Paula Abdul leaves American Idol

American Idol judge Paula Abdul has announced that she will not return to American Idol for another season. Here is the full official statement released by Fox:

"Paula Abdul has been an important part of the American Idol family over the last eight seasons and we are saddened that she has decided not to return to the show. While Paula will not be continuing with us, she's a tremendous talent and we wish her the best."

Here's what Paula said on her Twitter page:

"With sadness in my heart, I've decided not to return to IDOL. I'll miss nurturing all the new talent, but most of all being a part of a show that I helped from day 1 become an international phenomenon. What I want to say most, is how much I appreciate the undying support and enormous love that you have showered upon me. It truly has been breathtaking, especially over the past month. I do without any doubt have the BEST fans in the entire world and I love you all."
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Fellow American Idol judges Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell (who has once been quoted saying that he does not want to do Idol without Abdul) are not commenting. Idol host Ryan Seacrest posted a response on his Twitter page saying: "I am shocked and saddened."

As usual, EW's 'Idol Expert' Michael Slezak and I share very similar opinions on this giant game changing move...Check out what Slezak has to say here.

Sources: EW, Twitter

Kanye West on Kris Allen's 'Heartless'

What did Kanye West think of American Idol winner Kris Allen's rendition of "Heartless"?

"Man," Kanye West sighs over the phone from his New York City home. "I'm so happy that he performed it on his road to victory. I'm just really happy that he involved my song. That my songs are a part of people's consciousness spirit like that is amazing."

Kanye was also asked about it again while appearing on The View yesterday to which he said, "Everyone who sings the song sings it better than me." Check out this video at around the 4:04 mark to see Kanye's reaction to Kris's performance:

Sources: USA Today, mjsbigblog.com

Kris Allen Duets with Mike Huckabee

Last week former Arkansas Governor / Republican presidential candidate, Mike Huckabee welcomed American Idol winner (and fellow Arkansan), Kris Allen to his FOX news show. After their interview, Kris performed "Yesterday" by The Beatles with Mike Huckabee accompanying him on the bass guitar. Check out a clip from the performance here:

Source: E! Online

Lots of Kris Allen Coverage!

Hey guys! While I am still basking the wonderful victory of Kris Allen on Season 8 of American Idol, I thought I would share some of great Kris moments during the results show on Wednesday as well as some post-show interviews, links, recordings, etc. Enjoy!

RESULTS SHOW

Kris performing "Kiss A Girl" with Keith Urban.


Kris & Adam performing "We Are the Champions" with Queen


Kris Allen wins American Idol!



INTERVIEWS

Exit Interview w/ American Idol Extra
[Part 1]


[Part 2]


'The Tonight Show with Jay Leno' [Link]
Ryan Seacrest's Radio Show [Link]
FOX News [Link]

LINKS

Kris Allen's Official Website

Kris is "going to Disney World!"

Kris's studio version of "No Boundaries"

Kris Allen beats Adam Lambert on iTunes

Videos courtesy of: rickey.org

Excerpt from EW's Finale Recap

So as usual...my favorite Idol writer, EW's Michael Slezak, wrote up a terrific Idol recap that perfectly summarized exactly what I wanted to say. You can read the whole thing here, but I decided to include the two parts that I really expressed my feelings about last night's finale:

Kris Allen is a terrific Idol winner. Those of you who want to stick to your limited ''Kris Allen is a mediocre singer!'' scripts, feel free to skip this section. But then, of course, you'd also probably dismiss Karen Carpenter, John Lennon, and Jim Croce for not having big enough pipes. (Hat tip to Miss Jody Watley, whose recent blog about Idol made mention of those three artists, specifically their simple, distinctive, and totally praise-worthy voices.) And while you're at it, let's write off Bruce Springsteen, and Dusty Springfield, and Erykah Badu, too. My point being that just because someone's voice isn't huge, or octave-scaling, or range-y, doesn't mean it can't be fantastic.

And no, that's not a dis against Adam Lambert. Nor is it my attempt to put Kris Allen on the same level as Carpenter or Lennon or Badu. It's just an acknowledgement in the superlative-driven world of Idol discussion that there are all kinds of voices worth getting worked up about. And Kris, who hails from the less-is-more school of singing, has put down some stellar, show-stopping performances this season: ''Falling Slowly,'' ''She Works Hard for the Money,'' ''Heartless,'' ''Ain't No Sunshine,'' ''To Make You Feel My Love,'' and even ''Come Together.'' If that's not an Idol-worthy résumé, then my iPod has been badly duped, people! What's more, Kris' lovely duet tonight with Keith Urban, to the strains of ''Kiss a Girl,'' show the kid's got as much charisma, and as strong a voice, as one of the best-selling country stars of the decade.

Maybe a runner-up finish is the best thing that ever happened to Adam Lambert. If you're still sniffling into a tissue (in sadness, not with allergies) or trembling with fury about Glambert's runner-up status, please go directly to your iPod or the official American Idol site and treat yourself to a repeat performance of one of the following: ''Mad World,'' ''Black or White,'' ''Ring of Fire,'' ''Tracks of My Tears,'' ''Whole Lotta Love,'' or ''Feeling Good.'' (Yes, of course, the ''Slow Ride'' duet with Allison is also more than acceptable.) Now riddle me this: Do you seriously think the likelihood of Adam Lambert becoming an international singing superstar will be affected in any way by his failure to attain a title that would've been bestowed on him by the head of Fox's reality TV programming department?

The truth of the matter is, Adam's voice is insane, over-the-top, unbridled, and not quite like anything residing on Billboard's charts today. His performance tonight with KISS drove home the fact that Adam could (and I think should) begin the movement to bring hair metal back to the mainstream after a too-too long absence. Of course, what's most fascinating about Adam is he could also choose to use his powerhouse voice in a half dozen completely disparate musical genres — yet look and sound equally comfortably in each of 'em.

Glambert Nation cardholders: What's important to remember as you curse American Idol tonight is that, without it, you probably would have no idea who Adam Lambert is, or what he sounds like. Your glam god would be a faceless session singer in a Los Angeles recording studio or a chorus member of a touring Broadway show, still looking for some uninspired, robotic record exec to take a chance on him. But now, thanks to his Idol run — one in which only he and Kris Allen got to perform for 11 consecutive Tuesdays — you'll be lining up to buy his major-label debut album in about six months' time. And perhaps, as a second-place finisher, he'll get to cut a more daring debut than he might otherwise have. (See Blake Lewis' sadly underappreciated Audio Day Dream as an example of where and how runners-up are allowed to roam creatively.) In my mind, Adam's ''sound'' will be eclectic, driven more by where his voice can take him than where his voice will be led by a team of hit-hungry producers. And without the weight of the Idol franchise's hopes on his back, maybe he'll be allowed to carry out that mission.

- Michael Slezak

Kris Allen Crowned 'American Idol'!

HOLY CRAP. I don't even know what to say. One of the best things about American Idol is the way us viewers are allowed to become a part of the whole experience. I am lucky enough to see my personal favorite Idol contestant celebrate in the confetti shower while singing the super cheesy coronation song for two years in a row now (Shout out to David Cook! w00t w00t!).

Despite receiving very little camera time in the early rounds of the competition, Kris Allen caught my attention (and America's as well) in the Top 36 with his rendition of 'Man in the Mirror' and advanced into the Top 13. Week after week he showed progression as a singer, as a musician, and as a performer. He delivered several memorable performances such as "Ain't No Sunshine", "Falling Slowly", "She Works Hard for the Money", and "Heartless." And week after week I dialed Kris's numbers. With the judges and producers subtly (and sometimes not so subtly) hinting at an Adam vs. Danny finale, I knew Kris's chances in going far in the competition were rather slim. I thought for sure he was destined to be the "Jason Castro" of this season, and get out-shined by the more "in your face" belters in the competition. But as Jamie Foxx pointed out, Kris wasn't in the competition for the "throat olympics." Kris didn't have to do vocal-runs or belt out ridiculously high notes to show off his talents. His ability to re-arrange classic songs and his laid-back approach to each song really allowed him to emotionally connect with the audience.

He shocked everyone last week when he beat out Danny Gokey to make the Top 2, and then shocked everyone again tonight by defeating the obvious front-runner, Adam Lambert for the American Idol crown. Even after evenly matched performances last night, it seemed like no one thought Kris was gonna win; not the blogs, not the judges, not the producers. But Kris proved everyone wrong, and I am so happy to be able to say that I was a part of his victory.
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Anyway...I am way too lazy to post of full recap of everything that went down on the results show tonight, but let me just say this: it was probably one of the best results show ever. Tons of awesome guest performers and collaborations. My favorite moment (besides Kris winning, of course) was when Bikini Girl started singing only to get completely shown up by Kara DioGuardi...and then of course we got a nice little peak of Kara's own hot body ;-)

And now I will end this note by addressing all the Adam Lambert fans: I am just as shocked as you are. After seeing Adam perform "(I Can't Get No) Satisfication" during the Top 36, I knew he was going to be a front-runner. After "Mad World" I was sure that he was destined to win the whole thing. He changed the entire dynamic of American Idol in many ways. Although I was never really an Adam fan, I have so much respect for the guy. He was by far one of the most exciting contestants the show has ever had. He was bold, he was brave, and he was a tremendous performer. There is no doubt in my mind that people are going to remember Adam Lambert, and that he still has a very successful career ahead of him. Even Kris said right after he won, "Adam deserves this. I'm sorry."

IN CONCLUSION: Thank you so much for reading my Idol blogs. I am sad that the season is over already, but I am looking forward to what's in store for the contestants in the future. As always, please share your thoughts!

American Idol Finale (Recap)

What a showdown! As Ryan Seacrest put it: It's "the acoustic rocker vs. the glam rocker, Conway vs. California, the guy next door vs. the guy liner…" Kris Allen vs. Adam Lambert. Here is a quick recap of what went down tonight:

ROUND 1 - Contestant's Favorite

Adam Lambert - "Mad World" (Tears for Fears)

Vocally just as good as the first time he performed this. Much more theatrics this time around (long black trench coat + dry ice / fog machines)

Kris Allen - "Ain't No Sunshine" (Bill Withers)

Rocked out on the grand piano this time around. Much improvement vocally since he first performed this song. Great emotional connection.

*Simon says....Round 1 goes to Kris
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ROUND 2 - Simon Fuller's Pick

Adam Lambert - "A Change Is Gonna Come" (Sam Cooke)

Excellent song choice by creator, Simon Fuller. The meaning behind the song clearly means a lot to Adam and he really expressed his emotions. Nicely held back in the beginning then really built it up into full "Adam-mode" in the middle section. Overall, great performance.

Kris Allen - "What's Going On?" (Marvin Gaye)

Kris did what he does best...delivered a stripped down acoustic version of the song. Fantastic arrangement and vocally outstanding...smart choices with changing up the melodies.

*Simon says...Round 2 goes to Adam "by a million percent"
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ROUND 3 - Coronation Song (co-written by Kara DioGuardi)

Adam Lambert - "No Boundaries"

Definitely not his best vocal. Song doesn't really seem to suit Adam's style. He did a good job with what he had to work with.

Kris Allen - "No Boundaries"

A little flat in the beginning. The key seems to be a little out of Kris's vocal range. This song doesn't really fit Kris either, but you could tell he was really trying to make it work.
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MY THOUGHTS
Kris really killed the first round with his reprise of "Ain't No Sunshine." However, Adam struck back with his heartfelt rendition of "A Change is Gonna Come" in the second round (although I didn't think it was that much better than Kris's performance). But because the "Winner's Song" is so cheesy (aka shitty) the final round was really hard to judge. So overall based on tonight's performances Kris and Adam are really neck and neck. It seems like it is anyone's game and tomorrow night is going to be a real nail-biter...lots of great performances in store as well. I can't wait! Thanks for reading and please feel free to share your thoughts!

Oh, and I almost forgot! My beautiful girlfriend (aka Ms. Carrie Underwood) performed 'Home Sweet Home' at the end of tonight's show. You can watch that performance here.

Videos courtesy of: rickey.org, mjsbigblog.com

My Favorite Idol Performances (Season 8 Finalists)

Hey guys, so tonight and tomorrow night are the final two episodes of American Idol. It is down to Adam Lambert and Kris Allen (the final I was hoping for all season long!!) As many of you may know, I am a hardcore Kris Allen fan...however, I would honestly be happy either way. I have not been a big Adam fan, but he is extremely talented and I actually do enjoy listening to him. So really I am just looking forward to two nights of awesome performances. Make sure you guys check out the two-part finale tonight and tomorrow night at 7pm CT.

Anyway, in spirit of this season American Idol coming to a close, I thought I would share my Top 10 favorite performances this season. Check them out, and feel free to share your thoughts!

Top 10 American Idol Performances
(Season 8 Finalists)

10. Matt Giraud - "Let's Get It On" (Marvin Gaye)
Top 10 - Motown [Link]


9. Allison Iraheta - "Someone to Watch Over Me" (Gertrude Lawrence) Top 5 - Rat Pack Standards [Link]


8. Adam Lambert - "Mad World" (Tears For Fears)
Top 8 - Year They Were Born [Link]


7. Anoop Desai - "Always On My Mind" (Willie Nelson)
Top 11 - Grand Ole Opry [Link]


6. Allison Iraheta - "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" (The Temptations)
Top 10 - Motown [Link]


5. Adam Lambert - "Tracks of My Tears" (Smokey Robinson)
Top 10 - Motown [Link]


4. Kris Allen - "Ain't No Sunshine" (Bill Withers)
Top 9 - Top Downloads [Link]


3. Kris Allen - "Falling Slowly" (Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova)
Top 7 - Songs from the Cinema [Link]


2. Adam Lambert & Allison Iraheta - "Slow Ride" (Foghat)
Top 4 - Rock & Roll (Duet) [Link]


1. Kris Allen - "Heartless" (Kanye West)
Top 3 - Contestant's Choice [Link]

A Great Week of TV!

So my first full week of summer break just happens to be filled with some great TV events that I will actually be able to watch! (all times are CT)

SUNDAY (TONIGHT)


8PM: Saturday Night Live: Just Shorts (NBC)
Andy Samberg presents a two-hour special that highlights 34 years of SNL's short films.
(Link)

9PM: Dane Cook's 'ISolated INcident' (COMEDY CENTRAL)
Dane Cook performs his latest material on this Comedy Central special event.
(Link)


MONDAY

7PM: 24 [2 Hour Season Finale] (FOX)
"After 22 hellacious hours underscored by the loss of innocent lives, the evil betrayal of Tony Almeida, the First Gentleman's kidnapping and shooting, a vicious siege on the White House, heroic sacrifices, a conspiracy, exposure to a lethal pathogen and an unthinkable bio-weapon attack, Jack Bauer reaches an emotional breaking point as this remarkable day reaches its climactic conclusion. " (Link)

MONDAY / TUESDAY

10:35PM: Tonight Show with Jay Leno (NBC)
Blink-182 will be the musical guests on Monday and Tuesday. This will be their first televised performances in over four years!
(Link)

TUESDAY / WEDNESDAY

7PM: American Idol [Season Finale] (FOX)
The two remaining contestants, Kris Allen and Adam Lambert, go head-to-head for the title of Season 8's "American Idol"

Each contestant will sing 3 songs on Tuesday:
- Round One: The Contestant's pick - Favorite song from the season or a new song.
- Round Two: Simon Fuller's Pick
- Round Three: The Winner's Single - There is only one Coronation song this year (Rumored to have been written by Kara DioGuardi)

Artists set to perform: Carrie Underwood, David Cook, Jason Mraz, Lionel Richie, Carlos Santana, Cyndi Lauper (duet w/ Allison), Queen Latifah, Black Eyed Peas and Keith Urban (duet w/ Kris).

Artists rumored to perform: KISS, David Bowie (duet w/ Adam)

(Link)

American Idol Top 3 (VIDEO Recap)

So I decided to change it up a little and use my new web cam that I got for my birthday for this week's Idol recap. Check it out here:

Here are some random notes that I forgot to include in the video:

- Who else is getting sick of Randy saying: "Dude, you can really sing!" No shit, Randy. We would hope that the last 3 contestants in the competition can actually sing.

- Have you guys seen the video of Danny performing 'Billie Jean' at one of his homecoming performances when he lost his lyrics sheet and completely messes up the whole song??

- Why was that one back-up singer so obnoxiously loud during Adam's performance of "Cryin'"?
- Did you guys notice that before Adam's second song Ryan points out that Adam had already covered Cher and Queen during earlier parts of the season? (haha what are you trying to imply, Mr. Seacrest!?)

- Why did Ryan keep mentioning that Kris was humble?
- Why was Kris wearing nail polish on his thumb went he got Randy / Kara's text message?

- Why did Simon feel the need to name-drop Bono?
- Why was he ripping on all the other judge's choices so much?

And finally...how amazing is Carrie Underwood!? In addition to being an amazingly beautiful singer, she takes trips to Africa and is saving the world one mosquito net at a time! <3

IN SUMMARY:
1st is the worst
2nd is the best
3rd is the guy who won this competition about 10 weeks ago, yet still gets the pimp spot every other week.

American Idol Top 4 (Results)

So my "Dream Top 3" has been ruined by none other than Danny Gokey. Allison Iraheta was (wrongfully) voted off last night =( and for the first time in Idol history, we have an ALL MALE top 3: Kris Allen, Adam Lambert and Danny Gokey.

Photo from: rickey.org

So rather than writing up a whole recap of the results show last night, I thought I would share excerpts from an article by one of my favorite Idol experts, EW's Michael Slezak, that perfectly sums up my thoughts:

"I don't understand how Simon (with an assist from Ryan) can bash Kris for his humble expression of surprise about making the final four, and yet give a round of applause to a guy who thinks it's a hilarious joke to perform so poorly that his glory note has become a comedy ringtone."
....
"Brace yourselves for the uphill battle Kris faces next week because the producers have edited his footage in such a way that we know very little about his life, and because the judges cannot or will not give credit to an understated vocalist who has never aspired to participate in (as Jamie Foxx would call it) the ''throat Olympics.' "

This couldn't have been stated any better. I think it's complete bull crap that Allison and Kris have constantly been nailed with non-singing related critiques: Kris for "being too humble" (aka not being a conceited, showboat) and Allison for pretty much everything from her song choice to her fashion sense to her personality. Meanwhile after weeks of mediocre, unoriginal performances, Danny Gokey gets praised by the judges or receives sugarcoated negative criticisms.

I will truly miss Allison when watching the Top 3 perform next week...but at the same time, I am confident that she will achieve a successful career outside of Idol. Last night's results show was validation that 4th place rockers can still go quadruple platinum. WOW.

Despite last week's scare of Adam (aka "Glambert") in the bottom two, I am still very certain that we will be seeing him in the finals in two weeks. So the real battle is between Danny and Kris. Due to the addition of Kara and the fact that the judges talk way too much, the Top 3 will only be performing two songs each next week: judges' choice and finalist's choice (in previous seasons, there was a 3rd song chosen by the producers).

Even if you haven't been watching Idol at all this season, I highly suggest checking out the performances next week. [Unfortunately I will be missing the performances on Tuesday night because I have a final exam...BUT I will be cheering on Kris in spirit and hopefully watching the show / voting for him after my exam!]

And finally, in spirit of saying goodbye to Allison...I will share a video of my personal favorite Allison performance: "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" (Top 10: Motown Week)

American Idol Top 4 (Recap)

So here we are...only 4 contestants left on Idol. Only 2 more weeks until the finals. The Top 4 theme was: "Rock Week" featuring Slash as a mentor. Also, the show featured two duets between the contestants. Here is what everyone sang:

Adam Lambert - "Whole Lotta Love" by Led Zeppelin

If anyone on the show can tackle Robert Plant / Led Zeppelin, it's Adam. This was an extremely difficult song to pull off, but I think he did a great job. As always with Adam, I could have done without him constantly "sneering" at the camera and all those other weird little things he does haha

Allison Iraheta - "Cry Baby" by Janis Joplin

Janis Joplin was a great choice. So natural. I'm glad she didn't do "Piece of My Heart" (as she said, it has been way overdone on Idol). It's good to see her stand up to the judges, Simon was really giving her a hard time.

Kris Allen & Danny Gokey - "Renegade" by Styx

I love the song 'Renegade' but I'm not sure it's well suited for singers like Danny and Kris. The harmonies were great though. Simon was totally wrong to say that Danny sang better than Kris. Kris was pissed about that comment, and it clearly showed.

Kris Allen - "Come Together" by The Beatles

Not his strongest vocal, but still a good performance. He was really the only one to change up the melodies and phrasing of his song. I was annoyed at how much the judges point out that "this isn't his style." I am also annoyed / surprised that Simon called a classic Beatles song "boring." C'mon Simon...I thought you were British??

Danny Gokey - "Dream On" by Aerosmith

Weak in the beginning. Painful at the end. That last note was sooo bad. Worst performance of the night. Danny's worst performance EVER. Yet all the judges gave sugarcoated "negative criticisms." Both Randy and Paula gave him an A+ / A++ for "effort." WTF?? Only Simon points out how awful that last note was, but then follows it up with "I still think you will be safe tonight." WOW.

Adam Lambert & Allison Iraheta - "Slow Ride" by Foghat

Best performance of the night. These two sound great together. You can really see the chemistry between these two and you can tell they genuinely had a lot of fun performing together. (Sidenote: Adam's pants were way.too.tight. haha)

Random thoughts:

Kara: Pretty sure she had like a screaming orgasm after Adam's performance...what was up with that!? Also, Kara clearly doesn't know her Aerosmith: "Cryin'" and "Crazy" is NOT "early" Aerosmith...Both songs came out in '93, almost two decades after "Dream On." She really needs to get her facts straight haha.

Simon: Really pissed me off last night. He was constantly mentioning how no one was better than Adam. He was extremely rude to Kris and Allison. And he refused to tear Danny apart after one of the worst performances this season? Come on man, you are supposed to be the voice of reason!

Idol repeats: Half of the songs performed last night have been performed on Idol before. Two of them were from last season. What's the deal with that? There are SO MANY different songs to choose from guys...let's hear something new please!

Final Thoughts:
My Dream Top 3 (Adam, Kris, Allison) is SOO close to reality...but tonight's results will be the deciding factor. Simon was right when he said the Adam & Allison duet may have saved Allison. Adam is clearly safe as well. After being in the bottom two last week, Adam fans will surely pull through.

So Danny and Kris are both in trouble tonight. It has been clear to me (and most Idol enthusiasts) that the producers have been pushing for an Adam v. Danny finale. This would explain why he has been constantly praised and over-hyped after mediocre performances and why the judges seem to hold back their negative criticisms. I am really hoping America sees through the hype / the producers' agenda and recognizes how bad that performance really was last night. If all goes the way it should then Danny will be sent home tonight and my Dream Top 3 will become reality! *crosses fingers*

American Idol Top 5 (Thoughts)

So last week (as predicted) Lil Rounds and Anoop Desai were both voted off. Now we are down to 5 contestants. Tonight's performances will feature songs made famous by "The Rat Pack" and there is a rumor that Jamie Foxx was a "surprise mentor." Here is a quick rundown of where I think the remaining contestants stand:

Matt Giraud - By avoiding the Bottom 3 last week, Matt seemed to have proved to the judges and America that he was worthy of the Judge's Save. But with a handful of throw-away performances in his past, Matt really needs to deliver something outstanding and memorable from now on. Much like Syesha from last Season, Matt may be the contestant to unexpectedly linger into the Top 3. However, bad song choice or a mediocre performance will likely send him home this week.

Allison Iraheta - Geez, what does Allison need to do to avoid the Bottom 3?? Even after performing a rocked out version of "Hot Stuff" last week and receiving a stamp of "brilliance" from Simon Cowell, she was in the Bottom 3. Perhaps if she really changes things up tonight with a soft, slowed down "Rat Pack" tune and maybe show us a side to her we have yet to see, she will win over the rest of America. *crosses fingers*

Danny Gokey - The hype of Danny Gokey finally seems to be cooling down a bit (YAY!) Although most of the judges still gave him their praises after a boring, unoriginal version of "September" last week, Simon described it as "clumsy" and "lacking star power." I think it is very possible that another karaoke-type performance tonight could result in a "shocking elimination" of Danny on Wednesday night.

Kris Allen - I could go on and on about how I have been supporting Kris since his Top 36 performance of MJ's "Man in the Mirror" and that I am a genius for seeing his potential, but I don't want to bore you haha. At this point, Kris seems to be doing everything right and people are really starting to notice this. The possibility of an "Adam v. Kris" final actually seems to be sounding more and more realistic. Many "Idol experts" began embracing this possibility even more so after iTunes download numbers recently leaked, showing that Kris's iTunes sales are second to Adam's (thus out-selling Danny "Overrated" Gokey). After two incredible performances in a row (the beautiful "Falling Slowly" and his unique acoustic take on "She Works Hard for the Money") Kris has set the bar high and really needs to deliver yet another great performance tonight to keep his momentum going into the finals.

Adam Lambert - Speaking of setting the bar high...that might really be the only problem for Adam at this point. Adam is pretty much guaranteed a spot in the finals. However, ever since his widely talked about performance of "Mad World" a few weeks ago that got Simon Cowell on his feet, everything after that has inevitably been compared to that performance. So until he delivers something else of that calliber, the rest of his performances may be overlooked. Other than that, Adam really has nothing else to worry about.

---WHERE THEY STAND---

MY IDEAL OUTCOME:
5. Danny Gokey
4. Matt Giraud
3. Allison Iraheta
2. Adam Lambert
1. Kris Allen

MOST PROBABLE OUTCOME:
5. Matt Giraud
4. Allison Iraheta
3. Danny Gokey
2. Kris Allen
1. Adam Lambert

American Idol Top 7 [Redux] (Recap)

So this week we have 7 contestants again because of the 'Judge's Save' used on Matt last week. The theme for tonight was "Disco". Here is what everyone sang and some of my initial thoughts:

Lil Rounds - "I'm Every Woman" by Chaka Khan

This performance was pretty much exactly what I was expecting from Lil. It wasn't terrible, but it also wasn't very impressive. It was as forgettable as all her previous performances. I feel bad for her because the judges have really been tearing her apart lately, but they are really just telling it how it is. This is most likely the end of the road for Lil Rounds.

Kris Allen - "She Works Hard For the Money" by Donna Summer

Please forgive my obvious bias when talking about Kris's performances, because he is clearly my favorite contestant...but what else can I say? This was a fantastic performance. He completely changed the song and performed it in his own style. He took a risk and he nailed it. He did exactly what the judges want to see from all the singers at this point. If Kris keeps delivering stellar performances like this, he may have a really good chance at making it to the finals.

Danny Gokey - "September" by Earth, Wind, and Fire

Yet again I fail to see why the judges love Danny so much. He really didn't bring anything new to this song, and it actually kind of bothered me that let the backup singers do the high parts in the chorus. It also seems that he came in too early on part of the ending as well.

Allison Iraheta - "Hot Stuff" by Donna Summer

Fantastic performance by Allison. I don't care what Randy and Kara say, I actually really loved the arrangement and thought it suited Allison very well. Allison is not only amazing vocally, but she is a great performer as well. Simon was completely correct in saying she is the only hope for the girls. Now that they judges are finally backing her, she has a great chance at cracking the Top 3.

Adam Lambert - "If I Can't Have You" by Yvonne Elliman

Adam delivers yet another unexpected song choice. I really liked the slow, stripped down arrangement and thought it was really unique. This is the kind of Adam that I actually enjoy seeing / hearing. Although I still can't say I am a fan of Adam, I cannot deny that his vocals are incredible and that he is by far more versatile than any other contestant this season.

Matt Giraud - "Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gees

Not the best song choice. I definitely agree with Simon when he said that it came across as a little bit desperate. Although I do understand that Matt was under a lot of pressure after last week's save, I was hoping he would deliver something to really assure the judges that they made the right decision.

Anoop Desai - "Dim All The Lights" by Donna Summer

As much as I like Anoop, I am starting to get a little bored with his performances. Even though he tried to go a little upbeat with the song halfway through, it ended up sounding rather cheesy. That last note was pretty ugly too (you can tell Anoop was very happy with that either). I didn't think it was as bad as Simon thought it was. But with two contestants going home tomorrow, Anoop could be in some serious trouble.

---RANDOM THOUGHTS---
- Overall, "Disco" night wasn't as bad as I was expecting it to be.
- I like that the producers skipped the video intros to cut time.
- Paula's critiques seem to be getting even weirder than usual.
- I love how the camera always gets a shot of Simon reacting to what Paula says.
- Kara incorrectly references something again (She said "Saturday Night Live" instead of "Saturday Night Fever")
- Randy totally tried to steal Simon's common "overindulgent" critique
- The shots of Paula crying during Adam's performance were pretty funny
- I didn't particularly like that Paula made it clear that she wants an "Adam-Danny" final
- "Play That Funky Music" is NOT a disco song!
- I thought it was kind of weird that Ryan mentioned Anoop's "Groucho Marx" eyebrows
- My Ideal Top 3: Adam Lambert, Kris Allen, and Allison Iraheta.

---GRADES---
Kris Allen: A+
Adam Lambert: A
Allison Iraheta: A-
Matt Giraud: B
Anoop Desai: C+
Danny Gokey: C
Lil Rounds: C-

---PREDICTIONS---
Going home: Lil Rounds, Anoop Desai

Videos from: mjsbigblog.com

American Idol Top 7 (Recap)

Tonight's theme on Idol was "Songs from Cinema." The contestants were mentored by legendary film director, Quentin Tarantino. Due to last week's performances going over 10 minutes, only two judges will be critiquing the contestants at a time. Here is a recap of what everyone sang / my initial thoughts:

Allison Iraheta
"I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" by Aerosmith
(from Armageddon)

I kinda wish she didn't pick this song since David Cook's version from last season is still pretty fresh in my mind. She did a pretty decent job though. Not her best performance. She seemed to be dragging behind the music a little during the verses and the way the bridge was edited sounded a really awkward to me. On the plus side, Simon finally gave her his praises saying she was the last hope for the girls and she is finally showing that she could actually make it to the end!

Anoop Desai
"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" by Bryan Adams
(from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves)

I think this was a great song choice for Anoop. A nice, well known ballad that allows Anoop change the melody up a little while showing off his sweet vocals. However since there are only 7 contestants left, he might still be in trouble tomorrow.

Adam Lambert
"Born to be Wild" by Steppenwolf
(from Easy Rider)

Adam takes on another upbeat rock song. Overall he delivered the song with lots of energy and created a very entertaining performance. At this point, Adam can wail out pretty much anything and still be guaranteed a spot in the finals (FYI: Adam hits an ultra high "G" at the end. WOW)

Matt Giraud
"Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?" by Bryan Adams
(from Don Juan DeMarco)

Definitely not as good as last week. Matt really shouldn't have picked a pop/rock song this week, since he gets nailed pretty much every time he doesn't do R&B or soul. The bridge was pretty rough. He tried to do a little too much with the melody and ended up botching a few of those falsettos. Matt could be in some serious trouble tomorrow.

Danny Gokey
"Endless Love" by Lionel Richie and Diana Ross
(from Endless Love)

A very typical Danny performance: A powerful, emotional (cheese-fest) song. Simon states that he is disappointed that he didn't do anything special with the arrangement but then pretty much cancels out his negative critique by saying it was a good emotional performance.

Kris Allen
"Falling Slowly" Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova
(from Once)

Great song choice by Kris. He was way better than last week and he seems to have gotten right back on track. Randy dropped his typical "pitchy" comment, but Kara says it was one of his best performances yet. Paula seemed to agree with Kara.

Lil Rounds
"The Rose" by Bette Midler
(from The Rose)

This week's performance was crucial for Lil. Although her performance was an improvement from last week, it most likely won't be enough to save her this week. It also doesn't help that Simon didn't care for it either.

---GRADES---
Kris Allen: A
Anoop Desai: B+
Adam Lambert: B
Allison Iraheta: B-
Matt Giraud: B-
Danny Gokey: C+
Lil Rounds: C

---PREDICTIONS---
Bottom 3: Anoop, Matt, Lil
Voted Off: Lil Rounds

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