American Idol Is Back!

Written by Jon Williams

On Monday of this week, the popular reality singing show American Idol capped off its sixteenth season by crowning Maddie Poppe as its new champion. This season was the show’s first on ABC following fifteen on Fox followed by a two-year hiatus. Ryan Seacrest returned as the show’s host, where he was joined by new judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan. Along with Poppe, some other names to watch for from this season as their musical careers unfold include Caleb Lee Hutchinson, Gabby Barrett, Cade Foeher, Michael J. Woodard, Catie Turner, and Ada Vox.

Once one of the most popular shows on television, if not the most popular, ratings had declined for Idol’s last few seasons on Fox. Nevertheless, it still managed to produce some phenomenal musical talent. The most recent winner, Trent Harmon, released his debut album You Got ‘Em All last week, while that season’s runner-up, La’Porsha Renae, released hers last year. Other winners from this stretch include Nick Fradiani, Caleb Johnson (whose debut album is currently out of print), and Candice Glover.

Prior to that, Seasons 1 through 11 were the show’s heyday, shining a spotlight on a number of young singers that would emerge as musical superstars. The audience was hooked from the start, when Kelly Clarkson took the first season crown over runner-up Justin Guarini. She is now one of the biggest names in music. The same can be said for Carrie Underwood, the winner of Season 4, who served as a mentor this season and whose new album Cry Pretty is coming in September. She’s carved out an enormous career in country music, as has Season 10 winner Scotty McCreery, who dropped his most recent album, Seasons Change, in March. Other winners from these seasons are Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Taylor Hicks, Jordin Sparks, David Cook, Kris Allen, Lee DeWyze, and Phillip Phillips.

Of course, sometimes contestants that don’t win end up doing pretty well for themselves in the music world as well. One of the biggest names to come out of American Idol has been Jennifer Hudson, who actually placed seventh in the show’s third season, and who has won an Academy Award for her acting skills in addition to two Grammy Awards for her music. The Season 8 runner-up was Adam Lambert, who has had an impressive solo career, toured as the frontman for Queen, and starred as Eddie in the 2016 version of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Other notables include Katharine McPhee, Chris Daughtry, Kellie Pickler, Danny Gokey, Crystal Bowersox, and Colton Dixon, while a number of alumni, including Season 10’s Haley Reinhart and Casey Abrams, have performed as part of musical sensation Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox.

So make sure you have music from all these winners and contestants on your shelves and be on the lookout for upcoming albums from this season’s performers as well, because Idol is back. The show has already been renewed for a second season on ABC and seventeenth overall, with Ryan Seacrest and all of this season’s judges returning. With the show back in the spotlight, your patrons will be looking for music from all these incredible performers.

Congratulations Phillip Phillips, American Idol Season 11 Winner

Written by Danielle Desmond and Heather Brown

It’s a man’s world when it comes to reigning American Idol winners. Last Wednesday, Georgia native, Phillip Phillips was crowned the 11^th American Idol. Phillip took the title, leaving the young and talented diva to be Jessica Sanchez with the runner-up spot, which in American Idol history is not a bad placement either.

Many fans believed that Phillip’s debut song, Home, was what earned him the title, along with his handsome grin and guitar. The American Idol finale was filled with surprise performances from Neil Diamond, John Fogerty, Rihanna, Jordin Sparks, Reba McEntire, Jennifer Lopez, and Aerosmith. The top 12 contestants also returned to the Idol stage before launching their summer tour! Nothing like a little practice to 30 million viewers who tuned in to watch the finale.

Ryan Seacrest reported that a record-breaking 165 Million votes came in for Phillip and Jessica via text, twitter, and phone. NYDailyNews.com  is reporting that over a million Facebook comments and tweets were posted (the most in American Idol history), proving that our social media age is growing at a rapid pace.

Personally, I loved Phillip’s song Home. In fact, I didn’t know that it was written for him and I kept trying to find whose song he was performing. We have followed these contestants since January. They deserve the best and hopefully the fans that followed them all this time will stick with them during their blooming music career. Universal Music is saying that Phillip Phillip’s debut album will be released in July. 

Midwest Tape is in on the hunt for all new Idol musicians to make sure your library patrons have the most recent and new music from the best American Idol has to offer! Who knows what will happen to the fate of American Idol. With the rumors of Jennifer Lopez leaving, to all the new singing competition shows out there, one thing is for sure: there is a ton of talent needed to be heard! 

Thanks for reading this season, and again a big Congratulations to Mr. Phillip Phillips! We are looking forward to hearing your music. 

What are your thoughts on this season's competition?

The Road to the American Idol Finale

Written by Danielle Desmond and Heather Brown

I really didn’t think we would see Phillip Phillips in the finale this week, but sadly over the past couple weeks America has voted off sweet Hollie Cavanagh and Gospel sensation Joshua Ledet. This is one of the most painful times to be voted off; Hollie was eliminated right before the hometown visit, and Joshua just missed the finale.

I think everyone knew Hollie would not make it to the hometown episode after an uneventful rendition of Journey’s Faithfully. Everyone in the world knows this song and it touches each of us differently and Hollie unfortunately couldn’t get us there. When you are this far into the competition you can’t just sing well, you have to have everyone remember your performance. Technically, she did sing fine, but with a popular tune it needs to be perfect. Her second song “I Can’t Make You Love Me” by Bonnie Raitt fell just as short too. Hollie just wasn’t old enough to understand the heart-wrenching emotions of unrequited love, and she again kept the audience at a distance from emotional connection.

Next on the chopping block right before the finale, probably the worst place to be voted off was Joshua Ledet. Joshua brought his powerful voice, unforgettable dance moves, and humble attitude every week delivering standing ovation performances. I was very surprised to see him go, especially after his inspirational hometown visit to Louisiana.

The Top 3 performers had three rounds of singing, first round songs were chosen by the judges, second round a song of their choosing, and the third round they had to perform a song chosen by their music mentor Jimmy Iovine. Host, Ryan Seacrest mentioned that this was the closest race American Idol has ever seen. 

Jessica Sanchez has truly won the heart of not only America but Steven Tyler who said that he truly believes she will be the last one standing. Phillip Phillips really rocked out and had Randy Jackson rooting for him and yelling “YOU ARE WHO YOU ARE AND WE LOVE IT” The judges also praised Joshua but sadly someone has to be voted off.

The results show included performances from former Idol contestant, Adam Lambert, and rock star Lisa Marie Presley who both have new albums out!  After performances, Ryan Seacrest read the fateful results sending Joshua Ledet home one week before the finale.

Still standing is the young and vociferous Jessica Sanchez and guitar playing heart throb Phillip Phillips. The Two-Night Season Finale airs Tues/Wed on Fox with the Top 12 performers returning to perform along with some other surprise performances. Don’t forget to tune in and vote!

Will Jessica Sanchez break the streak and be the first girl to win American Idol since Season 6?

British Tunes Don’t Help Country Starlet Skylar Laine

It was British Night on the Idol stage with five remaining contestants left in the 11^th season. I must say I was waiting the entire time for a Beatles or a Bowie song but I was satisfied with the CCR covers, so all is forgiven Idol wanabees. Here we are down to five contestants-two phenoms, two dark horses, and one disaster.

First up was a young Brit herself, Hollie Cavanagh. Most people don’t know that but Hollie was born in Liverpool but raised here in the US. Hmmm…I wonder if she will be our first British Born American Idol? Young Hollie took the stage with the River Deep Mountain High by the legendary Ike and Tina Turner and nailed it with a flawless delivery. Her second song of the evening was by Grammy Award Winner Leona Lewis. Cavanagh took on Lewis’ famous and more recent song Bleeding Love and even though Steven Tyler didn’t know the song, all of the judges sang her praises.

Phillip Phillips, yes he is still in the competition, he and all of his grey t-shirts. Phillip and Joshua sang The Righteous Brothers You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling and when Phillip opened up and sang that first note I thought he was a goner, especially singing that song with Joshua who sounded 100% better than Phillip. But America must have loved his covers of The Letter by Box Tops and Time of The Season by The Zombies because he was safe and is moving on as one of the final four contestants. He has to have a overwhelming fan base out there especially after so many detrimental performances throughout the season.

Holy Dress Jessica Sanchez! Her dress received more buzz than her amazing rendition of Proud Mary and Joe Cocker’s You Are So Beautiful. Twitter was buzzing about how the dress she wore was too mature for her, I thought she looked amazing in the dress and her performance was just as unforgettable. J LO of course defended the dress where as Lovine said it may have made some people uncomfortable. I have to disagree because America voted to keep Jessica another week. I am sure we are all wondering what she will sing and wear for tonight’s performance.

Front runner and R&B sensation Joshua Ledet delivered another memorable performance of Aint Too Proud to Beg by The Temptations and To Love Somebody by The Bee Gees. J LO has said that Joshua Ledet is one of the best singers in the last 50 years and Lovine was quoted “he deserves greatness” Joshua has the judges and coaches hooked, but he needs to keep America believing. As the competition comes to a close he will have to keep delivering ten times more than he already has to really shock viewers.

America’s country starlet, peppy, bubbly, and humble, Skylar rushed the stage with all that she had belting out CCR’s Fortunate Son. Unfortunately though it wasn’t enough for Ms. Laine as she was voted off the competition on Thursday’s elimination round. It’s hard to lose anybody,” said Judge Jennifer Lopez. “Losing anybody is really tough right now.” And Randy Jackson sat there in awe shaking his head. Many of us saw Skylar as a front runner, especially since she was a strong country act, I think this definitely threw everyone when it was Skylar going home over Holly. Tears were shed, but there is no doubt that Skylar’s phone was ringing off the hook with potential record deals. This is not the end of Skylar Laine, I can tell you that.

American Idol is on tonight on Fox at 8/7c when the final four contestants take on songs from The Golden State. Jennifer Lopez and Season 7 Winner David Cook perform.

Written by Danielle Desmond and Heather Brown

6 Performers Take on the Ballads of Queen in Hopes for the Idol Throne

Written by Danielle Desmond and Heather Brown

It was a night of Queen Songs as Roger Taylor and Brian Mann helped Jimmy as celebrity mentors. I must say I was still waiting anxiously for Colton Dixon to appear up there on stage and it was a big reality check when he didn’t… The performances were split into two categories, okay performances vs. awesome performances. First round the contestants chose a song from Queen and the second round they could chose any song they wished to perform.

Jessica Sanchez did a nice job with Bohemian Rap City (Although my favorite cover of Bohemian Rap City if obviously from Wayne’s World…Excellent!) Sanchez then took the stage and delivered a goosebump worthy performance of Luther Vandross’ Dance with My Father (Again). J Lo commented that the original was one of her favorite songs, and Jessica’s rendition was the best she had ever heard it sung.  

Another awesome performance of the evening was from front runner Joshua Ledet with Crazy Little Thing Called Love and Ready for Love. He slowed it down for Ready for Love and for once, he tenderly sang a song instead of screaming it in his gospel way. Truly amazing performance. “Goosies” number two!

Country girl Skylar Laine put a little twang into Queen’s The Show Must Go On and then of course performed Jason Aldean’s Tattoos on This Town. GASP! Skylar chose a country song; I know you were all shocked just as much as we were. The contestants this season are very predictable. However I think that no matter what the outcome in this season of Idol I think that if Skylar makes an album, it will do the best. She’s young, her voice is catchy, and the country music/Taylor Swift demographic will eat it up.  

Hollie Cavanagh performed the 1980 hit Save Me and save her they did, Hollie was the last in the bottom next to Elise who went home on the show last Thursday. Good song choice Hollie, America got the message. However she probably remains in the competition because of her show stopping performance of the evening when she belted out Miley Cyrus’ The Climb. During her stint on stage this round, she gave the judges that emotional connection they’ve been begging for. Congrats Hollie for proving them wrong!

Phillip Phillips or as some here at Midwest Tape will refer to him as Mr. Gray sang Fat Bottom Girls and then Dave Matthews Band’s The Stone.  He missed the mark on Fat Bottom Girls and sounded out of breath the entire time. However, he must have a huge fan base to still be this far in the competition. And unless you are a Dave Matthews fan you probably had no idea what his second choice song was. I will admit to being a DMB follower so I did enjoy his cover of The Stone. However, this is not a Dave Matthews Cover Band competition.

Sadly though it was the end of the road for one Idol hope. Rocker singer and Steven Tyler’s favorite Elise Testone was voted off after I Want It All and Bold as Love. It was kind of ironic that Elise picked the song with the lyrics “I WANT IT ALL I WANT IT NOW” and then she is voted off.  Sorry Elise but it appears as if you won’t be getting it all.

Tune into American Idol tomorrow night on Fox at 8pm as the five hopefuls continue their journey as we get closer to the finale.  This weeks theme is BRITISH INVASION. Hopefully they will leave Adele at home and bring a little Beatle love to the competition. 

American Idol Recap: The Week They Played the Save

Last week on American Idol our remaining contests sang songs from this decade. Surprisingly, we didn't hear any Adele! Disappointed? Turn on your radio! There she is! Akon showed up to mentor, and Tommy Hilfiger attempted to give fashion advice again.

The Gals

Skylar and Jessica both took risks last week, performing songs that weren't exactly mainstream and also challenging. 

Skylar performed a Kellie Pickler song. If we didn't know the tune, we would've thought it was a Skylar original! While she picked country, it didn't bother us this week. She sounded phenomenal, played the guitar well, and really packed some emotion into her performance. Skylar is definitely the show's dark horse. If Colton and Phillip weren't thundering down the race track of every teenage girl's lusty heart, I'd say she was the top pony.

Jessica's performance of "Stuttering" was incredible. We'd never heard the song, but the judges knew it and praised Jessica for her ability to tackle a difficult song with such control, poise, and technique. It, too, sounded like an original recording. 

Elise took on Lady Gaga. She put her own style on "You and I" instead of trying to imitate the great Gaga, which was probably smart. However, she didn't do the song any justice. In fact, it was kind of bad. As Simon would've once said: "very karaoke." Haley Reinhart sang the stuff out of this song last season before it was even a Lady Gaga radio hit.

Poor, sweet Hollie. She dressed up like a pink feather duster and decided to do a sweet and slow version of Pink's "Perfect." Although her performance was better than the previous week, it wasn't at the caliber of Skylar and Jessica. Not even by a long shot. Also, her song choice spoke volumes about her insecurities. Her absolute lack of stage presence didn't help, either. 

The judges only made things worse. "You look really pretty tonight" was all J. Lo said, and Steven Tyler said "not your best, but you look great." The audience didn't boo in response to their critiques. Just silence. Awkward, much? Must have been because Randy made a comment, making things more awkward..

The Guys
Joshua Ledet was a true entertainer this week. He went all Bruno Mars, even with his dancing and getup. He blew everyone away and got a standing ovation. 

Then there was Colton and Phillip. Shall we compare? Jimmy Iovine likes to, so why not us? Colton says he wants to win and "doesn't want to be compared to anyone...especially Phillip." Ooo, we got a rivalry a-brewing. How does Phillip respond? "Oh I don't care about being compared. Colton is a cool guy." Way to put the kibosh on the rivalry before it even took flight, Phillip. Aren't you just too cool for school. Do you even really want to win this? Or were you just looking for some exposure so you could buy some more gray thermal shirts?

In our eyes, Colton is better than Phillip. There really isn't any comparing, though. Two totally different sounds, styles, and skill sets. Colton is improving, showing us something different every week. We've seen his rocking moments, tender moments behind the piano, leader-of-the-band attempts, and he's done well at all of them. 

As for Phillip, he's fading into the shadows of the stage. He's not an entertainer. He's a Dave Matthews-wannabe. We already have a Dave Matthews and he's way better. Stop holding your guitar like him, growling like him, and awkwardly dancing like him. 

Phillip may think he's getting far in this competition because of his talent and his "I'm all about the music, man" attitude, but really it is his easy smile and blue eyes. Young girls are voting for you because you're purtty, Phillip. Maybe we're being harsh, but Phil didn't know the Gotye song and that warrants us to make a lot of judgmental comments about appearance. Hot Girl Problems, Phil. Hot. Girl. Problems.

Egad! The Save!
Performance night had a couple stand outs and one flop (Hollie). For some reason, though, the bottom three were Joshua Ledet, Elise Testone, and Jessica Sanchez. Elisa, we can understand, but Jessica and Joshua?! Really, America? Maybe it's Vote for the Worst or the fan bases in the south or that folks just thought that she would be safe, but the lights of doom fell on Jessica Sanchez.

She began to sing for her life on the verge of tears. Not too far in, though, the judges flooded the stage, grabbed her mic, and told her she was safe. For once we agreed completely with the judges and Jimmy Iovine in using the save. Jessica deserves to be in this competition. And golf clap for Randy Jackson who scolded America, saying "This is one of the best singers ever! [Exaggerate much, Randy?] This is a singing competition! You got to vote for the best!" 

The show ended in chaos so we have no idea if two contestants will go home tomorrow night. Either way, it's time to get ready for "Songs from Now and Then"? Huh? Here's hoping they mean songs from the film Now and Then and not just a combination of "Songs from the Year You Were Born" and "Songs from this Decade." Get more creative, Idol.

Great Scot! It's 80s Idol!

Last week's American Idol theme was music from the '80s. It was music only, though, with no one trying to capture the style of the decade. Way to not have fun, Idol contestants. Also, no one sang "(Don't You) Forget About Me." After the performances, though, we're actually glad no one attempted the classic tune.

So onto tonight's million dollar question: Were any of the remaining contestants even born in the 80s?

The Guys

Joshua Ledet commented that he'd never heard of his song, "If You Don't Know Me by Now". It's surprising that these contestants, who apparently LUV music and immerse themselves in it, don't know top hits from the past generation. Nonetheless, Joshua did an okay job. We're tiring of the soul man because everything is sounding the same—screechy and overly emotional.

Speaking of screeching, what about Phil? Phil's facial gestures indicate that it hurts to sing! Phil, when you slow it down and sing without growling painfully into the microphone, you seem lost. No one should be lost singing Genesis. Jimmy was quite critical of Phil last week, saying: "In my opinion, this was Phillip's worst performance of the entire show...It's difficult to push yourself when everyone's telling you you're so great." Ooo! You tell him, Jimmy!

While the comment probably bothered Phil, he tried to play it cool. However, his retort seemed to show his lack of appreciation for his fans rather than Jimmy: "I don't care about the hype or shakin' hands with the crowd, or dancing around stage. I'm just hear to sing and play music." Phil, listen. If you don't please your fans, you'll soon be singing in a garage to no one. 

As for the other guys, Colton put his emo spin on "Time After Time." The judges really liked it with Steven telling Colton that he could make a record right now. DeAndre did well, too, and his hair totally matched the theme. In all seriousness, we think he gave his best performance yet. He could be the next El DeBarge! 

The Girls
How did the girls fair? Well, poor Elise couldn't find a note in her rendition of "I Wanna Know What Love Is." Unfortunately, it was her worst performance yet. I don't know if she couldn't hear the band/melody or what, but she was flatter than a pancake. She deserved to be in the bottom three (again). 

Hollie followed Elisa dressed in an outfit from homecoming circa 2001 and singing "What a Feeling." She definitely did not perform well, but the judges were a bit critical of her pitch. Sure, the beginning was pitchy, but once she hit the chorus, she was on a roll. J'Lo gave her honest advice about letting go and just singing, which was spot on. Hollie shook her head in agreement, and Jimmy said she'd be there with DeAndre possibly going home.

On the opposite end of the spectrum were Jessica and (for once) Skylar. After a series of predictable performances, Skyler wow'd us. She sang "Wind Beneath my Wings" fantastically. We finally got to hear her range without the unnecessary screaming of the entire song. Nice job, Skylar! 

Jessica's choice of "How Will I Know" came across well. It was her second successful Whitney Houston performance. She was entertaining—using the stage and dancing a bit. In her attempt at another upbeat song, she controlled her vibrato much better than when she sang Gloria Estefan.

The Results
So following 80s-cover night, the results show had DeAndre, Elise, and Hollie in the bottom three. We thought for sure Elise would go because of her awful performance, but no, the lights of dejection fell on DeAndre. He sang for his life, and Jimmy gave his two cents:

"No, Jennifer. No, Randy. No, Steven! DeAndre was not great," Jimmy said. "DeAndre needs to come out and grow at a much faster pace. If you look at the boys, Joshua is growing leaps and bounds; DeAndre is growing marginally. DeAndre was the weakest of [the] boys last night. He could be going home unless Jennifer, who's been supporting him this entire show, saves him. Jen?"

Alas, J'Lo couldn't convince Randy and Steven to save the young man and DeAndre was sent packing. Not that we would've saved DeAndre either, but we get the feeling the judges are holding onto their save for Colton or Phil, especially after last year's Pia-Casey debacle. Got news for you, though, judges. Those two will make it to the final four along with Skylar and Jessica. Can you even use the save that late in the game?

So that's the recap. Onward to this week's show where the contestants will undoubtedly butcher songs from...this decade? Like 2010-2012? Because we haven't heard these songs enough on the radio. Adele anyone?

Idol Hopefuls Sing Songs of their Idols and It’s All a Bit Karaoke

Last week on American Idol the remaining nine contestants sang songs from their own musical idols. Big shoes to fill! Among the judges and online recaps, the general consensus seems to be that the Top Nine did fine. Mentored by Stevie Nicks, the contestants seem to have lived up to expectations.

Not! How can so many folks think the night was an overall success, when in reality, everything was pretty much karaoke?

The Average
Elise Testone chose “Whole Lotta Love” by Led Zeppelin. No one got the choice, but then she performed, and we all nodded our heads and said, “well, I guess she actually does an OK Zeppelin impression.” Elise had fun with the song and busted out just about every dance move in her arsenal for this performance. Unfortunately, it all came off a bit dated and spastic. Also, she wore Miranda Lambert's pants. Don't tell Skylar. Also, don't tell Miranda Lambert that her pants look like something Steven Tyler would wear.

Heejun Han rebounded from the awful awfulness that was Billy Joel night and showed off his wonderful tone with Donny Hathaway’s “A Song for You.” Heejun did a great job being professional and serious. Unfortunately, he was too serious. He lost all his charm, and while he sang well, his performance was nothing special.

On to Jessica Sanchez. The judges don’t want her to take risks. They only want her singing ballads, so she did a hypnotic and slow cover of Beyonce’s “Sweet Dreams.” She did a great job—as did the set designers, so much fog and doorways! But was the cover too slow? Can Jessica really only sing ballads? The girl has got to find one perky song to cover. Everyone has an up-tempo track on their album.

When Stevie Nicks first heard Phillip Phillips in rehearsal, she said: “I think he’s going to be very famous.” Way to give Phil an unneeded confidence boost. He already turned his nose up at Tommy Hilfiger and Puff Daddy for goodness sake! Phil sang “Still Rainin’” by Jonny Lang. Why on earth did he not pick a Dave Matthews Band song. That would’ve been the best. Dave Matthews sound-a-like sings Dave Matthews. Ha!

So Phil did the Johnny Lang song and it was safe. He rocked out on his electric guitar and everyone cheered. The end.

The Bad
Gospel aficionado Joshua Ledet sang Mariah Carey’s “Without You.” Jimmy Lovine called the song one of the top five most difficult pop songs to sing. Joshua Ledet didn’t let that scare him, though, and he went out and gave a somewhat pitchy rendition. Who's voting for Joshua really? Can he just keep doing the gospel thing with every song? Branch out, Joshua. Also, show us some personality beyond loving crawfish.

Don’t get mad at us, emo teen girl. We like Colton Dixon. We do. We just don’t like him singing “Everything” by Lifehouse. You could tell Colton loved singing this song, but it was just too safe. There were no surprises, no changes. Just Colton looking like he’s going to burst into tears as he wails into the mic. Hold it together, Colton. Sure, you’re a front runner, but Lifehouse doesn’t match your musical style or image. You seem more like a Dashboard Confessional kind of guy.

The Gotta-Go
So, Skylar Laine, we hear you absolutely LOVE Miranda Lambert. Can you show us how much by yelling “Gunpowder and Lead” while dancing like you’re at a honky tonk? Ok, now while dancing, get out of breath and start panting some of the lyrics. Now, act really excited like you’ve been performing this in your bedroom since you were toddler and it has always been your dream to do this song on Idol. Perfect. Thanks.

All right, DeAndre Brackensick! Bring that falsetto back! Wait, wait. Don’t do it through the whole song. And why choose such a sad number? “Sometimes I Cry” is a beautiful tune, sure, but it’s sad and just doesn’t suit you.

Someone also has to pick a former Idol winner as their idol. For this round, it's  Hollie Cavanagh and she likes Carrie Underwood. Hollie should’ve taken a risk and done one of Carrie’s more up-tempo, edgy songs. Instead, she sang “Jesus take the Wheel,” which has been done numerous times. Hollie sounded like any girl who loves country. And that’s the problem. It was forgettable. No wow factor. Hollie needs a moment in the worst way or she’s outta here.

Lucky for Hollie, American didn’t like Heejun’s seriousness and sent him packing. Before Heejun got the boot Nicki Minaj performed this year’s “Super Bass,” a new club jam called “Starships.” In case you didn’t notice, Nicki Minaj is terrible at lip synching.

And then there were eight. Tomorrow they’re breaking out the leg warms, hairspray, and neon for 80s night. Fingers crossed for a karaoke-free evening — and for someone to sing “(Don’t You) Forget About Me” from The Breakfast Club.

Billy Joel Celebrated with Tommy Hilfiger, Diddy, and Bad Performances

Last week on American Idol the Top Ten performed Billy Joel songs. It was a vast improvement on the previous week when they sang songs from the years they were born. However, the night still had many moments of mediocrity, which is a bit surprising seeing that the Billy Joel songbook is, well, the Billy Joel friggin' songbook!

Billy Joel wasn’t actually there to mentor the kids, so Idol got the closet thing: Diddy (Puff Daddy) and Tommy Hilfiger. Puffy gave some singing advice and Tommy gave style tips. Of course, pretty much no one took the fashion advice.

Phillip Phillips was told not to wear gray. What did he do? He wore TWO gray shirts! 

His reasoning for ignoring the Hilfiger: "I don't care about image. The music has to be noticed first." We get what you’re saying, Phil, you groovy hipster, you. But listen, you’re on a pop star talent show not a competition to put together a Dave Matthews cover band. This isn’t the early 90s. Nowadays, no matter the genre, looks and style matter. Notice Dave Grohl no longer looks like he’s in Nirvana.

The two contestants that did listen: Erika Van Pelt and Hollie Cavanaugh. Erika chopped and colored her hair and donned a more rocker, predominantly black getup. While according to Best Week Ever she resembled Kris Jenner, she looked great overall and seemed more confident. 

Young Aussie-Irish-Southern Hollie adorned sparkles in a more age appropriate outfit. Bravo to both Erika and Hollie. You’re only on Idol once. Take advantage of the entire experience!

Shall we discuss the singing? 

Stand Outs

Colton Dixon covered “Piano Man.” Perhaps it was the emotive lighting or the bangin’ red piano, but this was quite the performance. Colton made the song his own, appealing to the masses of young girls adorning black eyeliner for the first time and reading YA dystopian fiction. America (including the Judges) must all be rocking eye liner and reading Divergent because it would seem we all have Colton Fever.

Did you know everybody has a dream? Jessica Sanchez does. Of course, her dream might be grander than others as proven with her heartfelt rendition of “Everybody Has a Dream.” That girl just keeps bringing it. She definitely has the “it” factor—stage presence and immense vocal talent. Lots of people swear she’s going it win it all. Sure, she has a solid chance, but so did Jennifer Hudson, Melinda Doolittle, and Pia Toscano. Let’s hope the odds continue to be ever in Ms. Sanchez’s favor.

Good

Elise Testone has a raspy voice, and it’s growing on us—in a good way. She is a natural performer, and while her singing isn’t flawless, it has a quality that is lacking from modern pop music.

Erika Van Pelt is from Rhode Island, but she still sang “New York State of Mind.” And with her new Kris Jenner meets Pink look, she sang it with confidence. Of course, she didn’t take any risks with the song and it was a bit lounge singer-like, but all in all, she did well. The judges seem to genuinely like her, or they’re just really desperate for a woman to win.

Idol’s soul man, Joshua Ledet, let us down a bit this week. Performing “She’s Got a Way,” Joshua laid it out with tons of gospel, but very little soul. He hit all the notes, did some runs, and probably gave America goose pimples, but—as pointed out by J. Lo—he didn’t seem to connect with the lyrics. In order to truly have a moment, as he has in previous weeks, Joshua has to connect emotionally with his songs. It is very difficult to pull off gospel if you’re not fully immersed in the melody, lyrics, and mood of a song.

While he ignored Mr. Hilfiger’s fashion advice and Puff Daddy’s recommendation to sing without his guitar, Phillip Phillips still did fine. He did a very angst-filled, rock rendition of “Movin’ Out,” and the judges ate it up like a hot fudge sundae. We’re not so easily convinced, though. America will keep voting for him because he’s easy on the eyes and fun like Taylor Hicks. But does anyone remember Taylor Hicks? Phil, listen, you do not want to end up like Taylor Hicks.

Phil needs to start taking risks. In addition to his fans, he needs to appeal to the music industry, too. Challenge yourself, Phil. This is a once in lifetime opportunity. Learn something from this experience.

Supremely Awful.

Wow, there are so many. Let’s start with poor, sweet Hollie. She’s a doll, really, she is. The outfit, while more youthful, was distracting, and Hollie seemed uncomfortable wearing it. To top it off, she sincerely struggled through “Honesty.”  Her voice is powerful, but her rendition was uber pitchy.

Skylar sang country? Plain, ol’ simple, safe country? Ya don’t say. We didn’t see that coming at all. She sang a Garth Brooks version of “Shameless.” That’s all we can really say. We’ve pretty much forgotten it entirely at this point.

Oh boy, DeAndre needs to get the boot. To quote Best Week Ever, “He’s a sweet kid with a good heart but I’m kind of over the whole hair down Carlton dance move, which funny enough, is his only move.” He also has yet to blow us away with any performance. And his cover of “Only the Good Die Young” was awful. It was like DeAndre was performing at Disney World in the 1990s and he actually was trying to perform “Under the Sea” from the classic animated film The Little Mermaid. Give it a rest, DeAndre. You can’t even compete with Sebastian and he’s a talking lobster.

To round out the supremely awful: Heejun. What a silly guy. We agree with Steven Tyler—it's time to get serious. Heejun started off with a ballad and then told the pianist to stop because he wanted to dance. Even though the whole thing was planned, it was awkward. Still, he owned the song. Owned the whole horrible thing. Did he sing? Scream? Grunt? Did he even really dance like he wanted to? We’re not sure. We averted our eyes half the time.

Based on this summation you’d think Heejun went home, right? While he was in the bottom two, the guillotine actually fell upon Erika Van Pelt. America couldn’t connect with her old look and they didn’t embrace her new one, either. At least she got a free makeover out of the whole thing.

The Top Nine now move into the haunted Idol mansion (it's probably a different mansion than last year, but let's hope this one is haunted, too) where they will prepare for tomorrow night. They’ll be singing songs by their own musical idols. Producer Nigel Lythgoe has hinted that the contestants will be covering songs by such artists as Beyonce, Mariah, Miranda, Lifehouse, Daughtry, and Led Zeppelin. Can you guess who is singing which artist?  

American Idol Recap: Two for the Price of One!

Surprise! American Idol kicked off Jermaine Jones before performance night this week, because they discovered he had four outstanding warrants. In the past, Idol has skipped eliminating another contestant if someone had to go due to unforeseen circumstances. 

Not this time, though! This week was a two-for-one special. Not only did Jermaine go, but so did the contestant with the lowest number of votes. And with that, American Idol has their Top Ten, meaning these contestants go on the tour, picking up a paycheck and music industry experience.

On Wednesday, contestants sang songs from the year they were born, and since most of the contestants are essentially infants, the songs selected were fairly current. All in all the night was filled with mediocre performances. Skylar at one point told the judges, "ya'll are bein' mean." No, poor, sweet, Southern Skylar, the judges were actually just doing their jobs (for once!) and being critical. And it's not mean if, in general, the performances are lackluster and forgettable. 

The Guys

Phillip Phillips started the night with an okay (almost karaoke) performance of The Black Crowes' "Hard to Handle." The judges were gracious to Phillip because he had surgery that week and still performed quite well. His song selection was within his wheel-house, and while he seems to be almost mimicking Dave Matthews at times, a lot of folks like Dave Matthews and that style of music, so it's no surprise he's a crowd favorite. His baby blues, easy smile, and relaxed stage presence probably helps, too.

Later in the show Colton Dixon took a daring step and performed "Broken Heart" by White Lion, a not-so-well-known song. While none of us knew the tune and we're not so sure traditional rock is his style, we thought Colton's delivery was believable and enjoyable. Shockingly, Steven Tyler had more to say than his usual "that was beautiful" dribble. He actually hated the song selection. Randy and J. Lo loved the performance, though. 

While Colton and Phillip did fine, the real standout among the guys (heck, among all the performers!) was Joshua LeDet. Oh sweet Moses! That boy brought the steeple down with his emotional, gospel-ish rendition of "When a Man Loves a Woman" (Michael Bolton's interpretation). To quote Best Week Ever, "I rewatched this performance 3 times while fanning myself in the Baptist church I just built in my living room. This was amaaaaaazing...It was like Sexual Chocolate sings James Brown. When he took that jacket off? Chile I nearly fainted." When he finished, the crowd had two choices: applaud excessively or sit in silent amazement! 

Heejun and Deandre, on the other hand, were deplorable. While normally charming in his pre-performance promo pieces, Heejun was awkward while interacting with Will.I.Am. His performance was breathy, full of whispers, and slightly pitchy. Not to be outdone, though, Deandre looked like a dread-locked deer in headlights as he struggled through a horribly arranged "Endless Love," a song far too mature for him. Deandre is a bit too green for this competition. And based on his demeanor before and after the performance, he doesn't really seem in it to win it. Can it be curtains for Deandre already?

The Gals

Alas, though, it cannot be curtains, because we have the women. Far more forgettable than the men, the ladies' performances were plagued by pitch problems, bad arrangements, and poor song choices.

Front runner Jessica Sanchez did well, but we agree with the judges that her voice isn't made for up-tempo songs like Gloria Estefan's "Turn the Beat Around." The judges gave her the most constructive criticism out of any contestant. Why don't they do this all the time and for everyone? It seems like the judges are desperate for a girl to win, so perhaps they are playing favorites with Ms. Sanchez

Hollie Cavanagh received a lot of praise from the judges, but we weren't really blown away. Celine Dion's songs are too dated for the competition. She also sings these epic love ballads that require a lot of passion. The tune just didn't fit young, happy-go-lucky Hollie. And to be honest, the true great "Power of Love" song is by Huey Lewis and The News from Back to the Future. Too bad you weren't born that year, Hollie.

Skylar played it safe and did an easy country song. For a contestant who performed so well and chose such a risky song last week, she sure was disappointing on Wednesday. The judges said nothing of value, so we're sure she'll continue to choose simple country songs and dole out predictable performances. What a shame. She is from the South, though, so she'll probably go pretty far in the competition.

The Bottom Three (i.e. The Gals, Continued)

Elise did her best, singing a seductive and raspy "Let's Stay Together." The judges seemed to enjoy it, but it was simply golf clap-worthy. 

As for Erika Van Pelt, she sang a really badly arranged "Heaven," and it almost seemed as though she didn't actually know the song. Why was she singing the chorus that way? J. Lo coined her this season's Janis Joplin, which is weird because the folks backstage seemed to want to make her look like an Adele-knock-off. Unfortunately for Erika, she's no Adele. 

And then there's Shannon Magrane. For someone who started out with so much promise, she really took a nosedive. In addition to constantly choosing songs that are too big for her, she consistently struggles to deliver on performance night. Like Deandre, she's too inexperienced and lacks some training. America must have noticed this, too, because dim the lights! Adios, Shannon. 

There you have it, your top ten, America. Next week's theme is Billy Joel, and for the love of the Piano Man, we sincerely hope these performers all step up their game.

What were your thoughts? Did America get it right? 

American Idol Recap: Top 12 Has Some Standouts

On Wednesday, it was boys vs. girls for the first time. The boys sang Stevie Wonder songs, and the girls took on the late, great Whitney Houston.

Ironically in past Idols, the judges always warned singers to avoid Whitney Houston songs because no one could top the diva, nor had the talent to conquer the feat. Nonetheless, the girls belted out Whitney's finest songs to the best of their abilities. The standouts of the evening were Skylar Laine, Hollie Cavanagh, and Jessica Sanchez. All did wonderfully, but Jessica brought J'Lo to tears, and the crowd to their feet. Jessica is definitely a favorite to win the whole shebang, but then again, so was Pia Toscano. 

The boys performances were simply okay. Were there any standouts? Umm, not any that made you shiver. The first contestant for the night, Joshua Ledet, was probably the best, singing-wise. He opened the show with a lot of energy and sounded very much like an artist from that era. 

Pretty boy Deandre Brackensick was our next favorite. Although Deandre's falsetto may get on our nerves, he kept it under control until the last few notes. Besides having fun and singing well, he proved he's got rhythm and can dance, something more exciting than standing on stage and quivering behind the microphone like many of the others. 

And while Heejun Han's performance wasn't perfect, it was pretty great. His charming demeanor and quirky humor adds to his overall Idol package, which will likely make him a favorite among voters. Even if his performances aren't always rousing, he sure is likable, which as proven with numerous past contestants, goes a long way.

On Thursday, Idol showed how America's votes stacked up, revealing the bottom three guys: Jermaine Jones, Jeremy Rosado, and Joshua Ledet; and the bottom three girls: Elise Testone, Erika Van Pelt, and Shannon Magrane. 

While Joshua seemed to perform the best out of the guys the previous night, he did perform first, which with 13 contestants to get through, can be a kiss of death. No surprises with the rest of the bottom ranked contestants. All their performances were either bad or forgettable.

Unlike past seasons, Seacrest narrowed down the bottom ranked to the guy and the girl with the lowest votes, then the judges decided who would go home. We liked the change of pace. It doesn't look like it'll continue, though.

So who went home? Dim the lights! It's Jeremy Rosado. And we agree. He might be a good singer, but he simply doesn't possess the talent or performance wherewithal needed to win this show. And if you're not "in it to win," then why be in it at all?

This week the contestants will tackle songs from the year they were born. Get ready to dance to some 90s jams...and feel old!

American Idol Recap: Top 13

Our marketing team members are long-time American Idol viewers. This year we decided to share our take with News & Views. Every week we’ll recap the show and share our critiques. This week, CD Marketing Coordinator Danielle Desmond, Graphic Designer Heather Brown, and Marketing & Social Media Coordinator (and News & Views editor) Char Bohnett give their two cents.

Danielle:

Over 33 million votes were cast to narrow down the Top 10 American Idol contestants. And the judges told six contestants that they still had a shot at a wild card position. So here we have them: the Top 13. And thank goodness for the wildcard spots. As proven in the past and with this round of cuts, America doesn’t always get it right.

The Top 10 as chosen by viewer votes:

• Phillip Phillips 
• Jessica Sanchez 
• Hollie Cavanagh 
• Joshua Ledet 
• Heejun Han 
• Shannon Magrane 
• Skylar Laine 
• Elise Testone 
• Colton Dixon 
• Jermaine Jones

Following the top ten, each judge chose a wild card contestant. Randy Jackson went with my favorite (second to Reed), Erika Van Pelt, who delivered an amazing and powerful cover of Lady Gaga’s “Edge of Glory.” Her song choice was risky, but thankfully, she didn’t butcher it. She also made audiences—well, me, at least—excited to see what other songs she’ll cover this season. Next week is Whitney week after all.

Jennifer Lopez chose Jeremy Rosado after his cover of Carrie Underwood’s “I Know What You Want,” which brought her to tears—no surprise there. And the final wildcard, given by judge Steven Tyler, went to Deandre Brackensick, who blew Steven away with his version of “Georgia on My Mind.” How many times has this song been done on this show? I mean, honestly, how much faith can we have in Steven as a judge if yet another rendition of “Georgia on My Mind” is what convinced him to pick Deandre? I guess we've never had much faith in crazy Steven Tyler anyway, so pick Deandre, Steven. Pick him!

Heather:
America got some voting right and some wrong. I was actually glad to see Reed Grimm get cut. If you close your eyes and listen, he’s a great singer, but his gyrating on stage is obnoxious.

I was disappointed to see that Creighton Fraker didn’t make the top 12, but that’s the name of the game on this show. Two contestants whose fates were unpredictable were Jermaine Jones and Hallie Day. Jermaine made it for the guys. He is different, but I’m not sure he’ll be received well enough once the competition gets going. And Hallie Day should’ve made it. The girl can belt it out.

If I were to predict the ending, all hail Jessica Sanchez; she’s the strongest competitor in my opinion.

Charlotte:

Tonight and Thursday’s Idol shows will be huge! The guys will cover Steve Wonder tunes and the ladies will try their darnedest to fill Whitney Houston’s shoes. I’m quite surprised Idol decided on a Stevie and Whitney night. These are two artists that the judges have consistently berated contestants for covering.  I’m wondering if Randy will just be on repeat tonight: “I don’t know, dog. I just wasn’t feeling it. I mean, no one does Stevie like Stevie!” And with the recent death of Whitney, I can imagine the judges—especially J. Lo—will be hyper-critical of the girls’ performances.

Let’s hope the contestants’ mentor for the week, Mary J. Blige, gives sound advice and helps these starry-eyed singers do these amazing songs justice, because—while I know Idol chose to do Whitney songs as a way of memorializing the musical icon—I don’t think a bunch of green pop hopefuls butchering her hits is truly an honor. Fingers crossed for some incredible, moving performances!

Let’s Get This Party Started: American Idol Recap

Our marketing teams are long-time American Idol viewers. This year we decided to share our take with News & Views. Every week we’ll recap the show and share our critiques. This week, CD Marketing Coordinator Danielle Desmond and Graphic Designer Heather Brown give their two cents.

Danielle:

This past week wrapped up Hollywood, and the contestants had one last chance to prove to the judges (Jennifer Lopez, Randy Jackson, Steven Tyler) that they deserve a spot in the Top 24, which will commence the live tapings this week.

The competition’s 42 remaining contestants had to decide upon songs and whether to play an instrument. In a grueling two-hour segment, we watched the judges either make or break these aspiring singers’ dreams to be the next American Idol. We learned a little bit about each contestant’s background, watched a part of their solo performance, and saw them sit down with the judges and await their results.

My favorite part about American Idol, besides Beatles week, is hearing the background stories of all the contestants—some are single parents; some are looking to better the lives of their families; and others are from Small Town USA with stars in their eyes, ready to live their dream. The 11^th season so far seems promising.

The first contestant on the chopping block: 23-year-old Lauren Gray, who shed many a tear in her performances since Hollywood week. The judges felt she got into her head a little too much and sent her packing. Don’t worry; every contestant was greeted with open arms from American Idol host Ryan Seacrest, who is back with more sugary words of wisdom.

Of course, we had to sit through the cuts—some led to breakdowns and others were more understanding. My favorite: 26-year-old Reed Grim—maybe it’s his quirky behavior or his ability to play drums or his touching story about his father, who succumbed to cancer. Either way, Reed Grim not only has great vocal talent, but an awesome sense of humor.  

Heather:

In this past episode, the judges repeatedly commented on the extreme depth of talent this season. There is a great deal of talent—singing and instrumental—so we’ll be in for a good season! However, many of these artists don’t seem like they would fit into the pop/rock Top 40 of today. Hopefully, Idol can groom them, so they don’t fall to the wayside after the competition.

I hope the wayside isn’t the case for Shannon Magrane. The fresh-faced 16-year-old belts it out, sounding similar to Leona Lewis while possessing a personable stage presence like Carrie Underwood. Although young, I think she’s got the strongest pipes out of all the women competitors.

For the guys, it seems their talent is all over the map. Colton Dixon has returned to this show; hopefully he will get further than last time. He deserves that chance. Reed Grim is extremely talented, but he reminds me a lot of Taylor Hicks. Remember him?

One guy who didn’t make the cut, Johnny Keyser, seemed to be the only guy who crooned like a true ready-for-radio pop star you. For some reason, the judges opted not to keep him. As a twist to the show, though, one of four guys who had been cut will be asked back. Let’s hope it’s Johnny.

Congrats to all the contestants who made it to the Top 24. We are eager to get to know you this season. The guys will perform first on Tuesday night, and the girls will follow Wednesday night. Seacrest will unveil the results on Thursday. Three whole nights of American Idol! Will you be watching? Who are your favorites? 

Midwest Tape Congratulates Hometown Idol Crystal Bowersox

American Idol has crowned the winner of their season nine competition. Lee DeWyze, a Chicago musician and former paint salesman, nabbed the top spot, while Northwest Ohio-native and Toledo School for the Arts graduate Crystal Bowersox came in a close second. Holland, Ohio-based Midwest Tape has been cheering for Bowersox since the competition’s beginning, and we applaud her for an amazing Idol season.

Crystal impressively rocked the Idol stage throughout the season, boasting such memorable performances as Janis Joplin’s “Me and Bobby McGee,” Paul McCartney’s “Maybe I’m Amazed,” and the Patty Griffin tune “Up to the Mountain.”

Born in small-town Elliston, Ohio, Crystal later attended school at Oak Harbor High School and later at the Toledo School for the Arts. After high school, Crystal struggled as a musician along the streets and subways of Chicago and then took up singing gospel at her church; (read more of Bowersox’s bio).

After auditioning for Idol, Crystal headed to Hollywood where she sped past the show’s other competitors, proving her originality and artistry through ace song selections and excellent guitar playing. During her Idol-sponsored hometown visit, Crystal drew in upwards of 10,000 fans for her downtown parade and concert and over 13,000 for her singing of the national anthem at Fifth-Third Field, home of the Toledo Mud Hens (Fox Toledo: Northwest Ohio embraces Bowersox).

Here at Midwest Tape, we’re very excited to see a talented musician from Northwest Ohio succeeding in such a bright spotlight. We’d like to congratulate her on a job well done. We know that there are great things in store for this talented musician. Make sure you stay tuned for upcoming albums from both Crystal and Idol champ Lee DeWyze.

What are your thoughts on the Idol season? What do you think patron demand will be like for any upcoming Idol albums?