Over the Rainbow: 3/1/09

Well, hey guys! Here we are again... it's been almost a year since I begdan posting my random rants about American Idol, and look at this! We have our top 13 for Season 8!

Like last year, I guess I'll just start by summing up our remaining 13 contestants:

Kris Allen: 23 year old from Conway, Arizona. Definitely has a lot of talent, that's for sure. He's much better when he's singing with his guitar, though. If he can just break out of the 'only the tween girl can save him' category with something explosive (no, not dynamite, that won't be necessary) then maybe he'd have a fair chance at getting far this season.

Megan Joy (Corkrey): 22 year old from Sandy, Utah. One of the four 'wildcard' contestants chosen last by the judges. Was amazing at auditions but maybe that was just because almost everyone else in Salt Lake City sounded like a dying cow... Well, anyways, for some reason, people seem to like her even though she can never form any connection with the songs she sings, which frustrates me to no end! With some help from her numerous fans, though, maybe she'll stick around longer than I'd like.

Anoop Desai: 21 year old from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Was one of the four 'wildcard' contestants chosen last by the judges. Has a bluesy, soulful style that has attracted a bunch of fans to him so far. However, his nerves and strange song choices might get the better of him and send him packing too early in the game.

Matt Giraud: 23 year old from Kalamazoo, Michigan. Known frequently as 'the dueling piano player,' Matt's music really is enhanced by his ability to play piano well. If he can find some way to prove his mettle, maybe he won't need the tween vote any more and will be able to advance as far into the competition as his talent will take him.

Danny Gokey: 28 year old from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We first caught sight of Danny in Kansas CIty, Missouri just prior to his audition, telling a sad story: his wife, Sophia, died 4 weeks before Season 8 of Idol began. Beginning with this traditional sob story seems to have embedded Danny into the heart of the nation. That's not to say he doesn't have talent, though. He most definitely does have talent and he deserves to be in the top 13. Although I'm sure he won't have any problem at all making it further than that.

Alexis Grace: 21 year old from Memphis, Tennesee. Not too great, not too terrible, in my opinion. I mean, she's got some talent, sure. But as much as the judges think? Most likely not. I foresee the judges trying to work 'sweet little Alexis' into the public's not-so-welcoming arms and simply ruining her chances. Hopefully we'll be rid of her sooner rather than later.

Allison Iraheta: 16 year old from Los Angeles, California. Allison's the youngest left in the competition, yet she sings with a presence that becomes one twice her age. To some, that's a good thing because her singing sounds adavnced far beyond her years! But to me, it seems like she's trying too hard to put on a good show. Maybe she just rubbed me the wrong way from the start but I hope she'll make one too many mistakes and be off the show ASAP!

Adam Lambert: 26 year old from Los Angeles, California. And here we have it - season eight's American Idol! Well, I take it back, I don't want to speak too soon. But I will say that I'm more sure about this guy than I've ever been about anyone on AI. Now, that isn't taking the whole 'just slightly rigged' aspect of Idol into concern though, so if it ain't in the producers' agenda, maybe we'll bid farewell to Adam earlier than everyone expects. But if the public gets its fair say, my gut tells me this punk rocker and his unique style are headed straight (or maybe not so straight) for number one!

Scott MacIntyre: 23 year old from Scottsdale, Arizona. Another classic sob story in the works: poor blind guy, struggling against his condition his whole life, succeeding in spite of numerous road blocks, and is now getting the chance to make his dream come true on American Idol!!! *sigh* Now if only the guy had a voice to match the tale. He's good enough to be where he is, yeah, but not good enough to give his tragic past a solid enough backbone for anything further than top ten.

Jasmine Murray: 16 year old from Starkville, Mississippi. Sweet girl, beautiful voice, absolutely no chance. Her audition was fabulous, the judges loved her, and people were betting on her to make it far. Now, though, I'm pretty sure the public is less certain of where she stands, even if the judges are still in love with her. Like Alexis Grace, the judges seem ready to pawn her off on the fans quickly, but even though Jasmine's got a strong voice, it just won't be enough to get her very far. Judging from what we've seen of her, Jasmine's life on Idol will be short and sweet.

Jorge Nunez: 20 year old from Carolina, Puerto Rico. Although his charming smile and floppy hair give off an aura of charisma, don't be fooled. Nope, this guy's got no personality to speak of. I mean, I guess he seems sort of nice, but so far that hasn't been enough for the public and he has yet to form a solid fan base. The judges seem indifferent to him overall and I think his fate - like his personality - is anyone's guess.

Lil Rounds: 23 year old from Memphis, Tennessee. Devoted wife to her husband, loving mother to her kids, what more could you ask for in an AI contestant? A little more 'wow' factor would be nice... I mean, Lil has an absolutely incredible voice! She could do so much to impress so many people!!! But no, all people ever say about her is: 'Lil has an absolutely incredible voice.' And she can do so much better than that! If Lil can figure out how to work up to her potential and stop being content with where she is, I think she has a great chance at making it pretty far into the competition.

Michael Sarver: 27 year old from Jasper, Texas. 'Hey ya'll, I'm Michael, and I'm an oil-rig worker.' 'Is that all?' 'Yup, that's about it...' Ugh! He has a really nice, powerful voice and he could be such a fan favorite! He just needs to work on one thing: versatility. He can sing well, yes, but can he hook in the audience by doing something amazing with a song for once instead of just singing like, 'Hi ya'll, this is Michael again. Yup, that'd be the oil rig worker.'? I mean, I think he's a great guy for being so devoted to his family and to his singing and all, but he, like Lil, needs to figure out how to work up to potential... then maybe he could get himself some fans!

Well, that's all I have for now. Hopefully I'll have my predictions up before tonight's show, but I can't promise. And I didn't see last night's show so I can't recap very well, I guess. I'll post the new and improved predictions list after tonight's elimination though, so check back soon!

Over the Rainbow

Thursday, March 26, 2009

American Idol Update!!!

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Season Eight American Idol Predictions

American Idol Season 8!!!