"P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" - Well kids, I don't care if he was over-hyped. I'm still a fan of Danny! Maybe I find it a little disturbing that he sang his homework and every other daily chore in the house. But, you know what? I can identify with that. I sang at the lunch table in grade school until my classmates would tell me to shut up (not because I was bad, because I rocked their socks. I just know it!)! So we were both weird! (well...okay, I still am!) Anyways, this is an instance where you can look at a performance from a previous contestant and show how much better Danny is than that guy. Yep, if you know your Idol History, I'm certainly talking about Sideshow Bob (Justin Guarini) and his striptease on the Season 1 stage. Danny's dancing wasn't nearly as bad as Justin's!
   
   And come on? Those vocals were "off da hoooook!!!!!" (sorry Randy, had to borrow that one.) Now, if we're going to go by Paula and you can do your math, she already has Danny and Adam duking it out in the finale. I wouldn't go that far just yet, but Danny still remains a front-runner at this point.
4. Michael Sarver - "You Are Not Alone" - Okay okay, get those images of naked pasty Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley eating apples with little towels wrapped around their privates, out of your mind! (Man, remember that farce? The King of Pop marries the King of Rock's daughter? So bizarre) Instead think of "Free Willy!" Anyway, Mikey took on this ballad from the Pop Master with the fake nose. He was good. The judges pretty much nailed it. He's not the best singer in this competition but people love him and he's good enough to get through. (I think!) Although, some of his phrasings of certain words reminded me a little of Jewel. Like "HUGH ARE NOT ALOOOOOONE" (sing it out loud like that. you'll know what I mean). But I still like the guy. And how can you not feel bad for him that he wants to take care of his 1 daughter and not work on that dangerous oil rig? (yes that's right, he didn't breed a fleet knowing that he couldn't provide for them!!) He won't win, but it's good to have him around for now. Unfortunately, he is who I thought was on deck to go home this week as of last week. So now I need to rethink things!
5. Jasmine Murray - "I'll Be There" - Right on cue Jasmine! Thanks for stepping up for me! Okay, at first listening to this performance, I thought it was kinda decent. Except for those woeful high notes. Ugh.... those were rough. But I also assumed she would be attempting the Mariah Carey version of the song. Which made me think...does she even know who Michael Jackson used to be before the freak show? Was this the only song she recognized because it was more recent? Eh, I guess even Mariah's version isn't THAT recent! Jasmine was probably a year old when it came out! What's my point? Well, it's 2 ballads in a row from her. The judges are calling her old fashioned. She doesn't have a chance to win the competition. And no one voted for her to be there. This may have been her final shot to impress. And on a poll on ew.com most people had her pegged as the first to leave us. I still have to do my math below, but she is a prime candidate for the Wednesday elimination!
6. Kris Allen - "Remember the Time" - Ugh, why are all these people picking songs from the Dangerous album? Kris was another guy I had pegged to leave us quickly. But he does have that adoring female fan base, and he reintroduced us to his guitar this week. And even though you could barely hear it, it made him more comfortable on stage. I would agree with Simon though (even though he said he was joking), they shouldn't have done a story on his wife so early. The girls may start dialing for someone else now! Performance-wise, he did a decent job with it for what it was. I never liked the song. I mean, seriously, Eddie Murphy was in the video. What was that all about? Simon couldn't wait for it to end. He could be a candidate for a bottom 3 nod this week, but I'm not so sure he'll go home yet. I may change my mind by the end of the blog!
7. Allison Iraheta - "Give In To Me" - This tune, I had never heard. Or maybe I just didn't recognize it. Allison, is clearly our resident female rocker this season. And for her age, she continues to impress. I wasn't as impressed as the judges were or even as impressed asI was with her rendition of Heart's "Alone" a couple of weeks ago. But clearly, she remains a force to be reckoned with. I also would like to see more video clips of her performing at that shopping center. That was hysterical!
8. Anoop Desai - "Beat It" - Yikes Anoop. Dude, what are you doing? Okay, so there are unknown songs by Michael Jackson and then there are songs TOO WELL KNOWN by Michael Jackson. Agree totally with the judges. Came off as amateur Karaoke. There isn't even much of a melody to "Beat It" to impress in a singing competition. Simon regrets bringing him back for the 13th spot. This is 3 questionable performances in a row from Anoop. Maybe, he's not really the contestant we thought he was. I just can't see him going home yet either though. This is going to be a tough choice!
9. Jorge Nuñez - "Never Can Say Goodbye" - Am I crazy or am I the only one that thought Jorge did a great job? Sure, it's not the best song. But after he started singing it, I didn't care. That voice is pretty darn good. After he was done performing, I was not prepared for the judges' comments. I guess maybe it was a little corny of a song. But whatever. It's Jorge. The biggest piece of ridiculousness was Paula first asking "what drew you to the song?" and then when Jorge didn't understand the question she decided to use the simpler phrase "what compelled you to make that song choice?" REALLY?!?!?!?!?! He doesn't know DREW but COMPELLED, that will work! So will voters remember Jorge tonight? Time will tell. Maybe someone will bail him out too.
10. Megan Corkrey - "Rockin Robin" - Thanks Megan! Right on cue too! Way to step up with your ultimate cheesiness! I mean come oooonnn!! ROCKIN ROBIN? Of all songs? I mean I get it. Megan is the retro gal this season. She's supposed to take these old songs and use that crazy voice she has. But it just came off as a 60's infomercial or something (did they exist back then?) And was that a flute I kept hearing? Well if it wasn't, there was definitely Megan making bird sounds as her big finale to the song. This was absolutely ridiculous. And I don't care if Paula thinks she will be back (unless she knows something we don't). She shouldn't be.
11. Adam Lambert - "Black and White" - Okay. Adam has an amazing vocal range - proven. Adam is a grand stage performer - proven. Did I miss something? What brought Paula to tears? What declared him the winner? (comparing it to Simon's declaration that Carrie would win the competition in season 4) Was it THAT good? Maybe I was too busy taking notes. Was he in a league of his own? Performance-wise? Sure. He knows how to work the stage. Me, personally? I want less screeching. It's already getting on my nerves. Don't get me wrong. I'll take him over LIL any day of the week. And yeah, Michael Jackson is/was an over the top performer. So Adam, did well to bring his performance to that level. He's no Michael Jackson in his prime up there though! I think I need to see more of Adam before I can get as enthused as our "paid by the producers of the show" judges are. I'm sure I will get there too. But people...patience!!
12. Matt Giraud - "Human Nature" - Finally, Matty gets behind the keys and shows us what he is really about. I loved this performance. And I, in no way, thought that he paled in comparison to Adam as Simon stated. Maybe I just have a soft spot for piano players, considering I am one, but daaang (family blog)...he really brought it tonight. Maybe a little TOO much Timberlake expressions to his performance. But whatever. The question is...will his piano playing every week get old? Will he try to mix it up? For now, that's not a concern. He done good!
13. Alexis Grace - "Dirty Diana" - Convenient song title considering the reason Idol had to go to great lengths to secure an available phone number for contestant #13. Since this is a family blog, I am not going to get into what the traditional number with a 13 at the end will dial! That being said, right off the bat, Alexis either has a big advantage or disadvantage for the night. First of all...the number wasn't shown until after 10:00pm Eastern time. So did DVR viewers miss it? 2nd of all, people not paying attention to Ryan may have just dialed 13 anyway. None of this even gets into the performance though. She was decent. With all of the comparisons to Kelly Clarkson the judges made though, I think I was expecting a lot more. I've always loved that song. Big fan of the BAD album as it was my first compact disc I believe! Simon didn't think it was as good as Alexis may have thought it was. Could be interesting to see what happens Wednesday night with the phone number scandal and the so so comments from the judges.
    

Yikes, so we need a bottom 3 (or will it be a bottom 4?) and then need to get rid of 2. Those new to the blog...this is how I do my process of elimination!

Who are untouchable based on tonight? Danny, Lil, Adam, Matt
Which Fan favorites should stick around? Scott, Allison, Alexis, Kris
Who essentially gave forgettable performances? Jasmine, Anoop
Who gave a memorably awful performance? Megan
Who is out there that I couldn't really categorize? Michael, Jorge

Bottom 3: Jasmine Murray, Megan Corkrey, Anoop Desai (If Bottom 4: Michael Sarver)

Elimination Picks: Jasmine Murray, Megan Corkrey - Jasmine, you've had too many chances to impress and you keep boring us to sleep! Megan, you miss your baby, maybe it's time to go home!

Ugh, this is a tough one. I really don't think 2 girls will be leaving when there are only 5 of 13 to start with. But I couldn't pick between the 2 as they both are out of their league! I think Megan does not belong in this competition, but because it was so memorably bad, she probably has the better chance of sticking around (sympathy vote). But, I really can't see Anoop leaving either. Tough call. And there's always Jorge that maybe others out there were bored with. Oh well, I made my picks, I'll stick with them!

Ahh, but do my picks even matter anymore? What is with this twist that we are going to find out about during the results show? Are the judges going to get to VETO an elimination? If they decide they don't like someone during the remaining 10 weeks, will they replace them with Tatiana? The possibilities are endless! Anyone ever watch that episode of Friends when Joey was going to host a Game Show called BAMBOOZLED?! The rules were incredibly hard to follow but absolutely hysterical. Yep, that's what is happening on Idol these days or they could be just taking tips from the Fonze. I'll reserve my judgement until we find out more!

Kelly Clarkson and Kanye Crappola will perform on the results show. Both probably worth watching, but the latter mainly for laughing! Hope you enjoyed my ramblings and please discuss below your thoughts on the show, the pending twist and picks for the elimination. See you after the results!

This blog can also be read and discussed on Gather.com. Come check it out and throw some votes my way if you have spare time!

American Idol: Top 12 with a Twist!

Well, we made it. That was one weird Wildcard night on Idol. But, essentially the right thing happened in the end. The twist? We ended up with a Top 13. Probably pretty easy to see coming. There will most likely be a double elimination at some point this season. Unless, we're a week earlier than normal with our top 12. (Auditions were a week shorter afterall) Here are our final 4 wild card additions to the Top 13:

Wild Card 4: Megan Corkery, Matt Giraud, Jasmine Murray, Anoop Desai

My best guesses from Wednesday's results show: Matt Giraud, Jasmine Murray, Anoop Desai

The final 4 Judges Picks included my 3 picks, so let's say that I was 11 for 13 this season with my Semi-Finals picks! (Kris Allen and Megan Corkery alluded me, and still do!) Overall not a bad list of singers. We finally weeded out Tatiana Del Toro. I mean seriously, the girl had some issues. I joked on one of the blogs about her possibly singing Whitney Houston again. Who would've thought she would sing the same exact song for the 3rd time?! Finally, Simon called her on it. The kneeling in front of the judges' table was a bit much. Oh well, the semi-finals drama is over, I'm not going to waste another moment discussion that crazy lady! Ladies and gentlemen meet your Top 13!

1. Alexis Grace
2. Michael Sarver
3. Danny Gokey
4. Allison Iraheta
5. Kris Allen
6. Adam Lambert
7. Lil Rounds
8. Scott MacIntyre
9. Jorge Nuñez
10. Jasmine Murray
11. Megan Corkery
12. Matt Giraud
13. Anoop Desai

I don't think any of our wild card winners were showcased brilliantly during these Wild card performances. Jasmine and Matt sounded much better than their previous efforts. But I think they can sound even better with more preparation. I found it odd that when the judges suggested a Rhianna type song, Jasmine chose a Christina Aguiler ballad. But it did showcase her vocal chops. So maybe it was a good strategy. It was good to see Matt doing what he is more comfortable with. It will be even better to see him with a piano! Megan Corkery. Still totally confused about this one. She definitely brought more of the shaking to the stage. And paled in comparison to Katharine McPhee's version of "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree"

The judges insist she is current. I think they're going to be sorely disappointed with her. But whatever, she's an extra to the top 12 as far as I'm concerned! Anoop? Well he repeated a Hollywood week performance with "My Prerogative." It was entertaining, but I really thought he had a better voice than he showcased tonight. I'm still glad he's in!

So, am I ready to declare a winner for the entire show? Not exactly. I can say who WON'T win! That would be Kris Allen, Megan Corkery and Michael Sarver. And my guess would be one of them leaves us next week. The favorites at this point have to go to the most hyped by the producers and judges: Danny Gokey, Adam Lambert and Lil Rounds. Danny, has suffered from much much overhyping. So he's going to have to overcome that. It has become very popular to root AGAINST him now. Adam, well he has an amazing vocal range, but will American tire of the shriekingness of his style or the theatrics he brings to the show? Time will tell. And Lil Rounds, well I've already explained that I can't stand her! But, she still will bring an interesting dynamic to the show and will remain competitive right until the very end.

Dark Horses: Matt Giraud, Scott MacIntyre and Jorge Nuñez. Matt gets back his piano, Scott gets back his piano and already has captured the hearts of America. Jorge? Well, he has also captured the hearts of America and was the first to think in Spanish LIVE on Idol! (ugh Tatiana, why try to ruin his catchphrase!!?!?!) We need more time to see how these 3 will fare down the stretch.

Need to see More: Anoop, Jasmine, Allison - Allison you could argue is already there. But I still throw the AGE Card out there for both her and Jasmine. It's tough to stay relevant week after week at such a young age. And it's rare that it it has ever happened. One person did it, Jordin Sparks. Anoop, I want him to be good but I need to see what he's going to next to be sure!

Who did I forget?: Alexis Grace - well there's always one that just slips my mind. I'm probably still bitter that they tried to compare her to Kelly Clarkson at this stage of the game. Well, we'll see. And on that note.....

Guess who's on the show next week? You guessed it, the original Idol Kelly Clarkson returns to promote her new album ALL I EVER WANTED which drops Tuesday, March 10th. We'll see what her management team has turned her into after the media battle with Clive Davis that destroyed her previous album.

I also thought I heard for some reason that that idiot Kanye West is going to be on the show next week. Please tell me he is not their mentor! Although, if there's one thing I love, it's unintentional comedy. And that guy is the king of it!

Well, I think I'm all out of ramblings for the week. (Surprised?) All-in-all an interesting semi-finals. I'm glad it's over. I'm excited to return to the Top 12 (13) format. The big stage, the obnoxious lighting and TV screens, Ryan's tour of the new set, Ricky Minor and the Band (who finally made an appearance tonight!). It's gonna be a good time! And I'll see you all there next week!


This blog can also be read and discussed on Gather.com. Come check it out and throw some votes my way if you have spare time!

American Idol: 9 are Set, 3 to Go!

Well kids, I hate to brag, but I am on a roll! 2 out of 3 weeks that I did not over think my picks, I got them right. Once again, I know this is not rocket science. But based on my horrendous picks last year (besides picking the ultimate winner, Mr. Cook, early on) I am patting myself on the back! Of the Top 9 we have so far, I have accurately predicted 8. Ladies and Gentlemen, your latest 3:

Group 3 Winners: Lil Rounds, Scott MacIntyre, Jorge Nuñez

My Picks: Lil Rounds, Scott MacIntyre, Jorge Nuñez

Dialidol.com Picks: Lil Rounds, Scott MacIntyre, Ju'Not Joyner

There really didn't seem like any other way to go this week. I am a little upset we won't be seeing any more of Ju'Not, but we'll get to that in a second when we dissect some of the judges' ridiculous picks for the wild card.

First let's discuss some of the other lowlights of the 1 hour results show:

• Well one highlight, we got to hear David Cook's "A Daily AntheM" (M capitalized on purpose!). The bad news? It was to clips of our semi-finalists making it from the auditions to the top 36! But I love that tune!
• And we have the trifecta of bad group medley's. The new Executive Producer is trying to make the show a little younger and hipper. And he does this by turning today's Top 40 songs into High School Musical numbers. This week's victim? Katy Perry's "Hot n' Cold." Never thought I'd see the day when Idol would feature a song with a lyric about "PMS" and have those kiddies sporting smiles like they're singing about milk and cookies!
• My favorite part of Hot n' Cold was when they were breaking up the song and the girls were singing one part and the guys were singing over with another part....I definitely caught Nathaniel Marshall singing the lyric about a "girl changing clothes" and he grabbed his shirt and tilted his head. Wow dude, were you coming out of your skin again there or is there something else you'd like to tell us???!
• They announced Lil first! Wow!!! Well, we know why they didn't wait until the final minute of the show and make us sweat between her and Nathaniel. Because they had to dedicate 20 minutes to announcing the 8 Wild card candidates! Kara promised us that Lil will be around for a long time. Hmmm, does she already know how the show ends? Maybe we should google the script for the season finale!
• When Simon was discussing the point of re-incorporating the wild card he noted that Clay and Jennifer Hudson came out of the wildcard shows. Yeah they did, but Clay still got in with a popular vote on the wildcard show, not a judge's pick! But whatever, the sooner we get the semi-finals over with the better!

Okay, the wild card. Looks like we'll be seeing 8 more performances tomorrow and then some quick picks from the judges. Should be interesting to get all that in an hour! Some of these callbacks were no brainers. Some were obviously a ratings ploy. (The producers love their subplots! I mean seriously? Norman Gentle was there as a possibility? Come on!!!) And then the shockers like not including Ju'Not? Ouch. Here is who we have to pick from. I'll mark in blue who I think should get in based on what we have to choose from:

1. Von Smith - This had to be a joke. I just hope he wears the Ronald McDonald shoes again!
2. Jasmine Murray - I'm not big on having too many youngsters on the show (Allison is 17 also), but she really did pick the wrong song. Let's see how she does Thursday night.
3. Ricky Braddy - Decent singer, needs to be less boring.
4. Megan Corkery - Get ready for some crazy shaking again!
5. Tatianna Del Toro - Definitely a ratings ploy. http://www.votefortheworst.com/ must be having a field day with this announcement. The producers love the awkward exchanges between her and Ryan so they'll keep this going as long as they can. I'm not picking her, but I would not be surprised if the judges do.
6. Matt Giraud - Never can have too many piano men in a competition! But I think he'd bring a different flavor than Scott. And his performance of "Georgia On My Mind" during Hollywood Week should have solidified his position in the top 12.
7. Jesse Langsdon - I liked her last week, but don't know if she can keep it up on a consistent basis. She barely made it to the top 36. So we'll see what she brings tomorrow.
8. Anoop Desai - Come on! It's Anooooop! He has to be in the top 12!

So in one more hour's worth of Idol, we'll have our top 12 folks. Tune in after the show to catch my thoughts on the entire line-up! And then we start the next phase of the competition next week! See you after the Thursday show!

This blog can also be read and discussed on Gather.com. Come check it out and throw some votes my way if you have spare time!

American Idol - Top 36 Group 3

Hello Idol Addicts! One final push this week and we can collectively breath a sigh that the semi-finals are over! I've made it no secret that I'm no fan of this switcheroo back to the semi-finals of old. Our producers seem to have way too much control, and it was yet again on display tonight with the final performance of the night. Tell me, don't you find it a little odd that 3 weeks straight, the final performer of the night will be in the top 12? I'm telling you, this conspiracy is bigger than JFK and WATERGATE! Alas, this is only a TV show. I must say, tonight there seemed to be a few better performances to choose from than week's past. Although, it does seem pretty clear who will be the favorites to get through tomorrow night. Things could get interesting for wildcard night. And I wish for once someone would explain how it's going to work!

But for now, we have some work to do so on with our analysis of tonight's 12. My picks to follow at the bottom!

1. Von Smith - 22 from Greenwood, MO - He can try to lose the name all he wants. But when history looks back at American Idol season 8 and if they even remember ol' Von, he'll be remembered as "The Screamer." Of course, now after tonight's performance he shall be "The Screamer with Ronald McDonald's Shoes." I mean...whaaaat? What on earth was that crazy outfit? The V-Neck with the Suit, and those ruby red Dorothy shoes! His rendition of "You're All I need to Get By" was interesting to say the least. He sang it all in tune. But he seemed too impressed with himself with those high notes. And it's just an annoying voice in my opinion. The judges went easy on him. But do they really think he has a shot? I don't think so. They may try to scare us with a Wildcard night appearance though.
2. Taylor Vaifanua -17 from Hurricane, Utah - Well, now we know why Taylor didn't get much press-time in the earlier rounds. Her performance of Alicia Keys' "If I Ain't Got You" was really "breathy" and she tried to over sing it a bit. The whole thing felt forced. It sounded like a Saturday Night Live character doing an impersonation of someone over singing. Does that make sense? Didn't think so! Well, neither did that performance! Oh, fun thing to note. When Ryan was giving out the phone number for her fans to dial? You know, it ended in 2. So she put both hands up with 2 fingers each and held them together. Um, my dear, that looked like 4!!! So if Arianna Afsar gets in, it's your fault!
3. Alex Wagner-Trugman - 19 from Studio City, CA - Well, our resident fitness champion took a break from muscle beach to bring us a rousing rendition of Sir Elton's "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues." Seriously? He started lifting to get rid of his dorky persona? I felt bad for the guy. I laughed through his entire performance for all fo the wrong reasons. But I think we all did. The theatrics were hysterical. But nothing will surpass the GROWL!!!! I literally screamed out loud when he did it. I couldn't contain myself! And folks, if I can find it on youtube, it might just have to eventually make it's way onto this blog. rooooowl!!!!!!!! And then the Mic Stand fell over (but it soooo looked like it was intentional!) The dude has no shot at all to move on, but man was that entertaining!
4. Arianna Afsar - 17 from San Diego, CA- I'm totally confused by this one. She sang Abba's "The Winner Takes it All" or did she? I couldn't make out a song in any of that performance. Maybe it was the arrangement, but she seemed "off" with the music the entire time. It was pretty boring, uninspiring and well, the judges hated it. I don't see anyone really rallying to her cause!
5. Ju'Not Joyner - 26 from Bowie, Marlyand- A little bit of hypocrisy here with Paula. She told someone earlier that they did the same song in Hollywood week but then complimented Ju'Not for doing the same thing. We heard his spin of the Plain White T's "Hey There Delilah" a few weeks back and enjoyed it then. This was a little more subdued. Apparently he wanted to show respect to the artist and not change the melody up too much. I dunno, he sounded good. His talk about the cortisone shot probably won him some points and showing clips of his kid never hurts either. If anything, he might be back Thursday night for the Wildcard show. I think there was too much talent at the tail end of this night for him to remain in the running. But I like him, for the record!
6. Kristen McNamara - 23 from Napa Valley CA - Well, we've seen quite a bit of drama from Kristen in Hollywood. We've seen some crazy hair style changes. We've seen her butcher Kelly Clarkson (although some would beg to differ including the judges). But this Karaoke host dug up something you might see in Vegas or Simon's favorite "a cruise ship!" If you're gonna do Traci Chapman's "Give Me One Reason" just do it straight up bluesy! Don't turn it into a Disco! Her voice was pretty decent, but the arrangement was a disaster. I think the judges may like her too. I'm really interested to see how Thursday pans out. If they're going to pick one from each semi-final week then it's gonna be tough to figure it out!
7. Nathaniel Marshall - 19 from Malone, NY - I really hope this is the last week we have to see this dude. Ever since we saw his Hollywood soliloquy of how the music "COMES FROM HIS SKIN!!!" people have been forcing their dinner up across America. Well, kids you ain't seen nothin' yet! For his final act, he pulled out all of the stops for the grand workout video that might even get Meatloaf into shape! I'm a little annoyed at Simon and Paula for stealing my thunder on this one. As I was watching I took notes saying how he turned "I Would Do Anything For Love" into a Richard Simmons' video. Darn it all! And a one and a two and a one two three! Move those Hips ladies!!! Man was it bad!! And all of the headband antics and inside jokes with the judges afterwards was a little over the top. I don't think Nathaniel has an ice cube's shot in Hades of making it to the next round (went all Greek Mythology on you for a second!).
8. Felicia Barton - 26 from Virginia Beach, VA - Well Felicia sure looked glad to be there. And she should! She was originally told she was not in the top 36. But then the Joanna Pacitti scandal happened, and she was on the next flight back to L.A. She sang Alicia Keys' "No One" like she was out there with something to prove. (wow, 2 Alicia songs and 2 Elton songs out of 12 total. Crazy!) She did sing it pretty well. I agreed with Simon that it might have been a little "copy-cattish." Again, maybe a wild card, but I think I've already made up my mind on the 3 that get in.
9. Scott MacIntyre - 23 from Scottsdale, AZ - I mean, how can you not like this guy? We all know he doesn't have the perfect voice. But you had to feel for him when all he wanted was his piano. His best alternative was to sing something from a fellow piano guy. I don't know much about Bruce Hornsby's "Mandolin Rain" but I do know that Scotty here loves music. And just like the judges said, you can just feel his enjoyment as he's singing. If the voters are made of stone, then the judges surely will put him in Thursday. But as Simon said, it seems like a foregone conclusion that he's in. Get this man his piano!
10. Kendall Beard - 24 from Lufkin, TX - Well, what do you know? There WAS a Country Girl this season! It was tough not to like her from her interview segment tonight. And tough not to root for her as we now want to see her dad do the alligator dance. Do you smell a BUT coming? Well here it is. BUT!! I don't know if her rendition of Martina's "This One's For the Girl" will be enough to cut it tonight. This would be a case in the past 3 season's top 24's where she'd be safe and moving on to the next week. But when we can only pick 3, she just doesn't quite make the cut. As Simon suggested, there really wasn't much else she could have done better. Maybe they'll want to get a country girl into the competition on wildcard night. But let's be honest. I think American Idol has cornered the Country Market as of late (Carrie, Pickler, Gracin, Bucky, Phil Stacey, etc...). And let's be a little more honest. It only goes downhill after Carrie!
11. Jorge Nuñez - 21 Carolina, Puerto Rico - I am so glad I finally figured out how to type an "ñ" on my computer! Because Jorge just might be sticking around a bit longer. Is there anyone out there that didn't get a little teary-eyed when Jorge was so pleased with the judges' comments that he started crying and "thinking in Spanish?" He sang the heck out of "Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me" and apparently worked on his dialect. I agree with Simon though. Why would they go to Puerto Rico to find a contestant if they wanted them to sound like they had a Standard American Dialect? I wasn't sure if I was going to like Jorge after his audition. I knew that he sang Jon Secada's "Angel" better than Sergei Federov (I just can't call that crazy dude Anthony!) and I still keep bringing it up because of the anonymous disgruntled reader who apparently was offended. (you just don't know where those Sergei fans are hiding these days!) Anyway, Jorge is growing on me. If the performance alone wasn't enough to get him in, then it was his reactions afterwards that will help seal the deal.
12. Lil Rounds - 24 from Memphis, TN - And then here it was. The moment we were all dreading. We knew she'd be 12th. We knew she would get into the top 12 no matter what. We saw the clips of her being compared to Barftasia and Mary J. Blige. She decided to sing a song by the latter "Be Without You." What we got was a ridiculous clone version of Miss Blige's tune. When I say ridiculous I mean that in 2 ways. I meant that she was really good. But at the same time it was an exact carbon copy! We saw the Judges drinking the Kool-Aid and bobbing their heads along. We saw Kara trying to talk like Lil to show how hip and cool she is. We saw how Lil needs to PROVIDE for her struggling family. Ugh....we saw Fantasia 2.0. I was no fan of it the first time around, and it ain't gonna change this time around. Lil Rounds is officially my enemy! And just like I successfully convinced America that David Archuleta was not fit for the Idol crown, I accept the challenge to start my campaign to do the same for LIL! Even though, yes Paula, we will see her for "many 'lil rounds' to come." See my eyes folks? Watch them rooooooollllllllllll!!!!!!!!! (whoops, just thought of Alex Wagner-Trugman again!)

Oh and of course after all of the Judges' praise for Lil, it only egged her on to start her Grammy Thank You's a bit too prematurely. That has to be enough to turn anyone off! But, I've got plenty of time to get back on that soapbox. I gotta dish out some picks! This one is easy to me, which means I've probably got it all wrong!

Top Female Vote: Lil Rounds
Top Male Vote: Scott MacIntyre
Next Top Vote Getter: Jorge Nuñez

Bonus Picks: Ju'Not Joyner, Kendall Beard Long Shot: Felicia Barton

The bonus picks are for my sanity only. I never take credit for getting it right if they're picked! Anyway, here's my first stab at the Wildcard. I will revisit this tomorrow if they give us more information. But if they take one from each week. Here are my picks:

Week 1 - Anoooooooop Desai
Week 2 - Matt Giraud
Week 3 - Kendall Beard

I would've went for Ju'Not for week 3 but that is one Male-Dominated top 12! I don't know if they'd do that or not. Maybe Jasmine Murray gets a 2nd shot over Matt. Maybe Jackie Tohn gets in over Anoop (really??? naaaa). Or maybe it won't be one per week! There has to be some kind of performance Thursday for them to make a final decision. Oh well, I made my early picks and we'll get more information after Wednesday Night's show.

In the meantime, hope you enjoyed my ramblings as always and I'll see you after the results!

This blog can also be read and discussed on Gather.com. Come check it out and throw some votes my way if you have spare time!