Idol Headlines for 3/27/08

Simon Cowell speaks out about the current season of ‘American Idol’

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: How do you feel the show is going this season?
SIMON COWELL: It’s interesting. I think the audience are much more savvy than I’ve seen them in previous years, and much less forgiving, which I’m happy about. I’ve got a feeling this year something strange could happen, particularly after what happened with David Cook last night. Because, I’ve got to tell you, watching it back, this performance he did on “Billie Jean,” in my opinion, was in a different league to anything we’ve heard on the season so far. It was so much better, [chuckles] he kind of made some of the other performances seem ridiculous. But I’m glad! He was smart à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  I know where he got the arrangement of the song from, but that doesn’t really matter. He was brilliant! And I was concerned three or four weeks ago that this was just going to be a coronation for David Archuleta and it’s just a question of who comes [in] second. I’m not so sure anymore. And, you know, with Jason Castro last night à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  there’s a guy who thinks he’s just sailing along, and I thought it was a bad performance. You give somebody like him a kick up the ass, let’s see what he can deliver now. But I thought it was, um, an interesting night last night.

Entertainment Weekly

‘American Idol’: Rocky Bottom

What a difference two weeks makes. In the first round of the American Idol season 7 finals, Chikezie was the unexpected star, bouncing around the stage with manic energy after the judges praised his delightful, bluegrass-tinged cover of the Beatles’ ”She’s a Woman.” Cut to the early part of tonight’s results show, and you saw a much different contestant: A somber Chikezie moped onto the stage, hands folded in front of his face, eyes cast downward, almost as if he knew his fate even before Ryan Seacrest sent him to the Uncomfortable Space-Age Stools of Doom.

Entertainment Weekly

More Idol Headlines After the Jump…

Idol Tracker: A stool too far

Finally, about halfway through the show, the lights went dark in the studio as they aired the pre-taped segment. At the beginning of the segment, preserving the pretense that this is entirely live in chronological order, Angel of Death Seacrest announces that they are bringing all the contestants back to the couches for the viewer calls. Thus, an hour later, sitting in the darkness alone with Syesha on the most dangerous stool in show business, Chikezie gazed across the stage at the giant monitor which showed him a mere hour before sitting on the couch with his comrades, laughing, joking, shyly fending off queries about his romantic life à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’- a way he would never be again, on a couch that he would never again call home. The segment had been taped but an hour earlier, but in that hour how different the world had become for the once mighty Chikezie.

However, the moment captured some important factors that ultimately determined the fate of Chikezie. An often captivating and original singer, there was always a serious quality to Chikezie, a commitment, dedication and honest effort that came across as very — in a word — adult. In his bashful but straightforward answer to the viewer question, in his grimness while awaiting his fate, in his choice in the first place of a very grown-up song, Chikezie projected the sense of a serious hardworking performer signing sophisticated grown-up songs.

LA Times

Recap: ‘American Idol’ gets down to nine
For this first time this season, the occasionally reliable, semi-scientific prognosticators at DialIdol are reporting that a singer other than Presumptive American Idol Winner David Archuleta got the most votes. That suggests that as Wednesday’s (March 26) American Idol results show begins, it’s anybody’s game. Well, anybody except for the person eliminated Wednesday…p>

Zap2it

Chikezie First to Go in Top-10 Countdown

Chikezie Eze got booted from “American Idol” last night, taking with him 50 percent of this year’s Idolette Top-10 personality pool.

Chikezie’s exit was the result of 30 million viewer votes, show host Ryan Seacrest, the King of All Media, told viewers at home. That’s the most votes cast in a week this season to date. Ironic, given that Tuesday’s show clocked the smallest audience of a performance show so far this season.

Chikezie got done in by the “Idol” vocal coach.

Washington Post

Reality Check: ‘Idol’ Elimination Was Inevitable

It had to happen at some point and, for selfish reasons, I’m glad the moment finally arrived. The truth? It’s not easy spelling the name Chikezie right all the time.

But that’s not the reason the former airport security officer was eliminated this week.

It’s not that he wasn’t good à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  he was. He just wasn’t great. And he doesn’t seem like the most precious doll imaginable brought to life or have inarguable rocker appeal or possess piercing blue eyes and dreadlocks or matinee idol looks and a foreign accent. In other words, he couldn’t really keep up with the other guys.

Fox News

Bad song choice results in early exit on à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Idolà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢

Entering this week, Chikezie was coming off of a couple of strong performances in a row. Though he was the last male selected to make the final 12 on à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“American Idol,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  he hadnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t been among the bottom three vote-getters since.

That might have been the problem on Tuesday, in that it encouraged him to take an unfortunate risk. Given the choice of singing any song from his birth year, he picked à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“If Only For One Nightà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  by Brenda Russell. That didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t inspire enough of the 30 million voters to make an impact, and on Wednesday he became the third finalist voted off the show.

MSNBC

American Idol: Top 9 Revealed

Voting last night set a record for the season with an impressive 30 million votes coming in. Tonight’s medley was a preview of what the tour will bring, with the Top 10 dancing and singing just as awkwardly as every other group performance. Maybe they should get Paula to choreograph these things. Can you believe Ramiele is again sporting the off-the-shoulder look? And Jason Castro was having way too much fun with this number; disturbingly so. “Hey guys, if you are supposed to wave one arm up, I’m going to flail both of my arms and jump around in a circle. Cool?” But in the end, Carly was the one who fell over trying to keep her balance. These things are a disaster, does anyone truly like them?

TV Squad

American Idol Let Him Take You Home

He shouldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve done à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Voices Carry.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

1. Seacrestà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s pauses are getting longer and longer this week. Next week his à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Thisà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦..is American Idolà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  is going to take up the first thirty minutes of the show.

2. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m really missing Paulaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s pleather, fingerless gloves with extra bling from last night. She really, really worked her butt off to make sure we noticed how sparkly she was.

3. Seriously. Who can possibly top à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“This Is My Now?à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  America, you have your work cut out for you.

Phillyburbs

Idol Banter: The Chikezie Conundrum

Why does it feel like this year’s “Idol” family is getting whiter and whiter? Chikezie going home tonight is a big blow to the Top 10′s overall energy and fun quotient and to fans of the R&B-based pop that’s well served so many previous finalists. Who’s left to provide us with our weekly dose of melismatic testifying? Not Sayesha — despite her recent spate of emotiveness, she’s made for Diane Warren-style ballads, not Aretha jams.

LA Times

Why does it feel like this year’s “Idol” family is getting whiter and whiter? Chikezie going home tonight is a big blow to the Top 10′s overall energy and fun quotient and to fans of the R&B-based pop that’s well served so many previous finalists. Who’s left to provide us with our weekly dose of melismatic testifying? Not Sayesha — despite her recent spate of emotiveness, she’s made for Diane Warren-style ballads, not Aretha jams.

LA Times

‘American Idol’ Dark Horse David Cook: Is It Fair For Him To Cover Other Covers?

There’s something fishy about “American Idol” contender David Cook.

Cook, the rock-leaning lad with the highlighted comb-over, closed Tuesday night’s episode of “American Idol,” belting out Michael Jackson’s “Billy Jean” à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  a song released the year he was born.

But Cook’s take on the track was actually former Soundgarden/Audioslave frontman Chris Cornell’s version. Cornell’s cover appeared on his sophomore solo album, Carry On, which was released last year.

Sure, “Idol” host Ryan Seacrest prefaced Cook’s performance by saying, “With Chris Cornell’s version of ‘Billie Jean,’ here’s David Cook,” but his introduction was barely audible, coming from the pit of screaming fans located just in front of the studio’s stage. And though Cook’s performance was very much a cover of Cornell’s cover, the “Idol” judges absolutely loved it and praised the performance for its “originality.”

MTV

David Cook to Become New Favorite to Win American Idol

With all the early buzz surrounding that other David (Archuleta), Gambling911.com has long been predicting that rocker David Cook could win this season’s American Idol as an early 50 to 1 odds underdog (paying $50 for every $1 bet).

Following this week’s incredible and very original version of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean”, David Cook will likely become the new favorite to win it all. He had been listed with 3 to 1 odds heading into Tuesday night’s performance show.

Gambling911

American Idol’s David Cook Performs CC’s Billie Jean

Last night, American Idol contestant David Cook performed CC’s rendition of the Michael Jackson’s song “Billie Jean”.

Great performance David! For those who missed it, here’s a video of David’s performance with Ryan Seacrest introducing the song. We have also included a video of Chris performing the song May of last year for MSN.

Chris Cornell.com

Songwriter Lee Greenwood Praises ‘Idol’ Contender Kristy Lee Cook

And her performance was also met with pleasure by Greenwood himself who shared his thoughts about it earlier today with Access Hollywood.

à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“I was not only flattered but proud to hear à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹God Bless the USAà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ on à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹American Idolà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ last night,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  Greenwood said in a statement. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s really wonderful to give these young singers a chance to perform on the worldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s largest stage to vault their careers. Win or lose, they have a chance to reach an audience never before possible. My only regret is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹American Idolà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ was not on TV when I was at the start of my career.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

Access Hollywood

Behind the Scenes of American Idol

Now a megastar, Carrie Underwood stays grounded

The guy in Carrie Underwoodà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s life is making just enough noise in the background to make you think he wants in on the phone conversation.
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While the hottest woman in country music is known for being private about her life off the charts, on this particular morning she sounds almost happy the subject has come up.

à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s my confidant,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  she gushes, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“and I think everyone needs to have one.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

Post Crescent

Carrie Undewood and Vince Gill Take the Celebrity Baseball Challenge

A slew of stars, including Carrie Underwood and Vince Gill, will step up the plate on June 4th at Greer Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee for the 18th Annual City of Hope Celebrity Softball Challenge.

Ecorazzi

A brush with celebrity

Melissa Chapski, 11, entered a contest to win breakfast with Blake Lewis, last year’s American Idol runner up. Chapski, a fifth grader at Dale Street School received a call on Friday, March 7 that Melissa had won.

On March 10, in the morning at 8 a.m. Melissa, her mom and Gabby headed to the KISS 108 studios, where they had an hour of pictures, autographs, conversation and breakfast with Lewis. There were a total 6 other winners present.

Wicked Local

Katharine McPhee New Face of Neutrogena

Katharine McPhee is the latest young star to join the ranks of girls (Hayden Panettiere, Vanessa Hudgens, Mischa Barton and Jennifer Love Hewitt) whoà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve represented the cosmetics giant.

McPhee has just signed a two-year endorsement deal with Neutrogena. She will become the new flawless face of the skin care companyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s anti-acne product line.

Hollywood.com

Abdul Set for `Today’ Concert Series

Paula Abdul and Miley Cyrus are among the stars who will headline the “Today” show’s 13th annual concert series.

Abdul will kick off the series on the plaza outside the “Today” studio April 25, NBC announced Wednesday.

She recently debuted her first new song in a decade, “Dance Like There’s No Tomorrow,” produced by fellow “American Idol” judge Randy Jackson.

Associated Press

Paula Abdul Two-Stepping on Idol?

Dancing with the Stars cohost Tom Bergeron spilled the details of a conversation he had with Paula regarding her plans to conquer his reality series on Ryan Seacrest’s KIIS-FM morning show:

She said, “I have no ballroom training. Obviously, Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve been a choreographer. I have no ballroom training and Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d love to be part of it.” And I said, “What about Fox? Wonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t they be…?” and she said, “No, no. I can do this.” I said, “Paula, if you believe that, then Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve got your back!”

She was serious, and we had one of our top Disney/ABC executives in the ballroom last night, so I went up to her and said, “Paula Abdul wants to do season seven,” and they said, “Thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a great idea!”

EOnline

Former and current Idol public appearances

Hey all you Idol maniacs. Want to know where your favorite Idol contestants past and present will be making appearances? Of course you do. You’ve already got the RV packed, notes to the kids’ schools written explaining their prolonged absences and a case of Funyuns jammed underneath the passenger seat. You’re a member of the Soul Patrol, a Clayniac and are still suffering from McPheever. Oh you’ve got it bad.

But MJ’s Big Blog has what you need.

TV Squad

Hee!!!

‘American Idol’ wins night, but declines

Reality titans “American Idol” and “Dancing With the Stars” had a rough night Tuesday, while the series finale of “Jericho” concluded on a flat note.

Fox’s 90-minute episode of “Idol” (24.4 million viewers and a 9.6 rating/24 share in the key adults 18-49 demographic) led the night but hit a season-low delivery. A special 9:30 p.m. airing of ” ‘Til Death” (10.8 million, 4.6/11) was its highest rating since the last time the sitcom had an “Idol” lead-in a year ago. Overall, Fox won the night in viewers and the demo (21 million, 8.3/21).

ABC was second with a “Dancing” results show at 9 p.m. (17.2 million, 3.8/9) that marked the series’ lowest return since 2006, excluding specials. A “Dancing” recap served as a lead-in, and “Primetime: What Would You Do” (10.4 million, 3.2/9) won the 10 p.m. hour.

Hollywood Reporter

Show Tracker: What you’re watching

In the Idoldome on Tuesday night, the mood was rife with a crowd worked to a near-frenzy over the excitement of this season, combined with a slightly dizzy nervous energy emanating from the contestants, now entering the hard-slog phase of the campaign. Onstage, the group was all team spirit and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“we must hang together or surely weà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll hang apart,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  as Stage Manager Debbie Williams summoned the Ten out at a break so Angel of Death Seacrest could hold a cake for contestant Jason Castro to blow out the candles while his fellow candidates and the audience sang “Happy Birthday.”

Although the novelty of David Archuleta has worn off and he has now delivered more than one non-earth-shattering performance, the tween/teen girl hysteria for him is greater than ever. As I left the Idoldome I rode the adjacent parking garage escalator six floors up with some of the girls who had been standing in the front. An hour after the show, they were still shaking, sobbing and screeching about their encounter with the Chosen One.

LA Times

On the Scene: Idol Top 10 performance show

Even cuter? Jason Castro’s birthday surprise during the break. We didn’t quite know what was going on. All I could hear was Debbie screaming into her headpiece, “Ryan, I need you… now!” and then sat bewildered as the 10 finalists were brought back to the stage. But once the band broke into the happy birthday song, we all got the picture. Out walks Ryan with a huge blue and white cake and announces that today is Jason’s 21st birthday, then tries to get Jason to actually dip his head into the icing. And get all that gook in his hair? Jason wasn’t having it, but he did wet his beak, as it were, and proceeded to walk offstage with a blaring blue spot on his nose. Those Idol kids, they’re craaaazy!

Will she stay another week? That’s still a bit iffy, but David Cook (pictured) most certainly will. He took the stage looking happy and ready, pointing to his baby photo and laughing, then getting serious in an instant. As the music kicked in, I had this sense of dread, that he was going to pull out the acoustic version of “Livin’ on a Prayer” or something, but he ended up surprising us all. His twist on “Billie Jean” was the performance of the night and had Nigel Lythgoe dancing in the aisles, Paula on her feet, and the rest of the room grooving along. To say that it went over well would be a massive understatement. “You might be the one,” Randy hollered at the end (a sentiment he repeated some three hours later when I ran into him at a nearby restaurant) to the rousing approval of the rest of the room. Insane or amazing? How about both?

Entertainment Weekly

‘Idol’: Nadia Turner On ‘Birthday Song’ Night

I expected the Top 10 to come out swinging! What happened?! I was bored throughout the whole night. Most performances were easy to dismiss, yet American Idol’s cream still rose to the top. I saw glimmers of hope.

The evening did not start off with a bang. Ramiele Malubay’s ”Alone” was weak. Power vocals are necessary if you’re going to tackle this song. While I was roommates with Underwood on our season, I have a fond memory of hearing her practice ”Alone,” and even then she made it seem like child’s play.

Entertainment Weekly

‘Idol’ Banter: Emotional rescue

à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Idolà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  watchers, ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s time to talk about our feelings. I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t mean your fanatical devotion to David Cook or my nervous hopes for moody Carly Smithson. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s time to consider one of the key decisions every aspiring Idol must make as the competition narrows: which emotional state to call his or her own and cultivate.

Last night, the most memorable contestants — Syesha Mercado, Michael Johns (whew!), David Cook and, heaven help us, his evil cousin Kristy Lee — made emotional choices as they repped for the years of their births. They planted a flag in the region of the heart where theyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll be hanging out in the coming weeks.

LA Times

American Idol is Starting to Believe that David Cook is the One

Last night’s American Idol was a bumpy ride, complete with misguided song choices, false starts, and gross pandering to the “America First” crowd. But it was a notable episode for one key reason. A new front-runner emerged: David Cook, whose strategy of picking songs that other rock bands have covered and then making those covers “his own” reached its pinnacle with his version of Chris Cornell’s version of “Billie Jean.”

Idolator

American Idol Week Six: The Archuleta Problem

The main event that night was a pretty great ten-man tag-team match, five good guys against five bad guys, and these chumps could barely watch the thing because the Rock wasn’t in it the whole time. Every time one of the good guys would tag in Cactus Jack or Rikishi or whoever, they’d all be like, “No! What are you doing? The Rock is right there!” This, for me, was weird. These guys weren’t fans of wrestling or the WWF or anything; they were fans of the Rock and nothing else. The WWF could’ve replaced the entire undercard with footage of the Rock spouting catchphrases at the camera for two hours, and they would’ve been perfectly happy. Judging by my comments section and the screams that flare up whenever Ryan Seacrest mentions the kid’s name, this is how the assembled grandmothers and 12-year-old girls of America feel about David Archuleta. The whole idea of American Idol and the concept of singing in general are becoming entirely secondary to the inexplicable cultlike appeal of this big-toothed gnome-child, and I don’t get it at all.

Village Voice

‘American Idol’ Recap: David Cook, Michael Johns Rock To The Top, David Archuleta Might Miss The Prom

Time to double-check those birth certificates and prepare to feel like an old coot because Tuesday night’s “Idol” was all about songs from the contestants’ birth years! Nigel Lythgoe hoped to use this theme last season too, but producers hit a snafu when they realized that music didn’t have lyrics back when Melinda Doolittle was born. Rimshot!

The increasingly smarmy Seacrest opened the show by boldly declaring, “The countdown to the finale has begun!” I guess the first 23 episodes we saw this season were just placeholders. In your (creepy) face, Jason Yeager!

Paula incorporated the “birth year” theme into her nutso outfit. Television hasn’t witnessed that much jewelry over elbow-length gloves since AMC ran a Marilyn Monroe marathon. But I give her a round of seal claps for cutting the fingers off the gloves. That made the look much more modern (and by modern, I mean circa 1985).

MTV