‘American Idol’ Top 12 Females Take Stage For First Performance Night
After endless weeks of prep, “American Idol” finally went live Tuesday (February 23), offering fans of the show the first look at the top 12 female performers as well as new judge Ellen DeGeneres, who quickly established that she will be offering up plenty of good advice mixed with comedy chops and support.
‘American Idol’ recap: Ladies’ Blight
A female contestant is going to win season 9 of American Idol. That’s what Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell have been telling journalists during their early-season press tours, and that was also the point driven home by Ryan Seacrest at the start of tonight’s telecast. ””You’ve said that it’s gonna be the girls’ year. What is it that stood out about this group of girls?” he asked Simon, before any of us had seen a single live performance from this year’s Top 24.
More Recaps after the JUMP…
Blake Lewis: Top 12 girls ‘missed the boat’
Last night we got to listen to the top 12 ladies of American Idol Season 9, and, to be honest, I was sadly unimpressed. I was really hoping to see some knock-out performances and some great song choices. Granted, this is the first night of live television, and there are definitely some nerves going around: I just felt like they missed the boat with the entertainment factor and song choices.
‘Idol’ Judges Admire Unique Female Semifinalists
“American Idol” semifinalist Lilly Scott is right where she belongs.
The 20-year-old singer from Denver was among a handful of unique crooners who impressed the Fox singing contest’s judges Tuesday (Feb. 23). The platinum-haired street musician played the guitar during her original take on The Beatles’ “Fixing a Hole” during the ninth season’s first semifinal round, which featured performances from the top 12 female semifinalists.
Ann Powers: The girls work the quirkiness, and the smarts
Song selection. It’s what the judges love to mention, the first true or false step any “Idol” striver makes, before she even opens her well-glossed lips. Sometimes, in truth, it doesn’t matter that much: The singer’s presence, tone, or sheer power shines through, no matter its vehicle. But on this virgin night of serious “Idol” competition, song selection really did determine the night’s best performances — in ways that were sometimes unexpected, and which further suggest that this season will be a tricky, transitional one for the show and its future stars.
12 chicks sing to survive on ‘American Idol’
Hey — over here! Chicks are competing! Yes, it’s singing in goofy get-ups, not figure skating in hot little skirts. On the bright side, you get to do the voting!
Paige Miles has been sewn into a hideous black jumper of some sort with a huge silver sash around her waist. She sings “It’s All Right”; lame duck judge Simon Cowell, who is very confused that he has lost his status as The Final Word after each performance, owing to having decided to dump the show after this season to launch a knock-off show of his own, pronounces the performance “cheap.” Judge Kara DioGuardi disagrees with Simon. Judge Randy Jackson agrees with them both. New judge Ellen DeGeneres disagrees and agrees with them all. Show host Ryan Seacrest asks Paige to reveal to about 20 million people watching that she’s been sewn into this outfit and has been waiting to urinate for five hours. This is way too much information.
‘American Idol’ Wishes Upon A Star
Tonight ‘American Idol’ finally entered the really competitive stage, in which 24 singers present themselves to America in hopes that they won’t be ignored by the texting and callng masses. Perhaps it was growing pains, or perhaps it was just the whole resituating of things with the arrival of newly minted judge Ellen DeGeneres, but the whole enterprise seemed a bit… off. The cantankerous Simon Cowell, after the first singer went, wondered on-mic when his turn to judge would come; Kara DioGuardi kept drawing Simon aside for consults; and the “where are the stars here” comments the judges kept throwing out during the course of the evening made me wonder if they had actually been presented with an alternate slate of female finalists in some kind of weird ‘Idol’-themed take on the old Folger’s challenge.
Final 24 Girls Sing: Go Pooter!
As Ryan declares, “Now we get serious with your Top 24.” See, they’re admitting the last month and a half were total crap and a waste of everybody’s time. That’s okay though, because we finally get to vote, and that’s all that matters, rigging this goofy billion dollar karaoke contest with it’s unhealthily obssesed fans.
Top 24 Girls Recap – “If It Was a Mess, It Was a Hot Mess”
Ryan Seacrest starts off the show by saying that this year’s group is incredible. Fast forward 2 hours and I can tell you that Ryan Seacrest is a damn dirty liar. I think the judges literally insulted every contestant somehow and told them they weren’t good enough. All 12. So remind me again how awesome this group is. It’s so much less fun to vote for the worst when everyone sucks so bad, but darling Haeley Vaughn really shined tonight. In time, she can only get better… for VFTW. So on to the recap where I embarrass Idol by pointing out what a shitty job they do of casting talent.
Here’s what I don’t love about you: AI9 Top 24 (Girls)
WTF? Giving Katie Stevens the pimp spot. NOT COOL. At least Crystal Bowersox is going second-to-last. (Quick — how much do you want to bet Andrew Garcia goes last tomorrow night?) Again, we go through the crap about it being a girl’s year. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Me? I’m just saddened Kara DioGuardi is sitting by Simon. Bitch is already trying to cozy up to him, a la Paula. Only Paula Abdul can cozy up to Simon at the judges’ table!
The ‘American Idol’ Top 24, Part 1: Quirky Girls Rule
Tuesday night the search for the next American Idol got serious, but it actually was an evening when quirkiness reigned supreme. The top 12 girls, perhaps the series’ strongest female dozen ever, competed live for the first time, and while there has been much hype in the blogosphere over early predictions that the females will dominate Season 9, judging from Tuesday’s performances it doesn’t seem like the stars of this season will be the typical wannabe Whitneys of seasons past.
Quirky girls get thumbs-up from ‘Idol’ judges
You can tell it’s time to get serious on “American Idol.” The red Coke cups are back. No more shilling for Vitaminwater — it’s time for the real thing.
The big news of Tuesday’s first round of the “American Idol” semifinals was that new judge Ellen DeGeneres isn’t sitting in Paula Abdul’s old seat. She’s batting leadoff, on the far edge of the four-seat podium. Randy Jackson slides down a spot to the No. 2 hole, followed by Kara DioGuardi at No. 3. Simon Cowell, of course, bats cleanup.
“American Idol” recap: Simon saves the day
“American Idol” went live and got down to business, and so did the top 12 girls, the better half of the 24 contestants. Or so I had hoped. Last year’s competition was dominated by males, and I was ready for some balance.
During the auditions, with the exception of the likes of Andrew Garcia and Casey James, the women emerged as shining stars. The buzz around town was what a talented group of singers there were for Simon’s last season: unique, distinctive, quirky, sultry and talented way beyond their years.
American Idol Recap: Twelve Women, Three Beatles Covers, Very Few Risks
American Idol went live last night for the first time this season, showcasing twelve aspiring female singers hoping to win America’s love through vocal chops and lockjaw smiles. Sadly, Ellen’s major contribution to her first live episode was a prerecorded bit showing Simon stroking her knee during auditions. (Her limited feedback in the rest of the show — “I enjoyed watching you!” — left a sour aftertaste.) Her scripted bit was not as amusing, however, as the moment when Ryan Seacrest told the crew to cut to Big Mike, who had accidentally elbowed the guy next to him because he’s sooooo big (they don’t unoriginally call him Big Mike for nothing, people!), but the cameras ignored his request. How would you like it, Ryan, if the director barged onstage and started babbling about difficult life journeys and small-town girls with big dreams?
American Idol’s semi-finals start with weak performances
Every year, one or more judges talks to the press and says something about a man or woman winning this year. I’m not sure what the point is, or how exactly they know this early in competition that’s frequently about growth from week to week. Maybe it’s an attempt to plant that idea in our minds to keep the American Idol universe balanced? In any case, this year, Simon Cowell has said, it will be a woman. Perhaps he should have waited until after last night’s kinda weak set of performances by the women to make his proclamation, however. Or maybe he knows that the men will be even worse?
American Idol: Attack of the Five Foot Women
Well, America’s favorite shining whirligig finally got to whirling and gigging last night. Though for a big “Here are your choices, America!” debut, it certainly wasn’t very graceful, was it? Actually, it was kinda downright urgly.
First let’s talk about the thing that all of America cared about six months ago and now no one remembers, because everyone is so tired of the noise, all the noise in the world, that they chose to forget it:
