Video: Simon Blasts Fantasia On 'Ellen' For American Idol Performance

Such a nice guy, that Simon...

Wacky Judges and the Best Male Voice of the Season on American Idol's "Best of the Rest"

SPOILER: Top 24 Finalists Revealed!

Yippeeeeeeeeee!!

That's the sound of glee that escaped from my mouth the minute last night's American Idol ended. No more bad auditions!!

Yes, the beginning of Hollywood week marks the beginning of what Idol purists (like myself) consider the real start of the competition. Of course, due to the spoiler list that was leaked, the surprise of who will make it and who will not is not as present this year -- still, there's much more fun to be had in Hollywood than there is with a costumed Santa in Dallas. I'm just saying.

As for last night's episode, labeled "the best of the rest," we did get some glimpses of real talent, along with, of course, more annoying people and wacky judges behavior. Simon can't pronounce people's names -- it's crazy! I do have to admit, though, that his reaction to Alicia Stelzl's performance of "Islands in the Stream," after having been given a second chance by Paula and Randy ("I hate to admit it, but you were right!") was pretty classic. In fact, next to the guy who sang "Go Down Moses," it may have been the funniest moment so far this season.)

While Cardin McKinney is so musical theater, and Amy Davis is nothin' special, plus-size model Joanne Borgella is gorgeous, totally charming and has a sick voice, and the presence to match. Mandisa and LaKisha have spoiled us -- we gotta have a big black girl in the finals!

Chikeze Eze may have the best male voice I've heard this season. Yeah, I said it. His version of "All The Woman I Need" was flawless! While the judges seemed less than enthused, I was blown away by this guy.

And what to make of Danny Noriega? His voice is fierce, and there was something endearing about his desire to overcome his meltdown from last year. I also love that he's "trying to be myself this year." Is that his way of saying he's gay? (It did appear to be his boyfriend who accompanied him to the audition). Perhaps I'm being presumptuous, but I think it'd be awesome to have an openly gay contestant on the show.

So, that's it for the Season 7 audition tour. See ya in Hollywood!

SPOILER: Top 24 Finalists Revealed!

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Shocker: More Good Auditions Than Bad in San Diego -- Ranking the Six Best

Well, this is a first -- they actually showed more good auditions than bad on an early episode of American Idol. Hallelujah!

Of course, we had to sit through Valerie Reyes and her Mariah Carey impression, Monique Gibson's meltdown, and the totally bizarre antics of Alberto Hurtado, but in the end San Diego produced real talent -- and we got to see a surprisingly large amount of it!

Here are my rankings of the best San Diego auditions:

1. Carly Smithson
Ladies and gentlemen, I think we've found a frontrunner. This girl is amazing! Part Kelly Clarkson, part Pink, she sounded awesome singing "I'm Every Woman," hitting notes that the girls we've seen so far wouldn't even dream of trying to hit, a capella no less. And how lovely and genuine does she seem? Speaking up for her tattooed boyfriend, and declaring how hard she's going to work and how she hopes that this is her year? I love her already.

2. Perrie Cataldo
What a voice! This single father's voice as he sang "I'll Make Love To You" vaguely reminded me of Elliott Yamin, which I mean as a very high compliment. His heartbreaking backstory isn't gonna hurt him one bit; either is the fact that his son is adorable! This guy seems like a definite Top 10 contender.

3. David Archuleta
Loved his audition, but I'm wondering why they didn't mention that this kid won Star Search a few years back. Weird. Anyways, he sounded great singing "Waiting for the World to Change," and he's adorable, which means, pretty much, he's a shoo-in for the finals. We could do worse.

4. Michael Johns
I've never heard Otis Redding's "I've Been Loving You Too Long," so I have no idea if that is what the song is actually supposed to sound like, but to my ears (and eyes), this guy is the real deal. He also seems like he'd be versatile -- he'd nail the country and soul themes, and could probably rock out as well. I approve.

5. Samantha Musa
Love Samantha -- hate her sister! Upstage much? Samantha sounded great singing "Until You Come Back To Me," but her sister's hogging of the spotlight totally distracted from Samantha's talent. And that comment about overcoming her earlier obstacles? Yuck!

6. Tetiana Ostapowych
I quite liked the smoky vocal tone of this California blonde as she crooned "Someone to Watch Over Me," and didn't seem to find her confidence quite as off-putting as Simon seemed to have. We didn't hear her upper range, which concerns me -- is she as good as she thinks she is? Is she gonna end up the Haley Scarnato of Season 7?

SPOILER: American Idol Top 50 Finalists Photos and Myspace Pages

Read 'The Ten Best Initial Auditions Ever'

Read 'Ranking Idol: Dallas' Five Best Auditions'

Read 'Ranking Idol: Philadelphia's Five Best Auditions'

Vote in the IDOL MADNESS Live Matches:
#1 Carrie Underwood vs. #16 Brandon Rodgers
#2 Chris Daughtry vs. #15 Camile Velasco
#3 Latoya London vs. #14 Corey Clark
#4 Katharine McPhee vs. #13 Jon Peter Lewis
#5 Justin Guarini vs. #12 Gina Glocksen
#6 Paris Bennett vs. #11 Anwar Robinson
#7 Josh Gracin vs. #10 Nikko Smith
#8 Christina Christian vs. #9 Mandisa Hundley

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Ranking American Idol: The Eight Best Philadelphia Auditions

Here we go again...

Yep, it's the official start of American Idol season, signaled by the beginning of four long weeks of ear-splitting horrendousness, with a bit of talent and a healthy dose of humor sprinkled in for good effect.

American Idol auditions. Season 7. Wow.

Not much has changed since we last saw the terrible trio of judges -- Simon was his usual nasty self; Randy, as always, had nothing overly insightful to add to the dialogue; and Paula -- well -- Paula was Paula. I think you all know what that means.

I'm gonna leave Princess Leia, chest waxing, and the recapping of the rest of the "bad" auditions to the folks who enjoy it more than I do (although I must admit, James Lewis' basso version of "Go Down Moses" is one of the funniest things I have ever seen. It's true.)

Instead, I'm going to focus on the actual talent that Philadelphia produced (and there actually was some, sprinkled amongst the rest of the garbage.) As such, here is my list of Philadelphia's eight best auditions:

1. Kristi Lee Cook
After the success of Carrie, Bucky and Kellie, you'd think last year would have been flooded with country hopefuls, but there was nary a country crooner in the bunch. Perhaps this year will be different, especially with Kristi, a bit like Carrie Underwood with more of an edge, in the mix. Clearly the producers think she's something special, as they teased this "cage fighting singer" throughout the episode. It was worth the wait -- her gorgeous rendition of "Amazing Grace" easily made hers Philadelphia's best audition. Expect to see this girl in the Top 10.

2. Junot Joyner
Wrapping his silky smooth vocals around Elton John's "The Blues," this guy showed raw talent and lots of potential. Good thing -- there hasn't been a good male R&B voice on the show in a few years now.

3. Jonathan Baines
Showing excellent musicality and possessing a contemporary, folk-y voice, this kid could be the real deal. And he's cute and charming, in a gawky way, which doesn't hurt. Keep an eye on this kid.

4. Joey Catalano
There's an endearing quality to the dorkiness of this former fattie, and he does a killer Adam Levine impression, but is he versatile enough to survive in this competition? And how long until Simon starts telling him his voice is too nasal?

5. Brooke White
There is something sincere about Brooke, as the judges kept saying, and her rendition of "Like a Star" was charmingly lowkey, but what's with the "no R-rated movie" shlock? Gimme a break.

6. Chris Watson
With cheekbones like Chris' he didn't need to sound great, but he went ahead and did anyways. Granted, "Follow Me" is not the hardest song to sing, but he pulled it off with a suave confidence. But does he have a range?

7. Angela Martin
Thank goodness Angela made it through to Hollywood, since she had her friend and her entire extended family waiting for her outside the room. And how about that clips package? Talk about sympathy vote -- how can you not love the single mother with the handicapped child? (The support she gets from her community really is moving, I must admit.) Her delivery of "Signed, Sealed and Delivered" was good, but nothing special -- she never really belted, ya know what I mean? Still, she seems likable, so for now I'm pulling for her.

8. Beth Stalker
This stay-at-home mom crooned "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" in a manner that crossed Barbra Streisand and Fiona Apple -- and it kinda worked. Sure, she's old-fashioned, but there's something about her that allowed her to pull it off.

American Idol 7 Spoilers With Photos and Myspace Pages'

Read 'Ten Best Initial American Idol Auditions of All Time'

Read 'Am I Wrong For Dreading the American Idol Audition Episodes?'

Read 'Daughtry Passes Underwood on Album Sales Chart; Sparks Barely Hangs in Top 50'

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American Idol Judges Claim This Will Be The Strongest Batch of Finalists Yet

You know American Idol season is right around the corner when the judges start talking up the next season's contestants.

Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul told Extra TV that they expect this to be the best season yet. “This will be the strongest twelve we've ever had, and I've never, ever said that before,” Simon told the show. Paula agreed, chiming in, "We've never had a top twelve like we're going to have this season. "

Of course, the judges don't pick the Top 12, the viewers do, but that's neither here nor there.

Randy, as always adding practically nothing to the conversation, declared, “I think it's the best we've ever had.”

When asked by the entertainment show whether this season was capable of producing another Kelly Clarkson or Carrie Underwood, Paula responded, "I'm going on record: There's more than one,” with Simon adding, “Yeah, Kelly, Carrie – all of them. I mean, very, very strong.”

What do you think -- is this simply PR hype, or are we really in for a stellar batch of contestants? Here's hoping it's the latter that is true!

Source: Extra TV

Former Idols Nominated For Many Teen Choice Awards

A slew of former American Idol contestants, along with a couple of Idol judges, have been nominated for Teen Choice Awards, which will be presented August 26 on Fox. Here are the Idol-related nominees:

Choice Movie, Actress -- Drama: Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls

Choice Movie, Hissy Fit: Ryan Seacrest, Knocked Up

Choice Movie, Breakout Female: Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls

Choice TV, Reality Show: American Idol

Choice TV, Personality: Ryan Seacrest, American Idol and Simon Cowell, American Idol

Choice TV, Male Reality Star: Sanjaya, American Idol

Choice TV, Female Reality Star: Jordin Sparks, American Idol

Choice Music, Female Artist: Carrie Underwood

Choice Music, Breakout Artist Female: Katharine McPhee

Choice Music, Breakout Artist Group: Daughtry

Choice Music, Rock Track: "It's Not Over," Daughtry

Choice Music, Payback Track: "Before He Cheats," Carrie Underwood and "Never Again," Kelly Clarkson

Choice OMG Moment: Sanjaya Malakar sports a faux-hawk on American Idol

Click here for a full list of Teen Choice Award nominees.

Person of the Day: Ryan Seacrest

Sure, he has the ability to be the most annoying man on the planet, but he's also better at what he does than nearly anyone else in the business, and for that reason American Idol host Ryan Seacrest is today's Idol Thoughts Person of the Day.

It is easy to take Ryan's skills for granted -- after all, what does he really do besides make unfunny jokes to and about Simon and introduce the contestants? It is how easy he makes it look, though, that testifies the strongest to Ryan's abilities.

Ryan is responsible for hosting a live show, which means he has to juggle performances, judges' comments, clip packages, musical guests, and much more. He does so without breaking a sweat -- in fact, he makes it look easy. He keeps the show moving at a brisk clip, he rarely stumbles over his words, and he always appears relaxed and as though he is having fun. Sure, sometimes he is like that annoying brother you want to punch in the face, but be honest -- can you imagine American Idol without him?

All of these things that he does may not seem that special -- unless you've watched one of the 15 other reality television shows on the air. No one can do what Ryan does with such ease. Not Tom Bergeron or especially Samantha Harris (hate her!) on Dancing with the Stars or Cat Deeley on So You Think You Can Dance or Brooke Burke on Rock Star; in fact, only Jeff Probst on Survivor, which is not live, comes even close to rivaling him when it comes to hosting skills.

And consider what Ryan's day is like -- he hosts a radio show in the morning and America's Top 40 on the weekends; he works for and hosts E! News, and then, for 5 months of the year, he records voice-overs, interviews people on the street, and hosts the show. And lest we forget he's Larry King's sub on CNN and is Dick Clark's replacement on the New Year's show. He is, literally, the busiest man in show business.

So, while Jordin basks in being the new American Idol, and Simon gets the spotlight for his always incisive commentary, today I salute Ryan Seacrest, a very worthy Idol Thoughts Person of the Day.

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American Idol Finale Performances: Round 1

I always forget how big the Kodak Theater is until they do that dramatic pan-out to the audience. It is an appropriately huge setting for a huge event. Yes, this is huge, people...the American Idol finale.

I'm into it. I'm done griping about Sanjaya and Melinda's horribly early ouster -- I am embracing tonight's festivities. Go Jordin! Go Blake! May the best man or woman win.

It's good to see the judges in their Finale Finest. Despite the "break," Paula's nose looks the same to me, but she does seem like she might be taking some pain meds for the "accident." Good for Paula -- she finally has a valid reason to be on meds in front of 30 million people.

Ok, deep breaths, here we go with the performances...

Blake Lewis - "You Give Love a Bad Name"
This was clearly the performance Blake was going to choose to reprise, and with good reason -- it was easily one of the two most buzzed about performances of the season (the other being LaKisha's "And I Am Telling You"). And, truth be told, I think it seemed just as fresh and original this time as it did the first go 'round. In fact, if I could forget that I was listening to an old 80's tune, I could picture Blake giving this kind of a performance on something like MTV's Video Music Awards.

Maybe I'm crazy and I've just fallen under his spell, but I thought this was one hell of a performance. An excellent start to the evening.

Jordin Sparks - "Fighter"
Wow, these kids really are bringing their A-games tonight. The best contestants ever on American Idol (Kelly Clarkson, Tamyra Gray, Clay Aiken, the list goes on) continued to challenge themselves week in and week out, to the point where they were choosing more and more difficult songs and one-upping themselves every week. Jordin, too, has that quality -- I mean, "Fighter," by Christina Aguilera, is a hard song to sing, and picking it for her finale performance was a risky move.

But boy did she nail it! My goodness, she sang the hell out of that song, hitting some crazy high notes there at the end. Sure, she didn't move an inch (you should see Xtina perform this in concert!), but with vocals like that, why should she?

Round 1 Goes To...
As Randy said, this really is the battle of the entertainer vs. the singer. Both were at the top of their games in their respective comfort zones, but I'm gonna have to agree with Simon that Round 1 goes to Blake.

Click to read American Idol Finale Performances: Round 2

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Idol Thoughts Inaugural Person of the Day: Simon Cowell

Idol Thoughts Person of the Day is a new daily feature that identifies one person I am currently diggin'. This could be anyone -- it could be a singer, actor, politician or none of the above, but it will be someone who has done something noteworthy, someone I have fond memories of, or simply someone that I like and want to write about.



The inaugural Person of the Day is...Simon Cowell!

There are a number of reasons Simon could qualify as Idol Thoughts Person of the Day (the fact that American Idol would be far less entertaining without him is obviously at the top of that list), but he grabs the title today for not being afraid to speak his mind. No, I'm not talking about his brutally honest critiques of the American Idol contestants, I am talking about his inability to censor himself when he is talking about the show in the media. Most entertainers who have millions and millions of dollars riding on them hedge their bets when speaking candidly about their projects -- not Simon! He says what he wants, when he wants to, and you gotta love him for that.

Thanks to USA Today, here are a few examples of thoughts he has expressed in the past week:

On Melinda Doolittle's elimination last week:
"When you allow the public to choose, you've got to live and die by the vote. I didn't agree with the vote. More people should have dialed for Melinda -- it's as simple as that. It just didn't seem fair to me, so I felt for her. There's nothing much you can say... 'You sang better than anybody else, you gave it 100% every week, you're not in the final.' It didn't seem right."

On host Ryan Seacrest and apparently on-camera tension:
"It's rather like having a silly little dog who likes to jump up on your lap, and you just swat the dog off. And occasionally in a very stern voice you have to say 'No.' That's how I deal with Ryan."

On Sanjaya Malakar:
"I like crazy. I would never want to be in a situation where we cast the 12 (finalists) as just normal people, because I think it would be boring. The (judging) panel is wacky enough, and therefore I think the contestants should be as strange as well. I quite like that, and I thought the whole Sanjaya thing was hysterical. I'm happy now because he's out. I don't think I'd be happy if he was in the finals... Looking back, I thought it was quite amusing."

On Taylor Hicks:
"I was talking to someone about this the other day and I was saying, 'Don't confuse talent with popularity because actually this is a talent show.' No one listened to me at the time, and they all laughed at me last year. I remember saying that he's not the best person we've had enter. He's just the most popular."

On Kelly Clarkson and her upcoming album:
"Kelly is not a puppet; she does not like to be told what to do. She... made it absolutely clear that she wanted to steer the musical direction on this record. You (the record company) just gotta say, 'You know what? This girl has given us millions and millions of sales.' You've got to give her that opportunity... Because Kelly will be here for 30 years. She has one of the best pop voices in the world right now."
How can you not love honesty like that? Congrats, Simon, on being the first Idol Thoughts Person of the Day!

Simon Cowell Gives Kelly Clarkson Her Due

The following is a quote from Simon Cowell about Kelly Clarkson in the new issue of Entertainment Weekly -- good to see the cranky Brit giving Kelly the credit she deserves.

"Kelly is not a puppet; she does not like to be told what to do. She could have gone the easy route, which is, you go with ['Since U Been Gone' producer] Max Martin -- it's a guaranteed success. She made it absolutely clear that she wanted to steer the musical direction on this record. You just gotta say, 'You know what? This girl has given us millions and millions of sales.' You've got to give her that opportunity. If it works out, fantastic. If she then decides she wants to do a pop album, every good writer and producer wants to work with her. Because Kelly will be here for 30 years. She has one of the best pop voices in the world right now. What she sold in the U.K., Europe, Asia had nothing to do with American Idol. It had everything to do with the fact that she made a great record and she's got an incredible voice. She's not a girl who got lucky in a talent competition; we got lucky to find her."

I agree, I agree, I agree. Good lookin' out, Simon!

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Song Spoilers for Tuesday's American Idol

SPOILER ALERT

The judges choices for the final three American Idol contestants have made their way onto the world wide web (they will sing one song that the judges have chosen, one song of their own choosing, and one song chosen by Clive Davis).

And they are..

Simon has chosen "Wishing on a Star" by Rose Royce for Jordin Sparks.

Paula has chosen "Roxanne" by The Police for Blake Lewis.

Randy has chosen "I Believe in You and Me" for Melinda Doolittle.

I say kudos to Simon and especially Paula, but Randy, what were you thinking? Not only has the song been sung several times on the show before (memorably by Jennifer Hudson in that pink easter dress in the Wildcard round of Season 3), but it kinda plays to Melinda's same-sameness. How about a rock song, or a Tina Turner song? I'm disappointed in you, Randy.

What do you all think of the judges' song choices for the contestants?

Kelly Clarkson's album, which will be released on June 26, is now available for pre-order on Amazon.com. Click My December to pre-order it now.