Look no further

Here is a list of the latest American Idol twitter accounts.

American Idol News: @idolNews
Kris Allen – @KrisAllen4Real – Confirmed By Ryan Seacrest’s Twitter @ryanseacrest
Adam Lambert – @therealGlambert – Confirmed By Ryan Seacrest’s Twitter @ryanseacrest
Danny Gokey – @dannygokey
Allison Iraheta – @Allison4Realzzz
Matt Giraud – @MGiraudOfficial
Anoop Desai – @AnoopDoggDesai
Michael Sarver - @michaelsarver1
Jasmine Murray – @Jasmine__Murray
Alexis Grace – @agcruc
Megan Joy – @Meganjoysings
Scott Macintyre - @IdolScott

Happy following!

Personally I loved that Danny could laugh at himself and the “horror movie” last note in his song last night. I think the fact that he could admit that it was horrible and laugh about it – well, it made me respect him even more.

Doughtry performed their new single “No Surprise” which will be available on their album coming out in July. I liked the song, but remembered why I actually prefer the studio versions of Doughtry’s music to the live performances. I love their songs, but Chris Doughtry’s vibrato is a bit much for me when he sings live.

I could have done without the No Doubt performance. Gwen Stefani is just too out there for me. Your thoughts?

Okay… so now for the sad news. Allison Iraheta left the American Idol competition tonight. It was actually a surprise for me but at this stage it’s hard to call. I think the home town visits next week will be interesting and either create a stronger fan base for each of the contestants as they get more connected with their favorite – or show some personality that may get fans to switch over to a different favorite. It will be fun to see how the hometown crowds react to Adam Lambert, Kris Allen, and Danny Gokey – our American Idol top 3.

First to perform was Adam Lambert. “Whole Lot of Love” by Led Zepplin. Trying to get past the creepy outfit, black eye makeup, open shirt with strange necklace, and that it felt like a load of screaming… He is truly creepy. Please make him stop! The scary thing to me is that on Twitter I saw a comment that Adam is the best thing to walk the earth since Jesus. Wow. That is the most horrible thought ever – that people are putting him up as a true “idol”. This is a talent competition for pete’s sake. Even the judges are holding him up: Kara “you’re a rock god”. I’m just shaking my head and feeling sad for the state of our society if a guy like this is being “worshipped”.

Alison Iraheta. “Cry Baby” by Janis Joplin. Even though I don’t love rock, I thought Alison did a good job – she can make almost anything sound good. Her voice is so mature and she’s seeming more confident and personable as the week’s go on. Plus when she sings, even singing rock, it does not feel like she was screaming. Randy didn’t love the song. Kara “Janis is the right choice for you… but Piece of My Heart…” would have been better. Paula “You’re downright fearless.” Simon “Terrific vocal. but I wouldn’t have chosen that song.”

Duet by Kris and Danny “Renegade”. I loved the harmonizing in the song. Their voices blended really well. I even liked the song choice. I did think Kris was a little out of his league in rocking but Danny held his own. I was wondering how they would do. I loved that they performed a more “classic rock” song rather than a “hard rock” song – much more to my liking.

Kris Allen. “Come Together” by the Beatles. I think the Beatles song tonality fit Kris much better than most other rock songs. But I do have to say it was so odd for me seeing him (a sweet looking face) trying to rock – just not a great fit for him. He did a pretty good job, but I’m concerned for him – I think he has a big enough fan base that he may be okay based on past performances. It’s a hard call at this point as each contestant stands out in different ways. Randy “I appreciate you picking something where you could still be you.” Kara “You’re definitely the softer side of rock, but for me this was not a great performance.” Simon “I actually didn’t like it that much. It was like eating ice for lunch.”

Danny Gokey. “Dream On” by Aerosmith. Another song I actually like. I’m a little scared about the scream at the end but we’ll see how he does. Okay – so I liked most of the song but the screaming at the end was NOT GOOD. Sorry Danny… He just didn’t hit it. Randy “I know this is not your genre, it was alright for me, but A+ for valiant effort.” Kara “I think you took it a little too far. I don’t see you on this type of song. But I commend you for taking chances.” Paula “I don’t know if this was the right song for you but I’m a huge fan of yours.” Simon “The last note, it was like watching a horror movie. But I still think you’re going to be safe.” I did like Danny’s response to the judges criticisms — he’s not cocky, knows he can do better, trying to take risks.

Duet by Allison and Adam. “Slow Ride” – what in the world were the tight striped pants that Adam was wearing. Okay enough of that – not a good choice in my opinion. I thought the duet was a bit contrived and there didn’t seem to be much blending. But again the judges loved it. Randy “that was the bomb baby”. Paula “the two of you are the perfect blend, the perfect marriage”. Simon “In the battle of duets… You win the show tonight”.

Definitely not my favorite show of the season.

At this point of the competition it’s really difficult to predict outcomes. I wish Adam would go home this week and then I’d be happy with any of the others to win. But I think the scare from last week will get his fans voting fanatically this week – as well as the fact that the Rock genre is his style and those who love hard rock will probably like his performance this week.

My guess is that Kris will go home. What do you think?

I have to say that I was very glad they cut out the lipsyncing for the group number this week. It was really getting old. It’s so much better to have them singing live — I wonder if previous weeks had too much choreography to allow the contestants to sing well. Who knows why they would choose to lip sync on a “live” show. Needless to say, it was much better this week when it was actually live.

Happy birthday to Danny and Allison this past week. I loved the cake and food fight — that was very fun to watch. Glad I don’t have to clean up after them. — Wow the bill was $6,000 to clean the mess up — I guess I would have been happy to clean it up for that much money.

Announcing the bottom three – GASP. Adam Lambert is in the bottom three! Along with Matt Giraud Allen (not extremely surprised about those two). WOW.

I LOVE that both Danny and Allison are safe — I like them both especially from last night. But wow, I didn’t think there was any chance Adam would be in the bottom.

I loved Taylor Hicks performance – and remember why I liked him so much on Idol. His voice is so cool and he’s so full of life and joy when he performs. He’s so unique and that’s what I like about him. Welcome back Taylor!

Down to the bottom two — Kris Allen was sent back to safety. Another shocker. With Adam in the bottom 3 I think people were very surprised that he didn’t quickly sent back to safety. It was only with the vaguest of hopes that Adam would be sent home, but alas my hopes were dashed as he was pronounced safe.

I do wonder if being in the bottom two this week will push Adam’s fans into high gear – it could prove to be a reminder to them that his place is not a given. Best wishes to Matt Giraud at the end of his American Idol journey. It is quite an accomplishment to reach the top 5 in the season.

Anyway, that’s the report from this week. Looking forward to next week and what’s coming up.

Was anyone else as shocked as I with the bottom three contestants this week?

Rat Pack Theme for the evening…

I loved Jamie Foxx as a mentor. He is incredible and I’m sure he’ll have loads of advice for the contestants.

Can anybody tell me WHAT that was that Paula was wearing? It looked like she was a wrapped present.

Kris Allen. “The Way You Look Tonight”. I can see how Kris continues to grow on audience members – he is just who he is – what you see is what you get with him. I liked his song. I can see how teenage girls would be screaming for him. The crowd certainly seemed to like it, along with the judges. Simon was the only one who seemed to have any hesitations.

Allison Iraheta. “Someone to Watch Over Me”. I love the song choice! Not only is it one of my favorite songs, I think her musky voice will make it completely memorable. Hands down, my favorite performance from Allison. Certainly a song I will buy from iTunes. Excellent! I think the song will bring her many more fans this week – as it was beautiful, refined, mature, incredible. Randy “I Loved it!” Kara “If that doesn’t land you in the finals, I don’t know what will.” Simon “I have a horrible feeling that you could be in trouble tonight.” Kara “Simon, I love you but you are crazy!”

Matt Giraud. “My Funny Valentine”. It’s not my favorite song choice. Although I think Matt did a fine job – there were a few rough spots. I think the genre fits his voice well and if he were to put out an album like that I’d consider buying it. The problem with Matt is that the other 4 contestants are really shining right now – both in personality and performing. So I think Matt will go home. Simon said it felt like the only authentic song tonight “absolutely brilliant”.

Danny Gokey “Come Rain or Come Shine”. Okay – just to gush again. I love Danny. His personality is SOOOO real and like-able and humble. He is a joy to watch and listen to. Hands-down my favorite of all of the contestants. I thought he did a great job on the song and the huge ending was really fun. This style really fit him! The crowd seemed to really like his performance as well. Randy “you are the only one I’ve heard so far tonight that could actually have an album of songs like that and win! …” Kara “you had swag tonight.. the end of that performance was unbelievable, the rasp and the tone.” Paula “steller!” Simon “what you had tonight was a swagger and confidence. I felt tonight you came out to prove a point. … Outstanding”.

Adam Lambert. “Feeling Good”. I like the song, but his version felt so much like everything he’s done, and with so much of his own twist it was not very enjoyable for me. I just can’t past him. In my dreams he’d be going home, but with his popularity I’m sure that’s not going to happen. Even the high notes are just insane. It’s not pleasing to listen to – unless you’re just a rocker fan. I just don’t like him one little bit. (Sorry to all the Adam fans out there… I know I’m not the only one…) Randy “it was a little theatrical, but you are in the zone consistently dude.” Kara “my mouth drops open every time you perform. confusing, shocking, sleezy, over the top, but I like you”. Paula “you make me feel better than good.” Simon “you want to win… “

I liked everything tonight except for Adam’s performance. Perhaps it’s because I love the Rat Pack style of music, and perhaps because everyone is raising their game.

It’s hard to tell who will be in the bottom this week. My guess is Matt will go home. I would say Allison might be in the bottom three but her performance was so good – I’m not sure. If I could put Adam in the bottom I would, and then perhaps Kris. That would keep Danny and Allison safe. But who knows… I guess I’ll find out in a few minutes.

Can anyone say they were surprised by the 2 eliminated this week?

I have also been watching trends on both Twitter and iTunes, and I have to say my prediction about the next American Idol winner has changed. I predict Adam Lambert will be the winner hands down. Although I personally will not be rushing out to buy his album, if downloads on iTunes are any indication, he has a load of fans out there who will. I just can’t get past his “stage persona” yet – he’s such a seasoned performer, it’s difficult to relate to him as a person. As the weeks have gone on – I have to admit that I really do not like his voice that much. On top of that – seeing him sticking out his tongue to hit the high notes is not a pretty sight, even though he is a very cute guy. Obviously I can’t say he’s not talented. He is. Just not my taste at all.

I still prefer the voice, tambre and personality of Danny Gokey. I like Kris Allen as well and think even if they don’t win, they will have big careers in the music industry.

Just my two cents for this week….

Oh — and I was pleased to see our little David Archeleta’s performance. I love his voice – and he’s so cute you just want to pick him up and give him a hug. It will be fun to see if he can bridge the gap from cute and amazing kid into amazing seasoned performer. I think he has it in him. Go David go!

Last night I predicted that the bottom three would include Anoop Desai, Lil Rounds, and Matt Giraud with Anoop going home.

It looks like Adam Lambert got his hair cut. I actually like it!

The show included an incredible performance by former AI contestant Jennifer Hudson. With a nice tribute video for Grammy and Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson, it was a great spotlight to what American Idol contestants can achieve — even those who were not winners of the competition. (Congratulations to Jennifer on her recent engagement.)

The performance by Miley Cyrus was more toned down than I’ve seen her on stage before – it’s almost like she’s trying to create a transition between teeny bopper to serious artist – until close to the end when she was banging her head back and forth – it did not work with being in a beautiful evening gown – and then the whole performance got a bit messy. It wasn’t as bad as I had anticipated. I think she’s a better “studio performer” rather than live, but she has mass-market appealing songs – radio-friendly. They are packaging her well. When she was finished, I almost wanted the judges to chime in and give their criticisms… that would have been kind of fun.

So once the results show got started, we ended up with the bottom three as Anoop Desai, Lil Rounds, and Matt Giraud. (As predicted).

I have to say I was shocked that Anoop was safe and the bottom two ended up being Lil and Matt.

With over 36 million votes… wow… Matt Giraud was the contestant with the lowest votes. Quite a surprise for me tonight – not that he was in the bottom three but that he was the lowest of those in the bottom three. I was hoping the judges would save Matt… the crowd went wild when the judges pulled out their “save” and kept him in the comptetition. I wonder how it will affect his performances for the future – if he will work that much harder and if his fans will pull together to keep him.

Tonight made American Idol history – with the judges saving a contestant who they didn’t feel deserved to be going home tonight.

Next week it means two people will be going home, and it’s Disco week (that should be fun, and I can only imagine what Adam Lambert will pull out for that genre)…

The judges took turns – only 2 judges for each contestant. I didn’t like that… I wanted to hear what each of them thought for each contestant. It was the fallout from last week and having the show go over which made the judges decide not to talk as much. My thought was that there is one less singer this week, and they could have made the spotlight on Quentin Tarantino a bit shorter, and they would have been fine to give their normal feedback this week. Hopefully this will be the only week that they all don’t give their critiques.

Allison Iraheta. “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” by Aerosmith. I love this song and thought Allison’s voice would fit the tone of the song. I was very much looking forward to hearing how Allison could shine. But I was a little disappointed. I’m not sure if she was nervous or a little out of breath, and the outfit was distracting, but I didn’t love it. I think I expected a bit more. It’s not that she did a bad job, but just didn’t meet my expectations. The judges seemed to love it. Simon “you are the girls only hope in this competition right now. You’re getting stronger. … I don’t think I’ve heard a girl sing that song so well.”

Anoop Desai. “Everything I do” by Bryan Adams. Quentin suggested Anoop make it a really big and growly song. Anoop didn’t do that, he kept it soft and smooth. It seemed that he tried to make it big in some spots but it was still smooth. I thought it was a pretty version and nicely done. But it was not a performance that was memorable. Anoop is talented, but I think he’ll be going home in the next few weeks. Randy “you have definitely found your zone… I thought you did a really good job.” Kara “probably one of his best vocals”.

Adam Lambert “Born to be Wild” from Easy Rider. (Just a side note… this past week I heard the song “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” and thought… Oh… Adam should take that song, change it to “Boys Just Want to Have Fun” and it would be a HUGE hit.)… Now back to my thoughts about Adam’s performance. Well… all I can say is classic Adam. Just not my style at all! I’m sorry but give me a break… please! Holy cow he can certainly hit those high notes, and the crowd goes wild.. but I can’t wait until it’s over. Simon “I think vocally, incredible… the downside it was like watching the Rocky Horror Musical in parts… there is going to be a huge portion of the audience who would have loved that, there is also going to be another side who will absolutely despise it… I don’t think that performance will be as popular as your one last week.”

Matt Giraud. “To Really Love a Woman” by Bryan Adams. I liked Matt’s performance. He had a few rough moments though. Comparing the fantastic performance by Adam (even though I’m one of the audience that despised it)… Matt’s song didn’t compare. The judges were critical… and based on that performance I’d think Matt will be in the bottom 3 this week.

Danny Gokey. “Endless Love” by Lionel Richie. What happened to Danny’s glasses? I love Lionel Richie and love this song. But there is only one Lionel… and as Danny began I was a bit disappointed. But as the song continued I thought he made it his own but I felt like there was more that could have been done to really make it shine. I actually did like it, but didn’t feel the connection as much this week as I have in the past. Paula “beautiful rendition”. Simon “I can’t fault the way you sang the song… I’m disappointed that we had the harp, and we had a very traditional version of the song. I was a bit bored that was all you did with it.”

Kris Allen. “Falling Slowly” from the movie Once. I’m not sure I like the really slow songs and this one was quite slow and boring initially. Perhaps it was because I was not familiar with the song. I’m liking Kris more and more and think he’s getting a big following. As the song went on, I had the thought that he could make a big hit with a song like that. It was beautifully done. Randy “Dude. It never quite caught on for me. It was pitchy from note one.” Kara “Difficult to pick an obscure song like that. but for me it was one of your best moments.”

Lil Rounds. “The Rose” by Bette Midler. I liked when Lil made the song sound Gospel – that was when she began to shine and made it her own rather than just a duplicate of Bette’s version. She did a good job, but I didn’t think it stood out as much as some of the others. My concern for her is that she will get lost tonight and end up in the bottom three. Simon “I think that you’re getting this completely wrong… the song was too soft for you… there are no excuses any more.”

Well, my TiVo cut off the last couple of minutes … Lil’s response to Simon’s criticism. But at least all of the performances were there this week.

I think there were too many slow songs this week and no real standout performances except for Adam Lambert (even though I just saw posting on Twitter of Adam in drag… that is not going to hurt him at all because each week he just stands out… even to those of us who don’t like his style.) I’ve been watching Tweets on Twitter go past and there are 6-12 posts for Adam to every 1 or 2 for Allison, Matt, Kris, and Danny.

My predictions for the bottom three are Anoop Desai, Lil Rounds and Matt Giraud. It’s kind of a toss-up as to who will go home. With Anoop and Lil both in the bottom last week, and Anoop only 30,000 votes from going home last week… I predict Anoop will be going home. It will be interesting to see.

Question: Does being gay, performing in “alternative” venues, and having overtly gay images all over the internet (dressed in drag and in gay clubs)… does that affect how you view Adam Lambert, or affect his chances of becoming the next American Idol? I think in years past it would have made a big difference, but this year, it seems to not be in the press and not really hurting Adam’s chances. I’d like to know what you think…

Obviously if Adam Lambert is the winner, it will be an interesting challenge for producers to help him create an album that is mainstream enough, but he most likely would do very well.

BUT, I would rather than Danny Gokey be the next American Idol – as I think he truly connects to people on an emotional level and I like his “real-ness” and “humility.” I also love his voice and for sure will be buying his album when it comes out.

So review of tonight’s elimination.

Last night I predicted the bottom three to be Scott MacIntyre, Anoop Desai, and Lil Rounds.

The bottom three: Anoop Desai, Scott MacIntyre, and Lil Rounds. — Wow – 3 for 3.

I predicted Scott would be going home – it was close between Scott and Anoop (only 30,000 votes difference), but Scott ended up at the bottom and will be going home. The judges were split on whether or not to keep him around with the “save” but it came down to making a decision and Simon chose to make it the end of the competition. We all wish Scott luck in his future endeavors.

(I didn’t watch in time to vote, so hopefully my favorites will be around next week.)

Danny Gokey, April 24, 1980. (Happy Birthday soon Danny!) “Stand by Me”. This is the first time Danny has performed that I didn’t absolutely love it. Once he reached about half-way it was great, but the beginning felt slow and not as heart-felt and energetic as normal. I still love him, but this is not a song I’ll be buying on iTunes.

Kris Allen, Kris reminds me a bit of Nick Lachey. June 21, 1985. “All She Wants to do is Dance”. They had Kris down in the audience with an electric guitar – similar to Matt last week. It just doesn’t work for me to have them down surrounded by girls clapping. I think they need to be up on stage performing for the whole crowd and TV audience rather than hidden in a group. I hope they don’t keep positioning contestants that way. I did not like the song choice at all. It was so repetitive and boring for me. I like Kris, but the song was definitely not my favorite. Kara agreed with me Simon “indulgent, boring, forgettable, stupid stupid song choice.” Randy agreed that the arrangement was “self-indulgent”.

Lil Rounds, Oct 20, 1984. Her name truly is “Lil” — I actually thought it was a stage name, but they cleared it up that it’s really her full name. “What’s Love Got to do With it.” Ugh, I hated the song choice. What is up with the song choices tonight? The problem I have with Lil is not her singing – she can sing – it’s that she kind of adopts the persona of whatever she is singing, rather than changing the song to fit her. Tonight felt like a bad copy of Tina Turner. Did not like it at all! Paula began by saying Lil looked hot — it’s always a bad sign when the judges focus first on how the contestants look. Paula even mentioned that Lil could not take the reins to create her own niche (wow, Paula Abdul not gushing positivity). Simon “we are not looking for a second or third rate copy of Tina Turner.” Hey, it seems I have very similar critiques with the judges.

Anoop Desai, Dec 20, 1986. “True Colors”. What in the world? Really people, there are SOOOO many great songs from the 80s, but obviously, they were not really getting it. Anoop did change up the ending to make it a better rendition, but it felt whiny and boring. I actually wanted to fast-forward it to get it over more quickly. The judges seemed to like the performance and I didn’t really get it. Paula “Your choice of song was flawless.” what? really? Simon “you’re like a singing yo-yo – this week was very good… I don’t think it was fantastic by the way…”

Maybe I’m just tired or something, but I really am not loving American Idol tonight. Sometimes it feels like everyone is “on” and the energy is incredible. The contestants are all talented, but tonight I haven’t really felt inspired yet.

Scott MacIntyre, June 22, 1985. “The Search is Over.” I actually like the song, and I like Scott, and he did an okay job. Probably my favorite performance from him to this point even with the pitchy problems – but that’s not really saying much. Simon “I would suggest you go back to the piano next week… the song was horrible… ” Randy “It didn’t show you as a star.” I think he’s at risk for going home.

Allison Iraheta, April 27, 1992 (Happy birthday soon to you too Allison). “I Can’t Make You Love Me”. The song choice was great for Allison’s growl-y and textured voice. It fit her tone really well. Probably my favorite song choice of the night so far. I predict Allison will go on to have a great first album (if she stays true to her style and voice as well as has good songs). Partly because her voice is unique and you could hear her on the radio and know instantly who she was. Paula even mentioned the fact that “you hear one note and know it’s Allison”. Simon “I thought that was very good… you’ve got to make YOU a bit more likeable… I don’t think your personality is coming through…” Randy mentioned that Allison reminds him of Season 1 winner Kelly Clarkson. “You’re one of the best of the night.” Kara “Let’s go make a record man…”

Matt Giraud, May 11, 1985. “Part Time Lover” by Stevie Wonder. Wow. This boy can sing! Great song choice to showcase his talent. However there were a few rough moments when the words got really fast. I liked it. Hope it will go a long way to keeping Matt around for a few more weeks. Randy “vocally one of the best of the night.” Kara “incredible on every level”. Paula “two-words… standing o” Simon: “million times better than last week, well done.”

Hmmm.. it’s looking like the order of contestants has been based on either quality or song choice — getting better and better as the night goes on. (Except for Danny because I just love him). But putting Adam at the end seems like a huge push from the producers of American Idol to put him in the forefront again. It will be interesting to see if the performance order reflects in America’s voting.

Are you freaking kidding me???? TiVo cut off the rest of the show! ARGHHHHHH!!!!

Whew — I found a video of Adam Lambert performing Mad World — so the rest of you who missed it like me can see it too.

Adam Lambert Jan 29, 1982. “Mad World”. I didn’t recognize the song, but the high ranges showcased his voice. I thought his sitting position, lighting (basically singing in the dark the whole song) and the camera angles were a bit strange. I liked that he didn’t get into the screaming stuff. But not my favorite. Simon “words are unnecessary… but I’m going to give you a standing ovation.”

Hmm… not biased at all. Okay, Adam is talented it’s true. And he is cute, even though I can’t tell if he is rocker/feminine or what, and he has a darling smile. But I still can’t get any type of emotional connection with his performances. I know I’m not alone in this as commented on Facebook and Twitter, but the media seems to be loving Adam Lambert right now… Again… I don’t really get it.

So if I had to predict the bottom 3: I’d say Scott MacIntyre, Anoop Desai, and Lil Rounds. And I think Scott will be going home. I’d love your thoughts as well… am I alone in not buying into the Adam Lambert fan club? Who do you think will be sent home this week?