Idol Season 9 Top 24 The Men

SEO TEXT: Article Content for Search Engines

DECEMBER 21, 2010 FRONT PAGE POLITICS BUSINESS MEDIA ENTERTAINMENT COMEDY SPORTS STYLE WORLD GREEN FOOD TRAVEL TECH LIVING HEALTH DIVORCE ARTS BOOKS RELIGION IMPACT EDUCATION COLLEGE NY LA CHICAGO DENVER BLOGS Michael Giltz Freelance writer and raconteur Posted: February 25, 2010 03:56 AM BIO Become a Fan Get Email Alerts Bloggers' Index 0 9 views Inspiring Funny Hot Scary Outrageous Amazing Weird CrazyIdol Season 9: Top 24 -- The Men What's Your Reaction: Read More: American Idol , Ellen Degeneres , Fox , Kara DioGuardi , Pop Music , Randy Jackson , Reality TV , Ryan Seacrest , Simon Cowell , Entertainment News RATINGS UPDATE: Idol triumphed over the Olympics both Tuesday and Wednesday. Tuesday was especially amazing since it featured night one of the women's ice skating. I'm certain the results show ofIdol will place second to the women's ice skating final tonight. On Tuesday, Idol scored 24 million viewers over the 20.8 million watching the Olympics,according to the Hollywood Reporter. Lost, by the way, settled into a so-so 9.9 million. Maybe it's finale won't be the juggernaut I thought it might. On Wednesday, Idol scored 22.8 million, beating the Olympics again. SHOW COVERAGE: The judges touted the women but the men on American Idol offered a little more positive news in their first live performances. Ellen improved a bit as she found her footing and both Randy and Kara (who wore a shirt that looked like something Tina Turner donned in Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome ) seem to be working harder to set themselves up for when Simon goes. And Simon keeps staring off into the distance as if he's bored and wishes he could be done already. Happily, his comments remain on target. TODRICK HALL -- Sang Kelly Clarkson's awesome pop single "Since U Been Gone," which hit #2. It was a clever idea for a guy to do it and he went for a funky, slower take...that removed almost all of the fun. He was rough on the verses and the chorus -- which is awesome in the original -- plodded. Going first is never fun. AARON KELLY -- Sang the #1 country hit "Here Comes Goodbye" by Rascal Flatts. I thought the choice was too adult and giggled when he sang about "the truck tires" because I wondered if he even had his license yet. But he was convincing and smooth, with a decent big note (which Idol audiences love). Hopefully someone will help him calm down the over-dramatic hand gestures. Seemed too young whenthey put him in the Top 24 but he's changing my mind. This was a good step forward. MOST POPULAR ON HUFFPOSTBIG NEWS: James Franco | Celebrity Body | TWILIGHT FEVER | Gwyneth Paltrow | Smarter Ideas | More... LOG IN | SIGN UP Get Entertainment Alerts Email Comments 13 VIDEO & PHOTOS: Rare Lunar Eclipse On Winter Solstice Comments (918) Stunning Eclipse Photos Comments (453) Sarah Palin Jabs Michelle Obama's Anti-Obesity Campaign Comments (6,272) Timothy Karr Obama FCC Caves on Net Neutrality -- Tuesday... Comments (4,973) Al Franken The Most Important Free Speech Issue of Our Time Comments (1,651) Why Kate May Or May Not Become 'Princess Catherine' Comments (348) PHOTOS: Heidi Montag's Plastic Surgery Scars: Bald Spots, Uneven Boobs, Lumpy Legs Comments (537) JERMAINE SELLERS -- Sang the lone pop charting song by Oleta Adams, the #5 hit "Get Here." He started off too high and sounded thin, then got piercing and sharp on the high notes when he wasn't trying to throw in a million and one show-offy runs. If I was Randy, I'd coin something like, "All trill, nothrill." On the plus side, he was funny when saying Hollywood Week should be called Hell Week.Otherwise, pretty disastrous and even worse on the recap playback. TIM URBAN -- Sang the smash #2 hit "Apologize" by One Republic. He says it was a last minute replacement but since they're one of his favorite bands, I'm sure he would have sung it eventually. He started off with a classic Idol sharp move, the savvy playing to the camera by looking down and thenstaring intently right into it as he began singing. The best news is that Tim did work the camera well andlooked very cute, very Shaun Cassidy. The singing however was rough on the falsetto chorus and at bestso-so on the verses. It came across even worse on the recap playback. JOE MUNOZ -- Sang the Jason Mraz tune "You And I Both." He started off sitting and looked pretty confident. He seemed to be having fun, which helps a lot when he's rough on the chorus. Ran out of breath at the end of some sentences but charmed his way through and stoked the Latino vote. TAYLOR GRADY -- Sang the Guess Who #1 hit classic "American Woman." Grady, borrowing leather pants from Constantine, started it off slow and bluesy which wasn't great but at least different. Then he performed his way past ok vocals, though the judges nailed him for looking like a poser. LEE DEWYZE -- Sang Snow Patrol's #5 hit "Chasing Cars. He was a bit flat at times and never really grooved on the song but has a distinctive voice. Just needs more swagger. But somehow, though it didn't really work, still promising. JOHN PARK -- Sang what Ryan called "the jazz standard" of "God Bless The Child." I've had a running commentary on people not always knowing the original performer or songwriter of a tune, especially a pre-rock standard. (Just because Michael Buble sings a song doesn't mean it's now a Michael Buble tune.) But come on. It's co-written by Billie Holiday, she sang it first and it's indelibly associated withher. So that's Lady Day's "God Bless The Child," Ryan. That was my first thought. My second thought was WTF? Why would he choose this song? He had an ok finale but overall it was a trainwreck. You can always spot a bad singer when you don't really concentrate on the lyrics or know what he's singing. That'sbecause he's singing the melody, not the lyrics, so emotionally it doesn't mean anything. Bad bad choice. MICHAEL LYNCHE -- Sang Maroon 5's #5 hit "This Love." He was a confident performer, which helped mask a lot of middling singing. Simon called him a supporting act (which was devastatingly on target) and Kara accurately said if there had been a lot of good performances that night, they would have been harder on him. But relatively speaking, it was one of the more pleasant. ALEX LAMBERT -- Sang James Morrison's Top 10 hit in the UK "Wonderful World." It was probably inevitable since his voice sounds so much like that artist, but that's exactly why it was a bad choice. He was rough on the verse, but better on the chorus which is why he sang the chorus twice in a row. Bopping up and down, Alex gave the most physically awkward performance of the night. Ellen said she supported him in sticking with the mullet. But he should lose it. CASEY JAMES -- At first I thought Ryan Seacrest said he was gonna sing RYAN Adams, which really had me excited. Instead it was Bryan Adams and his first #1 hit "Heaven." There was nothing remarkable about the arrangement though he threw in some slight tweaks on the vocals. But the acoustic guitar andthe straightforward performance was good, probably the best performance of the night, though not one to save. He'd do great on John Mellencamp night. ANDREW GARCIA -- Sang Fall Out Boys first Top 10 hit, "Sugar, We're Goin' Down." It was a stripped down acoustic version and like several others tonight, Andrew was engaging if not exactly great memorable. Bizarrely, the judges criticized him and said what he should have done was something likehis revamping of Paula Abdul's "Straight Up." Which is of course EXACTLY what he did: an unexpected revamp of a hit, this time a rock one. It wasn't a home run like the Abdul tune, but he was doing what they wanted and it was strange they didn't realize that. Next time, he should avoid that novelty approachand just sing something relatively straight. Overall, the men had more performances that were...pleasant if not necessarily more memorable than the women. Certainly as far as air time and positive comments from the judges and a good performance,Casey James had a good night and Aaron Kelly proved he won't be the deer in the headlights I feared. Does social networking matter? This early in the game, a passionate fan base might very well keep you safe for a week. That could be good news for John Park: he has the most fans on Facebook and the second most followers on Twitter. (Andrew Garcia has almost FOUR TIMES as many followers on Twiiter andjust eight fans away from him on Facebook. 1 of 5 Sinéad O'Connor Some Burning Questions for the Pope Billie Jean King Repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Is a Big DealDON'T MISS HUFFPOST BLOGGERS HOT TRENDS demi lovato heidi montag sugery scars miley cyrus lap dance video sarah palin michelle obama teen mom More Celebrity News at People.com More Celebrity News at Popeater.com John Boehner Strikes Back Against Sarah Palin Comments (2,669) PHOTOS: Rare Lunar Eclipse Seen From Around The World Comments (68) Lindsay Lohan Snuck Out of Rehab for Alcohol, Worker Says READ MORE Bus Fire Snuffs Out Kings of Leon Show in London READ MORE Ryan Gosling and MichelleWilliams (Coyly) Deny They're Dating READ MORE Ginnifer Goodwin: I've Been Dieting Since I Was 9 Eliza Dushku Helps Child Soldiers 50 Cent's Home Burglarized by Two MenComments 13 Pending Comments 0View FAQ Heidi Montag Reveals Plastic Surgery Scars: Bald... Jud 'Fabio' Birza Wins 'Survivor: Nicaragua' Ryan Reynolds Says Scarlett Johansson 'Treated Him... 'The Fighter' Star Amy Adams Talks Weight...Three guys are in the bottom four on those sites: Michael Lynche, Jermaine Sellers and Joe Munoz. If two of them go home, we'll know this early indicator is something to keep an eye on. So who did you like or not like last night? Anyone change your opinion of them for better or worse? Thanks for reading. Visit Michael Giltz at his website and his daily blog. Download his podcast of celebrity interviews and his weekly music radio show at Popsurfing and enjoy the weekly pop culture podcast he co-hosts at Showbiz Sandbox . Both available for free on iTunes. Link to him on Netflix and gain access to thousands of ratings and reviews. Follow Michael Giltz on Twitter: www.twitter.com/michaelgiltz Related News On Huffington Post: 'Idol' Judges Slam Male Semifinalists Lilly Scott, Denver's American Idol Semifinalist, Keeps Singing (VIDEO) (Scroll down for video) LOS ANGELES -- "American Idol" semifinalist Lilly Scott is right where she belongs. The 20-year-old singer fromDenver was among a... Clay Aiken Talks Gay Rights, Family's Reaction To His Coming Out RALEIGH, N.C. — More than a year after disclosing he is gay, ClayAiken is speaking before a gay-rights event in his hometown. Aiken will... Adam Lambert Dishes On Donning Corsets And Shoulder Cages (VIDEO) If Adam Lambert had to describe his style in three words, they'd be"glam," "chic," and "playful," the singer told Pop Couture. He talkedabout... More News Posts: « First Prev 1 2 Next Last » Around the Web: Official Site for Videos, Photos, Community - American Idol American Idol (season 9) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia American Idol 2010 - American Idol Season 9 American Idol 2010 | American Idol Season 9 Results & Spoilers "American Idol" Season 9 Hollywood Week (With Judge Ellen ... American Idol 9 - Rickey.org American Idol Season 9, Top 12 Girls: Lilly Scott Is a "Real Indie ... YouTube - Pants On The Ground !!! American Idol Season 9 -Larry ... More in Entertainment...TOP VIDEO PICKS 1 of 8 Lindsay Lohan in Battery Investigation Bret Michaels Engaged Tracy Morgan's Life-Saving Surgery MOST DISCUSSED RIGHT NOW HOT ON FACEBOOK HOT ON TWITTER Lisa Murkowski Government Shutdown Careers College Basketball Foreclosures Royalty HIV/AIDS Sarah Palin ChristmasHUFFPOST'S BIG NEWS PAGESRyan Reynolds Says Scarlett Johansson 'Treated Him Badly': Report 360 Comments PHOTOS: Heidi Montag's Plastic Surgery Scars: Bald Spots, Uneven Boobs, Lumpy Legs 537 Comments Heidi Montag's 10 Plastic Surgery Procedures: Before & After PHOTOS 663 Comments My Lunch With Jane Fonda 1 Comments PHOTOS: Paris Hilton Dons Leather Bodysuit 154 Comments WATCH: Natalie Portman Strips Down In Trailer For Movie With James Franco 22 Comments Comments are closed for this entry View All6 Fans 304 Fans 8 Fans 50 Fans 343 Fans Follow 310 Fans FollowI liked Casey for the purity of the performanc e. Too many times it sounded like the singer was drowning in the band. Although I did not care for their performanc es, I like the voices of Dewyze and Lambert. Munoz was okay. John Park has a huge voice but the performanc e was atrocious. Big Mike annoyed me with smiles rather than substance. Jermaine is arrogant and indulgent. I just felt sorry for Tim Urban. What a bad performanc e on a likeable guy. I love Ellen normally, but really don't like her on the show. Not sure how the show will fare afterSimon leaves. I thought all the judges were awful. Pretty much all Ellen could say is, "I like you." and "You'll probably go through because you're cute." Kara virtually sexually harassed Casey James andembarrasse d both of them when she stated, "Casey, I'm a married woman." as if he was actually interested in her. Randy was the same old, "Dawg" this and "Dawg" that. Simon was the worstbroken record of all of them, complainin g about song choice or/or their rendition of the song. He also looked and acted like he'd rather be having a root canal. I'm so sick of all the judges complainin g about "song choice." I have a suggestion . After Hollywood Week, for the first two weeks the judges could pick three songs for each contestant and it would be up to the contestant to sing one of those songs. It's obvious how nervous they are. They are, afterall, amateurs and perhaps it would lessen their anxiety while they get used to performing on a bigstage with a huge audience. That would all but eliminated the chorus of "bad song," "I hated thatsong," and "You're too young/old for that song" from the judges and they could concentrat e on actually critiquing the singing. Food for thought. I wonder how much help/advic e the contestant s get with choosing their songs? Seems like more help is needed! The panel chemistry is horrible Ellen needs to stay on her show I love her but not on this show. Kara is so annoying boy she reminds me of a back stabber if I ever saw one I wonder if that is whathappened to Paula, and the sexual inuendos while 8 year olds were tuned in was way too much forme. Lastly, the talent..ar e they kidding they most likely are trying to end the show and use a tax write off otherwise they better get a new set of producers I doubt they will be able to hold on to theiraudience this year. I agree that the song was too old for Aaron Kelly, and was surprised the judges didn't seem to care the way they do with the females. It was like he was imitating a middle-age d country singer.MORE BIG NEWS PAGES » FOLLOW HUFFINGTON POSTRecency | Popularity anonimost 02:19 PM on 2/26/2010 Permalink | Share it CAMBEL 12:34 PM on 2/26/2010 Permalink | Share it jade9403 10:49 PM on 2/25/2010 Permalink | Share it HUFFPOST SUPER USER RhiannonRings 08:03 PM on 2/25/2010 Permalink | Share it HUFFPOST SUPER USER danusgram 08:01 PM on 2/25/2010 Permalink | Share it HUFFPOST SUPER USER ChelleAgain 07:09 PM on 2/25/2010 382 Fans 304 Fans 59 Fans 304 FansThe Jermaine Sellers thing was just painful. The judges always give contradict ory advice -- try changing it up, but a song was successful for a reason so why did you change it? It all translates to you didn't do that well instead advice that can be used. Can we just get rid of 6 a side tonight and get on with it? 12 girls....3 contestant s...this has got to be the fault of the judges...w hen you audition thousands and wind up inviting so many looosers to Hollywood you gotta ask about your own criteria for choosing.. ..they really didn't get better than this? Watched the guys tonight... same story...12 guys Maaaybe 3 contestant s.....wast e of time this year...I predict ratings for this season will be all time low.Nothing to see here....mo ve along. Two things seem really obvious to me....1. Idol producers want a femal Idol this year, from Simon announcing to the Papers a while ago that the women were better this, year, and after the women's horrible night, Randy telling the guys thatthey had to be on their game because "The girls really blew it up last night!" 2. In addition to having to have a ridiculous sob story, contestent s this year were put through a beauty contest. Are they really trying to tell us that there wasn't ONE heavy female who was a good singer?! Thats funny, because Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Jennifer Hudson, Martha WAsh, OlettaAdams, Wynonna etc... might beg to differ. I get that they want somebody who they think can sellrecords, but perhaps why none of the Idol winners are really selling has something to do with thefact that somebody like Stevie Nicks, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Michael Bubble, Tom Petty, etc... wouldnever even have been picked to go to Hollywood week. Idol has been pretty diverse throughout its run as far as race, ethnicity, faith, sexualorientatio n and body type. They certainly are aware of having a diverse group in the Top 24 to appeal to lots of people. I think if this season there's no big-boned gal, it's justhappenstan ce. There are too many instances in the past of plus-size gals to think they;ve suddenly decided only thin women can get through. And Michael Lynche is big enough fortwo or three contestant s! I'm sorry, but your defense of them is ridiculous . The fact that in the U.S. something like 64% of adults are overweight or obese shows that this isn't aseason where good singers who don't fit the looks mold have a shot. your sightingthe fact that they have had a few overweight girls in the past are sort of likeclaiming that a country club isn't racist because they used to have one blackmember. I'm not on a huge crusade, I just get bored hearing one not great singerafter another and knowing that they most likely shot down a huge amount of talantbecause they were dorky, skinny, fat, ugly etc... Even the supposed "Alt." peopleare ridiculous ...with their squeaky clean dreadlocks , and the stories of them living in their car called into question by the fact that their parents are right there in theaudience cheering them on.Permalink | Share it HUFFPOST SUPER USER porsche996 02:04 PM on 2/25/2010 Permalink | Share it CAMBEL 12:33 PM on 2/25/2010 Permalink | Share it HUFFPOST BLOGGER Michael Giltz 01:25 PM on 2/25/2010 Permalink | Share it CAMBEL 02:41 PM on 2/25/201030 Fans 59 FansThere are More Comments on this Thread. Click Here To See them All I agree with Michael for the most part, but I had to fast forward through Tim Urban, John Park and Alex Lambert, especially Park — I couldn't understand a word he sang. I judged the women's set asa little better overall, didn't feel the need to fast forward through any of them. You missed nothing by fast forwarding on those three, believe me. And your point of viewis certainly one the judges agree with. FRONT PAGE POLITICS BUSINESS MEDIA ENTERTAINMENT COMEDY SPORTS STYLE WORLD GREEN FOOD TRAVEL TECH LIVING HEALTH DIVORCE ARTS BOOKS RELIGION IMPACT EDUCATION COLLEGE NY LA CHICAGO DENVER BLOGS Advertise | Log In | Make HuffPost your Home Page | RSS | Careers | FAQ | Contact Us User Agreement | Privacy | Comment Policy | About Us | Powered by Movable Type Copyright © 2010 TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc. | "The Huffington Post" is a registered trademark of TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc. All rights reserved. Permalink | Share it stratdude 12:30 PM on 2/25/2010 Permalink | Share it HUFFPOST BLOGGER Michael Giltz 01:26 PM on 2/25/2010 Permalink | Share it

Idol Season 9 Top 24 The Men

📄 Idol Season 9 Top 24 The Men

SEO TEXT: Article Content for Search Engines