He also explains new audition booths being placed around the country. By James Dinh Simon Cowell Photo: Ian Derry / FOX With “X Factor” auditions under way, Simon Cowell is slowly dishing out even more details surrounding the highly anticipated singing competition, including another possible contender for the show’s judging panel: Fergie . On Thursday (April 7), the former ” American Idol ” judge confirmed that the Black Eyed Peas songstress is among the many possible additions to the lineup. “All I can tell you is that her name was put forward,” Cowell said in a conference call with reporters. “But like a lot of other people we’ve spoken to, we have to check out everybody’s availability. There’s a lot of time you have to put into the show, because it’s not a ‘two-day-a-week’ with this. When you’re in the live show, it’s because you’re mentoring the contestant. You’re working five or six days a week.” In addition to talk of the show’s possible judges, Cowell also spoke about an alternative method hopefuls can go about auditioning for “X Factor.” In partnership with MyStudio, Cowell revealed that the series is expanding the audition process with recording studios across the country, where contestants can videotape an a cappella performance and explain why they should win the singing competition. Six audition studios will be available through the country and remain open until the end of April. “I don’t think it’s probably as fun as attending an open audition,” he said of the booth auditions. “But it is your chance to be seen and heard, and that’s why we’ve done this. I’m going to try and put these in as many cities as possible prior to our filming.” Asked how the show’s auditions are going thus far, the music exec exclaimed the turnout has been “great” and “much higher” than anticipated. In late February, Cowell broke down the rules for the forthcoming series in a promo, insisting America has yet to see a show like this before. “The show is basically a singing competition with a twist,” he said. “The auditions are open to anyone who can sing. You can be 12; you can be 112. You can be in a group; you can have 100 people in the group. It doesn’t matter.” “X Factor” MyStudio audition booths will open at the following dates/locations, according to a press release :
Stefano Langone and Jacob Lusk join onetime front-runner in the bottom three. By Gil Kaufman Pia Toscano Photo: FOX All sense of logic was officially thrown out the window on “American Idol” on Thursday night’s (April 7) elimination show. With two of the season’s leading contenders in the bottom three — after last week’s shocking near-miss for Paul McDonald — there seems to be no rhyme or reason to the voting patterns on the 10th season of the show. When the dust settled, those confounding voters served up one of the biggest early elimination bombshells in recent “Idol” history, sending home the woman many had pegged as a potential winner, or at least top finisher, Pia Toscano. The comely singer who had charmed the judges with her professional, powerful performances, camera-ready looks and diva-in-the-making potential hit the bottom three for the first, and last, time on Thursday night in a vote that confounded and angered the judging panel. As host Ryan Seacrest broke the bad news, judge Randy Jackson — perhaps sensing that he pulled his save too early two weeks ago when bearded bass player Casey Abrams was spared — grabbed his head and mouthed “no, no” and, as the camera cut away, maybe something a bit stronger, while Toscano smiled politely and took the news like a pro. “I’m good,” Toscano smiled when Seacrest asked how she was doing. Judge Jennifer Lopez broke into tears, saying, “I have no idea. I have no idea what just happened here. I’m shocked, I’m angry. I don’t even know what to say.” “They’re wrong, I don’t know what happened with this,” a dumbfounded Steven Tyler added, as Jackson admitted that he never gets mad on the show and was officially steamed at Toscano’s elimination. It was not shaping up like this earlier in the hour. Casey Abrams, Stefano Langone and Lauren Alaina were first up in the elimination circle, with Abrams skating after his CCR bass-plucking performance, Alaina safe after biting off a big chunk with “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” leaving Langone to shuffle to the bottom three again after a lackluster “When a Man Loves a Woman.” From early indications, it seemed like it was Langone who was going to be leaving. The second group featured Paul McDonald, Toscano and Scotty McCreery . McDonald rocked Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues,” while Pia went uptempo with Tina Turner’s “River Deep, Mountain High” and McCreery did Elvis’ “It’s Alright Mama.” McCreery and McDonald will live to sing another day, while nobody saw it coming when Toscano made her first visit to the bottom three. The next trio up was James Durbin, Haley Reinhart and Jacob Lusk. While rocker Durbin took a chance with the gentle ballad “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” and Reinhart hit “Piece of My Heart” with gusto, Lusk seemed to stumble with “Man in the Mirror.” Durbin was safe again, as was Reinhart, while Lusk also made his maiden voyage to the bottom. He, too, seemed like the likely one to be sent packing at show’s end. But first to be waved back to safety was Lusk, who survived despite a shaky performance and a strange warning to America that if he was eliminated it would be because the country couldn’t look itself in the mirror (whatever that means). Though eliminated contestants haven’t been given a chance to sing their way off this year, Seacrest made an exception and let Toscano reprise her heartbreaking cover of the Pretenders’ “I’ll Stand by You,” as the remaining eight wiped their eyes and the audience gave Pia a standing ovation while she broke down in tears at song’s end. Perhaps sensing that one of the leading lights of the show had been dimmed and the audience might wane in the coming weeks, Seacrest ended the show with the plea: “We need you. Stay with us this season.” The show also featured season-four finalist and Tony nominee Constantine Maroulis stopping by to visit the kids and sing a brooding rock version of the classic ballad “Unchained Melody.” But, aside from Pia’s exit, the night’s biggest WTF moment was when Rock Hall of Famer and shirt-allergic punk godfather Iggy Pop shimmed all over the stage to “Real Wild Child.” What did you think of tonight’s elimination? Did Pia deserve to go home? 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 ‘American Idol’ Season 10 Performances
We offer up song suggestions for the top nine. By Eric Ditzian “American Idol” top 9 Photo: FOX Last week on “American Idol,” it was all Elton John , all the time. On Wednesday (April 6), the contestants get to open up more than one songbook, because this week’s theme is based on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s Songs that Shaped Rock & Roll exhibit. They’ll be able to cover everyone from Jefferson Airplane to Jane’s Addiction, the Moody Blues to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the 5 Satins to the 4 Seasons, plus Kings B.B., Carole and Ben E. But with great variety comes great responsibility. Here’s what we’d like to from the remaining nine hopefuls: Casey Abrams With a cleaned-up beard on his face and a fire lit under his butt following a near-exit, Abrams stormed back into the mix with last week’s most emotionally resonant take on Elton. We pray he learned his lesson and will show similar vocal restraint Wednesday. He’s got a lot of soulful singers to choose from — Sam Cooke, Ray Charles — but one tune jumped out to us: Jimmy Cliff’s “Many Rivers to Cross” could turn into a much-needed “moment” for Abrams. Haley Reinhart Will she pull a Jacob Lusk, or can Haley build on her showstopping performance last week and stake a claim as a potential dark horse? A few weeks ago, Lusk busted out a stunner then followed it up by regressing back to the barely controlled eruptions he calls singing. Haley will once again have to show off those growls, but she can’t over-rely on them. The perfect song for her is the Allman Brothers Band’s “Whipping Post” — except instead of going with intense Southern rock,
We offer up song suggestions for the top nine. By Eric Ditzian “American Idol” top 9 Photo: FOX Last week on “American Idol,” it was all Elton John , all the time. On Wednesday (April 6), the contestants get to open up more than one songbook, because this week’s theme is based on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s Songs that Shaped Rock & Roll exhibit. They’ll be able to cover everyone from Jefferson Airplane to Jane’s Addiction, the Moody Blues to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the 5 Satins to the 4 Seasons, plus Kings B.B., Carole and Ben E. But with great variety comes great responsibility. Here’s what we’d like to from the remaining nine hopefuls: Casey Abrams With a cleaned-up beard on his face and a fire lit under his butt following a near-exit, Abrams stormed back into the mix with last week’s most emotionally resonant take on Elton. We pray he learned his lesson and will show similar vocal restraint Wednesday. He’s got a lot of soulful singers to choose from — Sam Cooke, Ray Charles — but one tune jumped out to us: Jimmy Cliff’s “Many Rivers to Cross” could turn into a much-needed “moment” for Abrams. Haley Reinhart Will she pull a Jacob Lusk, or can Haley build on her showstopping performance last week and stake a claim as a potential dark horse? A few weeks ago, Lusk busted out a stunner then followed it up by regressing back to the barely controlled eruptions he calls singing. Haley will once again have to show off those growls, but she can’t over-rely on them. The perfect song for her is the Allman Brothers Band’s “Whipping Post” — except instead of going with intense Southern rock,
Elton John does wonders for Haley and Pia, but James and Stefano may have ruined their GPAs. By Eric Ditzian Haley Reinhart performs on Wednesday’s “American Idol” Photo: Michael Becker/ Fox What a schizophrenic ” American Idol ” school year it has been, and our report cards have been correspondingly all over the place. One week Casey Abrams is up, a few later, he’s collapsing into Ryan Seacrest’s tender embrace after narrowly avoiding a trip home. Jacob Lusk and Stefano Langone have each taken their place at the head of the class, only to tumble to the low end of the grading curve. What to make of all this GPA upheaval? Well, “Idol” is a damn hard class. Consistency from performance to performance is just as important as excellence on any given evening. And excellence we most certainly had on Wednesday, as the contestants took on Elton John’s oeuvre. So too, of course, did we have singers who either didn’t study hard enough or who just couldn’t quite grasp the night’s curriculum. Too bad. Our “Idol” report card suffers no fools. Let’s get to it! Excellent Pia Toscano : As we explained in our preview, there was no way Pia was going to go with anything uptempo, despite everyone’s pleas over the weeks. Hey, if Scotty McCreery doesn’t have to ditch his country twang, should she be compelled to give up residency in Balladsville? That’s a matter for debate, but during her take on “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me,” it was hard to complain about anything. What a voice. Seriously, what a voice! Haley Reinhart : Let’s put aside her rather amusing pre-performance reference to “hard-core bangage” and concentrate on what she accomplished during her time onstage. She killed it! As surprised as we were, she freaking killed it! She finally, fully embraced those wonderful bluesy tones and growled her way toward glory during “Bennie and the Jets.” Our only fear is that it’s too late for Haley to turn the tide and stick around for more than a few weeks. Good Scotty McCreery : We’re not going to say we get it, but perhaps we’re starting to enjoy it. To wit, we’ve ditched any notion Scotty has a desire to even shout in the direction of a country-free genre. Nor were we surprised to hear his song selection process involved nothing more than finding an Elton tune with “country” in the title. Thusly prepared, we were able to sit back and enjoy the country comfort he was selling. His fluency in the genre, at such a young age, is truly impressive. Whether or not he wins “Idol,” Scotty is going to sell millions of records. Paul McDonald : Paul learned his lesson well last week: Play the guitar, don’t dance. Hooray! Sure, his “Rocket Man” started off a little slurry, and the guy has a tendency to come off creepy when he’s trying to go smoldery, but we never tire of the tone of his voice. That being said, his voice simply didn’t have the oomph to hit those notes that bring out goose bumps. Lauren Alaina : We’ve been saying for a while Lauren is at her best when she’s not racing through fast-paced tunes, attempting to keep up while jigging and jagging across the stage. In this sense, “Candle in the Wind” was a smart choice, and the arrangement gave the tune some country flavoring that washed away any residual, Princess Di-induced cheesiness. The slowed-down performance gave Lauren a chance to build, getting better as she went and finally finishing on a strong note. Casey Abrams : Goodbye, bushy beard. Hello, reborn Casey. If there were one singer to nail the emotional aspects of Elton’s music, it was Casey. Restrained, tender, satisfying. Coming off the judges’ save, he followed Tom Hanks’ advice in “Saving Private Ryan”: “Earn this!” Earn it he did. Now keep it up, kid! Satisfactory Naima Adedapo : Her faux-Jamaican accent was the least of her problems. Jimmy Iovine gave the game away when he wondered if Naima could stay in tune: No, no she couldn’t. The accent was a bold choice — bolder even than slapping some reggae swag on “I’m Still Standing.” But while we felt the song sounded fine with its new arrangement, her accent smacked of gimmickry, a ploy to distract us. We don’t think it’ll work. Thia Megia : The 16-year-old avoids a lower grade, if only because the judges have been deeply unfair to her for a few weeks in a row. Other bottom-of-the-barrel singers come in for wild praise no matter how dreadfully they perform. The judges, meanwhile, have absolutely no use for Thia; their condescension is painful to hear and unfair to air. OK, so her take on “Daniel” was pitchy as hell, with phrasing messier than a daycare playroom after snack time, and she couldn’t swoop down to hit those low notes if her life depended on it. OK, so she’s probably going home on Thursday. But if the judges truly don’t like what she does, what the heck is she doing here in the first place? Jacob Lusk : There’s a difference between singing with emotion and singing whilst on the verge of tears — a difference Jacob doesn’t seem to grasp. He’s uncomfortable to watch, and not nearly pleasant enough to hear. We wanted to step slowly away from the television during his rendition of “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word.” All that progress from last week, tossed out the window. Unsatisfactory Stefano Langone : The first thing Stefano had to contend with was a brutal intro package in which Jimmy all but announced the kid was going to bomb. The second thing he had to contend with was “Tiny Dancer”; the diminutive singer just didn’t have the vocal power the tune demanded, or at least deserved. His phrasings were muddled, but at least his eyes were (mostly) open. Not that it matters much. Stefano’s in trouble. James Durbin : Not even a five-alarm fire can distract us from the fact that James’ performance was fun and energetic, but useless as an example of his musical talents. He gets a freaking flaming piano? Someone’s playing favorites with the contestants. Also, that reference to a Pepsi moment? Yikes! Thought shalt not speak ill of the deceased, especially not the King of Pop. Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 10 Performances
With no one sent home this week, there will be two eliminations on next week’s show. By Jim Cantiello Casey Abrams Photo: FOX It was Motown Week on “American Idol X: The Judges Give Good Reaction Shots,” and almost everyone brought their A-game. (Check out Jim’s speedy take on the week’s “Idol” craziness in the embedded video below.) “Tyler Perry Presents” Jacob Lusk stole the show by performing both the male and female parts of a famous Motown duet. Werk! Meanwhile, Naima Adedapo imagined a strange world where everyone is “Dancing [African] in the Street.” And wouldn’t you know it? Put a guitar in Paul McDonald’s hands and the swashbuckling leprechaun is immediately replaced by a legitimate frontman. Scotty McCreery charmingly crooned “For Once in My Life” as a country shuffle. Pia sang a Motown song that Streisand made a hit. Duh. Lauren’s and Thia’s performances were solid, if uninspired. Perhaps that will inspire the hairstylists to part their hair on the opposite side so we can continue to see their pretty young faces as they nervously turn to the band leader for cues. Stefano Langone’s theatrical “Hello” was a disappointment, but not nearly as disastrous as his mother’s home-cooked penne dish, which gave audience member Gordon Ramsey an intense case of Douche Mouth. The night ended with James Durbin’s Running Man-enhanced “Living for the City.” His vocals were lovely. His dancing was … Let’s just say it’s a good thing Stevie Wonder couldn’t see it. On Thursday night’s results show, Marc Anthony auditioned to be a new judge backstage after curing all of the contestants’ tone-deaf-itis with the magic of in-ear technology. Education has never been so sweaty! Thanks to “Idol” producers, there were surprises at every corner. Surprise! Stevie Wonder was in the house. (His lyric retention, however, was not.) Surprise! “Idol” got homoerotic with an extended montage of two men wrestling. Surprise! Apparently, Jennifer Hudson won her season of “Idol,” according to Ryan “Revisionist History” Seacrest. Surprise! Hulk Hogan showed up to prove to America that it is possible to be tanner and blonder than Ryan Seacrest. (Also, he has the ability to turn grown men into babbling toddlers.) Surprise! Haley Reinhart proved that if you wear short shorts that reveal part of your bottom, you will avoid the bottom three! Surprise! Casey Abrams was eliminated, then saved by the benevolent judges. His reaction: dropping the f-bomb and pretending to need medical attention. This is “American Idol X: Ratings by Any Means Necessary.” Don’t miss “Idol Party Live” every Thursday on MTV.com, following the “American Idol” results show, for analysis, celebrity guests and even some karaoke — get in the conversation by tweeting with the hashtag #idolparty ! In the meantime, get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Videos ‘American Idol’ In 60 Seconds ‘Idol Party Live’ With MTV News’ Jim Cantiello And Michael Buckley Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 10 Performances
Thia Megea, Stefano Langone and Casey Abrams ended up in the bottom three on last night’s American Idol results show after viewers cast their votes on who should shape the Top 10. And while we weren’t surprised at Langone’s inclusion at the low end of the scale, it was Casey who proved to be the … More » Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : Idolator Discovery Date : 25/03/2011 14:20 Number of articles : 2
We’re down to 11 on American Idol , following the elimination of Karen Rodriguez and performances that included the first-ever cover of Nirvana on the show. What did you make of Casey Abrams giving Kurt Cobain a try? Does Pia Toscano remain your favorite? And is Stefano Langone really a contender now, as Jennifer Lopez dubbed him last week? Return to THG first thing tomorrow morning for a rundown of tonight’s renditions, and catch up on the week that was in Idol via the following edition of The Pulse: The Pulse: American Idol Rundown
America said “adios” to Karen Rodriguez on birth-year songs week. By Jim Cantiello Haley Reinhart Photo: FOX This week’s “American Idol” in 60 Seconds video recap, embedded below, deals with all the missed opportunities and crushing disappointments our nation faced while watching season 10’s “Birth Year Songs” episode. Casey Abrams’ underwhelming “Smells Like a Bad Imitation” Nirvana cover hardly seemed worth the pomp and circumstance it received. The Nirvana on “Idol” seal has been broken, yes, but it was done in an unfortunately inept way. The only thing that would have been more misguided was Scotty McCreery warbling “Rape Me” with his signature smirk. Instead, Scotty sang his first love song to any teenage girl who has a deep-voice fetish, while Haley Reinhart channeled Miss Yvonne’s makeup meltdown with a deranged Whitney Houston cover that ended with Seacrest rubbing his saliva all over her face. (Haley’s diabolical plan to steal Seacrest DNA worked.) Jacob Lusk rubbed his “stank” all over Heart’s “Alone,” meaning he sang in a register that drove cats in the greater Los Angeles area wild. James Durbin’s tail grew back but it was his cajones, that were truly enlarged this week, when he somehow convinced Steven Tyler to rock with him at the finale. No wonder Tyler cursed live on the air. He’d been hoodwinked! Paul McDonald continued his headlining “Shake and Baked” tour with a sickly “I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues” that was so confounding, even he shrugged afterwards. Naima also retreated with a generic and pitchy “What’s Love Got to Do With It?” And Thia Megia sang that “Pocahontas” song. Obviously. Pia Toscano and Stefano Langone proved that Italians do it better. “It” referring to singing power-ballads really loudly and dramatically. In a results show that included duets with Lee DeWyze and his facial hair, Pia Toscano and her s—zu, as well as will.i.am and his cockapoo, Fergie. Then America said, “No me gusta” to Karen Rodriguez. See you on MySpace, K-Rod! Don’t miss “Idol Party Live” every Thursday on MTV.com, following the “American Idol” results show, for analysis, celebrity guests and even some karaoke — get in the conversation by tweeting with the hashtag #idolparty ! In the meantime, get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Videos ‘American Idol’ In 60 Seconds Watch ‘Idol Party Live’ With MTV News’ Jim Cantiello Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 10 Performances
Reps for the music and ‘Twilight’ stars confirm the split. By Jocelyn Vena Ashley Greene and Joe Jonas Photo: Kent Phillips/ Getty Images It’s official. Joe Jonas and Ashley Greene are no longer a couple. After rumors of their split hit the Internet early Thursday (March 17), the stars’ reps confirmed the breakup to People.com . The couple began seeing each other last summer. A source told the website that Jonas was “head over heels” for the “Twilight” star at the beginning of their relationship. The pair was regularly seen holding hands and getting cozy on dates, despite their two very busy schedules. He’s currently working on a solo album after touring through much of last year with his brothers, Nick and Kevin, and she’s busy filming “Breaking Dawn.” The news of the split comes one day after Jonas’ interview with Details magazine, in which he gushed over the actress, hit the Web. “It feels good. I think what works about it is she really puts my feelings first. She understands my busy schedule,” he told the magazine. “She’ll fly out to my shows — she’s been to places in South America that I can’t even pronounce.” Earlier this year, Greene opened up to Teen Vogue about her then-beau, sharing some insights into what their relationship was like. “We met through mutual friends in London, which is crazy because we both live in L.A,” she said. “And we’ve already met each other’s parents, which I think is a good result of the kind of lifestyle we live. He’s sweet and really funny, which is huge for me. We have a traveling relationship.” It seems though that all that traveling eventually made it hard for the pair to maintain their relationship. The New York Post reported that their busy work schedules contributed to the split, and that “it was mutual and amicable,” according to a source. Related Artists Jonas Brothers
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