Idol Headlines for 12/16/09

8. People Who Mattered – Adam Lambert

He was not the winner of American Idol. He was not even the first Idol runner-up to later make the thoroughly unsurprising announcement that he is gay. (See Aiken, Clay.) But Lambert came first in generating attention: that eyeliner, that voice ‘” ranging from a husky smolder to a granite-splitting glam-rock shriek ‘” and those glittered-out, magnetic performances. And there was the way Lambert treated his sexuality, which reflected the tricky path of gayness toward mainstream acceptance. Lambert never confirmed his being gay until finishing Idol, but, importantly, he never denied it. And unlike Aiken’s, his performances had an unmistakable erotic charge ‘” he was a man, not a man-child. After Idol, he infuriated some viewers with a raunchy, grinding show at the American Music Awards on ABC. Rather than apologize, he charged a double standard for gay men while keeping a smile on his face: when Joy Behar told him, on The View, that he was “not exactly a nice Jewish boy, ” he quipped, “I’m a little different. My dreidel spins the other way.” Lambert ended 2009 out, proud ‘” and loud.

Time

‘Dance’ finale expects a well-behaved Lambert

LOS ANGELES ‘” “So You Think You Can Dance” producer Nigel Lythgoe won’t predict which dancer will end up the winner on Wednesday’s season finale. But he’s confident that guest star Adam Lambert is going to be well-behaved.

Last month, Lambert’s racy performance during the American Music Awards on ABC drew the ire of the network, which contended that Lambert went further than he had during rehearsals. He was dropped by ABC from a “Good Morning America” appearance.

Lythgoe said he thinks Lambert may have enjoyed making a splash but will perform as rehearsed for “So You Think You Can Dance.” Lambert was last season’s “American Idol” runner-up to winner Kris Allen.

Associated Press

More Idol Headlines after the JUMP…

Daley thanks Jennifer Hudson for Chicago Christmas special

Mayor Daley today extended a heartfelt public thank you to Academy Award winning actress and singer Jennifer Hudson for a Christmas special that showcased Chicago.

Hudson rode the Ferris wheel at Navy Pier, sang on a boat floating down the Chicago River and road a horse-drawn carriage along Michigan Avenue during the prime-time network special that aired Monday night on ABC-owned WLS-Channel 7.

Chicago Sun Times

Adam Lambert Says ‘View’ Host Elisabeth Hasselbeck Is ‘Sweet’

If fans were surprised to see Elisabeth Hasselbeck defend Adam Lambert when he stopped by “The View” last week, the “American Idol” runner-up wasn’t at all shocked. In fact, he said the show’s vibe was very calm and relaxed.

“Elisabeth and I go way back now, ” he laughed to MTV News. “I was tweeting on her phone under her name. She was actually really sweet. They were really nice. I think the thing to keep in mind on that show is it’s called ‘The View.’ They’re supposed to represent opinions of different demographics in our country. I don’t take anything personally.”

MTV

A ‘Kissmas’ party with Kris Allen

The laid-back Allen, who headlines Kiss 95.1’s “Kissmas Office Party” on Thursday, certainly hit the fast track after “AI.” He moved to Los Angeles with his wife and juggled recording his self-titled major label debut with this summer’s “American Idol” tour – a far cry from making the independent album he released in 2007.

“I spent a couple years writing the songs (for it). I only spent three days in the studio. For this one, the whole process took place in four months, ” he says. His new “Idol” credentials allowed him to co-write with the Fray’s Joe King and Switchfoot’s Jon Foreman, among others.

Charlotteobserver.com

Best Of 2009: Part 1

February

Kelly Clarkson clocks the largest leap to No. 1 in the Hot 100’s history, as “My Life Would Suck Without You” explodes 97-1 (Feb. 7). It’s the second time Clarkson has set the record for largest jump to the top: her “American Idol” victory song, “A Moment Like This, ” soared 52-1 in October 2002. “My Life” passes the 96-1 surge of Britney Spears’ “Womanizer” in October 2008 …

Billboard.com

The Best Albums Of 2009, In Bigger Than The Sound

12. Kelly Clarkson, All I Ever Wanted
Built in a lab by the best pop-music minds in the business, equipped with all weapons necessary to assault the Hot 100, All I Ever Wanted is the musical equivalent of a gigantic, shiny Gundam suit, with Clarkson at the controls. It’s no wonder it’s her best album in years. Her voice powers “My Life Would Suck Without You” and “I Do Not Hook Up” into the stratosphere, and on songs like “Cry” or album-closer “If No One Will Listen, ” she gets subtle (or, you know, as subtle as a former “American Idol” champ with dynamite pipes can get). It didn’t exactly burn up the charts, but that hardly matters. All I Ever Wanted is Clarkson’s return to form.

MTV

False Idols

DECADE IN MUSIC Forget what you’ve heard: stars aren’t born ‘” they’re made. Pop music over the past decade has been defined by the music industry, with standout stars manufactured to be, well, standout stars. We’ve reached the point where the biggest names are chosen by reality TV, the media, and, more often than not, the Disney corporation.

Does that sound cynical? The past 10 years have by no means represented a dearth of good pop music. But it’s impossible to reflect on them without acknowledging the massive influence of American Idol, a show that emphasizes and glorifies the artificial production of pop stars. Sure, it’s found plenty of legitimate talent (try to avoid Carrie Underwood), but that doesn’t downplay its role as an assembly-line for fame.

San Francisco Bay Guardian

Carrie Underwood Wants Kids, but ‘Ain’t Having Five!’

When it comes to having kids, four is more than enough for Carrie Underwood.

“Not that I have a husband to have one with yet, but someday I’d like a family ‘ not a big one, but not a small one either, ” the singer, who is dating Ottawa Senator hockey player Mike Fisher, tells Self magazine in its January issue. “Two kids is good; three is fine. Four? Somebody’s getting something done, because we ain’t having five!”

People.com

Singer David Archuleta wraps up a Christmas classic at age 18

David Archuleta may be only 18 years old, but his second disc, ‘Christmas From the Heart, ‘  has the earmarks of an old pro. Whereas the ‘American Idol’  runner-up’s first record was a thoroughly modern pop production, the holiday disc takes an old-school approach, with heavy orchestration and a classic approach to classic tunes such as ‘Joy to the World, ‘  ‘Silent Night’  and ‘O Holy Night.’ 

The smooth-voiced teenager says in a recent phone conversation that he didn’t want to make a young, hip, pop-Christmas record: ‘I didn’t want to make any excuses; I wanted to be straightforward with it .’ ¦ The goal was to [keep] close to the meanings of the songs. I didn’t want it to just be light.’ 

Projo.com

Fellow S7 contestant, Syesha Mercado, tweet to David Archuleta. She attended his concert last night:

@DavidArchie I had so much fun at the show tonight. U are an Angel. I’m so proud of u. Sorry I couldn’t sing with u tonight. Maybe next time

Bill Anderson Gets Christmas Surprise From an ‘American Idol’

Christmas came early to Bill Anderson’s house, but he doesn’t quite know how it happened.

Bill and Steve Wariner co-wrote a Christmas song a few years ago, called ‘Christmas in Your Arms, ‘ which the group Alabama recorded. Now R&B singer Ruben Studdard, who won Season 2 of ‘American Idol, ‘ has released it as his new Christmas single — much to the surprise of Bill! “We absolutely don’t know how it came about, ” the Country Music Hall of Famer tells The Boot. “After reading a couple press releases that came from his people … he evidently heard Alabama’s version of it. Steve and I were both blown away when we found out that he had cut the song.”

The Boot

‘Idol’ finalist Ace Young in Oakdale’s ‘Grease’

Ace Young has tackled nearly every kind of performance there is.

The singer/songwriter/actor made his name as a finalist on the fifth season of the smash Fox reality series “American Idol, ” and has continued performing music after his stint on the series, as well as appearing on other TV shows, including Fox’s “Bones.”

But nothing, Young said, is like performing in a play on Broadway. When you’re on stage, he said, you’re completely vulnerable and exposed.

It’s live. It’s unpredictable. Anything could happen.

newstimes.com

Christmas miracle for Megan with Jason Castro

American Idol is nine-year-old Megan Phalen’s favorite show. She’s only missed “maybe two or three episodes” ever and who’s her favorite Idol? “I’m going to have to say the one I like is Jason Castro, ” grinned the nine-year-old.

So, the radio station 98.9 Magic FM reached out to one of its friends, American Idol’s Jason Castro, for some help. Castro was a finalist in Season 7 of the popular FOX television show. He’s immediately recognizable due to his long dreadlocks hairstyle and his piercing blue eyes.

Castro has generously agreed to come to Colorado Springs and perform a benefit concert for Megan Wednesday. “I thought it was going to be really cool because it’s the first famous person I’m going to meet, ” said Megan.

Colorado Connection

Simon Cowell’s one-man band to take X Factor to America

Simon Cowell has sealed his status as the ultimate X Factor winner through a series of deals worth tens of millions of pounds.

Cowell is poised to sign agreements with the Fox Broadcasting Company and ITV that will secure his place on primetime television in Britain and the US for the next two years.

He is considering standing down as presenter of American Idol, which appears on the Fox network in the US, after its next season. The X Factor is due to begin filming in Los Angeles in September 2011, to be shown on Fox and presented by Cowell.

Times Online

Can Simon Cowell save democracy?

Voting is unpopular. That’s what they tell you at Westminster, and MPs from all parties have been agonising about how to get the public more interested ever since the general election turnout hit a record low of 59% in 2001. Simon Cowell, on the other hand, knows how to run a popular election. More than 10 million voted in the X Factor final at the weekend – which may explain why the reception at Westminster has been surprisingly warm to Cowell’s idea, floated on Newsnight earlier this week, for a political version of the show.

Guardian.co.uk

Stacey Solomon takes a tumble as the X Factor contestants are reunited for a celebration bash

Had a little bit too much champagne, Stacey?

The X Factor contestant was a little unsteady on her feet as she slipped and twisted over on her ankle as she made her way out of the show’s wrap party last night.

In a strapless black mini-dress with white fringing, she looked every inch the glamour puss, right down to her black peep-toed Christian Louboutin heels.

Daily Mail.co.uk

What the critics say: X Factor chart battle

The campaign to stop X Factor winner Joe McElderry from claiming the Christmas number one has divided music critics and fans alike. At the time of writing, Rage Against The Machine’s expletive-laden 1992 single Killing In The Name, is ahead by several thousand sales.

But Fraser McAlpine, writing on the BBC Chart Blog, takes issue with the motives behind the campaign, launched on Facebook three weeks ago:

BBC

‘So You Think You Can Dance’: Game changer?

This was an interesting season. In terms of the talent, I enjoyed it more than Season 6 (I think most people, even the producers, agreed that somehow, Season 5 didn’t work as well as Seasons 4 or 3). But it felt a little bit disjointed, partially due to the World Series and the holidays (which is why we’re seeing a Top 6 and not Top 4 in the finale). And while I enjoyed having a winter “SYTYCD, ” it seemed to take a back seat to some other shows this season — it feels more like a spotlight show in the sleepy summer.

This finale encapsulated the general “I was really close to loving it” feeling I had all season. For one, I missed the Top 4 same-sex combos. How great was the Russian dancing from Season 4 or the two princes dance from Season 3? Can we imagine how Ryan would have danced next to Russell? We know that Ellenore and Kathryn would have made a great couple.

LA Times

‘So You Think You Can Dance’ recap: Make Them Love You

To channel our dear Cat for a moment: Give it up, everybody, it’s Russell! Because though Kathryn stole the krumper’s heart during their final hip-hop routine, the krumper has stolen the heart of each and every person watching the show from their living room. So, come on, really: does anyone else have a chance of winning the title of America’s favorite dancer?

Especially when the krumper was given nearly every advantage in the book during last night’s final performance night. Not only was he granted the pimp spot ‘” and allowed to dance in his own element for said spot ‘” but he was also shirtless for two (count ’em: two!) routines. And nothing seems to get voters dialing more than a naked male torso. (Ryan’s still there, isn’t he?)

Entertainment Weekly

‘Glee’ cast joyful over Globe nods

The musical-dramedy “Glee” got some serious Golden Globe love Tuesday, emerging with more nominations than any show. Among the Fox series’ four nominations is Best Television Series – Comedy or Musical.

On the Paramount Studios lot, where “Glee” is filmed, the show’s cast could be found Tuesday hugging and laughing after hearing the news.

“Amazing, ” said actor Corey Monteith, who plays the series’ football hunk Finn Hudson. “It is kind of like it is like Christmas morning.”

“The four best presents ever, ” added actor Kevin McHale.

Charlotte Observer

ETA:

With Ellen In at ‘Idol, ‘ Paula’s Feeling Out

To everyone who asked “Why in the world would Paula Abdul quit ‘American Idol?” a few months ago, it seems that Abdul herself is now pondering the same question. Word is, she’s bummed out and her replacement (Ellen DeGeneres) is absolutely the talk of the ‘Idol’ set. That, plus a movie fit for a Queen (seriously) and Angelina Jolie’s journalistic dreams take a hit.

Popeater

ETA:

REVIEW & SLIDE SHOW: Daughtry pulls off professional show

Chris Daughtry’s music is simple and safe and somewhat clich. In fact, there’s nothing new here ‘” Nickelback-meets-Fuel-meets-Creed-meets …

We get it, already.

But heck, it’s played well. Simply put, Daughtry, the band of the former “American Idol” rocker from North Carolina, is the epitome of aught-decade pop-rock, power-chord culture, all wrapped up in a neat and inoffensive muscle-bound, scruffy-bearded package.

Wearing a tight black button-up work shirt and knit cap, Chris Daughtry sauntered out Tuesday night onto the short catwalk at the BOK Center. Young moms, their tween-age daughters and frat rockers alike screamed with disbelief as they grabbed for camera phones.

Tulsa World

About mj santilli 34862 Articles
Founder and editor of mjsbigblog.com, home of the awesomest fan community on the net. I love cheesy singing shows of all kinds, whether reality or scripted. I adore American Idol, but also love The Voice, Glee, X Factor and more!