American Idol 11 Blog

Top 13 Boys - Season 11

2012-02-29T15:04:00.001-08:00

I'm one of a few fans who actually forgot that the live show was on last night. Luckily, I was able to find the videos online va @Rickey. Thanks, Rickey! ;)

After going through the top 13 guys videos here are a few of my thoughts...

1.Phillip Phillips: The ONLY stand-out performance (for me) of the night was Phillip Phillips. Wow. He was great. And, his good looks makes him very likeable. Who doesn't want to look at him? Unlike Randy, I loved his arrangement of "In The Air Tonight". Phillip should have no problem making the Top 13.

2. Heejun Han: I love Heejun Han's personality. He is adorable. His voice...not as good as I though it was. But I still want him in the top 13.

3. Jermaine Jones: Jermaine Jones was the wild card pick. Really? Out of all the choices idol picked him. Why? David Leathers Jr. would have been a much much better choice but then Eben would have some competition. I did NOT like Jermaine's performance and I could not imagine EVER listening to that kind of music. Would anybody?

4. Eben Franckewitz: This kid sounded really good during Hollywood week. Last night's performance of "Set Fire To The Rain" by Adele was a different story. From what I'm reading, it looks like everyone thinks he's headed home. I'm not so sure of that. Grandma's and tweens everywhere probably voted for this kid not to mention VFTW.

5. Colton Dixon: Colton surprised me. I didn't expect great but I also didn't expect him to do as good as he did. I'm not sure he is top 13 worthy but his song choice, "Decode" by Paramore could help him.Also, did he have a weird accent or was it just me?

6. Reed Grimm: This guy just cracks me up with his quirky style. Jazzing up "Moves Like Jagger" may not have been the best idea. His dancing is the only thing that made the performance bearable. Will he make top 13? It's hard to tell but I'm hoping so just to keep American Idol entertaining.

7. Deandre Brackensick: Deandre is all kinds of cute. He is another one that truly impressed me during Hollywood week so I'm not sure what happened here.Why did the producers choose such a bad song for him? He could have done much better with a more current song. I'd love to see him in the top 14 based on previous performances but I don't think he will make it through. :(

8. Jeremy Rosado: Jeremy seems like a sweet guy but Jermaine will get his votes. I've never heard of the song Jeremy sang. Overall it was ok. Not memorable.Will he go through? Not likely.

9. Chase Likens: I am not much of a country music fan so I wouldn't normally vote for someone like Chase regardless. His performance was just ok. Nothing special. He sung a song by Hunter Hays. Who is Hunter Hays? Considering Chase is the only country guy his chances of making top 13 are high. :(

10. Creighton Fraker: He sang Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors" which was the perfect song choice for him. His performance wasn't great. He's definitely going home.

11. Adam Brock: What kind of guy would sing "Think" by Aretha Franklin. That didn't work. I've never really been a fan and I'm not now. He should go home.

12. Joshua Ledet: Technically, he's a great singer but I'm not really a fan. I wasn't a fan of the song he sang either. I don't know if he will go or stay.

13. Aaron Marcellus: What is up with everyone singing old songs? I know I would have liked Aaron's performance had he been given a better song choice. He's probably going home too.

The six guys I would put through are: Phillip Phillips, Reed Grimm, Heejun Han, Deandre Brackensick, Colton Dixon, Jeremy Rosado

The five guys that will probably get through to the top before judges picks: Phillip Phillips, Chase Likens, Joshua Ledet, Jermaine Jones, Eben Franckewitz

Will the judges picks be guys or girls? I'm hoping the girls are at least somewhat entertaining tonight.

Hollywood Week Band Solo Recap

2012-02-16T09:11:00.000-08:00

During last night's second half of the show the remaining contestants had to perform a solo with the idol band. They didn't get any feedback until the end when they were separated into 4 different rooms. One of those room full of idol hopefuls were sent home.

Joshua Ledet - up first was this new guy, Joshua Ledet, who I haven't seen much of before. He's really good and has a strong unique voice. Awesome version of "Jar of Hearts".

Jen Hirsch - I don't remember much of her either. She sang "Georgia On My Mind". It was beautiful. But it wasn't enough for her to be one of my favorites.

Colton Dixon - When this guy first auditioned his sound was so inauthentic. Is that a word? It was like he was totally trying to be something he wasn't. Last night's solo performance of "What About Now" changed my impression of him somewhat.

Phillip Phillips - Not only is this young guy a cute Southerner, he is also multi-talented and passionate. We've known this from the beginning so his talent comes as no surprise. He sang "Wicked Games" which was great but I know he can do way better. He is the kind of contestant that you honestly look forward to seeing what he is going to do with the song given whether it's good or bad. This year he is the guy with the guitar so if the voting is anything like the past few years, it is very possible that he will end up as the Season 11 winner. That is unless he goes and does something completely non-mainstream. At this point that may be the best thing for him.

Creighton Fraker - He sang "What A Wonderful World". The judges obviously love this guy. I still can't figure out why. He's OK but something about him doesn't connect with me. Also, I know this is completely irrelevant but I always think of Freddy Krueger and Justin Timberlake when I see him. Am I the only one? I'd love to see him in a red striped sweater. ;)

Reed Grimm - For some reason this guy thought he was allowed to sing acapella on "solo with the idol band night". Anyway, Reed is given a whole lot of screen time which seemed a bit fake to me. He sang "Georgia On My Mind" with drums. He's a bit interesting and irritating. Overall, I'm not sold on him yet.

Shannon Magrane - She sang "What A Wonderful World". She's 16 and has this beautiful strong voice. She reminds me of Katherine McPhee. I like her.

After the solos,very few of which were actually shown, the groups were divided up and group 3 was sent home. No surprises there.

I would have liked to have seen Eben and Heejun's solo performance. Was there any solo you wanted to see but didn't? Who was your favorite from last night? Who do you not like? Agree or disagree with me?

Hollywood Rounds 1 & 2 Recap in List Form

2012-02-15T18:03:00.000-08:00

I don't post as much as I should during the auditions and Hollywood week but I do have a few things to say about the last few episodes..in list form.

1. Why in the world did the judges bring Travis Orlando to Hollywood again this year only to have him eliminated in the first Hollywood round? This guy has amazing talent and I think he certainly deserves another chance. I'm really wondering how some of the others made it through to group round. I'm hoping some of them start to impress me.

2. We do not need coverage of vomiting, trainwrecks, and crybabies. Most of us experience it or see it every day so when we sit down in front of the tv after a long day we don't want to see it again. We get it. The flu is going around.

3. Why not show more of each group? We got to maybe see 3 or 4 groups the entire show and it is the same ole' tired crap every time. What? Were the other groups not crazy enough for TV time? The only exception..Heejun's group MIT. Now that was some funny stuff.

4. So far I have a few favorites. I like Philip Phillips,David Leathers Jr., Cortez Shaw, Gabi Carrubba, Eben Franckewitz, and Heejun Han. A lot of female contestants just aren't standing out for me this year. And, with all the hype that Reed Grimm and Creighton Fraker are getting I sure hope they start singing better than what I've seen so far. Who are your favorites?

5. How is it that I didn't even know that #TheVoice show existed? So far it's been much more exciting than American Idol. The judges on #TheVoice are awesome and have been very positive which is a welcome change from idol. Since I've never seen the show before nor the process of how it's going to work with the teams I can't comment further except to say that I'm loving it. I'm enjoying both Blake Shelton and Adam Levine. I'm leaning toward #TeamAdam but we'll see.;) Yeah, I realize this isn't about American Idol.

Ramblings are now over...

If you want to hear from more often connect with me on Twitter. I'm @PetiteMommy

YouTube Videos of American Idol 11 Hopeful David Leathers Jr.

2012-01-19T15:37:00.000-08:00

Season 11 Opens In Savannah: A Recap

2012-01-19T15:04:00.000-08:00

The 11th season opens with an audition from contestant David "Mr. Steal Your Girl" Leathers Jr. who sounds both like Michael Jackson and Justin Bieber. He's cute and very young looking. He says he's 17 but I have to agree with Jennifer Lopez on him looking more like a 12 year old. This may help him if he makes it to the top 20 because Moms and Grandmas everywhere will be voting for him. ;) Me included. The judges loved him immediately and so did we. He's also from North Carolina and generally there is huge support from fans when a contestant gets in the top 20 so I'm looking forward to seeing what happens out of that. YES to Hollywood.

Next up is Gabi Carruba. She is 15. She is not only gorgeous but has the voice to go with it. Judges thought her voice was beautiful. We agree. YES to Hollywood.

After this the camera crew shows several guys and gals that are Hollywood bound. I didn't see any that really stood out for me. Sure they can sing but the only "It" factor of the night so far has been David Leathers Jr.

We then see a brother and sister duo. Both of them are different ( which is very welcome) but their voices are not natural. It's like they are trying desperately to be something they just aren't. But they're singing is OK. And, they both get a YES to Hollywood even though the brother didn't officially intend to audition. Or was this just a setup?

At the start of hour 2, I'm a bit bored then we see a montage of "cryers" set to a Patsy Cline tune. I'm still bored. At this point the boys and I got into a conversation so I think I skipped a few possible decent auditions but I'm not so sure. I did briefly see a girl contestant that lived in a tent. Jennifer Lopez called her a "hipsy". I think that's my new favorite word. ;) YES to Hollywood for her.

Nearing the end of the show we get introduced to Lauren Mink from Winchester, KY. I like her voice and I love her back story even more. I'm sure the rest of America is loving her too. She was even trending on Twitter during the time of the show. I just wished she didn't sing that song. I didn't like it and surprisingly being from Kentucky myself, I don't like country music all that much. I would have liked it better had she chosen something from Dixie Chicks and Lady Antebellum but only because I like them. However, if she makes it to the top 20 I will definitely support her all the way! YES to Hollywood.

The evening comes to an end with guitarist/singer Philip Phillips. From his back story we just know he is going to be good and he delivers. The good news is that he is awesome and he got a YES to Hollywood but the bad news is that the last 4 winners of American Idol have been guys with three of those being guys very similar to him... David Cook, Lee Dewyze, and Kris Allen.So even though he is awesome I'm just not sure this is his year. But we can always hope and vote.

My Fave of The Night: David Leathers Jr. and Philip Phillips.
Most Potential To Win It All From Tonight: David Leathers Jr.

Who were your favorites?

When Does The American Idol Season 11 Start?

2011-12-21T17:11:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe American Idol is going in to it's 11th season and still going strong! I'm actually excited about watching it in 2012. I've had a couple people ask me when American Idol was starting back up so here it is. The premier episode for season 11 is actually a two night premiere starting on January 18th and January 19th,2012 at 8PM EST. Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, and Steven Tyler will thankfully be returning as judges. A special Sunday January 22nd, 2012 episode of American Idol will also be broadcast. These past few seasons of American Idol have been a bit lackluster so I'm really anxious to see some amazing singers this coming season!

Who Will Be Our Top Ten?

2011-03-24T15:50:00.000-07:00

Yes, I suck at blogging about American Idol. You see, I'd rather just watch it and ocassionally tweet about it. My days of dissecting American Idol are quite possibly over. Every time I critique a contestant I end up feeling like crap simply because each of them are good in their own way otherwise they would never have made it to the American Idol stage in the first place. PLUS, and this is a big PLUS, they can all sing way better than me so who am I to judge them? I guess I'm just to a point where I can no longer bring the snark that I used to. :(

Since I haven't blogged in a while I have to say the guys really have IT this year. James Durbin is an amazingly talented guy and Scotty is downright cute! I've never been much into country music even though I'm very much a country girl (go figure) but there's something about Scotty that gets my attention every.single.time.

So who's not making it into the top ten? If it were up to me, I'd say it was time for Thia or Jacob to go home. They are getting a bit too predictable and a bit too boring for me. Now, Thia may actually be in danger of leaving but I think Jacob has a pretty strong fan base right now so it'll be between Thia, Naima, and possibly Casey. Heck, I could be totally wrong and Paul may actually make his way into the bottom 3 tonight. What do you think?

A Few Thoughts On Wisconsin, Nashville, and The New Judges

2011-01-28T12:39:00.000-08:00

Going into the fourth episode of this new Idol season, I'm surprised to see Randy becoming the new Simon with this whole a-hole approach. Personally, I'm not liking the new Randy. Of course I understand this is entertainment TV and most of society enjoys this "you suck, move along" attitude. However, with that being said, I'm liking Aerosmith's Steven Tyler's approach to judging. In my opinion, he is this season's biggest asset thus far. Oh, and Jennifer Lopez is beyond sweet so how can you not like her?

Now on to my faves of the past two nights...

Milkwaukee Audition Faves:

Hailey Reinhart
Naima Adedapo
Thia Megia

Nashville Audition Faves:

Lauren Alaina
Paul McDonald
Rob Bolin

Want to here more idol ramblings? Visit me on Twitter

Opening Night Fave: Travis + His Audition Video

2011-01-20T10:23:00.001-08:00

Nearing the end of season 9 I began having American Idol blogger burnout. Imagine that. Heh. ;) Going into the finals I didn't really have a favorite so my enthusiasm for the show dropped, and I contemplated quitting idol blogging forever. However, after I found out there would be new judges (and I love them so far BTW) my excitement returned.

I'm not going to do an individual run down of each contestant or play by play this time around like I have in the past but I am going to try and share my thoughts & ramblings of all things idol season 10 as time permits.

Opening night of season 10 showed lots of promise! I was surprised to find out that over 50 contestants from New Jersey were sent to Hollywood. In the end my favorite of the night was Travis Orlando. This kid just has "it".

A Break From American Idol Blogging

2010-03-23T07:05:00.000-07:00

Blogging about American Idol has been a hobby of mine over the past few years. I've had fun doing it but now it's time for me to step down... at least for now. Thanks for all the comments and links. The AI community bring such fun and snark!

Anyway, with a growing home business and family obligations, I no longer have the time to commit to quality posts like in previous seasons. I'll still watch the show as time permits and maybe leave a comment on my favorite AI blogs from time to time.

At this point my season favorites are Casey James and Crystal Bowersox. I hope they go to the finals! Overall, my favorite of the season was Alex Lambert. I was very surprised to him go so soon. Who wasn't? He has an amazing voice and I'm positive we will see more of him soon.

OUT....

Top 12 Boys & Girls + Who's Going Home?

2010-02-25T09:23:00.000-08:00

Simon or Randy said that this year is the girls year. I don't know which one said it nor does it matter but based on last night's Top 12 Guys episode, I definitely have to disagree. On that same note, neither the guys nor the girls this year are exceptional and only a handful are good enough to even possibly sell records. I've said this before and I'll say it again.. this season is boring. I'm so bored that I switch the channel and am barely motivated to write something here. Luckily the eye candy keeps me coming back for more. Just joking...kind of ;)

I'm not going to do a recap on each contestant because that's been done already this week on several awesome blogs like Rickey, VoteForTheWorst, and MJSBigBlog. Instead I'm going to list my favorites and predictions on who's leaving tonight.

My 3 Girl Faves:

Crystal Bowersox
Siobhan Magnus
Haeley Vaughn

The Two Girls I think Should Leave Tonight: ( I can honestly say however that at this point I don't care which girls leave or which girls stay because none of them really stand out for me)

Paige Miles
Michelle Delamor

The Two Girls That Will Probably Leave Tonight:

Paige Miles
Lacey Brown

My 3 Guy Faves:

Casey James
Andrew Garcia
John Park/Alex Lambert (tie)

The Two Guys I Think Should Leave Tonight:

Aaron Kelly
Tim Urban

The Two Guys Who Probably Will Leave Tonight:

John Park
Joe Munoz

Results show tonight at 8pm. Kris Allen will be performing.

Hollywood #3: 7 of Top 24 Revealed!

2010-02-17T13:13:00.000-08:00

Last night seven of the top twenty-four were revealed on the third installment of the Hollywood rounds. However, if you've been following any American Idol fan blogs you probably already know the top 24 with all the spoilers floating around. Since Idol ran 2 hours last night and cut into my Lost time (not to mention the UK basketball game was on and who can resist John Wall?) I decided to flip back and forth between the two shows which means I missed a few scenes and cannot do a full recap. Truthfully, even though there are some amazing singers this year, American Idol is becoming a bit of a bore to me. Hopefully the top 24 brings some excitement next week.

Here are the 7 of the top 24 revealed in last night's episode:

Michael Lynch
Toddrick Hall
Didi Benami
Casey James
Katelyn Epperly
Aaron Kelly
Lee Dewyze

My faves out of these 7 are: Toddrick Hall, Casey James, and Didi Benami
I've also noticed that John Park is not getting a whole bunch of screen time. What is up with that? He's my favorite by far at this point.

If you want to skip tonight's episode and go straight to the top 24 then visit Joe's Place blog.

Andrew Garcia Performs Straight Up

2010-02-10T08:20:00.000-08:00

Watch Andrew Garcia's cover of Paula Abdul's Straight Up in this youtube video... I'm loving it!

Didi Benami Terrified!

2010-02-10T08:15:00.000-08:00

Watch Didi Benami perform Katherine McPhee's Terrified! Perfect!

Ellen + Hollywood Week + Lots of Surprises from the Contestants!

2010-02-09T17:10:00.000-08:00

One hundred and eighty-one hopefuls met in Hollywood last night at the Kodak theater. In the first few minutes we meet Ellen and she is super sweet and funny. She seems to not waver from her true personality for the show and I love that. Along with Randy, Kara, and Simon, the first day of Hollywood rounds begin. This year the contestants were put into groups of 8 and were given the opportunity to sing acapella or with an instrument. Many chose instruments and many more did not. My favorite performances of the night definitely came from those with instruments. In just a few minutes the in and outs began. I've listed below what I took away from the show as far as who's in and who's out for the next rounds.

Katie Stevens - In
Skiiboski - Out
Vanessa Wolf - Out
Andrew Garcia -In ( Loved his cover of Paula Abdul's Straight Up. Paula would've gone crazy )
Cornelius Edwards - Out
Janelle Wheeler - In
Haeley Vaughn - In (Very surprised by her voice and I like it!)
Toddrick Hall - In
Ashley Rodriguez - In
Jay Stone - Out
Justin Williams - Out
Tim Urban - In
Maddie Curtis - Out
Casey James - In ( Bluesy & adorable. What more can you ask for? He reminded me of Jonny Lang but will he be able to sing in a group and do all the other songs in later rounds)
Michael Lynche - In
Barney Dominatrix Erica Rhodes - Out
Didi Benami - In ( loved the song Terrified that she sang. She is definitely different. Kind of reminds me of last year's Brook White but with stronger vocals)
Crystal Bowersox - In
Lilly Scott - In
Lacey Brown - In
Mary Powers - In
Paige Dechausse - Out
Amanda & Bernadette Desimone - Out

Overall, I was surprised in both good and bad ways. I was hoping Vanessa Wolf would've been better but OMG she was awful.I felt so bad for her. And what about Justin Williams? Just take a moment and watch anything of him on Youtube. He is one talented guy. Yet the very weak singer Tim Urban got through?? Are they going for the younger guys this year regardless of talent to boost viewings?

My favorites of the night were Andrew Garcia, Michael Lynche, Didi Benami, Haeley Vaughn, and Casey James. I didn't see my fave, John Park, so I'm hoping he's showcased in tonight's Hollywood rounds.

Who was your favorite last night? Are you liking Ellen as the new judge?

Dallas Auditions : The Barney Dominatrix+Neil Patrick Harris

2010-01-29T09:30:00.000-08:00

So far this season the auditions have been disappointing. I've come to expect it, and the Dallas auditions were no different. It was all blah... Maybe it's me or is it?

Neil Patrick Harris and Joe Jonas were the guest judges in Dallas. Neil Patrick Harris had a bit of personality but Joe Jonas was pretty much useless. Did he say anything? Obviously he was put there to get a few more viewers than usual. However, I'm not sure it worked. Look at these ratings according to MJsBibBlog. Anyway, I, for one, was not impressed!

The interesting auditions of the night were:

Erica Rhodes AKA The Barney Dominatrix - Erica was originally one of the Barney kids and now she's a full blown dominatrix with a whip and spiky heels. She's pretty and she can sing but that something "special" is missing.

Christian Spear - At only 16, She's a cancer survivor; beautiful and an awesome singer. I love her mannerisms. She kind of reminds of me of a young Beyonce. Hope to see lots more of her!

Todrick Hall - definitely a good singer and quite interesting to watch. All these rumors of scams are a bit disappointing, however. :(

Dave Pittman - Dave has Tourette's Syndrome which seems to not really affect him while he's singing. Overall, he was a good singer. Would do well singing country. Go Dave!

Maegan Wright - While watching her back story I was getting kind of worried that she'd be awful but it turns out that I was totally wrong. She can sing!

My favorite of the night: Christian Spear

Here's Christian's AI audition video on YouTube just in case you missed her or want to see it again! She also has a YouTube Channel.

Who was your favorite of the night?

LA Auditions Recap Roundup

2010-01-27T10:30:00.000-08:00

Since I didn't get a chance to watch the Los Angeles Auditions last night I'm going to do a roundup of my favorite recap posts from various AI fan sites. enjoy...

The following folks always have lively posts that are a mix of fun, snarky, and informative:

Rickey.org's L.A. Auditions Recap

Mj's bigblog L.A. Auditions Recap

Idol Stalker's L.A. Auditions Recap

MTV's L.A. Auditions Recap

EW's American Idol Recap: California Screamin'

VFTW's Recap: Please Stop, I'll Have To Throw Coke In Your Face!

Tonight's auditions are in Dallas and we'll get to see guest judges Neil Patrick Harris and Joe Jonas from the Jonas Brothers. Looking forward to those.

Other Plans...

2010-01-26T15:09:00.000-08:00

I have other plans tonight so I'll be missing the auditions and won't be sharing a recap. In the meantime check out USA Today's Idol Chatter for their always entertaining live blogging tonight! I've done live blogging the past few years but haven't had a chance to get into it yet this year. Maybe soon..

Orlando Auditions Episode Recap: Matt Lawrence And Hilarious Pants Splitting!

2010-01-20T19:06:00.000-08:00

Despite a few gems, the Orlando episode has probably been the dullest episode to date for American Idol. How many more of these episodes do we have to endure? 3? Oh well, thankfully it all ends soon and we can get down to the good stuff.

Tonight's guest judge was the very cute Kristin Chenoweth. I had no idea how she was qualified to judge AI until they shared a bit of background on her. Of course I think I've only seen her as the homeschooling Mom in the movie RV. Loved that movie, BTW! ;)

Out of 10,000 hopefuls only 31 got through in the place where dreams come true or in this case, the place where most dreams got shattered. Here are a few of the contestants that got through.

Seth Rollins: A sweet family man who has a son with Autism... and he can sing! Wow! Kristin said, "I like everything about you!". Randy said, "Beautiful voice". I love seeing when contestants like this get through!

Jermaine Purifoy: I liked his voice but I wasn't blown away. Simon said, "Chicks will like you".

Shelby Dressel: Shelby sang Turn Me On by Norah Jones. She has a nice voice. Kristin said, "Good potential". I look forward to hearing more of Shelby.

Jay Stone: one word - beatboxer. He claimed he was bringing something new to American Idol but Blake Lewis did this a few years ago and Blake Lewis did it way better. Unfortunately, I don't think Jay will make it through day 1 of the Hollywood rounds.

Cornelius Edwards: This guy split his pants and gets the sympathy (well, I don't even know if you can call it a sympathy vote ??) YES vote! Huh? So, next year more people are going to pull this stunt in hopes of getting a yes. It was hilarious, however! Funniest moment on idol so far. You can see it here . Thanks to MJ's big blog for the link.

Bernadette & Amanda Desimone: They were fun but vocally not strong at all. Personally, I don't think they will go far in the Hollywood rounds.

Matt Lawrence: This guy was in jail for 4 years after robbing a bank with a BB gun. I was a bit hesitant about him..until I heard his voice. Whoa! This guy is going to go far in the competition. Kara said, "top 12". Do you agree?

Who was your favorite of the night?

Auditions Straight From The Candy Capital Of The World

2010-01-20T19:03:00.000-08:00

The Chicago auditions started out slow and boring and continued being slow and boring throughout the entire episode. At one point I almost turned off my TV and gave up on this city!

Shania Twain was the guest judge on this episode. She was quite distracting with all of her jewelry swinging or whatever it was she was doing. On the other hand, she's absolutely gorgeous for her age. Anyway, I'm ready for Ellen.

On to some of the more interesting auditions...

Katelyn Epperly: definitely a unique voice, loved the song she did and she's pretty.

Charity Vance: another unique voice and she seems so much older than 16 doesn't she? Shania said, "pleasantly surprised".

Angela Martin: She's been to Hollywood twice already but for some reason I can't remember her??? Anyway, Randy said, "Hot vocals". Simon says, "really talented, needs a break". Ok. She's a good solid singer just not a memorable one.

John Park: I'm thinking this guy is this season's Anoop Desai. Anyone else getting that vibe? I was surprised by the beautiful sound that came out of him and I have to say I like him a LOT! One thing's for sure... Shania really loved him! ;) Love John Park just as much as Shania? If so you can join his facebook fan page. Definitely My favorite of the night by far!

Watch Shania get tongue-twisted over John!

Out of 12,000 hopefuls who arrived for the auditions I was extremely surprised that less than 20 got through. Wow, were they really that bad?

Atlanta Auditions: Jermaine Sellers & Vanessa Wolf

2010-01-20T16:07:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday we were presented with the Atlanta auditions. I had a whole page of notes about the auditions, who I liked, who I didn't like,etc., but then my week got all kinds of crazy so I didn't recap the Atlanta auditions. Anyway, I didn't want to leave you without something so I'm just gonna share my favorites from the Atlanta auditions:

Jermaine Sellers - his version of "What If God Was One Of Us" or at least I think that's the name of song gave me chills. Definitely can sing. Mary J. Blidge said, "Incredible, so much control". I agree.

Vanessa Wolf- from Eastern Tennessee who I adore. I'd love to see her make it to the top 20!

Episode 1 Boston Recap: Starring Justin Williams, Tyler Grady, Ashley Rodriguez, & Leah Laurenti

2010-01-12T18:31:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the brand new 9th season of American Idol! Can you tell I'm excited?

So, did you enjoy the episode? Did you like Victoria Beckham as a guest judge? I have to say that I most definitely enjoyed her positivity towards those auditioning, and I just LOVE her accent. I want to steal it. :) And, I'm not missing Paula's babbling at all.

Episode one started out with a rainy but positive tone overall in Boston. A crowd of 9,000 arrived to audition with only a handful getting through after 2 days. Before we get into favorites, lets recap some of the contestants featured tonight. I'm not going to recap every contestant, instead I'm going to share with you the highlights of the night according to moi!

Andrew Finland - Ok, so he didn't make it through to the Hollywood round but I actually think he deserved to be there. All the judges said he was an arrogant smart-ass which wasn't far from the truth. Simon would have given him a YES. Strangely, I'm with Simon on this one. Sure, he griped non-stop and he was arrogant but he had something going for him...um, a personality??? ;)

Luke Shaffer - What little bit was featured of Luke made me an instant fan. I'm looking forward to seeing more of him in Hollywood. I think he will go far.

Ashley Rodriguez - She sang Alicia Key's 'If I Ain't Got You" and it was great. Victoria said one of her favorites and Simon said You may have IT! AGREED.

Tyler Grady - He sang "Let's Get It On". It was good/solid and the little girls are going to like him for sure. Simon said it was an audition he will remember. Victoria Beckham was in love with Tyler's clothes. :)

Justin Williams - First off, I think he auditioned last year and this year he comes with a backstory. He found out he had cancer and now he is cancer-free and ready to do what he loves. Why didn't they share this with us last year? I'm thinking he may be this year's Danny Gokey.
Here's Justin Williams cover of Apologize from YouTube He kind of reminds me of Adam Levine & Michael Buble mixed.

Leah Laurenti - Right after I tweeted that Ashely Rodriguez was my favorite, in comes Leah and wow, I really like her voice. One of my faves from the night!

Out of the Boston auditions who was your favorite? Do you see anyone from tonight making it to the top 24? I'm gonna have to go with Leah Laurenti and Luke Shaffer as my picks for the night.

Join us tomorrow night as American Idol heads to Atlanta, Georgia. Good night.

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American Idol Starts Tonight and Simon Cowell Is Leaving!

2010-01-12T15:36:00.000-08:00

The countdown is on for the 9th season of American Idol. The season starts tonight at 8pm EST with Kara, Simon, Randy and Ellen. Which judge do you think you will like the best? I'm rooting for Ellen. :) And, what will happen to American Idol once Simon leaves for his new show X-Factor next season?

I also wanted to add that my heart goes out to everyone in Haiti.

Tune in later for our 1st episode recap.

* our banner should also be back up and running soon. :)

American Idol 9 Returns In January

2009-12-28T13:27:00.002-08:00

The 9th season of American Idol will return on January 12, 2010 at 8pm. According to the Fox website the season will begin with a 2 day - 4 hour premiere. Let's hope for everyone's sake that this year's first 2 episodes are way more entertaining than last year.

Are you eagerly anticipating the 9th season or are you getting bored already? I have to say that for the last few season I've become increasingly bored by American Idol over all but I love listening to new music so much that I keep coming back in hopes that I will find some great performers. Last season gave us the very adorable Kris Allen and I'm really enjoying his latest single, "Live Like We're Dying".

Who was your favorite performer last year?

Ellen Degeneras To Be The New Judge On American Idol!

2009-09-12T12:37:00.000-07:00

A couple days ago we learned the Ellen DeGeneres will replace Paula Abdul as the new judge on American Idol season 9. Honestly I wish they were getting rid of Kara rather than Paula.

Also, Ellen said in an interview that she would not be mean. Good for her! I'm sure she will be funny which goes great with what American Idol has become in the past few seasons. I'm actually looking forward to seeing how she does on the new season coming in January 2010.

Do you think Ellen will be a good American Idol judge?

Other Links to read more about Ellen becoming a part of AI:

DeGeneres says she'll be honest but kind. We'd expect no less!

Ellen DeGeneres Joining American Idol as 4th Judge.