Von Smith – YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I’m so happy!  I really like Von and I hope he well! 

Jazmine Murray – I’m a little surprised by this choice but, as the judges said, she’s got a lot of commercial appeal so I guess I can understand that.

Ricky Braddy – I’m happy he’s got a second chance.  He’s got a great voice and I’d like to see what he does next week.

Megan Joy Corkrey – Megan is really unique which is good because I feel like there is a good amount of talent this year but there’s a shortage of uniqueness (at least in the Top 12). 

Tatiana Del Toro – Giggles emerged from the audience as Tatiana immediately started crying and thanking the judges for putting her back in the competition.  She’s got a decent voice but I’m not sure I can take her hysterics.

Matt Giraud – I’m not surprised by this at all.  The judges seemed to like him,  viewers seemed to like him but he just didn’t get the votes.  We’ll see what happens.

Jesse Langseth – The judges liked her bluesy voice and added her to the list of people in the Wildcard round at the last minute (during the last commercial break, in fact).  Not sure how I feel about this one…

ANOOP DESAI – WOOOOOOHOOOOOOOO!  I’m so happy!!!  I love Anoop and I was crushed when he was eliminated after the Group 1 performances.  BRING IT ON, ANOOP!  I really want him in the finals!

What do you think?  Did the judges get it right?  The only one I really cared about was Anoop so I’m okay with the others.

image © 2009 FOX BROADCASTING CR: Michael Becker / FOX

Post from: Idol Stalker

Wow. Some have called this season’s contestants dull and unoriginal. Tonight might have been an example. Classics are classics and must be respected but, while almost everyone sang well enough, there was little that will keep me up tonight.

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO TELLING CONTESTANTS TO TAKE RISKS (Haley risked a “wardrobe malfunction” but that doesn’t count)?

My co-blogger, Jason, has done a fine job live-blogging the show tonight, so I’m just going to add my two cents about the performances. 

Blake doesn’t have to beatbox every week and he’s definitely among the best (and maybe the most versatile) but he sang “Mack the Knife” so straight, he almost sounded like he was auditioning for “Beyond the Sea 2: Bobby Darin Lives.” You can be respectful but still true to yourself.

Phil is a good singer but this did not even seem like a genuine performance. If you weren’t distracted by the sweat beads on his melon, there wasn’t much excitement in his rendition of “Night and Day.” In fact, I felt like a night and a day had passed by the end of it.

Melinda, as Simon said, is almost impossible to criticize. I happened to agree with what he said, however, about the first half of the song being kind of bland. That song has some real potential and I felt like she could have given more, but she’s great so who cares?

Chris gets props for mixing old with new by wearing jeans but did he have to steal Sanjaya’s hat? Just kidding. He stayed true to himself, even if it wasn’t his best performance (in my very humble opinion, at least). One tip though – learn to keep the microphone near your mouth. If you turn your head, the mic should follow! He’s had a problem with this all season. It’s bugging me.

Jordin was a bit boring to me. I’m not sure if the mic feedback was an indication that the sound was off because I’m wondering if the judges heard her whole performance. It was a clone-like, factory-made performance.

Gina is a good singer. She had a good performance. She could maybe control the eye seizures (those of you with TiVo, DVR, PVR, etc… check it out). I was somewhat irritated to have the soldiers in Iraq brought into the mix by Tony Bennett (not her fault). I was half expecting her to be draped in a flag with an eagle on her shoulder, or something. Well, at least it would have been interesting…

Sanjaya, as Mr. Bennett said, “dares to take risks.” Honestly, I do think this is part of the reason he’s still here. When he’s gone, we pretty much know how it’s going to go down and the performances will be predictable (with the exception of Blake, maybe) but Sanjaya has made himself stand out. His performance did sound a bit like a clip from an episode of Barney. Hey, Madonna’s not a great singer but she knows how to market herself. Don’t underestimate the importance of being an entertainer.

Haley is starting to annoy me in a major way. Her singing is just right for Broadway or Disney movies, and she knows it, so she sells sex, really. There, I’ve said it. Even Tony Bennett had to ask her to tone down the level of skank she was trying to put into the song. The shimmying and toying with men in the front row was almost shameless. She’s not going to win (let’s hope) so she’s using gimmicks to get votes. Why does Sanjaya get all the buzz? This is a family show and there have been times when I was embarrassed for her. Seriously.

Lakisha is back! She’s one of the few contestants I’ve seen in the history of the show who had the guts to go against the advice of the guest (Tony Bennett told her to omit the “ain’t no sunshine when he’s gone” at the end of her song but she didn’t). She is a PLUS-SIZE BEAUTY and I love her. I just want her to stay in the zone from now on.

Post from: Idol Stalker

WildBluffWalt at Wild Bluff Media has some interesting side-by-side comparisons to see exactly what kind of image some contestants are putting out there for the audience.

Now I love Chris Sligh, but that’s funny!

Post from: Idol Stalker

So who are these 24 people we’re going to start seeing much more of:

You can now visit the American Idol site on Fox and get all the contestant information and bio stuff.

Post from: Idol Stalker

Are you missing the good ‘ole days? Long before Soul Patrol, or McPheever, or Bo and Carrie, or even Clay and Reuben?

American Idol Rewind is just what the doctor ordered for you. A flashback look at American Idol Season 1. You can grab information like this:

On the next American Idol Rewind… This week we find the judges in Chicago and Dallas, as the search continues for the American Idol. Chicago native and Season One finalist, Jim Verraros, introduces the episode, setting the scene for a day of many rejections. In fact, Chicago seemed cursed, as no one makes it through until Jacquette Williams. Following Jacquette, the talent keeps coming, as 23 people, including Angela Peel, Natalie Burge, Mark Scott and Jim Verraros, were put through to Hollywood.

American Idol Rewind

Post from: Idol Stalker