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A Slew of Interviews

Adam Lambert and Kris Allen Interview

Kris Allen Interviews Adam Lambert

Adam Lamber Interviews Kris Allen

Paula is Gone!

Well folks, American Idol has lost one of it's founding judges. Paula Abdul, the crazy, often-medicated, yet charming member of the panel will not be returning to American Idol next season, leaving just Randy, Kara, and Simon. This will be a big loss for Idol, for her antics were incredibly amusing and added a great deal to the show. Here is an article:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jf0zvAn2AbPqNL4CkUIWHkt1I_qQ

Simon is getting PAID!

Read this article about an offer that has reportedly been given to Simon Cowell to keep him on American Idol.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/06302009/tv/enormous_money_176757.htm

Preview of the Idol Tour

Here is the gang rehearsing the Theme Song for this summer's tour: Don't Stop Believing.

The Answer is Out

Ok, so be prepared to be shocked...Adam Lambert is GAY! In the most recent issue of Rolling Stone, Adam discusses his sexuality...as if it were ever truly in question. Smart move of his to hold out so that he can get a RS cover and exclusive. Kid knows how things work in the industry.

http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2009/06/09/the-new-issue-of-rolling-stone-the-liberation-of-adam-lambert/

Kris Allen - National Anthem

Kris Allen sings the Star-Spangled Banner at Game 2 of the NBA Finals. This is a very average performance, in my opinion...

Kris Allen Interview

Here is Kris Allen's interview on EW.com's Idolatry. It's from the same people that brought you the one I posted of Adam, so it's like 30 minutes long. Enjoy!

http://www.ew.com/ew/package/0,,20007164_20174011,00.html

Want to Audition for IDOL?!

Here are the locations and dates for American Idol 2010 Auditions.

http://weblogs.newsday.com/entertainment/music/idol/blog/2009/06/american_idol_season_9_auditio.html

Adam Lambert Interview

Hey guys, since I posted an interview with Kris yesterday, here is one from Adam. This one is crazy long, though. About 30 minutes I think? It's really good though, and you get to see a little more personality than we get on the show. Enjoy.

http://www.nj.com/entertainment/celebrities/index.ssf/2009/05/they_said_it_adam_lambert.html

Textgate! AT&T and American Idol Respond.

http://www.mjsbigblog.com/american-idol-producers-and-att-respond-to-text-gate.htm

Kris Allen on Ellen

Here is a video of Kris on Ellen, singing "Heartless" and "No Boundaries." This cheesy song is growing on me folks, both his (currently #11 on Billboard Top 100) and Adam's versions.

http://www.krisallenation.com/2009/05/kris-on-ellen.html

Here are their studio recordings:

Kris Allen:


Adam Lambert:

Controversy Arises in Kris Allen Victory

Read this article and let me know what you think. This could explain the 32 million votes that came out of Arkansas.

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/entertainment/controversy-dogs-kris-allens-american-idol-win_100197577.html

And The Winner Is...

*DISCLAIMER- Since this is a recap for a two hour episode, as well as the last entry of the season, prepare for a long post.*

Last night, we were all witness to one of the greatest American Idol Finales ever. With a plethora of superstar guest performers, as well as a hilarious batch awards given out, Idol kept the last show of the season just as entertaining as the contestants have all season. In a two hour special, we left feeling like we had just witnessed one of the big award shows, such as the Grammy's, Oscars, or MTV Music Awards (is that a big award show?). For the last time this season, I will give you my thoughts on how the show shook down. *tear*

First, Ryan introduces people who need no introduction at this point, our judges. With extremely funny videos, they pick on some of the nuances the judges have. For Randy, it was his "for me, for you" saying. This was probably my favorite just because he says it so much that I have even caught myself saying it! Oh Randy, that saying is MAD DOPE! FIIIRE!! MOLTEN LAVA!!! He's crazy. Kara got picked on for sweeting up her harsh critiques with "sweety" and "honey." I never picked up on that before, but it's true, she does try to sweeten it up before she rips them a new one. Next, they mock Paula's extended vocabulary. Really, Paula is the highlight of entertainment from the judges panel. You never know what she is going to say, but you can pretty much rest assured that it will be something completely over-embellished and nonsensical, tried to make sound profound with poorly strung together multi-syllable words. Finally, we get to see Simon, and his video depicting his lack of attention on the show. "Pardon?" and "What?" were common for him, as he's usually looking off to some unknown person to his right, or trying to decipher what Paula had just said. Very entertaining, these judges are.

Next, we get to see our ivory clad finalists, Adam Lambert and Kris Allen, with Ryan, with "see" being the operative word. Their mics aren't turned on. Whoops. It's only the biggest night of the season, sound guy, but you feel free to take a nap in the middle of it. No biggie.

With their rendition of Pink's "So What," we see our finalists joined by the rest of this seasons first ever top 13, also clad in white. Really, Allison should have just gotten to sing this as a solo. The lyrics hold especially true for her. "I didn't win American Idol? So what? I'm still a rockstar." As for the rest, they pull off a decently sung rendition of the pop hit. It's surprising since they weren't able to do this more than twice during the season, but hey, they've had time to practice I bet.

Last years winner, David Cook, is up next to perform his new song "Permanent." This is somewhat of a Debbie-downer performance, but it's touching due to the fact that David just recently lost his brother, Adam, to brain cancer. All of the proceeds from this song will go to help find a cure for cancer. We should all go buy it, because it is his best single to date, and it will help those in need.

Up next is the first presentation for the Golden Idol Awards. The first reward goes to the Outstanding Male of the season. The nominees are: Wil Kunick, who preceded Adam by giving a high-pitched audition of "Mad World"; Michael Gerr, who sounded like a constipated Gollum singing Carrie Underwood; Elijah Scarlett, whose incredibly deep voice could "do voice-over work for monsters"; Dean Anthony Bradford, whose coat looked like a bad couch; and Nick "Normund Gentle" Mitchell, who actually made it into the Top 36 and made love to the American Idol logo. This is a no-contest. Nick Mitchell wins hands down. Accepting his award in a hoodie, he insists that he had no idea this was going to happen. No idea whatsoever. Not. Breaking free of the snapaway pants and unzipping the hoodie, we get to see Normund doing his version of "And I'm Telling You." Complete with singing into a floor monitor and shouting out "girl in the purple shirt," he has us rolling. If he can get learn to extend his repertoire, he could be a funny comedian. "Takes one to know one, sassy pants. BOOM!"

Our first superstar performance is a duet between Lil Rounds and Queen Latifah. I'm going to put it out there that Queen Latifah is crazy pretty. She completely overshadows Lil, literally and figuratively. Lil is like a munchkin up there next to her. She sings well, much better than she did on the show, but she shows us that she still doesn't really have that star power to compete with Queen, who is just so laid back and relaxed that she does it effortlessly. The song "Cue the Rain" is decent though. Not a bad way to go out Lil.

Awkward pairing of the night goes to our next performance: Alexis Grace and Anoop Desai sing "I'm Yours" with Jason Mraz and the top 13. Neither of these two are remotely close to the genre of this song, but they sing it well enough. Jason Mraz looks like he's thinking "why am I even here?" It was a tad random, but not horrible.

Kris Allen is up next to sing "Kiss a Girl" with Keith Urban. Though anyone could have written the words to this song, it's still done well. I can see Kris going this sort of route in his music- a little pop country-ish but more geared toward adult contemporary. I'm glad they got Keith Urban, because he doesn't dwarf Kris like everyone else does. Lil guys singing together. This should also dispel those outlandish rumors on the Internet about him and Adam.

This is one star-packed show! Up next are the 5 female contestants from the top 13 singing "Glamorous" by Fergie. Jasmine shows why she was sent home so early. Megan shows that she can rock some daisy-dukes and has some killer legs. Not to be out-done, Fergie emerges from backstage singing "Big Girls Don't Cry," which is sort of ironic, since each of the girls cried when they got the boot. Hmmmm. Then she rips off her skirt to show off her legs as the rest of the Black Eyed Peas come out and sing "Boom Boom Pow," complete with crazily dressed dancers (can I get one of those costumes though?!) and a strange 5 second delay in the middle of the song. Did Will.I.Am just go on an extreme cursing spree? Did Fergie wet herself onstage again? Or did she have a wardrobe malfunction with those shorts? I don't know but I was still GETTIN IT in my living room. That is my jam. Megan was also gettin it in the isle, haha. She's so awkward, I love it.

Golden Idol Award #2: Best Attitude. The nominees are: Katrina "Bikini Girl" Darrell, who challenged Kara's demonstration of Mariah's "Vision of Love"; Alexis Cohen, who returned for a second season with an initially demure demeanor, only to break out the birds in the end (she was more lady-like this year though); and Tiffany Shedd, who promised to leave with a good attitude and broke it in five seconds, much like her voice broke my eardrums when she sang. Of course, Bikini Girl wins this. She comes out wearing, surprise surprise, a bikini. Ryan says that he sees some things have changed with her, and she shows off her new chestoral muscles (well I guess they aren't muscles since they are fake). She precedes to sing "Vision of Love" again, but is interrupted halfway through by KARA! She wipes the floor with bikini girl and then rips open her dress to reveal her own bikini. Best. Moment. Of. The. Night. That was hilarious. People who were hating on Kara shouldn't anymore. She is pretty cool (and has some pretty nice abs!). Bikini Girls face was priceless.

Up next is the highest finishing female this season, Allison Iraheta, singing with Cyndi Lauper. I'm digging this song, and the fact that Cyndi is strumming on the dulcimer. It puts a cool feel to the song and Allison easily outsings Cyndi, who was never known for her stellar voice. I think that Allison is going to have a very good career. She is pretty freaking amazing for being as young as she is and she can definitely get a record deal and sell big.

Following Allison, we see Danny sitting on the stairs. He begins to sing "Hello" by Lionel Richie. I literally freak out at this point because this song should never be sung on American Idol again by anyone not named David Cook. After last years rendition, Danny's will inevitably pale in comparison. He sings it incredibly well, but it's still no David Cook. As Lionel Richie joins him and they start to sing "Chill" and "All Night Long," I realize that Lionel is now Jamaican. And so is Danny. Crazy. Well sung, but nothing overly exciting about this pair.

After the journey video for Adam rolls, which is pretty impressive, we see the finalist alone with a mic and a CRAZY outfit on. With rhinestones around his eyes, not to mention huge rhinestone-studded roll cages as his shoulder pads, he proceeds to sing "Beth." Everyone in my living room is disturbed at this point and I'm just thinking "Well, he's putting all those gay speculations to rest..." When the camera pans behind him, we see the platform shoes, and that can only mean one thing. KISS! Suddenly, the costume seems appropriate, and KISS takes the stage, in full regalia, complete with drummer Eric Singer coming down from the ceiling. Adam shines in this performance, showing that he is perfect with a big band sound backing up his voice. It's ridiculous that he can come out and sing KISS so effortlessly.

Next is another legend, guitarist Carlos Santa, who joins with Matt Giraud in a very well sung version of "Black Magic Woman." For me, Matt was hot and cold this season. Talented, yes, but he got about as far as he should have. Maybe further. The rest of the top 13 join for "Smooth" and I am impressed with how well they sound together tonight. Way to not suck it up for the finale, guys and gals! I know y'all are just trying to get some record deals.

The last Ford commercial of the season (thank God) is a combination of all the previous commercials, which is painless to watch, so for that, I'm greatful. David Cook then "surprises" Kris and Adam with matching Ford Fusion Hybrids (awww). They do this every year, so I'm sure the contestants realize they are getting a car. Why not a mustang though?! Cheap Idol, real cheap.

Michael Sarver and Megan Joy Corkery sit down to sing a song, with none other than Steve Martin accompanying them on the banjo. Not much to say here. I didn't like either of their voices on the show, and I am not liking them too much now, even though they are singing as well as they both can. Steve Martin predicts that the longshot winner is...himself. Haha, funny old guy!

Now it's the men's turn to counter the women's performance earlier. They sing Rod Stewart's "If You Think I'm Sexy." Rod comes out after, and thank God he didn't sing that song with them. He looks like my grandpa up on stage dancing in a jacket that Anoop HAD to have picked out from his "Ridiculously God-Awful Jacket Store." He sings "Maggie May" and I feared for him falling and breaking a hip the entire time. Good for him, though, that he is still performing and making music, even though he's older than dirt.

Golden Idol Award #3: Best Female. The nominees are: Chelsea Marquardt, whose performance of "Without You" was compared to a falling cat; Irene Angulova, who should've been sent "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"; Dana Moreno, who was too screechy to make the song recognizable; and (of course) Tatiana Nicole Del Toro, whose hideous laughter and dress belied a passable voice and high drama queen potential. Naturally, Tatiana won this, and our prediction of her singing "Saving All My Love for You" for the fourth time COMES TRUE...sorta. Chased by security guards in an obvious comedic attempt, Rubin Studdard looks shocked in the audience, like he believes this is for real. Come on, man. You know she crazy, but she ain't THAT crazy. Ok, maybe she is. I wouldn't put it past her.

Finally, we get to see our finalists perform a duet together, singing the ever-so-appropriate "We are the Champions" by Queen. I have been waiting for Adam to sing Queen again since Hollywood, and he NAILED it. He handled Freddy Mercury's high notes like they were nothing. Kris sounded good on it too, but Adam's power overshadowed him on the choruses. What I liked most is that the last note was great. Adam could have completely went off, leaving Kris in the dust, but he didn't. They held out the same note, not trying to showboat over the other. That shows some class, in my opinion, on both of their parts.

Now is the moment we've all been waiting for. The lights are dimmed and we prepare to find out who our new American Idol is. After a hard fought season, the winner is...





KRIS ALLEN!





As the cheers erupted from my living room, I clap for Kris because I like him a lot, but I realize that, especially after tonight's songs, Adam got robbed. This was not just my sentiment since I'm an Adam fan, but each person I talked to agreed that Adam probably should have won. But let's not take away from the victor. Kris Allen rose from the depths of a self proclaimed mediocre performance of "Man in the Mirror" to show that an ordinary, everyday kind of guy can use his talents and charm to win over the hearts of America. He truly might be one of the most likable contestants this show has ever seen and he still deserved to be in the finals based on his musicality and creativity. I'm not sure, in my opinion, if it was enough to have won the competition, but it's hard to deny that he is very skilled and talented. I hope that he can take this victory and run with it; not letting the horrendous production of 19 records sweep him under the rug like has been done with so many other past male Idols. I hope he sticks strong to who he is as an artist and doesn't let the fame and fortune affect his ability to grasp the hearts of his listeners. Don't produce fodder, Kris. Don't let them make you produce fodder. I hope that both of these two contestants have promising careers in the music industry, for I like both of them and want to continue enjoying the music they create- Adam's insane tenor rock anthems and Kris' cool, laid back acoustic groove.

This has been my favorite Idol season of yet, and I'm glad that you all were able to join me along the ride through this blog. I have been joked on it relentlessly for it, but I feel like it was all worth it. I hope you all were able to gain something from my often-times incoherent ramblings on this site and I hope that you all enjoyed reading my opinions on something that ultimately has no baring on our lives whatsoever. Haha. It was a pleasure and a privilege to be able to write for such a dedicated group of followers. Let me know what you thought...of the season, of the blog, of a contestant, anything. Let me know your favorite moments from this season, and your least favorite; what left you in awe, and what left you howling, wishing, praying for it to end. This has been fun and I look forward to doing it again next year.

For the last time...

Your American Idol Junkie,

Billy

The Finale! - Performance Results

Adam Lambert. Kris Allen. The two finalists have sung their final songs. The votes have been cast. The polls have been closed. This years American Idol has been determined, but as of now, we do not know who that winner is. After a thrilling finale, each singer showed America why they deserved to be on that stage vying for the nations best undiscovered talent. Both competitors performed valiantly, giving us exactly the type of finale that we were hoping for- a neck-to-neck, punch for punch, photo-finish ending to a memorable season. From what I could tell, this was one of the closest performance shows that I've witnessed to date. Let's take a look at what our finalists sang and try to sift through the performances to find who might be the MOST deserving winner.

Adam Lambert- His Pick - Tears for Fears "Mad World"

This was the obvious choice for Adam to sing. If Simon Cowell, the world's harshest critic, gives you a standing ovation for a song during the season, it's probably worth bringing back into the finals. Emerging from a vampirish fog in a black trench coat, cutting a figure both slightly menacing and supernatural, Adam made this performance a visual spectacle. The stairs. The fog. The lights. It resembled what a music video for the "Twilight" soundtrack might look like. The combination of elements suits this song perfectly, adding an ethereal feel to an already haunting vocal. Speaking of the vocal, Adam sang this flawlessly. Every note was pitch perfect and he sang it with a confidence that only he has exuded this season. Though no fault of his own, the song was slightly less poignant than his original performance. I think this is because we were prepared for it this time. The first time he performed this song, it came out of left field and knocked us on our heels. It's hard to recreate how the shock of something different affects you the first time you hear it. Overall, I agree with the judges that it was a great vocal, but Simon's comment on the theatrical aspects of the performance, correct as it may be, is moot. It should be expected for a Lambert performance by now. In this performance, we got a glimpse of what to expect from an Adam Lambert concert. If that's the case, then he'll be a great entertainer for a while.

Kris Allen - His Pick - Bill Withers "Ain't No Sunshine"

Kris Allen, our quintessential "dark horse" has not let that label slow him down. All season, he has defied people's expectations by offering Idol listeners exactly what they want to hear. Yet, even at this point, it does not seem like KRIS thinks that he should be there. After a very strong opening by Adam Lambert, it'd be easy for the humble, and ultimately less talented, Kris Allen to cave under the monumental pressure that is on his shoulders tonight. With this song, he showed that he wasn't going to back down. This performance was incredible. Not only was it miles better than the first time we heard the song (which was pretty impressive then), but it showed a confidence that we have not seen from Allen all season. Again, seated at the piano (not his first instrument of choice), Kris soulfully sang this song with perfect pitch and tone. His runs where there, his falsetto was working nicely, and his piano playing was extremely good for a guitar player. What was most impressive, however, was the passion he poured into this performance. I know a lot of people do not like Kara, but she does make good points (she just executes them poorly). When Kris really puts his all into a song, he can drag an entire audience in and connect with each one of them. That is what he did with this song.

Round 1 Winner: Kris Allen

Simon is right. Though both contestants did extremely well on their songs, Kris' was simply better tonight. There is no denying it. Taking the momentum that he gained from the still resounding Kanye cover, he stepped up to the plate and knocked it out of the ballpark. His voice has never sounded better than it did on this song and it suits who he is as an artist perfectly. This is exactly the kind of music he should make on his album- soulful, acoustic pop rock. Putting all of his talents and gifts on display, he poured his heart into this performance, and rightfully deserves to have won this round.

Adam Lambert - Producer Pick - Sam Cook "A Change is Gonna Come"

I knew that coming into round 2, Kris would probably have an advantage on Adam. I knew that the songs that Simon Fuller picked would probably play a HUGE factor in each of the contestants overall Finale Performance. When I heard that he had chosen "A Change is Gonna Come" for Adam, I knew that this would be a redeeming rendition (not that he had a TON of redeeming to do after a solid first song). From the very first note I was entranced. He came out with some soaring opening notes and then brought it back down and brought us into this intimate, bluesy atmosphere that dared you to not pay attention to what he was singing. Then, he took us to church. With more soul and swagger than I've ever seen him sing with, he thrived in the climax of the song. His range really is ridiculous. He went from these low mellow tones to the rafters with incredible ease. On SEVERAL songs this season, such as "Born to Be Wild," "Satisfaction," and "Black or White," Adam's upper register has come across as "screaming" or "screechy." Tonight was neither. The notes he was hitting were SUNG. Simon, again, is correct. He is definitely back in the race. This might be my favorite Idol performance of the season- dare I say ever?

Kris Allen - Producer Pick - Marvin Gaye "What's Goin' On?"

When Kris was singing this, I commented to my crowd, "Dang, Kris came to sing tonight." I have not seen him as focused as he has been on this night. His vocals were spot on and he used an Adam Lambert "Tracks of My Tears" instrument set to give it a nice groovy feel. While I liked the song, and I think he did very well with it and adapted it in a very Kris Allen way, I think he could have done something different with it. I agreed with Randy. I felt that the song was too laid back and mellow to be sung at the Finale of the biggest television reality show on TV. While it was true to who he is as an artist, it didn't do him any favors to win the show, and that's what he needed to bring. Sitting in a room with some fairly competent musicians and vocalists, we felt as though we could easily do what Kris did with this song. The way I see it, the contestants should be doing something that average musicians would never be able to pull off. Several people feel like he did all he could do with the song. "How can that song be made any bigger?" I agree that it could not be made much grander, but maybe that's not what it needed. If he stripped it down completely and made it a ballad, it would have created a touching and moving performance. Some might say "THAT IS MELLOW TOO!" but it can be adapted to be impactful and intense, even though it's slow.

Round 2 Winner: Adam Lambert

Adam blew Kris out of the water in this round. Though Kris gave a very noble effort, his latin-infused "What's Goin' On" could not compete with the sheer power and charisma of Adam's "A Change is Gonna Come." Will I download Kris' song? Of course. But will I listen to it more than Adam's? Not a chance. Right now, the competition is in a dead heat! All that's left now is the final song, and my predicted "deciding factor," the Winner's song.

Winner's Song - "No Boundaries"

Let's take a look at the song before we critique the contestants performances of it. Co-written by one of our very own Judges, Kara Dioguardi, I had high hopes for this song. To date, she has had over 46 albums in the Top 10 on Billboard magazine's 200 album chart. Her songs are on various hit albums that have collectively sold over 100 million copies. Working with the likes of Christina Aguilera, Carrie Underwood, Leona Lewis, Kelly Clarkson, and Celine Dion, she has established herself as a very big hit-maker. This song, however, is not one of those hits. The Internet is abuzzed in disbelief that this song was chosen as the Winner's song. I have not heard of one person who has liked it. Since she has worked primarily with female vocalists, I feel as though she may have been out of her element in trying to write and arrange a song that was going to be sung by two men. I have still yet to come to a conclusion on what I think of it, but it sure didn't blow me away. It's cheesy illusions to mountains and hurricanes are stereotypical Idol Winner's song cliches that make every contestant who auditions for Idol hope just a liiiiittle bit that they do not win, therefore not forced to sing a stupid song about triumph and puppys and rainbows. I like the tune of the song just fine, but the words are what I can't really grasp quite yet. I will admit that I was sort of rocking out on the bridge. That part was pretty tight. Maybe it will grow on me, who knows? The benefit of the contestants doing a song like this is that we get to compare them on one ground and one ground alone, their vocal talent. This show is a singing competition. Yes I know that other factors inevitably come into play, I'm not naive. But as a singing competition, it's good to be able to judge the finalists on just that, their vocals

Adam Lambert - "No Boundaries"

While not near as good as the phenomenal song he sang moments earlier, Adam still managed to hold his own on this song. There were SEVERAL pitchy parts, but I would account that to him having to learn an entirely new song on top of perfecting his other two. The song actually fits Adam's voice well, I think. The beginning was very light and piano driven, where he can flip into falsetto and add the softer tone like he did in "Tracks of My Tears" but then it crescendos into a full out rock chorus and bridge, the style that suits his voice the best. It was also in just the right key for his voice. He wasn't able to do anything crazy high or outlandish, but he was still able to serviceably sing the song. This is probably his weakest performance of the season, however.

Kris Allen - "No Boundaries"

I said that Kris would be at a disadvantage coming into this round, seeing as the Winner's song is usually geared toward a big voiced, dramatic singer, something that Kris Allen is not. I was right. His voice did not fit as well with this song as Adam's did. Off pitch for much of the song, the song sat just a tad too high for his tessitura, not giving him a chance to be able to really belt out those high notes. He looked extremely uncomfortable up there, knowing that it wasn't in his style or vocal range at all. He also fumbled through some of the lyrics. It was just, overall, not a good performance. It was not completely horrendous by any means. I have heard plenty worse than what Kris gave us on this song, but it was not good either. I'm interested to hear the studio version of this song to see he would sound on it then. I'm not sure if this song is enough to slow down the forward momentum that Kris had coming into tonight. This, paired with Adam's "Change" might put Kris in the runner-up position.

Round 3 Winner: Adam Lambert

I can't fault either contestant on not singing it 100%, because the Winner's song has always been somewhat of a letdown. Full of cheese that only Danny Gokey could muster, the contestants were at a disadvantage before they even sang the first note. If Danny was singing in the Finals, I think he might have killed that song, but then again, Velveta would be oozing from my TV. I hope that viewers don't take this song into account as much as the first two. But for this song alone, I feel that Adam won it outright. It sounded better with his tone, he has the range for it, and it's more in sync with his style as an artist.

Final Thoughts:

So, there you have it, folks. I think that this was one of the best seasons to date. I think that this finale has been one of the closest fought ever, rivaling the showdown that the David's put on last season. Adam with his glam rock and Kris with his acoustic rock have given us one of the most unique and somehow harmonious pairings that we've seen in a Finale. I think that this years vote will be closer than last years, where only 1 million votes separated the two finalists. When it's all said and done, though, I think that Adam should be singing us out one last time surrounded in confetti. He was my pick to win it from day one and I'm not going to change that now. This prediction is not discounting Kris in any way, because he was able to rise to the challenge in a way that I did not think he was capable of. If he pulls out the win, it should not be considered the "biggest upset in Idol history." He would have won it fair and square with his general mass appeal, but personally, I don't think that will happen. The buzz is on Kris right now, but Adam has dominated the spotlight this season. I think that both contestants deserved to be on that finale stage, but Lambert deserves to win it all, if not for his superior talent, then for how he has shaken up Idol. How he's made it interesting again. How he's come out like a professional week in and week out, always entertaining us and always keeping us on our toes. We've never seen a contestant like him and likely never will again. There will be another Kris Allen next year, mark my words, but never another Adam Lambert.

Your American Idol Junkie,

Billy

PS. Here are a couple of funny pictures to leave you all with.

THE FINALE! - Song Predictions

Here we are folks! The end is near. The finish line is in sight. The finale is upon us. Tonight we will see an epic battle between the rocking banshee, Adam Lambert, and the wholesome crooner, Kris Allen - two artists who encompass completely opposite poles on the musical spectrum. Much like the rivalry of Elvis Presley and Pat Boone of old (blue suede shoes vs. white bucks), we have the stuff of [American Idol] legends in the making right now.

I have been pulling for this finale since the top 36 was announced (even before I heard them sing on Idols stage). These two finalists have far and away been my favorites of the season. Adam, with his incredible range and stage presence, is the presumed front-runner, and has been so since the first time we saw him in his auditions. More than any other contestant in the history of Idol, Adam has a kind of confidence and swagger that rivals most professionals in the industry. Kris, on the other hand, is the picture you will find in the dictionary beside the term "dark horse." Having minimal exposure in the audition and Hollywood rounds, most wrote him off as another attractive guy with no shot of winning. He has quietly, but soundly, marched into a deserving spot in the finals with his ability to rearrange a song to suit his strengths while appealing to a wide variety of listeners.

The two have experienced the entire journey together and probably form the biggest Yin and Yang finale we've seen yet. Though their styles are as different as black is from white, these two have formed an extremely close friendship, with their differences somehow bringing them in harmony with one another. Kris stated in an interview, "Adam and I kind of rely on each other." Let's take a look at their journey.

Here we see Adam and Kris sitting next to each other during the first stage of Hollywood week.

Adam and Kris are in the same group during the first round of Hollywood week.


Adam and Kris, along with Allison are voted into the top 13 during the second week of Top 36 Performances.


Adam and Kris are roommates at the Idol Mansion.

Adam paints all of his nails black, except his right thumbnail. Kris paints his right thumbnail. Adam says "If you can carry around a piece of me, man; I can do the same for you." Gokey feels left out of the bromance.

Adam and Kris hug it out after Kris is announced into the finals.

People on several message boards have lovingly nick-named the duo, "Kradam", a slash name along the likes of "Brangelina" for Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Some have taken it to the extent that they are unhealthily fantasizing an ACTUAL romance between the two. We here at aijunkie do not support or endorse these rumors, but the pictures DO look different once you hear that, haha.

Now that we have taken a look at the competitors, let's see what songs they should sing. Supposedly, the format for the finale will be as follows: one self picked "contestant favorite" song that they have sang earlier in the competition, one song chosen by producer Simon Fuller, and the yet-announced winner's single, a la "A Moment Like This" or "This is My Now"...whatever that means. The winner's single has been rumored to have been written by fellow judge, Kara Dioguardi. After last weeks results, Kris won a coin toss to decide who sings first. Adam will be singing first, which gives Kris the upper hand, knowing exactly what he's got to beat each performance. Here are my suggestions for the other songs the guys should sing.

Adam Lambert - His Pick - Tears for Fears "Mad World" or Led Zeppelin "Whole Lotta Love"

This was, arguably, Adam's best performance of the season, minus one pitchy last note. It was still enough to merit a standing ovation from Simon, the first ever in the history of the show. If you recall, this was also the song that was cut off from most of America's DVRs since the show ran over it's allotted time slot. So, there are a great many people who have probably never heard his rendition. This would be the smart pick for him, but depending on what Simon Fuller picked for him, he might switch it up. If the producer selects a fast song, then I think he'll do this one, but if Simon picks a ballad, then I think Adam will go with "Whole Lotta Love." Since rock is his genre of choice, and he killed that song, this would be the up-tempo choice. It's tough to pick which songs are better than others when he's been so consistent across the stretch of the season. I would love to hear "Ring of Fire" again, but the masses who don't appreciate that style would burn him at the stake. He might pull a David Cook and do a completely new song, also. Who really knows what Adam Lambert is going to do besides Adam Lambert?

Kris Allen - His Pick - Bill Withers "Ain't No Sunshine" or Kanye West "Heartless" or Once "Falling Slowly"

I will be happy if Kris chooses any one of these songs to sing. I loved each of his original performances of these tunes and would love to hear them again. Part of me wonders if it's too soon to do "Heartless" again, since he just did it last week, but being that it was the song that catapulted him past Danny into the Finals, he should probably go with that. What I would WANT to hear is "Ain't No Sunshine" because that is when he showed the most artistry of any of his songs. Yes, Kanye acoustic was unique, but not a terribly foreign concept, since Nathaniel Marshall did it with "Disturbia" in Hollywood. "Ain't No Sunshine," in my opinion, showed more versatility, soul, and passion, as well as sounded amazing. "Falling Slowly" has crept into my top 5 songs played on my iPhone, so I would like that too. And it's the song that he sang for all of his going home concerts. Needless to say, I'll be fine with any of these, and this song, whatever he chooses, should refresh your memory to how good Kris became this season.

Adam Lambert - Producer Pick - Chris Isaak "Wicked Games" or Survivor "Eye of the Tiger" or Journey "Open Arms" or Guns-N-Roses "Welcome to the Jungle"

Most of these have been seen before on previous week's picks. I've only got one last shot at getting to hear any of these songs, so I hope Simon Fuller reads this and has either 1) already picked one of these songs, or 2) scraps everything he's planned and tells Adam to do one of these instead. Adam is a pro, he can handle a last minute change :). The new addition is Chris Isaak's "Wicked Games" is sure to make some of you scratch your heads, but there are some very cool versions of this on YouTube that make me think that Adam could do quite well with it, especially if he uses his creative musicality to alter the arrangement. Simon Fuller seems to like Adam a lot, as is evident by all of the pimpage (not that it wasn't deserved) so I see him picking something that Adam can knock out of the park.

Kris Allen - Producer Pick - Lifehouse "Everything" or "Broken" or Goo Goo Dolls "Iris" or Jason Mraz "The Remedy"

I feel as though Simon will play to Kris' strengths, giving him an acoustic/alternative song that will fit with his style and voice. But in order for Kris to shine and not sound karaoke, he needs to do a fresh version of whatever song he sings. He has done this several times this season, so it's not hard to imagine that he can do it again. Having listened to some Lifehouse this morning, I think that these would be great choices. They can incorporate his guitar as well as a string section that can tie it all together in an ethereal mix. He can do this with any of these songs, maybe aside from "The Remedy." That was chosen as his up-tempo number that can compliment a slower song like "Falling Slowly." Mraz is right up Kris' alley in terms of style and sound, so it would be a good fit. I could even see some Dave Matthews thrown up in there. He needs to do very well in this round, though.

If Kris doesn't give all that he in this round, he will find it hard to pass Adam in the final song. As has been the case the past several seasons, the contestant with the bigger voice usually always wins the "winner's song" round, and ultimately the show. Since Adam's voice is huge in comparison to Kris', and they have to sing the same arrangement, he is at a disadvantage here. Think back to Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis. He was good, but he simply didn't have the vocal chops to match with Jordin. Could that be a factor this year as well?

I really have no idea who is going to win at this point. One article likens this "battle" to our latest presidential race, pointing out that America is shifting it's view to a more liberal stance. Adam would definitely fit into this "liberal stance" more than the conservative Kris. This same article also states that the "swing vote" from Danny's exit might heavily favor Kris since only one million votes separated the two finalists last week. Yet another article discusses how the two have brought hope to our country, showing that two different people, with vastly different cultures and religious beliefs, can form a bond and not let personal beliefs mar a great friendship. This does give us hope that America truly is becoming a united country, where prejudices no longer exist. Though not there completely, we are gradually getting there, and Kris and Adam provide a good example of that.

I think (and hope) that America will vote based on who performs the best tonight. It can go either way, because both contestants deserve to be on that stage. I think, as cliche as it seems, Adam Lambert puts it best. "At this point, we both feel like we’ve already won." Indeed. This pair seems to have the makings of true stars of the future. No matter who wins, these two already are American Idols.

Let me know who you think should take the crown! According to the poll, people think that Adam will win, but will the recent shake downs affect the outcome? Let me know.

Your American Idol Junkie,

Billy

Dynamic Duo- Elimination Results (Spoiler Alert!)

Last night's elimination episode of American Idol offered what most people considered to be a shock, but not to this blog. We know the deal! They can't pull one over our eyes! Here is a shake-down of what went down last night.

1) Yet again, the Ford commercial sucks. It seems as though the new producer for these commercials is VERY fond of cheesy graphics. The past 4 weeks or so have included some sort of cartoon drawing of the characters. It's getting rather old, but only one more week remains, so we don't have to suffer throught that for a few more months until next year.

2) The guest performers this week were Jordin Sparks and Katy Perry. a) Jordin Sparks is HOT! I picked her to win season 6 when I first heard her audition with Celine Dion's "Because You Loved Me." She can SANG. The new song is ok, but I'm sure it's like most pop songs right now, I have to listen to it a few times before I can like it. b) Katy Perry is ridiculous. I'm not sure she was allowed to ENDORSE a candidate, but she certainly did with "Adam Lambert" written across her cape. Yes, if you didn't watch it, she was wearing a cape with basically a bathing suit to try and give an Elvis look. If Elvis wore that on stage, I would have vomited everywhere. Prior to her performance, Danny was saying that he was ready to just get it over with and hear the results. Then you hear Adam chime in "I want to see Katy Peeeeeerrrrry!" in a pleading sort of way. It was comical to me. Her performance was fodder, but someone I was watching it with said that Adam wanted to wear one of the costumes of her dancers holding the huge feather fans. That was also extremely comical...and left a disturbing mental image.

3) Instead of a trio group number, this week more time is allotted to videos of the contestants going home. First we see Danny in Milwaukee. It is ok. We see a lot of people come out to support him. We learn that he can't throw a baseball well at all. We see his friend that auditioned with him, Jamar. Remember him? Surprisingly we don't get to see the church that he sings at...first you gyrate then you diss the church?! Come on, Danny. Next is Kris Allen. Ok, so Kris is already a superstar in Arkansas. Everywhere he went there were thousands of people. The one stadium had 20,000 people in it at least. That is big time. Of course, they don't have anything going on in Arkansas usually, so this is a big achievement for them. His (huge) family made his section touching, especially him and his dad. It was a special moment for them. Adam's homecoming had less than a turnout than I thought it would, being that it was San Diego, but that could have been the reason why as well. Not too many nationally known celebrities hail from Milwaukee and Arkansas, but plenty do from California, so it ain't no thang for the West Coasters. I did like that Adam went to his old theater and talked to the kids. That would probably be pretty cool for them to hear from someone who has succeeded. There was a young Adam Lambert in the crowd of kids, asking him who did his hair. Kid, you have little chance of growing up heterosexual. What we learn from these segments is that the voting demographic is a vast majority 13-15 year old screaming, crying, flailing girls and 35-40 year old screaming, crying, flailing women. It's like the Beatles were walking down the street back in the day. It was nuts.



4) Finally, we get down to the results. As our three amigos stand center stage with Ryan, the lights go dim and it begins. The first contestant sent to safety is...KRIS! This is what I predicted in my last post. Kris was EXTREMELY deserving of a spot in the finals. He found a way to prosper in a climate that was more suited towards big voiced singers by using his creativity and musicality to enhance his artistry. It also probably helped that he's an attractive guy and the aforementioned voting demographic practically wet themselves whenever he sings. Now, it's down to Danny and Adam, the two that MANY people predicted would meet in the finals. At this point, I honestly did not know who was leaving. Ryan announces that the person going to the finals next week is...ADAM! I know that Danny is a good singer, but these two deserve it more than anyone else on the show did, reitterating my point at the beginning of the season that, thought it seems like a popularity contest at first, by the end, America usually gets it right. Since we saw the top 36, these were the two contestants that I picked. No one had heard of Kris Allen and no one knew what Adam was capable of. I told them to just watch and see. They did not disappoint me this season.



Well there you have it! The roommates are battling each other in the Finale next week, and I think it will be a great show. But before I leave you, I must comment on Simon's statement at the end of the episode. He said, and I quote, "This could be a big ding-dong." (that's what she said). REALLY Simon?! Apparently that means "good" across the pond, but REALLY. I took a picture of Kris Allen's face when he said that and this is what I got. Priceless.

Haha. What do you think, folks? Did Danny deserve to go home? Or should he have beaten one of the other contestants to make it to the finals? Let me know your thoughts! Get ready for an awesome Finale!

Your American Idol Junkie,

Billy

Top 3: Performance Results

By this time next week, the votes will have been cast to determine who is going to be our next American Idol. It seems as though the season just started! I still remember Jasmine Murray singing her off key notes and the judges gushing about her "commercial appeal." Let's back up a bit though, we have a LONG way to go before we find out this season's winner. This week, we find out who our finalists are. I'm predicting that we will see a record number of voters with the competition being so tight. I know that everyone has all but penciled in Adam and Danny into the Finals, but Kris seriously took a risk that might pay off last night. For your listening and viewing pleasure, I am going to add videos of each performance from last night. It was a very good performance night, and I think each of the contestants brought all that they could and laid it out on the stage. Here are my thoughts on how they did.

Danny Gokey - Judge's Pick - Terence Trent D’Arby "Dance Little Sister"



Call me crazy, but I was a somewhat a fan of this song. I dislike Danny, that is nothing new to this forum, but I have to give him props. I was secretly hoping that he would tank, but as soon as he started singing, I thought to myself, "Well F..." Paula did a good job of picking a song that really did rest in the "magical" part of his voice. It was energetic and, oddly enough, I didn't notice the "gyrations." Come on Danny, good Christian guys aren't supposed to gyrate... :-\. Though a good performance, it wasn't anything overwhelmingly spectacular and the fact that it was somewhat obscure might come back to bight him. Solid.

Kris Allen - Judge's Pick - One Republic "Apologize"




Judges...you'd think that with two people who are very experienced in the music industry that they'd be able to choose a better song for Kris. Apparently we all thought wrong. Now, I'm not saying that Kris sang the song poorly. On the contrary, aside from a few off falsetto notes, I thought it was well sung. I think that using the piano was good, but slightly gimmicky, since all he was doing was playing chords. He wasn't trying to play the driving melody at all. Kara's advice that he should have changed the song up more was irrelevant. There is not much that one can do with that song to adapt it into another style. An acoustic guitar on that song would have been pointless because the song revolves around the piano and bass. I think she stole Paula's crackpipe here. One of the things I liked is that when he heard that he wasn't able to do the falsetto as well as he would like, he flipped it back to chest voice and sounded great. I wish he did that the whole song, but I can see why he tried since it is what you think of first when you think of that song. Though well sung (for the most part), I don't think the judges did him any favors with this song choice, but I'm hoping that he doesn't have to pay for their mistakes tonight.

Adam Lambert - Judge's Pick - U2 "One"



How did I know that Simon would get to pick for Adam? His choice was a specially selected song that required band permission to use, U2's "One." This was a good pick for him. I, however, slightly agree with Randy on this one. I liked it, but I didn't really like how he strayed from the melody. The high notes simply didn't fit well with this song. I would have much rather heard him sing it toned down like "Mad World" was. I'm not sure if he feels that he has to oversing every song so that people see how talented he is, but I'm one who believes that simplicity can also show talent. I still think he did better with his judge's song than the others did. It's hard for me to imagine the finals without him, but I hope that his fans did not grow too complacent and assume that he will automatically be there without their votes.

Danny Gokey - His Pick - Joe Cocker "You Are So Beautiful"




After a good first performance, Danny is swinging for the fences on this one and I think he might have connected. This was one of my potential picks, but I went with Josh Groban instead. He sang this song very, very well, but I couldn't take it seriously once it went to the gospel part. I was too distracted by the fact that Danny was sampling R. Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly!" Listen to it again. It is TOTALLY ripped right off the Space Jam soundtrack. Danny is a great vocalist. I've stated that from the beginning, so he deserves to be here. As for artistry, I think he seriously lacks in comparison to the other 2. Relying on his natural talent alone is not enough at this point in the competition.

Kris Allen - His Pick - Kanye West "Heartless"



This was my favorite performance of the night. Aside from the return of the llama face, I thought that he KILLED this song. I thought that it might turn out to be a disaster when the announced what he was singing, but I was pleasantly surprised. He went with a straight up acoustic version, a la Boyce Avenue (who you should YouTube immediately if you don't know who they are), and shocked everyone. This was extremely daring, and showed his artistry on a level that we've only heard he supposedly did during Hollywood week, which we never saw. I'm a big Kris Allen fan, and where his voice can't measure up to Danny or Adam's, his originality can, and I'm hoping that that is enough to land him a spot in the finals.

Adam Lambert - His Pick - Aerosmith "Cryin'"



When I heard that Adam was doing an Aerosmith song, I was like "FINALLY!" I wasn't as excited when I found out it was "Cryin'." My number one choice for him would have been "Dream On," but Danny ruined anyone's chance of every trying that song again. I think he would have sounded better on "Crazy." The "I need you now..." part would have been baller. But if you can't have the one you want, go with the one you're with. Adam showed that he is fully capable of doing Aerosmith justice. His vocals were pretty stellar and the only thing that I can think of that didn't sound good was the background harmony. What was the sound guy thinking?! She was incredibly loud and horribly off pitch. You could tell that Adam wasn't feeling it either when he yanked out his in-ear monitor. I would have too. He played it off well though and hit some ridiculous notes at the end. The judges said that it would be the biggest shock in the history of American Idol if he didn't get through to the finals, and I'd have to agree with them. More than anyone I've seen on this show, he deserves to be there.

This week is going to be ridiculous for the votes. I have no clue how it is going to go down. It can swing either way really. My bet is that Kris saved himself by doing a very cool version of a very popular song, something that Danny can't claim he did this week. I think that we will see the roommates, Adam and Kris in a head to head battle next week. The confident-theater kid vs. the humble worship leader. However, I wouldn't be shocked if Danny makes it since the judges have been pushing a Danny vs. Adam finale from the beginning. I hope the voters don't let that happen. The two who deserve to be there are Kris and Adam.

Power Rankings:

1. (1) Adam Lambert
2. (4) Kris Allen
3. (2) Danny Gokey

There you have it folks, my predictions for the Elimination show tonight. After it's all said and done, we can still say that we've had the most talented top 4 that we've probably ever seen on this show. What do you all think? Is Danny going home, or are Kris and Adam more at risk? Leave your opinion in the comments!

Your American Idol Junkie,

Billy

Top 3: Song Predictions

Again, let me apologize for not posting the elimination results last week.  I have been pretty busy lately and finding the time to deliver insightful posts is getting harder and harder to do.  No worries though, I’ll give you the results from last week in this post in addition to the usual song predictions.

Last week we saw the elimination of Allison Iraheta.  I can’t say that I agree with the choice, because I’d rather see Danny headed home, but I can say that I understand it.  Allison, while being a very good singer, had very few magical moments on the Idol stage.  Aside from an amazing version of Heart’s “Alone,” her other performances were consistently good, but not overwhelmingly great.  Each of the other remaining contestants have had several great performances, so it’s not a shock that it shook down the way it did. 

I’m really looking forward to how this season is going to wind down.  I feel that we are at a point where anyone can win, or anyone can be sent home.  This is a talented top 3 and it will be interesting to see who steps up to the plate and delivers this week.

One other sidenote- Paula’s performance was eerily reminiscent of a Britney Spears show.  It’s like Paula is her grandmother and taught her how to suck at lip-syncing, but still put on an entertaining show.  I was more entertained with her performance than most of the other guest performers that they’ve had this season.  Also, Daughtry wins for best performance from a former Idol.  It was a really good song.  It’s a shame that Taylor Hicks won over him.

Now it’s time for the top 3 song predictions.  To my understanding, the contestants are going to each sing two songs this week, one is their pick, the other is a song that the judges select.  This makes me think that I have no shot of picking either of the songs correctly, but I will attempt anyway.

Adam Lambert – His pick- Survivor “Eye of the Tiger” and Judges pick- Journey “Open Arms”

I will continue to push for “Eye of the Tiger”.  I don’t care if it’s the 4^th time that I’ve suggested it.  You know he would sound good on it, so I won’t bother explaining myself again on that front.  I’m hoping that Randy Jackson has some sway in what song Adam sings for the Judges pick.  As the former bass player for Journey, not to mention his work with Mariah Carey (who recorded a cover) as her musical director/bass player, he has had extensive experience with this song.  I’m imagining that Adam will pick a wild song and the judges will pick something more toned down that will show off the softer side again.  He would sound incredible on this song.  Not only is his voice perfect to sing Steve Perry, but he’d be able to sell the emotional connection that accompanies this song.  I’m hoping that we get to see both sides of Adam this week.  It’d be good for him to show off his range as a vocalist, giving something to the fans who enjoy the up-tempo shrills and those that prefer the more mellow crooning.  Adam has been the “favorite” to win it for a vast majority of the season, but stranger things have happened in the past to show that the contestant who might deserve to win might not always be allowed to win.  I still think we will see him in the finals regardless.

Danny Gokey –  His pick- Josh Groban “You Raise Me Up” and Judges pick- Bruce Springsteen “Born in the USA”

This week, the top 3 made their way back to their hometowns to visit their legions of adoring fans.  This has me thinking that we are in for several back-stories to come into play.  Up to this point (at least the top 32), Danny has managed to keep the story of his late wife on the back burner.  Though thoroughly exhausted during auditions and Hollywood week, I think that it was smart for him to hold back so that he could bring it up again now.  He will gain several million votes this way, but I’m hoping that America is voting based on his songs, not his past.  I can see him doing “You Raise Me Up” in honor of his wife.  This is a very popular song in secular and Christian circles, so I feel like it would be a fitting and an emotional rendition.  Though his voice is FAR from Josh Groban’s, I can still hear this song being sung in Danny’s tamber.  For the Judges Pick, I think they should pick some Springsteen, like I suggested last week.  Again, the patriotic theme matched with a song that would fit his voice perfectly would bode well for Danny and allow him to coast into the finals.

Kris Allen – His Pick- Goo Goo Dolls “Iris” and Judges pick- Eric Clapton “Layla”

Kris is going to have to step up big this week.  I think it’s funny how someone who decided last minute to audition with his brother is now in the top 3 and a household name.  As has been stated previously, it’s a common known fact that Kris does not have the voice to compete with the other two guys.  He is going to have to beat them this week with originality and artistry, something that he definitely has over Danny.  I can see him sticking to his acoustic-yet alternative- vibe with the Goo Goo Dolls and Clapton.  He can play his guitar and show how he is different from the other two in his musicality.  If he switches up the arrangements a little, makes one a ballad, and gives the ladies what they want, I can see him being able to make it into the finals.  But he has to have a lot go his way in order for this to take place, seeing as Adam and Danny have been the front-runners from the get-go.  A good group of performances won’t keep him in this competition.  He has to be spectacular, a la “Ain’t No Sunshine” or “She Works Hard for the Money.”

There you have it folks, my predictions for this week.  I’m hoping that our first ever all-male top 3 rises to the challenge and gives us a strong fight for the title.  As I said earlier, right now, anyone can win and anyone can go home.  Who do you think deserves to leave this week and who deserves to win?  Tell me your opinion.

Your American Idol Junkie,

Billy

PS- Here is link that shows just how good a person Paula is.  She made it possible for Scott to get a seeing eye dog.

http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/watch_with_kristin/b123256_paula_abdul_surprises_idols_scott.html

Top 4: Performance Results

TIMBER! So...the Idol set wasn't the only thing that crumbled to pieces last night. Along with it, we saw some of our more seasoned finalists show their vulnerable side on less than stellar performances. I predicted that this would be one of the best final 4 episodes that we've seen in the history of this show, but the pressure must have built up because the contestants, for the most part, looked as nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. It could have been due to an improper dress rehearsal as a result from the stage malfunction, but most of the contestants seemed extremely nervous up there. We saw the first batch of duets in the history of Idol and Slash introduced the most unique setting in which to give criticism to the contestants (though nothing he said mattered much- it was all pretty much worthless). With less contestants, the show is getting tougher and tougher to judge. With that being said, let's see how they sang. Below is a video with the audio from all four solo performances last night. It's always good to LISTEN to the performances again to see how they sounded. Sometimes the performance can make a vocal sound better than it actually was.



Adam Lambert - Led Zepplin "Whole Lotta Love"

When I found out that Adam was doing Led Zepplin, I said to myself "This makes sense." Robert Plant's wailing is part of Adam's vocal vocabulary, so it didn't surprise me. He was the only performer tonight who did not look nervous to be up there on that stage. He provided yet another very solid performance. I liked how he paid homage to the original artist by keeping it very close to the original recording. What was good about it, though, is that it did not come across as karaoke or copycat. You still felt like you were watching Adam sing a song off of his album. It was vocally very sound and well sung, but for some reason, this was not my one of my favorite performances from him. Perhaps it was his look/stage presence. For weeks, people have been saying that he looks "evil" sometimes when he performs. I got that vibe tonight, though I don't REALLY think he is. Something about the clothes, the over-abundance of guyliner, the haircut, the looks he was giving the camera, I don't know, it was sort of strange for me. Granted, bands DID style themselves like this back in the day, so it could have been due to that, but I don't see any of the other contestants being able to pull off that look. It was a very "questionable" outfit to say the least, but at this point in the competition, everyone knows that Adam is gay. He might as well not try and hide it (which I'm pretty sure he hasn't tried to do haha).

Allison Iraheta - Janis Joplin "Crybaby"

Allison is the only female contestant left, so it stands to reason that she would choose a Joplin song, given her style and voice. Vocally, it was average. She was somewhat pitchy and chose a song that was probably too big for her. She also was the first of the contestants to look nervous on that stage. This was something that we have not seen from her before. She usually has so much poise and professionalism when she's singing that it's hard to believe that she is as young as she is. But tonight, she let her youth outshine her talent. She also showed a little bit of immaturity in her back-talking to Simon. He's absolutely right that her personality does not always convey with the audience. And he was also right that she seemed to be desperately begging in her verbal joust with him. Luckily for Allison, she was not the worst of the evening, but she is far from being safe tonight.

Kris Allen - Beatles/Aerosmith "Come Together"

From the very beginning of the episode, you could tell something was off with Kris. He was not his usually happy-go-lucky self, grinning from ear to ear. I'm not sure if the lack of a proper dress rehearsal affected him more than the others, but you could tell that he was agitated. I would be too, so I can't fault him for that. But wearing his emotion on his sleeve is something that he needs to work on controlling. For his solo, he delivered another Jason Mraz-esque version of a rock classic. Like Allison, vocally, this was an average performance. Kris did not show us anything that proved that he deserves to be in the position he is in. Something just felt like it was missing in this song, and I'm not quite sure what it was. Having the thin voice that he does, he was completely overpowered by the band. I would have liked to see him slow it down and pull out a mellow version of it, but mellow was not in the vocabulary for tonight's performances. All rock, all the way. Also, the judges were far more harsh with Kris tonight than they were on any of the other contestants, even though others deserved their criticism more than he did. It was a good performance, but not great, and definitely forgettable. He may see himself in the bottom 2 this week.

Danny Gokey - Aerosmith "Dream On"

When I first heard that Danny was going to be singing this song, I immediately wanted to scream obscenities at the television. Adam would have killed this song, but instead, we are going to have to sit through a veritable train wreck. My suspicions were correct. Flat from the first note, we saw Danny in a light that we have never seen him before. Scared to death. Hands firmly grasping the mic, shifting his weight back and forth, and looking like a deer in the headlights were all signs that Danny was going to have a rough time this week. Slash's mention of the extreme importance of the final note of the song was obviously weighing on him the entire performance. And when it came time to sing said note, Danny botched it in a way that I haven't heard anyone sound all season. Lloyd Christmas is furious right now because Danny has now surpassed him as owner of the world's most annoying sound. I'm shocked that Danny thought that he could do this song justice. He is usually much smarter than that. And the fact that he thought it sounded good shows how pompous he can be. Luckily, they showed a better version of the note on the recap, but dogs everywhere were still beating their heads into walls. It just wasn't good in the least bit. He definitely is deserving of a bottom two showing this week, if not elimination all together. P.S. Purple shirt and pin striped vests are NOT rock and roll. Neither are random "doo-doo-doo's" thrown in the middle of a tag.

Duets:

Kris and Danny - Styx "Renegade"

The first time I heard them perform this, I thought that Danny wiped the floor with Kris, and the judges did too. After watching it a second time, I'm taking that back slightly. Yes Danny sang better than Kris, but it wasn't THAT much better. He got the high notes and Kris let him take (or Danny just took from him) the glory notes at the end, that they could have split. The both looked equally nervous at the beginning and I think it was because of what Paula said. They didn't look like they could hear themselves up there at all. The harmonies were tight and they sounded good together, but Kris just sort of sunk back to background singer role as the song wore on, which does not bode well for him.

Allison and Adam - Foghat "Slow Ride"

This was a stupid song to pick as a duet. Hopefully it was all the producers choice and not the Idol's themselves. They sang the song well, and were ten times more entertaining than Kris and Danny were in their duet. You could tell that they really like performing together, and I expect to see something like that on the tour. Their voices complement each other fairly nicely. I would have still much rather seen "Stop Dragging My Heart Around" though. Simon might be right about Allison. I think Adam helped her stay in the competition a little longer with that performance. She sounded good on it.

Power Rankings:

1. (1) Adam Lambert
2. (2) Danny Gokey
3. (4) Allison Iraheta
4. (3) Kris Allen

After sub-par performances from Kris this week, I think he's looking to be in trouble. Danny stays at number 2 based on his popularity, but I would love to see him exit the show. Votefortheworst.com has embraced him as their new pick since he is annoying and would make another Taylor Hicks if he won. I'm hoping that they do not get their wish, but at this point, America could send anyone home. I think that these are your bottom 2 and I think (and hope and pray) that Danny will be getting a surprising boot tonight. Anyone feel me on that?

There you have it folks. How did you all like the performances? Was I the only one who thought that everyone failed to live up to their potential? Let me know.

Your American Idol Junkie,

Billy

New Poll!

Who is going to win American Idol this season?!  Choose the most worthy from your Top 4 in the poll to the right of your screen.

Top 4: Song Predictions- Rock Week

How do you do my peoples!?  Ok, so I’m ridiculously excited about this weeks theme: “Rock Week.”  This is, arguably, the most talented final four that we’ve ever seen on the show in 8 seasons.  With two thoroughbred rockers in our primero cuatro and two other performers who can perform serviceably if the right song is chosen, I think we are going to see the best performance night of the season.  With so few contestants and so many great songs, it was hard for me to pigeonhole each performer into one or two song choices.  Letting go of my control, I am just going to offer a stream of consciousness with what I think they should sing.  There might be 2 choices given.  There might be 80.  I can’t promise anything.  Also, rumor has it that this is going to be the first time in Idol history that the contestants are going to be allowed to sing a duet with another contestant!  This should be awesome!  Anyway, below is a list that I chose from.  Let’s get on with it!

http://digitaldreamdoor.nutsie.com/pages/best_songsddd.html

Adam Lambert – Survivor “Eye of the Tiger” or Guns N Roses “Welcome to the Jungle” or Aerosmith “Dream On” or Kansas “Carry On My Wayward Son”

As you can tell, I’m just a tad excited about what Adam is going to bring to the table this week.  Everyone in America was shocked that he was in the “Bottom 2” last week (though it’s hard for me to believe that it was REALLY the bottom 2).  After that revelation, paired with the fact that this is HIS genre, I can’t see a situation where Adam does not perform amazingly this week.  His songbook is somewhat infinite, but I’m choosing these 4 songs.  This makes the third time that I’ve pushed for “Eye of the Tiger.”  I don’t expect him to do it, but I’d love it if he did.  I’ve also been an advocate of “Welcome to the Jungle” for some time now.  Either of these would be ridiculous.  I expect that he’ll be out of trouble this week.  Here is a clip of one song that I almost picked, but he had already done it prior to Idol.  

Danny Gokey – Guess Who “American Woman” or Jefferson Airplane “Somebody to Love” or U2 “With Or Without You” or Bruce Springsteen “Born in the USA”

Danny now stands as the only contestant that has yet to taste the bitterness of the bottom 3.  After a rousing rendition of “Come Rain or Come Shine” last week, Danny has put himself back on the map as a legit frontrunner.  He has always held that status, but this was one of the first weeks where he’s proven that he is deserving of such a title.   I can see Danny rocking “American Woman.”  Either the original Guess Who version or the Lenny Kravitz remake will suit his voice exceptionally well.  He’d get to growl it out and play with the melody a bit.  I can also see him going the popular route with U2 or the patriotic route with Springsteen.  These two choices would cater more for the intelligent approach to the song choice.  Either of these would have people voting in flocks for him, a la Kristy Lee Cook in her performance of “God Bless the USA” last season.  We’ll see how he can follow up last week with a genre that isn’t necessarily promoting his strengths as a vocalist. 

Kris Allen – Eric Clapton “Tears in Heaven” or Bob Marley “No Woman No Cry” or “I Shot the Sheriff” or Red Hot Chili Peppers “Under the Bridge”

At first glance, one might think that Kris is out of his element this week, but I beg to differ.  Granted, he is by no means a “rocker” by conventional definition, but he still has a shot of doing something great.  There are plenty of smooth voiced front men in the world of rock and roll and I think Kris could have a great week if he doesn’t try anything too over-zealous.  My obvious choice for him is “Tears in Heaven.”  1) Lady Killer.  2) Great melody.  3) Lady Killer…oh wait, I already said that.  That’s because it’s doubly important this week.  He needs to get all of the teeny bopper girls, their cousins and their old decrepit Aunt Mildred’s to flash flood the telephone lines.  For the course of this season, he has received the most love when he has done ballads or showed off his creativity in arranging.  Here enters the Bob Marley songs.  I think these songs are verging on “iconic,” but I also feel that, with the right spin, he can create something memorable and impressionable to gain peoples votes.  I don’t want to see him do anything cliché.  It’s crunch time and cliché is for pansies!

Allison Iraheta – Bonnie Tyler “Total Eclipse of the Heart” or Stevie Nicks “Edge of Seventeen” or Guns N Roses “November Rain”

The most anticipation for a contestant this week might be for Allison.  As the only girl left standing, and the highest ranked “rocker chick” to ever come through Idol, there is a great deal of pressure for her to be phenomenal.  If she does any of the songs I have listed above, she could achieve that.  I think she could murder any one of these songs.  I’ve pushed for “November Rain” several times before, but granted that she did a ballad last week, I doubt we’ll be sing that side of her this go round.  Shame, because I liked that side of her.  “Total Eclipse” would be perfect for her.  She’s got the tone, she’s got the range, and she needs the familiarity of such a classic song to help catapult her past her male competitors.  I hope she does well this week, because no matter what Idol tells us, I have my suspicions that Allison was in the top 2 last week.

Duets:

Adam and Allison – Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks “Stop Dragging My Heart Around” or Fleetwood Mac “Go Your Own Way”

This is the duet that everyone would want to see- two rockers going at it.  So, it’s obvious that I think Allison should be singing some Stevie Nicks.  I like Stevie a lot and I think that Allison could do her justice.  She is one of the premier dueters of her era and either song would be a good fit for her.  Adam would be able to do either Tom Petty or Lindsey Buckingham.  I really, really hope that this is the combo we get to hear and they choose one of these songs.

Kris and Danny – Boston “More Than a Feeling” or ZZ Top “Sharp Dressed Man”

Should they sing together, Kris and Danny would definitely be wise to do “Sharp Dressed Man.”  Complete with suits, some shades, and suave demeanors, this would drive all of the women crazy.  Apparently, that is my deciding factor this week.  I’m not sure if their voices would fit together as well as A & A, but I still think it’d be an entertaining duet.

There you have it folks.  Don’t pencil anyone in the finals just yet.  With this group, there is no guarantee that anyone won’t be eliminated at any given time from here on out.  I really think that it all comes down to the performances from this point on.  If one person falls behind, the voting public will leave him/her behind with no reservations.  One stumble is all it takes to fall from eminent superstardom to irrelevant obscurity.  I’m expecting a great show, folks.  I hope you are as jacked as I am.

Your American Idol Junkie,

Billy