After weeks and months of not only marketing and promotion, but also controversies and a leaked video showing a certain feud, it‘s finally here: American Idol season 12 premieres tonight with the start of the auditions in New York (and Chicago on Thursday). Mariah Carey, Keith Urban and Nicki Minaj join Randy Jackson at the judging panel for the first time. Read more »

American Idol season 12 premiered Wednesday night to its lowest-rated start since season 1. With 17.81 million viewers, Idol dropped more than 4 million viewers from last season‘s premiere.  Read more »

It‘s been eight long months since we last heard Ryan Seacrest utter those four little words that have become a staple in pop culture for more than a decade, but "This ... is American Idol" is back for a 12th season of wonderment. If you can remember the first season way back in 2002, you have a leg up most of the competition. The two youngest finalists from last season, Shannon Magrane and Jessica Sanchez, were both born in 1995 and were 6 when the show debuted. If that doesn‘t make you feel old, the OLDEST finalists from season 1 (Nikki McKibbin and runner-up Justin Guarini) were born in 1978, faaar too close to my own birth year of 1980.Anyway, America‘s favorite singing competition returns to hopefully deliver another superstar to the music world. But for every Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, you also have to deal with the occasional Ruben Studdard or (gulp) Lee DeWyze. It‘s been six seasons since Jordin Sparks became the last female winner, so the pressure is on the women to deliver this year.  Read more »

American Idol kicked off season 12 last night, bringing in 17.9 million viewers. Everyone expected a drop in the ratings. But something else we can always expect at the start of another season is the judges predicting that a girl will win. Also in today‘s Roundup, Adam Lambert has left 19 Recordings, while Lee Dewyze joins a new label. And Phillip Phillips continues to hold strong on the Billboard 200. Read more »

We‘ve now had our first look at the new judges for American Idol season 12. Do you ever wonder what goes on behind the scenes when the cameras aren‘t looking? If so, then I recommend reading Elimination Night, a new fiction book based on season 10 -- the first year that Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez joined the panel -- and written by an anonymous author with firsthand knowledge of what goes on backstage at a singing competition show. Read more »

The American Idol judges are on record predicting that a girl will win season 12. I take that with a huge grain of salt because history is not on their side. Even if they pimp the ladies like Terrence Howard in Hustle and Flow, it‘s hard to fight the establishment.  Read more »

Because two hours of American Idol is never enough for one week, we‘re back for two more hours of both amazing and cringe-inducing performances. C‘mon, when was the last time you watched four hours of the same show in a 26-hour span and it didn‘t involve reruns or catching up? Probably not since last season. But Ryan Seacrest says it best, "This is American Idol," and there‘s nothing quite like it. The two-night premiere continues as the judges head to Chicago, where we‘re promised heartwarming stories of perseverance, stuttering and increasing tensions in our diva catfight that make poor Keith Urban (sitting between them AGAIN) feel like a scratching post. Both of these women are known from their dramatic showmanship, but for now we‘ll buy into the belief that they really don‘t like each other. At least until the expose.  Read more »

The New York and Chicago auditions are now behind us, with two more weeks of auditions and even more bickering between Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj still to come. As we know, these preliminary rounds were filmed last fall and Hollywood Week in December. Spoilers are bound to surface when a show as big as Idol has prerecorded elements. And that‘s the case for season 12, with the list of 20 men and 20 women who are moving on to Las Vegas, courtesy of The Idol Pad. Check out this year‘s Top 40 below: Read more »

In a new interview, FOX executive Mike Darnell discusses the feud and tension among the judges, whether Idol will stick with unlimited voting and if the judges will be any different during the live shows. Also in today‘s Roundup, Scotty McCreery‘s about to headline his own tour, and read on to find out how you can listen to audio samples of Colton Dixon‘s debut album. Read more »

The third set of American Idol auditions takes us to Charlotte, where we‘re promised the catfight of the decade between judges Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj (Take THAT, Simon and Paula!). It remains to be seen how much they actually dislike each other, but we should get some serious insight into that in the next two hours. The "feud" has been largely disappointing so far, but this is apparently the week where the judges overshadow the talent (and thankfully the awful singers).Ryan Seacrest kicks things off in a NASCAR racecar, where he cheerfully listens to Rupert Holmes‘ "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)" while frenzied drivers race to the finish around him. If you‘ve never paid attention to the lyrics of that song, it is one of the most horrible songs ever written. The first line is "I was tired of my lady," and it‘s all about a dude who got sick of his wife, so he puts an ad in the newspaper looking to have an affair. But boy is his face red when he meets his fling in person and it turns out to be his wife. "We both hate our marriage and were totally excited to cheat on each other, but I guess this curious wrench means we‘re still in love!" Great message. The only song that might be worse is Foster the People‘s "Pumped Up Kicks," a catchy little jingle about a school shooting. But I digress. Read more »

Charlotte was home to the overhyped walkout of Nicki Minaj and the massive feud she had with Mariah Carey on American Idol. The end result proved to be slightly less dramatic than the show made us think it would be. I fully expected/wanted Mariah to yank Nicki‘s cotton candy wig off her damn head.  Read more »

Carrie Underwood‘s music video for "Two Black Cadillacs" has been released, and she proves yet again that men better not mess with her. Also in today‘s Roundup, Randy Jackson reveals that he thought about quitting American Idol last summer. Kelly Clarkson and Jennifer Hudson performed at the Inauguration. And Phillip Phillips receives a bump in sales after appearing on last week‘s Idol premiere. Read more »

It‘s amazing what a difference an hour makes. The first hour-long episode of American Idol season 12 proved that without the filler of judges‘ squabbles, the show can breeze by with a nice assortment of talented singers and a few bad ones.  Read more »

In today‘s Roundup, nine former contestants are accusing Idol of racism. Read on to find out who they are, what their specific claims are and if there‘s any holes in the allegations. Also, Crystal Bowersox and Jessica Sanchez are previewing new music, and Jennifer Hudson plays a drug addict in a new film. Read more »

With season 2 of Smash premiering next week with a new showrunner, new cast members and a huge guest star in Jennifer Hudson, NBC is ramping up the promo machine by releasing five video clips from the two-hour opener, "On Broadway/The Fallout." Read more »

After sitting through the "epic" Mariah-Nicki catfight that wasn‘t on Wednesday, American Idol decided to cut us a break by only subjecting us to one hour of auditions in Baton Rouge. It‘s the home of the Dawg, and Randy is hoping the bayou doesn‘t do him dirty.But seriously, how little do the audition shows really mean? Apparently the ratings were down initially, but it‘s because no one remembers the audition people anyway. Hollywood and Las Vegas weeks are entertaining, but no one really cares until the live shows begin. That‘s when singers start to stand out and develop. There might be one or two auditions that stick in your mind, but for the most part, the clutter of previously featured performers and really talented newbies who we never saw just make it difficult to keep track of everything. The only ones who remember these people are the writers and bloggers who put their names down on "paper" each week. It‘s like meeting 100 people all at the same time at a bar and trying to commit their names to memory, all while knowing there‘s another 100 who are awesome but you just didn‘t have time to say hi to. Whether you agree or disagree, vote in the poll at the bottom of this article to either back me up or contradict me. Read more »

Corey Clark is not done with his suing spree -- he‘s filed lawsuits against FOX and others for defamation over the alleged Paula Abdul affair. Many former contestants are coming forward to side with Idol after the show was accused of racism. And American Idol has launched a new mobile app. Read on to find out all the features, including a new way to vote for your favorite singers. Read more »

Only two more audition shows to go before we get to the real meat of the American Idol competition! Okay, so maybe Hollywood Week isn‘t the meat. It‘s more of the fried calamari after the stale bread, but before the soup or salad of Vegas Week and the seemingly endless main course that is the live shows. It‘s like the longest dinner ever. Either way, grab your butter knife and buckle your cowboy boots, cause we‘re headed to Texas for a good ol‘ fashioned hootenanny.There‘s really no sense of tension this week after the much-hyped Mariah Carey-Nicki Minaj feud disappointingly fizzled out. So it‘s really just time to sit through two hours of good singers and really bad singers and move on to the drama of Hollywood, which will whittle us down to our top 20 boys and top 20 girls. The only animosity I expect to see is the contestants who were deluded enough to think that making it through to see the judges meant they were good. Read more »

American Idol is an unusual beast. Now in season 12, there is a fine line between the realism of the show and the artificial production. Sometimes contestants can break the mold and do their best to undercut the importance of everything and other times the show itself tries to manipulate viewers.  Read more »

Ahhhh, the joys associated with only one hour of American Idol. The pace! The talent! The lack of filler! They can‘t waste five minutes making us watch a bad singer argue with the judges, because that‘s roughly one-ninth of the whole show!Anyway, kids, this is it. We‘ve finally made it. It‘s the END of the line for Idol...auditions. No more will we have to wonder before a performance if the artist has any chops at all. We may still cringe at times, but that‘s only because someone is having a bad day or is surrounded by people who don‘t bring out his or her best. No more will we be subjected to the worst America has to offer, those wretched, screeching, tone deaf individuals who Fox exploits for cheap laughs! Until next season, of course. But let‘s not focus on that right now. Read more »

American Idol saved the best for last with the auditions of season 12. And by best, I mean most entertaining. The quirky oddballs and unique stories also turned out to be some decent singers, which is always a pleasant surprise.  Read more »

Coming on the heels of nine former contestants accusing American Idol of racism (even though they were disqualified for not being truthful to producers), we‘ve got another liar in our midst, and this time it‘s someone who just auditioned in the past week. Also in today‘s Roundup, Forbes has released a list of the top earning Idol finalists. And read on to see where Phillip Phillips and two other winners landed this week on the Billboard 200. Read more »

This year‘s Super Bowl is still fresh in our minds, but it‘s never too early to look to the future, especially for TV fans. FOX will air Super Bowl XLVIII on Sunday, February 2, 2014, marking the seventh time the network has hosted the big game.  Read more »

Hollywood Week begins this week, and American Idol‘s executive producers are giving us a sneak peek of what expect from the round that‘s usually filled with plenty of drama. Also in today‘s Roundup, listen to David Archuleta‘s new single. And Colton Dixon tops the rest of the Idols on the Billboard 200. Read more »

They are two words that are music to everyone‘s ears: Hollywood Week! Yes, friends, the American Idol auditions are finally over, and that means the majority of the people we hear this week will actually have talent (When I say "most," I‘m looking at you Zoanette Johnson). The stale bread phase of our meal has ended, and now it‘s time for the appetizers. By the end of next week‘s shows, we‘ll be down to our top 20 boys and top 20 girls. In order to move on, the contestants will have to survive the most intense week of their lives. That is, of course, until the next phase, which will also be the most intense week of their lives. Followed by the next two months, which will be the most intense two months of their lives. It‘s like every reality show says every year, get ready for the most dramatic, intense season you‘ve ever seen. This ... is American Idol! Read more »

Goodbyes are never easy, and that will surely be the case as Hollywood Week ends for the male singers and we bid adieu to some of our favorite American Idol performers. But the show must go on, and not everyone can make it to Las Vegas. It is expected that we‘ll be cutting the remaining 43 boys down to our top 20, but who knows, there could be some surprises along the way.Ryan Seacrest promises us that Day 3 will be full of amazing songs, shocking eliminations and major meltdowns. It‘s the most important performance of their lives, you know, until the next one. But that‘s why we love it! Read more »

If you‘ve been watching Hollywood Week, then you may recall Matheus Fernandes mentioning that he‘s never performed with a live band before. But he‘s coming under attack for those comments, and is now having to defend himself. Also in today‘s Roundup, one of the auditioners who received a ticket to Hollywood is no longer in the competition -- read on for her statement. And listen to Crystal Bowersox‘s new single from her upcoming album. Read more »

Get ready to put your hands up and "SHOUT" when Glee airs its 500th musical performance this March.  Read more »

The nominations for this year‘s ACM Awards and Kids‘ Choice Awards are out, and American Idol and two winners are in the running -- the same two, in fact, that just won at the Grammys. Also in today‘s Roundup, Andrew Garcia has released a new song, and Crystal Bowersox is heading to Broadway; read on to find out which country music icon she‘ll be playing. Read more »

It‘s been no secret that host Jeff Probst has wanted CBS to air a celebrity edition of Survivor. And while it‘s still a dream of his, he may be one step close to making it a reality now that a high-profile sitcom star has expressed serious interest in taking part. Read more »

The boys got their shot in Hollywood last week and did a so-so job while narrowing the field down to the top 28. Amazing performances were hard to come by, as were lyrics (at least correct ones), but a few favorites have started to emerge with mostly solid performances all around. Now, it‘s the girls‘ turn. And if Nicki‘s prediction that American Idol would have its first female winner in years is correct, we should be in for a fun ride. Not so much for the girls though, who face the added pressure of greatly outnumbering the guys who advanced this far.There are 162 girls who‘ve made the trip, and by the end of Thursday night, we‘ll narrow the group down to just 20. That means lots of harsh cuts are on tap, including people we‘ve seen before and who have inspirational stories. But that will be countered by faces that are new and voices that are spectacular. First up is the quick-shot do-or-die solo round. Read more »

After last week‘s fakeout, we‘re finally getting down to the nitty-gritty on American Idol. The girls will perform solo for the last time in Hollywood, while the 28 remaining guys somehow get whittled down to 20, likely with little explanation. Which kind of sucks, cause we‘d like to have a say. Even in looking back at the group rounds, I have no idea why or how some of the cuts were made. But that‘s why we watch from our couches, and why no one REALLY cares until the live shows begin.The girls have exceeded the boys so far, in my opinion, meaning we should be in store for some awesome performances as the ladies sing for their lives. It‘s go big or go home, and you can‘t leave anything on the table. Forty-seven enter, 27 will leave. This going to be deliciously brutal.  Read more »

It‘s always fun for American Idol fans to look back at how the finalists were portrayed during the auditions. Sometimes the ultimate winner gave a memorable, standout audition (Phillip Phillips and Scotty McCreery come to mind) while other times the winner came out of nowhere and was barely seen at all (Kris Allen).  Read more »

There‘s no certainty of success after being on American Idol. Just look at Casey Abrams: he‘s now a hippie singing on the streets -- or is he? Also in today‘s Roundup, Phillip Phillips has released a new music video, and Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson are seeing an increase in album sales following their big night at the Grammys. Read more »

After taking a week off for the State of the Union, Smash is back and hopefully recovers somewhat from the premiere‘s disastrous ratings. To give us a sneak peek of what to expect, NBC has released preview videos from "The Dramaturg." Read more »

The pressures of Hollywood Week are finally behind us on American Idol, when the performers sang for their lives and every performance could‘ve been their last. Now, it‘s time for the intense pressure of the first-ever sudden death Las Vegas round, where the performers will sing for their lives and their ONLY performance could be their last. By the end of next week, the top 40 will become the top 20.The singers will once again be split by gender, with 10 girls and 10 boys performing each week. And at the end of each night, the judges will cut the groups in half, sending five packing. It‘s the most important performance so far, with the only options being go home or start preparing for the next "most important performance so far." The format of these Las Vegas performances has the obvious flaw of the seventh best one week potentially being the third best the next, meaning we end up with a top 10 that might not actually be THE top 10. But that just adds to the do-or-die mentality. Read more »

Half of the remaining American Idol girls took the stage for the brand spankin‘ new sudden death round in Las Vegas Wednesday, and now it‘s the guys‘ turn. And while there were some shocking eliminations (Shubha Vedula and Isabelle, in particular), I don‘t even think that‘s possible for the boys. The field is that wide open (or if you prefer, mediocre). Outside of Curtis Finch, Jr,, who has yet to falter, everyone is vulnerable.Recap: 10 Ladies Become 5 >>One thing we don‘t have to worry about that came up with the girls is factoring in someone we‘ve never heard before. We saw two of the ladies for the very first time in Las Vegas, and a third we hadn‘t heard a solo from. Some of these guys have gotten more screen time than others, but at least we have a basic idea of what each one of them sounds like. I have expectations for each, so there won‘t be any guys at the bottom of the rankings who suddenly make a huge jump. Read more »

Even though ABC initially said they won‘t be announcing the season 16 cast until Tuesday on Good Morning America, the network revealed in a commercial that ran during Sunday night‘s Oscars that Baltimore Ravens‘ wide receiver Jacoby Jones will compete on the show this spring. Read more »

ABC announced this morning on Good Morning America the new season 16 cast competing for the Mirror Ball trophy on Dancing with the Stars. Did TMZ get it right with their scoop on Kellie Pickler, Wynonna Judd, Aly Raisman, Sean Lowe and Andy Dick? Read on to find out which 11 celebrities are about to put on their dancing shoes. Read more »

Season 12 of American Idol is in full swing, with the remaining singers in the Top 40 performing this week in Las Vegas. But let‘s not forget about past contestants: Blake Lewis has secured a new record deal and he‘s partnering with a major company on their latest campaign. Casey James is joining Taylor Swift‘s tour -- read on to find out which stops you can see him perform at. Also in today‘s Roundup, the season 12 goodbye song has been announced, Bon Jovi will perform during an upcoming results show and Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj reveal if judging Idol is anything like they thought it would be. Read more »

Welcome to another bloated edition of American Idol. Just like last week, this week will see 10 girls and 10 guys take the stage in Las Vegas to sing their hearts out for a chance to make it farther in the competition. This installment is all about the ladies, as 10 female vocalists get narrowed down to five.  Read more »

With only three months left in the 2012-2013 television season, it‘s time to start thinking about what we‘re going to do with all that extra time after our favorite shows are over. (Fill it up with summer shows, most likely.) FOX has announced their spring 2013 season finale dates, as well as premiere dates for So You Think You Can Dance and other shows debuting in the summer. Read more »

We‘re back in Las Vegas for the sudden death semifinals to determine who goes and who stays for the chance to become America‘s next top Idol. We‘re so close to finally moving into the portion of this show where America decides the winner, instead of letting Nicki Minaj choose who‘d she‘d most like to hang out with. Read more »

It used to be that only sports events would beat American Idol in the ratings. But as we‘ve seen this week, it‘s becoming easier for both network and cable shows to do the same. Fantasia has a new album coming out in April -- read on for the release date, cover art and track list. Plus, Justin Guarini is a new dad for the second time. Read more »

American Idol is changing the way fans can vote for their favorite singers this year by adding a new feature. Viewers can still vote by phone and text, but now online voters will be given the opportunity to SuperVote.  Read more »

The long, national nightmare of the American Idol judges is finally over and now it‘s time for America to vote. After two weeks of Las Vegas semifinals where the judges cut the field in half and made some rather questionable decisions, the power is stripped from their hands.  Read more »

American Idol is no stranger to the Billboard charts, and now they‘ve announced the Top 100 songs from Idol alums to land in the Hot 100.You can click here to check out the list and listen to all the songs, but below I‘ve collected the data and answered some of your inevitable questions. Is Kelly Clarkson or Carrie Underwood the top queen of American Idol? Who is the ONLY winner not on the list?  Read more »

Jeez Louise, a guy goes out of town for a week and the whole American Idol landscape falls apart. After having to watch Isabelle and J‘DA get the shaft in favor of screechy Tenna Torres and awkward Charlie Askew, the Idol judges decided to one-up themselves and make even more horrible choices before turning the vote over to a more responsible, trustworthy group: America (Yikes!).Somehow, Zoanette Johnson and her Lion King mane advanced to the finals, leaving poor Jett Hermano, who I think had the absolute best performance of the week (Candice Glover‘s choice was too safe), wondering what the heck she did wrong. I loved Juliana Chahayed‘s voice, and the judges admitted she was the only singer who already had a unique sound locked down. But somehow, Breanna Steer (who I ranked seventh) moved on instead. Candice and Jett were the only locks in my book, though, so I was fine with the other choices based on the muddled middle. Cristabel Clack and Melinda Ademi were easy cuts. Read more »

This week marked the first time that viewers could vote for their favorite season 12 contestants. And now that the Top 20 semifinalists have all performed, it‘s out of their control -- I bet some of those guys wish they could have a do-over -- because tonight on an expanded results show, the five girls and five guys with the most votes will advance to the Top 10. Read more »

It‘s time for the first live results show on American Idol, but my question isn‘t "Who will make it?" It‘s "Will America get it right?" No one can speak for the judges‘ motivations except for Randy Jackson, Nicki Minaj, Mariah Carey and Keith Urban (and maybe puppet masters Nigel Lythgoe and Jimmy Iovine), but the questionable nature of their selections came full circle regarding Charlie Askew.It‘s bad enough they brought along Zoanette Johnson to the finals, but at least her unwavering and overbearing confidence will shield her from harsh criticism. But for poor Charlie and his "Charlie Askew Syndrome," it was an experiment in personality destined to fail. He‘s a character for sure, but he didn‘t have nearly the chops of the other singers, and he knew it. Read more »

On American Idol, getting to perform last on a live show is known as the Pimp Spot. It‘s an appropriate name because the last singer is the one freshest in voters‘ minds and, therefore, has the best chance of survival. It‘s the position producers might give to a contestant to pump up their support.  Read more »

Fantasia has released the music video for her single "Lose to win," and it‘s got a very throwback feel to it. The track list is out for David Archuleta‘s upcoming album, and listen to a preview of one of the songs. Also, Scotty McCreery is starting up a web series that follows him as he goes out on tour. And read on for the latest album sales from Carrie Underwood, Phillip Phillips, Kelly Clarkson and Colton Dixon. Read more »

The top 5 guys and top 5 girls have been set, and now it‘s time for them to take the stage in classic American Idol fashion, theme and all. This week, that theme is "Music of the American Idols," which means the contestants can choose any song ever recorded by a past Idol winner or any song they performed on the show.That means they have 11 artists to choose an original work from, or a sneaky loophole to sing basically a song from anyone. Like Carrie Underwood? It‘s all good. Kelly Clarkson? That‘s smart, son. Ruben Studdard? Gettin‘ cluttered. Lee DeWyze? I sympathize. Read more »

Now that it‘s Top 10 week, each of this year‘s finalists has only nine other singers standing in the way of being crowned the winner on May 16. But that only means they have to step it up or they may find themselves in danger of going home. Read more »

For the past eight seasons, American Idol has chosen what‘s called a "goodbye song." After a contestant is eliminated, they play a video of their journey on the show with that song playing in the background. It started in season 5 with Daniel Powter‘s "Bad Day," which became an instant hit around the country. Ever since then, they‘ve kept it within the Idol family, as all the singers have been former contestants (mostly winners), and even the very first champion from the UK‘s Pop Idol. Read more »

It‘s time for our first results show in the real finals part of the American Idol finals (they were considered the top 20 finalists), and I‘m assuming we‘re going back to our old style of determining a bottom three and then eliminating someone.It‘s be really strange if they kept last week‘s method and made Ryan Seacrest run back and forth to a tiny room while they told nine singers they were advancing. Unless Lazaro Arbos is the one going home. Then they might do it that way just to spare us from having to see him eliminated. Read more »

Even though there were no Wild Cards from the judges this year, that doesn‘t mean all of the eliminated contestants are going home empty-handed. It was announced that the guy and girl who came in sixth place during last week‘s semifinals would perform in a sing-off, and America will decide which of the two gets the extra 11th spot on the American Idol Live! Tour 2013. Read more »

If you‘ve been wondering what happened to Jessica Sanchez after she lost to Phillip Phillips in season 11, then you‘ll have the chance to see her make a return appearance to Idol. Crystal Bowersox has debuted a new song, as well as a music video for a different track. Also in today‘s Roundup, sales for Colton Dixon‘s album have seen an increase, all thanks to Angie Miller‘s semifinals performance. Read more »

American Idol season 11 runner-up Jessica Sanchez is about to come home to FOX over the next two months. Not only is she performing with Ne-Yo on the March 21 results show of Idol, but she will also finally be appearing on Glee in the final two episodes of season 4.  Read more »

The Top 9 of American Idol are back Wednesday night, singing for your pleasure and your votes after Curtis Finch, Jr., was sent home in a bit of a shocker last week. It wasn‘t a HUGE surprise, as the ladies are very far ahead of the boys this year. Still, it probably should‘ve been Lazaro Arbos, who somehow managed to garner the fourth-most votes of everyone.We could probably just skip the next six or seven weeks and just let Candice Glover and Angie Miller sing for the crown. But then again, we have to let Amber Holcomb and Kree Harrison stick around as long as possible. And with the country vote that Janelle Arthur gets, it‘s possible the final five will be all girls. The sympathy vote will have something to say about that though. And maybe Burnell Taylor (But I doubt it, unless he comes up with something innovative). Read more »

The Top 9 took on the songs of Lennon and McCartney this week, if you couldn‘t already tell from the headline. In years past, this theme has yielded some stand-out performances from the likes of David Cook, Kris Allen and Crystal Bowersox, among many others. Read more »

Angie Miller covered one of his songs recently on American Idol. And now Colton Dixon is returning to the show that put him on the national stage and launched his career. What song will he perform? Is it a secret? Read more »

It seems like a foregone conclusion really, that all the ladies are safe on American Idol‘s elimination show Thursday. Janelle Arthur scored the pimp spot, and the judges would happily use a save on any of the other girls should something crazy happen. The only exception is maybe Amber Holcomb, who has back-to-back missteps of bad arrangement and bad song choice. Still, she is just too talented a singer to let go at this stage.So that means it‘s down to the guys, with Lazaro Arbos the obvious choice, thanks to his waning confidence, poor performances and glistening forehead. BUT, while his backstory might be getting a little old, it‘s still inspiring enough to win him the sympathy vote and some of the vote-for-the-worst attention. Seeing as how he came in fourth in voting last week, I don‘t think there‘s any chance America got it right. Read more »

In one corner, it‘s Jimmy Iovine. In the other, the judges of season 12. After Jimmy‘s scathing lecture to the judges, Nicki Minaj and Randy Jackson are hitting back hard. Also in today‘s Roundup, the music video for Jessica Sanchez‘s single "Tonight" has been released (and listen to a preview of her album), and Phillip Phillips saw an increase in sales of his album and single after his appearance on Idol. Read more »

The Voice kicked off season 4 Monday night with plenty of terrific singers and a solid debut for new coaches Usher and Shakira. After two hours of Shakira‘s sweetness and Usher‘s leg kicked up on the ledge of his chair, I was left thinking "Cee Who and X-what-a?‘  Read more »

The Top 8 are receiving some legendary help with their performances this week in the form of Smokey Robinson. Also in today‘s Roundup, both Katharine McPhee and Carrie Underwood are set to return to American Idol over the next two weeks to perform -- read on to find out which band the Smash star is performing with. The music video for David Archuleta‘s single has been released, presented in a very intriguing style. And Casey Abrams‘ Idol appearance is doing wonders for his album sales. Read more »

I wanted to entitle this recap "Devin Velez Goes Home," because let‘s be honest, that‘s what is happening this week on American Idol. Painful as it might be to all the Devin lovers, the guys are just seriously underperforming this season (perhaps with a little selection help from the judges in Hollywood and Las Vegas). And, barring a miracle, Lazaro Arbos is destined to glisten our television screens for at least the next two or three weeks.Janelle Arthur and Burnell Taylor are possible candidates for elimination, but seeing as how Janelle is this year‘s queen of country and Burnell is the best of the guys, either seems like a long shot to go home. Amber Holcomb made a surprising appearance in the bottom three last week, but the judges would surely save her were she to be America‘s shocking choice. Read more »

The Music of Motor City brought out some standout performances (particularly from Janelle Arthur), a legend (Smokey Robinson) and a major trainwreck (Lazaro Arbos). Read more »

Or could we be in for an Angie Miller shocker? (No.) The elimination carousel continues on American Idol Thursday, and it‘s difficult to know what to expect on a number of fronts. The first week of results shows featured Bon Jovi and Phillip Phillips, and we got tons of filler, a top 3, rankings from 4-10 and rapid-fire results. Then last week, featuring Michelle Kwan mini-J-Lo Jessica Sanchez and Casey Abrams, we got a ton of filler, a BOTTOM three and no rankings at all. Who knows what‘s on tap tonight?Actually, there are a couple of things that are certain: Lots of filler, performances by American Idol alum (present company included) and a guy going home. Keith Urban, OneRepublic and Katharine McPhee and Colton Dixon will hit the stage, squeezing in three performances around some form of elimination, as the show once again fails to land any outside superstars. Next week prediction: Kevin Covais and Elliott Yamin stop by! And baby, I will wait for you, cause I don‘t know what else I can doooooo. Read more »

After Devin Velez was voted off American Idol last week, Nicki Minaj went on a Twitter rant against him. Now Devin is responding to those attacks -- is he hurt by what she said? Also in today‘s Roundup, following the April 4 results show, additional behind-the-scenes footage will air showing what happens after someone is voted off. And Colton Dixon has received a huge boost in album sales following his return appearance on Idol. Read more »

America complained, and American Idol listened. After weeks and weeks of mostly mind-numbing lullaby ballads (or ballabys, as my word-inventing self has decried), the Top 7 are rocking out. The theme this week is "Classic Rock, No Ballads," probably in an effort to keep the audience awake.The choice should prove very interesting for a few of the contestants, which is good because the ever-predictable results haven‘t been lately. After finally making an appearance in the final 3, Lazaro Arbos SHOULD be going home this week. And that is irregardless of how he sings, though classic rock in general doesn‘t lend itself to his particular brand of (sorta) talent anyway. Read more »

This week, the Top 7 took on some of the most iconic classic rock songs, though they didn‘t hold strictly to the rules because "Bring Me to Life" is by a modern rock band, and "What About Love" is a power ballad. Read more »

Part IV: A New Hope. Long, long ago (January) in a galaxy studio far, far away (Hollywood), the evil empire American Idol fought back against the bounds of gender equality. But then, with the entire universe facing the perilous possibility of going six straight seasons without a female winner, five brave lady Jedi Knightesses (Yes, I make up words) stepped forward to save the Republic and restore order to the planet.Last week was part III of the "Which guy is going home?" trilogy, and this week will surely continue the saga (thus the tetralogy). And for all you nerds out there, I fully expect this series to become a pentalogy. Then, sadly, it must end, because there just aren‘t going to be any guys left.  Read more »

It‘s no secret that there‘s producer manipulation on American Idol. One of the biggest instances every week is what is called the pimp spot -- the person who performs last is usually a contestant the producers want to make sure stays on. That‘s just one example. And it looks like another one popped up just last night during the Top 7 results show, and it involves Lazaro Arbos. Read more »

If ever song choice and performance didn‘t matter for the girls on American Idol, this is that week. The theme doesn‘t matter, because there‘s only one point worth paying attention to: Does Lazaro Arbos suck enough to finally get sent packing, or does Lazaro Arbos perform well enough to force the judges to use their save.That‘s really all it comes down to. Either Lazaro goes home and we have a top five made up entirely of females (not that Idol would push America in a certain direction or anything), or we have another week of the top 6 and hope that Lazaro sucks next time. If the latter happens, expect next week‘s theme to be "spoken-word songs sung without a stutter." They‘ll totally Burnell him if they have to (rock week reference...) Read more »

The Top 6 finalists performed two songs each. While the first theme -- the Songbook of Burt Bacharach and Hal David -- ended up being pretty much a dud, the second round is where we witnessed some standout performances. Read more »

This results recap is dedicated to the women‘s rights movement, because while it seems under fire from roughly half of political America, the exact opposite is true on American Idol (And also I got tired of titling it "A Guy Goes Home -- Part V). Haven‘t had a girl win the thing in nearly half a decade? Eureka! Just stack the deck so ONLY a female can win. Problem solved!Or is it? Much like the systemic anomaly that is Neo in The Matrix, season 12 of Idol brought us Lazaro Arbos -- he of horrible fashion sense, lovable stuttering backstory and ever-depleting voice. Mr. Ricki Ricardo, as Nicki Minaj so annoying dubbed him, is the one thing preventing the elusive glass-ceiling-shattered all-chick top 5, after all the other guys were methodically picked off, one by one. And while Laz deserves to be eliminated purely on his greenish-vomity-patterned suit from Wednesday night (and a duck hunting outfit that can best be described as what a stereotypical gay man in Manhattan dreams everyone wears when they go duck hunting), he backed it up with one of the worst performances of the season AND a so-so performance that followed. Read more »

April 11 will forever be known as the day American Idol viewers, judges and contestants could breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that our national nightmare was over: Lazaro Arbos, one of the least talented singers ever to grace the Idol stage, was eliminated. But it was the day before, on April 10, that he delivered what many have called the worst performance in the history of the show. Read more »

NBC has found huge success with The Voice -- in fact, it‘s the only bright spot on their 2012-2013 schedule. So when a network has a hit on their hands, what do they do next? A spin-off! That‘s right, NBC is planning a kids version of The Voice and pre-production is underway. A source told the New York Post, "We are hoping [to begin production] by the end of the year." Read more »

If ever there was a throwaway week on American Idol, this is it. Sure, we‘re down to the top five, and sure they‘re all girls for the first time ever, but with the judges‘ save still in play and the fact that it‘s the final week for them to use it, there‘s no way anyone is going home.The Idol season might feel like it goes on forever (this is month four and episode 28, with at least nine episodes to go), but the finale isn‘t scheduled until May 16. That means there has to be at least one week where no one goes home, or it‘ll throw everything off. Read more »

Now that Lazaro Arbos has been eliminated, he‘s been talking to the press about his experience on American Idol. And not everything he‘s saying is positive -- he‘s calling one of the remaining contestants "crazy." Also in today‘s Roundup, tour dates have been announced for American Idol Live! Tour 2013. And producer Nigel Lythgoe is finally addressing the lack of chemistry among the season 12 judges. Read more »

Every single male contestant is gone, including He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named, and the five remaining girls for the most part are bringing top-notch talent to the American Idol stage. It does seem obvious, though, who should go home. But it won‘t really matter because there‘s a 99.9% chance the Judges‘ Save will be used tonight, no matter who receives the fewest number of votes. So let‘s run through each contestant and see who‘s most in danger of being in the Bottom 2 and who will have to "sing for survival." Read more »

There‘s really no way around it. At one point or another this season on American Idol, there has to be a week in which no one goes home. It was expected that the judges‘ save would play its way out in normal fashion, where voters would unjustifiably send a singer home somewhere between the top 10 and the top 5. Our four judges would unanimously agree that America got it wrong and invoke their save privileges, everyone would be happy and the show would be on track to end on the date its finale is set for -- May 16.But then American Idol went and shot itself in the foot.Producers and judges stacked the deck so as to ensure a female winner (because they‘ve been just ACHING for one after five straight guys), and He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named Arbos was put in the top 10. It quickly became clear that 1) The guys were nowhere near the class of the girls, and 2) Lazaro was getting the vote-for-the-worst crowd AND the sympathy vote. Read more »

American Idol has been on the air for 12 seasons now. The purpose of this show from the start was to find the greatest undiscovered talent from all over the country and turn them into superstars. But is the talent (especially the winners) that graces the Idol stage really representative of the United States of America? And more to the point, can we predict who will win this year based on where the contestants are from? Read more »

Hiring one of the biggest music superstars in the world should be enough to boost ratings for a TV show, right? In theory, yes. But as American Idol has proven this year, it doesn‘t matter how big the star is, it matters if they have chemistry with the rest of the panel and if they‘re a competent judge. Read more »

Ohhhh, American Idol, why do you tease me so? And not the good kind of tease, like when I see a trailer for G.I. Joe: Retaliation, hear that Feeny will appear in the Girl Meets World pilot or listen to Michael Shannon perform a dramatic reading of the insane sorority girl letter (hint: none of these things disappoint).No, Idol, it‘s the irking kind of tease, where you change things up without telling me simply in order to delay the inevitability of predictability. Like when my girlfriend took a pole dancing class at a bachelorette party and then never showed off what she learned.I am talking, of course, about the save. Read more »

Last night‘s American Idol proved two things to us. One, that FOX really needs to shell out more money so the contestants can have a better song selection to choose from instead of being stuck with slow, boring songs from a million years ago. And two, that Kree Harrison, one of the frontrunners, is more in danger of elimination than ever before. Will she hit the bottom of the leaderboard, or is Amber heading home as we all believed going into this week? And will we finally have a non-elimination round? Let‘s run through how each of the Top 4 finalists did with their performances and how the results might play out. Read more »

Can‘t say we didn‘t see this coming. And when I say that, I have absolutely no idea what is going to happen tonight on American Idol. All I know is that no matter what it is, it won‘t be surprising, much to the chagrin of those in charge of all this madness. Our all-girl top 5 is now an all-girl top 4, but it remains to be seen when the all-girl top 3 will follow.Sure, Ryan Seacrest promised a twist at the end of Thursday‘s episode, a "contingency plan" (that has allegedly always been in place) to make up for the scheduling gap that skipping the save created. But the only way it will be a shocking twist is if they eliminate no one, bring back Danny Gokey to compete in a new top 5 and announce that two people will be going home next week. Or something to that effect.Because either someone is going home or, more likely, no one is going home. The only real question is if they‘ll wait until the end to make that call in what would be the latest attempt to steer the results in a certain direction. Read more »

If you‘re wondering why the cover photo looks the same as last week, it‘s because it‘s nearly identical, except without as many flailing arms (much to Angie Miller‘s dramatic disappointment). In its quest to crown the first female champion in five years, American Idol has suffered from a predictability problem in season 12. And all efforts to correct said issue have only succeeded in making it worse.But as we enter the second week of the top four (a.k.a. the judges‘ last-ditch effort to convince America to love Amber Holcomb), it is officially out of their hands. Sort of. Because while they can still try and influence voters, they have to realize that all their concerted efforts have backfired so far, evident in the revelation of last week‘s bottom two. Read more »

Harry Connick, Jr. stopped by to guest mentor the remaining four finalists, and he even sat in Keith Urban‘s chair and argued with Randy Jackson. (Please tell me Idol is considering him as a judge for season 13 -- he actually knows what he‘s talking about.) Unfortunately, most of the performances last night were just so-so. There were some stand-outs, though. Did Candice do enough to stay out of the Bottom 2? Did being in the pimp spot help Kree even though she ended the show on a low note? And is it inevitable that Amber Holcomb is going home? Let‘s run through all this as I make my latest American Idol predictions. Read more »

Only two things can happen on Thursday night‘s edition of American Idol. Either Amber Holcomb goes home, or we‘ll all be surprised. For basically the first time since the judges whittled it down to 10 (and yes, there were some surprises before America got involved, all in the name of stacking the deck with talented ladies). And if we‘re shocked, I think the finale suffers.It‘s very clear what the judges want, because they have been not-so-transparently campaigning for Ms. Holcomb all season. And not in a nice "friendly competition" sort of way. They‘ve been on the trail, swinging the influential clout of the Nickeith Marandy Super PAC, slinging mud at the other candidates and hopelessly supporting even the lamest of policy ideas. Read more »

The person who received the most attention this week on American Idol wasn‘t any of the contestants or even the judges. Rather, it was Harry Connick, Jr. After seeing his involvement as a guest mentor, fans everywhere wondered if he should be considered as a possible judge or next season. Read more »

American Idol finales are always filled with huge stars performing throughout the two-hour show. And with the season 12 finale just days away, we‘re starting to find out who‘s stopping by to duet with this year‘s finalists, and which current judge is set to perform. Also in today‘s Roundup, Carrie Underwood is performing the Sunday Night Football opening theme song. And Jessica Sanchez‘s debut album was released last week -- how many copies did she sell and where did she land on the Billboard 200? Read more »

It‘s time for some hometown flair on American Idol, and for the first time this season, I have absolutely no idea what‘s going to happen. And it‘s awesome.Season 12 has been, in one word, predictable. But now that we‘re down to the final three, I can envision scenarios in which any one of the girls is sent packing. Not before the regular packing they will do to visit their hometowns, though, which is always a pleasant treat for both the Idol contestants, as well as the neighbors who suddenly know who they are after years of not caring. I wonder if the ladies get to keep their costumes? The budget for leather pants must be through the roof, and do you really want to share those after someone else has performed in them? Didn‘t anyone see that episode of Friends? Read more »

The three best singers are left in the competition. And all three more or less came out swinging last night to try and snag one of the two spots in next week‘s finale. Who will go head-to-head? Will it be Candice vs. Angie, Angie vs. Kree or Candice vs. Kree? No matter which way it goes, we‘ll have a very deserving Top 2. Read more »

Through all the changes in the judges‘ lineup over the years, and even after two of the original threesome left, Randy Jackson has continued to stick with the show year after year. But that‘s about to change, as "the dawg" has announced that he will be leaving American Idol once season 12 comes to an end. Read more »

Wow, what a big day for American Idol! First, Randy Jackson, the Dawg, the last original judge, announces this will be his last season. Remember when he was going to join everyone else in jumping ship after last year, possibly staying on in an advisory role? Then they talked him in to coming back just to give us some sense of familiarity on the panel? Well, now it‘s official. His Idol Journey is over (Get it??).And not only is Randy calling it quits after 12 seasons, he might be taking everyone else with him. But this isn‘t a Jerry McGuire move. It‘s speculation that ALL the judges are getting the boot after ratings suffered, and perhaps Randy is just preemptively cutting his losses before the axe (body spray?) drops. Dawgs don‘t like baths. Read more »

Along with Randy Jackson‘s announcement that he‘s leaving American Idol, rumors have been swirling left and right on what changes will be made to the singing competition show for season 13. Will all the judges be leaving? Are any of them staying? While we don‘t yet have a definitely answer, FOX entertaining chairman Kevin Reilly is giving his take on what went wrong in season 12, any changes that might be made next year and if the show is sticking with a four-judge panel. Read more »

After an exhausting 13 months, 1.2 million contestants and 433 episodes, it all comes down to this on Season 12 of American Idol. The final two. Candice R vs. Kree Harrison (Get it? Because the "Glove" came off?? I am disturbingly proud of that). An all-out catfight to determine the first female winner in six tries. In the words of Austin Powers, "saucer of milk, table two."Okay, so it‘s only been four months, a few hundred thousand contestants at best and 36 episodes (you have to hit "next" TEN times to get to the premiere recap on the Idol articles main page), but those of us who have been riding the AI train since January know how long the journey has felt. I graduated from college 10 years ago this month, and college still seems more recent than when this season started. Can you even remember when Shubha Vedula was a favorite in the competition? When Isabelle was introduced as Christina "Isabelle"? Zoanette, anyone? My, how far we‘ve come... Read more »

FOX announced its schedule for the 2013-2014 TV season, and there‘s a whole lot of experimentation. The network is splitting its fall season, meaning the schedule will be slightly different before and after it airs the baseball playoffs and World Series in October.  Read more »

With 12 seasons under its belt, American Idol has not only made a huge impact on TV, but also in the music industry. And when we see the likes of Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and all the rest snapping up Grammys left and right, sometimes it‘s easy to overlook the songs that introduced us to them in the first place. And every season, there‘s usually always one performance that blows us away so much it can never be matched -- what I would call The Moment of the season. Let‘s take a look back and relive those performances. Read more »

And then there were two. After Angie Miller‘s shocking elimination last week, it all comes down to Kree Harrison and Candice Glover, two of the best singers of season 12. They performed three songs each last night: Simon Fuller‘s Choice, Coronation Singles and Favorite Performances. Read more »

With the competition officially over on Season 12 of American Idol, it‘s time to sit back, relax, enjoy a star-studded night with dream duets and group numbers, and crown our first lady winner in six years. I thought about buying a bottle of wine to mark the occasion, but then I realized The Bachelorette starts in a week or so, and I don‘t want overextend myself.Sure, we‘ve got confirmed appearances by Adam Lambert, Mariah Carey (who pre-recorded her medley of hits, complete with Randy Jackson on the bass), J-Lo, Keith Urban, Psy, The Band Perry and Frankie Valli, as well as rumored ones from Jessie J, J-Hud, Pitbull, Boyz II Men and Aretha Franklin. There‘s also bound to be a tribute to the Dawg, some stupid sketches, Jimmy Iovine and another Ford Fiesta waste of time. Hey, at least we got Carly Rae Jepsen and that song you wrote out of the way Wednesday. Read more »

American Idol finale week is always fun to watch, no matter if your favorite contestant wins or not, because it‘s the final match-up of the season (which is always exciting), and we get to spend two hours sitting back and watching big stars perform with the finalists and eventual winner. But something fans are always curious about is the coronation song that will become their debut single should they win. Will it have cheesy lyrics? Will it be groan-worthy? Or will it actually be a decent song that we can listen to on repeat on our iPods? Now that Candice Glover‘s "I Am Beautiful" has been added to the list, take a look at our rankings of all 12 singles: Read more »

We‘re just weeks away from crowning our next American Idol, and for the first time in years we know it will be a girl. But the fun doesn‘t end on May 16 because the Top 10 soon embark on American Idol Live for their summer 2013 tour. And BuddyTV wants you to see Amber Holcomb, Burnell Taylor, Angie Miller, Curtis Finch, Candice Glover, Devin Velez, Janelle Arthur, Kree Harrison Paul Jolley and Lazaro Arbos in person. And don‘t forget the fan vote, Aubrey Cleland!  Read more »

The nominations for the 2013 Critics‘ Choice TV Awards were announced Wednesday morning, spanning a wide array of not only network and cable, but from Netflix as well with the popularity of House of Cards on the streaming/rental service. Read more »

It doesn‘t matter whether they‘re on television or in movies -- teenagers love vampires. Though it shouldn‘t come as a surprise, it‘s now made official. In the first set of surfboard nominations for the Teen Choice Awards, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 leads the field with seven, and The Vampire Diaries is not far behind with five. Read more »