Season 9: Week 1 (The Guys)

Bonus Question: What product has Kris Allen been endorsing this season in Idol commercial breaks?
Bonus Question: One popular Randy-ism has been noticeably absent from the judging table this season, with it only being said once tonight (by Randy)....what is it?

Todrick Hall – Since U Been Gone. Well, I guess he gets points for reinventing this Kelly Clarkson song, but it was actually a pretty terrible arrangement and he didn’t sing it very well. I appreciate his ambition, though, I guess. His performance was just a little too high on the cheese factor.

Aaron Kelly – Here Comes Goodbye. Aaron sounded a little nervous in the beginning. His voice doesn’t seem that strong. He may have been better off in the contest if he had waited a couple years. This kid is no Archuleta, that’s for sure. He seems like he strains a lot when he sings…like it’s painful. Without being a bully, I would say Aaron's performance should send him home tomorrow.

Jermaine Sellers – Get Here. This performance was boring. And his singing didn’t sound anywhere near where he’s sounded earlier in the competition. I don’t know if he couldn’t hear himself or what, but he was shrieking a ton of really bad, really shrill notes. I would say Jermaine is another person who should go home tomorrow...I don't know if he will or not, though. I don't think the TV audience has seen him as a likeable contestant, so I wouldn't be surprised if he's packing his bags.
Bonus Question: What did Jermaine Sellers refer to Hollywood Week as?

Tim Urban – Pologize. Didn’t quite get there. I hate this song anyway, but this guy made it even more miserable. His performance was not impressive. That being said, I feel bad for Tim based on Simon’s critique. He looked heartbroken! I think the judges were a little more harsh with him than they were with some other contestants. They want Tim to go home tomorrow night. To be fair, Tim's performance wasn't stellar by any means, but I think the judges should give him a break since he's coming into the competition with a little bit of an unfair disadvantage, having not even been featured in the Top 24 shows!

Joe Munoz – You and I Both. Finally someone is doing a Jason Mraz song that’s not “I’m Yours.” And I would like to give to Joe some credit for changing the song up a little bit in a creative way. However, Joe’s voice didn’t transition well to the big stage. He seemed a little shaky…almost like a bleating goat (oddly, this is also how I describe Miley Cyrus’s voice). I wouldn’t be surprised if Joe was one of the first to be eliminated, but I think there were others who should go before him.

Tyler Grady – American Woman. I’m not sure about this guy. He has more poise than most of the other contestants to be sure, but I don’t think he’s as good as he thinks he is, or as good as we’re supposed to believe he is. And I’m going to get sick of this whole 70s niche if he’s planning on doing this every week. Perhaps the comments from the judges will help him to figure out what he needs to do differently. He kind of looks like John Mayer a little bit. That may have something to do with why I instinctively don't like him.

Lee Dewyze – Chasing Cars. I really like this song. I think Lee possesses a quiet confidence that is lacking in a lot of the other competitors. He sounded a little nasally on some parts of his song, but overall he is a good musician. He reminds me of Jeremy Camp…a lot. I think Lee is one of the more seasoned performers on the show. He seems like a professional. And I get what the judges are saying in trying to liken him to David Cook...but I think Lee would probably prefer to not be pigeon-holed into the shadow of another recent winner so early on.

John Park – God Bless the Child. I love his low voice! This song may have been a little too quiet for John to make the statement he needed to make since we haven’t heard anything from him since his audition. I think, though, that if he does a more fun and vibrant song next week, he’ll definitely be a contender for the Top 12.

Bonus Question: There are 3 male contestants from Illinois this season…2 points for each one you identify correctly.

One problem I have with Ellen is that on a number of occasions tonight, she referred to the male contestants performing to get the votes of “young girls.” I think that is a little sexist for her to assume that these guys will automatically get the votes of young ladies, and so they should pine for them, rather than trying to please the general audience. I agree there are a lot of young girls who watch and vote, and have unwavering devotion for some of the male contestants. But I think it’s a big generalization for Ellen to think that these girls are the majority of the vote. If that were the case, no female contestant would ever be able to win again. A judge would never advise a female contestant to perform for the “young guys,” that would be shallow and superficial. But for some reason it’s okay to expect the male contestants who are good-looking to pander to the 12 year-old giddy tween demographic.

Michael Lynche – This Love. I don’t get it. I think Mike’s voice is very whiny sounding. His confidence and likability really work for him because his voice just isn’t there. I do think it’s cool, though, that he makes a regular-sized guitar look like a ukulele.

Alex Lambert – Wonderful World. This is the kid who looks like the brother from Hannah Montana, plus a mullet. His dancing is a little awkward, but I really think his voice has a nice Maroon 5-ish quality to it. I think once he’s a little more comfortable on stage he’ll deliver a better performance. It wasn’t as bad as we’ve seen, but there’s room for improvement.

Casey James – Heaven. He’s supposed to be some kind of sex symbol, but does anyone remember Bucky Covington from season 5? I think they favor each other (they have the same hair, at least). Casey, however, is a better singer. I really like his voice. I prefer him when he’s singing more bluesy stuff, but I think he delivered an acceptable performance tonight. He looked dreadfully nervous, but that seems to be a trend. Does anyone else think it’s awkward for this whole Kara-Casey love story thing to take place? First of all, she’s married, and secondly, there’s got to be a rule somewhere against judge-contestant relationships. Depending on how you look at it, this issue could be an advantage or a disadvantage to Casey. It's not fair for him to gain this unwarranted attention and popularity on the show because Kara thinks he's exceptionally good-looking. But on the other hand, this focus on his looks is going to cause a lot of voters to think that Casey is nothing more than a hunky guy with an okay voice. I could tell at one point tonight during the judges' speaking, that Casey was not enjoying what was being said. I can't say that I blame him.

Andrew Garcia –Sugar, We’re Going Down. I love this song! I love the acoustic, stripped-down version Andrew created. I think Andrew is one of the few performers who may indeed be above the caliber of what American Idol contestants usually are. Oddly enough, he reminds me a lot of David Cook in that while everyone else is getting their feet wet and delivering average performances at this stage, I think Andrew always surprises.

What did you think of tonight's show? Who were your favorites, and who do you think needs to catch the first train OUT of Hollywood? Feel free to comment below!

Season 9: Week 1 (The Ladies)

The "real" competition began tonight and the ladies started off more than a little shaky. There must be a big difference in a person's mental state, between performing on a stage in front of your peers, and performing on live television in front of America.

A couple of notes on the judges: To me, Simon seemed more engaged than usual...perhaps he's trying to make the most of his final season on the show. A lot of his advice, however, fell flat (more on that later).

I'm trying to decide who dominates in the nails-on-chalkboard factor: Randy or Kara. Randy Jackson's seat could just as adequately be filled by a parrot because all he does is echo whatever the people say who speak before him. And Kara's unrelenting use of feel-good terms including, but not limited to, heart, feeling, inside yourself, know who you are, and believe, make me wonder if she has some kind of inspirational cheat-sheet taped to the judging table. She just chooses a phrase at random and runs with it for whatever contestant she happens to be speaking to.

Ellen, on the other hand, has been a pleasant surprise for me. She's unabashed about the fact that she's no musical expert, and I appreciate her as a representative of the typical American audience, who just wants to be entertained (thank you, Adam for helping me to see her role in that way).

Bonus Question: Which contestant did Randy say was his favorite of the night?

Paige Miles - All Right Now - Paige seemed incredibly nervous, and her voice sounded a little shaky to me. I think she would have done better by choosing a song that defined where she'd like to go with her career since we hadn't gotten the chance to hear her sing a single note thus far in the competition. The judges, however, were very easy on her. I guess sometimes it's a good thing to go first.

Ashley Rodriguez - Happy - This song was too low for Ashley on the verse portion. She's a pretty girl, but again, she hasn't been showcased enough for the viewing audience to really know who she is or what she sounds like. She unfortunately chose a forgettable song and gave a forgettable performance. I wouldn't be surprised if she goes home on Thursday.

Janelle Wheeler - What About Love - I would like to start a petition for this song to be retired from being performed on any reality show ever again. I love Heart, and Kara did get one thing right tonight: nobody can sing like Ann Wilson. It's too bad that Janelle even attempted it because her song fell flat. And it just seems like one of those early-round selections someone makes and then they fall into American Idol obscurity and we never hear from them again.
Bonus Question: Simon said that many of the contestants are trying too hard to sound like ____________ and _____________. Name these two artists (2 points for each).

Lilly Scott - Fixing a Hole - It's a funny thing about Lilly Scott. I think she's undoubtedly one of the most talented contestants on the show this season, but I can't see the typical American Idol viewer really liking her all that much. Maybe I'm wrong...it's happened before. I just think that someone who chooses such a strange Beatles song as their first live performance is either a creative genius, or she's digging her own grave. I really like Lilly's voice. She's a little jazzy and bluesy. As of right now, I don't know if I'd purchase a full album of hers, but I think I would definitely give up $1.29 on iTunes to buy one song, even though it's highway robbery to raise your prices by 25% overnight, APPLE! (I think that's right....and I know that happened quite some time ago, but I'm still upset about it.)

Katelyn Epperly - Oh Darlin' - Katelyn chose another Beatles tune, but she chose to do a copycat performance from the film "Across the Universe." The original was sung magnificently by Dana Fuchs, who is amazing. Katelyn didn't quite get there with her song, but I will say she did better than I was expecting her to. I honestly had a difficult time listening to her because I found her entire look to be a little distracting. She reminded me of Sandra D at the end of Grease when she becomes the "bad girl."

Bonus Question: Simon said this would be "The ___________ Year."

Haeley Vaughn - I Want to Hold Your Hand - Oh boy. Haeley is screamy. I can't tell if it's just her singing style, or if she was nervous, but her voice reminded me of a loose car. I can't really explain that since I'm not sure what a loose car is, but that's how I would define it. Her voice just seems a little out of control to me. There is no way I could ever listen to an entire album of Haeley's, though. Maybe as she matures a little, she'll be able to master her own voice.

Lacey Brown - Landslide - Before tonight, every time Lacey has been heard on the show her voice has been beautiful and subtle. And she sings with such an effortless grace that it draws you in. She's been one of my favorites from the beginning and I hated seeing her bomb tonight. I actually thought her performance was not as bad as the judges made it out to be, but I do think the nerves got the best of her in this case. I think she's magnetic enough to draw in some votes, though, so I feel like she'll get another chance. I'm not entirely sold, however, on her Sharon Osborne haircut.

Michelle Delamor - Fallin' - I take back what I said about Heart's song earlier in this post. I would like to put all of my eggs in the proverbial basket of getting "Fallin'" taken off the roster for American Idol. I get so sick of hearing this song over and over again every season. I think I know what a radio DJ must feel like when they have to play the same Katy Perry song a thousand times a day. Michelle sang the song surprisingly well, though. I think she was one of the better performers of the evening. I appreciate that she changed up the melody of the song a little and added her own stylings to it. I would have complained a lot more had she chosen to sing the textbook version. I think Michelle was pretty good tonight, but I'm afraid she might easily get lost in the shuffle of everyone else who was more memorable.

Didi Benami - The Way I Am - Didi has a beautiful voice, and I think up until that point in the show, she had the best performance of the night. I liked what Didi did with her voice in the song, in that she had a lot of surprises up her sleeve. I do agree with Simon's critique, however, that she made the song sound dreary. I don't think the way Didi sang it fit in very well with the lyrics of the song. It's supposed to be a cheesy, happy love song, and she sang it like she was sad. Is this what music people mean when they refer to "phrasing?" I'm not sure. Feel free to answer this question in the comments section, I'd really like to know.

Bonus Question: What former Idol's single did Simon make fun of? (2 points for the artist and 2 points for the song title)

Siobhan Magnus - Wicked Games - I'm not sure where my reasoning is coming from on this, but I think this song is very sexy when performed by a man, but it becomes very creepy when a woman sings it. I can't quite figure that out, but I wasn't completely sold on that song choice for Siobhan tonight. I do think it was an interesting performance to say the least, and I think Siobhan's voice is one of the strongest ones in the competition. I'm glad she stood up for herself when the judges scolded her for not choosing a song with powerhouse vocals. Sometimes understated is a better way to go.

Crystal Bowersox - Hand In My Pocket - Crystal won the night with her impressive rendition of the Alannis Morrisette tune. To me, Crystal already seems like she's a notch ahead of most of her fellow competitors. She's ready to go out and record a platium-selling album, whereas someone like Haeley Vaughn is just getting her feet wet. One thing I'm scared of for Crystal, though, is that I'm not sure how she's going to grow and improve throughout the course of the season if she's already this good. Shame on Simon for scolding Crystal by saying that everyone always chooses the same songs. He may be right about that, but he shouldn't have chosen THIS contestant for that critique, after she sang THIS song! Nobody sings Alanis on American Idol!

Katie Stevens - Feelin' Good - Katie sang a hundred times better than I thought she would. I was impressed. I think she gave a good performance of a wonderful song and I can't wait to hear more from her. She looks like she's a teenager, but her voice is much more mature. Bonus Question: In what musical was this song first showcased?

So what did you think? How did the judges behave? Which parts of the show did you love, and which parts did you hate?

Please email me your predictions for who will be in the bottom 3 and which 2 contestants will be eliminated, along with your answers to the bonus questions!

Season 9: Top 24!

Here is a list of the Top 24 for American Idol Season 9! Click HERE if you need a refresher of what predictions you're supposed to make from this list. I apologize for not adding photos to this blog post. My site is disagreeing with my computer tonight.

1. Todrick Hall - He wrote a memorable audition song for the judges, and continued to impress throughout Hollywood week. He played in The Color Purple alongside Fantasia.

2. Michael Lynche - "Big Mike", as they call him, made a lasting impression on America for being 1. huge, and 2. absent from the birth of his first child. I'm not a fan. Obviously.

3. Didi Benami - Her fragility and tenderness, paired with her ethereal looks are reminiscent of Brooke White from American Idol Season 7. But Didi's voice is more polished and, I think, prettier. I have an inkling that if Didi keeps doing what she's been doing, she'll stick around for a long time.

4. Katelyn Epperly - I don't remember much about her, except that her hair is almost as big as mine. Ellen gave her a hard time in telling her that she was through to the Top 24. I can't remember what she sounds like, though...that could be a problem.

5. Casey James - Kara objectified him in his audition by requesting that he remove his shirt and let his hair down (wonder what would have happened if a male judge had made this request of a female auditioner....hmmmmmm?). This audition led me to believe that Casey was just an average singer who made it through based on his looks. But after seeing Casey's performance during Hollywood Week, I actually think he's a very talented musician. He's got a bluesy quality about him, and he did a pretty fantastic rendition of Colbie Calliat's "Bubbly" on Tuesday night's episode.

6. Aaron Kelly - Sixteen-year-old Aaron brings the Archuleta factor this season. I think he has a pretty voice, but he may lack the star power to stick around. He's not quite as unassuming and cuddly as David Archuleta. We'll see though; he's a very talented singer.

7. Lee Dewyze - Lee hasn't been given much camera time up to this point, which may be detrimental to his future on the show. However, his husky vocals and guitar playing may be enough to save him. It's been done before.

8. Janelle Wheeler - Janelle has a pretty face and a pretty voice, but she might fall into the forgettable category. Simon didn't initially want to pass her through the audition round.

9. Tyler Grady - Tyler was a drummer who was injured in an accident in the past. He has a 70s style. Unfortunately, all of that stuff outshines his voice because I can't remember what he sounds like at all.

10. Lacey Brown - The pixie-haired singer has a soft, soothing voice with a little bit of a jazz quality to it. I think she's really talented, and I hope she makes it far.

11. Alex Lambert - I always think that this guy looks like the brother from Hannah Montana (no, I do not have children, and yes, I do know who the characters on Hannah Montana...I'm sad about it.).

12. Joe Munoz - I'm not sure that we've heard Joe sing at all in the competition. Don't be too quick to write him off, though. Former contestants like Jason Castro and Kris Allen were barely showcased until the Top 24!

13. Ashley Rodriguez - Ashley's another one who hasn't had a lot of screen time. I do remember her doing a mediocre version of Jordin Sparks' Battlefield at some point during Hollywood Week, though.

14. Crystal Bowersox - Crystal is the antithesis of what a female American Idol contestant should be. And that's one of the reasons why I love her, and her dreadlocks and piercings! Well, that and her amazing vocals! I think Crystal is my favorite out of the Top 24.

15. Katie Stevens- Her grandmother suffers from Alzheimer's Disease and Katie wanted to be a contestant on the show to make her grandma happy while she could still remember. Katie seems like a sweet girl, but I'm afraid that her lack of vocals and experience will send her to an early exit from Season 9. I'm afraid Katie won't make the Top 12.

16. Lilly Scott - Her memorable whitish-blonde hair and cauliflower-sized earrings are definitely a statement. I'm not sure what statement exactly, but I suppose they help her to stand out among the crowd. I really like her voice; I think she'll stick around in the competition for awhile.

17. Paige Miles - I don't recall ever having seen Paige on the screen before the moment when they told her she was part of the Top 24.

18. Siobhan Magnus - She wins the award for the coolest name, at least. I'm not sure about these 1940s nightgown frocks she keeps wearing, along with her cut-off denim jacket (?) I do like her voice, though.

19. Michelle Delamor - I thought she was the same person as Michelle Rodriguez. Their hair is different, though, I guess.

20. Jermaine Sellers - Jermaine first auditioned in Atlanta and I was blown away by his amazing vocal ability. However, since then Jermaine has consistently oversung on every performance they've shown. I'm not sure I'll be able to tolerate much of him this season.

21. John Park - I remember loving John Park's voice from his audition, but then he sort of fell off the radar throughout Hollywood Week. I think he'll be a clear contender for the Top 12, though. He has the clean cut look and the voice to make that happen.

22. Haley Vaughn - The sixteen-year-old soul, country singer has the potential to be great, but I'm afraid she's simply too young for this season. She's a talented musician, but she needs a little fine tuning (pun most definitely intended). Her voice cracks all the time and she hits a lot of bum notes. I fear the Sanjaya factor may soon haunt her. And that's sad because she's just so darn cute!

23. Andrew Garcia - If anyone is going to give Crystal Bowersox a run for her money in the quest for my devotion this season, it will be Andrew. His version of "Straight Up" by Paula Abdul had me singing that song for days afterwards, much to my chagrin, of course. I really enjoy hearing him take a new spin on a song. I think he's one of the most talented musicians to ever grace the American Idol stage.

More importantly, why did Thaddeus Johnson's mother accompany him into the men's room of the hotel?!

24. Tim Urban - The clip of him on the show tonight was so short that I missed it! I have no idea who this guy is...I guess we'll find out next week!

The low point of the evening was certainly the dismissal of Angela Martin. Angela has been showcased prominently over the previous two seasons, more for her backstory of hardship and struggle than her singing voice (which is sad, since she actually has a really nice voice). Once again, Angela was featured several times in Season 9, only to be let go, once again, and then patronized by the Kara DioGuardi Counseling Hour followed by a complimentary Ryan Seacrest Pep Talk. That was a little ridiculous.

So what do you think of the Top 24? Who made it, but shouldn't have? Who should have made it, but didn't? How's Ellen doing so far? I read an interesting statement from an Entertainment Weekly writer who said that Ellen is being pegged more to take over Simon's role than to take over Paula Abdul's roll...I can see that, and I agree! She's not cranky and British to be sure, but she's also does not blather on nonsensically and slur her words. :) That's right! I said it!

Don't forget to make your predictions before the show airs next Tuesday! And please email them to me at nicole_rena06@yahoo.com.

Feel free to comment on this post, though. Share your thoughts....please!

Season 9: Let the Games Begin!

Hey everyone, it looks like we have a good-sized group of people for this season. So far my count is 21! I just wanted to let you all know some information about what's going to happen with the pool this year. And so without further ado, I present: American Idol Pool: Season 9! Feel free to come back and reference this post throughout the season if you need a reminder of point values or other information.

Here's How the Pool Will Work:
Each week I will write a blog and send an email out to everyone on TUESDAY NIGHT. Everyone will then reply to my email and make their predictions and answer any bonus questions before the show airs Wednesday night. I will keep track of the points and send out a recap email after every Wednesday night episode.

Here's a breakdown of the points:
40 Points if you successfully choose the winner based ONLY on his or her initial audition. This prediction MUST be completed BEFORE the show airs next Tuesday, February 9th, when Hollywood Week begins. And you only get 1 shot, but it's worth a lot of points, so it would be a good idea to make a guess, even if you don't remember many people from the auditions.

5 Points for each person you successfully choose for the Top 12, based on the Top 24. The Top 24 will be revealed on the February 17th episode.

10 Additional Points if you successfully pick 8 of the Top 12 contestants, based on the Top 24.

30 Points if you successfully choose the winner, based on the Top 24.

20 Points if you can correctly choose the winner from the Top 12.

Weekly Points:
2 points for every correct answer to the bonus questions.

2 Points for each person you correctly predict for the Bottom 3.

5 Points if you correctly predict who is eliminated that week.

5 Points each for correct song predictions (if information on the week's theme is available beforehand).

I will be keeping track of the points throughout the entire season and the winner of the pool gets a prize (to be determined) and a custom trophy (awesome!). (Hint: You may want to keep track of your own points, too, so that I cannot be accused of CHEATING at the end of the SEASON if you do not WIN--Aunt Rena'!!)

So your assignment this week is to make a prediction based on the audition rounds of ONE person you think might win it all! Remember to get your prediction to me before the show airs next Tuesday, or it won't count (and you'll be sad)! It's worth 40 points if you get it right, so you might as well go ahead and take a shot in the dark.

Let's Review: Each week will basically work like this:
1. Watch Tuesday, watch American Idol. Feel free to laugh, cry, scream, mock, eat, exercise, and have a generally wonderful time.
2. After the show, wait for my email. Depending on what I have going on, the email may come as early as 9:30 or as late as midnight (CST, of course).
3. Once you receive my email, go the blog and read it. Feel free to leave comments, if you please.
4. Respond to my email with your predictions as to who will be in the bottom 3 and who will ultimately be eliminated, along with answers to any bonus questions. This must be completed BEFORE the show airs on Wednesday night.
5. Watch Idol on Wednesday night.
6. Anxiously await my recap email to find out how many points you received.
7. Celebrate!
8. Often times during the week, I will send an email regarding the week's theme and instructions on making predictions of songs the contestants may sing...more instructions to follow!

Hope everyone has a great time with this...it was a lot of fun last year. Please let me know if you have questions!

I know this is a lot of information, but don't get overwhelmed. We'll walk you through it. It's supposed to be fun. So smile! And have a wonderful day!