Cowell wants to add Britney to the American Idol Mix

Although her performance on Britain’s X-Factor didn’t get critical raves because of her lip-syncing, Simon Cowell would still love to see Britney Spears on American Idol.

“She would, literally, be first on the list as far as I’m concerned in any capacity. I would love to see her mentor the contestants, but if she doesn’t want to do that, and she wants to come on the show and perform, I would welcome her anytime.

“The buzz we had on our show (The X Factor) when she came on was extraordinary. And even with all the stuff that’s gone on with her the past two years, there was more excitement and interest in her than I’ve seen in anyone in years. She would be very, very welcome,”  he said in an interview with MTV.

Britney’s single, Womanizer went to number 1 on the Billboard singles charts.

American Idol Adds Kara DioGuardi to the Judges Table

(press release)

Grammy-nominated songwriter Kara DioGuardi has joined AMERICAN IDOL as a fourth judge. She will sit alongside Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson at the judges’ table and use her background as an award-winning songwriter and producer to praise or critique the wannabe hopefuls throughout the competition. The eighth season of AMERICAN IDOL premieres January, 2009, on FOX. “We are turning the heat up on ‘Idol’ this year and are thrilled to welcome Kara to the judges’ table,” said creator and executive producer Simon Fuller. “She is a smart, sassy lady, and one of America’s most successful songwriters. We know she will bring a new level of energy and excitement to the show.” “We had originally intended for AMERICAN IDOL to have four judges,” said executive producer Cecile Frot-Coutaz. “We’ve seen from our international series that having a fourth judge creates a dynamic that benefits both the contestants and the viewers.” Mike Darnell, President, Alternative Programming of FOX, added “For the past seven seasons, Paula has had to endure the experience of being the only woman at the judges’ table. She’s been as an island of consideration and gentle criticism between Randy and Simon, offering her invaluable expertise as a performer and No. 1 artist to the thousands who have competed on AMERICAN IDOL. With Kara by her side, Paula finally has some back-up and now there is going to be a lot more ‘girl power’ on the show.” One of the industry’s most sought after songwriters and producers, DioGuardi’s songs have appeared on more than 100 million records. Her songs have been recorded by Grammy award-winning artists including Kelly Clarkson, Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani, Celine Dion, Faith Hill, Carrie Underwood, Santana, and Pink. Scores of major recording artists including Britney Spears, Avril Lavigne, Pussycat Dolls, Miley Cyrus, The Jonas Brothers, Natasha Bedingfield, Jewel, Ashley Tisdale, Katharine McPhee, Taylor Hicks, Bo Bice, Clay Aiken, Ashlee Simpson, Hilary Duff, Jessica Simpson, Kylie Minogue, Enrique Iglesias, Nick Lachey and Marc Anthony have also released DioGuardi’s songs. Over the last four years, she has been awarded 10 BMI Pop Awards for having written the most performed songs on radio. From her catalog of several hundred songs, over 264 have been released on major labels worldwide; and over 165 have appeared on multi-platinum selling albums. DioGuardi co-owns Arthouse Entertainment, where she develops and mentors fellow hit writers, producers and artists.

So You Think You Can Dance: July 3 Recap

by Lakiya Emerson

With seven couples remaining, the judges aren’t as forgiving of dancer’s ability (or inability) to capture styles outside of their own. The judges have hit the sonic overdrive button on their expectations. Tabitha and Napoleon D’Umo serve as guest judges tonight along with Simon Cowell. Simon was not actually on the panel, but Nigel was seriously channeling his musical partner’s surly snarkiness as he told more than one dancer that they needed to step up their game. There’s no opening choreography as each couple must dance two routines.

Jessica and Will open up the night with a jive, which is a 40s era African American style dance that had its roots in the jitterbug. You can Google it, but you’ve probably seen an abundance of stock footage of women being thrown up and then starting some footwork just as they land. It’s a fun style, and Will and Jessica play it well, though, once again, Will makes Jessica look like a wet noodle. Mary said they missed a lot of connections though they probably fooled a lot of people. Nigel says Will had great bounce. Jessica is told she isn’t up to par, and Nigel raises the specter of partners being switched. But, I’ll say what he didn’t—if it weren’t for being partnered with Will, Jessica would have kicked it a long time ago. But Jessica redeems herself in the second dance where they do some cool switching in and out of, flipping through, and waving one blue button down shirt. It starts off a bit dry, then becomes pretty big. Will is shirtless and at the end, Mary and Tabitha have a girlie moment over his body while Nigel asked the audience, “Who wants to dance with Will.” All the women and gay men of America stand up. Tabitha said Will has nice lines. Napoleon says that Will can fly to the top of the competition, and he points out that Jessica was holding Will down. I don’t think anyone could hold Will down, though he’s basically been carrying her throughout the competition, not because she can’t dance, but because she has little faith in her abilities. Mary called the performance “fire,” and she put them on the train. Nigel tells Jessica to stop worrying about herself and dance. Apparently they had a few meltdowns doing the week, but he told Jessica that the only thing that mattered was her performance during the night.

Comfort and Thayne are a new couple, but they have a lot of chemistry. They dance a routine from West Side Story, and they are believable enough to make me want to watch a great musical—one of the ones that were created before they became ubiquitous and phenomenally cheesy. Can I point out that one day, we’ll probably look back on today’s superhero movies with the same attitude? Tabitha, Napoleon, and Mary like their performance. Nigel was not pleased however, and took issue with their level of passion; meaning it wasn’t high enough. He said that if they’d attempted to perform their routine on Broadway, they would have been booed off the stage. Cat reminds America that their vote will determine who gets booed on this show. Comfort and Thayne’s next dance is a waltz set to some Irish-flute-sounding song. I don’t know much about waltzes, so I was a bit bored until they did a lift that made Comfort look like a pretty blue bird soaring sideways through the air. They definitely caught my attention at that point, but Tabitha wasn’t convinced. She said Thayne’s facial expressions were phony. Meanwhile, according to Mary and Nigel, Comfort has transformed from a caterpillar into a butterfly and waltzing queen, all because she took out her eyebrow piercing. At least that’s how Nigel put it. I suppose Comfort can join Clark Kent in the long line of individuals who can suddenly become spectacular by removing one accessory.

Kourtni and Matt do a hip hop routine first, and neither of them is confident. Matt mentions dusting off his solo routine. They just might have to. Their routine looks like one of those dances that the cheerleaders do at half time. Everyone’s excited because they’re dancing instead of cheering, but at the end of the day the performance is really bad. Napoleon says they were good, but if they’d been competing in a hip hop competition they wouldn’t make it very far (which is a nice way of saying they were bad). Mary basically said they she didn’t feel anything. Nigel asked for his boo upfront. Once the audience had satisfied its need to indicate its presence, Nigel said he wasn’t sure about the choreography or them. He called it hip hop on sleeping pills. Their hip hop debacle is followed by a samba. Tabitha says she’s hot and cold about them; I’m just cold. Mary says Kourtni was hot, but that together they had no chemistry. Nigel gives them a long list of technical critiques, to which, of course, the audience boos. I had to stop typing and stare at the screen in amazement when he tells the audience to stop booing. He said, “We’re trying to make people better here and if you don’t like it, then don’t come to the show.” Wow, Nigel, wow. That’s pretty gansta. It’s downright Cowellish, though I’ve never heard Simon tell people to stop coming. I’m sure someone in corporate just had a minor coronary.

The way things are looking right now, Adam Shankman may have been right when he said that Chelsea and Mark were the couple to beat. They were on point and dancing like professionals in their first performance. Tabitha points out that they have a great ability to convey a story line. Mary, after one of her annoying intros, said she loved it. Nigel said they know how to use each other. Their next routine is in ballroom and despite having a feather stuck in her mouth from her ridiculous outfit, Chelsea danced beautifully. Mary says they pulled it off, but Nigel said Mark looked uncomfortable. Mary attempts to defend Mark, but Nigel pulls another zinger from the Book of Simon 20:15, and says he really respects Mary’s opinion but that he wished she’d give it three decibels lower. Mary continues laughing, but become more and more deflated as she tries to figure out if this was a battle worth fighting. I’m sure it continued backstage, after the corporate exec with the coronary tells Nigel he’s suing him for the pain and suffering caused by fear of losing advertising dollars along with audience members.

Chelsea and Mark might be the couple to beat, but they’re not nearly as exciting, or light-hearted, or funny, as Twitchington. I’m sorry, I’m a sucker for a good laugh, and even in their corniest moments, I’m always excited to see Twitch and Kherington. Their first performance is flamenco. The costumes, which are complete with capes, are fabulous; and you can tell that the two of them were having crazy fun as the stomp around and flick the capes and look like their ready to stab the bull with a sword. Before I tell you what the judges thought, I want to take a brief moment to honor Twitch’s abs, for which there are too many words to describe and since I cannot decide on one, I’ll give you my stream of consciousness: Good gracious look at that. I need to wash my delicates. Do they still make mounds chocolates? …. I’ll spare you all the rest. Back to our regularly scheduled recap: Tabitha said that Twitch didn’t embrace his character until half way through, but that Kherington was great with the cape. Mary said the performance was just okay, but she was definitely entertained. Nigel says Twitch was wearing his shoulders like earrings and everyone agreed that Twitch didn’t come up to Kherington’s level. Twitch redeemed himself in this next number, which involved a propped up bed, roses and a number of spastic movements. It was a Mia Michaels choreography in which the two dancers are clearly trying to connect, but aren’t quite seeing eye-to-eye. So maybe Mia was trying to redeem herself after that whole smiling incident. Nigel says Twitch was committed to the dance, that the performance was believable and that he was thoroughly entertained. Twitchington gets added to his top couples list.

Kattee and Joshua have a Mia Micheals choreography first, and it is truly amazing. They are practically standing still, yet the slightest movements seem to make the biggest impression. It’s weird and phenomenal as they take two steps forward then two steps back; five steps forward and five steps back. There are more than a few hip hop moves and one movement where Joshua holds Katee while she appears to be running. It looks lie something out of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Tabitha said they owned the stage while, Napoleon says they understand that a chorography is so much more than dancing. Mary says they haven’t missed one time. Nigel said it takes absolute concentration and strength to barely move and still convey an emotion, proving that they are one of the three or four couples who will make this season outstanding. In their next dance Joshua somehow reminds me of James Brown. All the judges are happy with their performance and Nigel points out that they have the ability to adapt to various styles

Courtney and Gev perform a hip hop routine or rather, Courtney dances hip hop while Gev does a few steps. I’d forgotten that hip hop was Gev’s style, but anyone who just started watching the show would have never known. Forget about the fact that the two of them were dancing in Timberlands, which have got to be the heaviest boots ever, but Chelsea out danced Gev hands down. The judges all point out that Courtney killed it and that Gev, who looked like he was thinking too hard, was disappointing. But what knocked me out was when Napoleon and Nigel voiced their differing opinions about Courtney’s level of ghettoness. Napoleon said she was ghetto with her moves and Nigel said she wasn’t. Never in my life would I have expected to hear anyone berate a white girl for not being ghetto enough. Times change. Their next, and final performance was a very convincing Broadway routine to New York, New York. Tabitha said she could see them dancing in the middle of rush hour traffic. Mary said they were dynamic and believable, and pointed out that they have yet to be in the bottom three. Nigel raises his snark count by saying they tend to slip under the radar, and that it might be because of their height. He finally points out that they used the stage well. Surprisingly there were no Fourth of July themes in tonight’s show. Maybe they’ll do so in the results episode, which will be airing Thursday. However, if you’re too inebriated to watch on Thursday night, come check us out on Reality Roll Call on Friday.

American Idol Finale Recap

by Deb Porter-Jones

Tonight’s season finale is chock full of live performances by the likes of such superstars as, Donna Summer, George Michael, Idol alumni Carrie Underwood, Ruben Studdard and Jordin Sparks, and much, much more!

We begin with a performance by the final 12 paired with the dancers from Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance.” They sing “Get Ready”, by The Temptations. Then the two Davids sing a duet of some song that I don’t know but it’ so obvious that Cook is definitely a cut above Archuleta. His voice is gritty and soulful and he reminds me of Daughtry; another one I thought should have won Idol.

There are a myriad of shameless plugs in this finale, from the preview of Michael Myers’ new movie, “The Love Guru”, to a performance by Gladys Knight and the “Pips”. The latter of which was phenomenal and somehow Gladys Knight was superimposed with the “Original Pips” – Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Robert Downey, Jr. Their performance was excellent; hysterical. Syesha Mercado“I Have Been Waiting for You performed ” with Seal, and she truly held her own with that major talent.

Jason Castro came back to perform “Hallelujah” again, the one song that he performed on Idol that tricked us into believing that he was a major talent. Then the top 12 girls and guys performed a medley of some Donna Summer songs, from “She Works Hard for the Money” to “Hot Stuff” and Ms. Summer even performed a couple of less well-known songs. I usually hate these medleys that the Idol contestants are forced to performed every week. This time, it seemed that the only contestant who just couldn’t seem to get it together was my favorite rocker chick, Amanda Overmyer. I don’t know if she just coordinate the moves the singing, which I seem to recall she had revealed in an interview she had difficulty with. Or maybe she was a little on the high side.

One of the funniest performances was Jimmy Kimmel’s monologue – he made fun of Ryan Seacrest, Paula, and the best was the song full of insults that was “performed” by Simon Cowell.

It was nice to see the top 12 finalists again, giving us a glimpse of what the AI tour might be like: Chikezie, Carly Smithson, Brooke White, Ramiel Malubay – it was nice to see how they may fare during the tour.

By far, David Cook’s favorite performance HAS to have been the “Sharp Dressed Man” with the inimitable ZZ Top. He was in his element for this performance; he seemed perfect up there with these rockers and he definitely held his own. This kid’s destined to be playing with the likes of these legends anyway and it makes me feel good to know that he was living his dream up there. He deserves it.

Speaking of living your dream, Brooke White was lucky enough to sing a song, barefoot, with Graham Nash of Graham, Stills and Nash. She played guitar and sang along with him, a little folksy but perfect for her.

The Jonas Brothers also performed; a boy band that the ‘tween crowd loves right now. And we were treated to a performance by One Republic who sang “Apologize” with David Archuleta, and he held his own, too. Jordin Sparks came back and performed for us, too. I was hoping she’d come with Chris Brown and sing the duet they are burning up the charts with right now, but no such luck.

But I bet you were waiting to find out who this season’s “mascot” is right now. Remember William Hung from a couple of seasons ago? The horrible singer who even parlayed his horrible performance into a singing contract and little bitty tour for a minute? Well, this season’s mascot is Reynaldo Lapuz, a ittle man dressed like a white peacock who sang a song backed up with cheerleaders and a brass band from the University of Southern California. Horrible performance.

My absolute favorite was the rendition “Midnight Train to Georgia” with Gladys Knight and the original (white) Pips, Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Robert Downey, Jr. What a hysterical performance! Gladys’ image from the ‘60’s was superimposed with the likes of these white Pips and the results were excellent! These guys (especially Jack Black) would be funny reading a page from the phone book, but they were absolutely hysterical performing this song. Remembered all the steps except for a moment or two that Robert Downey disappeared backstage then reappeared with Jack Black whose pants were coming off for some reason. I think this was my favorite performance of the night.

Carrie Underwood even sang a song from her latest album. She’s another major talent who hit the big-time when she left Idol. She gives an awesome live performance, too. The final 12 do a medley of George Michael’s best-known songs, “Faith”, “Father Figure”, “Freedom”. Amanda Overmyer, out of everyone, seemed really uncomfortable performing (she was either nervous or high, I can’t decide which). George Michael comes out to perform and we see that nothing’s changed with this guy. Michael hawks his upcoming tour which begins in San Diego, and performs a song from his latest album “Pray for Time”. Before tonight, I never actually paid close attention to the lyrics but this is a beautiful song. A little depressing (“so much to hate”, “no hope to speak of”) but it definitely gives us something to think about. His performance was the best, in my opinion, of all the superstars tonight.

Now, on to the reason why we’re tonight – decision time. Simon actually apologized to David Cook because he “was verging on disrespectful last night” in his comments to Cook. He’s right, though, when he says he really doesn’t care who wins tonight. Both of these Davids truly belonged in the finale, of everyone in the competition this season. But there can only be one winner and it’s David Cook! Finally, one of my picks wins for a change! David Cook is our American Idol 2008. Congratulations, David, it couldn’t have happened to a nicer, more well-deserving guy.

Simon Says American Idol May Lower the Age Limit to 14

American Idol judge Simon Cowell told his girlfriend Teri Seymour, who interviewed him on Extra! that eventually they will have to consider lowering the age limit from 16 to 14. I wonder if he thinks that’s going to help the show’s slowly dwindling ratings.

There’s nothing like agroup of kids singing a bunch of show tunes and old hits to boost ratings. But wait;  I thought they already tried that. Anyone remember American Juniors?

If I wanted to see Kids Incorporated, I’d look for old episodes on the internet. They have to face that problem with Idol is that it’s stale. They need to breathe new life into it, and realize that the judges seem tired and bored, with the exception of the pleasantly crazy Paula. And with all due respect, what demographic are they going for when Andrew Lloyd Webber is a guest? Who really wants to see teenagers sing Neil Diamond or Barry Manilow? Other teenagers? I don’t think so.

It’s time for American Idol to take it off cruise control, and think about what direction they want the show to go to continue to be relevant.

American Idol Final Three Recap

by Deb Porter-Jones

This is the second to the last performance show for this season and the competition is really heating up. Tonight’s show has the last three contestants competing by singing three songs each: One song chosen by one of the judges, Randy, Paula or Simon, one song chosen by the producers, and the last song to be chosen by the contestants themselves.

For David Archuleta, Paula Abdul chooses a song by Billy Joel: “And So It Goes”, a slow, pretty song full of melancholy stringed instruments. David did surprisingly well with this song. It required extreme control over his breathing and David did really well with it. Paula and Randy loved it. Simon thought it was, “very good, a bit predictable; not outstanding, but really good”. In my opinion, it wasn’t fabulous, but he did a good job. I give him a B.

Next up is Syesha Mercado who sings an Alicia Keyes’ “If I Ain’t Got You”, which was chosen by Randy. Syesha did a good job with this song, although there were no surprises. She sang the song almost exactly like the original. Syesha is not exactly known for her originality; she’s a good singer, but she tends not to be innovative with the songs that she sings. Randy, of course, loved her performance, Paula loved it but Simon thought she sang it much like the original, which was disappointing. I give her a B.

David Cook is given “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” by Roberta Flack, which was chosen by Simon. David, predictably, did remarkably well with this song. While it is a classic song, David actually didn’t change it up much like he usually does. But he did a really good job with it. Randy thought it wasn’t “rocker” enough for him based on his persona as a real rocker. Paula loved I,t and of course Simon loved it. I give him a B.

David Archuleta is up next singing a song he chose, “With You” by Chris Brown. I’m sorry; this kid has an old soul and this song just didn’t seem comfortable for him at all. I just don’t buy that David A. has in his vocabulary the words “little mama” and “my boo”. Randy agreed. Paula thought his performance of the song was perfect and Simon thought it was “like a Chihuahua trying to be a tiger”. I agree. I give him a B.

Syesha chooses “Fever”, by Peggy Lee, a really old stage-y type of song. While Syesha looked beautiful and did a great job singing this song – her acting background was evident in this number – it was a strange choice of song for such a young, hot girl. But, as Paula would say, this is who she is. She’s an actress who just happens to be able to sing, in my opinion. She did a great job. Randy thought she sang it amazingly well. Paula was surprised that Syesha chose this song but she’s “not sure it shows me who Syesha who is an artist.” Simon thought she would regret choosing this song and it was “quite a lame cabaret performance.” I think she did pretty well. I give her an A.

David Cook chooses “Dare You To Move”, by Switchfoot. He also plays guitar and actually David does a great job with the song. His style and originality reminds one easily of Daughtry. Randy thought it was “a little pitchy”, Paula “wanted more” and Simon thought it was “pretty much what he would’ve expected, and the three of them had an okay middle round.” I give him a B.

David Archuleta sings “Longer”, by Dan Fogelberg. This song has got to be older than David himself. He did an okay job with the song, accompanied by heavy stringed instruments. It was actually a rather boring song for David and kind of predictable given that he normally gravitates towards ballads. Randy thought it was an “interesting song choice, but he could sing the phone book”, Paula thought it was “very lovely” and Simon thought he sang the song very well, but he thought “the song and the lyrics were absolutely horrible, so gooey”, but he’s done enough to get into the finals next week. I give him a B.

Syesha’s producer’s choice is “Hit Me Up”, by Gia Farrell, a song from the animated movie “Happy Feet”. While she looked absolutely gorgeous, it was a truly forgettable performance. It’s a shame the producers didn’t choose a song that was more memorable, not so fast; something that would make you cry just listening to her sing it. Her performance was pretty good, but nothing fabulous. Randy thought it was just okay, Paula thought she “did the song very well but it’s not the type of song that defines Syesha as an artist.” Simon thought it was forgettable but it lacked the “defining moment” that he would’ve liked her to send the show with. I give her a B.

David Cook’s producer’s choice is “I Don’t Want to Miss A Thing” by Aerosmith. Of course, this is the perfect song for David. Accompanied by heavy strings, he sang this song like it was his own. He did a phenomenal job with this song, of course. I thought it was the perfect song for him. Randy thought it was “okay”, Paula said “see ya in the finals, that’s what I predict”, and Simon thought “David Cook wins the night.” I give him an A.

American Idol Elimination 5/15, And Then There Were Three

by Deb Porter-Jones

Tonight’s show is definitely a nail-biter because this is the show that will give us our final three contestants. After last night’s train wreck for Jason Castro (both of his performances were unbelievably bad), and Randy making Syesha cry, it’s anybody’s guess who’s actually going home tonight. Historically, Syesha has almost always been in the bottom two, even when she didn’t deserve to be there. But now that most of the contestants are gone, and she’s clearly better than the worst contestant left, Jason Castro should be going home. If there’s any justice left in the world, that is.

Of course, Jason and Syesha are determined to be in the bottom two, a familiar place for Syesha, I’m sure.

Some AI fans get to ask the remaining cast a few questions. David Cook is lucky enough to talk to a fan from Pittsburgh, PA who asks him out on a date when they tour in Pittsburgh. An awkward moment for Cook, for sure. Simon is asked why the Queen hasn’t knighted him yet. There was also a performance from Maroon 5 – a really hysterical performance with the lead singer, Adam Levine, singing in such a high falsetto that I wondered if only dogs could hear him. Really funny. I give him a D. Oh, that’s right, we’re not supposed to judge the guest stars. Oh, well, I’m sorry; he sucked.

Next, we’re blessed with a performance by former Idol contestant Bo Bice. Bo, he of the long rocker hair, has an album coming out so he sang “Witness”, a selection from his album. Bo did a great job, reminding us how super-talented he was; back when people who were really talented made it into the top ten of AI. He played guitar and belted out that song like we remember him. I really liked Bo, and American Idol has indeed, been good to him. You go, Bo Bice! He definitely deserves an A+!

Now, on to eliminations. We’re reminded of how horrible Jason’s performance was – and, predictably of course, he is sent home. Finally. Thank God! Jason said that he felt his inexperience was starting to become obvious, as evidenced by his difficulty remembering lyrics. Jason is clearly as relieved to be going home as we are to see him go. He even said he didn’t think he could have handled next week – they have to sing three songs. Jason, I can’t actually say you’ll be missed, but you were definitely interesting.

Now, down to the final three – Syesha and the Davids. The competition heats up!

American Idol Recap for April 19, 2008

by Deb Porter-Jones

Tonight’s show features the song stylings of the musical singer-songwriting legend, Neil Diamond. He’s also written such iconic hits as “I’m a Believer” sung by the Monkees, “Solitary Man” and Sweet Caroline”. Diamond is probably most well known for penning the music performed in the film in which he also starred, “The Jazz Singer”. This man is truly a legend and our young contestants are truly blessed to have the opportunity to be in the presence of and learn from this superstar.

Our contestants are to sing two of Neil Diamond’s songs and then face a bit of nerve-wracking critique from the judges.

Jason Castro is up first and he performs “Forever in Blue Jeans” and “September Morn”. In the former, he plays guitar and sings rather well. Jason’s a really laid-back fellow so obviously you believe that he’d rather be “Forever in Blue Jeans”. That’s a no-brainer and he did a great job. I give him a B.

David Cook is up next. He sings, “I’m Alive” and “All I Really Need is You”. Neil says he got goose bumps listening to David sing; he’s got the right material, the right attitude, the right voice and he’ll do great, no doubt. He first sings “I’m Alive” and, of course, he does a great job. This song is not as well-known as some of Neil’s other music so there’s probably not much comparing to factor into his performance. Regardless, he does a great job, as David is expected to do. I give him an A+.

Brooke White sings “I’m a Believer” and chooses to sing while accompanying himself on the guitar. This song was originally sung by The Monkees, the group who had a sitcom playing boy-band members in a group similar to the Beatles. Brooke did a really good job on this song, although I can always detect a bit of trembling and decided nervousness whenever she performs. Simon appeared rather bored while she performed. In my opinion, she didn’t really seem to get into the song until the end. But definitely a B+ performance.

David Archuleta decides to do “Sweet Caroline” and “America”. Neil feels like he’s “kind of a prodigy”, which is a heck of a compliment coming from the great Neil Diamond. David’s performance of “Sweet Caroline” is okay, but I have to admit, nothing earth-shattering there. I give him a B.

Syesha Mercado sings “Hello, Again” and “Thank the Lord for the Nighttime”. He seems to be really impressed with her renditions of these great songs. The first songs she performs is “Hello, Again” and she did a pretty good job with this song. Again, nothing earth-shattering but she did a good job. I give her a B.

Ryan Seacrest decides to weigh in on the judge’s perceptions of the contestants’ first songs. Paula’s confused and thinks they’ve sung two songs so she’s giving her impression of Jason’s two songs when in actuality he’s only sung one. We finally realize she’s confused Jason’s second song, that he hasn’t sung yet, with David Cook’s first song, which was the bomb, and that’s who her praises need to go to. Whew!

And of course Simon is his usual vitriolic self and runs through a quick assessment of his perceptions. Jason and David Archuleta are described as “amateurish”, Syesha is “old fashioned”, David Cook is “above average” and Brooke White’s performance is described as “a nightmare”. I could tell he was definitely not enjoying her performance, but that’s just downright mean. The girl’s already a trembling, nervous wreck whenever she comes onstage. She’s probably popping Valium and vomiting before the show starts every night. Anyway, this makes for a nerve-wracking first half. Simon tells them all to step it up a bit; it’s a competition!

The next half begins with Jason Castro singing “September Morn”. Jason seems so incredibly bored with this song, almost as bored as I was watching him perform it. Randy agreed that this was “another okay performance”. Paula thinks he needs to step it up a bit and of course Simon’s just not impressed. I give him a C (just for remembering the words).

David Cook plays guitar and sings “All I Really Need Is You”. I’ve never heard this song before but David Cook did a great job, put the rocker spin on this song and totally
rocked it. All the judges loved the second song better than the first. Simon loved that he changed the arrangement (who would know, I don’t think anyone knows this song) and he made it his own. Paula thought she is “already looking at the American Idol”. Randy is really impressed with what he’s done with this second song. I give him a well-deserved A+.

Brooke White sings “I Am, I Said” and plays piano. She actually does a great job with this song. She seems much more comfortable when she plays piano and sings. The performance was very heartfelt and real; definitely NOT a nightmare. I give her an A+. Randy thought it was a difficult song but it showed her vulnerability behind the piano and all, excellent song choice. Paula agreed but Simon thought “this is the Brooke we like”, wasn’t incredible but a million times better than the first song. I have to agree. Something about that piano.

Next up is David Archuleta singing “America”. He actually does a great job with this song. The judges loved it, too. Great song choice, great performance, they all agree. I don’t know, I just don’t think I’m as “in love” with Archuleta as everyone else. I mean, he’s good, but he’s not fabulous, in my opinion, regardless of his age. I give him a B.

Syesha Mercado finally sings “Thank the Lord for the Nighttime” and she does a phenomenal job with this song. If she ends up in the Bottom Two after this, go figure. The judges all agree as well, although Simon doesn’t think she had as memorable a second song as the others, which may be a problem for Syesha. I swear, this girl consistently ends up in the Bottom Two despite excellent performances. I give her a well-deserved A+.

AMERICAN IDOL PERFORMANCE SHOW 4-1-08

By Deb Porter-Jones

Tonight American Idol has invited country music legend Dolly Parton to share some of her wisdom gained from more than four decades in the music business.  The singers will all be performing Dolly’s own country songs.

Dolly is such a warm, inspiring performer (just like Paula, right?) and she said she finds it difficult to critique other singers. She knows what it’s like to be a singer and have your performances judged – so most likely she’ll be taking it easy on our young performers. 

Tonight we begin with Brooke White who sings “Jolene” – and of course plays guitar.  Randy thought her performance was just “alright, a little pitchy”.  Paula gave some rather obscure and ambiguous comments that didn’t give you a clear idea of what she thought – I suspect that means she thought the performance was not very good but was just too darn nice to say so.  Simon thought the performers onstage with her “looked very odd,” but the rest of the rest of his comments were kind of drowned out by Paula and Randy’s protests.  I think she did an okay job.  I hate to say it, but I agree with something that Randy said several weeks ago.  She’s in grave danger of being considered “musical wallpaper”.  I give her a C.

David Cook was up next.  He talks about how he is able to put his own spin on the songs that he performs.  He chose “Little Sparrow” and Dolly was very impressed with his voice.  I must admit I don’t think I’ve ever heard this song before but I gotta admit; it didn’t matter.  David Cook is always able to make a believer out of me – no matter what song he chooses to sing.  He brought out the falsetto aspect of his voice that I didn’t know he had and paired it with the smoky, guttural tones of his voice that I loved anyway.  Randy appreciated that he was able to embrace the falsetto while still staying true to the rocker that he is.  Paula loved his rendition of “Little Sparrow”, which she had never heard sung by a man before.  Simon didn’t like the performance as much as last week, but conceded that David had done a good job.  I give him an A.

Ramiele Malubay was positively awe-struck by Dolly, and Dolly loved that she is also a “little person”.  Dolly thought Ramiele’s choice of the song “Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?” was a “good little choice” for her.  Randy thought it was a 6 ½ out of 10.  Paula thought she really connected with the audience and she had fun.  Simon thought, “we’re not gonna remember this in 10 years time” and was “forgettable and reminiscent of something you’d see on a cruise ship.”  Sorry, I agree.  I give her a C.

Jason Castro received a bunch of postcards in the form of fan mail from the same girl (stalker material, no doubt).  Dolly loved his dreads and thought he had a “funky, cool, relaxed” way about him so the “Travelling Through” song was appropriate for him.  I think he did an okay job.  It wasn’t anything earth-shattering vocally, but Jason did a good job.  And he played guitar for the performance.  Randy thought he did a good job, Paula thought it was his best performance yet, and Simon didn’t like it at all.  I give him a B.

Next up was Carly Smithson who sang “Here You Come Again”.  Dolly thought it was a perfect song choice for Carly and that her voice is the perfect voice for this song.  I think she did a really good job with this song.  Randy thought it was one of the better performances of the night, great job”.  Paula thought it was excellent; she looked great, all good stuff.  Simon thought it was, “good, not great, and she’s gotta have a word with who’s dressing her”.   I give her a B+.

David Archuleta chose “Smoky Mountain Memories”.  Dolly was blown away and said she thought he, “has the voice to become a great, great singer”.  He did a wonderful job with this song; so much feeling.  Randy thought it was the best performance of the night.  Paula agreed and so did Simon!  I give him an A.

Syesha Mercado chose “I Will Always Love You”, which was originally performed by Dolly and then re-arranged by Whitney Houston, whose version really skyrocketed.  Dolly thought she’s a pretty girl, and a good singer and she, “did real well.”  I think she did an okay job.  She didn’t sing it like Dolly did originally, nor did she sing it like Whitney did.  Randy thought she “took on the biggest tiger of the night” and he thinks she did pretty good, “it was alright.”  Paula thought her voice was velvety and she’s “growing and connecting with the audience much more.”  Simon said he almost wished she hadn’t chosen that song because her performance was not as good as the original singers (either of them).  But she did okay.  I think we saw another side of Syesha when Simon was giving his comments.  Her face clouded over and she just looked like she could murder him. She wasn’t really happy with what he had to say.  But, Simon was right.  You can’t sing a song that is probably the most loved ballad in pop music history and think you’re not going to be compared to the original singer or singers.   And by her being an amateur, technically, it was a bit of a stretch for her to think she could pull it off.  I think she deserved a B.

Dolly loves Michael Johns’ voice, and she hopes he does become a star because she “could write some great songs for him”.  He sang “It’s All Wrong But It’s Alright”, and he did a great job, too.  I think he was the best performer tonight!  The arrangement was kind of bluesy and sexy, just a piano, electric guitar, backup singers and Michael, with his effortless, sexy raspy voice.  Awesome performance.  I don’t even know this song but he rocked it!  And of course the judges loved his performance as well.  I give him a well-deserved A+!

After tonight’s episode, I feel more strongly than ever that the ones who SHOULD be in the final three are David Cook, David Archuleta and Michael Johns.  These three have been the most consistent (actually David Cook and Michael Johns more so than Archuleta) week after week. I think if the show doesn’t end with these three in the top three, somewhere, America’s got a problem.  Looking forward to the results show tomorrow night!