Tag Archives: judges

‘American Idol’ Top Seven Sing Hits From ‘Now And Then’

Jessica Sanchez gives ‘otherworldly’ performance after near elimination last week and Hollie Cavanagh finally ‘ruffled her feathers.’ By Adam Graham Jessica Sanchez on “American Idol” Photo: Fox “American Idol” opened Wednesday (April 18) with a recap of last week’s Jessica Sanchez near-elimination drama , but before the show could get down to the business of the top seven (round two), host Ryan Seacrest paid tribute to television legend and his mentor Dick Clark , who died Wednesday at age 82. “Now we can’t begin tonight’s show without acknowledging the passing of a television pioneer and my dear friend, Dick Clark,” said a somber Seacrest. “Without Dick, a show like this would not exist. He will be missed greatly; our thoughts and our prayers go out to his family. I know he’s in a better place saying, ‘Hey, let’s get on with the show, OK?’ You got it, boss.” The contestants sang two songs each, the first a #1 hit from 2000 to today, the second an old-school soul classic. After nearly being booted last week, Sanchez fought back on the “Idol” stage, first with Alicia Keys’ “Fallin’ ” and later with a spunky version of Otis Redding’s “Try a Little Tenderness.” “Your talent is so otherworldly to me,” Randy Jackson told Sanchez — or was it BB Chez? — after “Fallin’.” “I don’t even know if you know how good you really are, and how even greater you can be. I love it.” Following “Tenderness,” the judges praised her ability to connect emotionally to songs, and urged her to push it even further going forward. Joshua Ledet, who for the first time last week landed in the bottom three, also came back strong, earning standing ovations from the judges for both his songs, first Fantasia’s “I Believe” and later for Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come.” “You have stretched your voice to the limits of soul!” Steven Tyler beamed after “Change.” Praising the restraint he showed early before building to a robust climax, Jennifer Lopez made a plea to viewers: “Please, America, don’t send this boy home! Please!” All around cool dude Phillip Phillips took on Usher’s “U Got It Bad” early before tackling Wilson Pickett’s “In the Midnight Hour” in the second half of the show. Lopez called “U Got It Bad” “sexy” while Tyler exclaimed, “no chump love, sucka!” — a comment we’re still trying to decode. But overall, the feedback for Phillip Squared was positive. “You are Phillip Phillips and dude, you are the bomb!” said Jackson. After receiving harsh criticism the past few weeks — or at least what passes for harsh criticism on this rather tame, gentle season of “Idol”— Hollie Cavanagh came back big on Wednesday, first by belting out Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep,” perhaps the biggest song any of the contestants took on all night, and later with “Son of a Preacher Man.” “You finally came out of your shell and ruffled your feathers a little,” Tyler told her, while Lopez told the 18-year-old Liverpudlian she showed a new composure in her performance. Country-rock boot stomper Skylar Laine continued her hot streak, first with Lady Gaga’s country-fried version of “Born This Way” and later with a down-home version of Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through the Grapevine.” “Every time you’re on stage it’s a party. It’s the Skylar Laine Rock and Roll Country Party!” Jackson exclaimed, while Tyler said she’s “like a wild horse that refused to be tamed.” Lopez complimented Laine on the “spunkiness” of her performance. Colton Dixon also got his Gaga on, doing a goth-lite version of “Bad Romance,” even though the song technically never hit #1 in America (it peaked at #2 on Billboard ‘s Hot 100). He later put an emo spin on Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September,” a performance that got him some negative feedback from the judges. “I think your voice is a lot more powerful than that song,” Tyler told him, while Jackson said the song was out of his comfort zone. Dixon, who generally gets good marks from the judges, looked a bit surprised but took his dings in stride. Elise Testone, whom Jimmy Iovine snarked “has a vacation home in the bottom three,” was also criticized for performing what the judges deemed an odd fit for her voice when she did Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On.” Earlier, her version of Alicia Keys’ “No One” gave Lopez her “first goosies of the night,” while Tyler got a little weird when he told her, “You sang your little tushie off tonight, it was delish.” Testone also revealed that back home her dog is sick and might not pull through, which could earn her some sympathy votes from the masses. Since the judges’ one and only save was used up last week, someone will be sent home on Thursday’s program, which is also set to feature performances by LMFAO and season 8 “Idol” champ Kris Allen. What did you think of “Idol” Wednesday? Let us know in the comments! Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Photos Most Shocking ‘American Idol’ Exits ‘American Idol’ Season 11 Performances

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‘American Idol’ Top Seven Sing Hits From ‘Now And Then’

‘Dancing With The Stars’ Gives Gavin DeGraw The Boot

Pop singer had to participate in a dance-off with Jaleel White before getting the bad news. By Kelley L. Carter Karina Smirnoff and Gavin DeGraw on “Dancing With the Stars” Photo: ABC The savvy producers at ABC’s hit reality dance competition switched things up for fans during Tuesday night’s “Dancing With the Stars” elimination show. Instead of making fans sweat it out until the final minute to find out which celebrity dancer and his/her professional partner would be given the boot based on a combination of judges’ scores and fan votes, they turned the tables a bit. The bottom two couples — pop singer Gavin DeGraw and his partner Karina Smirnoff and childhood actor Jaleel White and his partner Kym Johnson — had to duke it out on the dance floor. The couples danced side by side in a duel of cha-chas, with the judges having the final say about who would be saved and who would be going home. In the end, it really wasn’t much of a shocker. DeGraw was told he’d danced his last dance on the show — he’d been the bottom scorer on Monday night, as was pretty much the case since the competition began. Monday night’s theme was Latin night, and his samba failed to impress the judges. That said, the judges told DeGraw that they based their decision solely on the dance he turned in Tuesday night, however, and not what he’d done in previous performances. “It’s been amazing to be part of the show,” DeGraw said after learning that he’d be going home, adding that Smirnoff was a great mentor. Next week, the celebrities take on Motown week.

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‘Dancing With The Stars’ Gives Gavin DeGraw The Boot

Dancing With the Stars Results: Goodbye, Gavin?

Unlike the ousters of Jack Wagner and Sherri Shepherd , the fourth elimination on Dancing With the Stars was not a decision that will leave heads scratched. Just as things looked up last week for Karina Smirnoff and partner Gavin DeGraw, they once again sunk to the bottom Monday night after a 19-point samba. The second lowest DWTS scores went to Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Melissa Gilbert, with 21, with Gladys Knight and Tristan MacManus posting just 22. Which of these tandems comprised the dreaded bottom two? Melissa and Maksim and Gladys and Tristan were among the first to be declared safe. Gavin and Karina faced off with Jaleel White and Kym Johnson. Dancing for survival, the judges made their final call based purely on the quality of the performances as both couples did the cha cha side by side. And that call was a fairly easy one. Their decision was unanimous: the judges saved Jaleel and Kym, bringing DeGraw’s run on DWTS to a close. “It’s amazing just being part of the show,” an upbeat Gavin said. “Knowing Karina Smirnoff, of course, having a great mentor. And getting to reach out and know all these amazing people who are a part of this show.” Jaleel and Kym will be back next week to compete in the top eight. You tell us: With Gavin out, who will win Dancing With the Stars?

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Dancing With the Stars Results: Goodbye, Gavin?

‘The Voice’: Surprise Exits And A Maroon 5 Debut

Christina Aguilera and Blake Shelton hit the stage with their teams, while Maroon 5 premiered ‘Payfone’ with Wiz Khalifa. By John Mitchell Jesse Campbell on “The Voice” Photo: NBC Things were shaken up Monday night (April 16) on “The Voice” with the surprise introduction of “instant eliminations,” a new rule forcing each judge to send one of their team members home at the end of the episode. The first judges forced to send one of their own packing were Christina Aguilera and Blake Shelton , whose teams took the stage Monday. An additional member of each team will be voted off by the public on Tuesday. Each of the superstar judges — with the notable exception of Cee Lo Green — also hit the stage to perform, with Levine’s band Maroon 5 even debuting a new song with Wiz Khalifa . First to hit the stage was teenage country girl RaeLynn. Before performing, she and her coach Blake bonded over being “real country.” I’m a real country artist,” RaeLynn boasted, and Blake suited her up with the perfect song, hitmaker Jason Aldean’s “She’s Country.” RaeLynn’s performance of the song won over all the judges. “Man, I’m gonna say, you make me want to sing country,” Christina championed. But Blake had the biggest words of praise. “This is the most proud moment I’ve had of any person on my team,” Blake said of RaeLynn’s performance. Next up was fan and judge favorite Jesse Campbell, who delivered an expectedly excellent rendition of Beyonc

American Idol Results: A Shocking Bottom Three …

American Idol treated us to seven great performances last night. But the remaining finalists were forced to look ahead on this evening’s results show, as America voted and revealed an inevitable, but sad result for one aspirant: He or she is going home. Who’s on to the top six and who’s out? It looked briefly like fan favorite Phillip Phillips might be in danger, but it came down to a surprising bottom three: Jessica Sanchez, Joshua Ledet and Elise Testone. That’s right, arguably the three best singers remaining on the show were in danger of getting booted, making for the most gut-wrenching elimination this year. The contestant getting the boot this week was an even bigger stunner, too. Who was it? You’re not going to believe it, but the lowest vote-getter was … Jessica Sanchez . The studio erupted in chaos at this news, but as she began to sing for her life, she was interrupted by Jennifer Lopez, who informed her that she had been … SAVED by the judges!! There it is, the one and only judges’ save of the season, used on a powerhouse performer who definitely didn’t deserve to be in danger, let alone go home. “We are saving Jessica, without a doubt!” Randy said as the judges engulfed her. “This girl is one of the best singers in America! Ever! Are you kidding me!” “Everybody, please vote for the best! Come on!” It remains to be seen if America will heed his words a week from now, but for now, all seven singers survive heading into next Wednesday’s Top 7: Reloaded. What do you think? Did the judges make the right call?

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American Idol Results: A Shocking Bottom Three …

Jamar Rogers Ends ‘The Voice’ On A High Note

Teams Adam and Cee Lo hit the stage to sing for America’s votes. By John Mitchell Jamar Rogers on “The Voice” Photo: NBC Last week on “The Voice,” Teams Blake and Christina hit the live stage and saw their numbers dwindle by two contestants each after all was said and done. On Monday night (April 9), it was Team Cee Lo and Team Adam’s turn to sing for their survival in the competition and secure a spot in the quarterfinals. Levine and Green, out of his Elvis clown costume from last week but sporting the bright red he’s been rocking all season, seemed in good spirits at the top of the show, even joking with Blake about how underdressed he was. Remember: The top three vote-getters from each team will move on automatically, while the bottom three will perform for their respective coach (and America, duh!) Tuesday night, hoping to secure Cee Lo or Adam’s lone “save” to stay in the hunt to be the next “Voice.” Away we go! Up first was Team Adam’s Katrina Parker, singing the Smashing Pumpkins’ “Tonight, Tonight.” Adam’s big advice for Katrina was to stay away from belting too hard to avoid comparisons to Adele. She did what he said but drew mixed reviews from the judges, who felt the song wasn’t a good showcase for Parker’s talents. Team Cee Lo’s first contestant to take the stage was Cheesa, whose play on the ’70s classic “Don’t Leave Me This Way” was brimming with coach Cee Lo’s signature Technicolor swagger and had the judges championing her showmanship. “That was like watching ‘Solid Gold,’ ” Blake said. “That had Cee Lo written all over it.” Team Adam’s Tony Lucca has become an early favorite for one big reason: He used to share the TV screen with coach Christina Aguilera — who’s been looking better than ever with toned-down makeup and hair since the live shows began — on Disney’s “The Mickey Mouse Club.” Sensing what Aguilera ultimately called out — that he can be a “one-dimensional” performer, who has been helped along by his connection to her — Adam pushed Lucca to go more pop with Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes,” but Lucca’s rocker growl struggled through the song’s falsetto moments. Kim Yarbrough was reliably strong if imperfect singing Adele, but when are we going to put a moratorium on tackling Adele? In its relatively short life, “Rolling in the Deep” has been pillaged by reality-TV singing contestants almost as much as, well, Christina’s “Beautiful” circa 2004-ish “American Idol.” Boston mechanic James Massone from Team Cee Lo got tossed a curveball with Norah Jones’ “Don’t Know Why” and proved himself both a chameleon with a killer falsetto (take lessons, Tony Lucca) and quite a lady’s man. Blake was his most enthusiastic supporter, declaring, “I almost threw my panties on the stage just now.” (And here we thought he only got worked up like that when his best bro hit the stage. Hope Adam doesn’t get jealous!) Meanwhile, the night’s next two performers, gravel-voiced rocker Juliet Simms and unique-voiced Mathai, played right to their strengths with Sting’s “Roxanne” and a jazzy remix of John Legend’s “Ordinary People,” respectively, and earned the expected raves. “You did the best of anyone who’s performed so far,” Adam said of Simms. “Your voice is dope, ” Xtina concurred. Ultra-confident rocker Tony Vincent was up next, singing “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.” If the Broadway-meets-dictator-podium stage setup was strange, his vocal performance was anything but. He reeled it in from previous performances and proved he could control his powerful voice. Simms, Mathai and Vincent were definitely tough acts to follow, but subdued Karla Davis, singing “Airplanes,” and Team Cee Lo’s former model Erin Martin were picked for the task. Christina called Karla the “biggest surprise of the night,” while Blake criticized the song choice, and even Adam commented that Davis did a stronger job when she was less nervous while they were practicing in the rehearsal space. Martin certainly brought serious production values to her take on the Bangles’ “Walk Like an Egyptian” (with her chariot and man dancers, she was giving us Madonna at the Super Bowl vibes, albeit in a much smaller way) but forgot to bring much aggression to her actual performance. “Here we go again with the male strippers,” Blake commented. “I think Blake just bought a one-way ticket to Boner Town,” Adam quipped in response. “And it’s not refundable,” he hit back. It’s never a great sign when the judges are more consumed by the production than the performance when you’re on a show called “The Voice,” is it? The folks behind the scenes wisely chose two of the show’s best-known showstoppers for the end of the night, saving Team Adam’s preppy Pip and Team Cee Lo’s Jamar Rogers for last. Adam wanted Pip to break out of his shell and gave him the chance to show off his rock-star bona fides with “When You Were Young.” Pip brought flash, but Christina wasn’t loving it, saying she didn’t feel like he was connected to the song and had early pitch issues. Adam agreed; Pip’s got the voice, but he’s missing the grit and, should he move forward, that is something they will have to work on. Closing out the night, Rogers hit the stage in his best Michael Jackson jacket for Lenny Kravitz’s “Are You Gonna Go My Way.” The audience loved it and so did the judges, and Jamar, with his unstoppable stage presence and dramatic backstory of overcoming drug addiction and living with HIV, continues to seem like a front-runner in the competition. Who do you think gave the best performance tonight on “The Voice”? Let us know in the comments below! Related Artists Adam Levine Cee Lo Green Blake Shelton Christina Aguilera

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Jamar Rogers Ends ‘The Voice’ On A High Note

Leah Messer and Jeremy Calvert: Married!

Teen Mom 2 star Leah Messer is a married woman for the second time. The 19-year-old reality and Jeremy Calvert tied the knot in Catlettburg, Kentucky. Rev. Marty Gute, who married the couple, confirmed the news today. Just last year, Messer infamously filed for divorce from her first husband, Corey Simms, with whom she has twin daughters, Aleeah and Aliannah. Second time’s the charm? Here’s hoping, anyway … The Boyd County Clerk’s office in Catlettsburg confirms

Dancing With the Stars Week 4: Who Was the Best?

The surprisingly entertaining and evenly-matched 14th season of Dancing With the Stars continued Monday with the top 10 performing Rock Week routines. The first elimination of the season, Martina Navratilova, we could see coming. Last week, which saw the end of Jack Wagner’s run , was a different story. A season that many criticized for lacking star power has made up for it with high quality dancing and engaging characters that all leave us wanting more. Sadly, someone must leave each week, though there is a new twist … For the next four weeks, the bottom two DWTS vote-getters will dance for their lives, simultaneously, with the judges making the final call on who stays and who goes. That won’t do much could in cases like last week, when a six-way tie for the lowest score – which was really quite high – made it unfair for anyone to leave. Still, the judges could bail out an obvious favorite if necessary. Will this rule change even come into play after this Monday’s routines? You tell us below … Who will win Dancing With the Stars?

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Dancing With the Stars Week 4: Who Was the Best?

Deandre Brackensick on American Idol Elimination: I Agree!

Throughout his run on American Idol , which came to an end on last night’s results show , Deandre Brackensick was easily the most polarizing contestant on season 11. And the long-haired crooner knew it, based on an interview he gave to E! News soon after Ryan Seacrest broke the bad news to him on national television. “My style, you either love it or hate it,” Brackensick said . “And, you know, R&B is so unappreciated right nowadays and I really want to bring it back, so I kind of had a feeling somewhat. Things happens for a reason and it’s not the end. Just gotta keep fighting for it.” Jennifer Lopez said she tried to save Deandre last night, but she was outvoted by Randy and Steven. Still, you won’t hear this aspiring star complain. Quite the opposite, in fact. “I understand where the judges are coming from. I’ve already been saved once and you only get so many chances, so I wasn’t ready for America right now. I agree with them 100 percent. I agree with the judges, I agree with Jimmy [Iovine] and what happened. I’m just grateful I got to this point.” Do you think Brackensick should have been sent home this week?

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Deandre Brackensick on American Idol Elimination: I Agree!

Nadya Suleman on Welfare: So Ashamed!

Nadya “Octomom” Suleman said she’s “ashamed” of going on welfare to take care of her 14 children, but she will still never stoop so low as to do porn. “I still am working as hard as I possibly can to support them,’’ Suleman told Today’s Matt Lauer, adding that she made the welfare decision “reluctantly.” Suleman said she was not just humbled, but afraid to take public assistance, as she’s received death threats for receiving the aid (up to $2,000 a month). Nadya Suleman on Today “I feel ashamed, but who cares how I feel? It’s 100 percent about my children,” she asked and answered, saying she hopes to be off public assistance soon. “They deserve everything, they deserve the best.” Including dignity. That’s why, even though we’ve already seen Octomom nude , Suleman will NEVER do full-on porn, even if the offer was $100 million. “I won’t touch other human flesh,’’ Suleman said. “The only flesh I’m touching is my own.” Interestingly, this was also true of her children’s conception. She got pregnant with all 14 of them through IVF! Anyway, she adds, “I would never, never accept anything. I will not lose my grip of my deeply indoctrinated morals and values. Every choice we as parents make is going to significantly affect our children for the rest of our lives.” “I have to be the ultimate positive role model.’’ Asked if she’s concerned public officials will try to take her children from her, Suleman said, “That will never happen and I can guarantee you on that.” “Hundreds of people, random people, call [social services] on a daily basis, and it’s sick. [It’s] unbelievably fascinating in regard to humanity how many people are foaming at the mouth for my children to be taken away from me.” “The saddest part is 15 years from now, when they’re 18 and legal and in college, people will still be foaming at their mouth for them to be taken.’’ Hopefully in 15 years, we’ll have moved on … or she’ll have at least gotten off welfare and given people no reason to care. Pipe dreams …

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Nadya Suleman on Welfare: So Ashamed!