andPOP » Judges

Jennifer Lopez And Steven Tyler Are Biggest Success Of ‘American Idol’

Christian Allaire — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 18:05:35 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

It appears that ‘American Idol’ judges Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez have succeeded the most out of the singing show, reports Canoe Jam.

Yep, that’s right. Although Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina have both begun their budding careers, it seems as though the two judges have had the ultimate career revival.

While McCreery and Alaina’s singles have both failed to debut in the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, Tyler and Lopez have seen a respectable spike in their cool-factor.

Let’s take a look back. Before ‘Idol,’ Lopez had parted ways with her longtime label Epic Records and hadn’t had a Top 10 hit since 2003. Tyler had spent a good portion of the previous decade in and out of rehab and feuding with his bandmates, who hadn’t put out a CD since 2004.

Now, because of ‘Idol,’ Lopez debuted her ‘On the Floor’ video and performed it live on the show, which lead to a club smash on the top of the charts.

Tyler used his fame for different leverages, though, using the Idol platform to debut the first solo single of his career as well as selling his new memoir, ‘Does The Noise in My Head Bother You?,’ which became a New York Times best seller.

This was definitely a smart career move on their part. It seems as though today’s reality shows are more about reviving the judges’ careers than the hopefuls on the show (The Voice = Christina Aguilera, X-Factor = Paula Abdul, notice a trend?)

Scotty McCreery Wins American Idol

Christian Allaire — Thu, 26 May 2011 02:21:00 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

Scotty McCreery is ultimate winner of ‘American Idol’ after Wednesday night’s finale.

After the public votes were counted, the country singer beat out competitor Lauren Alaina, despite an emotional performance that she dedicated to her mother.

20 million viewers tuned in to watch the country teen singers duke it out. Now in its 10th year, ‘American Idol’ has been a ratings boost for Fox and the nation’s most-watched TV show for the last seven years.

The winner was announced in a two-hour broadcast which featured performances by Lady Gaga, U2, Judas Priest, Tony Bennett and country superstar Tim McGraw, among others. New ‘Idol’ judges Jennifer Lopez and ‘Aerosmith’ frontman Steven Tyler also took the stage in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

McCreery, 17, was predicted the winner by a clear margin by DialIdol.com, which measures the busy signals on telephones used to cast votes and text messages.

I see a bright future for both stars. McCreery is so different from any past winners, so I’m glad he won. The runner-ups always go on to do huge things too, so I don’t think Alaina should be too disappointed in herself. They both deserved to be there and did a great job.

American Idol: The Final Performances

Christian Allaire — Wed, 25 May 2011 02:21:12 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

They’re the youngest final two in the history of ‘American Idol,’ but Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina both showed they deserve to be there tonight for the final showdown.

Both high-schooler country singers duked it out once last time, for the top prize to be announced tomorrow night.

The first round had both singers reprising their favorite song of the season. McCreery went with Montgomery Gentry’s country song ‘Gone,’ while Alaina sang Carrie Underwood’s ‘Flat on the Floor.’

McCreery worked the room with some swagger, ending with a powerful golf swing and more high-fives for the kids down front. Alaina sounded in fine form as well, adding some rasp to her voice and ending with a big, rich note that proved she was in it to win it.

The second round had the contestants’ own idols offering up their choice, with Country Hall of Famer George Strait suggesting one of his own hits, ‘Check Yes or No,’ for Scotty. Alaina’s idol, Underwood, suggested the 1991 version of ‘Maybe it Was Memphis’ by Pam Tillis. McCreery crooned his signature bullfrog voice, while Alaina went more theatrical and put some smoky emotion into the vocals. Both played what works for them.

McCreery’s final song of the night was the single he’ll release if he wins the competition, “‘Love You This Big,’ a swaying ballad. The camera even panned to his mother shedding a tear – a sure-to-win-votes tactic.

Alaina’s last song was ‘Like My Mother Does,’ a song mentor Jimmy Iovine said is the perfect encapsulation of Alaina’s journey on the show. The uplifting ode to maternal love and strength was also sure to catch votes. Nicely played.

Over all, the judges had favourites throughout the show, but all three say it’s too close to call at this point. Who do you think will win the top prize?

Tomorrow night’s finale will feature performances from this season’s top 13, as well as judge Steven Tyler and a number of yet-unannounced special guests.

Haley Reinhart Eliminated On ‘American Idol,’ Scotty McCreery To Face Lauren Alaina

Christian Allaire — Fri, 20 May 2011 17:11:29 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

Fan-favourite Haley Reinhart was surprisingly eliminated last night on ‘American Idol,’ leaving many fans confused and angry.

Fans must now get ready for an all-country music showdown on the ‘Idol’ season finale. Country singers Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina are now to duke it out next week, after the raspy-voiced Reinhart was eliminated from the singing competition on Thursday night.

Before announcing Reinhart’s elimination, Ryan Seacrest boasted to the crowd that this week’s voting numbers reached 95 million, the largest sum of any non-season finale in ‘Idol’s’ history. Maybe she wasn’t a fan-favourite, after all. But I do know many who are pissed about it.

For her farewell song, the Wheeling, Ill. native returned to Elton John’s ‘Bennie and the Jets,’ which she’d performed earlier this season.

The Pussycat Dolls leader Nicole Scherzinger performed last night, with an assist from 50 Cent on her single ‘Right There,’ as well as Italian tenor trio Il Volo with ‘O Sole Mio.’

Who do you think will win the top prize? I have a feeling that McCreery’s going to win it, just because he’s so unique and different than any other past winners.

No Funny Business for ‘American Idol’ Contestants

andPOP Staff — Thu, 13 May 2010 14:06:59 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

Not surprisingly every contestant on Fox’s “American Idol” has to sign a contract to participate in the show. However some of the conditions within the contract are surprising.

TMZ has obtained a copy of said contract which clearly states contestants and their families and friends cannot have any relationships with the Judges. “Neither I nor any members of my family or my friends will enter into any personal, social, business, and or financial relationships with any of the judges, host(s), guest stars …” This apparently lasts for the duration of the show and 6 months after.

Judges Bench A Hot Spot on American Idol Season 9

Emma Renda — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 01:44:53 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

As American Idol gears up for a new series this fall, its roster of judges is expanding its horizons.

Katy Perry and Avril Lavigne will be the latest stars to sit alongside Randy Jackson, Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul’s replacement Kara DioGuardi during the last round of auditions in Los Angeles.

Throughout auditions, the show has welcome Victoria Beckham, Shania Twain, Joe Jonas, Neil Patrick Harris, Mary J. Blige and Kristen Chenoweth to have their say.

Abdul abandoned the show in August in a rather abrupt move that many speculated had to do with salary. But in an interview with the New York Daily News, Abdul said the decision was more about pursuing her career (whatever’s left of it.)

“I stand on principle where many people stand on money,” Abdul told TV Guide. “I’m a hard-working artist. I’ve lasted in this business for 23 years. And you can’t do that unless you are good at what you do.”

DioGuardi originally joined the show when Abdul was still sitting, in hopes of balancing out the battle of the sexes on the judge’s bench. Now with Abdul out of the picture, DioGuardi will take on Season 9 on her own but her resume certainly boasts chops that are up to the task.

A songwriter and co-owner of writer mentorship house Arthouse Entertainment, DioGuardi has penned songs for Kelly Clarkson, Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani, Celine Dion and Carrie Underwood. According to AmericanIdol.com, she has released more than 264 songs on mainstream radios stations.

Idol has never had a hard time getting ratings, and this season will mark its ninth on the air. The guest judges are just one tactic the series has adopted to freshen up the program, as well as dozens of guest performances on the show from major music stars like last season’s Miley Cyrus, Jennifer Hudson, Quentin Tarantino, Lady GaGa and many others.

Season 9 won’t air until January 2010.