Ugh, can you believe it? American Idol is back to giving us hour-long Thursday episodes. I thought these salad days of two-hour, Ben Hur-like installments would never end, but I was wrong. Scott Savol wrong.
But girl, Harry Connick Jr. still found the time to slay us with one-liners, like an actual adult we’d actually enjoy spending time with. The adult-iness of the rapport at the Idol judges’ table can’t be underestimated. Polite puns. Knowing asides. Incisive commentary on each other’s commentary. Remember, it was only a year ago that Nicki Minaj yelled obscenities while Mariah Carey muttered Mean Girls references at no one. I like Nicki and love Mariah, but that was more painful than any Lazaro Arbos ballad. This season is like a sweet, saucy, fun-loving Allison Iraheta take on “Hot Stuff.” You know I don’t say that about everyone.
Thursday’s Atlanta auditions were solid!
But girl, Harry Connick Jr. still found the time to slay us with one-liners, like an actual adult we’d actually enjoy spending time with. The adult-iness of the rapport at the Idol judges’ table can’t be underestimated. Polite puns. Knowing asides. Incisive commentary on each other’s commentary. Remember, it was only a year ago that Nicki Minaj yelled obscenities while Mariah Carey muttered Mean Girls references at no one. I like Nicki and love Mariah, but that was more painful than any Lazaro Arbos ballad. This season is like a sweet, saucy, fun-loving Allison Iraheta take on “Hot Stuff.” You know I don’t say that about everyone.
Thursday’s Atlanta auditions were solid!
- 1/24/2014
- by Louis Virtel
- The Backlot
Mariah Carey isn’t upset that things got heated between Nicki Minaj and her on the set of "American Idol," but she is upset that a tape of the incident was leaked to the media.
“Mariah has been in the business for a long time and has seen it all but never has she had anything leaked from a closed set,” a friend of Carey said. “The fact that the producers are not searching to find out how this footage and audio got leaked tells you who was behind it.”
The shocking footage comes from auditions in Charlotte, N.C, on a private set on which only authorized personnel were allowed. Security around the taping of "Idol" has been high since the show debuted, and contestants are asked to sign confidentiality agreements.
“The producers know that the show needs PR to make it must-see TV again and this won’t...
“Mariah has been in the business for a long time and has seen it all but never has she had anything leaked from a closed set,” a friend of Carey said. “The fact that the producers are not searching to find out how this footage and audio got leaked tells you who was behind it.”
The shocking footage comes from auditions in Charlotte, N.C, on a private set on which only authorized personnel were allowed. Security around the taping of "Idol" has been high since the show debuted, and contestants are asked to sign confidentiality agreements.
“The producers know that the show needs PR to make it must-see TV again and this won’t...
- 10/4/2012
- by Naughty But Nice Rob
- Huffington Post
There’s this weird part of the week — from Friday morning till Monday evening — when not a single major TV network airs a reality singing competition. It’s terrible, I know, but it also gives me a lot of time to ponder American Idol history. (Everyone does this in their free time, yes?) And my latest flight of Idol fancy got me mulling this question: Was Season 11′s Top 10 the strongest — top to bottom — in show history? Let’s examine:
For starters, I’d automatically rule out the five seasons with three or more Top 10 contestants who probably wouldn’t have outlasted Season 11′s No.
For starters, I’d automatically rule out the five seasons with three or more Top 10 contestants who probably wouldn’t have outlasted Season 11′s No.
- 3/26/2012
- by Michael Slezak
- TVLine.com
Let me start by saying I’m an unflinchingly devoted American Idol fan. I’ve watched all 11 seasons religiously — never missing an episode, except when I boycotted the remainder of season 4 out of principle once Scott Savol outlasted Constantine Maroulis — and can even remember the names of contestants that never made it past Hollywood. (Well, hello there season 10′s Aly Jados, who was also cut from The Voice last night!) Even in the past few weeks, when friends and family have been trying to convince me that I need a new obsession, since the ratings-troubled Idol is “so over,” I...
- 2/7/2012
- by Kate Ward
- EW.com - PopWatch
Last month, while interviewing executive producer Nigel Lythgoe for a story about possible changes to American Idol for its upcoming eleventh season, I proposed the idea that the show should introduce a list of 11 songs that would be banned from the live performance rounds on the grounds that they’ve been done to death in previous seasons. Lythgoe’s response caught me off guard: “Well, Mike, if you want to write down and send me 11 songs that you don’t want to hear again, I will put them through to the committee.”
Well, sir, you don’t have to ask me twice!
Well, sir, you don’t have to ask me twice!
- 9/4/2011
- by Michael Slezak
- TVLine.com
The confetti’s been swept up. The summer tour dates have been announced. And Scotty McCreery’s “I Love You This Big” is headed for a date with country radio. All of which is another way of saying that American Idol‘s 11th season is a mere seven months away.
With that in mind, I sat down and hammered out a list of 10 changes I’d make to the Idol machine to keep it humming along in high-rated, entertaining fashion. Check out my list of proposed tweaks, then hit the comments and suggest your own!
1) Limit the number of votes...
With that in mind, I sat down and hammered out a list of 10 changes I’d make to the Idol machine to keep it humming along in high-rated, entertaining fashion. Check out my list of proposed tweaks, then hit the comments and suggest your own!
1) Limit the number of votes...
- 6/5/2011
- by Michael Slezak
- TVLine.com
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me three times ... won't get fooled again. After weeks of plaid-based fashion crimes, self-righteous audience threats, horsey falsetto screeching and more awkward stage moves than an army of Paul McDonalds, Compton, California's Jacob Lusk was finally booted from "American Idol" on Thursday night.
I'm not saying I wanted him gone, but when America finally heard what I've been hearing for weeks (i.e., a singer whose commercial potential makes last year's "Idol" winner Lee DeWyze look like Lady Gaga), well, let's just say I felt vindicated, at the very least.
All but one of our experts correctly predicted Lusk's demise this week and "Idol" blogger Mj Santilli shared my feelings about the news. "I suspect if he had performed the way he really wanted to on 'Idol,' he would have been out weeks ago," she...
I'm not saying I wanted him gone, but when America finally heard what I've been hearing for weeks (i.e., a singer whose commercial potential makes last year's "Idol" winner Lee DeWyze look like Lady Gaga), well, let's just say I felt vindicated, at the very least.
All but one of our experts correctly predicted Lusk's demise this week and "Idol" blogger Mj Santilli shared my feelings about the news. "I suspect if he had performed the way he really wanted to on 'Idol,' he would have been out weeks ago," she...
- 5/6/2011
- by Gil Kaufman
- MTV Newsroom
The Season 10 premiere of "American Idol" is less than a week away and to make the days go by a bit faster, Zap2it decided to take a stroll down memory lane and re-evaluate the previous nine seasons.
Each day leading up to the premiere on Wednesday, Jan. 19, we will post a retrospective on each season. We're breaking it down into four categories: Best Performance, Worst Performance, Most Underrated Idol and most Overrated Idol. At the end, we will decide how the season stacks up against the rest, rating it as great, good, or not-so-good.
We've looked back at Season 1 (yay Kelly!), Season 2 (aww, Clay and Ruben!) and the black hole that was Season 3. Now it's time to take a look back at one of our favorite seasons.
Season 4 contestants in order of elimination:
Lindsey Cardinale
Mikalah Gordon
Jessica Sierra
Nikko Smith
Nadia Turner
Anwar Robinson
Constantine Maroulis
Scott Savol...
Each day leading up to the premiere on Wednesday, Jan. 19, we will post a retrospective on each season. We're breaking it down into four categories: Best Performance, Worst Performance, Most Underrated Idol and most Overrated Idol. At the end, we will decide how the season stacks up against the rest, rating it as great, good, or not-so-good.
We've looked back at Season 1 (yay Kelly!), Season 2 (aww, Clay and Ruben!) and the black hole that was Season 3. Now it's time to take a look back at one of our favorite seasons.
Season 4 contestants in order of elimination:
Lindsey Cardinale
Mikalah Gordon
Jessica Sierra
Nikko Smith
Nadia Turner
Anwar Robinson
Constantine Maroulis
Scott Savol...
- 1/16/2011
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
By Eric Ditzian
Though he will not reach the legal drinking age until 2014, let's pour one out for Aaron Kelly, the gawky balladeer who got the ol' heave-ho on "American Idol" Wednesday night (May 5). I've spent far too much of the past few months trying to wrap my head around just how the teen — whose voice I once compared to the sound of "nails on the chalkboard of a high school math class he should be sitting in instead of crooning on 'Idol'" — managed to stick around the competition this long. For now, I salute the kid for a job well done (if hardly well sung).
So what will become of young Kelly? Will he go on to a successful career as a recording artist? Or might we never hear his warbling voice again? A look back at former "Idol" contestants who got voted off in the fifth...
Though he will not reach the legal drinking age until 2014, let's pour one out for Aaron Kelly, the gawky balladeer who got the ol' heave-ho on "American Idol" Wednesday night (May 5). I've spent far too much of the past few months trying to wrap my head around just how the teen — whose voice I once compared to the sound of "nails on the chalkboard of a high school math class he should be sitting in instead of crooning on 'Idol'" — managed to stick around the competition this long. For now, I salute the kid for a job well done (if hardly well sung).
So what will become of young Kelly? Will he go on to a successful career as a recording artist? Or might we never hear his warbling voice again? A look back at former "Idol" contestants who got voted off in the fifth...
- 5/6/2010
- by MTV News
- MTV Newsroom
Richard Gere and Topher Grace have signed on to star in the spy thriller The Double, which centers on the murder of a senator. Richard Gere and Topher Grace have signed on to star in the spy thriller The Double, which centers on the murder of a senator. (Get it? The Double? And I wrote it twice? Aw, heck, cut me a break. We're still one day from the weekend.) [THR] On May 7, Mike Tyson will appear on The View in his first on-air interview with Barbara Walters since 1988 to promote his new Animal Planet series. "So what? Who cares?" said Joy Behar.
- 4/29/2010
- by Kate Ward
- EW.com - PopWatch
"American Idol" finalist Siobhan Magnus has nabbed the Vote for the Worst title now that Tim Urban is gone, which tells us that Vftw has completely lost their street cred in our opinion.
Vftw has been around since Season 3 of "Idol," when it actually backed Jennifer Hudson very early on in the semi-finals (oops!), but quickly turned to red-headed crooner John Stevens. They also managed to land Scott Savol in the Top 5 of Season 4, Kevin Covais in the Top 11 of Season 5 and (most notably) Sanjaya Malakar in the Top 7 of Season 6.
This season, we could not argue with their choice of Tim Urban (though we do take umbrage with their inherent purpose). He didn't even originally make the Top 24 and he clearly was going to last a long time despite very mediocre performances because he is super cute and, well, we all know who really votes for this show, so let's move on.
Vftw has been around since Season 3 of "Idol," when it actually backed Jennifer Hudson very early on in the semi-finals (oops!), but quickly turned to red-headed crooner John Stevens. They also managed to land Scott Savol in the Top 5 of Season 4, Kevin Covais in the Top 11 of Season 5 and (most notably) Sanjaya Malakar in the Top 7 of Season 6.
This season, we could not argue with their choice of Tim Urban (though we do take umbrage with their inherent purpose). He didn't even originally make the Top 24 and he clearly was going to last a long time despite very mediocre performances because he is super cute and, well, we all know who really votes for this show, so let's move on.
- 4/23/2010
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
"Against All Odds" is a popular "American Idol" song choice. Check out these 7 deadly sings of the Phil Collins 1984 hit.
Paige Miles was only the most recent to take on the soaring power ballad from the film of the same name. DId you know it was done six previous times on "American Idol?" Only seasons 1, 6 and 8 were immune.
1. Corey Clark, Season 2
2. George Huff, Season 3
3. Jessica Sierra, Season 4
4. Scott Savol, Season 4
5. Katharine McPhee, Season 5
6. Ramiele Malubay, Season 7
7. Paige Miles, Season 9
Interestingly, Paige was the first person to get eliminated after performing "Against All Odds." It did land Corey Clark in the bottom 2, but he didn't go home. So does that make Paige the worst "Odds"-maker? Color us crazy, but did Jessica Sierra and Ramiele Malubay do the song the best? We think so. Do you agree? Vote now!
Which 'American Idol' was best on 'Against All Odds?...
Paige Miles was only the most recent to take on the soaring power ballad from the film of the same name. DId you know it was done six previous times on "American Idol?" Only seasons 1, 6 and 8 were immune.
1. Corey Clark, Season 2
2. George Huff, Season 3
3. Jessica Sierra, Season 4
4. Scott Savol, Season 4
5. Katharine McPhee, Season 5
6. Ramiele Malubay, Season 7
7. Paige Miles, Season 9
Interestingly, Paige was the first person to get eliminated after performing "Against All Odds." It did land Corey Clark in the bottom 2, but he didn't go home. So does that make Paige the worst "Odds"-maker? Color us crazy, but did Jessica Sierra and Ramiele Malubay do the song the best? We think so. Do you agree? Vote now!
Which 'American Idol' was best on 'Against All Odds?...
- 3/25/2010
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
Expectations are now so low on this season of "American Idol" that when news broke that Miley Cyrus was going to "mentor" the Top 11 as they sang "Teen Idol Hits No Wait Billboard #1 Hits No Wait Both Maybe," I shrugged and said, "Eh, they've had worse." (I'm still laughing at producers for letting Jennifer Lopez give singing tips to Melinda Doolittle.) Looking back on my reaction, I now see I was dead wrong.
Miley Cyrus is a genius mentor for the season nine contestants. The best lesson these kids could learn is how to become uber-famous performers with limited vocal abilities. Who knows that better than Miley Cyrus?
Tuesday night's (March 23) show opened with the Top 11 nervously standing on stage while Ryan Seacrest's giant face appeared behind them on a massive monitor borrowed from 1984. (That number works as both a reference to George Orwell's classic and perfectly encapsulates...
Miley Cyrus is a genius mentor for the season nine contestants. The best lesson these kids could learn is how to become uber-famous performers with limited vocal abilities. Who knows that better than Miley Cyrus?
Tuesday night's (March 23) show opened with the Top 11 nervously standing on stage while Ryan Seacrest's giant face appeared behind them on a massive monitor borrowed from 1984. (That number works as both a reference to George Orwell's classic and perfectly encapsulates...
- 3/24/2010
- by Jim Cantiello
- MTV Newsroom
It's been four days since we lost Alex Lambert, Katelyn Epperly, and Lilly Scott on American Idol, yet I'm still going through the stages of grief. Last Friday, when I filmed this week's Idolatry with Michael Slezak, I was somewhere between denial and guilt. Why didn't I vote Thursday night, PopWatchers? Why, why, why?! But now, my friends, I'm onto bargaining. (You think I'd be at acceptance by now? Puh-leeze. I'm still holding a grudge about Scott Savol outlasting Constantine Maroulis in season 4. This is going to take a while.) Since I'm not going to waste Jermaine Sellers' god's time with my bargaining,...
- 3/15/2010
- by Kate Ward
- EW.com - PopWatch
From Frenchie Davis and Corey Clark to Joanna Pacitti, several hopefuls have been yanked from the 'Idol' stage.
By Gil Kaufman
Chris Golightly
Photo: Ray Mickshaw
Though it's probably no consolation, Chris Golightly has plenty of company in the ranks of "American Idol" hopefuls who've been disqualified from the show after making it through the grueling Hollywood rounds.
Golightly was cryptically Dq'd from the show on Wednesday — despite appearing in the group shot of the top 24 near the show's end — after producers determined that he was "ineligible" to continue in the competition. According to reports, the former foster child was unable to clear up a discrepancy about a former contract and was replaced by floppy-haired Tim Urban at the last minute. No mention was made on the show about the disqualification, nor about the rumored elimination of burly personal trainer Michael Lynche, who appeared to make the top 24 despite reports...
By Gil Kaufman
Chris Golightly
Photo: Ray Mickshaw
Though it's probably no consolation, Chris Golightly has plenty of company in the ranks of "American Idol" hopefuls who've been disqualified from the show after making it through the grueling Hollywood rounds.
Golightly was cryptically Dq'd from the show on Wednesday — despite appearing in the group shot of the top 24 near the show's end — after producers determined that he was "ineligible" to continue in the competition. According to reports, the former foster child was unable to clear up a discrepancy about a former contract and was replaced by floppy-haired Tim Urban at the last minute. No mention was made on the show about the disqualification, nor about the rumored elimination of burly personal trainer Michael Lynche, who appeared to make the top 24 despite reports...
- 2/18/2010
- MTV Music News
These are the "Idol" hopefuls we'll never forget, from Sanjaya to Taylor Hicks.
By James Montgomery
Sanjaya Malakar
Photo: Frank Micelotta/ Getty Images
Over the course of eight stupendous seasons, "American Idol" has showcased some of the best undiscovered singers in the country and a few who, well, were probably better left that way.
There have been plenty of highs and just as many lows. So, in celebration of Wednesday night's (May 20) Lambert vs. Allen finale, we're taking a look back at some of those who came before them — and were quickly forgotten. Because while there have been plenty of "Idol" also-rans who were really good, there are just as many who weren't. And really, we'll remember them a lot longer than the talented ones.
So here's a look back at some folks who reached for the stars (even though they probably shouldn't have) and didn't let a little thing...
By James Montgomery
Sanjaya Malakar
Photo: Frank Micelotta/ Getty Images
Over the course of eight stupendous seasons, "American Idol" has showcased some of the best undiscovered singers in the country and a few who, well, were probably better left that way.
There have been plenty of highs and just as many lows. So, in celebration of Wednesday night's (May 20) Lambert vs. Allen finale, we're taking a look back at some of those who came before them — and were quickly forgotten. Because while there have been plenty of "Idol" also-rans who were really good, there are just as many who weren't. And really, we'll remember them a lot longer than the talented ones.
So here's a look back at some folks who reached for the stars (even though they probably shouldn't have) and didn't let a little thing...
- 5/20/2009
- MTV Music News
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