The top 24 declared

So Hollywood week is finally over and all has been revealed.It was a long and gruelling week but this years top 24 appear to be the most talented bunch in Idol history.The judges must had a tough time choosing them, there was just so much talent.This year however things were done very systematically. There were several rounds of eliminations but all the care seems to have paid off as only the best of the best have been chosen

Hollywood week began with two days of solo performances in which the judges had a chance to review the talent put in at the auditions. Cuts were made as any one not up to the requisite standard was knocked out.

Next came Group night.This was very tough on the contestants as they had just one night to form a group and not only learn a song but also add choreography to it.Tensions ran high but the judges made it clear that they would look at individual as well as group performances.After a lot of drama and some very good performances 61 candidates out of the original 327 which had come to Hollywood were chosen.

Next there was a surprise in store for all the contestants as they were all taken by bus  to Las Vegas and asked to perfect a Beetles song to be performed at the Mirage the next night. Again the singers were divided into groups and had voice trainers to guide them.It is a testimony to the talent of the youngsters and the wide variety of memorable Beetles songs they had to choose from that Beetles night was a great success.It was with great difficulty that the judges managed to whittle down the numbers to 40

In order to help the judges decide the top 24 all the singers were given the chance to perform for one last time. With the help of this last performance the judges were finally able to narrow the numbers to 24

There was a lot of tears and heartbreak for the singers who did not make it, But the new judges handled things very well. Jennifer Lopez was very encouraging and urged many of the singers not to give up but to try again next year.


Image; http://www.himho.com/american-idol-top-24-season-10/

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Drama on Group Night

With Hollywood week well underway, Group Night brought its usual share of drama as the 168 performers who were left after the last round of cuts, were asked to form groups. But there was a twist- each group had to have a mix of performers from Day 1 and Day 2. which complicated things.

They were given just one night to perfect a song and dance routine.

The contestants ran around auditioning for one another and trying to form groups or to be accepted into a group already formed.

There was chaos and a hint of desperation as some of the contestants could not find a group willing to accept them. A case in example was Tiffany Rios from New Jersey. Tiffany is better known for the stars she had emblazoned across her chest in her audition. During the first round of Hollywood auditions she had boasted of being better than the other contestants. The net result of this was that no one was willing to accept her in a group. She was forced to form her own group with another contestant. the soft hearted Jessica Yantz, whom she managed to pull away from another group 'The Sugar Mamas'. Normally a group must have a minimum of three contestants but the judges were forced to make an exception when no one else was willing to join the duo.However all the drama was to no avail as the performance of the pair was below standard and both of them were knocked out of the competition.

Ashley Sullivan was lucky to be accepted by the Day 1 group 'The Hits'. However just when things seemed to be going well, this highly strung, emotional and slightly crazy singer decided to call it quits and back out of the competition.Her group were forced to make adjustments but just when things seemed under control Ashley changed her mind and wanted to rejoin her group. Despite the inconvenience ' The Hits' willingly accepted her back. The group impressed the Judges and all the members including Ashley made it through to the round.

There was another piece of drama when Scott McCreery, famous for his deep voice, wanted to join ''The Goaps'. The group eagerly accepted him but decided to kick out 15 year old contestant Jaycee Badeaux. This cute little boy with an excellent voice was shocked to find himself without a group right at the very last moment. A bewildered Jaycee had to start searching for a new group. Finally, he was accepted by the group 'Sugar Mamas and the Baby' who were singing  'Mercy' a song the young teenager was not familiar with. With the limited time left to perfect an unfamiliar song, Jaycee stumbled over the lyrics but continued to sing by making up his own words begging the judges not to send him home.The judges decided to keep the whole group including Jaycee, who had already endeared himself to the judges in previous rounds.After a few stern words to 'the Goaps' for their heartless behavior, the judges  kept the entire group who  gave a brilliant performance.

The last group of the night was 'Three is Company'. It consisted of ex couple Bob Bolin and Chelsea Oaks and  Jaqueline Dunford ,  whose boyfriend had been eliminated on Day 2. The two girls got on well and Bob was the odd one out. He just could not master the lyrics or the dance moves.The two girls made it through but a depressed looking Bob forgot the words and was voted out.



Image   http://idolator.com/5771481/american-idol-group-round-hollywood-week

Grammy 2011 belonged to Lady Antebellum

When my kids were living at home, the house reverberated with the sound of their music and willingly or unwillingly I was kept abreast of the latest hits. But now they have moved out and the only way I keep in touch with the new hits is by watching the Grammy’s.

I loved the song ‘Need you now’ by Lady Antebellum. It has beautiful words and a haunting melody. I have heard this song before but became a fan only after listening to it on the big night. Now I find that I can’t get this song out of my mind and listen to it at every opportunity.

This country group was formed in Nashville Tennessee in 2006. It has three members- Hillary Scott, Dave Haywood and Charles Kelley.

 I loved watching the trio perform ‘Need you now’ on the Grammy stage. There were no gimmicks, no drama- Just three talented singers, singing a beautiful song with great feeling.

Lady Antebellum was the big winner of the Grammy’s this year. The group won an impressive five out of the six awards they were nominated for.

They won Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Country Performance By a Duo Or Group, Best Country Song, and Best Country Album.

 They deserved every award they got and my only disappointment was that they did not bag Album of the year.

Jay Leno's Tribute to the Grammy's

Jay Leno devoted his show on Monday (14th Feb 2011) to the Grammy;s which had been held a day earlier.He got Mike the situation to recount his experiences at the Grammy.Mike of course is always hilarious and great fun to watch. The main guest was Lady Gaga who came in brandishing three Grammy awards.She was dressed in black in a rather witch-like costume. Jay complemented her on taking the trouble to dress up for his show.The actual interview was rather dull and things only began to liven up when Sofia Vergara from 'Modern Family' came in as the second guest.Sofia was looking stunning in a very pretty dress.With her warm personality, strong Colombian accent and interesting anecdotes Sofie stole the show from Lady Gaga who looked dull and insipid in comparison.The show ended with a song by John Legend.On the whole it was a very interesting night.

Image http://www.dontdodumbthings.com/2010/02/12/the-jay-leno-joke-generator/

Grammy Awards 2011- A night to remember

The 53rd annual Grammy awards were held at Los Angeles on the 13th of February 2011. It was a night to remember, a night of upsets and surprise winners and some very spectacular performances.

Country stars Lady Antebellum were the big winners of the night. Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez presented them with the award for Best record of the year for their album “Need you now”. which also won Best song of the year.

Lady Gaga who arrived at the Grammy’s in a giant egg took the award for Best Female Pop Vocal performance for ‘Bad Romance’ .She also won the Best pop vocal album for “The Fame Monster”

Eminem won the award for Best Rap album for his album ‘Recovery”. He also won an award for ‘Not Afraid’ .However the controversial rapper who had a mind blowing ten nominations lost in the major categories, ‘Love the way you Lie’  lost  Record of the Year to Lady Antellebum and ;Recovery’ lost Album of the year to Arcade Fire

Brumo Mars won the award for best male pop vocal for his composition “Just the way you are”

Cee Lo Green and Justin Bieber were two major stars that walked away empty handed

One of the surprise winners on this star studded night was Esperanza Spalding who won the award for best new artist. This came as a shock to the many Justin Bieber fans who expected their idol to walk away with the award.

Another major surprise was when Arcade Fire won Album of the year for “The Suburbs” beating the likes of Eminem and Lady Antebellum.

But the Grammy’s are not only about winning and losing. It is about entertainment and the many unforgettable performances which graced the night.

The show opened with a performance by Christina Aguilera honoring Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin. She was joined by a slimmed down Jennifer Hudson, Martina McBride, Florence Welch and Yolanda Adams. The ladies performed a medley of Aretha’s greatest hits which I really enjoyed..

There was a very cute performance by teen idols Jaiden Smith and Justin Bieber. Singer Will Smith and wife Jada were seen beaming proudly in the audience watching their talented son perform.

One of the highlights of the evening was the performance by Eminem who has made a miraculous comeback with his album ‘Recovery. Eminem performed two of his major hits. First he sang ‘I love the way you lie’ with Rehana which was superb. I really loved Rehana’s l fiery dress and the stage effects were brilliant

Then Eminem and Dr Dre along with Rehana rocked the house with ‘I need a doctor’. This was Dr Dre’s first performance in a decade and the crowd cheered him on.

Cee Lo resplendent in a psychedelic peacock costume with giant bird feathers performed along with the Jim Henson Company Puppets and Gweneth Paltrow who gave a very sultry performance .Cee Lo sang and played the piano while Gweneth looking stunning in a cat suit and shoes danced and sang on top of the piano with the puppets acting as background singers. I really enjoyed the performance.

Norah Jones, John Mayo and Keith Urban gave a wonderful rendition of ‘Jolene’, one of Dolly Parton’s classic songs. This was. in honor of Dolly, who got a life time achievement award.

Two up and coming folk rock acts Mumford and Sons and The Avett Brothers performed with the legendary Bob Dylan. Dylan’s voice was scratchy and raspy and a bit inaudible as he sang his hit  ‘Maggies Farm’ but the crowd loved him.

Another hit performance was by rock legend Mick Jagger.This was the stars first Grammy performance and he rocked the stage with energy and passion,. proving, once again, that his talent is ageless.

But for me, the star of the night was Barbara Streisand. It was rare treat to see her perform. There were no gimmicks or props-just her beautiful voice to mesmerize us. She was introduced by the fabulous Kris Kristofferson and sang the song ‘Evergreen’ from their movie ‘A Star is Born’. Barbara got a standing ovation for her stellar performance.

The magic of the Grammy’s lies in the fact that it honors music from all generations and all genres and that is what made the night so special.

American Idol without Simon Cowel

I am a great fan of American Idol and to me American Idol meant Simon Cowel When I think of American Idol I always picture Simon sitting with Paula and Randy, a bored expression on his face, often chewing the tip of his pencil, as he watched singer after aspiring singer audition.

A man of few words Simon was very quick to make it clear if he liked or disliked a performance. His critique was short, to the point and often downright rude. Simon had no patience with singers who had no talent or who gave a bad performance.. He was not afraid of calling a spade a spade. Simon was often at loggerheads with Paula who was softhearted and tried to cushion the blow by trying to point out the positive features of a bad performance.

To be honest Simon was a very fair judge. If he liked a performance he made it known. Praise from Simon was rare but something to die for. A small word of praise or encouragement from Simon meant a lot to the singers. If Simon realized that he had misjudged anyone or criticized them unfairly, he was quick to apologies.

There was a lot of friendly banter between the judges and host Ryan Sea crest.  Ryan often teased Simon about his age, his penchant for wearing black tee shirts, and his stormy relationship with Paula. .

 The audience lapped it all up. They loved Simon and his straightforward manner. They loved the romantic tension between Simon and Paula They loved his British accent. They even grew used to his rudeness. Simon could do no wrong. He was American Idols favorite judge

When Simon announced that he was leaving American Idol I was shocked and dismayed. Idol will never be the same I wailed to anyone who was interested. But luckily my predictions were wrong. American Idol is back and it is stronger than ever with a team of fantastic new judges, Steve Tyler and Jennifer Lopez and old favorites Randy Jackson and Ryan Seacrest

Yes, we will always miss Simon and think fondly of the days when he was Idols favorite judge. But that time has passed and now a new era of American Idol has been ushered in and Idol is back on its journey to the top.

Image  http://celebritybackstage.com/british-rock-icon-exterminate-simon-cowell

                                                                                                      

The New Judges of American Idol -Season 10

I think that the new judges of American Idol are simply smashing.Actress and singer,Jennifer Lopez is gorgeous,talented and fun.At first she appeared a bit too soft hearted but she is learning to put her foot down,firmly but gently Steven Tyler the wild rocker from Aerosmith has brought the right mix of craziness, energy and excitement into the show.Randy Jackson is the voice of experience and wisdom, having been in the show since its inception.The trio seem to get on well together. I was extremely pleased to see compere Ryan Seacrest who has always been the heart and soul of the show.


There is a lot of laughing, joking and gay repartee. The judges often sing along and keep the timing with the contestants I found the judging to be extremely fair and a number of very talented singers have made it to Hollywood. Nervous contestants with good voices are usually given a second chance.

The glamour is back in American Idol Jennifer always manages to look ravishingly beautiful,Steven looks cool and not to be outdone,  Randy had on a pair of golden shoes in the sixth installment of the auditions.Ryan looks his usual dashing self.

I have been an avid follower of American Idol right from Season 1. I loved the three judges Simon, Paula and Randy.I enjoyed the friction between Paula and Simon.I was disappointed with new judge Kara who was introduced in Season 8.Four judges were a bit too much and American Idol seemed to be losing a bit of its sparkle,Then Paula left in Season 9 and Ellen DeGeneres took her place.But Ellen was too kind and the magic seemed to be disappearing from American Idol.

When Simon announced that he would be leaving as well , it seemed to spell the end of the road for American Idol.But luckily the predictions of doom did not come true and with the introduction of two exciting new judges American Idol seems to be back in business.

Yes the fun is back in American Idol and all seems well in Idol world.It has been a great start to what might well be American Idols best season yet.



Images
http://hadi-7.blogspot.com/2010/09/american-idol-2011-judges.html
http://f2.washington.edu/teams/nd/winter-2011