American Idle

Out of everyone left in the Wild Card round, Jesse Langseth, the sister of Jonny Lang, had to bring it and she fell just short of the judges’ expectations. Randy even told her so, breaking her heart on national TV.

Unfair, yes, but it was true. Simon gave her the news that she didn’t make it through to the Top 13.

In all tonight, four contestants made it through: Jasmine Murray, Matt Giraud, Megan Joy Corkrey were the first three selected and Anoop Desai made history, becoming the first singer Idol has ever selected for the finals in the widely rumored 13th spot. But after hearing Langseth’s song, you would have to think she was the 14th. How sad.

Tonight begins what should be the most exciting round of all, the WildCard round. We’ll break each singer down when the fun begins and hopefully have for you their performances, as soon as they’re released. And there is some serious talent in this group, so watch out.

The WildCard round includes the favorites:

Von Smith - Smith just has to do what he does best and that’s sing tonight. Doing that should get him into the Top 12. After his semifinal performance I think it’s a high probability he’ll make it through.

Anoop Desai - Anoop did not impress as well as he should have in the semifinals but he will get another chance tonight. I predict Anoop will have the hit song of the night, making for an electric atmosphere and getting through to the Top 12.

Megan Joy Corkrey - The Sandy, Utah native (above photo) is unique enough that if she has a good performance tonight, she’ll have a good shot at making the Top 12.

Watch for these contestants also:

Jasmine Murray - Her vocals are good enough that if she picks the right song, her age won’t have anything to do with it. Also keep in mind that the ones already selected in the Top  12 are older and so it would make sense to put her through.

Jesse Langseth - Jonny Lang’s sister is another one who hasn’t exactly overwhelmed people, but with this second chance, she will be in a battle with Corkrey to see who makes it through. Both are the eclectic singers of the bunch.

Others who might make it through but it’s remote:

Matt Giraud - Matt is a piano player and we already have one in Scott MacIntyre. Unless, of course, Idol decides to do a dueling pianos type of thing, which would suit Giraud just fine.

Ricky Braddy - That dance is catchy, but there are already too many guys on Idol 8.

Tatiana Del Toro - I don’t know what Idol was thinking by allowing her through to the Wild Card round, but if she does make it through I may just boycott the rest of the show. And I’m not joking. I can’t believe they left out people like Jackie Tohn, Junot Joyner and Brent Keith Smith for this lady.

And finally, there may be a twist to the Top 12. Word has it there may be a 13th added. If so, is that gonna be David Osmond, who went home far too early in the estimation of many? Or will it be Norman Gentle? Interesting times await us tonight.

If there were any question as to who would be in the cat seat during American Idol 8, let there be no question now. Adam Lambert has all of the chips in his corner.

After belting out “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction” by the Rolling Stones to absolute perfection and frankly taking the song somewhere it’s never been, Lambert was a one-man band out there last night. Hear his ground-breaking song here.

Other than Lambert, the most buzz has been going in Mishavonna Henson’s direction (bottom photo) for her also-unique performance of “Drops Of Jupiter,” which I’m also happy to say I’ve downloaded (and so should you.)

The third spot is tricky, and Allison Iraheta did Matt Breitzke and Megan Joy Corkrey no favor by rocking the house last night with “Alone.”

Sure, it sounded pitchy (most did) but it sounded pretty good. The other dark horse? The name will surprise you, but again he’s getting some buzz. Norman Gentle aka Nick Mitchell is this year’s Sanjaya. Jesse Langseth, Kris Allen and Matt Giraud are also remote possibilities.

My picks are Adam Lambert, Mishavonna Henson and, in a surprise choice, America goes with Norman Gentle.

Don’t forget to vote for your favorites! Click on my FunOfficePools.com link on the left sidebar and tell us who you think is through to the next round!

The second week of the Top 36 is upon us. Let’s breakdown each singer’s performance, shall we?  It started out horribly, with the first three singers bombing big-time. But then Norman Gentle (above photo) took the stage and all was well (and hilarious.) And then we met Allison Iraheta (bottom photo), who may just be the dark horse in Idol 8. Here’s the complete wrapup in order of performance:

Jasmine Murray - 16 years old from Starkville, MS/audition city: Jacksonville, FL - “Love Song” by Sara Bareilles - Murray was pitchy throughout the song, according to Randy Jackson. Others said she was all over the place and did not start out well. I just thought it sounded too much like Sara, which is a major no-no at this stage of the competition–unless you can really bring it. Simon said she’ll do well “in a few years.”  

Matt Giraud - 23 years old from Kalamazoo, MI/audition city: Louisville, KY - “Viva La Vida” by Coldplay - The dueling piano man pikced a risky song, according to the judges. Simon even said it “verged on a horrible performance.” What it tells me is some of these singers may not be as good when they don’t have their instruments.

Jeanine Vailes - 27 years old from Sherman Oaks, CA/audition city: San Francisco - “This Love” by Maroon 5 - I hate to say this about anyone, but this was by far the worst performance of the night. And since there were many, it’s not a compliment. Which is too bad, since Vailes — who didn’t get any airtime prior — seems like a nice lady. Simon made a few comments about her legs and lips. Typical.

Nick Mitchell - 27 years old from Brookfield, CT/audition city: New York, NY - “And I Am Telling You” by Jennifer Hudson - Mitchell came out as Norman Gentle once again, to the delight of the audience. I don’t know if anyone else saw this, but his dad was glaring at him at the beginning of his performance. LOL Maybe he was in deep thought. Simon knows this guy’s a threat, saying “I pray you do not make it through to the next round.” Guess what, Simon? He’s in, after that performance. Hilarious and solid. Ryan even made mention of him going to “2nd base with the logo.” Heh.

Allison Iraheta - 16 years old from Los Angeles/audition city: San Francisco - “Alone” by Heart - Allow me to introduce Iraheta (oh wait, I already did! LOL) to the rest of America. She basically kicked ass and took names this evening, even sounding like Kelly Clarkson in parts (and I thought she sounded like Amanda Overmyer,too).

Kris Allen - 23 years old from Conway, AR/audition city: Louisville, KY - “Man In The Mirror” by Michael Jackson - Allen took a tough song and made it his own, albeit in a baritone. I wasn’t thrilled by it, but it was better than most this evening. Since he is a hit with the ladies, I do think he has an outside shot at making the Top 12.

Megan Joy Corkrey - 22 years old from Sandy, UT/audition city: Salt Lake City, UT - “Put Your Records On” by Corinne Bailey Rae - If my predictions are correct, Corkrey (middle photo) is making it through because of her looks. Not because of her singing — which is okay. The judges called her a package deal, which is accurate. She’ll be in deep trouble once she hits the Top 12 but for now I think she may be the one female who makes it through. That does leave Iraheta out, but Iraheta should be back in the WildCard anyway.

Matt Breitzke - 27 years old from Bixby, OK/audition city: Kansas City, MO - “If You Could Only See” by Tonic - Such a great song, but Breitzke made it sound like he was playing in a bar band. He’s done.

Jesse Langseth - 25 years old from Minneapolis, MN/audition city: Kansas City, MO - “Bette Davis Eyes” by Kim Carnes - Another great song that Langseth could have used to her advantage. Instead she played it safe, which is never a good thing unless you have Adam Lambert’s talent. She doesn’t and I think Simon summed it up when he said she was forgettable. I think the Idol judges would have found a reason to eliminate her anyway, with her record.

Kai Kalama - 26 years old from San Clemente, CA/audition city: San Francisco, CA - “What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted” - Kalama was way out of his depth tonight and it showed. Simon called him a backup singer. Ouch. He’s a nice guy, though and he’ll resurface somewhere in the music industry. But he’s done here.

Mishavonna Henson - 18 years old from Irvine, CA/audition city: Phoenix, AZ - “Drops Of Jupiter” by Train - Hers was my favorite song of the night and I even downloaded her version, which you can pick up by clicking on the iTunes link above. The judges didn’t like her version, though, but she is likeable and will at worst get in by WildCard. At least I hope she does.

Adam Lambert - 26 years old from Los Angeles/audition city: San Francisco -  ‘Satisfaction” by the Rolling Stones - The best truly did go last, as Lambert showed everyone he is the one to beat this season. he took a tough song and not only made it his own, but also added some nuances that made it memorable. He may quite simply be the best singer Idol has ever had. He really has set the bar so high that it may be more difficult for opponents to overcome than it was last season when David Cook blew everyone away.