When I saw the clip below of Randy Jackson’s evasive-sounding “yes” in response to whether he’d return to American Idol, it became immediately clear what’s between the lines. My guess? “Yes” he will return, but it won’t be as a judge. It will be as a behind the scenes mentor. Watch below.
When I found out about Mariah Carey’s decision to join American Idol, I thought: “I’ll take the Mariah Carey from ten years ago, and not the Mariah Carey of today.” That’s not a dig at the current state of her career, it’s a dig at the current state of her public persona. In short — she’s almost become a caricature of herself, exuding a diva-like temperament in every interview. I miss the down-to-earth, flannel wearing Mariah Carey of the old days. To prove my point, I’ve posted a vintage interview with the superstar below. Here’s hoping she’s relatable enough to pull off this new role. After all, if Jennifer Lopez can turn her image around, so can Mariah Carey.
This is a hit I never saw coming. Steven Tyler officially announced that he’s leaving American Idol, saying, “I strayed from my first love, Aerosmith, and I’m back.” It’s rumored that Jennifer Lopez is on her way out also, which is mostly attributed to her recent career resurgence. I can’t help but wonder if his announcement is a fancy way of saying, “they didn’t ask me back,” but I’ll squash my internal cynic for a moment and make an even more cynical comment: His exit is completely irrelevant. His “everyone-is-wonderful” attitude didn’t add much to the show, and it only served to hurt his rock-star brand. So welcome back to the real world, Steven. We missed you over here.
I just played Phillip Phillips’ new single, “Home” for a close friend who said, “Hasn’t the same guy won American Idol five years in a row?” I scratched my head for a moment and then thought, “Oh my God! She’s right!” America keeps choosing the sweet white boy with a guitar, and they have all faded off into never-never land (see Kris Allen, David Cook, and Lee Dewyze). So what’s the explanation for their post-Idol struggle? My guess is that it’s their desire to write their own music, despite having failed at that prior to their appearance on the show. They get on the show and think, “That’s the reason I didn’t make it with my original material. It’s because I just didn’t have enough exposure.” And they are usually wrong. As for Phillip Phillips, I was shocked last night when he performed the Drew Pearson track, “Home.” It represented today’s current music, and for the first time ever — American Idol didn’t feel dated. But my happiness is short-lived, because Phillips doesn’t agree. In fact, he wanted to perform his own music, but there just wasn’t enough time. When asked about the track, he said, “It’s a very good song and a great writer . . . [but] I’m excited to do my own stuff.” Watch below.
I love Phillip Phillips, and he deserved the crown tonight. He’s humble, and he’s talented. He’s also adorably close to his family, who he chose to hug instead of finishing his song, which he couldn’t sing because he was crying. Watch below.
Jennifer Holliday’s ‘Dreamgirls’ performance of “And I’m Telling You” has been copied more times than I can count, with every version less enjoyable than the original. In fact, most people forgot just how great she was after Jennifer Hudson took over. So although I was happy to see her on the American Idol stage, it was a little ridiculous to watch Jessica Sanchez try to keep up. Sanchez should have maintained her own style, but she instead copied all of Holiday’s over-the-top mannerisms that made Holiday famous. Watch below.
Jessica Sanchez & Jennifer Holliday – And I Am… by IdolxMuzic
Is nothing sacred anymore? On tonight’s finale of American Idol, Ace Young proposed to his long-time girlfriend Diana DeGarmo, and I smell a rat. I’m no rocket scientist, but when a man drops jeweler’s name on national television while proposing, it screams canned. Plus, she’s not the best actress. Watch below.
Winner Announced, p6 ~ American Idol 2012 by HumanSlinky
