Topic: Idol-Talk
Before I officially say goodbye to Hollywood Week, it's time for me to look back over the final two episodes. As I mentioned earlier this week, Fox was going to be starting to reveal the Top 24 during Tuesday's show instead of cramming them all into Wednesday's episode, as is usually the case. I'll get to that, but let's start with Round 3:
American Idol: Hollywood Week, Round 3 [Individual Performances, w/ band] & Partial Top 24 Reveal
Airdate: Tuesday, February 16, 2010 [8-10pm]
- Angela Martin
- Casey James ["Bubbly"]
- Siobhan Magnus
- Crystal Bowersox [harmonica & guitar]
- Alex Lambert
- Todrick Hall
- Shelby Dressel
- Ashley Rodriguez [Jordin Sparks' "Battlefield"]
- Lilly Scott
- Andrew Garcia
46 Advance to Top 24 Deliberation Round.
The final hour of this two hour episode focused on the first seven contestants to make it into the Top 24. And instead of that unnecessary Judge's Mansion used last year for this round, they stayed at the Kodak Theatre, which still made it dramatic while taking out the 'cheese' factor. Another thing I noticed was that they didn't do the Sing-Off this time around. If you recall, last year they tried a new twist of having some contestants do a Sing-Off against each other because they weren't sure who should go through of those particular contestants. I actually enjoyed that new addition, but it's back to normal for season 9.
Now, here are the first seven contestants to make it into the Top 24:
- Michael Lynche
- Didi Benami
- Katelyn Epperly
- Casey James
- Aaron Kelly
- Lee Dewyze
- Todrick Hall
Notes (from partial Top 24 reveal): Katelyn Epperly - When telling Katelyn their decision, Ellen drags it out while saying she doesn't like to drag it out; it was hilarious! Casey James - After the judges tell him he's made it, Kara lifts her foot when she hugs him; is she going to be the new Paula after all? Shelby Dressel - After the judges tell her she's been cut, Randy says to try out again next year; after she leaves, Simon says it was the wrong decision. I believe it was the wrong decision as well. I was really hoping she would advance. Even if she didn't make it into the Top 12, I thought she was good enough for the semifinals at least.
Thoughts on Song Choices: I really liked some of the song choices the producers let them choose for Hollywood Week. During the group round, we got a lot of Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance." I just love that song, and it was interesting to see how the groups tackled it. Some bombed, and some did extremely well. And during Round 3, we saw a lot of Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror." I guess I shouldn't be surprised, considering the fact that ever since Jackson's death last June, the focus seems to be back on his music, which is as it should be.
Correction: Before I move on to the remaining Top 24, I want to make a correction from my last post. Last time, I mentioned that Mary Powers was eliminated after the group performances. I misspoke; she, in fact, did advance to Round 3.
American Idol: Rest of Top 24 Revealed!
Airdate: Wednesday, February 17, 2010 [9-10pm]
- Janell Wheeler
- Tyler Grady
- Lacey Brown [they showed what she sang during Round 3, and I loved her rendition of "What a Wonderful World" - my favorite song of all time, by the way]
- Ashley Rodriguez
- Alex Lambert
- Joe Munoz
- Crystal Bowersox
- Katie Stevens
- Lilly Scott
- Siobhan Magnus
- Michelle Delamor
- Jermaine Sellers
- John Park
- Haeley Von
- Thaddeus Johnson
- Andrew Garcia
- Tim Urban [replacing Chris Golightly, who was disqualified]
Well, we now have our Top 24! After Wednesday's episode, I was so confused because I was adding up the names I had written down and only had 23. At the end of the show, they went through all the names, and somehow I had missed Tim Urban. The next day, I found out why. Chris Golightly was initially in the Top 24 (though they didn't show it), but was disqualified because of a record contract dispute. Idol says he has a current contract, but Chris said the record company let him go prior to his audition. From what I can gather, he wasn't able to find the papers in time to prove he didn't have a contract currently. Then later I was hearing that he never told Idol in the first place that he used to have one, and that was the real reason he was disqualified, according to Idol. We're hearing new information all the time, so it's hard to tell what the real reason is. It seems like a whole big mess, but check out these links to read more about this situation: Article 1 / Article 2. So, to put it simply, Tim Urban replaces Chris Golightly.
Now that we have our Top 24, let's look forward to the semifinals, when we get back to the seasons 4-7 format of eliminated people each week instead of advancing a few. The Top 24 format that they're getting back to this year is the best format. In the original format, there's a better chance some of the better singers have a better chance of not making it, so I'm glad they realized the mistake they made last year and are reverting back to the better semifinals format.
Next week also marks the first week of the season that we get to start voting for our favorites. I hope singers like Andrew Garcia, Katie Stevens, and Crystal Bowersox don't let me down. The female singers will perform on Tuesday (8-10pm), the guys on Wednesday (8-10pm), and the first results show of the year on Thursday (8-9pm). See you then...
