Eyeing the ‘Idol’ odds: 2009 American Idol Meter
Analyzing Idol isn’t a science. But it’s fun to approach it that way. We’ve come up with a fast-track formula to gauge each singer’s momentum heading into the next week of competition. Contestants can score up to 100 points, or ‘ if they’re in danger ‘ into negative numbers.
More Idol Headlines after the JUMP…
American Idol’s Motown Recordings, Judged
As part of the celebration of American Idol’s Motown Week, the legendary label has’ for the first time!’ opened its vaults and allowed outsiders to sing over the original Motown studio tracks. For contestants, this is both good and bad. On one hand, there’s no risk that a singer will be dragged down by a middling arrangement. On the other…no excuses! And while a singer covering this material will always suffer next to giants like Marvin Gaye, the Temptations, and Stevie Wonder, those comparisons are heightened when their voices are surrounded by the very drum fills, finger snaps, and guitar obligattos that are on the original hit records. So how did they do? Here’s a rundown of all the tracks, which you can hear and purchase right now on iTunes.
Caveat: I’m not an American Idol watcher, so I haven’t had the opportunity to be charmed by the contestants’ winning personalities. And because they have a Mission: Impossible kind of task here, they’ll be graded on a curve.
‘American Idol’: Loving the humiliation of the judges’ ‘save’
There are many things I don’t like about American Idol — the tedious over-singing; the cavalier ignorance the finalists display about the history of pop music, never more obvious than during this week’s coaching sessions with Smokey Robinson — but I love the new final-save widget Idol has added. Anything that brings to the fore the essential quality that Idol always tried to hide beneath its glitz and big smiles — the week-by-week, systematic stripping down of every finalist’s last vestige of individuality and dignity — is revealed during the elimination-night “save” moment.
Results Shows Now Officially the Best Part of American Idol
On Wednesday, USA Today asked the same question that we did a week ago: Was American Idol’s brutal dismissal of Alexis Grace last Wednesday too mean? Thanks to this year’s hilarious new “Judge’s Save” rule, ousted contestants are effectively eliminated twice ‘ once by America’s vote and again when the judges opt not to rescue them ‘ but while Alexis’s double offing last week did feel a little cruel (mostly because she didn’t really deserve to go home), the hammer came down on annoying roughneck Michael Sarver last night, and it was pretty great.
Idol Watch: Begging, the Question
* You got Sarved! Likeable family man Michael Sarver went home last night, unsurprisingly, earning no judges’ save after his encore of “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg.” (Establishing, with last week’s “Jolene” by Alexis Grace, a pattern: if you sing a song about begging, you will have to beg for the judges.)
Confessions of an American Idol lover
Listen, I realize Im about seven years too late when it comes to being obsessed with American Idol. Like, way behind the rest of the country (just like I was with cell phones, microwaves and the Internet!). Also, I know I might be the only Idol-obsessive that started watching the show because of a certain smutty dream about dreamy meany English judge Simon Cowell being my boyfriend and judging me (it explains quite a lot, actually), but there it is. I’m hooked. I think about it even when Im not watching it. And you know what? I dont care who knows it anymore.
Danny Gokey update: He’s still from Milwaukee!
It been a while since we checked in with American Idol contestant and national Milwaukee representative Danny Gokey, and Decider figured that we owed it to our readers to make sure that this criminally under-reported show finally get its due in the local press. Really, this has nothing to do with boosting our traffic by triggering Gokey Google Alerts. We would never exploit Gokey like that. That (Gokey) is just (Gokey) cheap. Gokey Gokey Gokey.
Archuleta wows his hometown fans
WEST VALLEY CITY ‘ That wasn’t a horror movie on Friday night at the E Center ‘ those bloodcurdling screams you might have heard from miles away were fans at the David Archuleta concert.
And it wasn’t just the teenage girls screaming their lungs out. In many cases, it was their mothers, too.
“She wasn’t enormously embarrassing, just sort of, ” said one teenage girl who was there with her mother.
Review: Crowd goes wild for Golden Archie
Vestiges of “American Idol” were all around the E Center during David Archuleta’s concert Friday night: this season’s contestant David Osmond was mobbed in the aisles before the show; one of Archuleta’s songs was penned by “Idol” judge Kara DioGuardi; and one fan’s shirt bore the words, “I voted for David Archuleta.”
But the Murray 18-year-old, who finished second in the 2008 season of “Idol, ” showed in his first headlining show in his hometown that he has moved beyond who he was on TV — a shy, awkward teenager – and is on his way to becoming a man.
Archuleta Comes Back and Performs for Home Town Fans
WEST VALLEY CITY – Hometown fans filled the E Center Friday night to see season seven American Idol finalist David Archuleta in concert. After never falling into the bottom three, Archuleta came in second to David Cook in the 2008 finale. Since appearing on Idol, Archuleta has recorded an album, with three songs making simultaneous debuts on The Billboard Hot 100 chart. And FOX 13’s Joe Wren is at the center with highlights.
Born in Miami, The Archuletas moved to Sandy, Utah, when David was six years old. He was attending Murray High School when his Idol experience began. David has always loved music, and was a fan of the American Idol show from season one. His father took him to the first finale at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood.
Jordin Sparks Addresses Rumors Of Chris Brown Collaboration
When MTV News caught up with Sparks at John Mayer’s “One Splendid Evening” benefit concert for the VH1 Save the Music Foundation on Thursday night, she addressed rumors that she’d once again be working with Brown for her forthcoming album. “It wasn’t planned [as a duet], ” she said of a certain song. “I had gotten a song he had been a part of.”
She was quick to point out that the Brown-penned track may not even appear on her album. “He had written [the song], and I’m not sure if I’m going to get to it yet, ” she explained. “I haven’t recorded it yet, so we’ll see.”
Idol’s Michael Johns To Release Album
In fact, OK! has learned that his first post-Idol album, Hold Back My Heart, is set for release on Downtown records in June.
…It a rock and soul record, he told us at a private Seal concert at the W Hotel in Westwood March 24.
“We stripped it down so that it sounds like Otis Redding, ” the Australian said.
Expect Johns to take his band on the road this summer for at least a few promotional dates. First off, the singer will appear this weekend at the Fight Night event in Phoenix, Arizona alongside featuring Jon Bon Jovi, Muhammad Ali, Michael Phelps and Reba McEntire. Tickets start at $1500 for the charity event.
Pickler launches fan club
Friday, March 27, 2009 ‘ Kellie Pickler finally has a fan club. Members will receive the first chance at tickets to shows, photos and videos, a members-only message board, exclusive contests and giveaways and the chance too meet the singer. Members also qualify for merchandise discounts at her store, pre-sales on concert tickets, including this year’s Fearless Tour with galpal Taylor Swift.
Video: Ruben Studdard on ‘Love, ‘ ‘Dancing’
March 27) – Two weeks ago we asked PopEater nation to submit your questions for soul crooner Ruben Studdard, who we caught up with on the set of his video for ‘Together.’ Is he done making gospel music? Is he itching to be on ‘Dancing With the Stars’? What’s his fave song off ‘Love Is, ‘ his soon-to-drop fourth album? So without further ado (or long-winded setup), we present to you …
From Idol to Angel: Taylor Hicks Visits
American Idol winner Taylor Hicks is starring in the Broadway musical, GREASE, right here in San Francisco as the “teen angel.”
I know all about the credit crunch… I had one myself
WITH a £100million fortune Simon Cowell might be the last person you want to hear dishing out advice on how to beat the credit crunch.
But after over-borrowing 20 years ago the X Factor chief lost his home, cash and Porsche ‘ so he can sympathise with the cash-strapped Brits who watch his TV shows.
And having fought back from the brink, Simon, 49, is well placed to dish out advice.
Talking exclusively to The Sun in LA, he says: …Dont forget, I had my own credit crunch 20 years ago.
EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Sneak Peek! DWTS’ Julianne Hough, Chuck Wicks Next Dance Routine
Julianne Hough and beau Chuck Wicks — who date in real life and are paired up on Dancing With the Stars — show off their moves in a new Celebrity MySpace video. Watch above.
See hilarious DWTS rehearsal photos.
The couple — who plan to perform the Lindy Hop next Monday — say working together hasn’t hurt their relationship.
“It’s so much fun, ” Hough says. “You know, we both tour and we’re apart from each other, so this is a cool opportunity for us to spend more time together.”
DWTS’ Holly Madison: Injuries “Hurt” But Are “Nothing Serious”
Holly Madison won’t let her injury keep her from competing on Dancing With the Stars this Monday.
Although she went to the doctor Thursday fearing a broken rib, she got a much less severe prognosis.
See funny photos of the new DWTS cast rehearsing.
“I just have some inflamed muscles around my ribs, ” Madison says on E!’s Daily 10. “So it hurts, but Im a lot more confident now I know it’s nothing serious.”
Her dancing partner, Dmitry Chaplin understands why she got injured in the first place.
“Holly not a dancer, ” he says. “Her body’s not used to the kind of pressure, pulling of the rib cage or twisting or doing splits… So her body, of course, suffers from it.”
