Kris VS Adam: The Face-Off

The votes have been cast and the competition had come down to the final two – Kris Allen, the underdog, and Adam Lambert, the drag queen. LOL. Seriously, I don’t think there’s any competition tougher than this (maybe even tougher than the Davids’ duel). So who do I think has the upper hand? Here’s my head-to-head match-up of the two:

ADAM LAMBERT
STRENGTHS: undoubtedly the best vocalist and the most confident performer on stage. Years of experience in the theater made him a seasoned talent on stage that he can eat Kris alive once he steps on the platform. He can interpret songs with authority and are uniquely Adam. He has had some of the best moments in the season, which includes Simon giving him an unexpected standing O. And he has this charisma that endears him to the viewers, making it easy for him to dig up throngs of fans.
WEAKNESSES: Weeks of watching him do the stuff he does make him predictable and almost boring. Sometimes unpredictability is so predictable, especially for him. Personally, I’m not a fan of his genre. I don’t think it’s marketable enough to make him last in the business. Besides, I’m not sure if I can last listening to his ear-splitting future album. And read: THEATRICAL. Which is quite unusual, seeing a ‘rock god’ (and I quote Kara) performing that way on stage.

KRIS ALLEN
STRENGTHS: Let’s go with the evident – good-looking. It’s obviously the first thing that people noticed and liked about him. He’s very cool to watch on stage; he quickly developed his confidence on the course of the competition. Like Adam, he’s had some of the best moments in the season, thanks to his genuine ad brilliant song interpretations (Heartless remians the best, so far). His big advantage is that his sound is much more relevant and marketable, which I think is more appealing to the younger viewers.
WEAKNESSES: comparing to Adam’s strengths, he’s a mere second placer.

At first, it’s painless to say that Adam is the top dog coming into the finale. But the show’s too fickle to be predictable. Anything could happen. A big part of the results will depend on the comments of Simon (admit it, he’s always right). Either he’ll pimp Adam up or use reverse psychology like he did to Cook. There’s also a big possibility that Gokey’s equally large fan base would start supporting Kris. And common, only one million votes separate the two. How exciting could that be?

***
And yes, my Nostradamic powers proved me right once again as two of my predictions came true: First, that the winner will be a guy (biologically speaking, he-he), and his name will start with the letter ‘A’ (Adam or Allen). Humirit pa talaga ako.

Three Big Reasons Not to Watch American Idol

1. The show’s boring.

2. The show’s corrupt and biased.
3. There’s no more Megan. : (

First, I’d like to clarify that I am not sour graping about the latest results. Megan’s early departure was apparently anticipated by many so I practically prepared myself for it, refusing to read spoilers on the net.

Honestly, I’m starting to slightly lose interest on the show already. For some reason, I wouldn’t care much if Anoop gets eliminated next or if Gokey wins the whole thing. Everything is ‘Meh’ right now. Were the weekly themes plain boring? Were the contestants starting to get uninteresting? Two maybes.

Or maybe it was this feeling that I have that show’s outcome being perfectly weaved by the magic hands of the producers and judges. Go ahead Simon Fuller; let your British namesake dictate who will be in the final four. Fudge you. They could’ve saved Alexis before but for obvious reasons, they’re reserving that saving power either for Danny or Adam (I’m starting to be unappreciative about him as well). Sigh.

No wonder the show’s ratings continue to sag.

I told you I’m not sour graping.

I love you Megan! The character you showed last elimination night made me admire you more. You are very Megan-da inside and out. LOL.

Seriously, I will miss you.

American Idol Season 8 - Top 13 Performance

It's Michael Jackson week. Seriously. Not that I despise Michael Jackson (though he really scares me), but all this time the judges are telling the aspirants to veer away from doing his songs and now one whole night was dedicated for it. Huh?

Lil Rounds - “The Way You Make Me Feel”
Nice performance but nothing spectacular. She's very consistent but I still think she's a stereotype.

Scott MacIntyre - “Keep the Faith”
Still has this inspirational vibe within him. Way better than last week's. Way to go Scott!

Danny Gokey - “Pretty Young Thing”
I hate to say this, but I liked it. I still don't like him, though.

Michael Sarver - “You Are Not Alone”
Nice performance, I think. I agree with Simon saying he's not the best among the lot but he definitely has a big heart.

Jasmine Murray - “I’ll Be There”
Pitchy. Again. Trash her, please!

Kris Allen - “Remember the Time”
Far from being perfect but I liked it! Randy says it's very "Jason Mraz-y." Nice one.

Allison Iraheta - “Give in to Me”
The performance was good but still not liking her, though.

Anoop Desai - “Beat It”
Oh common. Beat It? Choosing that song alone is a disaster already! And Simon regrets making it a top 13! Harsh.

Jorge Nunez - “Never Can Say Goodbye”
It wasn't that bad for me but the judges felt otherwise. It doesn't matter to me anyway.

Megan Joy Corkrey - “Rockin’ Robin”
I like it. Screw the judges!

Adam Lambert - “Black and White”
Unbelievable. Period.

Matt Giraud - “Human Nature”
Hmm, it was just fine. I loved the vocals still.

Alexis Grace - “Dirty Diana”
Again, she rocked it out! Great, great performance from her. Way to go, Alexis!


Sigh. So two casualties will bid goodbye tomorrow night. Hope it's not Anoop! Dang! The judges threw him under the bus! Vote America! Vote!

American Idol Season 8 Semis Wildcard Round

And going in to the top 12 are

Jasmine Murray
MEGAN CORKREY
Matt Giraud AND

ANOOP DESAI!

Surprise! Surprise! It's a Top 13!


For the individual performances:

1. Jesse Langseth- ”Tell Me Something Good”. It was OK for me. Nothing so spectacular. I like her voice but I totally agree with Simon calling her 'indulgent'. Haha.

2. Matt Girraud- ”Who’s Loving You”. Great vocals but he oversang it at some parts.

3. Megan Corkrey - “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree”. Love it. Love her.

4. Von Smith - “Sorry seems to be the hardest word”. Pitchy and BORING.

5. Jasmine Murray - “Reflection". Same as Von. Pitchy and boring. Anyway, she's in.

6. Ricky Braddy - “Supestition”. Wowowow. Nice vocals. But I don't think he would last if he goes in, which did not happen anyway.

7. Tatiana Del Toro - “Saving All My Love For You”. Again? I don't despise her, though. I think she has the talent.

8. Anoop Desai - “My Perogative”. A bit shaky but the hell I care?! This is so effin' awesome! Haha.

I don't know what's in the head of the judges for putting up a top 13. They could've just trashed Jasmine instead. Anyway, I still think last year's top 12 is way better than this year. Unless someone made something extraordinary a la David Cook and blow all of us away. Again, let's just see. But for the meantime, I'm gonna celebrate. Anoop and Megan are in!

American Idol Season 8 Semis Week 3 Results + Wildcard Line Up

This weeks results were pretty much predictable with Lil Rounds, Scott MacIntyre and Jorge Nunez advancing to the top 12. Good job, guys! Speaking of Scott, I really think he deserves more than just sympathy votes. He's a really good singer (though his last performance was kinda off) and a really good person as well. I'm a fan!

OK, that's all for the winners, let me now go to the wild cards! Woohoo! And having another chance to prove themselves are

Von Smith
Jasmine Murray
Ricky Braddy
Tatiana Del Toro
Matt Giraud
Jesse Langseth
Megan Corkrey and
Anoop Desai

Anoop and Megan for wildcard! This is going to be exciting.

American Idol Season 8 - Semis - Group 2 Results

Three straight days of being over productive (I shun using the word 'busy') caused me to miss the performances of the second group. I haven't watched it still but thankfully I was able to catch the replay of the results show. And from that I can only say one word: WHAT?!

But before my reactions, here are the names of those thru to the top 12

1. Allison Iraheta
2. Kris Allen
3. Adam Lambert

Now who the hell are Allison Iraheta and Kris Allen? Sorry, but I really have no idea about those two. And common America! What happened to the Corkrey fans? Aw, shoot. Again, I'm hoping she'll get thru the wild card round. Really hoping!

On a positive note: Adam Lambert. OMG. That's all I can say. Wonder what his vocal cords look like?

Next week's performers will be interesting for me 'coz I don't particularly have favorites from it. Hmmm, let's just see.

American Idol Season 8 - Semis - Group 1 - Results

Blah. Last night's performances were so epic failures that I didn't even bother make a decent review about it. In a nutshell, the show revolved around terrible song choices and --this truly sucks--Danny Gokey. Nah. I admit he's a good singer and all but he is just soooo overrated. Tatiana Del Toro was a surprise. Admit it, guys! She sang well, though there were a couple of off parts. Another surprise for me was Alexis Grace. I wasn't able to see her auditions that's why I have little interest on her but last night was a blast for her! She rocked it out! It affirmed my belief that the name of this year's winner will start with letter 'A'. LOL

Going back to this post's original purpose, here are the results:

Entering the Top 12 are

1. Alexis Grace

2. Michael Sarver

3. Danny Gokey

Shoot! Anoop didn't make it! What an epic mistake! I really hope he makes it as a wild card.

Next Week’s group: Megan Corkrey, Kris Allen, Mishavonna Henson, Matt Breitzke, Allison Iraheta, Matt Giraud, Jasmine Murray, Kai Kalama, Jesse Langseth, Adam Lambert, Jeanine Vailes and Nick Mitchell.

Go Megan! Go Adam!

American Idol 8 Top 36: My Top Picks

Alas, after the grueling and intense Hollywood week comes the TOP 36. Here's the full and confirmed list:

Adam Lambert
Alexander Wagner-Trugman
Alexis Grace
Allison Iraheta
Ann Marie Boskovich
Anoop Desai
Arianna Ayesha Afsar
Brent Keith
Casey Carlson
Danny Gokey
Jackie Tohn
Jasmine Murray
Jeanine Vailes
Jessica Langseth
Joanna Pacitti
Jorge Nunez
Junot Joyner
Kai Kalama
Kendall Beard
Kristen McNamara
Kris Allen
Lil Rounds
Matt Breitzke
Matt Giraud
Megan Corkrey
Michael Sarver or Tristan
Mishavonna Henson
Nate McGee
Nick Western or Hendrix
Ricky Braddy
Scott MacIntyre
Stephen Fowler
Stevie Wright
Taylor Vaifanua
Tatiana Del Toro
Von Smith

Did your bets make it to the cut? Luckily, my top four bets were safely in. Here's what I gotta say about them:

1. Megan Corkrey

I hate it that she wasn't given much exposure during the past episodes. She might not be the best female vocalist pout there but she really has a very interesting style. Smooth and relaxing, something I truly like.

2. Ann Marie Boskovich

Like Megan, she's also not among the early front-runners but isn't she so damn pretty? And don;t you just love her name? Ann Marie Boskovich. Sounds like Ana Ivanovic. LOL. But mind you, this young lady CAN sing.

3. Anoop Desai

From India with pride. One of the most interesting contestants to watch out for. He's geeky-ness and coolness synergized. And I totally LOVE his voice! Pretty much having the same tone as mine. OK, that was corny.

4. Adam Lambert

For me he's the total package. Marketable looks and mad, MAD VOCALS! Man, this guy can rock out! And he's got himself in the in the spotlight right away as he happens to be, well, gay (Ha! Lots of my female friends went berserk with the news).

Oh-la-la. Idol 8 really is catching up on my expectations now. Based on my remarks, it's plain obvious that I think the boys will be the dominant forces in the competition once again. I know it's still way too early to tell, but I'll stick firm to this -- BOYS RULE!

American Idol 8: On Expectations and Addiction

Has it been a year already? A mere two months had lapsed since the two Davids (Archuleta and Cook) released their respective febut albums and here's America's and probably the world's favorite talent show again, spearheading the search for the next big thing. Now get ready to be idolized.

This 8th season of American Idol is definitely a must-see. Last season is unquestionably the most succsessful season of the show, with most of the finalists potential and deserving winners. Had Brooke White auditioned in season 6, she could have won that thing (Love you Brooke!). And Ramielle Malubay could fave eclipsed the achievement of Jasmine Trias in season 3. Ha! Such a bias. But anyway, with David Cook raising the bar several notches up, much is expected to this year's would-be finalists.

A lot of changes will be seen as well. First is the addition of Kara DioGuardi as a fourth judge. So what impact will she bring on the show? If three is a crowd, then will four be pandemonium? There will be no 'Idol Gives Back' due to the continuing economic crisis. There will be 36 semi-finalists instead of 24. And the Wild Card round returns. And probably the most anticipated of all is, what would be Paula's new blunder? Well, let's just watch to that.

P.S.

I hate it. I've been LSS-ed by David Cook's version of 'Always Be My Baby' for more than a month and now that the 'Idol' mania is looming in the horizon again, I can;t help but be LSS-ed again. Talk about addiction. Sigh.

Marami Ka Pang Kakaining Bigas!

Alas! After months of relentless voting America has finally reached what it has been dying to get in the first place—a David-David finale. So much was the hype for these two guys to the extent that people actually place bets online! That, I must say, is plainly overrated.

If you are a wise voter, choosing the next Idol would just be a piece of chocolate cake. AI is a talent show and it must remain as such. So to all Americans who are reading this (as if) and also to my kababayan, you are now free to cuddle and vote for David Archuleta that is if you are a cutie little girl that belongs to an age group of 12 years and below. Of course moms are also encouraged vote! Surely he reminds you of your teenage son, right? TUT.

I don’t know why people are making such a big fuss about the competitions between the two. As what I can see, the people are simply being misled by his looks and age and not solely on his talent. Undoubtedly, DA has talent. BIG talent. That is if you compare it to others of his age. But comparing him to DC? C’mon, it’s like comparing a newly born pug to a fully-grown bulldog. No match. There’s no basis for comparison at all (save for the first names)!

Just imagine: advance DA’s age to 25 years but suppose his vocals and way of performing remains the same, do you think he will be as impressive as he is right now? Do you think his failing falsetto and horrible dance moves would appeal too much on Randy? Definitely not! Dog, he might not even be a fan!

I know some might react differently to this and probably say, “Of course DA will still improve! Just give him another 4 years or so and he will sweep DC off the floor!” well, yeah, that can be. Unfortunately, we are not talking about the future here. We are dealing with the present, with what they are and what they can offer NOW.
DA needs a lot of catching up to do if he wants to compete against the greatness of DC.

On AI

On predictions

Consistent with my clairvoyant powers, it did not came as a big surprise to me that David Cook had a hard time last night on American Idol. Particularly giving him a pretty hard press was Randy Jackson. I don’t know dog, but Randy’s really been critical with all the contestants this season (save for little Archuleta; he’s a fan, dog). I’m not sure if he’s imply not satisfied with their performances or if he sees something special with these bunch of newbies. But either way, criticisms all equate to improvement, if taken constructively.

On eating my words

“You did not beat the competition. You crushed the competition.” These words from Simon Cowell directed towards David Archuleta should have gotten the ire of me but surprisingly it did not. Apparently, the competition he was referring to was DC, who, despite delivering solid performances last night seemed to share an uneasy, awkward moment for the entire show (blame it on Randy, guys…hehe). On the other hand, DA did not totally wowed me, but I can’t agree more that he really did out sung The Great DC.

[Hey, DC was pressured, man. Besides, he was the first one on stage. Noticed that show-starters are almost always part of the bottom group?]

On reminders

Before the show ends host, Ryan Seacrest reminded the voting public of the nostalgia that was in the past seasons. Mentioning the names of Tamyra Gray and Chris Daughtry, he reminded the people that it is not enough to be confident about your bets. One can never be so sure. So vote for David Cook!

Will It Be David Cook's Time to Leave?

I’m a bit worried ‘bout David Cook for next week’s episode of American Idol. As what Seacrest mentioned, next week’s theme would be Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame. At first anyone would think that DC will have a big edge above everyone else ‘coz it definitely is his niche. However, there’s this BIG possibility that it would turn out to be otherwise. Chances are his performance would be too overrated. C’mon, it’s rock ‘n roll, no wonder all eyes and all ears will be tuned in to DC, wondering if he would be able to pull away from the stalwart marks that rock legends left before us. How will he be able to do something different to something that he makes to be different? I don't know. Only he knows It is now his duty to create the most unexpected of all the unexpected. Talk about pressure!

Well, all I can say is good luck DC! People of America: vote WISELY!

Talk About Talent

To say that David Cook is amazing would be too much of an understatement. As a matter of fact, David Cook isn’t amazing. How could someone be so amazing if he is talent himself? Yes. David Cook is talent personified. And I bet no one would dare disagree.

He’s just simply…Urgh! I’m simply out of words to describe the talent of this man! Every time he goes up the spotlighted stage I always grip to the edge of my seat, knowing that he will deliver another breath taking, head bangin’ and house rocking performance. He never fails to provide me with some good goose bumps! His performances give me LSS nights for a whole week—that is, until his next performance.

Permit me to quote Randy Jackson this time, “ Yo! That was hot! BLAZIN’ HOT!"

If David Cook doesn’t win, I’ll cut my head of. But I guess I’ll never have to do that.

Record Breaking

During the fifth elimination night of the reality show American Idol, Ryan Seacrest surprised the episode’s special guest, Jordin Sparks, with three special awards: a platinum record for her hit Chris Brown duet “No Air” for reaching more than 1M downloads, a gold award for her self-titled album, and another platinum record for her debut single “Tattoo” which also exceeded 1M downloads. Seacrest then made this remark: “It means Idol works.”

It means very few actually buy records these days. Blame it on the Internet.