American Idol

Finals

And the winner of American Idol Season 11 is...Phillip Phillips!

Anyone really surprised? For one thing, his victory marks the 5th straight year that a guitar-playing male has won the competition. Furthermore, like all 5 of the previous winners, their personalities were a driving force of their popularity. Sure, they are all talented and certainly deserved to be considered for the prize. In this case, Phillip outshown Jessica and connected far better with the audience. Of course, he had to in order to defeat the far more vocally blessed runner-up.

While I expected Phillip Phillips to make it to the finals, I didn't start considering Jessica Sanchez until the night she was saved by the judges during the Top 7 elimination. Even after that - and with the knowledge that the three judges were clearly favoring her - I still thought the other final's contestant would be either Colton Dixon or Joshua Ledet. Colton's early exit, one week after Jessica's save (and I wonder if Jessica wasn't saved, or if someone else would have been out and not saved, would the judges have used the save on Colton? Certainly possible), was a complete surprise. Granted, he did not have his best week that week, but he was a far more entertaining, and accomplished, artist than Elise Testone or Holly Cavanaugh - both who were safe that week.

But after the nationwide vote, as Ryan Seacrest would say, it's Phillip Philips. Looking back of the 10 other seasons of Idol, this season's finals were not the worst the show has had (I'd give that dishonor to Jordin Sparks vs. Blake Lewis in Season 6). Nor is it the best (Adam Lambert vs. Chris Allen in Season 8). But while the talent on the past two seasons has been better, the show lost a lot of luster since the Lambert/Allen finals. Part of that, maybe a bigger part than the show's producer would care to admit, was due to the departure of Simon Cowell. The loss of Paula Abdul wasn't as painful to the show because the people who watched the show because of her, only stayed tune to see whether or not she came to work drunk. But the numbers don't lie. Last night's finals drew the lowest audience in the 11 year history of the show.

These past two seasons have been judged by Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler. Randy, who long ago become just loud slogan machine, without any purpose other than a show of continuity, was supposed to fill the position of serious judge. Unfortunately, he has become a caricature who often acts as if he's the show. He seems like a genuinely nice person. But his name dropping and catch phrases have got to stop.

Jennifer impressed me last year. I thought she did a far more consistent and capable job then Paula or Kara DioGuardi - who was simply too full of herself to be liked (although she was a most capable judge whose critiques were often spot-on). But this season has not been as good for Jennifer. She often became too much of a cheerleader instead of a judge. In addition, she also has become more full of herself. Yes, we all know she's talented and very pretty. But perhaps due to feeling more comfortable in her second season, she has taken all the compliments she's received (and also the amount of crushes many of the male contestants have on her - Heejan, anybody?) and let them go to her head. Rumor has it she will be leaving the show and I look at that as a positive development. Frankly, I've grown tired of her "goosies" and her cheerleading. I especially found her behavior, when they saved Jessica, terribly unprofessional. As with Randy, she acted as if it was all about her.

Ah, Steven Tyler time. I'm not sure what can be said about the Aerosmith front man. He was chosen because he is somewhat controversial a character. Plus, he brings a perspective that's different from Jennifer (who is a solo artist) and Randy (who is a session artist). Steven's appeal is his outrageous behavior, which doesn't always play well on commercial television. Over the past two years, Steven's contributions to the show has been either his "rock star" persona, his "unique" taste in clothes and his uncomfortable (to everyone watching) physical attraction to Jessica, who is 48 years her junior. I can only recall one time that Steven gave any competent advice and that was when he called out Heejun Han for not taking the competition seriously. He was absolutely correct and Steven's comments motivated Heejun to have his best performance the next week. That's exactly what the judges should be doing, but sadly really aren't.

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2 -- Jessica Sanchez

Unfortunately, Jessica picked the worst possible time to have her worst week. Certainly, much of the blame should be given to the show's producer, Simon Fuller, for saddling her with her first song. Whitney Houston's "I Have Nothing" is indeed a beautiful song. But it is also an exceptionally difficult song to sing. In addition, being that this was the third Whitney song Jessica has performed.I warned that she ran the risk of being a one-trick pony - meaning that while she can sign every note perfectly and even sound like Whitney - the lack of diversity and her inability to make a song her own will end up costing her. Apparently, it did. Again, I can not fault her for her first song and the song she chose to redo (song two was a song they felt was their best from the entire season) was an okay choice. For her final performance, she chose a pop ballad (song three was the song they would release as a single - they were given 6 different original compositions of which to choose from). That was a big mistake for her. She had already sang two ballads and this song strayed from her style too much. Frankly, it was a weak tune and definitely not memorable.

From my vantage point, singing that song at that time was the nail in Jessica's coffin. It not only underwhelmed everyone, but it also showed her youth. Jessica has a wonderful voice and sings way beyond her years. There is no denying her talent. But 16 year olds do not often make the right decisions  and in this case, her age really came to light. To her credit, she was extremely magnanimous when Phil was announced the winner. She looked genuinely happy for Phil. Perhaps she did not like she would win, so she wasn't surprised. Regardless, she should be extremely proud for going as far as she did in this competition. Plus, it isn't as if she won't get a record deal anyway.

1 -- Phillip Phillips

What more can be said about Phil. Again, he was certainly not the best singer, nor was he the best performer. What Phillip did excel at was staying true to who is is as an artist. I was most impressed by him when he refused to be molded by Tommy Hilfiger. There were times during the season that seemed as if Phil had plateaued. Perhaps it was due to his kidney ailment (for which he had surgery today). But when it mattered the most, he came through in a big way. He was certainly the most consistent of the group (although Jessica was also very consistent week to week).

Every season someone steps up to challenge and reinterprets the songs they choose to perform. David Cook was the best at changing songs to fit his style. Others who were great at that were Chris Daughtry, Blake Lewis, Adam Lambert and James Durbin. Aside from David Cook, none of the others won the title. So why did Phillip? Again, like David Cook, his personality put him over the top. The emotion he showed when he won - from not being able to complete his coronation song to the family hug right after - Phillip showed us his vulnerability and the reason he connected so well with the audience.

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As for last night's show, I thought is was rather boring. In years past, it was far more entertaining. While Jessica and Phillip had the opportunity to perform with own idols (Phillip with John Fogerty and Jessica with Jennifer Holiday), only two other contestants was given that opportunity - Skyler Laine (with Reba McEntire) Joshua Ledet (with Fantasia Barrino). Speaking of Fantasia, what the hell? A few years ago, she came back to the Idol stage for the first time after winning and performed "Bore Me." The song and the performance were utterly shocking. The look on Simon Cowell's face after that absolute mess was perfect. Fantasia was a clear cut winner on Season 3 and deservedly so. But since then, she has become a absolute joke. In her duet with Joshua, someone who didn't know better would swear Joshua was the American Idol champion and Fantasia was one of the early season rejects. It was that bad.

During last night's show, the girls sang a medley of songs by Chaka Khan, and then stood aside as she took over the stage. Now understand, I like Chaka Khan at times. Her song "Through The Fire" (which they did) is one of my all-time favorites. But I was totally turned off by her performance and they way she relegated the contestants to the back. I felt the show did not feature the top 13 anywhere near enough and this was just one example. I do understand why Jessica was featured more tonight than Phil (the same reason why Phillip had surgery today).

The other group performances were a Neil Diamond medley, which was okay. I especially liked some of the comments I read on a live blogging feed I followed. The most common one was why were they singing a Smash Mouth song, or a "Shrek song", when it was otherwise Neil Diamond's songs? Of course, Diamond wrote the song "I'm A Believer" for the Monkees, and later recorded for the movie by Smash Mouth. What I found fascinating was that so many people who are Idol fans were far too young to know the song was a big hit back in the 60s, nor have no idea who the Monkees are, or perhaps even who Neil Diamond is. If that is the case, why invite him to the show?

The other artist who was honored with a medley was the late Robin Gibb, who passed away last week.  I had two issues with this. For one thing, the top 6 males are totally incapable of singing the Bee Gees. Only one of them, Deandre Brackensick has the ability to sing falsetto, which was a Bee Gees trademark. But his voice is way too weak to take on the Gibb brothers. However, Joshua stole the segment by taking over the last song of the medley ("To Love Somebody"), in the same outstanding way he did just a few weeks ago.

The other issue I had with the medley is that the songs they performed were tunes where the lead singer was not Robin Gibb, but instead were songs where Barry Gibb sang lead. Since they were did this segment in order to pay respect to Robin, the least they could have done was include just one song where he sang lead.

I did enjoy watching Ace Young (season 5 - top 7) propose to girlfriend Diana DeGarmo (season 3 runner-up). Aside from a weird shout out to his jeweler, the scene was beautiful and judging by Diana's reaction (and she looks terrific after all these years), it was a total shock. Well done!

The only other performance of note was the reunion of Aerosmith. It felt a little strange seeing this band perform on a pop-singing show. I mean, rock and roll is all about rebelling and purity. There are a number of heavy metal bands who wouldn't step foot on an Idol stage. They'd consider it selling out. It was this that the hiring of Steven Tyler was such a surprise. But I suppose we ended up accepting the idea because he was so much older and much more mellow after all these years. But seeing them on the Idol stage just seemed so wrong to me. I sort f felt that way a few years ago when ZZ Top did it.

So another year is done and the questions begin. How will Idol reinvent itself again? What will they do to try and stem the tide of falling ratings? If Jennifer does in fact leave, who will be hired to replace her? I am one who believes the show needs a major rehauling. The format has grown stale and I actually think the judges are as much at fault as are the producers. I think we are all tired of Randy's bombastic personality and are craving someone with the audacity of a Simon Cowell. Because of his position within Innerscope Records, I d not think they will move Jimmy Iovine to the judges table. But his experience and honesty are really what's needed most. There are also certain format changes that need to be made. I think that they need to reevaluate who serves as mentors, as well as look for new ideas for themes. But most importantly, they need judges who will judge and not cheerlead.

I did enjoy the season and I felt the overall talent of the top 13 was perhaps the best the show ever had. It appeared as if all the contestants truly cared about one another and were all very likable. It's always hard at the beginning to form any favorites, but by the top 12/13 are finalized, we always find the one we like the most. I can't count how many times I've threatened to never watch again, after my favorite was voted off. But when the entire group is so cohesive and sweet, it's easy to find another favorite. There will always be someone who gets voted off early and someone who should never have lasted as long as they did (this season, the two were Colton Dixon and Holly Cavanaugh). But that's what makes American Idol so captivating. Yes, it is just a reality show. But these are real people and real dreams.

So, congratulations to Phillip Phillips and to Jessica Sanchez. You guys were formidable opponent and a lot of fun to watch.

American Idol

Top 2

Were you surprised by last night's result? From reading various other blogs, it appeared likely that the final two contestants would be Phillip Phillips and Joshua Ledet - especially after Joshua brought the house down Wednesday with "No More Drama." And, again according to these various blogs (as well as dialidol.com, who measure busy signals), it wasn't that close a call.

So what happened? Conspiracy theorists will claim that the fix was in. The judges made it clear that they favored 16 year-old Jessica Sanchez over everyone else. I don't know exactly why that was, other than Steven's obvious inappropriate crush on Ms. Sanchez (he's 48 years her senior, gross!). I agree that Jessica has a beautiful voice and has talent beyond her years. But the fawning over her has been a blessing and a curse. She's benefited from the judges love, but the tremendous praise - even when it wasn't warranted - seems to also have gone to her pretty little head. She does have more confidence because of it. But she has also become more conceited, which is not surprising given her age.

Considering American Idol is mainly a singing competition, the reality is that the one who should not be in the finals is Phillip. He is an emotional singer who throws everything he has into every song he sings. But he has no range and really wouldn't have any success without a band around him. Both Joshua and Jessica have voices that hold up on their own. However, what Phil does have is the ability to make every song he sings into a "Phil Phillips" song. Also, he has the kind of personality that seems to motivate people to vote for him - reminiscent of previous winners David Cook and Lee DeWyze.

So now we are down to two. As you can tell from my previous Idol posts, I favored Joshua to make the final. Furthermore, while I liked Phillip more than Jessica, I did say I thought she would also advanced. What I didn't didn't factor in was Phillip's popularity, which clearly has put shushed his vote totals to to the top. I have a very hard time believing Jessica has the same size fan base for no other reason than her finishing in the bottom 3 a few times, as well as actually having to be saved by the judges.

With that in mind, here is my prediction for the season finale:

2 -- Jessica Sanchez

There is no questioning Jessica's talent. She simply has a beautiful voice and sings with a passion rarely seen in someone so young. I agree that she deserved to have been saved when the judges saved her. She certainly was a better singer than most of the others who were safe that week. However, again I will say she doesn't add much to the songs she performs. Now in truth, that isn't surprising given her age and experience. But I also believe that is the reason so other 16-year-old has won in the past.

Of the three songs Jessica sang this past week, I thought she did best on "I'll Be There." But even Jimmy said he regretted that choice because while she has a similar voice as Michael Jackson, it's actually Jermaine Jackson who sings the verse (MJ sings the chorus). Because Jessica relies on her singing/karaoke abilities, as opposed to her own style, that makes a difference. Her first song, Mariah Carey's "My All," was a very difficult sing for anyone to sing. And while the judges (both past and present) have warned the contestants not to sing songs by Mariah or Whitney Houston, Jessica has the voice to do just that. However, it has seemed that this was all Jessica has done this season. We get it, you can hit the ridiculous notes that those divas can hit. So what? What does she add to it?

Her second song was Aerosmith's "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing." To me, this was clearly motivated to appeal to Steven Tyler and it obviously worked. Steven is so smitten with Jessica that it almost sounded like a love letter between the two - creepy. On the other hand, she sang it well. But once again, Steven Tyler has that rare ability to hit notes that most others only dream about. Because Jessica has that same ability, she is able to sing the song just as originally recorded.

My feeling is that this issue is the biggest reason she will fall behind Phillip and end up as the runner-up. Not a bad finish for someone so young.

1 -- Phillip Phillips

Phillip will win the competition for one reason and one reason only; because he is so unique. While he has not been as consistent as Jessica, he has shown his ability to adapt every song to fit his own personal style. In the past, only a handful of Idol contestants have successfully managed to do this and these have been the most successful over the past few years (Chris Doughtry, Blake Lewis, David Cook, Adam Lambert and Lee DeWyze). Because his competition is now just Jessica Sanchez, he has the ability to show why he deserves to win. This week, he saved his best for last, when he received a well deserved standing ovation for his rendition of Bo Seger's "We've Got Tonight." Stripped down to only Phillip and a piano accompaniment, Phillip relied on his voice and personality to showcase his abilities. As Jimmy and Randy both said, it was the perfect song at the perfect time. I agree 100%.

His first song on Wednesday was Madcon's "Beggin'" (originally a Four Seasons' song)." It was a good performance and did show off Phil's unique style. But because it really isn't a well known song, I think he lost some of that connection he has with the his fans. His second song, Matchbox 20's "Disease" was not very good for two reasons. Number one, Phil sounds so much like Matchbox 20's lead singer - Rob Thomas - that it was hard to differentiate between the two. However, Phil slowed it down and added more of a laid-back reggae feel to the song. That may play well as an album track, but it was too boring and safe for this show. After that performance, I felt it was over for him.

Clearly, he saved himself with "We've Got Tonight." Like many rock and roll bands, the surprising slow ballad is the one that succeeds the most (see Styx' "Babe", Foreigner's "Waiting For A Girl Like You" and Kiss' "Beth"). While I felt Joshua was the winner of the night, Phillip's version of "We've Got Tonight" was the best of the evening and really saved him from from himself. It may well have been the the song to win it all.

With Phillip riding high from his last performance, I think he already has the advantage in votes. The question is who will receive all the Joshua votes? My gut tells me that the majority of people who voted for Joshua did so because he was so much more than a karaoke singer. If so, Phillip stands to benefit the most. Adding Phillip's charm and good looks (although Jessica is a very pretty girl, the voting public is mostly young women who have in the past favored good looking male contestants. This, of curse, bodes very well for Phil and the reason I'm picking him to win it all.

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 Word leaked this week that Jennifer Lopez will not be returning for Season 12. I'm happy nor sad about this announcement. I had liked Jennifer in that seat but was taken aback by her cheerleading, especially the way she acted when Jessica was eliminated. I never really felt she added to much to show and didn't have quite the charm of her predecessor, Paula Abdul. On the other hand, much like Paula, Jennifer has experience in the industry and seems to be a likable person.

As for me, I think it's time for a complete shake up of the judging staff. The show desperately need someone who is unafraid to tell the truth and not be so diplomatic. I believe that was what Randy was tasked with these past two seasons and he really hasn't done a particularly good job of it. I have no problem with Randy returning, even if just for familiarity. But he needs to slide back over to his role when Simon ruled the roost. Randy's catch phrases work best when he isn't the lead dog (dawg?). As for Steven, he really hasn't mattered. In fact, during the two years he has been a judge, the only thing I recall Steven getting right was his criticism of Heejun Han's lack of seriousness, when he called Heejun out. Other than that, Can't think of anything Steven said, other than "that was beautiful" or "over the top." Heck, for the money he makes on the show, I can do that and more!

I also think there should be some format changes as well. I think they should go back to the format where the top 24 gets whittled down to 20, then 16 and than 12. I think they should expand the mentor's roster (haven't we had enough Queen, Gwen Stefani or songs from the year they were born - especially since most the songs in that category were not originally written or recording that year, but were remakes?). In addition, I think the judges should be far more impartial and not play favorites. What I think they should continue is having Jimmy Iovine's input each week, as well as keeping the current rules about saving a contestant. Although they should return to the plan of eliminating 2 contestants the week following a save.

What do you think next season should look like? Is there anyone you feel should be hired on a judge? What changes do you thing should be made?

American Idol

Top 3

So now we're down to three. It was no surprise that Holly Cavanaugh was eliminated tonight. As far as I was concerned, she should never have made the top 7, although I will admit she did improve quite a bit over the past few weeks. However, it was always apparent that the judges did not wish for her to win and their "judgements" were less than fair (more on that below).

But tonight, the voters got it right and saved the right 3 contestants. I would still have preferred Colton to have made it to at least #4. But like almost every year, my favorite doesn't win (the only one of my season favorites was Season 7's David Cook).

The theme this week was a two-parter: "California songs" (Based on what songs they perfected, I can only assume the idea included any song that had even the slightest connection to the Golden State), and songs the contestants "wished they had written." This was perhaps the vaguest theme idea Idol has ever attempted and frankly, it wasn't good.

3 -- Phillip Phillips

Phillip's first song, "Have You Ever Seen The Rain" was performed well, but did little for him at this stage of the competition. First of all, while I understand that CCR formed in Los Angeles, does anyone equate them with California? Louisiana, maybe. Anyway, he sang it well and there really wasn't anything wrong with it. But it wasn't memorable. On his second offering, he came out with Damien Rice's "Volcano" - a song I admit I was unaware of. All of the judges liked it and Jimmy Iovine (the only sane voice of the bunch) felt it was "exactly what you need right now." Randy felt it was his "best performances on the whole season." Well, it wasn't that good. But certainly good enough to move to the next round.

2 -- Jessica Sanchez

No matter what happened this week, the judges have made it clear their preference of Jessica over all others. Perhaps it's the parental instinct in each of them. Jessica's first song, Etta James' "Steal Away" (she was also born in LA), was a mess. Frankly, 16-year-olds should not be singing this song and it just  wasn't believable. The judges, of course, disagreed and couldn't stop gushing over it. Although, Jennifer was a little less convinced. As I said last week, Jessica has a tremendous voice. However, she doesn't really do much other than sing. There wasn't much originality to her first performance. Her second song, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going", was a different matter. Her performance was only upstaged by Joshua tonight and is the reason I placed her above Phillip.

1 -- Joshua Ledet

For the past few weeks (since Colton's elimination), I have felt Joshua deserved the top spot. This week was no different. I could have done with not hearing another version of Josh Groban's "You Lift Me Up," though. But Joshua nailed it, nonetheless. But it was his second performance, James Brown's "It's a Man's Man's Man's World," that brought the house down. There are only a handful of songs performed on this show that really stand out. A few that come to mind are "Summertime" by Fantasia, Constantine Maroulis singing "Bohemian Rhapsody," Chris Daughtry with "Walk the Line," Blake Lewis changing around "You Give Love A Bad Name," David Cook's "Billy Jean" and Adam Lambert's "Mad World." I'd add Joshua Ledet's "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" to the list. It was that good.

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My biggest criticism this week is once again the judges. I understand their each individual roles, even if they constantly blur the lines. Randy is supposed to be the critical one, Jennifer is the emotional one and Steven is...well, I'm not yet sure what it is that Steven brings to the table. The only reason they even get away with this is because of Jimmy Iovine, who really supplies the tough love that was once the domain of Simon Cowell. But the judges favoritism has really been a major turn off to me (as well as many fans on the AI site.

This year, their favorite child (and perhaps it's because she is a child) is Jessica Sanchez. I'm not saying she didn't deserve the save she received a few weeks back. However, the way the judges have been praising her each week is enough to make anyone sick. Yes, she has a spectacular voice and I agree she seems to have way more experience than she possibly could at 16. But the adulation goes too far and that causes the judges to look hypocritical with their assessments.

Let me give you an example: The judges all praised Jessica for showing the maturity to tackle Etta James' "Steal Away." The song is about two people sneaking and James' sang it with sultry passion (as only Etta James could). All three judges loved the performance and admired her maturity.

Yet when Holly Cavanaugh sang "I Can't Make You Love Me", all three judges were lukewarm and told her that she didn't connect with the song because she had never experienced the subject she was singing about. Well wait, excuse? And Jessica did? As for her performance, I thought Holly sang the Bonnie Raitt classic very well. While I agree Jessica was better tonight, Holly deserved at least the same discernment as Jessica. If this were the first time the judges sent mixed messages, it would be one thing. But to basically tell two people of the same age that she was wrong to sing a mature song, and then praise the other for doing the exact same thing is just unfair.
So, we were down to three. Will it be an all-boy's final? Will Phillip's popularity be enough to put him through? Will Jennifer stuff the ballot box assuring Jessica advances? Will Joshua wear a normal fitting jacket in the finals, if he makes it?

I guess we'll find out next week.

American Idol

Top 4

Well, I certainly planned to write more about this season of American Idol. But numerous things impeded my efforts throughout the season. But I suppose better late to the party then not to show up at all.

I especially enjoyed this season because I feel the amount of talent was better spread this year than in previous seasons. While there are no David Cooks or Adam Lamberts this year, the competition between the top 12 has been far more fierce. Last season, I felt that there were 3 contestants who deserved to be considered possible winners. I was always impressed with Scotty McCreery's voice, but he didn't excite me as the winner. I thought that James Durbin and Pia Toscano should have been the two to vie for the title (with Scotty finishing 3rd).

This year, there have been at least 6 contestants I felt stood the best chance. Unfortunately, three of them have already been eliminated (Skyler Lane, Colton Dixon and Elise Testone). But the four who are left are not so bad, either. For this week, here is my top 4:

4 -- Holly Cavanaugh

Holly has improved every week she has been there. However, even though she has an incredibly powerful voice, her stiffness on stage had been her downfall. That all seemed to be improving these past few weeks. My biggest knock on her (and this goes for Ms. Sanchez, as well) is that she is basically just singing these songs as they had been recorded in the past. If the winner is based in their karaoke ability (which some claim it is), then she does belong near the top. But to me, the greatest AI contestants have been the ones who truly make the songs their own.

3 -- Jesssica Sanchez

As with Holly, Jessica has an amazing voice. But again, she does nothing different with the songs she sings. She did show me something this past week with her cover of Joe Cocker's "You Are So Beautiful." But it wasn't earth shattering. Since her first appearance in the top 13, she has been tremendously consistent - remarkable in the fact she is just 16 years old. I also do not buy into her outward innocence and humility. That act got old for me once she introduced her alter ego, "BeBe Chez" Ideally, I should move her up to #2 because I actually believe she will be in finals. But if it were up to me, she would be just outside looking in.

2 -- Phillip Phillips

Phillip is a very intriguing singer. What I like about him is his honest approach to his music. Win or lose, he's here because he really loves to perform and create. However, P2 is limited vocally. This showed dramatically when he attempted the chorus of "Time of the Season" by the Zombies this week. But his passion and joy seems to allow him to overcome his shortfall. He is also unafraid to reinterpret his song choices. The other one who had that great a talent this season was Colton, who left the competition way too early. I'm torn as to where to place Phillip this week. He did not perform as well this past week and should have dropped a spot or two. But he is exceptionally popular with the voters and in this competition, that's all that matters. I still believe he has a great shot at winning the whole thing, but based on his past few weeks, he really doesn't deserve it.

1 -- Joshua Ledet

From the first time I saw Joshua perform (Hollywood week, I believe), I was very impressed. His voice harkens back to the days of Motown and his personality shows that he is truly humbled by the attention he receives. While he doesn't stay too far from the original music he performs, what Joshua does do is add tremendous emotion and intensity. In my eyes, Joshua was always among the top two each week (Colton was my favorite). But this week, he solidified himself by not only the way performed the Bee Gee's "To Love Somebody," but by the fact he performed it so incredibly after only learning the song 15 minutes earlier. As Steven said, that is the mark of a true artist.

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Since this is my first post about AI this season, I am going to critique the judges as well. To be honest, they are a joke. The show desperately needs someone like Simon Cowell. To his credit, Jimmy Iovine saves the show. I'm assuming that because he is the founder and chairman of Interscope records, he can not be a judge on the show. However, his critiques are always spot-on and honest. I wish I could say the same for the three real judges.

Randy Jackson is, well...Randy Jackson. Since Simon Cowell left, Randy has been thust into the elder-statesman role. He clearly has toned down his style in these past couple of years. But he is still way too hyper and unserious. His catchphrases are still way too overused ("In it to win it!", "gotta have it!") and his outfits are simply weird (but not as weird as Steven Tyler's). Still, he is the senior judge and does know the industry. I just wish he would name-drop so often.

In a contest between Jennifer Lopez and Paula Abdul, I'd have to say Ms. Lopez is the better judge. She's certainly the more sober of the two. My biggest issue with Jennifer is how highly she thinks of herself. Of course, she is a beautiful woman and knows the music industry well. But, unlike Paula, she seems to flaunt it too much. Now, in fairness, she does not do it as much as shamelessly as Kara DioGuardi did. So I guess that's good. However, like Paula, her purpose is to be the soothing contrarian who always looks for the best of each contestant. However, when you have all three judges doing that, it takes away the appeal. When Paula did it, she was protecting the contestants' egos from the beating Simon would often deliver. Now, she just becomes a redundant voice in the crowd.

As for Steven, I've not been terribly impressed. However, he has had some very strong comments during the season - especially his words of warning to Hejun Han. But these gems are way to far between and it often seems like he is mailing it in. Steven is definitely a colorful personality. But I'm not sure what, if anything, he adds to the show.

So, who do you think will be in the Top 3 next week?

American Idol Review
Finals Part II

The ninth season of American Idol is now complete.

What started out with so much promise back in in January, played out exactly as it should have. Originally described as a "ladies year," Season 9 sure did not pan out that way. It was clear from the start that Crystal Bowersox was far more polished than any of the other female contestants. But early on, Siobhan Magnus gave her a run for her money. Other female contestants - Lacey Brown, Didi Benami, Katie Stevens and Paige Miles - all had a moment or two, but they never were able to consistently perform at a high level. The shame was that two other women - Lily Scott and Katelyn Epperly - were eliminated too soon. Both of them had the potential to at least outshine Katie, Paige and perhaps even Lacey (I know, not many of you liked Lacey, but I did).

On the men's' side, momentum change was a regular occurrence early on. Before the top 24 was formulated, it appeared that Andrew Garcia was the front runner. But he never did recapture his effort of Paula Abdul's "Straight Up." Of course, the judges reminded him of that on a weekly basis. Still, that one performance kept him in the contest a lot longer than he deserved. For proof, watch his performance on the finale again. He was completely swallowed up by the song he was singing. The dude has a sweet voice, but is clearly not ready for the big time.

The next two contestants to look like winners were John Park and Alex Lambert. Alex is a good looking kid and he has a very unique voice. Without a question in my mind, he should have made the top 6, at least. Certainly, he was much more interesting than Tim Urban (who, by the way, sounded great Wednesday night) and Aaron Kelly. John, on the other hand, really shined during the auditions. But when faced with a real audience, his song choices and singing abilities fell flat.

From the outset, Casey James was clearly Kara's favorite. Her lusting over him was both disturbing and unprofessional. After the show (including the producers and the other judges) played it to death, it got old. Kara did not help matters either and seemed to like the spotlight. However, her critiques this year were far more accurate than either Randy's or Ellen's. Considering how poorly she performed as a judge last year, it was a welcomed development.

Still, besides his good looks, Casey was pretty good. For a while, it looked like he would give Lee a run for the money. Earlier in the season, it looked like Michael Lynche had a chance as well. But between the overplayed "baby" story and his penchant for weird faces and desire to pick up people, he lost a lot of his charm also.

Lee, on the other hand, had a different problem. His nerves. In fact, when Ryan was announcing the winner, it would not have surprised me to see Lee simply vomit on stage at that point. But the difference was, when he performs, he is in a different place altogether. What Lee had going for him was a mixture between his David Cook-sweetness, his Chris Daughtry-rocker and his Kris Allen-goofy smile. Lee was never the best singer, or even the best performer of the bunch. But he was the one who grew the most and clearly won the hearts of the millions of young female voters.

As I wrote Tuesday night, I really did think those who voted for Casey would then switch to Lee. As each of the female contestants were eliminated, their votes went to Crystal for the most part. So by the time they were all gone, Crystal's total was pretty complete. The reason why I predicted a Crystal victory was because I felt she out-performed Lee Tuesday night.

It wasn't the fist time I picked the wrong winner. I did it last year also. But, as you all know, I didn't write a while back that I felt Lee was the only one who could defeat Crystal. I was impressed with the way Crystal handled herself after the announcement. She had always said she did not think she had the thing won and she looked truly happy for Lee.

But no matter, both Crystal and Lee will benefit greatly from the competition and have better careers tan many other Idol alums.

On a final note, I must say that I will miss Simon Cowell. He really has been the only judge worth listening to and unless they find a suitable replacement (please G-d, NOT Madonna), the franchise will be in serious trouble. In fact, here is my list of chances I feel the show must make to stay atop the ratings:

1. Go back to a three-judge panel. I did enjoy Ellen a great deal at first. Her humor was refreshing and sweet. But she added nothing to the contestants. 9 times out of 10, she agreed with Randy and the other time, she simply said nothing.

2. Find a replacement for Simon who knows the business and can be helpful for the contestants. But, and this is a BIG but, stay away from controversial candidates (Perez Hilton, Madonna, Howard Stern). Don't make the show about them because it isn't about them.

3. Allow the whole top 12 to tour. While it does make for more drama to have the eleventh week so vital, it really sucks for the two contestants who get so far, only to lose that one big chance.

4. Rethink the themes. one oldies week is enough, unless you have a famous guest star. But change it up a bit. But stay away from artists who the contestants can never hope to sing like. It was bad enough having Simon criticize someone for singing a country song during country week.

5. Remind the judges again that it isn't about them. Far too much time was spent on the inter-relationships between the judges. I don't need to see Kara snuggling with Simon, nor do I need to hear Randy constantly booing Simon. ENOUGH ALREADY.

6. Do away with the swaybots. These are the young girls who stand in front of the stage swaying their arms in front of all the contestants. It didn't matter if it was a slow ballad or Alice Cooper's "School's Out." These robots were waving their arms as if by motor. I would have paid to see Lee (or anyone else) stop his song midway and told them to just cut it out already.

7. Do not bring back William Hung again. EVER. I understand bringing the annual joke (this year it was the "Pants on the Ground" guy) back for the finale. But did we really need to have Brittenum Twins, Norman Gentle, Tatiana and the ''Brothers Forever'' guy repeated their 15 minutes of fame? And if you were going to bring back Norman Gentile, at least let him sing!

8. It would have been nice if the producers would have let the viewers know why David Cook was not onstage with the other past winners. Cook had a previous commitment to perform at a cancer fundraiser. His absence was surprising and it was shameful for Idol to not say something.

9. No more sex on TV. Idol is still on during the family viewing hours. If I want to see Ke$ha (or whatever the hell she calls herself), or Janet Jackson in a leotard and basely anything else, I'll watch the Playboy channel. While I do appreciate Alanis Morrisette's self-censorship, wouldn't it have been better to have her sing a different song, instead?

10. No more lip synching. These contestants are there to win for their ability to sing. Having them lip sync during the Wednesday night openings defeats the purpose. They have 7 days to prepare their individual songs and a short medley. What the hell else are they doing with their time. Learn the lyrics!

I thought the finale was very well done. I was surprised by the artists they had on the show and I felt the entire thing was greatly entertaining. Now, we have just 7 months lest before season 10 begins!

American Idol Preview
Finals

Okay, I haven't been very consistent this year with my Idol posts. Since this is the final week of this season, I thought I would just rehash a few things and then post my prediction for the outcome.

This past season was, for all intents and purposes, a very weak one. While some of the talent deserved to be there, it was a far cry from the last two years. That said, having Lee, Crystal and Casey in the final three was not a huge surprise. Of course, had it been up to me, I would have placed Siobhan Magnus there, in place of Mr. James. As far as I was concerned, Siobhan was the most interesting contestant and offered the most entertainment value. You never knew how she would look, or how she would perform her songs. But each performance was worth the wait.

A number of weeks ago, I did predict a Lee-Crystal final, and it seems to have happened. FOr the past few weeks, ever since Siobhan was eliminated, I rooted for Lee to win it all. However, at no time did I expect that to happen. Although I like Crystal, and think she is incredibly talented and gifted, there was always something about Mr. Dewyze that made me pull for him.

Suddenly last week, Lee's performances reached the talent level of Crystal's. In a number of circles, Lee pulled ahead of Crystal in the race for the finish. He was garnering more praise from the judges and the Internet was buzzing wildly for him. It really did appear that his star was rising just when Crystal's had begun to fade. For the past few weeks, her performances seemed lackluster, at best and it appeared that, just as Andrew Garcia peaked during the Hollywood performances, Ms. Bowersox peaked three weeks ago.

That was, however, until tonight. Without a doubt, if winning is based on tonight's performances, Crystal wins hands down. Now, it does pain me to say that because personally, I am still rooting for Lee. But while Lee was good tonight, Crystal was amazing. Lee performed his three songs exactly as I would have expected him to. But on each step, Crystal was better. Her last song, the one that will be released as a single (should she win), was one of the finest vocal performances I have ever heard on the Idol stage.

But of course, the race is not won just on the final evening. If that were the case, Kris Allen would not have defeated Adam Lambert a year ago. Likability plays a hand. Also, you have to look at the numbers. When Casey was eliminated, where did his voters turn? My assumption (and this is only that) is that Lee picked up the lion's share of Casey votes. I think what kept Crystal so easily safe all year was the early elimination of all the other female singers. Of course, she was the best of the bunch and deserves to be here.

So my prediction is that Crystal will pull it out in the end. However, I think it will be a lot closer than most people expect. Regardless, both finalists will have record deals and will be stars. That goes for Siobhan, also. Casey will cut a record as well. But his future should be as the front for a band.

I guess we'll find out tomorrow.

American Idol Preview
Top Five

The best thing about getting down to the last five contestants used to be that the real talent began to shine. By this time, in previous seasons, the top 5 consisted of the strongest candidates in that year's competition. But there was always that one person whose early elimination brought howls from fans, who would swear off the show because their favorite was voted off. In Season 3, it was Jennifer Hudson, Season 4, it was Constantine Maroulis, Season 5 ended the journey for Chris Daughtry and Melinda Doolittle was the strongest singer in Season 6.

While this phenomenon did not occor in the past two years, who else do you explain John Stevens, Scott Savol and Sanjaya Malakar going as far as they did.

Well, as I predicted that week, it seems that when we get down to the last five or six, voters feel complacent enough that their favorite will win, that they either vote for someone else that week, or they don't bother to vote at all. That is the only reason I can find for Siobhan Magnus' early elimination. She was certainly the most interesting and, I dare say, the most entertaining contestant since Adam Lambert.

While I will keep watching till the end, I do believe the show has lost a great deal without her.

5. Aaron Kelley (last week #6) -- This past week, Aaron had his best performance by far. His rendition of "You've Got a Way" was both passionate and memorable, and he certainly deserved to stay an additional week. However, this was just one great performance and I fear his time on the show is coming to an end. By this stage of the competition, consistency is a must and Aaron has not shown that he can consistently perform as well as he did last Tuesday. His voice is excellent, that's for certain. But he has not been able to really make the sons his own, and that is the difference between being the top 2-3 and the middle of the pack.

4. Michael Lynche (last week #5) -- Every time I think Big Mike is way too cheesy for his own good, he surprises me with a solid, if unspectacular performance. His version of "It Only Hurts When I'm Breathing" was a bit too mushy for my tastes, but he did swoon the audience. I do believe, however, that Mike is where he is in the competition because of the judges, who saved him once and consistently give him high, but not necessarily deserved, praise. Personally, I felt he should not have been saved, and had they held back that decision, Mike would be out and Siobhan would still be here. However, his rising popularity should keep him from being eliminated before Aaron.

3. Casey James (last week #4) -- Casey is an interesting guy, and I wholeheartedly agree with Kara when she says she's not sure who he is. When he performs from the heart, like he did this week with "Don't," and a few weeks back, with "Jealous Guy," he looks like he could content for the crown. But then he throws in these weeks where he is nothing but a front man for a garage band. To his credit, this week's performance was outstanding and if he can continue to show his vulnerability and passion the way he just did, we could have a top 3 as strong as any before.

2. Lee Dewyze (last week #2) -- So here is the question, can Lee defeat Crystal? Well, based on the way the two of them have performed over the past couple of weeks, the gap between the two is inching ever closer. This week, Lee had the fortune to perform Shania Twain's best known hit, "Still The One." At first, I was concerned that he chose a song that was so well known as a female vocal. But he really made it his own and did an outstanding job with it. You can see week to week how much more confident Lee has become and it is showing in his performances. While he isn't quite to the level of a David Cook, he has the same humility and similar type voice. Not bad company to be in.

1. Crystal Bowersox (last week #1) -- For the first time this season, Crystal's performance was not in the top half of the group. While she sang "No One Needs To Know" well, she at times seemed disinterested and it came out in the performance. Of course, she is still the front runner and one off-week is not really going to hurt her run for the title. But Crystal best beware that Lee is coming up strong. If Season 8 taught us anything, it taught us that when it comes down to the finals, nothing is certain (how else do you explain Adam Lambert, the long time front runner, losing to Kris Allen?). This week's theme - Standards - could be a big boon for her, if she choose the right song. I'm guessing she will.

Well, I didn't get my wish. Randy is still booing Simon and Ellen is still not adding anything to the critiques. I enjoy her humor, don't get me wrong. But the contestants need direction and more time to finish their songs. The amount of time used by having three judges who are consistently agree with each other is simply wasteful. If you want to keep Ellen, then fine. Personally, I think she'd be better suited to co-host with Ryan.

Can someone please tell Kara that her crush on Casey is getting a little old? I have to give Kara credit for her progress from last year. She has really developed into the second best judge on the panel. But every week, she shamelessly mentions Casey's "good looks." Please Kara, just get a room already.

Boy, you can really tell Simon has his foot out the door already. He's been especially stubborn and petulant these past few weeks. His animosity for Ryan is very uncomfortable for the audience and his own personal feelings about the themes is unprofessional. We all know you aren't a country music fan, Simon. But give it a break - it isn't the contestants fault they have to sing those songs. Furthermore, while he has been guilty of this in the past (see Fantasia), his playing favorites with Crystal may just turn off enough viewers to send Lee to victory.

So that's my list for this week. If you have anything to add, or would like to tell me why I'm completely off my rocker, please leave me a comment.

American Idol Preview
Top Six

What should have been a boring show, considering that it was "inspirational night" turned out to have some very fine moments. So without further ado, let's get to this weeks list:

6. Aaron Kelley (last week #7) -- Aaron's unoriginality is going to get him tossed this week. He really has an exceptional voice for a 16-year-old and had he waited a year or two to mature, he may well have been a finalist down the road. R. Kelly's monster hit, "I Believe I Can Fly" has been beaten to death on Idol and really is a song most people get sick of after a few listens. Aaron has one thing going for him this week, which may keep his Idol hopes alive - at least for another week - and that's the fact that this week's theme is the music of Shania Twain. As the only country-style voice left, he has an opportunity to really shine. But unless he takes some chances, he won't get past the week.

5. Michael Lynche (last week #5) -- Big Mike proved last week that he deserved to stay, after performing Mariah Carey's "Hero." When it was first announced that he was doing this song, I cringed. Mariah is one of those artists that the judges often warn against using. But Mike pulled it off, as he changed it up a bit and made it sound believable. I still believe he has a limited fan base and I don't think he will make it through the top 4, at best.

4. Casey James (last week #4) -- Casey took two steps back this week, when he performed Fleetwood Mac's "Don't Stop." I admire that he went with a fast melody (and stayed away from the syrup past inspirational weeks have given us). But I really think he not only picked the wrong song, but did nothing to it in order to make it stand out. This was the complaint Kara and Simon had been making before he wowed everybody with "Jealous Guy." Another regression and he, too, could be facing the exit sign this week.

3. Siobhan Mangus (last week #2) -- Siobhan falls this week to number three, not because of anything she did, but because Lee Dewyze was amazing. Siobhan hits notes that mere mortals can only sit in wonder. However, I really believe she gets undue criticism from the judges, due to her walking to her own drumbeat. Personally, I love that about her and I vote for her on a weekly basis. I thought "When You Believe" was done exceptionally well. The judges comments that she is no "Mariah or Whitney" was uncalled for, when you consider that, for one thing, neither is Mike (who performed a Mariah song" and number two, she samg the song flawlessly.

2. Lee Dewyze (last week #3) -- Lee just keeps getting better and better. "The Boxer" was an inspired choice and although he flubbed the order of the verses (causing the meaning to be confusing), he sang it with tremendous passion. It does seem that Lee is still very unsure just how good, and popular, he is. I think one thing that's going to keep him as, at best, runner up, is his lack of confidence. But the dude can sing and can give Crystal a run for her money.

1. Crystal Bowersox (last week #3) -- Once again, Crystal had the best performance of the night. What made it even better was that she went on stage vulnerable, without a guitar or piano, and then proceeded to move the crowd with her heart-wrenching rendition of the Impressions "People Get Ready." She didn't even need to cry at the end to make it work. But that added emotion just cemented her front runner status (if she wasn't already).

Now I have a few issues I'd like to take up with the Idol powers that be. For one thing, PLEASE remove the sway-bots. Watching them move their arms - out of rhythm, must add - to every freaking song is really getting on my nerves.

Secondly, if you must make the finalists sing an opening number, do you think you can make them do it without lip-syncing? It's almost comical and as long as it continues, I won't watch the commercials that are advertised following them (I'll have changed the channel).

While I like the humor Ellen adds to the panel, it's obvious they only need three judges there. For one thing, I don't think Ellen has disagreed with anything Randy said and furthermore, it takes up time that could be given to the contestants to actually sing a full song. I have to admit, Kara has done a much better job critiquing this year. But she needs to either be a "sex kitten" or a "rocker." Trying both, week after week, is just not right.

And lastly, please ask Randy to stop booing Simon every time his name is mentioned. Really, grow up already. It's getting annoyingly old.

So that's my list for this week. If you have anything to add, or would like to tell me why I'm completely off my rocker, please leave me a comment.

American Idol Preview
Top Seven

Okay, I know I've been ignoring American Idol for the past few weeks. After an outstanding week two weeks ago, the contestants seemed to take a step backwards during "Elvis week" this past Tuesday night. Although, in their defense, Elvis is hard to make current.

Two weeks ago, the judges utilized their one, and only, save of the season - keeping Michael Lynche, after a decent performance of "Eleanor Rigby." In my view, however, I really felt this was a mistake. While I agree that Big Mike is better than two or three of the remaining contestants, because it's highly unlikely he can win it all, using the save on him may come back to haunt the show. I still remember, back in Season 3, when Fantasia was in the bottom three with LaToya London and Jennifer Hudson (Hudson was eliminated that night, much to the shock and disgust of many, many viewers).

What happens if, for whatever reason, Crystal Bowersox finds herself facing elimination? While she is not my personal favorite, she is the one who seems most likely to win. If she is eliminated, will the show survive? Well, yeah it will. But it will be a huge black mark - reminiscent of Hudson's and Chris Daughtry's early, shocking eliminations.

This week, "Idol Gives Back" returns after a year hiatus. I suppose I will watch at least the contestants singing. I'm not excited about seeing the President (yet again), but I have no issue with his appearance. Still, the theme is going to be "inspirational songs." The show has already been the most boring of the recent years - so adding on to that will only be painful to watch.

On the other hand, I have seen tremendous improvement in some of the competitors. Tim Urban was an absolute joke, just a few weeks ago. But while he is close to the end of his line, he hasn't been half bad. Casey James had a true Idol moment a week ago, when he blew away John Lennon's "Jealous Guy." This put Casey back into the thick of things.

So here is my list of the top seven:

7. Aaron Kelley -- Aaron is a nice kids, with a nice voice. I actually think he could become a decent country music artist one day. But his inability/unwillingness to change up the arrangements will cause him to be eliminated within the next couple of weeks.

6. Tim Urban -- Tim has been getting better every week. But like Aaron, he is unable to change things up. He's less talented than Aaron, but has become more popular, due to the constant abuse he receives from the judges.

5. Michael Lynche -- Big Mike was very fortunate to be saved last week. However, even though he was not in the bottom three last week, he still only has a limited amount of support. While Mike has a nice voice, his personality comes across very strongly. In addition, he has made some arrogant comments that have alienated voters, as well.

4. Casey James -- At the beginning, I wondered whether or not Casey advanced to the top 12 because of his looks (and Kara's slobbering). After a few weeks, I agreed he deserved to be there, but was destined for a week 2 or 3 elimination. But then came his rendition of "Jealous Guy" and all that has changed. Can he keep up the momentum?

3. Lee Dewyze -- Lee is also getting better and better. Should he make it to the finals, which is a decent possibility, he is probably the only one who can defeat Crystal. He still needs to develop greater sense of self-belief. But he is this years' David Cook - and we all remember how well he did.

2. Siobhan Mangus -- I find Siobhan to be the most interesting contestant this year. She is certainly the most quirky. What I like best about her is her ability to creat Idol moments every time she steps on the stage. While she has not been as remarkable as she had been earlier, I found both her "Across the Universe" and "Suspicious Minds" to be pretty darn good. I don't think she can beat Crystal, although she is my personal favorite.

1. Crystal Bowersox -- Crystal is the clear front-runner. It's obvious the judges feel that way, as they have refrained from criticizing any aspect of her performances. Personally, I agree that she is the most seasoned. However, my problem with her is that she doesn't change up the arrangements. When she took on Janis Joplin's "Me and Bobby McGee," it sounded just like a radio performance by the original artist. While flawless, it was unoriginal.

I'll try to post American Idol reviews every Saturday night - at least until I develop a social life.