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!

And for those who didn’t want to see the spoiler in the first paragraph….

Our new American Idol winner is …

Kris Allen!

I was actually very surprised as I thought Adam Lambert would win – since he’s become such a media darling… but personally I was happy to see Kris Allen become the new American Idol winner. Please don’t send me hate messages — I know many of you are adoring fans of Adam… but I think Kris will fill the “main stream” audience (ie country, pop) and Adam will go on to do great things for the rocker and alternative music fans.

Was anyone else surprised?

(Note: I think the Danny Gokey fans probably voted for Kris – which put him over the top.)

I also have to add that I’m totally and completely psyched for the new “So You Think You Can Dance!” The talent there is utterly amazing and I LOVE THAT SHOW!!!!!

If you love Danny Gokey… you were sad to see him go home tonight. I’m hopeful he’ll get straight to the recording studio and get his album going soon.

As for the final 2 — it’s down to Kris Allen and Adam Lambert.

Although it seems that Adam has had more of the spotlight (he’s on the cover of People magazine this week….) I actually think that the fact that there was less than 1 million votes separating the top two contestants could put Kris as the next American Idol.

My theory is this…. There are many Danny haters and many Adam haters out there. There seems to be either passionate like or dislike for these two. But generally speaking Kris is either liked or okay. My guess is that all of the Danny fans will vote for Kris next week, pushing him to the top and it will be an incredible upset.

What do you think?

A few observations.

1) Simon chose an amazing song from U2 for Adam to sing (whereas the song chosen by Paula for Danny was almost completely unknown and did not showcase his voice, and the song for Kris was just a copy of the original).

2) Adam Lambert has gone last (prime performing spot) more than any of the other contestants remaining — and he went last again tonight.

3) Adam has been given extra spotlights on entrances and staging (example: the red lit staircase from last week).

4) This is the first time in American Idol history (at least that I can recall) that Simon has actually urged viewers to vote for a specific contestant – Adam Lambert.

5) Simon helped get Adam a specific arrangement for the U2 song tonight, and accused Randy and Kara of not giving Kris an arrangement that would spotlight his voice. Both Randy and Kara proclaimed they didn’t know they were allowed to do that….

6) Tonight specifically the judges were very distracting after performances by both Kris and Danny… arguing, teasing, Simon covering Paula’s mouth so she couldn’t speak… and yet no distractions just rave reviews after Adam’s performances.

Hmmm… not biased at all. What do you think?

It will be interesting to see if America follows the preferences of the judges, or select one of the other contestants as the winner. At this point, I don’t think it really matters who wins. They will all have careers in the music industry. Obviously the winner will be “owned” by American Idol for the first year of their contract and will have tremendous obligations to go on the circuit and be involved in loads of travel. The runner up will have to go on the American Idol tour, but may end up having more opportunities to record their album and even get it released before the winner does.

Here is a recap of the show tonight along with random musings. I’ve been accused of being an Adam hater / Danny lover… well, I do like Danny. I like Kris too. I think Adam is really talented, but I really do not enjoy his singing style – it doesn’t mean I hate him – I just don’t like Rock music… if you’re a rocker fan, you probably love Adam. It comes down to personal taste…. to each his own — and to the Anonymous reader out there who keeps submitting hate comments claiming that I am not allowed to have my opinion… well… I say… thanks for sharing yours. It would be my preference that Adam go home this week… so I don’t have to fast-forward any more performances… but hey, that’s just me.

Danny Gokey Well Paula selected a song called “Dance Little Sister” by Terrance Trent Darby.. who? What? I’ve never heard of the song, and apparently most of America hasn’t either. Wow. It seems that it was not a song selected to showcase Danny very well, there was even a sax solo in the middle… strange. I thought he performed fairly well but it was not a favorite of mine. Kara and Simon criticized Danny’s dancing even though Simon reiterated that this is a singing competition and said that the vocals were very very good. Simon agreed with me that the song was the wrong song choice. It would be interesting if America could vote on the song they wanted their favorite contestant to sing – rather than the judges. The judges could pick 3 or 4 song choices and America could vote. I like that idea… what do you think?

Kris Allen. Kara and Randy chose “Apologize” by One Republic for Kris. I was excited because I love the song and thought he’d do a great job. I liked that he was behind the piano, and he did a respectable job but I didn’t think he made it his own. Kara agreed that he didn’t make it his own. Then the arguing between the judges began…

Adam Lambert Simon selected “One” by U2 for Adam to perform. I have to say that I loved Adam’s first outfit — jeans, a denim/casual shirt. He looked great and I like that look on him better than the black rocker and pushing boundaries outfits he has worn in the past. I did like the first half until Adam hit the high notes and started his rocking screaming style. Then I have to admit I fast-forwarded the rest of the song. Simon patted himself on the back claiming it was a brilliant song choice, and a brilliant performance. “If you’re not in the final next week it will be the greatest upset in this competition.”

Danny Gokey. Danny’s second song choice was “You are so Beautiful to Me” by Joe Cocker. I really loved the arrangement and thought Danny performed it beautifully. Randy “You’re here because you can really, Really, REALLY sing!” Kara “That was stunning!” Paula “You left us all breathless”. Simon “I would call that a vocal master class.” So all of the judges enjoyed the performance. I think the only problem with a ballad is that it does not get people to spontaneously jump to their feet. It was beautiful, but will people be moved by it so much that it will convert to votes? I guess we’ll see.

Kris Allen. “Heartless” by Kanye West. Wow, Kris was very brave to sing part accapella and then with not accompaniment except his guitar. He did a great job – but I think the same as Danny’s last song — will people vote? Did it make enough of an impact? Randy “I like that better than the original.” Kara “it was bold, brave and fearless.” Simon “I had written you out after your first performance, but that changed after this performance.”

Adam Lambert. Aerosmith song (I didn’t catch the name). Obviously a very rocker song – which I couldn’t get through. But the crowd seemed to love it – and it was what the end of the competition needed – something to leave the crowd screaming and excited. Randy “You’re one of the best that we’ve ever had on this stage.” Kara “We’ll see you at the finals.” Simon “It’s very easy to assume that you’re going to sail through… Everyone should vote for you, and not assume.”

Now that we’re getting to the end of American Idol.. I’m getting excited for So You Think You Can Dance… (actually I like So You Think You Can Dance better than American Idol — gasp!)

So I’ve predicted a few weeks ago based on Twitter traffic that Adam Lambert would win. I do think both Kris Allen and Danny Gokey have a chance — in year’s past the “rocker” has not gone through to the finals (seeming that America prefers the country or pop contestants), but this year may be different … only time will tell.

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.