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'American Idol' Recap: Casey Abrams, Jazz Visionary?

Posted 4/14/11 8:57 am EST by in American Idol

The popcorn is popped! The 40 lb box of Junior Mints, opened! Turn off your cell phones, make a donation to the Will Rogers Institute and shush the giggly teenager behind you, because Wednesday night was "Songs of the Cinema" on "American Idol X: No Girls Allowed!"

With Pia Toscano off gallivanting with Ellen DeGeneres and record labels (so says the rumor mill!), the top eight faced even more scrutiny than usual. From viewers, that is. We all know the judges cheerleaders would give the contestants a standing ovation even if they just belched the alphabet. Unless that contestant's name rhymes with Paley Fineheart. (More on that later.)

But by the time the final note was shouted, the last "amazing" critique was uttered and the phone numbers were recapped, not one "Idol" stood out as being the next biggest thing in pop music. Nor jazz music, for that matter, regardless of the standing ovations from noted jazz critics Jennifer "Anaconda" Lopez, Randy "I Get Texts From R&B Relics" Jackson and Steven "Boca Blouse" Tyler. (More on that later, too.)

Before I go on a rant about how will.i.am should change his name to will.i.am.never.ever.leaving.this.show.can.you.blame.me.i.have.to.work.with.fergie, here's a quick programming note! My live, interactive "Idol" chat show, "Idol Party Live" is premiering at its new time, NOON EDT, right here in this very blog! Really!

My special guests this week are season six fave Melinda Doolittle and "Idol" blogger MJ Santilli of the encyclopedic MJsBigBlog.com. We'll be dishing all about Wednesday night's episode as well as predicting Thursday night's Bottom Three. Plus, Barbara Walters' Cardboard Cutout will be doing a striptease. Fun times!

And now ... to the performances! In keeping with the movie theme, all of my verdicts will be recent Oscar nominees.
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'American Idol' Castoff Pia Toscano Answers MTV News' 10 Questions

Posted 4/12/11 7:38 pm EST by in American Idol, Music

Ballad enthusiast Pia Toscano has been on a whirlwind press tour ever since being unceremoniously tossed off "American Idol" last week. (Oh, stop feigning shock, America. You didn't vote for her, dammit!) You can catch her on the "Today" show, "Live! With Regis & Kelly" and even MTV.com dodging questions about signing to major labels and dismissing rumored boy toy (and "Dancing With the Stars" pro) Mark Ballas as "just a friend."

But only MTV News asks the real questions — the questions that matter, the questions that keep our nation up at night, the questions that demand decisions that make Sophie's choice look like "paper or plastic."

So take a break from the hundreds of Pia "we'll see what happens with Interscope" interviews beaming out there on your TV sets and your computer screens and sink your teeth into MTV News' definitive Pia Toscano sit-down. Without further ado, we bring you: "10 Questions With Pia Toscano." You'll never think of "Deep Impact" the same way again.

All kidding aside, with Pia's powerhouse voice out of the competition, how will the top eight's Songs From the Cinema show play out? Who will step up and knock his or her vocals out of the park?

For a playful in-depth discussion of all things "Idol," you simply cannot miss my weekly show, "Idol Party Live," on Thursday at noon ET, only on MTVNews.com. This week's guests include season-six star Melinda Doolittle, "Idol" super-blogger MJ Santilli (from MJsBigBlog.com) and, of course, you! Tweet your thoughts on Wednesday night's performance show using the hashtag #idolparty, and you may be a co-star in Thursday afternoon's live broadcast!

What do you think is next for Pia? Let us know in the comments!

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Kelly Clarkson Is Returning To 'Idol,' Here's Who Should Be Next!

Posted 4/11/11 11:42 am EST by in American Idol, Music, Television

By now, you're probably aware that Kelly Clarkson will return to "American Idol" this week, to perform her current Country smash "Don't You Wanna Stay" with Jason Aldean during Thursday night's results show.

Obviously, we're pumped by the news — after all, we loved Kelly's last album, 2009's All I Ever Wanted — and we're glad to see her stepping back into the spotlight to promote her still-too-far-away new album (she did a medley of her greatest hits last week on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" last week). But, to be honest, it's not like this is the first time she'll be back on the show — shoot, she was on just last year, joining other "Idol" faves in a tribute performance to departing judge Simon Cowell — so we'd like to use this opportunity to shine a light on some of Clarkson's fellow "A.I." alumni ... because, really, they could use the love.

So, with Kelly booked, here are five other former "American Idol" contestants we'd like to see take the stage this year, for reasons as perverse as they are profound. After all, anybody's better than Iggy Pop, right?

» Antonella Barba: As those photos of her cavorting in the fountains of the National World War II Memorial proved, she is certainly the most, uh, patriotic contestant in "Idol" history (take that, Kristy Lee Cook!), and judging by her official site, her schedule's clear. Plus, with Glenn Beck vacating our airwaves, someone needs to fill the "marginally talented jingoist" slot, don't they?

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'American Idol' Cast-Offs Thia And Naima Answer Our 10 Questions

Posted 4/8/11 3:13 pm EST by in American Idol

By Rya Backer

Long (OK, two weeks) before last night's Elimination Heard Around the World, there was the Judges' Save Heard Around the World, when on Casey Abrams was given a second chance to play his upright bass for all the country to see. Because nobody was eliminated that week, a double send-off was promised the week after, and on March 31, Thia Megia and Naima Adedapo bid farewell and one final "Boom, fiyah!" to the viewing audience.

The pair landed in our studio on Monday for an interview, as is routine with all ousted "Idol" contestants, and following talk about eliminations and just how well they all got along, we delved into a set of 10 irreverent questions to help us better get to know our fallen Idols. The Q&A usually makes its debut during our weekly live roundup of all things Idol, "Idol Party Live," but with the show on hiatus until next week, we still couldn't resist sharing their answers.

So watch on to discover what Naima may title her debut album and what her least-favorite word is. Learn who each lady's favorite member of TLC was. And feel fairly old when Thia admits that she has no idea who New Kids on the Block is.
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'American Idol' Predictions Results: Pia Toscano? We Give Up!

Posted 4/8/11 12:22 pm EST by in American Idol

America, we need to talk. I get it, the viewers of "American Idol" are mostly teenage girls who are clearly not interested in seeing an attractive woman win the show. And I also get that you're all feeling a bit lost without Simon Cowell telling you what to think and pointing out when your beloved singers are way, way off and not really star material.

But really? Pia Toscano? You couldn't throw in an extra vote for her amid your 57 furious texts for no-chance-in-hell-of-having-a-pop-career (see Taylor Hicks) Casey Abrams? You've made this bed and you'll have to lie in it for the rest of the season. Honestly, I really, really did not see this coming.

Nor did my fellow experts, since none of us even had Pia on our bottom-three radar yesterday, when we all confidently pegged gospel goofball Jacob Lusk as the surefire bootee. In case you're keeping score at home, that's four women in a row eliminated to zero males, leaving just two ladies standing amid a gaggle of six men.

"I am not surprised at all," said Village Voice music editor Maura Johnston. "I think the biggest problem was her aesthetic; she's a throwback to a style that just isn't popular right now. Say what you will about the return of theme weeks forcing all the contestants to be a little bit throwbacky in their choices, but the Celine/Whitney/Mariah aesthetic is just not really a thing on 'Idol' [right now]."
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'American Idol' Recap: Pia Kills, As James Weeps

Posted 4/7/11 8:50 am EST by in American Idol

Wednesday night's "American Idol" was supposed to be all about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But leave it to Jimmy Iovine's sleepwalking producers and Nigel Lythgoe's showbiz pizzazz to make it rock softer than an Air Supply acoustic album.

That's not to say the top nine of "American Idol X: Pay No Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain" didn't give it their all and then some. This may go down as the sweatiest "Idol" episode ever. Did Idolland's air conditioning break, or is there a fire within these contestants causing them to look like James Brown on PCP?


As an added challenge this week, producers handicapped the girls by forcing them to wear Gwen Stefani's L.A.M.B. collection of leopard-print diapers and silk tube-top jumpsuits. I guess they really don't want the Season 10 "Idol" to have a vagina. Paging Gloria Steinem!
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'American Idol' Recap: Pia, Naima And Scotty Ask A Lot Of Questions

Posted 3/17/11 9:01 am EST by in American Idol

It's that very special week of the year, when we collectively realize that "American Idol" contestants were born the same year we saw "Uncle Buck" at the Westbury Drive-In. It's the dreaded "Songs From the Year the Contestants Were Born" theme, or as I like to call it, "Producers Force Thia Megia to Sing a Song That Wasn't Written 100 Years Ago."

But this week "Idol" is also giving back. Portions of the proceeds from the studio recordings will go to helping the relief efforts in Japan. But really, the entire world benefits from watching Steven Tyler sing, "There's something wrong with the world today ... Oh, hi there. Let's talk natural disasters."

Before I point out that 75 percent of the season 10 contestants were born after "Mannequin" hit theaters, and 25 percent of them after "Mannequin 2: On the Move," let's rip right into the top 12's performances.

Naima Adedapo
Song: Tina Turner's "What's Love Got to Do With It?"
Verdict: What's Pitch?

You know how Coco Chanel used to say, "When accessorizing, always take off the last thing you put on?" Naima could have taken off 30 things, and she'd still be a busy disaster of neon wrist-laces, chunky crystal neck brace collars, dangling earrings and silver chain mesh vests. You know you need fashion help when Steven Tyler accuses you of raiding his closet. (Tonight he looked ready to play Mahjong with the ladies who lunch. In Boca.)

I'm focusing on Naima's clothes only because I wanted to start on a positive note. Her off-key rendition was so unpleasant, it made the judges deliver retroactive criticism. "Hey, remember how we raved about your reggae 'Umbrella' last week? Well we were wrong and you are a disgrace to this show and we wish we never met you," said J. Lo and Randy. (I'm paraphrasing.) At first, Steven Tyler's "sorcerer's grasp for melody" critique skewed positive, but then I remembered hearing stories about a famous tone-deaf Aerosmith roadie named Sorcerer. Read More...

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Since 'American Idol' Is Reading My Mind, Here’s Who Should Go Home Tonight

Posted 3/11/10 12:27 pm EST by in American Idol, Television

Either the eight men on “American Idol” are reading my mind (and/or my stories), or this show is getting way too predictable in season nine. Yesterday, I made my suggestions for what the remaining eight-pack needed to do to avoid going home and, freakishly, I was kind of dead-on with a couple of them.

Okay, Aaron Kelly didn’t take my advice and sing a Kris Allen or David Gray ballad -- which isn’t totally why he’s probably going home -- and Todrick Hall went in the absolute opposite direction, ignoring my suggestion to sing something by Usher and opting instead for Queen.

But I totally cracked wise about how lucky-to-even-be-there singer Tim Urban would definitely be packing his bags … unless he was getting secret voice lessons from the ghost of Jeff Buckley. And guess what? He sang Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” which, as you probably know, was famously covered by Buckley, a version Urban surprisingly rocked on Wednesday night!

And did I mention that I said Michael Lynche should sing a Maxwell song? Okay, technically he killed Kate Bush’s “This Woman’s Work,” but he totally did the Maxwell version of it! To make it even stranger, I originally suggested that Lee DeWyze should cover “Fireflies” by Owl City to show an edgier vibe. But then I changed my mind at the last minute because I’d suggested a day earlier that Siobhan Magnus should sing it, and recommended an acoustic Kings of Leon cover, so I was kind of right on that one, too.

Now that I’m done being impressed with myself [Editor's Note: Finally], here’s who I think should go home tonight. On the girl’s side, it’s pretty easy. Paige Miles totally flamed out with her limp cover of “Smile” and will say goodbye after an uneven run, and I suspect teen Katie Stevens has run out of chances to stop acting old and figure out who she is.

It’s a bit harder on the boy’s side, but I figure the other teen, Aaron Kelly, will also get the hook after a very uneven night and a further display of his total lack of starpower. And while Tim Urban would have been my go-to for the second slot, he may just have bought his ninth life on Wednesday with “Hallelujah,” which makes the second slot harder to predict. As much as I loved his cover of Queen’s bombastic “Somebody To Love,” I think America just hasn’t connected with Hall yet and he’ll be hurt by Simon’s comments that he’s too Broadway.

Check back on Friday for our “Idol Deadpool” feature to see how I did on my predictions and how our “Idol” experts’ picks panned out.

Who do you think will go home tonight? Post your comments below.

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Happy Birthday, Britney Spears: Wake-Up Video

Posted 12/2/09 9:00 am EST by in American Idol, Music

Britney Spears will be blowing out 28 candles today, as she celebrates her birthday on December 2. She'll be able to party close to home, as her Australian tour just wrapped up. Spears is currently supporting her just-released The Singles Collection, a comprehensive look back at the singer's career. (If you're interested in scoring yourself a copy of said album, be sure to check out our current search for the biggest Britney fan.)

It's crazy to think of anybody as a veteran of anything at 28, but Spears has been in show business for almost two decades now. She joined "The Mickey Mouse Club" when she was 12, and has essentially been in the spotlight ever since. There have been tremendous highs (the staggering ubiquity of videos like "... Baby One More Time" and "I'm a Slave 4 U," the huge first-week sales of Oops! ... I Did It Again, her recently-wrapped Circus tour) and just as many lows (her relationship with Kevin Federline, that time she shaved her head, most of Blackout). But there's no denying that Spears is an international superstar who is known throughout the world as a consummate performer and will probably be the focus of the pop world for decades to come (in the same way that Madonna, Mariah and Janet have all maintained their ubiquity). It's no wonder that Spears is regularly the most searched-for celebrity on the Internet.

Spears' most lasting impression on the music world will undoubtedly be her videos, which have provided a handful of iconic images that won't soon leave the pop landscape. Her latest clip "3" is no different.

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Allison Iraheta's 'Friday I'll Be Over U': Does The 'Idol' Rocker Deserve Better?

Posted 10/5/09 1:33 pm EST by in American Idol, Music

Allison Iraheta was my favorite "American Idol" contestant this past season. (Kris Allen fans just had a collective heart attack.) I loved her husky, mature voice and her authentically awkward 17-year-old attitude. The Kool-Aid hair, the squeeing over meeting David Archlueta — despite Simon's insistence that she had no personality, Allison seemed like the most real teenager "Idol" ever featured.

An extended sneak peek at Iraheta's rockin' first single, "Friday I'll Be Over U," is now streaming at PopEater, and not surprisingly, the song is geared toward listeners her age. The Max Martin-helmed tune has the feisty teen dissing a dude who didn't turn out to be who he claimed to be.

The song reminds me of a lot of things — Avril Lavigne's "Girlfriend," Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone," even a Le Tigre track. What it doesn't remind me of, however, is the Allison Iraheta I fell in love with on "American Idol." My favorite "Idol" performances had the rocker wailing complicated melodies and infusing them with a touching vulnerability. (See: "Someone to Watch Over Me" or "Cry Baby.") "Friday I'll Be Over U" keeps Allison's volume at 11, save for a too-brief breakdown around the two-minute mark. In the chorus of the song (which sounds just as '80s-inspired as anything Blake Lewis ever released), Iraheta tells her boy, "You got me/ To forget me/ So Friday I'll be over you." I can't help but think that Allison could be singing that about Max Martin, who seems to have forgotten that Allison Iraheta can saaaaang.

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