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American Idol Recaps

American Idol Season 9 Finale Results Show

by Jo-Lynne on May 26, 2010

in American Idol Recaps,Reality TV Junkie

idol-talk So this is it folks — the moment we’ve all been waiting for. What? You have a life, you say? Well, how nice for you. I, on the other hand, do not, and I’ve been looking forward to this for weeks. So let’s get this party started.

The top 12 contestants are performing School’s Out with Alice Cooper. Let’s hope the musical guest performers improve over the course of the evening. That’s all I’m going to say about that.

Kris Allen as the outgoing Idol gets a turn on stage. I’m wondering why we haven’t heard more from him over the past year. I’m liking this song a lot, but I still think Adam Lambert should have won it.

Of course tonight’s show is pretty much dedicated to Simon, and we get treated to the first of what promises to be many tributes to king of the butt-cut himself. I really cannot believe he’s leaving the show. It’s not going to be worth watching without him. He just has an uncanny ability to critique contestants and predict their success as artists. No one will be able to replace him, but I suppose I’ll have to watch next season to see how it goes.

Siobhan and Aaron are paired up to sing perhaps one of the worst songs ever written. Wake me up when it’s over. It’s not much improved when the Bee Gees join them.

Now it’s Big Mike’s turn on stage. Okay, enough with the sappy 70s music tonight. Please tell me they’re going to continue to work their way through the decades. Michael McDonald joins Big Mike on stage, and yeah, he’s got an awesome voice but I’m holding out for another decade.

Okay, finally, we’re suddenly up to the 21st century with the top 6 girls singing Christina Aguilera’s Beautiful. Oh I guess this is a whole girls’ medley. Fun. During Fighter, Christina joins the girls on stage, but only for a few seconds. That hardly seems worth her trip, but whatever.

Oh I spoke too soon. I seem to be making a habit of that. Christina gets her very own performance singing a song I don’t know. And WHAT is going on with her hair? She looks like a blond Betty Rubble who forgot to put her dress on. Girl can sing, I’ll give her that, but I really would like to be her stylist. Somehow I doubt she’s interested.

Now it’s time for a boys’ medley. Suddenly we’re back to the 70s. I feel like I’m in a schizophrenic time machine. Let me guess. Hall and Oates is going to make an appearance shortly. Here’s a little bit of trivia for you: Daryl Hall is a local boy. He was born in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, and he went to Temple University in Philly where he met John Oates. Now your life is complete. You’re welcome.

Crystal gets her chance to sing with Alanis Morissette. I wonder if the contestants have any say over who they sing their duets with. I feel like the show finally got started. This is cool. If you’ve got this show on your DVR and you haven’t watched yet, just start the tape about 50 minutes into it.

Next, the sweetheart of American Idol, Carrie Underwood gets her own spotlight. Wow, that is some outfit she’s got going on there. She barely resembles that shy farm girl that we met back on season four.

Next Casey gets his moment in the spotlight, and I’m anxious to see who he gets paired up with. Oooooh, this is perfect — Every Rose Has Its Thorn. Soon he’s joined by Bret Michaels. Well that was fun.

Lee DeWyze gets paired up with Chicago, and I’m really not quite sure how they picked this combination.

So far tonight, I’ve gotta say, this finale show has nothing on last year’s finale. Last year was a blast. This? Eh.

Although it may be looking up. I’ve been waiting for this. Pants on the Ground gets its very own segment, complete with dance team. Good stuff.

Um. Does anyone have a hook to pull Paula off the stage? I’m not sure what’s worse — her weak attempts at stand up comedy or her stilted sincerity. Okay, but I’ll admit, I do love seeing all the former Idol contestants singing together on stage. And seeing Simon in tears makes all this sappiness worth while.

This whole Janet Jackson segment I could do without. Wow, I’m really sounding crabby tonight, aren’t I?

Well, it’s looking like I’ll soon be put out of my misery. We’re finally getting down to the final minutes of the show, and Lee and Crystal are singing A Little Help From My Friends, and Joe Cocker makes his appearance. Crystal’s in her element. This is the most fun I’ve had all night.

And now it’s time for the results. Without further ado, the winner of American Idol Season 9 is…

LEE DEWYZE.

{ 12 comments }

American Idol Season 9 FINALE

by Jo-Lynne on May 25, 2010

in American Idol Recaps,Reality TV Junkie

idol-talk I can’t believe the finale is here already. It’s funny, when they’re in the initial audition shows, it seems like forever until they get to Hollywood. Then suddenly we’re at the finale.

Going into the finale, I have to say, I think Lee has a leg up on Crystal. She’s amazing, but she started out strong and leveled off, whereas Lee had potential from the beginning, but he’s really grown. They both have a similar style, so I’m calling a tight race. It really comes down to tonight’s performances.

And tonight we have a special treat. I’m going to include my son’s impressions of the show. He’s 10, and he’s a huge Idol fan.

Round One: Contestant’s Choice

Lee chose to sing The Boxer, the Simon and Garfunkel number that he sang during Inspiration Week. This is a great start to the night. His performance is even better than I remember. He seems totally caught up in the moment. Randy wants more energy but I’m sorry, that was awesome. Ellen agrees with me, that it was even better than the first time. Simon wants more passion. Phbbbt. I felt the passion, Lee!

D’s take: “It was pretty good.”

Crystal chooses Me and Bobby McGee from Billboard #1 Week. Janis Joplin — good choice for her. Oh she’s putting up a good fight. I might have to give Round One to Crystal. Randy says it was dope. Ellen loves how she fills the stage. Kara says she has fire in her belly tonight; she loves it. Simon says this brings us back to when we fell in love with Crystal. I totally agree. I’ve been waiting for Crystal to make her comeback, and she picked just the right night.

D’s take: “It was a tiny bit better than Lee’s.”

I give Round One to Crystal.

Round Two: Producer’s Choice

Simon Fuller’s pick for Lee is Everybody Hurts. This should be good. I like how they’re giving them longer to work out the arrangements tonight. So often they don’t have time to really get the song out, but Lee’s milking this song for all it’s worth. I love this, but by this point, I’m feeling like he really needs a big finish. It’s pretty much the same volume and the same intensity throughout. He needs a song that has an impressive climax, or Crystal just might show him up.

D’s take: “It was okay.”

Wow. Tough crowd.

For round two, Crystal is singing Black Velvet. It’s another solid performance from Crystal, and I love how she shows her range. It was a bit screechy in parts, but it worked. She’s on fire tonight. The judges love it.

D’s take: “I liked it.”

I’ll call Round Two a tie.

Round Three: Their Single

Beautiful Day is the single they will release if they win.

Hey wait. This is U2. This isn’t some cheesy song someone wrote just for this purpose. Now that’s a change for the better, if I ever heard one.

This should be a perfect song for both of them. It will be interesting to see how they change up the arrangements.

Oh Lee, I can see your nerves. Let go, dude. Just let go. You could win this thing, but your nerves are getting the better of you. And again, it’s all about the same intensity, the same tone, the same range. He needs to build to something.

Oooooh, guys, I don’t KNOW. I thought Lee had a leg up coming in to this competition, but if Crystal pulls this one off, she’s got it in the bag.

Kara thinks Lee got swallowed up in the song, and I tend to agree. But I also agree that he belongs here tonight. Simon has some really kind words to say, but he basically just told him (or didn’t tell him, but we all understood) that he’s not the front runner at this point.

D’s take: “I think that was the best performance of the night.”

Crystal’s singing Up To The Mountain. Okay, now I’m really confused. In years past, the finalists sang the same song for their single, but evidently they’re really changing things up this year.

Crystal is center stage on a stool with her guitar, and I’m feeling like we’re watching the next American Idol.

Okay, I could not blog through that. I just sat here and watched, entranced. That was kind of climax I was talking about.

Randy summed it up nicely with “this is one of the greatest performances and at the perfect time on this show.” Yep. Pretty much.

D’s take: “I hated it.” LOL! LOL!

Are we really related? I guess there’s no accounting for taste.

I give Round Three to Crystal, hands down.

I say Crystal’s got this trophy in the bag. Lee just didn’t shine tonight the same way she did. Somehow, the Crystal we loved during the first half of the season made her comeback just in the nick of time, and I predict she’s the next American Idol. Lee will do well. They both have successful music careers ahead of them, but I think Crystal will be taking the trophy home tomorrow night.

What say you?

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American Idol Recap: Top Three

by Jo-Lynne on May 18, 2010

in American Idol Recaps,Reality TV Junkie

idol-talk I can’t believe it’s almost time to crown another American Idol, and I love this final three. So yay for tonight!!

Casey chooses It’s Alright With Me. It was good. He sounded good. He was confident. It was true to himself. But it was just… a’ight with me. Ugh. I know. My originality is lacking tonight. I was up till 1am last night watching the season finale of Survivor, what can I say? I’m lucky I’m still awake.

Crystal totally Bowersoxed Melissa Ethridge’s classic, Come To My Window although I wish they’d give the contestants more time to sing these songs. Sometimes they have to jump into the chorus too soon just to fit it all in, and this performance is one of those, but still, it’s fab. The judges aren’t loving it, but I am. What I am NOT loving is how defensive she seems to get when the judges criticize her. Crystal, STOP THAT.

Lee is singing Simple Man. I think he has it in him to pull ahead of Crystal in this race to the finish, as long as he can stay on pitch. Let’s see how he does. Yep. Loving it. He finally seems to be feeling at home up there, now that the season is about over. That was da bomb.

Randy and Kara chose Daughters for Casey. It’s a good song choice for his voice, but it’s a little sleepy for me. And I’m kinda wondering how he connected to this song. Seems like it would be easier for a father to relate to, but he managed to make it believable. Still, I’m not sure I’ll remember it next week.

Crystal is singing Maybe I’m Amazed, chosen by Ellen. Why is she singing “Baby I’m a man”? I can’t quite get past that. But yeah, that was definitely a memorable performance. It was a bit of a stretch for her, and yet she kept it true herself. She’s the real deal.

Okay, finally. A performance worth using the rewind button. Lee is singing Hallelujah — a song that runs the risk of being overdone on American Idol, but this was a brilliant choice for Lee (kudos to Simon), and he pulled out all the stops. Honestly, this is something I would download to my iPod. I’m not sure I can say that for any of the other performances tonight, except perhaps Simple Man. I’m beginning to rethink my stance on who should win this little competition.

For one thing, I really prefer Lee’s attitude to Crystal’s. In the beginning she seemed humble, but lately she’s always talking back to the judges and defending her song choices. The gracious way Lee accepts feedback from the judges is much easier to watch. And I get this feeling that Crystal doesn’t really care if she wins or not. Perhaps that’s not true, but she hasn’t improved much over the course of the season. Lee, on the other hand, has made huge strides, and he’s giving it his all here at the end.

I’m assuming that Casey is going home tomorrow night, but I suppose an upset is always possible. After Lee’s performances tonight, I feel pretty confident that he is safe.

How about you? What are your thoughts on tonight’s performances?

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American Idol Results Recap

by Jo-Lynne on May 12, 2010

in American Idol Recaps

It’s time for another American Idol results show, and I have to admit, I’m a bit nervous tonight. This is the week Chris Daughtry was voted out back in season 5 wasn’t it? I should have voted this week.

Fantasia launches the show, and as much as I loved her in season 3, I have to admit, she hasn’t done anything since that I’ve really cared for, and this number is no different. She’s good, but I’m just not an R&B fan. #thatisall

Say what? Her daughter is NINE? Oh. My Gosh. I’ve been watching this show for over 7 years. I am officially OLD.

And it’s another Ford video. Yawwwwwwwwwn.

And now we get to chat with our top four: Mike, Casey, Lee, and Crystal.

After a brief recap of last night’s performances, Casey is announced as safe. Mmmmmkay…. I’m still concerned for Crystal.

But first, we get treated to a performance by Daughtry, probably my favorite Idolist of all time.

Okay, I’m back. That was fun.

So we get another recap of last night and then Lee is safe. WOOT!

But I still can’t relax till I hear that Crystal is in the final three.

But first. Bon Jovi.

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Love these guys — “Hard work, good luck” — that pretty much sums up success in this life.

And now it’s time to face the music — pun intended.

Crystal made it, and Mike is going home.

I like Mike, but I gotta say, I’m satisfied with this outcome. My top three faves are in the top three, and I don’t remember the last time that happened, so YAY.

How about you? Are you satisfied with tonight’s results?

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American Idol Recap: Top 4

by Jo-Lynne on May 11, 2010

in American Idol Recaps

idol-talk Tonight Jaime Fox is the celebrity mentor, and I remember from last year, he was good. I’m rubbing my hands together in delight. I think tonight’s gonna be a good night. And I’m telling ya, after spending 2 hours in the bone-chilling rain at the ball park watching my son play baseball, I’m ready for some cozy, mind-numbing entertainment.

Lee is singing Kiss From A Rose, and I’m concerned. This is a hard song to make sound good, unless your Seal, of course. Lee’s not upping the ante at. all. Oh no. This just isn’t working. He’s not doing anything with it, and his voice just disappears in parts. And it’s not even all in tune. No no no no no. This is not the performance to get him to the finale. I’m totally with Randy and Simon on this one.

Let’s hope he does better with his duet. WHY aren’t they doing 2 solos each tonight? My excitement over tonight’s show is quickly waning.

Mike is singing Will You Be There, and okay it’s good, but it’s not his best performance. I liked it, but are these guys in it to win it or not? I mean, really.

Lee and Crystal are singing Falling Slowly. This should be a good pairing, and I love this song, but my ears are bleeding. I love the chemistry, but is it just me or is Lee totally off pitch? WHAT just happened? The judges are all over it. I hope it’s my problem and not theirs, but YOW. I need to rewind. Okay, it’s better the second time around; I still hear something weird, but I don’t think he’s off pitch. I think it’s the harmony and it’s just dissonant or something. Anyone? Thoughts on this?

Casey is singing Mrs. Robinson. Okay, these sure are odd picks for “Songs from the Movies.” They’re all going mellow tonight. I mean, I like pretty much anything by Simon and Garfunkel, but it seems like an odd choice on top of odd choices. He does it well, and he changes it up enough without massacring the melody. I like it. But I’m waiting for… a moment?

LOL, Randy is asking why he chose that song, but this Kara/Mrs. Robinson thing is tacky. I’m annoyed. But, in the end, I agree with Simon. “There have been some very strange song choices tonight, and that was one of them.”

AMEN.

Come on, Crystal. Bring it home.

Crystal’s singing I’m All Right, and she’s got her guitar in hand. After two mediocre weeks, she’s in her element. This is classic Crystal, and she’s just secured her place in the finals, if you ask me. I just rewound and watched again, and I had to stop myself from standing up and cheering. The judges are so excited. They’ve been waiting for this.

Finally, it’s Mike and Casey’s turn for a duet. I love, LOVE this song but it’s an odd choice for a duet, but whatever. (It’s also an odd pairing, in my opinion.) Well, I’ll give Casey an A for the guitar and Mike an A for the vocal. I was expecting more from Casey tonight. Oh well.

Okay, Ellen. That was a conversation stopper if I ever heard one.

What’s the deal? Do we have one week left or two? After this, jeez, I dunno. Lee and Crystal for the top 2 and I don’t much care who comes in 3rd. At this point, I think it’s a toss up.

You?

And now it’s time for…

GLEE!

{ 8 comments }

American Idol Results

by Jo-Lynne on May 5, 2010

in American Idol Recaps,Reality TV Junkie

idol-talk I’m on the edge of my seat tonight. I don’t want Casey to go home yet.

Lee is the first one sent to safety, and I fast forwarded through just about everything else till Ryan finally got down to business.

He forms two groups — Crystal and Casey, and Mike and Aaron.

I’m REALLY afraid Casey and Crystal are the bottom two tonight.

Oh good grief, Ryan asks Lee to choose the safe group. He refuses, of course. The audience seems quite opinionated, but of course we can’t make out what they’re saying.

ANNNNNNND…

Mike and Aaron are bottom two.

Whew! *sigh of relief*

At this point, I don’t much care who goes home, but I would prefer Aaron. Of course, we have to endure another commercial break before Ryan reveals that Aaron is, in fact, going home tonight.

So that’s that. I can’t believe we’re down to the top four already. It seems like this season just started. I really hope Crystal pulls out all of the stops next week. She’s due for a good week.

They’re all deserving of the final three, so I say it’s a crap shoot at this point. I’m rooting for Crystal and Lee for the finals. You?

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American Idol Recap

April 28, 2010

It’s been another crazy week here at Casa de Musings, and I didn’t have another shred of energy left to live blog the show last night. I did watch, however, and it was an interesting night in Idol Land. These guys are all in it to win it, and who’s going home tonight is anybody’s [...]

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American Idol Recap

April 21, 2010

Last night I couldn’t bear the thought of sitting up with my laptop, churning out another post while I watched TV. I just needed to veg. So here is my recap in a nutshell. Give the Idol trophy to Crystal and put the rest of these chumps out of their misery. Top three performances last [...]

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American Idol Recap: It’s a Two-Fer

April 14, 2010

In more ways than one. Tonight I’m going to recap two shows (last night’s performances and tonight’s results) and two contestants are going home. I can hardly wait. Can’t you? Okay, well, pretend for my sake, m’kay? Tonight (or last night, rather) is/was Elvis night, and the mentor is, um, Adam Lambert? I do love [...]

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American Idol Results

April 7, 2010

I fast forwarded through most of Idol’s show tonight. I’m dog tired. The long and the short of it is, Big Mike and Andrew were the bottom two, and Big Mike must sing for his life. Remember when I predicted an upset this week? Yeah. Well, I didn’t want it to be MIKE going home. [...]