BuzzSugar

American Idol Double Elimination: Down to Five

BuzzSugar — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 05:30:13 PDT

It was an American Idol rarity this week: The judges saving Matt a week ago led to two Idol hopefuls heading home on Wednesday. Suddenly, a hefty group of seven has become a much slimmer top five. Was Matt spared another week, or was it his turn (again) to be voted off? Did Simon's prediction that this week would be the end of the road for Lil come true? Is America as into dark horse Kris Allen as much as I am? To find out, just

So wow! Even though Ryan told Lil Rounds "we need someone like you in this competition," he went ahead and put her out of her misery right off the bat. I think it worked out well that she got to sing "I'm Every Woman" as her swan song, and all the judges had nothing but kind words for her.

I think Lil was eliminated first because it was the most predictable result of the night. It was also no surprise when Kris and Adam were immediately told they were safe. After Danny was told he'd be back another week, it was on to one of the big cliffhangers: Matt's fate. It turns out the judges' save really was a lifesaver for him, as he's redeemed himself to America and was voted back in this week.

That meant Allison and Anoop were sent to the stools, and Anoop was the one who had to say goodbye. I'm not totally surprised - his position in the competition has been precarious for a while now. However, I continue to be confused by both America's love of Danny and indifference toward Allison. What's up with that?

A couple more thoughts:

Matt downloaded himself as a ringtone. I can't decide if that's kind of cute or a little egotistical.
Paula appears to be at her most sane when she's in her element: teaching people how to dance.
I know it was a disco theme and all, but the guys all kind of looked like they were going to a pimp party.
That disco medley was out of control and perhaps the definition of "filler."
I always think it's so fun when Simon wants nothing to do with Ryan's banter. At one point, Ryan was trying to draw Simon into a conversation before telling Danny if he was safe or not, and Simon shut him down with, "You're being facetious. Get back to the contestants."
The return of the prodigal son! David Archuleta took the stage and made lots of girls happy, as evidenced by their screaming when he appeared.

Were you guys sad to see Lil and Anoop go?

Photos courtesy of Fox

American Idol Elimination: Unlucky Number Seven?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 06:30:57 PDT

"I think America's gonna have a tough call, but I think I know who's going to leave," Quentin Tarantino said in the opening minutes of Wednesday's American Idol elimination episode. I wonder how this week's guest mentor is feeling now that he knows who fell to the bottom of the heap after this week's movie-themed episode. Did he guess right? Did you? And did the much-discussed but not yet used judges' save come into play? To talk about it, just

Well, I guess this is Idol history: America wanted Matt Giraud out of the competition, but the judges stepped in to save him. I'm not sure his dismissal would have been exactly a Chris Daughtry-style mistake, honestly, but he's had good moments and I suppose I'm happy enough to see him again. Still, Simon saying Matt really has no chance of winning Idol seems contrary to the point of the save, right? Are you surprised the judges kept him in the competition? Do you think he was more deserving than any of the folks eliminated before him? Of course, this will make next week awfully interesting, because two people are getting eliminated. And on disco week? My ears are hurting already.

In other news, I'm officially worried about Anoop. I thought Tuesday's performance was one of his best, as did the judges (er, at least the ones we got to hear from), and he still wound up in the bottom three? This does not bode well. At least he was sent back to safety first; Lil and Matt had to sweat it out a little longer. Lil, by the way, definitely seemed due for a trip to the bottom three, and I'm hoping she can snap herself out of whatever funk she's been in for the past few weeks.

Also: Is anyone else secretly hoping for a Lambert/Gokey bottom two next week, just because it would mean the judges' save created exactly the kind of situation it was intended to prevent? This season's been so lackluster, I guess I'm rooting for chaos.

Some other thoughts on Wednesday's show:

Given the way Paula and Kara were goofily dancing during Matt's potentially last performance, I have to assume that any "deliberation" about saving him happened long before he took the mic.
I'm a little surprised Ryan didn't do that thing where three singers stand on one side of the stage, three singers stand on the other, and the unlucky seventh has to choose which group to join. But I'm glad, too; I was kind of over that schtick.
The Ford commercial mainly just reminded me how much more I like Lil with shorter hair.
At first I thought Paula was ducking to get out of Kris's way during "Maniac."
It was good to see Jennifer Hudson back on Idol - and appropriate she was there on the night of the judges' save. I thought she seemed a little nervous at first talking to Ryan, but once she started kind of making fun of him, everything snapped into place. I can't believe this is the first time she's touring!
How far do you think Miley Cyrus would have gotten in Idol? Top 36? Top 12? Could she have won?

Are you happy to see Matt granted a second chance?

Photos courtesy of Fox

American Idol Elimination: Which Three Are Moving On - And Who's In the Wild Card?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 05:30:22 PST

Normally when I say something like this, it would be sarcastic - but truly that was a pretty action-packed American Idol results show on Wednesday night. Three contestants from the third group of 12 advanced straight to the top 12, and the judges named the eight finalists who will return and sing for their lives tomorrow. So whose Idol journey ended and whose may still continue? Just

And the next three people moving for sure into the finals are . . .

Scott MacIntyre, Lil Rounds, and Jorge Nunez!

They sure didn't wait long to tell us about Lil, huh? She was the first called by Ryan and the first to take her place of pride on the winners' stools. The only real suspense of the night came down to Jorge vs. Ju'Not; if it were up to me, I would have loved to see them both get through.

But the time for that came later, when we heard the names of the eight wild card competitors. It's a pretty mixed group: Von Smith, Jasmine Murray, Ricky Braddy, Megan Corkrey, Matt Giraud, Jesse Langseth, Tatiana Del Toro, and Anoop Desai. They'll be back to sing tomorrow for the final three spots in the top 12.

A couple of other quick thoughts on the show:

If it were up to me, I'd swap Tatiana for Kristen or Felicia and Von for Ju'Not in the wild card round, but overall, I don't think it's a bad group. Could have been much worse, that's for sure.
So, as of now we have six guys and only three girls in the top 12 - and it seems pretty clear that if it were up to America, the balance might be even more uneven. Do you think the judges will try to correct the imbalance tomorrow night? Or could they potentially put three guys through? If they try to re-balance things, it's got to be looking pretty good for the girls.
Anyone else's stomach flip a little when Ryan said, "Could you be looking at the next American Idol?" while standing next to Tatiana?
Did the group sing seem . . . um, suspiciously good to anyone else? It just sounded like there were more than six guys and six girls singing at times. Also, what ridiculous choreography. (That said, I was a little concerned about how Scott would deal with that element of the show, and he looked just fine - which is to say he looked no more awkward than anyone else.)
Jorge is adorable. I'm sorry, but he's the cutest. His reaction to Seacrest's, "You're finding out now. No you're not. Yes you are," bait-and-switch just cracked me up. And his emotional reaction seemed to warm even Simon's cold little heart - I think that was a smile I saw there!

Did anything from group three's results surprise you? Are these the wild card picks you wanted to see? Anyone major left out?

Photos courtesy of Fox

Whose Post-American Idol Album Are You Most Interested to Hear?

BuzzSugar — Fri, 23 May 2008 08:15:25 PDT

As I watched all of those sparkling song and dance numbers during the American Idol finale, I couldn't help but remember the good old days when Michael Johns had a shot at winning and Carly Smithson was surely destined for the top three. It was good to see them again!

The producers of the show proclaimed all year long that this was the most talented group on Idol ever. I don't know how much I agree with that, but while watching the finale I realized there were more contestants this year whose albums I would be interested in hearing - and perhaps even spend money on. Despite Brooke White's implosion on the show (starting and stopping her song, etc.) I think she has the potential to make the kind of music I might dig. Does anyone think Chikezie could make an interesting contemporary album? And what about Kristy Lee Cook? Do you see a country album in her future?

Of the this year's top ten, whose album are you most excited to hear?

Photos courtesy of Fox

American Idol: David Cook Takes the Crown

BuzzSugar — Thu, 22 May 2008 08:45:36 PDT

Depending on your perspective, the American Idol finale is either the best two hours ever or the most excruciating two hours of your year. Either way, it never fails to be a kind of crazy, psychedelic blend between a televised award ceremony and a giant Ford commercial that brings the season's contestants back to the stage for one last time (until the tour that is).

America smashed all Idol records with 97.5 million votes, 56 percent of them for David Cook. Simon admitted that he called it wrong, that upon viewing the show at home he realized the night before was not a blowout. Which is what many of us were feeling. I'd still call the result an upset. There was a lot to cover so let's get down to it. To see my thoughts on the night,

The opening act was cool and the kids sounded great but it was really hard to tell the So You Think You Can Dance dancers apart from the Idols. At one point I thought, "Hey, look at that. Brooke White doing the splits. Oh wait, no."
Jason Castro once again sounded gorgeous singing "Hallelujah." It's one of, say, two songs he should ever sing. And that doesn't include anything from Cats.
You know who should avoid choreographed dancing at all costs? Amanda Overmyer. And we heard about Donna Summer's new single. Um, yay?
I'm sorry, did I see Ryan Seacrest attempting to break dance? Surely I was a bit delirious and the So You Think You Can Dance kids were just blending in again, right?!
Sigh. Michael Johns' duet with Carly Smithson (who looked and sounded great) and then more Michael Johns when the six guys sang. . . Keep the Michael Johns coming!
An American Idol theme park: "You too can live the dream." Just. . . wow.

David Cook rocking out with ZZ Top was really cool. It's hard not to look smoking hot with those bearded legends playing backup for you.
Pairing Brooke White with Graham Nash to sing "Teach Your Children" was really smart and probably a dream come true for her. But why not Carly Simon? She has a new-ish album out and those two on stage together would have blown my mind.
Grrr. . . why do they bring the crazies back every year? I hate it! This is what you take up my time with waiting for the results?! Renaldo Lapuz, one my Caption It people? However, I admit the whole spectacle was worth it to see Paula get on up there with the crazies to dance. And Renaldo kept singing even when the music stopped. Yeah, it's time for a commercial break.
I did not like Jordan's song nor did I like her outfit. What the heck was she wearing? I felt bad for her that she had to follow that One Republic/Archuleta goosebump-fest but still, yikes.
Robert Downey Jr. as a back up dancer to Gladys Knight was so freaking cute, I thought I might faint. Oh yeah, Ben Stiller and Jack Black were there, too.
Did Carrie Underwood borrow her outfit from Renaldo? Regardless, she took on that stage like the pro she has become and brought down the house.

It all ended with a big tribute to George Michael and then the man himself showed up to sing "Praying for Time" (the song Carrie Underwood sang on Idol Gives Back). And of course Paula shed some tears and rambled something about dreams and hope. David Cook was crowned. Both guys should feel proud, but I'm so happy with the results! You?

Photos courtesy of Fox

American Idol Rundown: Who Made the Final Half-Dozen?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 09:30:15 PDT

We're down to six on American Idol, which means one of the smiling faces above won't be around for Andrew Lloyd Webber week. Which singer won't be gracing the Idol stage again? For the answer, just

Kristy Lee Cook certainly wasn't going to win American Idol this year, but you know what? After several weeks of better-than-average-for-her performances, I thought she might get to stick around for a while. Weeks ago, I was begging for this result, but on Wednesday, I was actually a little sad. Brooke's tearful reaction didn't help - I mean, she's a crier anyway, but her tears over Kristy's departure really did seem genuine. In how I imagine the Idol contestants being offstage, I could see them being really close.

So much for my prediction of Carly going home; she wasn't even in the bottom three. That actually gives me some hope for her - I do like her, and I've been a little baffled by the (seeming) lack of public support. Maybe she's getting some momentum at just the right time. Has anyone else noticed how much more cheerful and laid-back and fun she seems during the results shows? I hope she can get over her nerves or whatever is holding her back on stage.

Some other thoughts on Wednesday's show:

Ah, the famed left side, right side Seacrest elimination trick. Was wondering when we'd see that one. Who guessed the David Cook fakeout? I figured there was something weird going on given the makeup of the groups, but I wasn't sure what it would be.
I noted yesterday that Mariah Carey night wasn't nearly as painful as I was expecting. What was I expecting, then? Something like the "One Sweet Day" group sing, that's what.
Would anyone else love to know what Simon whispers to Paula all through every results show?
I kind of loved Carly calling out the judges being hard on her; Simon, of course, took the "I'm just mean because you can be so great" approach. True? Not true? Discuss.
Aaaaack! Zombie idols! What a terrifying Ford shoot - especially Archuleta!
Speaking of Archuleta, anyone else not convinced by his "I've never been happier in my life"?
David Cook is one classy guy. He could use his personal situation for votes; he doesn't. That, as much as his performances, has completely endeared him to me.
Going scruffy: The best decision Elliott Yamin ever made.
Good for Kristy Lee for not just singing her goodbye song, but singing it with confidence - and practically in Simon's lap. Now will someone please give her her horse back?

Photos courtesy of Fox

American Idol Recap: Who Made the Top Eight?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 05:30:27 PDT

Country week always must claim a victim on American Idol, and Wednesday night, we found out who couldn't survive singing a Dolly Parton cover. Was your prediction right? To find out and talk about it, just

This week, it was bye-bye to Ramiele. I can't say I'm surprised; as I wrote yesterday, I think she outlasted her welcome. She was always one of the more emotional contestants on the show, so I'm just glad she got through her farewell song. And hey, she still gets to go on tour.

Some other thoughts:

After all those weeks of wishing Kristy Lee would go home, is it weird that I was so glad it was actually Ramiele?
Though I obviously didn't predict it, I had a feeling Brooke could end up in the bottom three. I think she's been so safe for so long that her fans needed a wake-up call.
I'm pretty sure my love for Dolly Parton grows in direct proportion to my age. Seriously, so awesome.
Yay, glad to see David Cook there! It sounds like he's doing better after that hospital trip last night.
So, that's who won that Next Great American Band show. Interesting.
What was with Kristy's seat note?
Ooooh, burn: Paula's "I thought Ramiele had a good night . . . for Ramiele" was damning with faint praise, no?
I'm glad that after all the tomboy talk, Kristy Lee was one of the girls who actually got to play basketball in the Ford ad.
Is it wrong to love the way the judges got completely attacked/outnumbered by Idols during the group sing of "9 to 5"?
Something really annoyed me about the way Syesha wouldn't answer Seacrest's question about whether "I Will Always Love You" was a tough song for her. Everything with her seems kind of calculated with her.
I like Brooke. I really, really do. But did her whole "life is hard" speech strike anyone else as slightly pageant-y? (More coherent than, say, Miss Teen South Carolina, though, thank goodness.)

Your thoughts? Were you surprised by any of the bottom three? And who's next on your chopping-block wish list?

Photos courtesy of Fox

American Idol: The Top 12 Revealed

BuzzSugar — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 07:30:00 PST

In some ways, it's kind of funny that American Idol makes such a big deal out of who makes it into the top 12. There's no real prize for it; you don't get to go on tour or anything. I guess you get to make Ford "music videos" and do more group sings, but are those rewards, really?

Nonetheless, the top 12 is always a milestone in any Idol season, and on Thursday we learned which of the 16 people pictured above would advance to the final round. Want to see who? For the first picture of your top 12 together, just

There's the top 12! Missing from the picture: Danny Noriega, Asia'h Epperson, Luke Menard, and Kady Malloy. Two of the eliminations - Luke and Kady - seemed like a given, while I sensed the other two might be wild cards. Even when the guys' side came down to Danny and Chikezie, it still felt like things could swing either way. I'll miss Danny's presence and spunk, but in some ways, I'm glad he's gone before he could be turned into another Sanjaya. On the girls' side, Asia'h had been one of my picks for the top 12, but I'm still not terribly surprised to see her go home now. Overall, I picked three out of four eliminations this week - how did you do? Don't forget to check your ballots for the guys and the girls.

Here are some other thoughts on Thursday's show:

Blake's song: love it or leave it? I err on the side of loving it, and I still think he has the potential to have one of the more interesting careers of all the Idol finalists. Then again, I'm also the gal who put "Break Anotha" on her iPod about eight seconds after it leaked, so . . .
Seacrest, five minutes in: "That is it for the fun stuff." Dude, you have got to stop telling the truth like that.
So, Lionel Richie loved David Cook's version of "Hello." Interesting. I wonder if they ever hear from, say, Whitney Houston about how she feels of the versions of her songs on Idol.
Aw, Kady definitely knew she was going; did you hear that resigned sigh when her name was called? Meanwhile, every time it's Carly's turn, I honestly worry she's going to hurl. For someone with so much experience, she seems so rattled.
Speaking of hurling: Chikezie! I thought it would never sink in for him that he was safe; then I thought he might completely take out little Danny with that big bear hug.
For real, what was that hat Paula was wearing? Was she channeling Peter Pan? Robin Hood?
Apparently, it's a good year to be an Idol contestant named David.
There was an honest-to-goodness reaction shot of Amanda smiling and looking happy! Who knew she was a fan of "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go"?

All in all, I picked eight of the top 12 in my snap judgments, one better than last year. Pop and I each correctly picked four guys and four girls. How about you? Who's the biggest surprise in the top 12 - and who are you most shocked was left out?

Photos courtesy of Fox

American Idol: Down to 16!

BuzzSugar — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 06:30:01 PST

Thursday's American Idol elimination was a surprisingly emotional one. The guys' side lost someone whom I'd assumed would be around a whole lot longer, but the real drama came with the ladies. Talent-wise, I don't think either of the two should have gone home - even though I figured one of them would. These early rounds can be such a roller coaster. Have you learned your lesson, America? To see who got kicked off, just

The big surprise on the guys' side was the elimination of Robbie "not my real hair" Carrico. Yeah, he was the fakest of fake rockers - and Idol has seen its share of those - but I still thought he'd make it to the Top 12. Jason Yeager also said farewell, though that elimination made more sense to me.

As for the girls: Gah! Alexandrea hadn't had a great week, but she has a ton of talent and such a likable personality. I did think she'd be going home, but that didn't mean I wanted it to be true! As for voters choosing Kady over Alaina, I'm pretty shocked. Alaina made a splash in the first week; sure, she wasn't as memorable this week, but there were plenty of worse performances. Everyone looked devastated when Seacrest read her name, even Kady. Alaina's so young, and she couldn't help but lose it. I'm glad the rest of the group convinced her to take her sing-out.

Some other thoughts:

Wow, David Archuleta really broke down when Alexandrea was booted. Then Danny lost it over Alaina's ouster. We sure do have some criers among the young'ns this year.
Also, that dark-haired relative of Alaina's looked pissed. She's coming for you, America!
Brad Pitt is going to be a part of Idol Gives Back this year - which seemed to wipe the tears right off Kady's face. Also, Daughtry, Miley Cyrus, Reese Witherspoon, Snoop Dogg, and Carrie Underwood.
How terrified did all the contestants look clumped in that big group at the beginning when Seacrest did his intro? I thought a couple of them might pass out.
Simon's new hand gesture: what?
Most egregious misrepresentation of a judge's comments: Randy calling Alexandrea one of his favorite performers in the top 20 - but not including the part where he said it wasn't such a great song for her.
Favorite reaction shot: David Hernandez totally grooving during Jason's singout.

What did you think? How did you do at predicting the guys and the girls who went home? And now who are you betting on for the Top 12?

Photos courtesy of Fox

American Idol: The First Four Say Farewell

BuzzSugar — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 05:30:00 PST

Things sure do move fast in these early voting rounds of American Idol. Just like that, we're down to 20. The first elimination took place Thursday night, and I can't say I was shocked at any of the contestants who were dismissed. Who's gone? For that, you're going to have to

Joanne Borgella and Amy Davis were the first to go from the girls' half of the draw, while Colton Berry and Garrett Haley said goodbye from the guys' side. I can't say I'm terribly surprised about any of the four; I even picked all but Colton to go home. (How did you do? Be sure to check your guys' ballot and your girls' ballot.) Colton should stick with the musical theater, I think, and Joanne could definitely have a singing career; I think she just had a really off night. The other two? I'd be surprised if they turn up again, but stranger things have happened in the Idol universe. What do you think? Did voters make the right call?

Here are a few of my other thoughts on Thursday's results show:

I love the group sings. So shoot me, I really do. They provide such wonderful, awkward moments, like David A. utterly outsinging Garrett and Kristy Lee and Luke teaming for a "hmm, does this mean they're going home?" duet at the center of the stage.
Also awkward: Colton's hair. I really do kind of love that kid, though.
Garrett got kicked off so fast, I don't know that anyone had time to process what was coming. That made it a dead giveaway that Kristy Lee wasn't going home, though; Seacrest never does the same trick twice.
Amy Davis' departure = the decline of the influence of Vote for the Worst? Discuss.
Simon's response when Seacrest asked what he was thinking as he sipped out of his cup: "How much I love Coca Cola." Wow, that was almost some 30 Rock-level product placement.
Love Joanne's "Sunday - I mean, uh, Wednesday - was a crazy day" slip-up. So they pretaped the shows this week. Who cares? Don't make these stressed-out singers lie, too!
Wow, Chikezie really thought he was going home, didn't he?
While I'm sure it's nice to have your family there after you've just been kicked off American Idol, the constant panning shots to sad relatives were a bit much.

Your thoughts? Ready for another round next week? We'll be down to 12 before we know it!

Photos courtesy of Fox