After a so-so revival last year when ABC took over “American Idol,” most fans are in agreement that the talent on display on Season 17 is a giant leap for singing kind. The show overall seems to be more entertaining. Yes, judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan are never going to be as scathingly funny as Simon Cowell in his snide heyday. But their personalities and musical knowledge complement each other and all three seem quite genuine in their quest to help the contestants to up their games.
Very early in this current edition of the show, the words “best season ever” were uttered. It is all subjective, of course, but with just one more episode and the three-hour finale left, No. 17 could go down in “Idol’ ‘history talent-wise once a winner is crowned. Of course, factoring into that assessment will be the winner’s post-show success as well.
Very early in this current edition of the show, the words “best season ever” were uttered. It is all subjective, of course, but with just one more episode and the three-hour finale left, No. 17 could go down in “Idol’ ‘history talent-wise once a winner is crowned. Of course, factoring into that assessment will be the winner’s post-show success as well.
- 5/11/2019
- by Susan Wloszczyna
- Gold Derby
Never judge a book by its cover. And never judge an American Idol judge by a pre-taped, carefully edited episode. That message was made troublingly clear by the shenanigans that occurred during Season 12′s first live telecast — featuring the Top 10 women squaring off for (presumably, but hopefully not) only five spots in the finale.
Keith thought pretty much everybody — even the excruciating Tenna Torres — was just great. Nicki Minaj lowered the bar by treating contestants as if they were on the menu at KFC, drooling over their breasts and legs. And Randy Jackson pronounced vibrtao as if it rhymed with frittata,...
Keith thought pretty much everybody — even the excruciating Tenna Torres — was just great. Nicki Minaj lowered the bar by treating contestants as if they were on the menu at KFC, drooling over their breasts and legs. And Randy Jackson pronounced vibrtao as if it rhymed with frittata,...
- 3/6/2013
- by Michael Slezak
- TVLine.com
There’s this weird part of the week — from Friday morning till Monday evening — when not a single major TV network airs a reality singing competition. It’s terrible, I know, but it also gives me a lot of time to ponder American Idol history. (Everyone does this in their free time, yes?) And my latest flight of Idol fancy got me mulling this question: Was Season 11′s Top 10 the strongest — top to bottom — in show history? Let’s examine:
For starters, I’d automatically rule out the five seasons with three or more Top 10 contestants who probably wouldn’t have outlasted Season 11′s No.
For starters, I’d automatically rule out the five seasons with three or more Top 10 contestants who probably wouldn’t have outlasted Season 11′s No.
- 3/26/2012
- by Michael Slezak
- TVLine.com
The news of Pia “I Got Voted Off ‘Idol’ Way Early And All I Got Was This Awesome Record Deal” Toscano joining Interscope’s roster surprised no one, except maybe my cat Moo Shu. (Homegirl’s a Voice fan. She thinks Idol is so seven years ago.) Toscano already shattered records by being the lowest-placing Idol also-ran to nab a significant major label deal in the show’s ten year history. (She was ninth! Ninth, I say!)
While we wait to see whether Pia becomes the next Jennifer Hudson or Kristy Lee Cook, let’s look back at the careers of previous ninth-place finishers to see how they’ve fared.
Season One: Jim Verraros
Jim was our inaugural “token sob story” contestant, and he parlayed his name recognition into movie roles in popular gay indie flicks. (Eating Out 2: Sloppy Seconds might be my fave sequel title since Electric Boogaloo.
While we wait to see whether Pia becomes the next Jennifer Hudson or Kristy Lee Cook, let’s look back at the careers of previous ninth-place finishers to see how they’ve fared.
Season One: Jim Verraros
Jim was our inaugural “token sob story” contestant, and he parlayed his name recognition into movie roles in popular gay indie flicks. (Eating Out 2: Sloppy Seconds might be my fave sequel title since Electric Boogaloo.
- 7/6/2011
- by Jim Cantiello
- MTV Newsroom
Nobody tries out for American Idol hoping to finish in a tie for tenth place. But the two contestants booted at the end of Thursday night’s Top 11 Redux results show have reason to take heart: After witnessing a harrowing performance-art piece titled “The Emperor Is Doing an Nc-17 Strip-Tease” (by Academy Award winner Jaime Foxx and Grammy winner will.i.am), Naima Adedapo and Thia Megia can leave the Idolverse knowing all it takes is a shred of talent — combined with copious luck, first-rate schmoozing skills, impeccable timing, corporate marketing dollars, brightly adorned backup dancers, and a healthy dose...
- 4/1/2011
- by Michael Slezak
- TVLine.com
With apologies to Elton John, American Idol‘s Top 11 are still standin’, and the Idoloonie Nation has good reason to shout “yeah, yeah, yeah.” Indeed, after last week’s Judges’ Save spared Casey Abrams and gave us a Top 11 redux, a “sing for your life” spirit seemed to infect the bulk of the season 10 finalists tonight. For the second straight week, we didn’t witness a single catastrophic performance — pause here to fondly remember Camile Velasco violently assaulting Elton’s “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” back in season 3 — and better still, several singers delivered legitimate Idol Moments.
I’ll say no...
I’ll say no...
- 3/31/2011
- by Michael Slezak
- TVLine.com
Wednesday night’s episode of American Idol will see the Top 11 dive headlong into the Elton John songbook — alas, those ’80s Night rumors proved to be untrue — and I’d say it’s even-money that somebody’s going to follow in the footsteps of Bo Bice, David Archuleta, Justin Guarini, Jorge Nuñez, Clay Aiken and Jasmine Trias and break out yet another rendition of “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me.” (Really, Cecile Frot-Coutaz ought to secretly deduct 250,000 votes from whichever finalist dares to go there.)
But hey, ever the optimist, I’m going to go ahead and...
But hey, ever the optimist, I’m going to go ahead and...
- 3/28/2011
- by Michael Slezak
- TVLine.com
The Season 10 premiere of "American Idol" is less than a week away and to make the days go by a bit faster, Zap2it decided to take a stroll down memory lane and re-evaluate the previous nine seasons.
Each day leading up to the premiere on Wednesday, Jan. 19, we will post a retrospective on each season. We're breaking it down into four categories: Best Performance, Worst Performance, Most Underrated Idol and most Overrated Idol. At the end, we will decide how the season stacks up against the rest, rating it as great, good, or not-so-good.
We've looked back at Season 1 (yay Kelly!) and Season 2 (aww, Clay and Ruben!) and now it's time to take a look back at the black hole of "American Idol." And don't even try to act like that's not a true statement in the year where Fantasia beat Diana DeGarmo.
Season 2 contestants in order of elimination:...
Each day leading up to the premiere on Wednesday, Jan. 19, we will post a retrospective on each season. We're breaking it down into four categories: Best Performance, Worst Performance, Most Underrated Idol and most Overrated Idol. At the end, we will decide how the season stacks up against the rest, rating it as great, good, or not-so-good.
We've looked back at Season 1 (yay Kelly!) and Season 2 (aww, Clay and Ruben!) and now it's time to take a look back at the black hole of "American Idol." And don't even try to act like that's not a true statement in the year where Fantasia beat Diana DeGarmo.
Season 2 contestants in order of elimination:...
- 1/14/2011
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
I've been feeling for poor American Idol cast-off Paige Miles. While making the rounds on television talk shows, she's repeatedly being subjected to video loops of her dastardly (how Simon of me!) performance of "Against All Odds." But last night, Paige stopped by Late Show to sing for David Letterman -- and, thankfully, she wasn't forced to warble through the song she sang during what Annie Barrett called "the worst Idol performance Ever." (Our own Mike Slezak thinks Camile Velasco's "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" more deserves that title; I vote for John Steven's season 3 performance of "Crocodile Rock." It was so bad,...
- 3/30/2010
- by Kate Ward
- EW.com - PopWatch
On last night's American Idol, Kara called Paige Miles' rendition of "Against All Odds" the worst vocal of the season. "That song just killed you," Simon informed Paige, who was then dead. Now, I'm not Slezak and don't have a carefully organized (by hair color) brain database of 8.3 seasons of performances at the ready, but I dunno, Dawg -- I think Paige's warble might have been the worst Idol performance Ever. And I saw that bird dance by the blond tattoo lady last year. This was like a million billion times worse than that. Which ear-sore gets your vote for Worst Idol Performance Ever?...
- 3/24/2010
- by Annie Barrett
- EW.com - PopWatch
Latest: Jennifer Hudson's fellow American Idol alumni have expressed their shock at hearing the news of the murders of the star's mother and brother - paying tribute to the Oscar-winner's devastated family.
Former talent show contenders Diana DeGarmo, Jon Peter Lewis and Camile Velasco have reached out to the star, offering their support to Hudson in her hour of need.
The trio was included in the talent show's third season final 12 line-up alongside Hudson, who was catapulted to fame after she was eliminated in the show - going on to win an Academy Award for her role in Dreamgirls.
DeGarmo, who finished second that season, couldn't believe Hudson's family had been involved in the horrific incident, insisting they were all well liked.
She tells Access Hollywood, "I was completely shocked and stunned when I heard about this tragedy. I know how important Jennifer's mother and brother were to her.. They were so nice and so pleasant. Jennifer always spoke about her mom, how close they were and how much of a 'big sister' role her mom played in her life."
And former contestant Velasco describes Hudson's mum Darnell Donnerson as a "wonderful" woman.
She says, "I met Jennifer's mom when she came to the set in L.A. and I also went to Jennifer's home on the South Side of Chicago during the 'American Idol' tour and spent time with her mom. She was a great lady, real sweet and a great supporter of Jennifer's who was happy and glad for her daughter's success."
Lewis, who became close pals with Hudson during her time on the hit show, is devastated about the slayings, because the star had just started to live out her fantasies.
He adds, "She was living her dream. For her to have gone on (from Idol) to be in so many wonderful movies and to have gotten an Oscar and to have a strong record out, and she recently got engaged - she had the whole world before her... everything was fine."
Donnerson and her son Jason Hudson, 29, were found dead at their home in Chicago, Illinois on Friday. They had both received fatal gun shot wounds. Hudson has since issued an appeal for the return of her nephew, Julian King, seven, who has been missing since the murders.
Former talent show contenders Diana DeGarmo, Jon Peter Lewis and Camile Velasco have reached out to the star, offering their support to Hudson in her hour of need.
The trio was included in the talent show's third season final 12 line-up alongside Hudson, who was catapulted to fame after she was eliminated in the show - going on to win an Academy Award for her role in Dreamgirls.
DeGarmo, who finished second that season, couldn't believe Hudson's family had been involved in the horrific incident, insisting they were all well liked.
She tells Access Hollywood, "I was completely shocked and stunned when I heard about this tragedy. I know how important Jennifer's mother and brother were to her.. They were so nice and so pleasant. Jennifer always spoke about her mom, how close they were and how much of a 'big sister' role her mom played in her life."
And former contestant Velasco describes Hudson's mum Darnell Donnerson as a "wonderful" woman.
She says, "I met Jennifer's mom when she came to the set in L.A. and I also went to Jennifer's home on the South Side of Chicago during the 'American Idol' tour and spent time with her mom. She was a great lady, real sweet and a great supporter of Jennifer's who was happy and glad for her daughter's success."
Lewis, who became close pals with Hudson during her time on the hit show, is devastated about the slayings, because the star had just started to live out her fantasies.
He adds, "She was living her dream. For her to have gone on (from Idol) to be in so many wonderful movies and to have gotten an Oscar and to have a strong record out, and she recently got engaged - she had the whole world before her... everything was fine."
Donnerson and her son Jason Hudson, 29, were found dead at their home in Chicago, Illinois on Friday. They had both received fatal gun shot wounds. Hudson has since issued an appeal for the return of her nephew, Julian King, seven, who has been missing since the murders.
- 10/27/2008
- WENN
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.