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‘American Idol’: Season 11 Top 24 Final Picks Revealed (Watch Video)

Sat, 25 Feb 2012 11:46:50 GMT

After a 24-hour wait, we finally learn the fate of Adam Brock, as well as who makes it into the remaining 10 available slots in the coveted Top 24. On Wednesday night, the men came out strong, quickly getting close to filling up the 12 slots for male singers. Last night, however, the scales evened with some stellar female performances, letting America know that voting for a favorite next week will be more than bargained for.

Have mercy on Adam Brock’s soul! When we left him last night the judges made it seem clear his Idol fate might be less than optimal. But after filling him with enough fear to manifest tears, Steven congratulates him for making it into the Top 24, narrowing down the slots to nine and making it even harder for the remaining contestants.

STANDOUTS
There’s a magic that very few singers have and Jeremy Rosado’s perfect pitch and beautiful sensibilities highlight this for judge Jennifer Lopez. After what seems like the end of the line for the singer, Lopez welcomes him to the Top 24, reassuring us, only the best of the best are being considered for the next round.

Country cutie, Skylar Laine seems nervous despite her strong performances in the earlier rounds, explaining that after watching Courtney advance to the next round, she’s leery of her chances. Still, judges have faith in her ability and she sings the Reba McEntire song “Fancy,” whom the judges have been comparing her since her first audition. The risk pays off, and she earns a place in the next round.

The pressure continues to mount when Deandre Brackensick takes the stage, knowing that most of the male places left have been filled. And he puts his falsetto to the test, displaying the fact that despite this is his second consecutive year in the top 40, he deserves to make it through. The judges agree, advancing him and taking away another place for the men.

HOPEFULS
Eben Franckenwitz goes toe-to-toe with former teammate David Levens Jr., choosing a song that’s really much too mature for him, but impresses the judges regardless. This mini Bieber better become associated with his demographic before next week if he plans to make it past this round.

Hollie Cavanagh is sent up to judgement with plenty of doubts, but in the end her strong performance allows her to emerge as one of the females to consider a contender. The same goes for blond beauty Shannon Magrane who earns a place in the next round. Additionally, Hallie Day, Chase Likens, and Aaron Marcellus make it into the Top 24.

SENT PACKING
Scott Dangerfield emerges in front of the judges with a point to prove, only his performance falls flat. Likewise, Jermaine Jones fails his beautiful baritone with a poor song choice, and young David Levens, Jr. disappoints with tone problems and a lackluster performance, getting sent home with Shelby Tweten and Ariel Sprague. Which brings us to your official American Idol Season 11 Top 24:

‘American Idol’: Jennifer Lopez Dodges a Lip Lock

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 16:08:40 GMT

After weeks of grueling competition, Wednesday night’s installment of “American Idol” finally began the task of winnowing down the remaining 42 contestants to the Top 24. Next week, those lucky 24 will go on to sing for America’s vote for the first time this season.

On Wednesday 14 contestants were given the go-ahead; the remaining 10 will be revealed Thursday night. The show ended on a cliffhanger, as Adam Brock, the soulful, bearded guy with the baby daughter, waited to hear if he’d made it through.

Despite its two-hour length, there wasn’t much singing during the episode. Instead, each contestant’s “Idol” journey was painstakingly recapped as they took the long, slow walk to the circular, water-surrounded stage of the Le Reve theater, located inside the Wynn Las Vegas resort. There, they faced Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler, learned their fate, and tried not to be distracted by the fact that the reflections of the water and lights off of J-Lo’s sequined dress were turning her chin green.
Occasionally, viewers were treated to bits and pieces of the contestants’ sudden death performances, where they had one last chance to sing before their final judgment. For example, Colton Dixon, the Mohawked guy whose sister was cut after Vegas week, performed Coldplay’s “Fix You.” He dedicated the tune to her, and told the judges he wished she had made it too.

Viewers also learned new things about some contestants. For example, viewers found out Creighton Fraker was adopted, and his biological father was the lead singer of Flotsam and Jetsam, an ’80s thrash metal band whose lineup once included future Metallica bass player Jason Newsted. Creighton learned that when he was 25 years old.

With few exceptions, the contestants viewers have seen a lot of over the past few weeks were all told they had made it through, while those who were never or barely seen on camera before got the axe. Of course, the lucky ones learned they had advanced only after being mentally tortured by the three judges, who would hem and haw and pretend the person hadn’t made it before finally telling them they were part of the top 24.

This year’s spotlighted crop of returning contestants, who had been cut in past seasons of Idol, finally made it through. They included Colton Dixon; blonde country singer Baylie Brown, who first tried out in season 6, and Brielle Von Hugel, the girl with the bossy mom who got cut last year after singing with eventual season 10 finalist Pia Toscano.

The funniest line of the night came from Heejun Han, the deadpan guy who spent most of the last few weeks dissing bossy cowboy Richie Law behind his back. Richie got cut, and as Heejun went to learn his fate, he said that if he didn’t made it, he would hug Jennifer Lopez and kiss her, because “that’s every Asian man’s dream right there.” Luckily, Heejun made it through, sparing viewers the sight of him attempting to forcibly lock lips with J-Lo.

Here’s a rundown of who has made it through to the Top 24 so far:
Jen Hirsh
Creighton Fraker
Joshua Ledet
Haley Johnsen
Elise Testone
Reed Grimm
Erika Van Pelt
Chelsea Sorrell
Baylie Brown
Heejun Han
Jessica Sanchez
Phil Phillips
Colton Dixon
Brielle Von Hugel
Here’s who got cut:
Lauren Gray (the one true surprise elimination of the night)
Blaire Sieber
Naomi Gillier
Neco Starr
Clayton Farhat
River St. James
Caleb Johnson
Richie Law
Fate unknown: Adam Brock
“American Idol” returns Thursday night at 8 p.m. Eastern time on Fox.

'American Idol' Judge Randy Jackson Has 'Crazy Taste'

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:01:36 GMT

As season 11 of "American Idol" chugs along, it's clear that Jennifer Lopez, Randy Jackson and Steven Tyler have found their footing and place with one another. The threesome is already into their second season as the show's brain trust, and J.Lo is revealing just what makes sharing the judging panel with "Idol" vet Jackson so great.

"He has all different kinds of sunglasses. There was one pair where I was like, 'Those are too big ... those are just too big!' and he's like, 'I love these,' " she laughed to MTV News during a recent chat about the Fox reality singing competition. "The thing I love about Randy is he's always so positive, even when he gives negative criticism on the show, 'cause he's the hardest of all of us."

While Jackson is straight up when it comes to his feelings about the contestants' talent — or lack thereof — it's his cool "dawg" demeanor that makes his criticism a much easier pill to swallow.

"He'll straight-out tell you that was awful. We won't say it," she said, adding that she and Tyler don't verbalize their feelings as straightforwardly. "Even though he's that guy, he's the most positive and the most great-energy person ever. He can laugh at himself so genuinely at the same time. He's just an amazing person."

As amazing as his judging style is Jackson's aforementioned sense of style, which reaches far beyond spectacles. "And he loves crazy sunglasses and I love them on him. Without the glasses, it's not really Randy — that and the shoes. He has a crazy taste in those things, like a little bit out there," she said. "Not mad at that."

American Idol Abilene style

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:55:21 GMT

Local songbirds will have the opportunity to show off their talents in a new event presented by the Steve Arthur Family Foundation and benefiting Chorus Abilene.

Auditions for Abilene Idol are set for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 3 at the Mall of Abilene, 4310 Buffalo Gap Road. Hopeful singers should bring a backup cd and will be able to sing a two-minute song of their choice. Ten finalists will be announced at 6 p.m. with the final round set for 7 p.m. March 24 at the Paramount Theatre, 352 Cypress St.

Cost to audition is $20 and tickets to the final competition are $10 (to vote for your favorite). Tim Halperin, American Idol Season 10 semifinalist, will be the guest celebrity performer for the final round. Winners will receive cash prizes: $500 for first place, $200 and $100 for the second and third places, respectively.

American Idol Review: One by One, They Fall – and Georgia’s On Everyone’s Mind

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 10:34:17 GMT

It’s the finale of Hollywood, Group, and Solo Week on Idol, and one thing has become evident – these people have endless medical issues! If they aren’t sneezing all over the other contestants, or vomiting into trashcans, they are literally falling off the side of the stage, fainting in the aisles, fainting ON the stage, and being carted away in ambulances. The show is referring to some of this as the “Idol flu,” since so many hopefuls seem to be affected by constant and bizarre illnesses. Me? I think it’s a whole lot of whiny, over-dramatic, attention-seeking foolishness.

This week we got a whole lot of Idol – four whole hours worth! Yup – there was the 2-hour episode on Wednesday, and then the 2-hour episode on Thursday. Boy, will I be happy when we are finally down to the Top 12 and these episodes start getting a wee bit shorter. The always annoying Seacrest opened the show with his usual “THIS is Group Week . . . I’m a gigantic tool . . . and THIS . . . is American Idol!!!” Okay, perhaps I’m paraphrasing just a bit.

The show began with the Group Round – 42 different Groups performing for a spot in the next round. On last week’s episodes, we were treated to endless fighting and teenage drama during the rehearsals and group process. This week, we were shown the actual performances. Here are some of the most memorable:

“Groove Sauce” included Reed Grimm, Nick Boddington, Creighton Fraker, Aaron Marcellus, and Jen Hirsch, and their singing of the 60′s tune “Hold On” was pitch perfect with fantastic harmonies. They received a standing ovation from the judges and crowd, and everyone in the group went through to the next round.

“Make You Believers” was memorable for a lot of reasons they probably didn’t want to be. Nobody seemed to know the words to the Boston song “More Than a Feelin,” the notes were either sharp, flat, or just plain off-key, and the entire performance was sort of a trainwreck. And then, of course, there was another fall. Jackie falls backstage, and the group wonders if she can handle the stress of going on. I’ll bet you can guess what happens. She does handle it, and she makes it through. Phew! Drama over.
“Area 451,” however, had 3 falls when Imahl Handey fell once backstage, again in the aisle, and one final time on the stage in the middle of the performance. Randy Jackson dramatically stops the show, while medics look at the contestant. While she shakes in her blanket, the judges decide not to put her through to the next round, but they do put Johny Keyser through.

“M.I.T.” was a group that included a really boring feud between Heejun Han and Richie Law, who wears a cowboy hat and acts in a pompous manner. These two don’t get along, and for some reason, the show is spending way too much time showcasing their extremely lame feud. There is nothing behind it. It’s just Han saying over and over how he doesn’t like the dude’s dumb hat, and Law saying over and over that he is better than everyone else. Yawn. Their group also included the very talented Phillip Phillips, and Jairon Jackson, and everyone got through.

The next day began the Solo Round, where the remaining contestants that survived the groups performed songs from a list that apparently only included the song “Georgia On My Mind” since in the course of about 25 minutes, we heard approximately 468 versions of this one song. It’s a great song, but Holy Crap!!! Enough already with Georgia on your mind. Are this many people really thinking about Georgia? Is Georgia really that great? I think I really need to go there, so I can have Georgia on MY mind too.

The best three versions that aired were from Grim Reed, who played the drums and sang the song in a unique, lighthearted way; Adam Brock, whose voice was strong and gritty with an incredible range; and Jen Hirsch, who has an unbelievable talent beyond her years. There were a lot of wonderful solos that didn’t have Georgia on their minds, including Crieghton Fraker, Joshua Lidot, Colton Dixon, and Phil Phillips.

Finally, after some last minute cuts, the episode ended with the ‘ole “Four Rooms” routine, where the show separates the contestants into 4 rooms, and then comes into each room to announce whether its a yes or no. Every group was a yes, except for group 3.

BUT WAIT … THERE’s MORE!!! There was yet another Group Round. This time the contestants were decked out in full costumes, with full choreography, and led by a vocal coach. This last stage of the game was not in Hollywood, but in Las Vegas, on the Viva Elvis Stage. Of the remaining 70 contestants, some incredible highlights included:

The unique pairing of Jermaine Jones and Richie Law, who sat on two stools together and sang “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do” with a perfect, wonderful harmony. Jessica Sanchez, Deandra Brackensick, and Candice Glover who modernized and kicked ass on the song “I Guess It Doesn’t Matter Anymore.”David Leathers Jr, Jeremy Rosado, Ariel Sprague, and Gabi Carruba, who rocked the song “Rockin Robin.”

Perhaps one of the best, most original performances came from a group that included Ebon Frankowitcz, Reed Grimm, Elise Testone, and Haley Johnson, with their performance of “The Night Has a Thousand Eyes.”

In the end, the show kept making last minute cuts, in order to get down to a respectable number, which I believe ended up somewhere around 42 people. Those remaining contestants will each perform one more solo in next week’s episodes, for their chance to get into the Top 20, and then eventually, the Top 12.

‘American Idol’ Group Recap: Hopefuls Head to Las Vegas

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 14:45:01 GMT

Only 70 ‘American Idol‘ contestants were left at the start of tonight’s episode (Feb. 16) and when all was said and done, there were only 42 still standing. Before the drastic cutting of contestants took place, the hopefuls headed to Sin City to perform in groups…again. That didn’t go so well last time, but tonight was a marked improvement.

The contestants were tasked with producing a complete performance package, including choreography. The intangible of getting along with your groupmates didn’t prove as challenging this time out, either. The stakes are higher, so the ‘Idol’ wannabes were forced to hunker down and work.

An added bonus: No excessive fainting and no falling tonight, since there was so much of it last night that it felt forced and therefore almost funny. Nevertheless, the rules dictated that the Idols had to form groups of three to four members. They were assigned songs from the 1950s or 1960s. After the performance, they would be told -then and there- if they are on to the next round. There was a snafu of sorts. The judges had to make more cuts at the end of the ep, in order to whittle the group down to a workable number. That meant that some contestants who initially made it through had their dreams dashed.

'American Idol' contestant Reed Grimm christened as the new Casey Abrams after playing the drums

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 14:47:04 GMT

“I am the next American Idol because I got something ain’t nobody got,” announced the (overbearingly?) quirky Reed Grimm, 26, before settling in on the Hollywood Week stage to begin the episode’s 78th cover of Ray Charles’ “Georgia on my Mind.” What had Reed got? A special “GrooveSauce”? An impressive music collection of exclusively TV theme song CDs and movie soundtracks? No! I mean, yes on the latter for sure, but what Reed wanted to pull out of his underwear tee and lord over the others was his impression of Animal from the Muppets!

He had planned on singing a cappella, but evil overlord gargoyle Nigel Lythgoe said “No. Cue music from the Idol band!” at the last minute, so after a lengthy coaching session and multiple calls to his mom, Reed just decided to play those drums out of nowhere! (I suspect this was his plan all along, but just go with it.)
As he started playing, Randy nodded to his confidant J. Lo, “That’s another Casey there” (which was subtitled for your pleasure). The first guy to flash across my mind was season 9′s Casey James — just because I’m still embarrassed that I kept calling him “Casey Jones” in so many first drafts of so many blog items that year. But obviously Randy meant season 10′s now-beardless Casey Abrams — king of bass, scat, and Inflammatory Bowel Disease awareness.

Hmmm….would we call this guy the next Casey? I much prefer Mr. Abrams so far. I’m still not sure I’m on board with Mr. Grimm’s aggressive quirkiness, and people who boast that they have “always lived on the stage” scare me. When do they eat?

His other auditions were the Family Matters theme song and “I’ve Got a Golden Ticket” from Willy Wonka, both of which I’ve always found to be amazing songs — so seriously what is wrong with me that I don’t love him? What about you? If you were annoyed by Reed Grimm before, did your annoyance wash away after tonight’s fabulous drumming?
I can see the ladies loving this one, so Mr. Grimm (I must keep calling him that) is here to stay!

The Voice vs. American Idol: This Is War

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:41:16 GMT

In recent years, the carping about American Idol's ratings, or, rather, American Idol's declining ratings, has been pointless: In the end, it's always No. 1. Make that, it was always No. 1. For the first time since before Carrie Underwood outdueled Bo Bice, if you can remember back that long, Idol's been beat—and The Voice did it.

The NBC singing competition wound up as the highest-rated series among 18-to-49-year-olds in Nielsen's just-released weekly rankings. The Voice's time-slot premiere last Monday scored a 6.7 rating, more than enough to top Idol's still-big numbers: a 6.1 rating for Wednesday's show, and a 5.8 for Thursday's edition. It appears this is the first time since May 2005 that Idol failed to come out on top among regularly scheduled series in the demo rankings.

And that wasn't Idol's only loss of the week. While both nights of Idol overall outdrew The Voice, it was NCIS that finished as the week's most-watched series, averaging a season-high 21 million viewers.

Last week's The Voice benefitted from its Super Bowl night push, while NCIS had its 200th episode mojo working for it. Idol was fortunate to be able to counter with contestant Symone Black's stage swoon.

The Voice stayed strong last night, dominating CBS' comedies, per the early numbers, and finishing with 16.1 million viewers and a 5.9 demo rating that may, or may not, best Idol in next week's rankings.

Either way, the fight is definitely on. Also last night, Smash suffered a predictable drop from its heavily promoted premiere, got outdrawn by Castle in the 10 p.m. hour, but otherwise came up big. Its 8.1 million viewers and time-slot-winning 2.8 demo rating could be enough to ensure it Top 30 finishes in next week's weekly rankings.

Word of House's imminent demise, meanwhile, did not bring out the well-wishers in any great numbers. The show was about even, if slightly down, from last week (7.2 million viewers, 2.4 demo rating).

Here's a quick look at some of the ratings highlights from this week's broadcast and cable rankings—and apologies in advance, no info yet on Sunday's Downton Abbey season finale:

• The Grammy Awards: Whilst Idol and The Voice were warring among themselves, Adele, Whitney Houston and the musical kitchen sink were powering the ceremony to its greatest heights since the days of Michael Jackson's Thriller. Interest in the show additionally appeared to drive E!'s Live From the Red Carpet preshow to the franchise's biggest-ever audience: 4.1 million viewers.

• Rihanna: The singer's Grammy performance with Coldplay was surprisingly, given the attention paid to Jennifer Hudson's Houston tribute, the most TiVo'd moment of the night. And, no, neither of Chris Brown's two Grammy numbers made the top five.

• The Walking Dead: Airing opposite the Grammys or no, the zombie series' return hit a series high with 8.1 million viewers. Not only did the AMC series finish atop the weekly cable rankings, it dominated its Sunday-night broadcast competition. The only free-TV series to score more viewers was Once Upon a Time (8.6 million viewers), and it aired before, not against, Walking Dead.

• NBC's 10 p.m., Thursday time slot: After a long, dry season, it finally showed signs of life—thanks to a rerun of The Voice (3.5 million viewers, 1.5 demo rating). Grimm reruns take over next.

Here's a complete look at the TV week's top 10 most-watched broadcast shows:

54th Annual Grammy Awards, 39.9 million viewers
NCIS, 21 million viewers
American Idol (Wednesday), 19.3 million viewers
American Idol (Thursday), 18.1 million viewers
The Voice, 17.8 million viewers
NCIS: Los Angeles, 16.3 million viewers
The Big Bang Theory, 16.2 million viewers
Person of Interest, 15.1 million viewers
The Mentalist, 14.7 million viewers
60 Minutes, 14.3 million viewers

My Generation: In reality, athletes resemble 'American Idol' stars

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:13:25 GMT

What does a reality show like "American Idol" have to do with football? Most kids have seen the show, but for those who haven't, here's what happens:

"American Idol" starts with lots of folks who think they can sing and want to become pop music stars. The contestants are like sports teams that start the season with great hopes of winning the championship.

Of course, the "Idol" contestants don't play hoops or football; instead, they sing for a panel of judges. Those performances are their big games. The judges pick the performers who are good enough to move on to another set of performances in Hollywood. The competitions in Hollywood are the show's playoffs. Some singers, like some teams, are not very good. They are eliminated before going to Hollywood.

The performers keep singing, and the judges (and the people watching at home who vote) keep picking winners and losers until there's one big winner: the American Idol. The shows are like the college basketball tournaments -- teams keep getting eliminated, and everyone tunes in to see who will be the winner.

These days, there are lots of shows where contestants compete for some big prize: "Survivor," "America's Got Talent," "The Amazing Race" and "Dancing With the Stars."

Athletes do very well on "Dancing With the Stars." Winners have included Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith, and Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward as well as three Olympians. That makes sense. Dance is like a sport. The athletes are good because they know about practice and working to get better.

It also makes sense that people like these shows. Just as in sports, people like competitions with clear winners and losers. They love to root for their favorites, whether it's a football team or a young pop singer. We also are curious to see how people will stand up to the pressure of a big moment: a last-second field goal attempt, a 10-foot putt or singing a song in front of millions of people. So enjoy the games, including "American Idol."

'American Idol' producer attacks rivals

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:50:18 GMT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "American Idol" executive producer Nigel Lythgoe came out fighting against rival TV shows on Tuesday, calling singing contest "The Voice" a "gimmicky" show and making clear he was fed up with defending "Idol"s slipping ratings.

Speaking to reporters following headlines of bumper audiences for this week's return of NBC's "The Voice," Lythgoe questioned whether other TV talent shows would still be around in 11 years or produce top-level stars such as those that have emerged from Fox television's "Idol".

"After 11 years I am thrilled with these ratings," Lythgoe said. "Of course there is going to be viewer fatigue. It is the same as too many sci-fi dramas or too many hospital dramas. But after 11 years, I don't think we should be defending ourselves."

Roughly 19.7 million U.S. viewers watched last Wednesday's episode of "Idol", which has seen a 20 percent audience decline since its return to TV in January and is fighting to retain its crown as America's most-watched TV show.

By contrast, the second season premiere of "The Voice" was watched by 37.6 million Americans immediately after Sunday's Super Bowl. Some 17.7 million -- a 50 percent increase over last year's debut -- returned for Monday's regular episode in the biggest challenge yet to "Idol's" supremacy in its genre.

"We have survived for 11 years and whatever bad press we are getting about these ratings -- God! the rest of the world would love these ratings," a clearly frustrated Lythgoe said.

He added that there would be no major changes to the "Idol" format as it enters its popular Hollywood round this week. "Why on Earth would we start looking at other things to put in there? I have no idea...'American Idol' is now in the history books and will remain there. And let's hope all the other shows like 'X Factor' and 'The Voice' continue to be successful for 11 years...I will keep my fingers crossed for them," he added.

Lythgoe said "The Voice" had a "fun format," in which judge-mentors Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green, Blake Shelton and Adam Levine initially turn their backs on contestants before competing among each other to mentor the new talent to stardom.

But he added: "It is very gimmicky which is interesting at this time. I particularly like the relationship between Blake and Adam. Other than that, I think they need stronger talent."Lythgoe was just as dismissive of Simon Cowell's glitzy "The X Factor", saying its arrival on U.S. TV last fall "feels like two 'Idol' singing seasons (a year) on Fox."

He claimed it was "Idol" that was turning out true stars like Grammy winner Kelly Clarkson, who has been hired as a mentor on "The Voice," and Katharine McPhee, a 2006 "Idol" runner-up who is now starring in NBC's musical drama "Smash".

"If what you want is real good talent without gimmicks, without fireworks going off and without flashing lights, and just bloody good talent on the stage, then watch 'American Idol' because that is what you are going to get," Lythgoe said.