idolator's american idolatry

Posts Tagged “idolator's american idolatry”

"American Idol" Inspires America To Give Back To 19 Entertainment

This week's Digital Tracks chart represents the first week that iTunes released American Idol sales data to SoundScan, and as a result it has an Idol quotient of 17.5%; season-seven winner David Cook placed 17 of his songs on last week's chart (all in the top 100, with three in the top ten and the coronation song "The Time Of My Life" at No. 1 with 236,000 paid downloads), second-place finisher David Archuleta got 14 songs on the big board (his highest-placing song, at No. 23: "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me," which was downloaded 51,000 times), and third-place runner-up Syesha Mercado didn't sell enough of any tracks to crack the 200-song list. (So much for the strength-in-numbers of the Fanesha 300.) Jason Castro, Brooke White, and Michael Johns also cracked the digital-tracks top 200, and White's pre-Idol album, the Billy Joel-cover-free Songs From The Attic, even managed to make the digital-albums chart, selling 1,900 copies. Chris Molanphy will have more on these numbers, and their impact on the big board, in tomorrow's 100 & Single, but for now we've got sales totals after the jump. More »

9:00 AM on Thu May 29 2008
By Maura Johnston
711 views, 5 comments

Latest by n/a: I have no doubt if the other contestants songs had been allowed to stay on itunes along with the 'top 3' that Jason Castros chart #s would be much higher. Possibly equaling or besting Cooks. more »

idolator's american idolatry

Did David Cook's "American Idol" Win Start The Long, Arduous Process Of Fixing The Show?

It's been a rough season for American Idol, what with the dropping ratings, dismal recording careers of past finalists not named Daughtry, allegations of judges making their pronouncements based on producers' whims, accusations that bringing in "ringers" with past professional/reality-TV careers had damaged the show's credibility, and insistence that Clive Davis is still relevant. (Not to mention Paula Abdul seeming more out-of-it than ever and Randy Jackson clearly losing a few pages from his Snappy Answers To Stupefying Performances phrasebook.) But could the victory last night by David Cook—who had a devotion to later-period post-grunge, heartwarming sick-brother backstory, adorable looks, and stubborn insistence on bringing something resembling artistic integrity to the normally pageant-astic finale—be a sign that Idol is still fixable, or at least give the producers an idea of what to fix first after this year's pretty rough season? More »

5:15 PM on Thu May 22 2008
By Maura Johnston
4,009 views, 26 comments

Latest by n/a: That tape of Taylor Hicks was incredible. Thanks so much. Laney Other comments: David Archuleta was a total experience. Never before did we have a person with such a tremendous voice and so young. I tried to vote more »

idolator's american idolatry

David Cook's Coronation Song: Prepare For the Deluge

David Cook's coronation song, "The Time Of My Life," is up on PopEater now. And it... sounds like a Goo Goo Dolls song. OK, it sounds like a Goo Goo Dolls song with super-treacly lyrics and a keyboard "inspired" by early E Street Band tracks, but that chorus? Talk about plucking an "Iris." (Maybe this means Johnny Rzeznik is still in Simon Fuller's good graces? After all, he was actually a decent judge on The Next Great American Band, and Randy is clearly way past his sell-by date...) Anyway, I suspect this song is going to be all over the radio stations playing in your local doctor's waiting rooms and offices that blare radios playing "the music everyone wants to hear" by, oh, 2 p.m. or so. So why not spend the first pre-caffeine jolt minutes of your day rewatching Cook's Guitar Hero commercial instead? At the very least, it makes at least one of the reasons why he triumphed over his younger rival very, ahem, clear. More »

8:53 AM on Thu May 22 2008
By Maura Johnston
2,415 views, 8 comments

Latest by punkybunky: Oh EEEWW! I'm glad I missed that commercial last night; it was bad enough that D.C. forgot to button his shirt all the way down at the end of the finale. more »

Who Won This Season Of "American Idol"?

Don't want to read through the whole liveblog, but dying to find out who won season 7 of American Idol? Click here to get spoiled.

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idolator's american idolatry

Live-Blogging The "American Idol" Finale, Part II: This, Right Here, Is Our Now

Welcome to our second night of live-blogging the American Idol finale, two hours of spectacle leading up to the crowning of a David as the favorite pop singer of this very phone-equipped nation. I'm watching the TV Guide Channel's preshow, which has Kimberly Caldwell screaming a lot and Justin Guarini laughing dumbly a bunch and Janice Dickinson saying that she's in the tank for Archie too. (For that the producers denied Danny Noriega a ticket? Hmph.) Also, apparently Simon Cowell told Justin Guarini that it was a draw while I was on the phone?! Looks like someone saw our poll! Coverage begins after the jump... More »

7:50 PM on Wed May 21 2008
By Maura Johnston
8,045 views, 50 comments

Latest by n/a: @Lampbane: Bryan Adams always looked like that. It's that "born before Acutane" look.[blog.newsok.com] more »

"American Idol": Killing Gladys Knight For The Sake Of Ratings?

From the "so ludicrous, it's probably true" file: "TMZ moles say the finale will include a virtual hologram of Gladys Knight singing "Midnight Train to Georgia" with Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Downey Jr. singing backup as the Pips. Holy Nat King Cole! Idol did this last season when Celine Dion sang alongside a virtual undead Elvis. For the record, Gladys Knight is still alive." You know what makes this item amazing? The fact that it sounds like something that Frank Cross would be commissioning in the opening scene of Scrooged II: Now He's Really Scrooged. Also that you'd think the Idol producers would not want to get so blatantly "inspired" by The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, 30 Rock, and a Geico ad in its big, CGI-busting finale, but I guess that sort of creativity-lacking moxie is what I should expect from the show by now. [TMZ]

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idolator's american idolatry

Tonight's "American Idol" Finale: Madonna? The Jonases? ZZ Top??

With six hours to go until the final episode of this American Idol season, our poll, DialIdol, and Zabasearch are all claiming that David Cook's grunge revivalism has won the Internet version of the show, despite the three judges last night being firmly in the tank for David Archuleta. Whether or not those predictions are correct is an outcome we'll all have to wait many hours for, but in the two hours between the show's opening sequence and the confetti-filled finale, we're going to have lots of entertainment to fill the time (and live-blogging space! what, you thought I was going to miss this?) between commercial breaks. Rumors are flying that Madonna, the Jonas Brothers, and Seal (?!) are going to show up—we've collected a bunch of finale spoilers after the jump. More »

2:30 PM on Wed May 21 2008
By Maura Johnston
3,464 views, 5 comments

Latest by n/a: Wouldn't an appearance on "American Idol" by Madonna require somehow that she once again admit to being American? Ain't gonna happen, folks... more »

idolator's american idolatry

The "American Idol" Poll You've Been Waiting For: Which David Delivered Tonight's Knockout Punch?

The first third of the American Idol finale is in the history books everywhere in the country! (Except maybe Hawaii, although maybe not—after all, since the weather there is so nice it would make sense to have "prime time" at 5 p.m. so as to maximize the enjoyment of their evenings.) The three songs have been sung, the songwriting contest has once again been exposed as a way to get America's worst songwriters more screen time than they ever deserve, and the judges have seemingly abandoned David Cook—or decided to engage in major reverse psychology with his fans in hopes of really giving Jeff Archuleta a Montreal screwjob-type finish to his super-meddlesome "guardian" tenure. Who knows what sort of mind games the producers are trying to play! I've watched pretty much every second of American Idol since January and I still don't. Anyway, after the jump we have the official Idolator "Who Will Win Idol?" poll, along with a few predictions from other corners of the Internet and clips from tonight's show. More »

1:00 AM on Wed May 21 2008
By Maura Johnston
5,268 views, 12 comments

Latest by n/a: If David Cook would have sang "Hurt So Good" or "Cuts Like A Knife" last night and taken his title of Johnny Cougar/Bryan Adams 2k8 he would have this wrapped up. I heard a rumor that Adams might be there more »

idolator's american idolatry

Tinfoil Hat Time: Did The Producers Turn Up David Archuleta's Screaming-Girl Chorus By Accident?

I've had a sneaking suspicion for most of the season that the producers have been sweetening the screeching-girl noises during David Archuleta's performances, or at least enhancing it a bit—blame a childhood spent preferring Guns N' Roses to New Kids On the Block. But! During Archie's second song tonight, I swear I heard some evidence that there was at least a little bit of producer manipulation. Watch the clip above; when you hit the 20-second mark or so, listen to the "crowd noise" that comes in. Does it sound oddly muted, and oddly timed, to you? Especially since it's accompanied by a pit full of stock-still young ladies who should have had their hands set to "sway" during this frenzy-inspiring moment? Maybe I'm just hearing the tongue baths of Randy, Paula, and Simon echoing in my ears, but something just seems a little... off. Ah, the unpredictability of live TV! [Redlasso via MJ] More »

12:45 AM on Wed May 21 2008
By Maura Johnston
705 views, 4 comments

Latest by cassidy2099: I could believe it. I mean, why not, why wouldn't they jam on the fake applause button? Like this show really has any integrity to begin with. more »

idolator's american idolatry

Live-Blogging The "American Idol" Finale, Part I: Someone Named David Is Going To Come Out On Top Tonight

Well, here we go, right? Let's just thank the world that the spoiler I saw over at MJ's place about David Cook being given "Perfect Day" by Clive was from a parody site. (At least, I think it was.) My minute-by-minute breakdown of tonight's festivities—in which each singer does three songs—after the jump! More »

7:55 PM on Tue May 20 2008
By Maura Johnston
3,338 views, 49 comments

idolator's american idolatry

David Cook To Transform Into Bono For 90 Seconds Tonight

A few more spoilers have started to trickle out about tonight's American Idol pre-finale, including word that David Archuleta will reprise "Imagine" and David Cook is planning on singing U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"—the first time a U2 song has been cleared for an Idol performance. (Perhaps this means that Bono is the big star Nigel Lythgoe was crowing about yesterday?) Also: Unlike last year, when Blake Lewis was forced to gut out "This Is My Now," the two Davids have been given leeway to pick their own coronation songs from the songwriting contest's top ten vote-getters. Their rumored picks, and other news bits, after the jump. More »

3:00 PM on Tue May 20 2008
By Maura Johnston
2,277 views, 8 comments

Latest by spinachdip: For a moment, I thought "Here I Am" was the UB40 song. There seriously needs to be more UB40 in this world. more »

A Reminder

It's Idol finale day! (Well, pre-finale day, if you're feeling picky.) We'll have more news about that over the coming hours, but I just wanted to put out a reminder that once again Idolator's live-blogging of the finale will be in full effect, and that I'll be taking the reins of the blog at 8 p.m. ET tonight and tomorrow so you will have someone to watch along with. Also, if you'd like to see what happens when I get into a room with other Idol bloggers—Rickey of rickey.org, MJ of MJ's Big Blog, Michael Slezak of EW, and Jim Cantiello of MTV—MTV taped a roundtable of us chatting and bickering last week, and it's now online. Fun game: Count how many times I say the words "Alex Lushington" while I'm on camera! [MTV]

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idolator's american idolatry

Who Fits The "American Idol" Definition Of "The Biggest Star In The World"?

MJ's Big Blog has a slew of spoilers for this week's pair of American Idol finale episodes, including word that David Archuleta is going to reprise his blasphemy-excised version of "Imagine" and the news that Paula Abdul is going to sing a song from her new album, too. And the Jonas Brothers will be appearing, because the ratings really need the help! And OneRepublic will drop by, too, because... well, I'm still trying to figure that one out. But that puzzle will have to go on the back burner because Nigel Lythgoe told an interviewer today that "the biggest star in the world" would show up at the finale; given the, ahem, skewed nature of the Idol universe figuring out just who that shining example of fame could be, well, anyone who's been touched by the hand of Clive. So let's send it to the poll software! More »

5:00 PM on Mon May 19 2008
By Maura Johnston
1,908 views, 13 comments

Latest by Jan74: @Jon Can Dance: Raffi is too good for American Idol. more »

"Idol" Powers That Be Weren't Likin' It

Thanks to the producers wanting to suck as much fun out of this week's American Idol finale as possible, "Tainted Love"-singing, purple-streaked American Idol hopeful Danny Noriega will not be in attendance, apparently because Nigel Lythgoe & Co. first made him beg for a ticket and then told him "uh-uh, sorry, it's full" after watching his dog and pony show. I hope this means that The Soup will have him on for a Very Special Guest Appearance this Friday! [rickey.org]

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idolator's american idolatry

This Year, "American Idol" Will Be Won By A Dude Named David (But You Knew That Already)

So last night's completely anticlimactic episode of American Idol ended with the Battle Of The Davids officially beginning, a development that I was hoping would be derailed at the last minute for the purposes of filling out Fox's DVR-killing one hour and two minute runtime. (Thanks for ruining my recording of Top Chef, guys!) But alas, it was not to be, and the producers are probably still drunk on celebratory "our plan worked!!" champagne. In an effort to make things interesting, there are apparently conspiracy theories floating around about David Archuleta (or his people) wanting to sing a "hip-hop ballad" version of Dan Fogelberg's "Longer" but being denied by the producers; Archie's crazed fanbase is seeing it as more evidence that the powers that be want David Cook to win, but honestly, they probably made the right decision on that front. (Guys, go back and listen to your golden boy say "boo," and count your blessings.) And speaking of hip-hop, how about Fantasia's performance? More »

8:30 AM on Thu May 15 2008
By Maura Johnston
1,931 views, 14 comments

Latest by Manola: I loved everything about Fantasia's performance. This is what I've been dying to see for the last 4 months: distinctive vocals + solid music + dancing + energy + the element of surprise. She had it all, she's more »

idolator's american idolatry

The High School Student, The Actress, Or The Bartender--Who's Going Home From "Idol" Tonight?

In which we try to predict whether or not Randy's dubbing Syesha "No. 3" of the final three American Idol contestants was some sort of astrological prediction written in the star-chart shirt he wore last night—or another piece of the mounting pile of evidence that the producers have been gaming the system for a David/David finale since the night Chikezie was eliminated. For anecdotal purposes, DialIdol ranks the hopefuls Cook-Archuleta-Mercado, while the top Idol-related search term on Google Trends is (ugh) "Switchfoot," at No. 57. America: It can't get enough of that post-millennial grunge! Vote after the jump. More »

8:30 AM on Wed May 14 2008
By Maura Johnston
1,701 views, 8 comments

Latest by CloudCarrier: @Al Shipley: @Chris Molanphy: + Watch video more »

idolator's american idolatry

Live-Blogging The Top 3 Showdown On "American Idol," Because I Don't Want To Miss A Thing

American Idol's top three contenders—Davids Archuleta and Cook, and Syesha Mercado—hold their last sing-off before next week's big sing-off tonight, and we're coming atcha live, as a band that will probably never get its Ryan Seacrest due would say! Dan Fogelberg, Switchfoot, Billy Joel, Roberta Flack, and a song from Happy Feet that maybe 0.5% of the ever-shrinking Idol audience will know after... the jump. More »

7:55 PM on Tue May 13 2008
By Maura Johnston
2,873 views, 24 comments

idolator's american idolatry

A Few "Idol" Odds & Ends

In preparation for tonight's American Idol liveblog—which starts at 8 ET!—here are some headlines that have crossed the transom...
• Nigel Lythgoe on the Jeff Archuleta issue: "He has been asked not to participate in the choice of music with David or be in the room when David is working out his routines that he wants to sing. He's fine to be in the studio — nothing wrong with that. We just want David to be able to be free like everybody else to get on and do what they want to do." My head is pounding from the number of lines in that statement that I need to read between. [EW]
• As if it wasn't clear enough that the producers are angling for a David-David final, their pick for Syesha Mercado tonight is Gia Farrell's "Hit Me Up." Never heard of it? Well, it was on the Happy Feet soundtrack, and it went to No. 1 in Hungary and No. 8 in Finland. But it didn't chart in the US, save for a two-week stint in the lower reaches of the Top 40 Mainstream chart. Hear it on YouTube, if you want to spoil the channel-change-inspiring surprise that the producers are clearly hoping for. [YouTube]
• Could this be the night that ratings plummet below the 20 million mark? [AP]

5:00 PM on Tue May 13 2008
By Maura Johnston
700 views, 7 comments

Latest by NeverEnough: @SimonSays76: Back and to the left... back and to the left... more »

A Long Listmaking Exercise For A Long Weekend

Posts Tagged “idolator's american idolatry”