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- Song List for Inspirational Songs Week
- Happy Birthday, Anwar Robinson!
- ‘Idol’ live chat reminder — special ‘Gives Back’ edition today at 1 p.m.
- Finalist Video Diaries
- Siobhan’s butterflies, Crystal’s tears, an ‘Idol’ prom for Aaron? Your burning ‘Idol’ questions answered
- Guest blogger Constantine Maroulis compares Casey to Daughtry, explains the female vote
- Buzzmeter: ‘Idol’ experts are divided on this week’s loser
- Ann Powers: Inspiration comes hard to most of the Idols
- The Top 7 reveal who inspired them to audition for ‘Idol’
- Crystal Bowersox and Ryan Seacrest hug it out
- From Carrie to Crystal: the making of an American Idol
- ‘Idol’ gamble: Crystal Bowersox is bettors’ fave, but who has Adam Lambert’s vote?
- Wednesday chat at 1 p.m. — special ‘Idol Gives Back’ edition
| Song List for Inspirational Songs Week Posted: 21 Apr 2010 02:17 PM PDT Last week, two people went home in a dramatic double elimination. Only seven singers returned this week to perform for your votes. In honor of this weeks special Idol Gives Back show, the Top 7 performed inspirational songs. Some songs were about believing, some were about persevering, and all of the songs were uplifting. Here are the inspirational songs the Top 7 performed: Casey James Dont Stop (Yesterdays Gone) by Fleetwood Mac Click on the contestants names above to watch their performance again.
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| Happy Birthday, Anwar Robinson! Posted: 21 Apr 2010 02:17 PM PDT Anwar Robinson, the formerly dreadlocked music teacher from Season 4, celebrates his birthday today. The seventh place finalist has been busy pursuing his music career since his run on the show in 2005. In 2007 and 2008, Anwar starred as Collins in the touring production of RENT and starred as Jesus in Godspell in Syracuse, NY. He had a role in the 2008 movie Ski Trip 2: Friends and Lovers. Last fall, Anwar released his first solo single, Nights Hot. In October, Anwar, along with big Broadway stars, participated in a salute to the late Michael Jackson at Birdland in New York. Last month, Anwar joined stars such as Michelle Williams of Destinys Child, Musiq Soulchild, and more to record Prayer Song for Hope for Haiti. Happy Birthday, Anwar! View photos of Anwar and the Season 4 gang.
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| ‘Idol’ live chat reminder — special ‘Gives Back’ edition today at 1 p.m. Posted: 21 Apr 2010 02:17 PM PDT After last week's double elimination of Katie Stevens and Andrew Garcia, and looking ahead to the third installment of "Idol Gives Back" tonight, there is so much to talk about! Join us in our weekly chat to discuss the latest on the charity special, the contestants' "inspirational" performances, and all the Season 9 behind-the-scenes scoop we can remember! Plus, how is it that Tim Urban is still around? It all goes down on today at 1 p.m. PDT. Sign up below:. <a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=d32be69a8a" >'American Idol' chat</a>
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| Posted: 21 Apr 2010 02:17 PM PDT The American Idol finalists open up each week in candid video diaries. This week, the Top 7 reveal who inspires them and why they think its important to give back. Click on the finalists names to watch their Idol Gives Back themed diaries: Aaron Kelly The Idol finalists are giving back, are you? Visit the Idol Gives Back website to learn how to donate, where the money goes, who the partners are, and more. Also, the Idol Gives Back online auction ends at 11:59PST tonight. Place your final bids! You can already submit your donations to the Idol Gives Back Foundation. Click here to donate. Tune in Wednesday, April 21st at 8/7… read more
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| Posted: 21 Apr 2010 02:17 PM PDT It was barely halfway through Tuesday's "Inspirational" performance show when this tweet popped up on our feed: "So far, the only thing this episode of 'Idol' has inspired me to do is crush on Lee DeWyze." We second that emotion, but what the show lacked in flair, it made up for in honest-to-goodness from-the-heart delivery, some tears, and one very kooky getup. Read on for this week's burning questions answered by the Idols themselves… What inspired Siobhan Magnus' butterfly look? In part, the 1992 animated movie "FernGully: The Last Rainforest." Just don't call those accoutrements leaves, Simon! "They're butterflies," Siobhan explained after the show. "And for someone who wears the same V-neck every day, he sure has an awful lot to say about my style! Just throwing it out there…" Tsk, tsk, fair lady. Well, Siobhan is the queen of retorts, although her on-screen defense this week was by no means snappy. But back to the clothes, from the shoes to the dress to the hair, it's all as Siobhan imagined — and then some. "Usually when I pick my song, I have a vision of what it should look like," she said. "And this is how it came together."
Was Casey James regretting his song choice? Not at all. It described his "Idol" journey to a tee, which is partly why he chose it. "I love the song," he said. "It's all about looking at things with new eyes, understanding that it can always be worse and that you always have a chance to do something better, because who knows what tomorrow's going to bring…. To me, it doesn't get any better than that." Still, there's no denying the salty reception he received from the judges. "I've been really lucky that most of the time I can't hear what they're saying," he said. "But tonight is unfortunately one of those nights where I could…. They're entitled to their opinions and I've gotta roll with it." Should he stick around another week, Casey promises a song that will "show the other side of me." Here's hoping it's the backside. What's the story with Michael Lynche's list of "Idol"-worthy songs? Talk about thinking ahead, Big Mike has been compiling a list of potential performance numbers since before Season 8! "I keep it in my phone," he explained. "Whatever song I think could work or is just interesting, I'd write it down, and [now], once we get to any week, I look though my list first and see if there's anything that matches up, because I've learned all these songs before I got here." Does foresight make for an advantage? In Big Mike's eyes, it does. "It's good to have a head start by knowing the song so then you can work on your emotion for it, instead of trying to do it all in one week."
How long has Lee DeWyze been contemplating singing "The Boxer"? We first noticed Lee's enthusiasm for all things Simon & Garfunkel during rehearsals last week, so how long has he been planning to perform the folk-rock classic? "I've been listening to it for a long time," he said, "and I wanted it. That kind of music really is what inspired me to start writing and playing guitar." It goes without saying, but the judges' declaration of Lee's "brilliance" went a long way, possibly all the way to the final two. So what kind of musical future does Lee see for himself? "Like a folk-rock-indie-acoustic kind of album is what I'd really like to do." Sign us up! Any more "Idol Gives Back" details to share? Just a few. As we predicted last week, the rock 'n' roll supergroup backing up Mary J. Blige will consist of guitar hero Steve Vai, his young apprentice Orianthi and Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker, though it was unclear whether Randy Jackson would be joining in on bass. We also learned that Mary, along with Alicia Keys, will be performing out of the "Idol" studio, while the vast majority of artists will take the stage at Pasadena Civic Auditorium. As for the Idols, they'll be doing a group number and hoping to survive the impending elimination. But perhaps Crystal put it best when she said quite poignantly, "Tomorrow's show is not about us." Follow @IdolTracker on Twitter
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| Guest blogger Constantine Maroulis compares Casey to Daughtry, explains the female vote Posted: 21 Apr 2010 02:17 PM PDT
I have to say that, overall, this week's "Idol" wasn't entirely inspiring. A few people connected, but there were also some weird song selections that could put Aaron Kelly, Siobhan Magnus and Michael Lynche in trouble. Going by their order on the show, here's my take: Casey James: Just like the judges said, Casey is very consistent. He knows who he is, he wants to make that Huey Lewis-meets-Johnny Lang kind of record — that's where he sees himself. He doesn't want to take any risks because I think he's a bit scared. And that's OK; he's doing his thing, and it's always solid. Chris Daughtry did that too. He came in and did the same kind of thing every week, but he was on a different level, if you ask me. And he was consistent no matter what they said, he did what he did, and he's a monster start right now. Casey's going to make a big record if they get the right songs to him. He's real good looking, he's very likable, he's a good ol' boy, and he's doing a good job each week. I love the guitar, but I want to hear him sing a little bit more. … Bottom line: He's not gonna win, but he'll be in the top three. Lee DeWyze: I get Lee. He's like the blue-collar kid you went to college with, who's really passionate about singing in a band. He's definitely got a really good voice, he's got nice eyes, the chicks dig him, he's kind of like a regular guy, and he was pretty sincere tonight. "The Boxer" is a difficult song. I think when the judges listen back to it, it was maybe a little pitchier than they thought, and there's some diction things going on. I know the song, but if I didn't, I wouldn't understand what he was saying until he got to the chorus. I wish he would tell a little bit more of the story. Alicia Keys is one of the greatest mentors they've ever had, because she's a storyteller, and she's so current. I wish they would have listened to her a little bit more in the storytelling. Like internalizing the lyrics, really conveying, what have you been singing about? I'm not really sure, but with Lee's husky cool sound and an acoustic guitar, it sounded pretty good and was a little bit more sincere than his usual stuff. I think he's probably gonna be in the finals with Crystal. Tim Urban: I really agree with what Kara was saying: I like this new path that he's found. It was a good song that he couldn't quite get a hold of, but while he was off pitch a lot, Tim sang it sincerely, and I think that's kind of his thing. He's found this cool, breathy place in his voice, because he doesn't have a huge voice, but he's insanely likable. He's like this Abercrombie Fitch all-American college boy. The girls love him, and with the right song, he could have a real career after this. I thought it was a good song and that he needed to get more songs like that for a record. And it was a strong effort. I don't think he totally executed it the way he wanted to, he was a little off on his breaths and you feel like he wasn't ready to start, but that's all you get. Michael Lynche: They really harshed on Big Mike, but I think he kind of killed it. One thing about Mike is he's gigantic and probably the best performer out of the bunch in that he always starts the song in one place and it ends somewhere completely different — It's got a beginning, middle and an end. He's also got the background so he kind of knows how to tell a story, then he lets the song settle at the end. It's not just, "Oh, the song's over, let me get to my place." He lets it breathe for a second, and I always appreciate that. He's not a rock singer, and that's a big rock song. I didn't really get the "Spiderman" references, but I thought it was fine for him to sing a song like that. He did a really good job. He was sincere, he's likable, but he's so big that he literally fills up the screen. It's almost distracting — that guitar on him looked more like a mandolin! But I dont know what's going to happen with Mike. When I was on the show, I had never been in the bottom three and then got voted off in one week. Mike could make the comeback to get in the top four, but I just don't see him overcoming that to get to the finale. Mainly because I think Casey and Lee just have so many more women votes than he does. But you never know… With this Top 7, I think each and every one has a shot at making a record right now. And with millions upon millions of people watching, it's all about what they do from here on out. I wish them all the best and would like to offer one last piece of wisdom: songs, songs, songs. – Constantine Maroulis Follow @ConstantineM and @IdolTracker on Twitter Photo: Constantine Maroulis arrives at the 2009 Tony Awards in New York. Credit: Evan Agostini / PictureGroup
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| Buzzmeter: ‘Idol’ experts are divided on this week’s loser Posted: 21 Apr 2010 02:17 PM PDT
We'll find out tonight but see how America's leading "Idol" pundits voted here. And join our live chat today –special "Idol Gives Back" edition — at 1 p.m. PDT to discuss. Photo: Aaron Kelly performing Tuesday night. Credit: Michael Becker / Fox
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| Ann Powers: Inspiration comes hard to most of the Idols Posted: 21 Apr 2010 02:17 PM PDT " These days, in the popular culture realm, "inspirational" is the tag attached to sunset-smeared greeting cards and books like "Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul," heartstrings pullers without a lot of depth or complexity. Applied within music, the term has become a signal of diminished requirements — it's commonly used to describe the Christian Contemporary Music (CCM) sounds of artists such as Michael W. Smith and Amy Grant, who stray from the hymnbook and the stomp of gospel in favor of the ear-tickling truisms of contemporary (often country) pop. This reality didn't bode well for Inspirational Week on "American Idol," though gold-plated soul sister Alicia Keys' presence as mentor suggested, at least, that we wouldn't be subjected to the musical style born when active rock and Nashville had a baby and called it CCM. Instead, we might get sleek post-Whitney Houston gospel and a song by Keys' bud and fellow Africa saver Bono. It wouldn't be pretty, the spectacle of Big Mike shaking the cheap seats with "One," but at least it wouldn't bore. But the Top 7 surprised us Tuesday night. Casey James struck a blow for secular humanism by opening the show with a jumpy version of "Don't Stop" by Fleetwood Mac, a country-rock kick in the pants that apparently counts as inspiration because it got folks out to the polls for Bill Clinton in 1992. Lee DeWyze then chose "The Boxer," a ballad by Jewish Queens boy Paul Simon, cementing the impression that this would be a night of good choices, song-wise. Both leading men stumbled, sadly. Casey started in the wrong key and never quite recovered; Lee failed to listen to Keys' simple advice to pay attention to the words, chopping the song's lyric and rendering it insensible, and doing further damage to Simon's melancholy carol by imbuing it with his trademark post-grunge holler. Then came the beatifically vapid Tim Urban. If ever a week were made for the contestant nurtured by the organization Actors, Models and Talent for Christ, it's this one. He chose a Goo Goo Dolls song to work his penny loafer mojo, but it didn't quite take. The utter failure to breathe, metaphorically, within the music — to fill up with the beauty and the sorrow of creation and then release that grace, magnified — suggested that Urban may never show us anything beyond the shadow of his smile. Strangely, Urban's opposite, the manic hunka love Michael Lynche, revealed the same insensitivity, singing Nickelback front-mullet (OK, he has a bob) Chad Kroeger's "Spider-Man" theme, "Hero." I'm his biggest fan, but since being saved from elimination by the judges, Lynche has been overcompensating. He needs to learn to pull back and stop crushing his songs in the same painful bear hugs he gives everyone he sees. That's the problem with this year's Idol strivers. Nearly to a one, they fall short of the basic requirement of a great live vocal performance — the openness that allows for a singer to be changed by the very experience of singing, and to go beyond what she (and more importantly, perhaps, her audience) thought possible. Aaron Kelly tried for that state, singing R. Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly," which he claimed to have begun exploring in preschool. (Scary thought.) His golden pipes aside, the teen is too unstable a performer to soar. Same with Siobhan Magnus. The bohemian fashionista wasn't as bad as the judges assessed, gently stabbing at Mariah Carey and Houston's monster duet "When You Believe." But she's lost the verve that once made her seem like the sword-wielding heroine of a young adult novel, and now she trembles in her crazy outfits, disenchanted. After so much projected anxiety and so little finesse, the beauty of Crystal Bowersox taking Curtis Mayfield's "People Get Ready" came, at first, as a predictable relief; a feeling-full singer clearly well-versed in counterculture soul music, Bowersox could have sung this selection well after taking an Ambien. Then she broke down at the song's climax. For whatever reason — rumors have been circulating that she's been unhappy on the show, and after her turn she mentioned that her father was in the audience for the first time — Bowersox cried. It wasn't pretty, or graceful, or really at all inspiring; she clearly had lost control. But it hit like a little earthquake, a fissure in the layers of disaffection that have made "Idol" somewhat hard to watch this year. It could be the kind of occurrence that leads to more looseness throughout the cast, and if so, more inspiration. Let's hope there's more than one aftershock – Ann Powers Photo credit: Michael Becker/PictureGroup
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| The Top 7 reveal who inspired them to audition for ‘Idol’ Posted: 21 Apr 2010 02:17 PM PDT
It's "inspirational week," and considering how far Season's 9 Top 7 have come in the competition, we thought it fitting to take them back to the beginning — their audition day — by asking: Who or what inspired you to try out for "American Idol" in the first place? Read on for the finalists' moving answers, and one who admits he auditioned on a dare. Lee DeWyze: Honestly, my friends always told me to do it, my family always told me to do it, and I never wanted to do it. I was playing with my band, and, I'll be honest, I went in with the thought, "Hey, why not? What the hell? Just give it a shot and who knows what could happen." At the time, I didn't think I would ever be here, and here I am! So it was just a quick decision for me. It was like yeah, I'm gonna do it…" Michael Lynche: My wife and my pastor and his wife have been telling me to do it for years and years and years. And I was doing more of a songwriter thing, like behind-the-scenes, just writing for a lot of people and always coddling to the artist. But I was, like, "I'm an artist, too!" So I decided to step out, get off the couch and do it. Crystal Bowersox: My son … because he deserves everything that I didn't have growing up in a lower- to middle-class income family. My kid deserves everything he needs and shouldn't go without. Tim Urban: That's a funny question. I auditioned as sort of a joke. My friends and family told me to audition for years and years and I said "no" for years and years and then finally, I was, like, "Alright. If it comes to Dallas, I'll audition." So I did. I guess I didn't have a real inspiration, so it's not really that great a story. Casey James: Watching a lot of my good friends [who are] musicians play for years and years and getting nowhere, as well as myself. That coupled with my mother pushing me into it and saying, "Do you really wanna spend the next 50 years of your life playing $50 gigs?" That pretty much did it. Aaron Kelly: Being young, I've always watched the show — my favorite season was definitely Carrie Underwood — so I wanted to go and try out for it. I didn't expect to go past the audition, but I said, "What the heck? I'll do it anyway." – Shirley Halperin Follow @IdolTracker on Twitter Photo: From left, contestant Crystal Bowersox, host Ryan Seacrest, contestants Lee DeWyze, Michael Lynche, singer Alicia Keys, contestants Tim Urban, Siobhan Magnus and Aaron Kelly onstage at the April 20 performance show. Credit: Michael Becker / PictureGroup
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| Crystal Bowersox and Ryan Seacrest hug it out Posted: 21 Apr 2010 02:17 PM PDT
Anyone paying attention to the blogosphere over the last few days would have noticed a little item about front-runner Crystal Bowersox coming close to quitting "American Idol" and that Ryan Seacrest was the person who talked her out of it. A couple days after the story broke, former Top 24 contender Katelyn Epperly revealed a text she'd received from Crystal about the matter. It read: "Betrayed by Seacrest." But on Tuesday's show following an emotional finish, Crystal and Ryan embraced, held hands. … He even offered her his white silk hankie, which she later used to accessorize her dress. Did they kiss and make up? "We were never angry with each other," said Crystal after the performance. "Ryan is a great guy, we had a great conversation, and he gave me good advice. There's no beef with me and Ryan." As for the suggestion that she was, at one point, ready to leave, Crystal insists she was always 100% committed. "Of course," she defended, "or I wouldn't be here." One thing's for sure, she will be back next week. But what do you make of the Ryan-Crystal brouhaha? – Shirley Halperin Follow @IdolTracker on Twitter Photo: Ryan
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| From Carrie to Crystal: the making of an American Idol Posted: 21 Apr 2010 02:17 PM PDT
What On Sunday, the Checotah, Okla., native, who was Season 4's winner in Clearly, the adoration for Underwood as a performer hasn't waned since her More than any contestant prior, Bowersox legitimizes "Idol." Over the But Crystal doesn't just see In that sense, Carrie and Crystal couldn't be more different. Carrie's There are some who would say that Taylor Hicks could have been that It was during an episode in late March 2005 when Cowell He made So now the question remains: What kind of Idol Look into your crystal ball (ha!) and tell us what you see transpiring. – Shirley Halperin Follow @IdolTracker on Twitter Top photo: Crystal Bowersox is seen backstage at
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| ‘Idol’ gamble: Crystal Bowersox is bettors’ fave, but who has Adam Lambert’s vote? Posted: 21 Apr 2010 02:17 PM PDT Despite all that (apparently exaggerated) talk about her almost leaving the show, Crystal Bowersox remains the odds-on favorite to win among the betting set. "Much like all the other millions of American Idol fans, online sportsbooks have been following Season 9 of American Idol since before the voting lines even opened and online bettors can get in on the action by placing a wager using American Idol entertainment betting odds," explains the online gambling information site USA Players, before posting the odds on "Idol's" remaining seven contenders. And they are … Crystal Bowersox -118 Lee Dewyze +300 Siobhan Magnus +300 Casey James +400 Michael Lynche +1500 Aaron Kelly +4000 Tim Urban +4000 That's too not far from the ranking Adam Lambert has given this year's batch of hopefuls as well. Lambert told MTV News that, after mentoring the gang last week and finding everyone "really sweet and really friendly and really receptive," he did emerge with a few favorites. "There's some amazing voices this year. I think Crystal, Casey, Lee and Michael, for me, those four really stand out as authentic, pure, amazing vocals," he said. Notably absent from Lambert's lineup, you might notice, is one Siobhan Magnus. And Magnus' uncle, Alan Ware, also a musician, has stepped forward to say his niece has been undersold by the judges too. "She's such a great singer. It is annoying when the judges go, 'I didn't think that was so great,'" Ware (who is apparently free to speak to the press without breaking "Idol" rules since he is not a member of Magnus' immediate family) told the Boston Herald. "Siobhan comes out every single week and puts on a show. I think that is what the audience is responding to. She's performing and dressing up and playing to the camera and working the audience. That takes a lot of effort. I think she is doing a much better job in performing the songs than anybody else." However, Ware does think Siobhan could learn a thing or two from perpetual underdog Tim Urban when it comes to shaking off the judges' criticism. "Tim has done a good job of smiling (and laughing off their remarks), and I think Siobhan could take a page from that book," he said. – Amy Reiter
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| Wednesday chat at 1 p.m. — special ‘Idol Gives Back’ edition Posted: 21 Apr 2010 02:17 PM PDT After last week's double elimination of Katie Stevens and Andrew Garcia, and looking ahead to the third installment of "Idol Gives Back" on Wednesday night, there is so much to talk about! Join us in our weekly chat to discuss the latest on the charity special, the contestants' "Inspirational" performances, and all the season 9 behind-the-scenes scoop we can remember! Plus, how is it that Tim Urban is still around? It all goes down on Wednesday at 1 p.m. PDT. Sign up below for a reminder. <a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=d32be69a8a" >'American Idol' chat</a>
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What triggered Crystal's emotional breakdown and how come the recap footage didn't show her crying? As the dreadlocked wonder told the judges soon after her final note, having her dad in the audience was a crying fit waiting to happen. "He hasn't been out here to see any of the show yet," Crystal explained. "He was wearing sunglasses, because, if he cried, he was trying to hide it, and I looked up and saw the mirror of his sunglasses and I was, like, I know he's crying. And I love my dad — he'd go through hell or high water for me." As for why the recap footage didn't show her breakdown, those performance clips are always pulled from the dress rehearsal earlier in the afternoon, when she ran through "People Get Ready" with dry eyes and a controlled end. 
Does Aaron Kelly have a new nickname? He does indeed, but it's not A. Kelly as Ryan Seacrest joked. It's Aar Bear (pronounced "air-bare"). "There's a new one every week," said Aaron, again wearing the dog-tag necklace gifted to the finalists by Carrie Underwood (upon closer inspection, it's from Tiffany & Co. and has a heart with the letters C and U engraved on the back). Big Mike took it upon himself to elaborate for the kid of few words: "I think Aar Bear works better for getting him a date for prom instead of Yoda." So prom's on the agenda? "Hopefully … I don't know," said Aaron in his best David Archuleta. Big Mike offered an alternative: "'Idol' prom!"
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