Left to right: Cee Lo Green, Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera, and Blake Shelton.
The Top 6 performed last night, each artist singing two songs, hoping to show a versatility that would appeal to the voters, and to the fans eager to buy good songs on iTunes. Tonight, the number of contestants moving on is five, so there will be just one artist leaving. Will Team Adam finally lose a member? Will Team Blake be eliminated from the competition? Will Team Xtina be left with just one, like Team Blake? We won't know until the last minutes of tonight's show. What we do know is at the end of voting, all 12 songs from last night made it to the Top 50 on the iTunes Singles chart, a remarkable result. While we know positions, but not sales numbers, interpreting those numbers is not easy. But it seemed like two artists lagged behind the others in sales, Matthew Schuler and James Wolpert. On the other end of the spectrum, Tessanne Chin had the top-selling single with "Redemption Song", while Cole Vosbury had the strongest night, with "Rich Girl" and "Better Man" finishing at #16 and #23 respectively. But will the sales numbers translate to votes? Last week, the bottom 3 on iTunes only supplied one of the three to make the bottom 3. So we will have to wait and see.
Clockwise: Team Adam, Team Blake, Team Xtina, and Team Cee Lo.
The show starts with Carson Daley on stage with the remaining competitors, to figure out who will be competing in the Semifinals. After introducing the coaches, Carson reviewed the performances with the videotape look at last night, touching on the many high spots of the competition. But it is time for the first guest appearance, as Kelly Clarkson is introduced as family, recalling the days as a mentor for Team Blake. She sings "Underneath The Tree" off her Christmas album, 'Wrapped In Red'.
As is always the case, Kelly sounded amazing. If case you were wondering, 'Wrapped In Red' is available from iTunes and Amazon. Kelly mentioned she has a Christmas special coming up, and reminded us all that she is pregnant. She does look like she is glowing. Carson chats with the judges, as all mention how much they love their artists, and hope their fans on Twitter are ready to support them. You can sense Adam and Christina are a bit worried. But soon Carson introduces the first group number of the episode, as Jacquie, Matthew, and Tessanne sing "You Got The Love", the song by Florence + the Machine.
They do a nice enough job, but it isn't as special as it could have been. Then again, I bet they didn't spend a great deal of time rehearsing it, either. Quickly, Carson moves to the business at hand, the results. The first person announced safe is from Team Xtina. It is Jacquie Lee. After a commercial break, we come back to a performance by Blake Shelton, and he has Season 1 contestant Xenia joining him on a holiday favorite, "Silver Bells".
They sounded great together. "Silver Bells" can be found on Blake's album, 'Cheers - It's Christmas'. It is available on iTunes and Amazon. Soon it is time to get back to the results, and it is Cole Vosbury from Team Blake who is safe, leaving Tessanne, James, and Will from Team Adam, and Matthew from Team Xtina still up for elimination. That means at least on artist from Team Adam will be up for the Twitter vote, at the very least. After a break, it is time for Will, Cole, and James to sing, as they take on Extreme's "More Than Words" with Nuno Bettencourt playing on guitar, and joining on the chorus.
The boys did a nice job, although it did show a problem or two in their higher register. Quickly Carson gets the remaining artists together, and goes back to results. The next person on to the semifinals is Tessanne Chin from Team Adam. This leaves three artists at risk, and we are close to using the #VoiceSave to help an artist. After a commercial break, the Top 6 return to the stage to sing a medley of Christmas songs. It was nice, but it is time for the last three to come to the stage. Carson tells us the next person moving to the semifinals is Will Champlin from Team Adam. That means it is Matthew and James in the bottom two. If James makes it through, Adam promises to be a better coach next week. Christina returns to "Hallelujah" to make the case to save Matthew. After a commercial break, Carson asks Blake his thoughts, and he thinks maybe James, but the predictions have always been wrong. Cee Lo isn't sure, and thinks it will be close. As the credit roll, we learn Twitter saved James, and it is the end of the line for Matthew Schuler.
Tune in next week, when the Top Four will return to the stage to see if they can keep the dream alive! To learn more about 'The Voice', visit the official website. You can also 'like' them on Facebook, and 'follow' them on Twitter.
Individual pictures, clockwise:Edmund Bagnell, Chris Marchant, Trevor Wadleigh, and Daniel Shelvin.
Well-Strung is a classically-trained string quartet making music and redefining just what a 'boy band' sounds like. Edmund Bagnell, first violinist, Chris Marchant, 2nd violinist, Daniel Shelvin, cellist, and Trevor Wadleigh, violaist, came together to make music that spans the world of Classical and Pop. And they also look damn good in tight black t-shirts and jeans. And they all just happen to be gay men, playing music they love. In their latest music video, released yesterday, Well-Strung put together an unlikely mash-up of Mozart and Kelly Clarkson with their usual style and flair. For this video, they feature Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (First Movement)" with Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone".
While this particular mash-up doesn't appear on their most recent release, 'The Singing String Quartet', the Mozart piece does. The album is quite delightful, combining great songs from both the worlds of Pop and Classical music. You can purchase the album on iTunes, CD Baby, and Amazon. They have just released this as a single, and you can find it on iTunes and CD Baby. To learn more about Well-Strung, visit their official website. You can also "follow" them on Twitter, or "like" them on Facebook.
As we prepare to hear The Voice Season 4 Top 10 take to the stage, I also look back at last week, when the voters sent VEDO and Garrett Gardner home. They were certainly among the weakest of the performance show, but I think Garrett has been handcuffed by song selection two weeks in a row, something that is tough to beat when you are going against artists who have picked, either themselves or by the coaches, songs that were perfect for them. I really thought Garrett stood a chance of making it further, but alas, it didn't happen. Like last week, the bottom two vote totals will be eliminated, no matter the team. As both Usher and Shakira lost an artist, both are in danger of being bounced out of the competition, so they should give special attention to the songs and performances this week. Speaking of which, it is time for the show!
Left to right: Adam Levine, Usher, Blake Shelton and Shakira.
Carson Daly greets us once again, and reminds us the two lowest vote totals will be sent packing, but first, this week begins with a performance by the band featuring one of the judges. Yes, it is Maroon Five and Adam Levine, on stage to perform the latest single, "Love Somebody".
Adam was in great voice, and the song sounded like a fun Pop song. And the boys were all dressed in white, looking amazing. You can find the single on iTunes and Amazon. We are told the coaches brought some help, with their advisor's returning. Only Shakira's gets the help of former (and future) judge Cee Lo Green. The first singer will be from Team Blake, who is worried about the people of Oklahoma. Blake picked "How Great Thou Art", a Christian hymn written in the 19th Century. Holly Tucker is up first, and feels Gospel is a big part of her, and so glad she doesn't want to hide it. She has a strong voice, but I feel very little depth to it. I heard no richness, just volume. Usher was somewhat vague, but nice. Shakira loved it, and Adam thought it showed off her pristine vocals. Blake loved it, and thought it was her most important performance to date. He thought it was also a wonderful, and perfect timing with the tornadoes in Oklahoma. Next up, Adam chose "The Way You Make Me Feel" by Michael Jackson for Judith Hill. She is unsure, for she worries about what might be said about her relationship with the King of Pop. Adam tells her to worry less, and just do the song to pay respect to someone who was important to her.
The opening bars are given a smooth Jazz feel, and her vocals are flawless. Then the tempo picks up, and she delivers a wonderful Pop performance. Her vocals is so strong, and her delivery so tight, it is wonderful to watch week to week. Blake can't find a single fault with her performance, and Usher thought it just reminded him about The King of Pop, and how much he missed him. Adam was just so proud of her, and what she did on that stage. Team Blake is back, with The Swon Brothers singing "How Country Feels" by Randy Houser. In rehearsal, Blake and Cheryl Crow offered some suggestions, but really love they way the boys have grown. This is definitely a Country song, but while I love the Swon Brothers, I thought this performance lacked a bit of energy, a bit of zip. Shakira loved it, and thinks they always just make her feel better. Adam thinks it was great fun, and he is a bigger fan after each song. Blake is so proud, and feels they keep picking up momentum. As we go away to commercial, Carson reminds up they are the only duo or group to make it this far in the four seasons of The Voice, a true credit to their talent. Adam is back with adviser Hillary Scott, as he has picked Kelly Clarkson's "Breakaway" for Amber Carrigton. Adam sees her has an artists who could sing either Country or Pop, and this is a great song for her. Hillary has faith in her, sure she is a talent bound for the finals. But first, here is Kelly Clarkson singing "Breakaway".
The opening bars are a little light, a bit low for her, but the song quickly builds to the strength of her voice. Once it does, she oars with the chorus, and delivers a great performance. With the wind blowing, she was so comfortable, it was great. Blake loved it, and loves her. Usher was blown away, and loved her. Shakira thought it was a great choice, really in Amber's wheelhouse. Adam thinks that is great, for Kelly has one of the best voices in the business, showing how strong a competitor Amber is this season. The first of Shakira's two remaining contestants, Sasha Allen will sing "Next To Me" by Emeli Sandé. Shakira brings in Cee Lo Green to assist her. Cee Lo loves Sasha, and thinks this is a great song for her. Sasha comes out looking fantastic, and sounding even better. That was a great performance. I thought Sasha just killed it, It was my favorite of the night so far. Adam loved it, and was so glad she was singing something contemporary. Blake agreed, and thought it was a great job, and the vocals were amazing, as they always are. Usher thought she was amazing, and showed everything he needed to see. Shakira was giddy, and so proud and thrilled by the outstanding job done. Usher and Pharrell are back to give their time to Josiah Hawley, who will be singing "Clocks" by Coldplay.
This seems like it should be a good choice for him, but he struggles a bit on the high end of the chorus, and that is such a shame, for he is sounding fantastic on the rest. Couldn't they come up with a fix for that? As he was performing, you could see he knew it was problematic. I thought it was wonderful, but fell short. Shakira thought it was a tough to take on Coldplay, and while he did well, it was not great. Adam agreed, noting there were moments when he had command of the song, and times he was so not comfortable. The inconsistency was a problem for him, but he really likes Josiah. Blake thought it was musically good, but failed to tell the story, which is a problem for him. Usher can't agree with everything said, and instead reaffirms how much faith he has in the handsome man. After the break, it was time for Blake to offer some coaching for Danielle Bradbery, who will be singing "Heads Carolina, Tails California" by JoDee Messina, with Sheryl Crow. Crow loves the talented young lady, but wants the young lady to connect with the audience, and share her journey with them. She comes out and sings bold and strong, but I actually thought this was her weakest thus far. There were a few moments that were problematic with breath control, but I thought the biggest thing was the lack of connection Sheryl was looking for. Usher thought it was great, and she made Country cool again. Adam thought she was a superstar, and was still a shining example of the teenager. Blake could not be more proud of Danielle, and thinks she will once again rule iTunes sales tonight. After another long commercial break, The Voice returns for Team Shakira. Kris Thomas will be singing "Adorn" by Miguel, only Cee Lo wants to change it up a little bit, and give Kris some swag. But first, here is Miguel with "Adorn.
While his voice sounds sweet on the song, he does not feel comfortable with the upbeat tempo. He also has more problems with breath control, and his falsetto is a bit timid because of it. However, at the end of the song, when he starts to freestyle, he does come back to life a bit. Adam thought it was great vocally, but he would like to see Kris relax a bit more, have some fun. Usher thought it was a strong performance, but that it was not a great song choice. Shakira stood up to say he showed everything you needed with that song, and while he might have a few nerves, he has the vocals and talent to make it in the music business. Other judges tried to interrupt her, but she had none of it, defending her artist. Soon it was time for Adam and Hillary to check in with Sarah Simmons, who will be singing "Mamma Knows Best" by Jessie J. This is a shocking pick for me, as it is going against what we have heard from her so far. The song is bold and bluesy, not light and ethereal.
Sarah really connects to the song, and the lyrics, so she really wants to lay it down. Hillary just wants her to remember control, and to not let the song get ahead of her. She starts well, but after a few bars of the song, she is being drowned out by the band. I don't know if it is the mix or what, but I am straining to hear her, and losing half the song. I fear the song won that battle, not Sarah. Blake thought she radiated sexy, and showed a new side of her. Usher thought it was an incredible performance. Adam loved it, and thought she was so awesome. Adam thought it was the performance of the night, so it must have been an issue with my television... Finally, the last performer of the night is Michelle Chamuel. Usher and Pharrell are there to help her in rehearsal with Pink's "Just Give Me A Reason". It seems like it was a perfect song for her, combining the edgy Rock with the Pop impulses that make Michelle so amazing. Pharrell really believes in her, as does Coach Usher. She starts off the performance much better, and it grows from there. She is on fire tonight, and this was her night. This is easily the best of the night for me, and there were a couple of really good performances. I loved it. Adam just loved it, and said he is such a fan of her. Blake just loves her style. Usher thought it was the best of the night, and tells her so. They are running late, so they are in a hurry to get done. Carson reminds Oklahoma the thoughts and prayers of all on the show are with them, and the results are coming tomorrow. For me, there are a couple who should be worried. Holly, Kris, Sarah, and Josiah were not at their best. I hope Josiah can make it through, but you can never tell when it is all in the hands of voters. Speaking of votes, to learn how you can place your vote, visit the official website. In brief, you can vote via a toll-free phone number, online at NBC.com, with the special NBC App, or Facebook. Unlike some shows, The Voice limits the amount of votes people can place per method. You can vote 10 times per phone, or 10 times via Facebook, or 10 times via NBC App between now and 10AM Tuesday morning. The phone number is (877)553-37XX, filling in the 'XX' with the artist number. Those numbers would be Holly Tucker 01, Judith Hill 02, The Swon Brothers 03, Amber Carrington 04, Sasha Allen 05, Josiah Hawley 06, Danielle Bradbery 07, Kris Thomas 08, Sarah Simmons 09, and Michelle Chamuel 10. Don't forget, your iTunes purchase also counts as a vote, if you are so inclined. There is a link to all the songs on the iTunes front page.
Tonight we get to watch the eighteenth of twenty-two episodes this season, meaning that the senior year for some of our favorite McKinley High students is drawing to a close. We know that there are students auditioning for theater schools, and others going to Ivy league schools. And others just hoping to graduate high school. So who do we think might Choke, as the episode title suggests? One thing we know, that Glee happens.
Clockwise: My Fair Lady; Chicago; The Boy From Oz; Alice Cooper; Phantom of the Opera; Funny Girl; Kelly Clarkson; and Florence and the Machine.
The episode starts with Rachel walking down the hallway, discussing the celestial beings known as stars, what she wants to be. Soon she is doing mantra's in the mirror, telling herself she is a star. Next Finn is chatting with Puck, who plans to pass European Geography class by flirting with the teacher. Soon, Coach Beiste walks by, sporting a shiner. Santana makes a joke about Beiste and hubby Cooter, when Coach Roz overhears and is offended by jokes using domestic violence. She tells Sue about it, and they find a point of agreement. Sue tells Mr. Schue about the problem, and he doesn't believe his kids would make such jokes. Back in the auditorium, Kurt is practicing for his NYADA audition. He is singing The Music of the Night from the 1988 Broadway musical, Phantom of the Opera.
Puck makes his big move on the teacher, who rebuffs him. She tells him it is time to crack open a book, and he is angered, and sings School's Out by Alice Cooper, off his 1972 album of the same name.
After the song, Puck walks out of the chorus room. Coach Beiste, Coach Sue and Coach Roz are talking to the ladies of Glee about domestic violence, and Sue makes the assignment for the girls to sing songs of empowerment. In the locker room, Finn notices Puck is still missing, and he tells the boys that "No man is left behind," so they all must make sure Puck passes the class and graduates with them. Rachel and Kurt are in a panicked mess, as Rachel hears about his decision to change the song. They decide to stick with the old favorites. In the auditorium, the girls sing Cell Block Tango from the 1975 Broadway production of Chicago, as well as the 2002 film.
Sue and Roz are appalled, for the song celebrates violence, not how to empower women to move past it. But Coach Beiste leaves the auditorium, upset. They find out Cooter has punched her. No one thought he might have really hit her, so they are surprised. And shocked she took it. But they learn she was fearful no one else would love her. Sue tells her she is staying the night at Sue's house, no arguments. Puck is cleaning a pool, and tells the cougar he is leaving town, and then sees his father. Daddy Puck borrows money to pay rent, and Puck sees his father's life pass before his eyes. He goes to the boys to ask for help, so he doesn't end up like Daddy Puck, with no diploma. The guys will help him. As Kurt is about to sing Music Of The Night, he realizes it is the safe choice, and makes the on-the-spot decision to sing Not the Boy Next Door from the 2003 Broadway show, The Boy From Oz starring Hugh Jackman.
He is decked out in gold lamé pants, and gives a big, over-the-top performance. The judge loves it, and congratulates him for taking a big risk. Rachel is concerned, knowing she is going with a song she started singing as a two-year-old. Rachel is back in the mirror, with affirmations of stardom. Finn comes in with flowers, and says she is definitely ready for her audition. She announces she will sing Don't Rain on My Parade from the 1964 Broadway show Funny Girl, and the 1968 film of the same name.
A minute into the song she forgets the lyrics, and when she restarts she messes up even sooner. The audition judge tells her there is no more chances, and it is over for her. She choked, and is a crying mess. The boys are in the room, helping Puck cram for his test. He is tired and cranky, and somehow is asked about the rainfall in Spain, so the boys of course break out an electrified version of The Rain in Spain from the 1956 Broadway production of My Fair Lady, also the 1964 film.
Afterwards, they are back to studying. Coach Sue is upset, Coach Beiste did not stay with her - she moved in with her sister instead. She tells the kids, hoping to teach them a lesson. The kids are moved, and she tells them she has moved out. She tells the girls they inspired her. In the classroom, Puck took his test, and some of those questions were in The Rain In Spain. Others were not. But he thinks he did well, so the boys can "hug it out" in the hallway. The girls apologize to Coach Beiste, and sing for her. They choose Shake It Out by Florence and The Machine, off the 2011 album Ceremonials.
This is a lovely acoustic version of the song. While they are singing, we discover Beiste has moved home, giving Cooter another chance. At Rachel's locker, Kurt tries to cheer her up, but it doesn't work. Rachel is still crushed, for it was she who choked. She cries, and Kurt gives her a hug, and leaves her to be by herself. She closes her locker and starts to sing Cry by Kelly Clarkson, off the 2009 album All Over Yet.
While she is singing, Puck gets his test back, and discovers he didn't pass. As she finishes the song in tears, the screen fades to black.
Clockwise: Young The Giant; The Wanted; Halestorm; R Kelly; Nicki Minaj; Kelly Clarkson, Lenny Kravitz.
Rachel and Kurt are talking paging through wedding magazines, when they are joined by Sebastian, who insults Kurt and threatens to post a Photoshopped picture of Finn, naked and in heels. In the chorus room, the kids are upset, especially Finn. It is even worse when he hears Rachel will still be performing at regionals, and Sebastian will be posting it. He storms out. We are suddenly with Quinn, who stops by to talk to Coach Sue about rejoining the Cheerios, and discovers Sue is pregnant, and suffering morning sickness. Quinn offers some suggestions, only to find out Sue will not hear about her returning to the cheer squad. Back in the chorus room, Blaine is on edge, trying to not think about Sebastian's treachery. Blaine decides to sing Cough Syrup by Young The Giant, a song about tolerance.
While Blaine is singing, we see Karofsky going into the locker room, only to be met with the letters F-A-G across his locker, and taunting and ridicule from the boys in the locker room. Karofsky runs out of the school, and soon we see him at home, looking to end his pain and misery, by hanging himself.
I loose about 10minutes of the show, here, and will start up again with The Warblers up first, with Sebastian on the lead. They sing Stand by Lenny Kravitz.
After asking for donations for a noble cause, the Warblers kick off a second song, and they sing Glad You Came by The Wanted.
Just before they take to the stage, Rachel and Finn announce they are marrying after the competition. When it is time for the McKinley team to perform, they take the stage, and they do a mash up of Fly by Nicki Minaj featuring Rihanna...
...and the iconic I Believe I Can Fly by R.Kelly.
Quickly, the boys leave the stage to the girls, and lead by Santana and Brittany, they sing Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You) by Kelly Clarkson.
Soon, it is all Santana and Mercedes, and they finish the song. Then it is all about Rachel, who sings Halestorm's Here's To Us.
The results are given by the vampiric host, and New Directions of McKinley High are the regional champions. There is celebrating to be had. Sue calls Quinn into the office, and gives her a Cheerios uniform. She puts in on, and runs into Rachel in the hallway, and tells her she wants to come to the wedding. They hug. Then Kurt goes to see Karofsky in the hospital, just before he is released. Kurt is near tears, and wants to apologize for not returning his calls. Karofsky says it is ok, for he understood. He made Kurt's life hell for months, and when he got a does of it himself, he lasted less than a week. Karofsky apologies to Kurt, and then admits his parents and friends have disowned him. Kurt wants to help him, stand by him. He talks about the future, when he can leave this pain behind all behind. Kurt offers to stand by him. Coach Sylvester sees Mr. Schue in the hallway of the Justice, and tells him she is pregnant. Finn's and Rachel's parents talk about it, and plot how to stop the wedding. Cut to Rachel and Finn just before they see the Justice of the Peace. Quinn text messages saying she is running late. As the strains of Chapel Of Love by The Dixie Cups, play...
We see Rachel sending a text to Quinn, finding out where she is. Finn is getting impatient, And we see Quinn answering as she drives to the wedding while texting "On My Way," and we hear the awful sounds of a car wreck. The episode is over...
As we approach the competition starting up on the most recent season of American Idol, it allows me to do something the other similar shows can't do. That is to look back over the last decade of the show, and visit with the performers I really thought were due another look and listen. Hard to believe it has been a decade, but this summer, it will be 10 years since Fox aired the show that caught the imagination of the viewers.
Jim Verraros was the first openly gay man to appear on the show, well sort of. Verraros was openly gay, and said so on his website. The producers showed their first signs of a homophobic nature when they asked all mention of it be taken off the website, never asked of any heterosexual contestants. He was dismissed from the show the first week of the finals, along with EJay Day. He has released two self-produced albums, as well as several singles. They are all in the Electronica/Dance/Pop vein, and pretty good. This is Electric Love, off his latest release, Do Not Disturb.
Once he was no longer under contract with 19 Entertainment and off the tour, he came out in The Advocate magazine. While music was his focus, he also made inroads in the movie industry while living in California. The roles included a leading role in Eating Out and Eating Out: Sloppy Seconds. Jim also married his longtime boyfriend, Bill Brennan. You can find out more about Verraros on his official website here. You can find his latest release on iTunes and Amazon.
From the beginning, many thought that beautiful Tamyra Gray would take this competition. For many, it was gonna be a battle of the big-voiced divas, between Tamyra and the little girl from Texas, Kelly Clarkson. That train of thought was derailed by the first surprise elimination of the series, when Tamyra was sent home in fourth place. Soon after, Tamyra was signed and started writing material for her debut. Her first single was Raindrops Will Fall, a song that listed by Gray and Sam Watters, the lead singer for Color Me Badd and Tamyra's future husband, among the co-writers. She returned during season to to perform it live.
Gray went on to do some acting after her stint on Idol, mostly on series television. But she also scored roles on Broadway, in Bombay Dreams in 2004, and later as a replacement Mimi in Rent in 2007 and 2008. She also wrote the winning single for Season 3 winner Fantasia, I Believe. You can find out more about Tamyra on Twitter here.
One should have realized the screaming heard every time floppy-haired cutie Justin Guarini hit the stage meant something, at least to the voters. It seems the soft-voiced singer crooned his way into the hearts of many, and found himself alongside Clarkson in the final two. The first person to be the runner-up, he went on to co-star with Clarkson in the awful movie From Justin To Kelly, something he never seemed to recover from. He moved on from Pop to Jazz, and his latest release, What You Won't Do For Love, hit the stores in 2010.
While Clarkson was having success with singles before and after From Justin To Kelly, it was not the case for Justin. His recording waited while the filming was happening, and many thought the failure was too great to allow him to recover, despite the fact Kelly got it done. He can now be seen doing some entertainment reporting, and hosted the TV Guide Idol Wrap and Idol Tonight programs in 2007, and was soon given more duties. In 2010, Justin was an member of the original Broadway cast of Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. Guarini was also married a few years ago, and last April welcomed his first child, a son. You can find more about Justin on his official website here. You can find the latest single on iTunes and Amazon.
The winner from the first season went on to set the bar quite high for all the winners to come. Her "cool beans' attitude charmed the audiences, and her music captured their hearts. With her first album, Thankful, Clarkson made a mark on the industry with almost 3 million in sales in the US alone. Here is a clip of Clarkson singing her 2003 single Miss Independent. The song was written by Rhett Lawrence, Clarkson, Christina Aguilera and Matt Morris.
If that was the end of the line for Kelly, that would have been good. But Clarkson never settled for just good. Her second album, Breakaway, set the world afire, with over 12 million albums sold. She continues to sell both albums and singles, like her latest hit, Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You).
For several years, Kelly was the poster child for what Idol could do for a young star. What was ignored was that Kelly had spent the year before her Idol experience shopping a demo around Los Angeles. She was offered recording deals from both J Records and Interscope, but turned both down with the fear of being pigeonholed as a Pop Queen. She remains with RCA Records, turning out Pop hits to this day. You can find her on her official website here and on Twitter here. And you can find her latest album, Stronger on iTunes and Amazon.
Leona Lewis, Will Young, Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken and Anthony Callea.
On this fine Sunday morning, I thought I would pull some great swing music from unexpected sources. Namely, the Idol programs from around the world. Well, there are representatives from American Idol, the UK's Pop Idol, Australian Idol, and the UK's X Factor. I picked some of my favorites from these series, at least the ones I could find clips on YouTube that might apply. And I could not think of a better way to start this post than with Anthony Callea swinging on Route 66. The song was written by Bobby Troupe, husband of torch singer Julie London. It was first made popular by the great Nat King Cole, but Anthony does an amazing job with it.
In the third season of the UK hit show X Factor, Simon Cowell and company introduced us to a beautiful young lady whose talent was soon heard 'round the world. After winning the season, Leona Lewis was soon releasing Bleeding Love, which topped the charts and earned Lewis fans world-wide. While on the show, she made it through Big Band week singing Summertime, the classic song by George Gershwin.
In late 2001, we were introduced to the series that started it all. Pop Idol crowned the first winner in February 2002. Will Young crooned his way into the hearts of the British public. And, I might add, they had good taste, for Will is so very talented. And he did a lovely version of We Are In Love, a song written and performed by Harry Connick, Jr, for his 1990 album of the same name.
In the second season of American Idol, we were introduced to North Carolina native Clay Aiken. He charmed the fans enough to stay out of the bottom three for the entire season, and finished in second behind winner and good friend Ruben Studdard. When it came time to perform as part of the Final Three, he did an incredible version of Mack The Knife, the famous song by Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht from their masterpiece, The Threepenny Opera.
The first season of American Idol ran during the summer of 2002, and in September, winner Kelly Clarkson was crowned. Kelly waded through the musical waters with poise and panache, like when she blew everyone away with Stuff Like That There, the song by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans, originally sung by Betty Hutton in the 40s. Kelly took the song and made it her own.
Hope the music got you into the 'swing' of this fine Sunday!
In the past, I have made it quite clear how much I love the music of Shane Mack. To the best of my knowledge, you can purchase his songs as part of the soundtrack for the amazing movie Shelter, but no album of his own. For me, this is damn near criminal, as I find myself listening to his music all the time, on YouTube, his MySpace page, and some downloads I purchased from SnowCap on his MySpace, and still cannot get enough. The songs are beautifully written, and his voice can go from a honey-whisper to bold statement, making his recordings very special. Take, for example, one of my favorites, Clean. Lyrically, it is amazing, and he is so connected to the emotions, I love listening.
The song More Than This was also part of the Shelter soundtrack. While not very long, it is rich and beautiful.
I am also fond of his Remember To Forget. The song is a bittersweet nod to the end of a relationship. There is that period of time you remember all the good times, whether you want to or not.
Another song I love is Wreckage. If you want more proof of his talent, here is a cover by Kelly Clarkson, and before she starts the song, she talks about this 'amazing' talent.
So, I stand strong in wanting my Shane Mack album! For more, you can check him out on the MySpace link above, or on FaceBook here. And if you haven't seen Shelter, you really should. That is a great movie. You can find the Shelter soundtrack on Amazon here or on iTunes here.
I thought I would take the chance to welcome a new follower, Miss Hunter. She hails from North Carolina, and likes reading and music, and all things North Carolinian. That means Duke and University of North Carolina basketball, and Clay Aiken. Miss Hunter doesn't have a blog herself, but seems to enjoy stopping here from time to time. She also doesn't have a picture of herself, so I had to rethink my now introduction, and this is what I came up with.
Since I welcome Miss Hunter, and all my followers, with open arms, it seems only appropriate in Miss Hunter's case to do the same. So here are the magnificent voices of Clay and Kelly Clarkson singing Open Arms.
