American Idol 9 - Season Wrap-Up

It's Television Wednesday here on "Luke's Ponderings", which gives me the opportunity to look back on the American Idol season that just wrapped up last week. All in all, I wouldn't say it was a terrible season. Surely it never lived up to seasons seven or eight, which I think were two of the best in the series. I think early on, when the top 12 was announced, it was easy to see Crystal advancing to the final two. I think it was still up in the air whether or not Lee had a chance to make it to the finale, but he was starting to become more comfortable with performing live on television and on stage. Honestly, at that point in the competition, I thought Siobhan and Crystal would end up being the final two contestants standing. That's what I was hoping for, but Siobhan kind of fizzled until ultimately getting voted out at sixth place. Lee does make for a strong winner of American Idol, but is he, or will he live up to the legacy that Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, or even David Cook have left since being crowned winners of the show? That remains to be seen.

As we all know going into this season and watching during the finale, this was Simon Cowell's final year as judge on the show. You really can make the case that Simon was the show. But I really enjoyed his final comments last Wednesday when he said that the real judges of the show are those watching at home. The contestants and to a point, Ryan Seacrest are the show. The judges are replaceable. Even though we all hate to see Simon leave, it presents the opportunity for the show to bring aboard someone else with musical knowledge to critique the contestants and give constructive criticism. Sorry to all of the Ellen fans out there, but she has not lived up to her potential. Week in and week out, I heard her utter phrases such as "you're so good," and "that was great" to many of the contestants. You've got to say more than that. I really hope she brings her "A" game next season (reports say she will be back for season 10 as per the contract she signed prior to this past season). Brett Michaels has been rumored to be a potential candidate to replace Simon, which really intrigues me. He's been a judge on a TV singing contest before (anyone remember "Nashville Star"), he's experienced music success with his band Poison and other solo endeavors, and his recent health troubles make him an endearing figure and people will be willing to root for the guy. Plus, I have a feeling he won't be afraid to tell a contestant that their singing needs work when he needs to. That's not to say there aren't other people who can replace Simon's seat on the panel - it's just that Brett's name is one of the first rumored potential successors. And let's be frank, no one will ever be able to replace Simon on that show. He is one of a kind and it'll be interesting to see exactly how Idol adjusts in the new era, the Simon-less era.

I think the show is definitely in need of a major shake-up, and I'm not talking about new judges or new gimmicks - like the judge's save. Let's bring in some better themes instead of these recycles theme weeks we keep seeing season after season. I like one Idol expert's idea of having a contestant's originals week - in which a contestant would perform a song they wrote on their own. Or let the show feature more contemporary music from the past two decades. I think most Idol fans are getting tired of hearing the same songs performed season after season. The episodes also need to be cut down and condensed, which they are proposing for next season. Less filler during results night would be nice and please, less babble from the judges! Last but not least, let the show be more about the contestants. I think the producers are always trying to promise this but never prevail. How about additional behind the scenes footage when the contestants have some off time? I feel that during this season particularly, we just weren't able to connect to the contestants like I had hoped and often felt bored by them. And from their post-Idol interviews, they've been nothing but enjoyable to listen to.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed the two-hour finale last Wednesday. Usually there are some surprises involved, and the finale certainly did not disappoint. Seeing Brett Michaels on stage singing with Casey James, so soon after getting out of the hospital, was pretty incredible. I've been a big fan of the Bee Gees for awhile, so it was nice to see the last two brothers reunite on stage again, performing with Siobhan and Aaron. Such great singing between the four of them! Alanis Morisette was amazing with Crystal and was another highlight of the evening. And what more can you say about Joe Cocker performing his classic tune with the two finalists? What a special moment. That's not to say the night didn't have a few duds, including the "Pants on the Ground" rendition and seeing some of the Idol rejects (along with Dane Cook) return to the stage. But all in all, it was a great night which in turn lead to the crowning of the new American Idol.

So that wraps-up my thoughts on the season that was. I wouldn't say it was the worst, nor was it the best. Kind of somewhere in the middle. And I look back at those surprising eliminations we had during the semi-finals, when Kately Epperly, Lilly Scott, and Alex Lambert were sent home. What might've happened if those contestants stayed on a little longer and attracted more attention from the voting audience? I think the season could've ended up a lot different than it did and Lee may have ended up taking fourth or fifth place. Ah well, it's easy to speculate and to wonder what might've been. This is the hand that we've been dealt and Lee is a decent recording artist. His live performances certainly need work, but not everybody does well singing live. I guess time will tell whether or not America made the right decision. In time, we'll certainly find out.

American Idol 8 - Season Wrap-Up

It's been a little over a week in a half now since our newest American Idol was crowed, that being 23-year old Arkansas native Kris Allen. Going into the finale, I was happy with either he or Adam Lambert at this season's champion. And I'll admit, even though I picked Kris Allen to win, I was still rather shocked he won. And he was genuinely shocked as well. Well who can blame him, really? All season long, he's flown under the radar and truly fit the mold of being a dark horse. The judges and producers had pimped Danny Gokey and Adam Lambert right from the start of the competition and they both had peaked at different points. In my opinion, I never thought Danny Gokey lived up to the hype. He had a few decent performances during his run to the top three, but nothing that I would define as being memorable. As for Adam, he probably peaked earlier in the top 13 and was consistently good week upon week. As for Kris, he kept bringing it week after week and really created some memorable performances in the end. What vaulted him into becoming the newest Idol was his rendition of Kanye West's "Heartless."

I like to think that this was this season's revenge for David Archuleta losing in season seven. For anyone out there reading and who's into American Idol, wouldn't you say Kris Allen and Archie have similar personalities and singing styles? Archuleta wasn't nearly as outgoing when he was on the show like he is now - and that might have turned some people off. Meanwhile, Kris Allen definitely is more reserved and quiet, and he even says he's a chill guy. However, I think he was more vocal on stage than Archueta. Whatever the case, it still came down to being a singing competition. Archuleta delivered solid performances week after week and even included some pretty memorable moments towards the end of the competition with "Stand by Me" and "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me." Kris Allen did the same with "Heartless" and "Ain't no Sunshine." Archie played on the piano - but only a couple of times in the Idol stage compared to Allen's multiple instrument-infused performances throughout the entire season. So Kris is much more instrument-trained than Archie is at this point. However, whatever the case may be, they both had similar singing styles and delivered solid performances week in and week out. However, as Archuleta rose to front-runner status early on, Kris built a small amount of momentum early on and it kept building more and more each week. David peaked early on, much like Adam and Danny did, which may have cost him the competition in the end. Kris' building fanbase, the elimination of Danny Gokey in top three week, and his version of "Heartless" creating one of those all-time moments on Idol really vaulted him into winning the Idol crown. And the more I think of it, you know what would be an awesome duet? David Archuleta and Kris Allen. That is really something I would look forward to.

So where does this leave Adam Lambert and will he suffer from losing the title? In my opinion, this has the potential of helping him more than hurting him. If Adam had won the Idol crown, he may have been more restricted as to what he could make in an album. 19 might've forced him to go the pop music route. And he still might do some of that, however, I don't believe the entirety of his album will be composed of pop-sounding music. I guess the big question is - will his music be radio-friendly and will he achieve success like that of a Chris Daughtry who proved winning Idol isn't necessarily important? I definitely believe Adam has some challenges in becoming a music star. Now as he's proven even before his stint on Idol, he could become a major star on broadway. He's commented that he's never performed in New York - well with the right offer, he just might get that chance. I guess all that will depend on whether his music career takes off right away after the show has commenced.

Overall, I would say season eight ended up being much more enjoyable than I originally thought going into the top 13. A lot of talented singers emerged and much of them have potential to become successful in the entertainment industry. Obviously with his win, Kris Allen could become a big star. The music he created on Idol is radio-friendly and he is likely to incorporate the same sound into his debut album. Having him be the newest American Idol makes sense because the Idol-image fits him the most versus Adam Lambert. I already discussed Adam Lambert so I won't talk too much more about him other than to say he needs to hit the ground running right out of the gate in order for him to have a successful music career. Otherwise broadway might be calling or he'll become a reality show star other than for American Idol. As for Danny Gokey, I don't see him having a very successful musical career, other than singing gospel music. He came into Idol not knowing much mainstream music and even after Idol, he seems lost and hasn't defined himself musically. I'd be surprised to hear one tune from Gokey on the radio. Allison Iraheta definitely has some potential to be a radio success. She needs to be placed with the right people in order for her music to shine, however. Otherwise she'll just be another Idol alumni forgotten. For those individuals beyond the top four, it gets even trickier as to whether they'll experience success. Lil Rounds and Scott MacIntyre absolutely won't. Matt Giraud and Anoop Desai have a small chance. Megan Joy and Michael Sarver have very small chances to experience music success in my opinion. Megan may have a unique sound but she floundered towards the end of her Idol run. And Michael may have written a ton of songs during the course of his life, but that might be all he's good for. Maybe he'll become the next great songwriter. Only time will tell.

So that about does it for my wrap-up of the American Idol season that was. I can't wait to see who releases an album and who doesn't. If I'd have to predict, Kris (duh), Adam, and Allison will be signed to record deals. It's a crapshoot whether the rest will get signed or not. And for those lucky enough to see the Idols live in concert this summer - I am seriously envious. I think it would be worth a ticket just to see Adam Lambert perform. I just can't imagine what it would be like to see him sing Mad World or Black and White in person - two of my personal favorites from him. And then there's Kris, who flies under the radio and is totally laid back in his demeanor. But he performs killer song arrangements and does a wonderful job making a song his own. I'd definitely buy his first album. All in all, season eight ended up being great and and creating some pretty powerful moments on-stage. Despite the producer pimping, the show becoming more about the judges than the contestants, and the tabloid news headlines, this show is as good as ever and it remains the most-watched one for me. January can't come soon enough when it comes to Idol!

American Idol 7 - Season Wrap-Up

Now that American Idol season seven is officially in the books, I thought I'd do a final wrap-up of some of my thoughts regarding the season that was. Now that we no longer have Tuesdays and Wednesdays to look forward to regarding the show, it's time to look back on some of the sights, sounds, and situations that made this season so memorable. The finale was truly one to remember, with the final two contestants giving it their all helping to put a final exclamation point on everything. I thought it was strange how Simon, who initially gave negative reviews to David Cook's three performances, retracted what he said from the previous night and said the race was actually a lot more closer after he watched the show back. I wonder if he only said this because he caught wind of the results and wanted to make himself look good, praising Cook instead of what he initially said. See, Simon likes to spin things around to make himself look good whenever possible. In fact, I'd consider himself to be two-faced because on the show, he can say very nice things about the contestants, but then during interviews with the Hollywood shows, he turns around and says they lack personality, have no charisma, and just aren't that interesting. He pretty much stated that during interviews before the top three performed this season. He's one of those individuals who can be your best friend to your face, but once you're no where to be found, he stabs you in the back. Thank god he's so high up in the world that us average folk only has to deal with him while watching the show. God forbid we deal with backstabbers as it is in real life.

The finale results show was one of the best that I can remember because it brought forth some of the most amazing singers onto the show to sing with the top 12. First it was Seal performing with Syesha - and what a great combo they made. They both performed one of Seal's most recent hits and I couldn't help but find myself singing along. Then the top six girls performed a medley of Donna Summer's hits along with Summer herself. She also sang one of her singles off her new album. All in all, it wasn't bad, although I still can't help but notice how uncomfortable Amanda Overmyer looks whenever she sings a group number. She just can never enjoy it! The next performance was a duet by the top two, singing "Hero" by Chad Kroeger of Nickelback fame. The song was also made famous by the Superman soundtrack. I didn't really dig the performance at first, but once I watched it back again, it was really great. The two David's really did a nice job of harmonizing and what else was great is that it was a newer song. They both did an admiral job with it. Then we had the top six guys sing a medley of Brian Adams hits and eventually, Adams himself took the stage to sing along. What made this especially great for me was Cookie and Archie singing "Heaven." Remember Archie sang this in Hollywood week and did a phenominal job. Archie fans were able to hear David sing not only a reprise of "Imagine," but also a small solo of "Heaven." It was truly magical and this was really one awesome medley for me. Carrie Underwood also performed and what can you say, how can you not love her? Each and every season, she performs and stays loyal to the show that brought her to the top. That is absolutely fantastic and she did a killer job singing her newest single. I've always been a fan, even though she stays true to the country genre. We were also treated to another duet between Brooke White and Graham Nash singing "Teach Your Children Well." This song is definitely in her comfort zone and she did a nice job singing along with Nash. It's nice to see a happy and comfortable Brooke without worrying about what the judges were going to say. And then Jason Castro, even though I didn't love his rendition of "Hallelujah" earlier in the season, his reprise was absolutely stunning during the finale. Wow, I was blown away. I might even buy it from iTunes it was so enjoyable for me. No wonder they didn't stick him with a star singer like the rest of the top five. Probably the hottest performance of them all on results night was the duet by Carly Smithson and Michael Johns. They absolutely smashed the heck out of the classic song "The Letter." They performed it in a new soulful, edgy kind of vibe and it was fantastic. Heck, I think it could be a hit song on today's radio. Then we had David Cook's performance with ZZ Top singing "Sharp Dressed Man," and Cookie sang all of the song that he could remember! Let me say I am not completely familiar with the song so I didn't even realize he didn't sing the final verse, but I guess Cookie didn't know the third verse of the song so there was one long musical pause. Oh well, I didn't even notice! It was still rather enjoyable. But the highlight for me personally was One Republic's performance of "Apologize." You may remember that it showed up as one of the top five songs I dug late in 2007 and to see it performed on American Idol was stunning. Then to hear David Archuleta come in and sing the second verse and harmonize the rest of the way, it was amazing! I think his duet impressed a lot of other media critics out there as well and it showed he can sing the newer stuff and not just the golden oldies. Then you had Mike Myers and his shameless promotion for his new summer movie and a review of some of those bad auditions that started the season, including Renaldo Lapuz singing his "hit" song "We are Brothers Forever" (or whatever the official title is), and all in all, it was one heckuva finale. Definitely one I won't soon forget! Oh, and how can I leave out the "surprises" of the night when not only David Cook but David Archuleta as well took part in a pair of Guitar Hero ads that aired during the finale. How fun were those (look them up on YouTube if you haven't seen them)!

This season had all sorts of ups and downs that it's going to be hard for me to remember them all. Probably one of the most controversial events of them all was when Paula Abdul critiqued Jason Castro's second song when he didn't even sing it yet! Was she drugged up or was it an honest mistake? That'll probably be up for debate for a long time. Another issue of note was contestants forgetting the lyrics to their songs. David Archuleta started it off with "We Can Work it Out" during the first Beatles week. Eventually Brooke White and Jason Castro suffered similar fate. And even Carly Smithson had a blunder that wasn't all that noticable to the common folk when she mixed around a lyric duing her performance of "Jesus Christ Superstar." Hey, it happens and you can't blame them too much because it is such a tremendous high-pressure situation that they are in. At the start of the season, Carly Smithson received the biggest backlash of all the contestants who had previous record deals out but thankfully, that controversy eventually died out. And who can forget when the media was speculating whether she was pregnant or not? Man, that had to be super embarassing for her. Then of course we had David Archuleta's stage dad that pretty much dogged him right through to the finale. Whether Jeff Archuleta is truly a stage dad or not, you have to admire the way that Archie didn't let all the tabloid junk get to him and he remained grounded throughout the whole competition. That says a lot for someone so young. Then I can't forget about David Hernandez and the whole gay-stripper debacle. He was soon eliminated after that story broke out. I have to wonder if he would've stuck around longer if that part of his life was never revealed. There was also Amanda Overmyer getting a DUI a year or two prior to Idol but that never affected her in anyway (she doesn't seem like the kind of person that would be bothered by that kind of news). We also had the controversial eliminations of Michael Johns and Carly Smithson (top eight and top six respectively). I really don't think their surprise eliminations will hurt them in anyway - and I've got to believe their duet in the finale will only help their cause. There were also allegations of producers "pimping" certain contestants to make sure they made it as far as the did (basically the two David's). I am sure some of that went on behind the scenes but nobody can be absolutely sure of it. I believe that's about all that I can remember for now. Just think, eight months from now this season will be all but a memory as season eight will be well underway.

That just about wraps it up for me for season seven. I still plan on writing one final Idol blog detailing some of my favorite performances from all of the contestants at some point in time. Whether that comes this weekend or next week remains to be seen. Whenever it comes, you'll definitely see it here sooner rather than later. Hope everyone else enjoyed this season of American Idol just as much as I!