american idol8: we have a top 13!

a twist was revealed on the wildcard night of american idol 8. instead of the usual top 12, we will have 13 people in the finals this season. four more hopefuls advanced after the wildcard round. of the 8 contestants that were brought back to the competition, the following four singers advanced:

1. megan corkrey
2. jasmine murray
3. matt giraud
4. anoop desai

they join earlier qualifiers danny gokey, alexis grace and michael sarver from group 1; adam lambert, kris allen and allison iraheta from group 2 and lil rounds, scott macintyre and jorge nunez from group 3. it's also good to note that the guys outnumbered the girls this season, 8 - 5.

american idol 8: 3 more advances to the finals, wildcard contestants revealed

after the last group of 12 performed last night, another 3 finalists advances to the finals of the eight season of american idol. as i have written in my blog post, i liked the performances of lil rounds, jorge nunez, kristen macnamara, junot joyner and felicia barton. but i predicted that lil, felicia and scott macintyre will advance.

so, the three that goes to the finals are:

1. lil rounds
2. scott macintyre
3. jorge nunez

i missed one this time, the only one i got wrong. they will join alexis grace, michael sarver, danny gokey (group 1 finalists), adam lambert, allison iraheta and kris allen (from group 2).

tomorrow, eight semifinalists will be brought back to join the wildcard phase. as announced in the show, the wildcard contenders are:

1. von smith (group 3)
2. jasmine murray (group 2)
3. ricky braddy (group 2)
4. megan corkrey (group 2)
5. tatiana del toro (group 1)
6. matt giraud (group 1)
7. jesse langseth (group 1)
8. anoop desai (group 1)

i was disappointed at some of the choices. i think jasmine, ricky, von and matt does not deserve to be there. kristen macnamara, felicia barton, junot joyner and nick mitchell needs to be there. but its final. based on this line up, i think the three that would advance would be megan corkrey, anoop desai and jesse langseth.

american idol 8: group 3 performs, the best group among the 3

the third group of 12 semifinalists performed on the american idol stage. this group includes early favorites scott macintyre and lil rounds; group day stand outs nathaniel marshall and kristen mcnamara, teeners taylor vaifanua and ariana afsar and returning contestant felicia barton.

here are my rankings on how they performed:

12. taylor vaifanua - taylor sang a song she already sang in holywood week, and tonight was worse. she sounded nervous and seems to be holding back. and her crying was not helping her either

11. arianna afsar - i liked arianna since the start of the show but her performance tonight was weird. i thought she was not connected with the song but she tried hard. hope she can get to the wildcard round

10. alex wagner trugman - like arianna, i also like alex since the start. his performance tonight was okay but not great. his song at the sing off during the top 36 announcement was better. i think he will go through to the next round.

9. kendall beard - she looks great and sang well tonight. but iit was too forgettable.

8. nathaniel marshall - wrong sng choice. he was shouting at most parts and seems over acting at some point. he was a bit annoying towards the end, but he has the voice

7. von smith - it was an okay performance and he took a risk at that high notes and he hit it. but performing first made me forget him, there are definitely some who can sing better than him
6. scott macintyre - he is definitely a favorite in this competition with his disability and his story and all that. his performance was good but i was not crazy about it. he was off at timing at some parts and some parts even sounded weird.

5. felicia barton - i thought she had no chance of advancing in the contest but this girl proved me wrong. she definitely prepared for this and she sounded great. she even worked the stage well. definitely a good performance.

4. junot joyner - he picked the right song and he proved he had the technique. he sounded really good and the control is definitely there. but i am not liking the all black outfit.

3. kristen mcnamara - despite the outfit that the judges hate, she did well and i really liked her performance. she has a great range and it showed. she is very likeable and has the charisma. she might not be the best singer but her "likeability" factor might pull her through to the finals.

2. jorge nunez - he definitely can sing and he sings from the heart. he sounded great, picked the right song and nailed it. but his facial expression sometimes becomes annoying, especially when his eyes gets big.

1. lil rounds - i would borrow the words of simon to make this short, she is brilliant.

so i think lil, jorge and either kristen or junot deserves to go to the next round because they really performed well tonight. but let us not discount the facts that scott has the sympathy votes, some might also vote for felicia since she really did well tonight and the early favorites might have a good fan base that could vote for them. dialidol.com prediction shows lil, scott and junoit going to the next round.

again, i think lil, jorge and either kristen or junot deserves to go to the next round. on the other hand, the ones who america will pick might be lil, scott and either felicia or kristen. but my guts is saying that it would be lil rounds, scott macintyre and felicia barton who will advance to the finals.

i have been 6 for 6 so far... hope my streak continues...

american idol 8: adam, allison and kris advances to the finals for group 2

after a great performance night, the second group of 12 semifinalist is now up for america's decision. this groups inclide early favorites jasmine murray, matt giraud, nick mitchell, adam lambert, and megan corkrey. after last night's performance at least 5 did well and are up for the 3 seats available in the finals.

after america's votes, the three lucky ones are:

1. allison iraheta

2. kris allen

3. adam lambert

they now join danny gokey, michael sarver and alexis grace from group 1 in the finals. looks like the men are out singing the women since 4 men qualified so far.

i am very happy with america's choices so far. i predicted all 6 finalists in my prediction posts. hope my winning streak continues until the end.

next week, the third group are up and this group includes the following singers:

1. ju'not joyner

2. scott macintyre

3. nathaniel marshall

4. jorge nunez

5. von smith

6. alex wagner truman

7. ariana afsar

8. felicia barton

9. kendall beard

10. kristen macnamara

11. lil rounds

12. taylor vaifanua

interesting to see from this group are frontrunners scott macintyre, jorge nunez, von smith, alex wagner truman, arianna afsar, lil rounds and kristen macnamara. another 3 seats are available for grabs for these group.

american idol 8: group 2 performs, tough choice on who goes through

i have read a blog by a high school classmate that the group 2 of the semifinals of american idol 8 can be called the group of death. this group includes lots of familiar names that we have seen in the audition rounds. most were expecting a great performance night when they come to the stage. and tonight, when they performed, some stepped up to the challenge and some simply blew their chance away.

so here is my ranking solely based on tonight's performance:

12. jeanine valles - we know almost nothing about this girl and performing third on the show makes us forget her. she really killed "this love" by maroon 5 by adding unnecessary vocal calisthenics to the song and it really made me switch to another channel. even the judges could only say she looks good and no praises on her singing. sorry but this girl has no chance of getting through...

11. jasmine murray - i like this girl and i was really disappointed with her performance. she had a rough start, got it going in the chorus part but did not recover till the end. the nerves may have gotten the best of her. she looks frightened but her smile is still great. hope she gets picked in the wildcard.

10. matt giraud - too much hype on this guy after the top 36 was announced. he was named as one of the top contenders in this competition. but his performance tonight was simply unimpressive and forgettable. but he can sing, no doubt... i agree with the judges, wrong song choice.

9. matt breitzke - i also like this guy but i think he also picked the wrong song. i like the song but it does not fit him. plus the fact that michael sarver has advanced to the top 12, i don't think american will put him through.

8. jesse langseth - she picked a nice song (i also liked the song) and she did ok, but not great. sometimes her facial expressions are a bit annoying. i also agree with simon, she is forgettable but she sings well. and she was even annoying when the judges were giving the critiques on her. hope she knows when to keep quiet.

7. kai kalama - he performed well, he was ok but not great. i know he can do better. i hoped he picked a more modern song, but i don't think he would advance.

6. mishavonna henson - this girl has the range and she sings well but i didn't like the song she picked. i was bored but i put her up there because her skills is definitely there and she can wow us with a different song.

5. nick mitchell - i thought i will be bored since i have heard him sing this song so many times already. but i must admit, he is entertaining. i would love it if he advances but i think it would be better if he shows us nick rather norman...

4. megan corkrey - i liked her in the auditions and i still like her. she nailed he song and she sounded really good. she has the presence but her movements are quite awkward. it was also a plus that she was the only one wearing white (almost all of them are wearing dark colored clothes - mostly black and dark blue) and it made her stand out.

3. allison iraheta - the judges called her the dark horse 2 weeks ago and she really proved it. her rendition was of the song "alone" was good but i still think last season's ramielle malubay sang it better. she was the best among girls and she nailed it.

2. kris allen - the surprise of the night. i did not expect that kind of performance from him. he sounded good and he really worked that stage. he looked comfortable and i think he is really serious about the competition. i also agree with simon that he looks good and he can win the girl's votes.

1. adam lambert - he is definitely the one to beat in this group. he did it again and he had the energy, the skills and the charisma. he would and should definitely advance to the finals. he was good but i think danny's performance last week was better. he should also watch out on soime of his facial expressions since it becomes annoying at times.

so my picks to advance are adam, kris and allison. but megan and nick can steal one of those places since they got so much exposure in the auditions as compared to kris and allison. matt also has a fighting chance since he is third on the dialidol.com predictions and because of his fanbase due to his exposure in the auditions. but i would be happy if any of these 6 gets through but my top 3 picks advancing would make me happier.

i was 3 of 3 last week, hope i can continue the winning streak this week...

image is from http://www.rickey.org/

american idol 8: first 3 finalist known, 2 other groups revealed

after a night of singing billboard top 100 chart topping songs, the first group of 12 semifinalist faced america's votes. the top male and female vote getters will automatically advance to the finals. among the remaining 10 finalists, the one with the highest votes will also advance. the 3 finalists for the first group are:

1. alexis grace
2. michael sarver
3. danny gokey


these are also my picks to advance (read my previous blog entry) and i am happy that i got all three correctly.

the two other groups were also revealed. group 2 is consists of the following semifinalists:

1. kris allen

2. matt breizke
3. matt giraud
4. kai kalama
5. adam lambert
6. nick mitchell
7. megan corkrey
8. mishavonna henson
9. allison iraheta
10. jesse langseth
11. jasmine murray
12. jeanine vailes

from this group, i think the ones to watch out for are matt giraud, adam lambert and nick mitchell for the guys and for the girls, it would be allison iraheta and jasmine murray. but my darkhorses would be matt breizke and mishavonna henson.

the last group would be:

1. ju'not joyner
2. scott macintyre
3. nathaniel marshall
4. jorge nunez
5. von smith
6. alex wagner truman
7. ariana afsar
8. felicia barton
9. kendall beard
10. kristen macnamara
11. lil rounds
12. taylor vaifanua

this group is more exciting, especially for the guys for i think 5 of them is capable of getting to the finals. but of the guys i think scott macintyre has generated a great fan base due to his story and his exposure in the earlier rounds. among the girls, the ones to watch out for are ariana afsar and lil rounds, with the young girls that can pull out surprises.

american idol 8: semis group 1 takes the stage

its the first live show of american idol season 8 with the group 1 of the semifinalists takes the stage. hopes were high with earlly favorites taking the stage like danny gokey, stevie wright, anoop desai and the famous tatiana del toro.

so who worked it out and who i think is out?

well, to start with, here are the ones who got my attention last night:

1. danny gokey - he is obviously paula's favorite in the bunch, and he definitely nailed mariah carey's "hero". he sang in tune but his left hand is quite distracting. kara and randy implied that he was the best for the night and simon said it was good but not fantastic. i think he was the best of the night.

2. alexis grace - well, this girl can sing.... that small frame can definitely has a great voice. all the judges like her but his limited exposure in the earlier rounds worries me if it was enough to pull her through.

3. michael sarver - this guy can sing. i liked the song that he picked, even if the judges didn't like it. he played with the tune a couple of times and it was a good performance. hope america votes for him.

4. anoop desai - great song choice, he sang well. but the judges were correct, he was not connected to the song... and i think the risk of choosing a song sung by a female did not pay off, since danny was way better. but he was good.

5. ricky braddy - he was the surprise last night, great vocals. i remember the song but i still can't remember his face...

6. jackie tohn - the vocals were not great but she knows how to work the stage. she is a performer and i liked it.

the people in the middle...

7. anne marie boskovich - it was good but not great. the judges were right, the song was too big for her

8. tatiana del toro - she was surprisingly good last night, she was not annoying and was quite reserved. i thought i was watching someone else

9.stephen fowler - some parts were okay but some parts were annoying, but his high notes were great

my bottom three...

10. brent keith - i can't remember his performance nor his face....

11. casey carlson - she looks great, but her performance was a disaster. her voice did not match the song and her dancing did not help either

12. stevie wright - i liked this girl in the audition but last night was a disaster for her. her performance reminded me of jasmine trias' final three performance of "it's raining man" in season 3

i would give a fearless forecast on who would go through tonight. based on performance, i would like danny and alexis to advance, with either michael or anoop taking the third spot. but don't discount the fact that vftw.com is rooting for tatiana del toro. other contestants that had good exposure during the earlier rounds could have established fan base like anne marie boskovich, stevie wright, jackie tohn and stephen fowler. casey can have the male votes. based on dialidol.com, the three that would advance would be danny, alexis and michael.

my prediction would be for the guys, it will be danny gokey by a mile. for the girls, i am split between alexis grace and jackie tohn. the third spot would go to either anoop or michael. my dark horses for tonight would be tatiana, ricky and anne marie. but my picks would be danny, alexis and michael.

image is from: http://www.rickey.org/

american idol 8: song spoilers for top 36 group 1

here is an article on the song choices of the first group of the top 36 of american idol 8 (link: http://slimtainment.com/idolblog/?p=2581 )

Here are song spoilers for tonight’s group of contestants who will sing for your vote. Jackie opens the show and Danny got the pimp spot.

* Tatiana Del Toro - Sending All My Love
* Anne Marie Boskovich - Natural Women
* Jackie Tohn - Little Less Conversation
* Stevie Wright - Something Taylor Swift
* Casey Carlson - Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
* Alexis Grace - No Other Man Like You
* Anoop Desai - Angel Of Mine
* Michael Sarver - I Don’t Want To Be
* Stephen Fowler- Rock With You
* Danny Gokey - Hero
* Ricky Braddy - Song For You
* Brent Keith - Something Country

based on the song choice, i am looking forward to see anne marie, jackie, casey, anoop, michael, stephen and danny. i am hoping to see danny, michael, stevie and anne marie to advance. but this may change after the performances.

american idol 8: joanna pacitti disqualified, felicia barton given a second chance

just before the semi-final round starts, a top 36 contestant of american idol 8 was disqualified. rumors has it that joanna pacitti has been disqualified from the competition due to the record deals she had before she additioned for idol. joanna qualified to the semifinals despite forgetting her lyrics in all of the rounds in hollywood week. it was her raw natural talent that made her get through, according to the judges.

with her departure in the competition, she will be replaced by felicia barton.

here is an article from the internet about the issue (taken from http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/02/12/felicia-barton-replaces-joanna-pacitti-in-idols-top-36/ ):

On Wednesday's episodeof American Idol, Paula Abdul — and the rest of the judges — told tearful contestant Joanna Pacitti (pictured left) that she deserved another chance at stardom, sending her to the next round of the competition. But by Thursday morning, Joanna had been disqualified and replaced by Felicia Barton.

“It has been determined that Joanna Pacitti is ineligible to continue in the competition,” FOX said in a statement released Wednesday night. “American Idol contestant Felicia Barton has replaced Ms. Pacitti as part of the Top 36.”

Idol Internet sites have been buzzing about Joanna’s eligibility since she auditioned in Louiseville, KY. The singer has had previous record deals, including one with A&M Records, which released the single “Let It Slide,” and with Geffen, which released a full album entitled This Crazy Life. There has also been chatter online about her forgetting the lyrics during Hollywood week (a no-no, according to Simon Cowell) and a private relationship with executives of 19 Management, one of the companies that oversees the show.

Felicia, 26, who also auditioned in Kentucky, lives in Virgina Beach with her husband and her son.

american idol 8: top 36 revealed

after 8 audiution cities and a grueling hollywood week, the top 36 of american idol was revealed in the show's last episode. the ones whose dreams are still alive are the following:

male semi-finalists

1. kris allen
2. ricky braddy
3. matt breizke
4. anoop desai
5. stephen fowler
6. matt giraud
7. danny gokey
8. ju'not joyner
9. kai kalama
10. brent keith
11. adam lambert
12. scott macintyre
13. nathaniel marshall
14. nick mitchell (aka normal gentle)
15. jorge nunez
16. michael sarver
17. von smith
18. alex wagner trugman

female semi-finalists

1. arianna afsar
2. kendall beard
3. anne marie boskovich
4. casey carlson
5. megan corkrey
6. tatiana del toro
7. alexis grace
8. mishavonna henson
9. allison iraheta
10. jesse langseth
11. kristen mcnamara
12. jasmin murray
13. joanna pacitti
14. lil rounds
15. jackie tohn
16. taylor vaifanua
17. jeanine vales
18. stevie wright

the top 36 will perform in three groups. after each group performs, america will vote and the top male and the top female will advance to the finals. among the other perfrmers, the one with the nxt most number of votes will also advance while the next one will advance to the wildcard where 3 more contenders will advance to the finals.

the first group that will perform will be anne marie boscovich, ricky braddy, casey carlson, tatiana del toro, anoop desai, stephen fowler, danny gokey, alexis grace, brent keith, michael sarver, jackie tohn and stevie wright.

from this group, the most distinguishable male contenders are danny gokey (who is paula abdul's favorite), anoop desai (who got a lot of exposure in the audition and hollywood rounds) and michael sarver (the oil rig father and was praised a couple of times in the hollywood week). among the girls, it would be between anne marie boskovich, alexis grace and stevie wright. but vote for the worst might go for tatiana del toro.

based on exposure in the earlier rounds, my fearless forecast for the top 4 spots would be danny gokey, michael sarver, stevie wright and anne marie boskovich, with tatiana and stephen fowler in there to make a big surprise. but this prediction might change after their performances.