As usual, American Idol made the elimination show a tortuous two hours of hearing the same old, same old. When Ryan told two of the contestants that they didn’t make it leaving a third contestant remaining on the stage and then proceeded to tell that third contestant that he didn’t make it, I was not amused. That’s not right American Idol!

After all was said and done the top five gals chosen by America are Lauren Alaina, Haley Reinhart, Thia Magia, Karen Rodriguez and Pia Toscano. The five guys chosen are Casey Abrams, James Durbin, Paul McDonald, Scotty McCreery and Jacob Lusk.

Six of the contestants that didn’t make it will get a chance to sing.  The judges will pick three of those six to join the 10 already chosen.  This will give us the top 13.

The first asked to sing is Ashton Jones.  She sings “You’re Gonna Love Me” and goes right after the judges convincing the judges that “yes” they do love her. She gets one of the three remaining spots.

Stefano Langone is the second to get to sing for the judges.  He picks “I Need You Now”.  He gives it his all.  I don’t think he could have sang any better than that. He takes the 12th spot.

Naima Adedapo sings “For All We Know”.  She has been one of my personal favorites since the beginning of the competition.  Thank goodness she gets that final 13th spot.

Kendra Chantelle, Jovany Barreto and Robbie Rosen get the chance to sing for one of the final spots, but they can’t beat out the other three.  I guess “Sorry” really was the hardest word for one of my favorites Robbie Rosen.  I’m sorry Robbie!

So there you have it your American Idol Top 13…

James Durbin, Haley Reinhart, Paul McDonald, Thia Magia, Casey Abrams, Jacob Lusk, Karen Rodriguez, Pia Toscano, Lauren Alaina, Scotty McCreery, Naima Adedapo, Ashton Jones, Stefano Langone and Naima Adedapo.  Let the real competition begin!  Stay tuned…Bloggergal

Last night the guys showed us what they are made off, now tonight it’s the gals turn.  All of these women can sing and perform.  This is going to be quite a battle to the finish!

First up is Ta–Tynisa Wilson.  She sang Rihanna’s “Only Girl in the World”.  Randy didn’t agree with Steven and Jennifer.  He said it didn’t compare with Rihanna’s version. I thought she sounded off throughout the whole song.

One of my favorites from the very beginning is Naima Adedapo.  She seems so comfortable with her own style.  She sang “Summertime” which immediately brought to mind Fantasia, but I thought she put a different spin on it and she was 100 times better than Ta-Tynisa.

What would an American Idol competition be like without a hot blond who can sing?  With Kendra Chantelle around, we won’t have to find out, will we?

I was expecting something way better out of Rachel Zevita.  I thought she would capitalize on her individuality and uniqueness.  Unfortunately, her movements all over the stage seemed to affect her voice.  The song she chose “Criminal” by Fiona Apple didn’t do anything for her. The judges thought it was “too Broadway”.

Karen Rodriguez stuck to her roots and her own style by singing “Hero” with both English and Spanish lyrics.  She did a very good job and received positive acclaim from all.

If you’re from the Inland Empire, you know who Etta James is, no matter what your age.  Lauren Turner chose one of her songs “Seven Day Fool” and did Etta proud.  Bravo Lauren!

Ashton Jones resembles Diana Ross, doesn’t she?  Jennifer says she has all the makings of a diva. Randy says she should sing Diana Ross-type songs. I think with Ashton, it will just depend on how many contestants are better than her.

Singing “Break Away” was Julie Zorilla.  She did NOT do a good job on this song.  I think she just lost her Idol spot.

Haley Reinhart chose “Fallin”  by Alicia Keys.  That’s a hard, hard song to duplicate.  Steven and Jennifer like it and once again, Randy does not.  There’s a lot of talent in this group of gals, not sure if Haley is going to make the cut.

Let’s take a minute to critique the judges.  Randy is the only one who is really sticking his neck out there and stating the truth.  Steven and Jennifer are playing the roles of the  “good guys”.  Even when they criticize, it’s so gentle I don’t think anyone notices!  Also, Steven seems to have lost his edge–live TV will do that to ya (ask Ellen)!

Fifteen year-old Thia Megia may be young, but she has stage experience and that’s important when first stepping on that American Idol stage.  She does a great job with “Out Here on My Own”.  Her voice is very pure and innocent.  All the judges love her.

Lauren Alaina has been a favorite of American Idol producers and also of  a lot of my blog fans.  She’s got the package–the voice, the age, the looks and stage presence. Tonight she sings “Turn On The Radio” a Reba McIntyre hit. I’ll be very surprised if we don’t see her in the top 12.

Closing the show tonight is Pia Toscano.  Since I live in California, I know from reading Twitter that she’s made a name for herself singing “I’ll Stand By You”  by The Pretenders. The judges are head over heels in love with this one.

I’m not going to even attempt to figure out who America is going to vote into those top five stops.  I can tell you I like Thia, Lauren Alaina, Naima, and Pia, but I don’t know what will happen.  I think that Ta-Tynisa, Rachel and Julie really messed up their chances.  The rest are all in the running as far as I can tell.  Tomorrow is going to be painful.  Too many talented guys AND gals will be saying goodbye. Bring your tissues.

G’nite and stay tuned…Bloggergal

This is a very, very important week for the top 24 American Idol contestants.  Tonight, the 12 guys sing for their life.  Tomorrow the gals will sing.  On Thursday, the top five guys and top five gals that America has picked will be revealed.  The judges will pick two wild cards–one gal and one guy.  That will give us our 2011 American Idol top 12. Now is not the time to have a bad performance.

What I found most interesting about tonight’s show was that there was a huge gap between the really, really good and the so-so.  I think you’ll all agree that Jacob Lusk, Casey Abrams and James Durbin outshone all the other contestants.  That leaves just three spaces left to fill…see below.

First up is Clint Jun Gamboa.  I thought he made a weird song choice.  “Superstitious” just doesn’t do it for me.  The judges loved him.  He sure can hit those big notes.

Hot bod guy Jovany Barreto sings “The Greatest Fan of Your Life”.  The judges are mixed on his performance–Jennifer loved him and Randy did not.  It was a forgettable performance. Forgettable isn’t going to get you into the top 12.

Jordan Dorsey chooses an Usher song.  The judges say the song wasn’t him and he agrees.  So why did he sing it then?

“Streetcorner Symphony”, a Rob Thomas hit is Tim Halperin’s choice for tonight.  The judges didn’t like it and for good reason.

Brett Loewenstern sings “Light My Fire”.  His personality and stage presence should help him sail right through to the top 12.

For the first time ever a Judas Priest song on American Idol!  Okay I’ll admit it, James Durbin won me over with “You Got Another Thing Comin”. He showed a lot more control than in past performances.  The audience and the judges loved him.

Robbie Rosen chose Sarah McLachlan’s “In the Arms of an Angel”.  I was holding my breath because I really want this guy in the top 12.  Randy thought his performance was pitchy, but Steven and Jennifer liked it.  I’m not sure he did enough to snag one of those top spots, but if a smile can do it…he’s in.

Bringing pure country to American Idol is Scotty McCreery.  He chose John Michael Montgomery’s “Letters From Home”.  This guy is a country music star whether he makes it on Idol or not.

Stefano Langone sang “Just the Way You Are” by Bruno Mars.  The judges are all positive.  I think he gave it his all…was it enough?

I loved Paul McDonald performing Rod Stewart’s “Maggie May”.  His voice is unique and I hope we get to hear him sing for a long, long time.

What can you say about Jacob Lusk’s performance of the Luther Vandross hit “A House is Not a Home”?  Well for starters, it made me and Jennifer Lopez cry.  He’s definitely one of the front runners…but it’s important for America to vote for him and not take it for granted that he’s in no matter what.

Last, but never least is Casey Abrams.  “I Put A Spell on You”, the Screamin Jay Hawkins song was perfect for him.  He says he wants  to redefine what American Idol is all about.  He’s already doing that, isn’t he?

So who’s going to fill those last three spots?  I want it to be Brett Loewenstern, Robbie Rosen and Paul McDonald.  That would leave out Scott McCreery.  He’s really talented, but he belongs on Country Idol.  If he gets eliminated on Thursday, I think he’ll have a contract by Friday.  It’s a shame that we are going to lose some talented guys.  No one was out and out lousy tonight, were they?  I better go vote…good night…and, as always, stay tuned…Bloggergal

Tonight’s American Idol is a continuation of last night’s show. The top 24 are revealed. Last night Naima Adedapo, Clint Jun Gamboa, Ashton Jones, Paul McDonald and Haley Reinhart were the first five to make it through.

Karen Rodriguez performed her final audition in Spanish. This was sure to please Jennifer Lopez, but I don’t think that it matters. Karen is very talented and deserves her place in the top 24.

I held my breath during the Robbie Rosen segment. I love Robbie, but to be honest, I don’t think he’s the best. Hopefully, he can hang around and improve week after week. Randy commented that one of the things he loves about Robbie is that he’s so unassuming. Me too!

Ta-Tynisa Wilson had a terrible Hollywood week, mumbling through her words. I’ll say it one more time, in previous years, she would have already been out the door, but not this year. She’s in the top 24.

One of those who hasn’t had much screen time is Tim Halperin. He won me over when he did his duet with Julie Zarrilla.

Julie Zarrilla’s talent has shown from the very beginning of auditions. It was no surprise to see her in the top 24. The judges say she needs to let her emotions through while singing.

Another “word forgetter” is deep-voiced Scott McCreery. I’m still not sure American Idol fans are ready for this serious of a country music perfomer.

Winning best “six pack” this season (so far!) is Jovany Baretto. This shipbuilder has appeal and I hope he a…peals more often! Just kidding?

Housekeeper Lauren Turner makes it into the top 24. Hey out there, do you have anything to say about this gal?

Rachel Zevita also auditioned in Season 6. She’s very delicate looking, but has a personal style all her own. I’m always shocked when she begins singing, her voice is amazingly strong.

Another two in the top 24 are Kendra Chantelle and Pia Toscano. Sorry, I don’t have anything to say about these two, but I encourage you to comment on them!

Music teacher Jordan Dorsey is definitely a standout in the top 24. He has experience, talent and terrific stage presence.

Do I have to comment on Lauren Alaina? She’s been American Idol’s favorite from the beginning. Will America follow suit?

Lady’s man, Stefano Langone in his final audition sang a song that he wrote…he’s multi-talented.

Randy Jackson said that Jacob Lusk’s performance of “God Bless the Child” was the single best performance EVER on American Idol. I’ll go out on a limb and say I think this guy has the early lead for our next American Idol. The only thing that worries me is his old-style singing. Will it turn off the younger, voting American Idol crowd?

I have to admit, I didn’t think James Durbin would make it to the top 24. I think he screams way too much. I know a lot of people said that about Adam Lambert, but this guy is not Adam. Sorry.

Another one of my favorites is Casey Abrams. Last week, I mentioned that he had some great You Tube videos, but I found out they were pulled from the Internet. Someone wants to keep Casey’s talent under wraps. They need a huge wrap because this guy’s talent is immense!

The final two gals were Thia Megia and Jessica Cunningham. Thia is the contestant that appeared on America’s Got Talent and Jessica Cunningham has auditioned for American Idol numerous times. Only one of the two could make it to the top twelve. Thia takes the honor and once again Jessica is eliminated. What bothered me about this is that American Idol didn’t let us hear any of Jessica’s final audition. Why, I wonder?

The last three male contestants are Jacee Badeaux, Brett Loewenstern and Colton Dixon. Only one of these three would make it through to the top 24. I knew right off that it wouldn’t be Jacee. He’s too young and needs to mature before returning to Idol. That leaves Brett and Colton. I love both of these guys. I’ve been saying from the beginning that Colton seems to be the most modern, current contestant on Idol this season. Brett has audience appeal and a unique voice. Brett takes the spot. I feel for Colton Dixon. I think he should have had James Durbin’s spot.

Next week, American Idol will be on for three days. On Tuesday the males sing, on Wednesday the females sing and Thursday is the elimination. Stay tuned and have a great weekend…Bloggergal

The first hour of American Idol was a jumble of contestants and performances.  I have to agree with some of the comments on this blog, that was totally unnecessary.  One of the highlights of the first hour and I’m using the word highlights loosely was the wedding of Ashley Suraiva.  I guess NOW we know why this contestant wasn’t sent packing last week.  The cynic in me thinks the idea to wed wasn’t Ashley’s, but American Idol producers and if you have someone picking up your check, then why not?  At end of the hour, we still had very little idea who the one-third were that didn’t move on.  We do know that Ashley was one of them and may I say I’m not surprised. One more thing, did I really hear a contestant say that she had never heard a Beatle song in her life?  That’s grounds for immediate dismissal in my book.

The second hour finally gets us to where we all want to be–picking our top 24.  I must admit, I was a little disappointed to hear that American Idol once again decided to put through 12 male and 12 female contestants.  I had read that they were going to pick the top twenty-four contestants regardless of gender.  I don’t think it’s fair to eliminate someone because they are male or female, but what can you do?  <sigh>

The first contestant to make it to the top 24 is Naima Adedapo.  She is the mother of two who used to work at a concert venue as a maintenance/cleaning worker.  The judges tell her she has to work on her consistency.  Steven Tyler thinks her very emotional personality comes through in her singing and that helps her.  It may, but she needs to get her act together now and show professionalism.

Hollie Cavanaugh is the first contestant to be sent home.  She has been under the wing of Jennifer Lopez since the beginning of the competition.  During her first audition, Randy had said she wasn’t ready and he was right.  The judges tell her to try again in a year or two.

Also sent home are Lakeisha Lewis and Alex Ryan.  These are two of the contestants that made it all the way to the top 40, but we hardly heard them sing.  I would love for American Idol to only pick the best contestants and then let us hear every single one of them sing.

The first male to make it to the top 24 is Clint Jun Gamboa.  I wonder how many more times American Idol is going to mention how he kicked Jacee out of his group?  He has a great voice, but there’s something about him that I just don’t like.  I think it may be his lack of humility.

Haley Reinhart is one of the contestants who tried out for American Idol previously.  She makes it to the top 24 this year.

Deandre Brackenseck is one of the sixteen-year-old contestants.  The judges tell him to audition again in the future.  Jennifer tells him he has what it takes to make it to the top…wait, didn’t she just say that to Hollie Cavanaugh?

Where has Idol been hiding Paul McDonald?  His unique voice and quirky performances (Randy’s words–not mine) should keep us all interested.

Our second female in the top 24 is Ashton Jones.  This gal with her big hair and even bigger, Whitney Houston-type voice will be a formidable competitor.

The last contestant of the evening is Chris Medina.  We once again go through his whole story and then AI shows us his final performance.  My husband and I looked at each other.  “Uh-oh.”  I love Chris Medina.  He is a great guy with a heart of gold and, unfortunately, mediocre talent.  I can’t fault J.Lo for crying, I was crying too.  I really wanted to see him succeed.  For those of you who want to keep track of Chris and Juliana, you can through Facebook…For Juliana and Chris Medina.

We’ll see the rest of the top 24 tonight on American Idol, so stay tuned and have a great day!  Bloggergal

American Idol… let the dreaded group elimination begin!  I happen to love the group elimination round because it shows who is mature enough to move forward on American Idol.  If you can’t grow up enough to get your act together, find a group, practice and LEARN your song and perform the next day, then you don’t belong in this competition.

Showing “what goes around, comes around” is smart-mouth Tiffany from New Jersey.  When auditioning in Hollywood, she came across as Miss Diva, saying that she was better than everyone.  When it came time to chose groups, no one wanted Tiffany and I sure understand why!  It turns out that she ends up in a group with only one other girl–not the required three.  The producers let it slide.  Why is that fair producers?  Doesn’t matter in the end anyway because Tiffany is very, very out of tune and she heads home.

There’s a huge amount of maneuvering from group to group with various contestants.  The cute youngin’ Jacee Badeux gets kicked out of his group.  I felt so sorry for him, but he does manage to find a group that welcomes him.

Sharing what I’ve seen tonight with all of you is hard because American Idol doesn’t consistently give you the names of all the contestants while they are auditioning.  So there are contestants that make it through and I don’t know their names.  Tonight’s standouts, that I was able to identify, include:

Robbie Rosen from New Jersey – I’m still lovin’ this guy

Lauren Alaina – Her group sings to Steven, but it only helps Lauren.

Jovany Barreto – Cute guy with a good voice.

Jordan Dorsey – He has an attitude…will it be his downfall?

Pia Toscano – She has previous experience and she shines on the stage.

Colton Dixon – Another cute guy with a good voice.

James Durbin – The Adam Lambert wannabe–performed a Queen song.  He makes it through along with Caleb–sorry I didn’t get his last name.  James’ bitterness towards the group below shows he’s not ready for this competition.  You have to worry about your own performance and that’s it.

The five fifteen and sixteen-year-old’s sing the same Queen song and all five make it through.  Their stage mom’s are happy.

Holly Cavanaugh makes it through to the next round.  I thought she was out of tune and didn’t deserve to move forward.

Casey Abrams and Julie Zorilla are still standouts and easily move on.

Jacob Lusk uses his deep voice to propel his entire group into the next round.

Out of Caleb Hawley, Devyn Rush, Chris Medina, Carson Higgins, and Erin Kelly – only Devyn Rush gets the bum rush!

Brett Loewenstern, Denise Jackson, Stevie Cain and Natalie Hanson welcome Jacee Badeaux into their group and all sail through to sing another day.

Scott McCreery really stands out with his deep, country voice.  Clint Jun Gamboa stands out because of those glasses and his good voice, but I’m not happy that he was the ringleader who threw Jacee out of the group.

The last group was the ex-couple and the girl who tried out with her boyfriend, but he was eliminated last round.  I thought all three of them should have gone home, but the judges let the two girls through and sent Jon home.

There seems to be around 100 contestants and tomorrow all the contestants will perform alone and only half will continue.  I’m pretty sure that after tomorrow night, the contestants move to Las Vegas and that’s where the final cuts take place.  We’re getting there!  Stay tuned…Bloggergal

Hollywood week started out with 324 contestants.  It ended with 168 contestants.  Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see many of those 168.  Contestants were brought onstage 10 at a time.  They had one chance to impress and then it was sudden death.

This show was a hard one to blog—singers were coming and going all over the place.  Since those who were eliminated are gone forever, I won’t concentrate on them.  Here’s a rundown of those that American Idol highlighted…

Brett Lowenstern is the red, bushy-haired guy.  His look is not the norm.

Rachel Zevita was also a contestant on American Idol season six.

Thia Megia is one of many teenagers.  Word on the Net is that she was on America’s Got Talent.

Casey Abrams is one of my favorites.  I went on You Tube and checked him out.  He can play a bunch of instruments and I really like the way he sings.

Lauren Alaina is a young, country singer.

James Durbin was last night’s final contestant.  He’s the unemployed, 20-year-old dad with Asperger’s Syndrome.  May “the light” shine on this guy.

Chris Medina is the star of American Idol’s most inspirational storyline.  How far can he go on his talent?

Jacee Badeux is the fifteen-year-old winner of his local Idol competition.

Robbie Rosen may not have the best voice, but I have a soft spot in my heart for him.

Chelsea Oaks is the red head who auditioned with her ex-boyfriend, Rob Bolin.  Both make it through to the next round.

Nick Fink and Jacqueline Dunford are the cute couple that tried out.  I liked Nick Fink.  He reminds me of Michael Buble’, but unfortunately the judges didn’t.  Jacqueline goes on to the next round.   If they eliminated Nick, I think they should have just eliminated Jacqueline too.  Sorry Jacqueline!

Scott McCreery has that super deep voice.  His forte is country music.

Jerome Bell is another one of my favorites.  I love his voice and his look.  Go, Jerome, go!

Tiffany Rios is famous for the placement of stars on her chest.  Can she live that down and become famous for her voice?

Clint Gamboa was featured on last night’s show.  He’s the DJ from Long Beach with the glasses.

Julie Zurilla, Jackie Wilson, Hollie Cavanaugh and Paris Tassin are all through to the next round.

Those are the contestants American Idol featured or at least the ones I was able to keep track of!  Next week is group week.  This is when the contestants all seem to lose their minds, start fighting and stop practicing.  I’m not sure how many will be eliminated during this round.  I do know that 40 (or so) contestants will eventually go to Las Vegas and that’s where the final eliminations will be made.  If I missed anyone or you have any information for us, please share it with us through your comments.  Have a super weekend…stay tuned!  Bloggergal

Dear American Idol execs,

I thought we were finally moving above shows that highlighted sad, bad and twisted talent.  I guess you didn’t get the memo.  We want to see contestants with talent.  We want to hear about average Americans who have been living average lives, but guess what?  They can sing and Idol is their chance to tell the world.  We want to feel good about those people.  We don’t want to feel sorry for people.  We don’t want to laugh at people that don’t want to be laughed at.

Sincerely, American-Idol-Blog and Bloggergal

When watching a show like the one American Idol produced last night, all I can do is hope that American Idol paid those people to do and say what they did.  Please make me be right.  Nothing much else to say after a show like that is there?  Have a good weekend.  Bloggergal