watch: my bff performs on american idol- hollywood week!

Post by Carlton Smith.

I wasn't lying when I said one of my favorite people ever was going to be on Idol. They may not have shown his auditions on TV, but he's featured in so many of the videos they've posted online... and we should be seeing him in Hollywood this week!

[He's the first one to sing, duh.]

How EXCITING is that?! Gah. Brings back memories of Tim Halperin on the show, but this time it's so, SO much more personal. 

Carlton has been putting up new covers every Thursday, so check 'em out on YouTube and subscribe and follow him on Twitter and support someone else who is making their dreams come true in 2014. 

Thanks in advance for giving him the love you give me!

love,

elizabethany

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watch: my american idol covers "say something"

So one of my closest friends and favorite people in the world tried out for American Idol this summer and SPOILER ALERT: He made it to Hollywood!

All I can say now is that you should absolutely get to know him. He's always been an amazing singer and I'm so glad he's finally going 110% after his dreams. He deserves to be noticed and praised and loved by the world!

He started a new thing today- "Serenade Thursdays." He's going to post a cover every Thursday and this is his first one- a beautiful version of "Say Something."

Is his voice not amazing?! Gah! I can't wait to see him on my TV next week!

In the meantime, you should probably subscribe to him, follow him on Twitter and Instagram, and send some love!

People chasing their dreams is a beautiful thing... and it's a bonus when they have tremendous talent.

love,
elizabethany

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watch etv: a parody of the nicki minaj/mariah carey american idol fight

It was beyond obvious that someone was going to die at the new American Idol table as soon as they announced who'd be sitting there... I'm just surprised Mariah doesn't have the balls to fight back.

Anyway, we saw what happened in real life, now see our ridiculous recreation:


I mean... Just LOOK at my weave. But you know damn well Nicki has worn that before.

Yes, I get paid to do this kinda stuff.

love,
elizabethany

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hanging out with 3OH!3 and american idol's chris richardson

It's been another busy couple of days with the station! On Thursday, we made a guest appearance at Landstown Middle School's pep rally. [More on that later this week. It was a BLAST, and I'm working on the video!] Friday was a show with 3OH!3 and Outasight in Norfolk.

While I didn't get to do an "8 Questions" video with either of them, they were still awesome guys to meet and see perform at the Norva.

Sean and Nat of 3OH!3

Outasight [Yea, it's just one guy. I had no idea either.]

3OH!3's show! Note the awesome wolves with laser eyes. Super sweet.

I also showed the guys of 3OH!3 my friend Ryan's parody of their song "My First Kiss," and rightfully so, they thought it was awesomely ridiculous. They do in fact watch as many parodies of their songs! I think that's neat.

Today I was super excited to have Chris Richardson stop by the studio. [He was season 6 of American Idol.] Now he's signed by YMCMB and promoting his first single "Joy and Pain."

He sang the song in the studio [BTW, I LOVE this song... it may or may not because I think he's hott and his voice is amazing, but it's good.] The guys also gave him a challenge of playing drums made out of Styrofoam cups.. and he did it, marvelously. Check it: 

He's a Chesapeake boy, so I'm sure he'll be around some more, and I can't wait for that. Yummy.

love,
elizabethany

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watch: beauty and the beast goes to the ghetto

I've posted videos from former American Idol contestant Todrick Hall on here before... they're always pretty good! But this one.... is somethin' special.

First of all, I get to see my boo Antoine Dodson for a split second... second of all, Todrick gathered a bunch of YouTube stars [and another former Idol girl Vonzell Soloman] to do a straight up ghetto version of "Beauty and the Beast." No more "bonjour," it's all about the "what's good," and being holla'd at by Jerome.



People on YouTube are wah'ing about it making fun of the stereotypes and not cool and blah blah blah. You shut your mouths right now. That ish is GOOD.

love,
elizabethany

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watch: jamar rogers on ellen will make you smile big

Jamar Rogers [from the Voice, duh] was on Ellen last week and I couldn't find the video right away, but now I finally have! If you need a smile right now, this will absolutely put one on your face.

He's just so excited to be there, so thankful for his life, and I just love his being in general. Please, watch this.



SERIOUSLY. Could he get any more adorable and awesome?! I just love him, and I really hope he makes a huge career before it's too late. Even from his short lived Idol days, I've been hoping to come across one of his songs in the "radio ready" list of singles.

Follow him on Twitter, cuz he's just as genuinely happy there... all the time.

love,
elizabethany

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stefano's junk was pokin' at the idol finale!

I'm gonna make this short and sweet before bed, but did anyone notice Stefano's bulging package during the top 13's "Born This Way" performance?! GoodNESS! It was right in front of the camera and hard to miss!


[Click to make it bigger, you pervs.]

Holy wow. No more wondering how big he is.

love,
elizabethany

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youtube channel: the best "it gets better" ever and glee wannabe

Todrick Hall was on American Idol last season. He didn't make the top 12, but I absolutely wanted him to.
Now he's got a YouTube channel that you have to check out. Seriously, if you don't you're missing out BIG TIME.

My favorite video on the entire channel is hands down his "It Gets Better" song and video. A lot of his videos are funny, but this campaign has always touched me, and this has got to be the best video I've seen for it.



I mean... Just.. Wow. Powerful, and amazing, perfect lyrics. I want to play it on my show every day. I need to find a way to make it possible.

Beyond the intensity of that video, he has a dream of being on Glee. Well, not just being on it, but being the token black guy... and he obviously has the pipes and the look to make it! Here's his proof:



Where can I vote to get him on?! I totally hope it works out for him!

And beyond THAT, he likes doing random acts of singing in public places. You all know how I feel about this kind of stuff- it's AWESOME. He also picked one of my favorite places to do it, gathered some friends and cheerleaders, and put on a show I'm jealous I missed out on!



LOVE IT. WANT IT.

He's from Arlington, TX, which is by Dallas, but go figure- Now he's in LA. Maybe if he ever meandered home, we could work together a little, eh?!

Here's to hoping!

love,

elizabethany

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watch: the reason i want scotty to win american idol

Tonight's American Idol finale performance show was two things: rather boring, and terribly unfair.

I get that it sucks that Lauren had the whole voice loss thing, and I feel for her big time, and I totally gave her the excuse of "if she was well, she'd be a lot better tonight."

But when they gave her that super emotional and decent song, and gave Scotty one that will work in Country, but is not relate-able to anyone else, that was just unfair. They gave her every benefit they could have given her tonight.

And as if the producers didn't give her the benefits, Scotty deferred his coin toss win to let her go second.

Anyway, that's why I want Scotty to win. They're both incredible singers. They're both going to be successful. [Is that the first time we've ever been able to say that?] I picked Lauren to win during her audition, but Scotty is more ready out of the two, and he's the better person.

Proof? This video that Tim Halperin took of him before they found out their fate in the Top 40.



He's so freakin' down to Earth, and I don't think he'll ever let it get to his head. He has the confidence, the swagger, the talent, and the personality to really make it big, and on top of that- He's a pure gentleman.

I don't think I'll be mad either way tomorrow night, unless it's anger towards the producers... But let's be honest, we've always known they pick favorites.

love,
elizabethany

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lady gaga's penis shoes

It's no secret I'm pretty anti-Gaga, but every once in a while she does something I can get behind.

Last week when she was on Idol, I heard she had "female tools" on her shoes, and now that I've seen them, she just won some much needed plus points.


I wonder what my mom [and/or my boss] would say if I scored me a pair just like this?! Hmmm...

love,
elizabethany

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exclusive interview: the reigning american idol lee dewyze

My first ever celeb interview was David Cook, two years ago, after he won American Idol [woah, I don't like listening to that again. Good thing I'm getting better!], and now I got the chance to interview THE American Idol again!

Lee DeWyze was in town for a free show as part of "The Big Event," which is when students help out all over town and just give back to the community.

I showed up an hour and a half ahead of show time, watched some soundcheck, watched the stampede of high school girls when they opened the doors into the arena, then headed to the green room to talk to the Idol himself.

He was exactly as I imagined him to be. He's not a huge BURST of energy, but he was really chill, nice, and honest... And was rather obsessed with making sure he looked okay before heading out on stage. [He kept changing shirts and everything! Apparently people actually comment on him wearing the same outfit multiple times... DANG!]



I expected him to not be able to tell me his favorite Idol, but it didn't take him long to spit it out: Casey Abrams. As for "having the pipes", he seems to think Pia has what it takes.

It's interesting to hear from him exactly how many changes have gone down on the show! It needed to happen, though... As much as I hate to say it, his season was pretty rough.

As for his show- I was a fan before, but he made me immediately get his full album. His voice is so easy to listen to and his lyrics talked to me big time. It was like he was reading my mind with his song choices! I've always loved "Sweet Serendipity," but I think "Live It Up," the title track for the album, is my new favorite.

"You've only got one life, one life to live
I wanna give it everything I got
Who knows this might be it for us
So why don't we
Live it up, Live it up darlin'
or Give it up
My heart is starvin'
Live it up, or Give it up"

Love, love, love!

So definitely give his songs/album a listen. I wouldn't steer you wrong. I never have, right?!
And thanks to Lee and all of his crazy amazing fans!

love,
elizabethany

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american idol top 11: you're watching the show with me

I didn't get to watch American Idol on time tonight, so instead of bugging you all with a million tweets, I figured I'd share all of my thoughts as I watch right here. PLUS! I can add all the performances in in case you missed it.

This season is amazing and if you haven't been watching, you're not smart. Get with it.

Now on with the show.

• Woah. J.Lo... that's what I like to call Barbie make-up. I guess it matches the glitter sparkly dress, though.
  
• It'd be nice if they got Casey's sound right. It really affected the ability to tell if he was good or not. I hope it doesn't affect the voting. His look was on point!
  
  
• Thia really bothers me personality-wise. She's either really boring, or too soft, insecure, or something. But I don't like watching her. She's an amazing singer, and was good tonight, but... ugh. Definitely doesn't have that "spark."
  
  
• Jacob was definitely becoming too much, and tonight was hella hard to judge with him because of the sound again, but he did a lot better than usual. I'm glad. He's definitely talented like woah. And YAY standing ovation! Yay for him!
  
  
• Lauren killed it from the first note. Seriously. She's back, and she looked great!
  
  
• Stefano was good, but like they said, there's definitely something more I want from him. He keeps reminding me of Bruno Mars for some reason. I want him to be special for something... besides his mom's food.
  
  
• Haley definitely put on a show! You could tell she was feeling it and I really do love her sound, so I hope America kept her around.
  
  
• Wow. Scotty found a way to legitimately turn Motown into Country. That's why I'm liking this season. People are being themselves no matter what. Scotty better be in the finale. There's no reason for him not to be. He's going to kill the country scene too, assuming they accept a youngin'.
  
  
• I wish Pia had more personality. She's kinda like Carrie. Carrie was always blah to me, but damn, they can both sing. I'm thinking she needs to be joining Scotty in the finale. I'm sick of her and ballads, but at the same time- her Celine/Whitney voice works with that stuff.
  
• I'm still more than obsessed with Paul's voice, and his personality is cute too, but all of his songs have really sounded the exact same week after week. I need something different.
  
  
• Naima owned the stage tonight when it comes to performance. She sounded great, but she really strutted around, brought in the audience, and did a freakin' African dance breakdown in the middle! I like her originality, but I'm having a hard time imagining her as an artist.
  
  
• Woah. Now I don't know if I can keep saying everything I've said about everyone else. James did AWESOME! Nothing bad to say. At all. Incredible.
  
  

Tonight's show was pretty incredible. Never have we been at the top 11 and I haven't known, with confidence, who I want gone. I'll be sad to see anyone go, really! BUT. If I have to pick one to go, it's definitely Thia. I don't think America will agree, but I hope they do. Joining her in the bottom three should be [unfortunately] Casey, Paul, or Haley.

Wow. Tomorrow night's show is going to be intense, I think.

Let me know your thoughts! I like hearing them as much as I do sharing!

love,

elizabethany

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exclusive post-idol interview with tim halperin! plus new single!

Unfortunately Tim Halperin didn't make it into the top 13 of American Idol last week, but apparently he's not too upset about it.

As I'd hope he would, he was ready to give me the first interview post-Idol this morning! [Unfortunately, I had to be second thanks to my show not being in the morning. Rude.]

Because American Idol has always been one of my favorite shows, I obviously had a million questions to ask about his experience and the people we've grown to love and hate. I got those out of the way in time to hear about his time there and what he's planning on doing now that his name has been a Twitter trending topic.

He legally couldn't tell me who he wants in the top 3 [lame!], but he did say who he thinks should have made it into the top group which totally surprised me and went against my wishes.

My opinion on Jordan Dorsey is that he's an incredibly talented singer and musician, but he was a complete d-bag during Hollywood week which probably ruined him, along with song choice last week. Tim confirmed what Seacrest always says about that notorious week in relation to Jordan.

"Hollywood Week is so cut throat and if you get into that and forget who you are, it's easy to look like a d-bag on the show."

Speaking of Seacrest, I had to know what he's really like! I love everything Seacrest does. I want to be him. When I asked Tim what he's like behind the cameras, I was so excited to hear him say he goes above and beyond his job.

We also talked about his favorite judge, what they do when they're not shooting the show, and so much more Idol-related, so give it a listen!



As you know, Idol isn't what made Tim Halperin, and it's definitely not going to end him. He can't release an album until September, but he's taking the immediate opportunity to release his next single! FO FREE!

He performed this song in order to earn a spot in the top 24, but now it's time for YOU to get it for yourself! Take a listen to his plans, hopes, etc. and his single "The Last Song."



Uh-MAY-zing song! People were texting in to the show today calling in poetry in a song and in disbelief that he wrote it. THAT'S how talented he is, guys... and I can't freakin' wait to see what the next big thing is for him.

Download the single for free here.
Follow him on Twitter here.
Check out his Facebook here.

Thanks again to Tim for being awesome at life, and everyone be sure to show him some love!

love,
elizabethany

PS: I seriously couldn't be more thankful that I stumbled upon his video and tweeted about it months ago.

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because you want to know: my thoughts on american idol season 10 top 24

I was trying to figure out when the perfect time to jump into covering this new season would be, and I've picked right now.

I had very low expectations for this season of American Idol. Without Simon, what show do they have?

Fortunately, they still have a great one, and I am very pleasantly surprised with how everything is going! Even though I wanted to punch the judges in the face for seeming to let everyone through to Hollywood, Steven Tyler is hella entertaining, and I don't think I've ever been happier with a top 24.

Up until the very last decision between Brett, Colton, and Jaycee, I agreed with everything. The judges' reactions weren't always as entertaining as they used to be, but I think they made better decisions.

So, in case you missed it, here are the top 24 contestants:

Ashton Jones, Brett Loewenstern, Casey Abrams, Clint Jun Gamboa, Haley Reinhart, Jacob Lusk, James Durbin, Jordan Dorsey, Jovany Barreto, Robbie Rosen, Scotty McCreery, Stefano Langone, Julie Zorrilla, Karen Rodriguez, Kendra Chantelle, Lauren Alaina, Lauren Turner, Naima Adedapo, Paul McDonald, Pia Toscano, Rachel Zevita, Tatynisa Wilson, Thia Megia, and Tim Halperin.

I color coded them all based on my wishes/predictions for the top 12. I picked 6 that I have to have in the top 12 in green, 6 that I hope don't make it there, and 12 that could go either way or I can't decide on.

As for my early predictions; Lauren Alaina is probably the front-runner. She's young which makes me a little hesitant, but she's likable and has a powerful voice.

BUT! HELLOOOO! My favorite is obviously my boo, Tim.

I've always loved introducing people who I think have a lot of potential or need to make it big, and thanks to Buzzfeed and Twitter, I was able to do that with Tim. You all have listened to his stuff for months, now it's time to catapult him to the top!

Starting Tuesday, I'll make sure to tweet and Facebook his number so we can all become an army of support, but watch the show! And tell all your friends "OMG I KNOW HIM!" cuz you totally do.

I'm really excited for this season. They're changing it up, and the talent is incredible. The people I picked to make it/not make it was mostly based on personality because all of them are honestly incredible.

*Sigh of relief.* Didn't wanna have to hate on my favorite show.

love,
elizabethany

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watch: tim halperin's las vegas idol beatles performance

As you know, I'm HELLA pumped that my friend Tim Halperin is still in it to win it on American Idol! Tonight they finally showed him again as everyone sang Beatles songs in Las Vegas.



You all have seen and heard the proof that he's an amazing singer and artist, and hella creative, so now we need to hope that he makes it through to the top 24 tomorrow night.

Don't ya just wanna be like "Oh hey, I knew about him wayyy before you did!"?! I do.

love,
elizabethany

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watch: 20 worst idol auditions of all time

Tweet Just when I was getting excited and OK with the new season of Idol tonight, this video had to make me cry.

BUT... it made me cry because I was LAUGHING so hard. This is epic. "You can't stop watching a trainwreck," as my coworker just said.



Idol, please don't let me down this season. Kthanks.

love,
elizabethany

watch: american idol season 10 promos

Tweet Normally the day comes around when the next season of American Idol starts showing promos and I pee my pants in excitement. It's the 10th season ahead of us, and as one of the most loyal watchers since season 1, I should be excited.... but.... well, you know what has happened.

I wondered how they would tease up this season, and with the first couple of promos out, I'd say they did the best they could. They reflected on the past 9 seasons and reminded us of our winners... With the only friendly voice of this upcoming season chiming in randomly [Randy].





I totally dig the first song, for the record. And I really do love these promos. The only problem: It's not going to convince anyone that this season is going to be better, or even as good as previous seasons.

Do tell: Will you be watching this season of AI?



love,
elizabethany

watch: whitney houston asian boy can dance

If you haven't heard about Lin Yu Chun and his ridiculous rendition of Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You," it's time to watch him sing it right now on Taiwan's version of American Idol:



Holy S, right?! He's flipping GOOD!

And if that didn't make me love him even more [on top of the fact that he's Asian], check out his super sweet dance skills:



The cherry on the sundae: His nickname is Little Fatty.

I wonder if I can somehow get him over to the States just so I can give him a squeeze and tell him I love him....

love,
elizabethany

because you want to know: american idol top 11

I missed out on telling you how I feel last week, but I'm not missing out today!

Last night's Idol was... Well.... It was very typical for this season: Not that exciting. The show has officially jumped shark. I don't blame Simon for wanting to leave.

I'll just jump right into it. Let's pretend I'm an Idol judge on last night's show.


Lee Dewyze--> The Letter
Homeboy, you really need to gain some confidence and learn how to SMILE on stage! Man. Your voice is amazing. You're hott. You picked an eh song, but like Ellen said... It's like your favorite pen is back after losing it for a while.

Paige Miles--> Against All Odds
Woah. Girlfriend. That.... was not good. I'm wondering why you're here right now. Coming out on the moving staircase is not going to give the illusion of your worth.

Tim Urban--> Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Haha! I liked the sliding and the performance! It was quirky and fun, but yeah.. The vocals need to step it up a notch.

Aaron Kelly--> Don't Want To Miss A Thing
Great song choice! You weren't so annoying to me tonight! Probably my favorite of yours so far, even though you're sick.

Crystal Bowersox--> Me and Bobby McGee
You, my friend, are in a league of your own right now. You don't have to do anything to put on a good performance and you blow everyone away. Next time you bring the carpet, get wild and go barefoot!

Big Mike--> When A Man Loves A Woman
You put me in a trance and I can't get out. That was absolutely beautiful.

Andrew Garcia--> I Heard It Through The Grapevine
That was good. I'm not blown away or rushing to vote for you, but your personality is hilarious and if you keep saying "I love you" to everyone, I'm going to demand that you be my BFF.

Katie Stevens--> Big Girls Don't Cry
You need to do something to make me go "WOW, this girl has something special." You're just there to me. It started out in a karaoke bar, and it got better, but I'm still not jumping for joy.

Casey James--> The Power of Love
Ya know... It sounded exactly like the original, but I'm okay with that! It was awesome and you're also in a league of your own right now. PS: Can we switch hair? I like yours better.

Didi Benami--> You're No Good
Who are you? I forget about you every week. You're forgettable. Nothing stands out to anyone. Step it up, quick.

Siobhan Magnus--> Superstition
You are straight up weird when you talk, but when you sing you come to life in such a fun way! Great performance, great vocals.


On another note, why the H Miley Cyrus was the mentor baffles me. She must have been a last minute option or something because she gave no worthy advice, nor does she know what she's talking about when she does.

Also: The Ellen/Ryan kiss was awesome.


So, who's going home?!

Here's my probably bottom 3:


I don't think Paige is going to go home. I think her fanbase will come through big time because she did so terribly. Tim has a lot of little girl fans, I think... Ultimately, I think Didi is forgettable enough to shoot her on outta here.

We shall see tonight! What are your thoughts?! Who should go home?



We shall see tonight!

love,
elizabethany

because you want to know: american idol top 12

If you haven't been following this blog since last year, you may not know one of the things I like to do: Talk about American Idol.

Each week I put up a post about the week, who I think will go home and/or who did go home and why I care. Because I care, I know you do too.

With the top 12 in place for season 9, let's jump right into it, shall we?!

First of all, I think it's important to tell you that with this crazy schedule of mine and them having three episodes a week so far, I've officially missed my first ever episode of Idol... and then some. I'm not the pro I normally am at this point in the game, but I can assure you, I will be.


Here is your top 12, America.... And how I think they'll hold up.

Aaron Kelly
With little Alex Lambert gone, I feel like he's bound to be the next young girl heart throb of this season. He's a country singer with spiked hair like he's in middle school, but I guess that's probably what makes people love him. He's not bad... But he's definitely young and intimidated. That can't be good.

Andrew Garcia
He seems the most real and down to Earth to me. He's also pretty good in my book. There's not much else I really have to say about him other than I'm rooting for him.

Casey James
He reminds me a bit of Chris Daughtry, only with a lot of hair instead of none. He's really talented, and though you wouldn't normally find him attractive, there's just something about him. He's got everything going for him, basically.

Crystal Bowersox
With Simon saying a girl is going to win this year, Crystal seems to be the favorite. We all know it's never good to be the favorite from the beginning, but who knows. We've never had a girl with dreads win the show... This could be the year.

Didi Benami
She wasn't so hott in the past couple weeks, but her Hollywood auditions were good! She reminds me too much of Brooke White to be super excited about her.

Katie Stevens
She's the high school girl of this season. The Jordin Sparks. The Alison Iraheta. Okay... She's not anything like either of those, and I don't think she should have made it this far, but she fits the stereotype needed.

Lacey Brown
Here's the hair dying, punk rocker, nice girl of the season. I always like those. The girls in general I'm not too impressed with, but I'll stick with my gut and root for Lacey... for now.

Lee Dewzye
This guy reminds me of Danny Gokey, which is absolutely a good thing. He's got the good looks, and though his singing doesn't blow anyone out of the water, it's definitely something worth listening to... And that's what got Kris Allen the win.

Big Mike Lynch
Ah, America's favorite personality-wise on the show thus far. He's awesome. I think he's my absolute favorite at this point, and yes, personality and life-story has a lot to do with it. He's so darn cute when he plays his little guitar. BONUS: He has a GREAT deal on how to make relationships work, thanks to Mr. Toby Knapp.

Paige Miles
I guess she's okay, but her appearance makes her look like a terrible singer. Is that mean? Does that even make sense?! Sorry... But I can't look past it... not that she's ugly....

Siobhan Magnus
What a name, right?! She seems a little weird and off. Also something I can't really look past.

Tim Urban
Everyone's up in arms because he's still here and Alex Lambert is gone. He wasn't even supposed to be in the top 24, and now he's in the top 12, and who wants to bet he stays for a while?! I'm okay with it, I think.... Especially after the uber harsh comments he got after week 1.


As for how I think it'll all go down:
Season upset: Big Mike. It's gotta be. Crystal could go early too, but I think more people will be upset and shocked by Mike at some point getting knocked off... Probably in the top 4 or 5 as usual.
Season hang-on: [Ya know, the person there for way longer than they should be who annoys the living S out of you] Probably Katie Stevens... I can see Aaron getting very Sanjaya-esque too, though.
Winner: It's way too early for me to predict this. I'll do it in 2 weeks. I will say that I disagree with Simon. It's going to be a guy.


And as for how I feel about last week.... You all should know I was a Toddrick super-fan. I think he was amazing. He should be in the top 12, redoing song to make them "his." Most people are going nuts over Alex Lambert being gone, but Idol can't fit another Lambert into the mix. The first one was way too big.

Also: I love Ellen being on the show, for sure.... But other than that, this season sucks. It is by far the least talented ever. No wonder Simon is leaving.


So here's to another season of American Idol! Cheers!

love,
elizabethany