The Voice - Review - Season 5 Final 3 Revealed

Left to right: Cee Lo Green, Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera, and Blake Shelton.

Last night, the Top 5 on Season 5 of 'The Voice' put in their Semifinal performances, and boy, was it special! Each of the artists offered everything they had with the songs they sang, with many offering their best to date. After the show, I gave my picks for the best and worst of the night, with Tessanne winning the evening with her brilliant take on Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water", and, for me, Jacquie Lee singing Sarah McLachlan's "Angel" on bottom. On iTunes, Tessanne made it to #1 on the single chart with her single. But she was not alone, as Jacquie Lee made it to #7, and Will Champlin went to #10. Not far behind, Cole went to #12, and James to #14. However, this season I have noticed that iTunes sales has not been a great barometer for results night, and with the numbers so tight, who knows? Can James survive tonight, being the first artist to get the Instant Save and stick around the next week? Can Cole and Jacquie keep Team Adam from sweeping the three finalist positions? With appearances tonight from Season 4 Top 3 Danielle Bradbery, Michelle Chamuel, and The Swon Brothers, can they offer advice to the contestants wondering about what might come next? Perhaps we will have the answers to these questions by the end of this post.


Left to right: Cole Vosbury, Jacquie Lee, Will Champlin, Tessanne Chin, & James Wolpert.

The familiar graphic comes on the screen, and soon we see Carson Daly on stage with the Top 5, and he introduces the judges. Soon the recap begins, and Blake claims Cole was the best, while Christina says it is Jacquie Lee who stole the show. Adam thinks Tessanne gave the best performance in the history of the show. These are all big words, and we shall see what the voters thought. But it was a good night on iTunes, for the artists have #1 on the Country chart, the Pop chart, and the Alternative chart, as well as #1 on the Singles chart. But now it is time to get the entertainment started, as the Swon Brothers sing "Later On", a brand new song I couldn't find anywhere, but is a strong single. You can purchase it tonight on iTunes. The guys look great, and seemed happy to be performing on the familiar stage. And Blake looked proud as can be of the brothers. After the break, we learn Adam is just so proud of his team making it this far, no matter what happens tonight. Cee Lo offers the notion that the artists can be professionals, and that someone must lose gracefully, while someone else should win graciously. Christina is so very proud of Jacquie, and how much she has grown as a young artist. Blake is sure Cole is not only going make it to the finals, he will be winning it all!. Then we see the weekly confessional, which was a bit silly. However, it did give Adam a chance to wish everyone a 'Happy Hanukkah' with a menorah in hand. Next up, Carson breaks in to give us the name of the first artist leaving the show tonight. That person is James Wolpert.



James handles with the news of leaving well, and thanks his coach for a great time together. James gives all his fellow contestants a hug, and it truly gracious in this exit. There is a big hug for his coach, and we are off to another commercial. When we return, it is time for the second place contestant from last season, the wonderful Michelle Chamuel. She sings "Go Down Singing", a song that was featured on my blog a few weeks ago.

I like the song very much, and was proud to make it part of my music library the first time I heard it. You can purchase "Go Down Singing" from iTunes and Amazon. We come back to Carson, and he reveals the first finalist of Season 5. Tessanne Chin is the first artist to make it to next week's finals. She looks both surprised and elated, and hugs the other contestants before collecting a big hug from Adam Levine. There are commercials, including the one featuring the elfin Blake, which still makes me giggle. There is a Twitter Q&A session, but this soon ends and it is time to greet the season 3 winner of The Voice, ready to perform. Carson introduces Cassadee Pope, who sings "I Wish I Could Break Your Heart".

The song is nice, but not ultimately that special to me. "I Wish I Could Break Your Heart" can be found on Cassadee's debut album, 'Frame By Frame'. You can by the album from iTunes and Amazon. The album also features the single "Wasting All These Tears", and Blake comes out with the plaque certifying the single earned a Gold Single status, with over 500,000 downloads. That is quite an accomplishment, so a hearty congratulations is due! After a commercial break, the third former member of Team Blake returns to the stage as Season 4 winner Danielle Bradbery comes out to sing "Never Like This" off her debut album.

"Never Like This" can be found on her self-titled debut album, 'Danielle Bradbery'. You can purchase the album on iTunes and Amazon. The song was a good one, and the album is well-worth checking out. After chatting with Danielle and Blake a bit, it is time to get back to the results with Carson. The next artist making it to the finals is Jacquie Lee. She and Christina are excited, and run to give one another a hug. This leaves Will and Cole fighting for the last slot in the Top 3. Before going to another commercial, we see a promotion of the upcoming Olympics, featuring Danielle's recording of "My Day", and it looks like a great fit. After the break, we learn who will be moving on, and who will be going home. Interestingly enough, they are the final two 'steals' in the competition. Both thank their coaches, and it is time for Carson to give the last results of the evening. The last artist to be a finalist is Will Champlin, and that means Cole Vosbury is going home.



That was certainly a surprise, as Coach Blake is eliminated from the competition. Christina has one artist in the finals, and Adam the other two. Can Christina be the first woman coach to earn the win? Or can Adam earn his second win of the series? Tune in next week, when the Finalists 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.

The Voice - Review - Season 5 Top 5 Revealed

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.

The Voice - Review - Top 6 Revealed -

Left to right: Cee Lo Green, Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera, and Blake Shelton.

Last night, I predicted Will Champlin, Tessanne Chin and Matthew Schuler were the Top 3 performances, and Cole Vosbury, Caroline Pennell, and Jacquie Lee to be the Bottom 3. A quick look at iTunes sales tells me America disagrees with me in a big way. Via iTunes at the close of voting this morning, Will's At Last led the way, followed by Cole, and James Wolpert. At the other end of the spectrum, Mathew's "It's Time" was the lowest selling by far, followed by Ray Boudreaux and Caroline. On the Rickey.Org poll, the Top 3 vote-getters when asked about going home were Ray, Caroline and Cole. The only thing that proves is no one knows what will be happening tonight! If iTunes holds true, and Matthew, Ray, and Caroline are in the bottom, who will be saved by Twitter? Only time will tell, and it must in the next 60 minutes! Because I honestly a not sure what will be happening tonight!

Clockwise: Team Adam, Team Blake, Team Xtina, and Team Cee Lo.

As is always the case, the show opens with host Carson Daly, on stage with the Top 8 and introducing the coaches. That quickly led to the recap clips, and how happy the coaches were with their charges. #1 on the Rock charts, #1 on the Reggae charts, and #1 on the Country charts, and one who landed in the overall Top 10, the contestants were making their voices heard. Since the show began, they have surpassed 15 million iTunes downloads. And even more exciting, they have musical guest Ellie Goulding to sing her latest hit, "Burn", with James, Matthew and Will.

Once that performance is finished, it is time for a commercial break, and then time to see who are the first people safe. The coaches are worried about who might be going home, and think their artists were great last night. Carson announces he will be asking random questions tonight, and starts with Tessanne, asking her about her mentor. She loves him, and holds him in such high esteem, for all the support he offers both on and off camera. But it is time for business. The first artist safe tonight is from Team Adam, and it is Will Champlin. That is no surprise, he was the on with the Top 10 placement, the most downloaded song of the week. After a break, Carson chats with Ellie Goulding, and she is a sweetie. Then it is time for Top 8 to get together and sing "Will The Circle Be Unbroken (By and By)", the song made famous by the Carter Family, and later by June Carter Cash and husband Johnny Cash.

They did a nice job, but soon it is time to get back to the results. First, Matthew is asked about his Coach, Christina, and he loves her, and the way she pushed him to be a better artist. Now we learn the second person saved by the votes this week, Cole Vosbury from Team Blake is safe. Interestingly enough, the two safe so far are both artists procured with a 'Judge's Steal'. After another break, Carson chats with Adam and Blake, to kill time so Cee Lo Green could prepare to team up again with Big Gipp and the Goodie Mob is back! They sing "With Amy".

After that, it is time for the coaches and contestants to do quick impressions, which are obviously not their forté. But there are six artists wanting to find out who is safe, so Carson tells us it is Jacquie Lee from Team Xtina. She and Christina have a big hug, but there are still three artists who are not leaving that are sweating bullets up there. And a big group of fans wanting to know it they have to save their favorite via Twitter, with the #VoiceSave and the first name of a singer. After a break, we learn Ryan Tedder, of One Republic fame, will be writing a song with the final three, who will then sing it live on the finale! They are so excited, the Top 8 sing the OneRepublic medley, starting with the hit "Apologize".

As soon as they are done, Carson calls them into a line to announce two more as safe. Tessanne Chin is the next artist called to safety. That is followed by the final save from last night, and it is James Wolpert, making Team Adam clean once again. That leaves Ray, Matthew, and Caroline in peril. Blake, Cee Lo, and Christina ask for the fan's support of their artists, and it is time for the Save. Carson asks Adam about who he thinks will be saved, and he thinks it might be Matthew, but he loves and supports them all. America saved Matthew Schuler, and Ray Boudreaux and Caroline Pennell are sent home.

Tune in next week, when the Top Six 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.

The Voice - Review - Season 5 Top 10 Results

Left to right: Cee Lo Green, Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera, and Blake Shelton.

Tonight Carson Daly will let us all know who the Top Eight will be, announcing the results from the vote. Last night was an interesting night on 'The Voice', with some of the frontrunners not giving their best, making this voting a telling week. Will the frontrunners votes be affected by the performance, or will they be in jeopardy? It is always a more interesting season when the momentum shifts from week to week, really driven by performances. Last night, I picked my bottom three to be Austin Jenckes, Kat Robichaud, and maybe either Jacquie Lee or Ray Boudreaux. In truth, I thought Ray had a very good performance, but I am not sure how well it resonated with the voters. And I would also be surprised if two artists from Team Blake would be in the bottom this early. There is room for a few to be nervous. The bottom three in iTunes sales were Austin, Kat, and Jacquie, so it we have to see if that is an indicator. And who will win the Insta-Vote on Twitter? There is a lot to learn from tonight's results.

Clockwise: Team Adam, Team Blake, Team Xtina, and Team Cee Lo.

Carson Daly greets us, and quickly introduces the coaches, with Adam, Blake, and Cee Lo in their seats, while Christian was getting ready to perform. There is a quick recap, the coaches all giving props to their charges. With a recorded growl, the performance of Team Xtina begins, as Christina, Matthew and Jacquie sing Janet Jackson's "Black Cat", off the album 'Rhythm Nation 1814'. They also took on the Janet/Michael duet on "Scream", and Michael's "Bad". But for a distraction, here is Janet dancing to her "Black Cat".

After a commercial break, Carson reminds us there is a Twitter vote coming up. He also announces that Adam has been named the Sexiest Man Alive by People Magazine. Then Carson chats to the coaches, asking about how they are feeling going into the results show. Adam talks about how the coaches all fall in love with their artists, and wish them only the greatest success. There is an odd moment when Blake tells Adam it is what's on the inside that counts, and they hug. This makes Christina hug Ceee Lo, and then a group hug ensues. And hopefully, we are done with that for the night. We soon get to the results, and we learn that the first person to the Top 8 is James Wolpert, from Team Adam. Carson tells us that America also saved Matthew by their votes. After a commercial break, Will, James, and Kat join forces to take on Fall Out Boy, singing their 2005 hit, "Sugar, We're Going Down".

Before the applause is over, Carson calls the remaining eight contestants to the stage to learn who is safe. The third person safe tonight is Ray Boudreaux from Team Blake. Then we go back to Team Adam, and Will Champlin is announced safe. After a break, Team Blake takes to the stage, offering their take on ZZ Top's "Sharp Dressed Man". It is interesting, as all men on stage have strapped on their guitars for the performance, whatever that means.

While that was an okay performance, I must admit it was musically pretty strong. But there is no time to dawdle, and Carson will reveal two more safe contestants. First up, Tessanne Chin is safe, meaning all three from Team Adam are safe! In a surprise announcement, we discover that Jacquie Lee is safe, leaving Austin Jenckes, Cole Vosbury, Kat Robichaud and Caroline Pennell waiting to hear more news. When the show returns, Carson is in the Sprint Skybox, chatting about the show, like the fact there is a dozen humans in the rafters working the follow spots! Carson brings out Tessanne and Caroline, who sings "Royals" by Lorde.

This could be my favorite performance of the night, for Caroline and Tessanne worked surprisingly well together. Once that is over, Carson calls the four remaining artists, to get to the Insta-Save. But first, we learn that America saved Cole Vosbury, so Austin, Kat and Caroline are in the bottom three. I am truly surprised, for I thought Caroline would be safe, even with her anemic performance. And she was the fourth-ranked in iTunes sales. Undoubtedly, I think she should be saved, the best of the three contestants. But I must remember that is not the way I saw it last week, when Kat was saved, and Jonny was sent packing. To kill time while the voting is ongoing, Carson asks Adam what he thinks. He loves them all, but thinks Caroline has been magic. The voting is closed, and America saved Caroline, and Austin Jenckes and Kat Robichaud are going home.

Tune in next week, when the Top Eight 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.

The Voice Season 5 Top 12 Results

Left to right: Cee Lo Green, Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera, and Blake Shelton.

Last night, the Season 5 Top 12 performed their songs, and turned the results over the the audience. Tonight, we will see how the voting went, and see what kind of impact a new feature has, the 'Instant Save'. The audience will take to Twitter to vote on who to save out of the bottom three, and the other two will go home. After a strong night of singing, it will be interesting to see how the votes went. At the end of my recap, I listed by Bottom Three to be Kat Robichaud, Austin Jenckes, and Josh Logan, so we shall see if the rest of the audience was hearing the same thing I was. But I must remember that some might already have a fanbase that might not mind a lesser performance.

Clockwise: Team Adam, Team Blake, Team Xtina, and Team Cee Lo.

Before any results are given, there is a performance by Sara Bareilles. She is joined by Tessanne, Kat, Caroline, and Jacquie, the four ladies left in the competition. Sara graciously shares the stage, and the ladies are up to the task. Bareilles performed "Brave", her current single. The song is off her 2013 album, 'The Blessed Unrest'. This is the official music video for "Brave".

After a commercial break, we are greeted by Carson Daly, who talks with the judges about losing control of the show, as the power lays in the hands of the voters. We also kill some time learning some odd facts about the coaches and contestants, before getting on with the results. The first artist saved was Caroline Pennell from Team Cee Lo. Then we learned Matthew Schuler, from Team Xtina, was safe as well. After another break, Cee Lo Green leads his team in song, covering the great song by the B-52s, "Roam".

Right after the song, we learn that Austin Jenckes is safe from Team Blake, a surprise for me. Next we learn that from Team Adam, Tessanne Chin is safe. This is no real surprise, she has been so strong in every performance. Next up, the male contestants take to the stage to sing "We're An American Band", the great song by Grand Funk Railroad.

We go back to the eliminations, and Carson tells us he has three more for us. First we have one from Team Xtina, as Jacquie Lee is safe. It seems American also saved Cole Vosbury from Team Blake. And we learn Will Champin is safe, leaving five artists still in jeopardy. There are two from Team Cee Lo, and one each from Team Xtina, Team Adam, and Team Blake. After yet another commercial break, Team Adam joined their coach on stage to sing "Hard Days Night", the classic Beatles song.

Carson lines up the remaining five contestants, with plans to announce two more than are safe. Ray Boudreaux is safe, as is James Wolpert, making it a clean sweep by both Team Adam and Team Blake. America will have a say, placing the "Instant Vote" for a save. This will be the first time Twitter has been used to save a contestant on a reality competition, to the best of my knowledge. I placed my vote, saying in a tweet "Please Save Jonny #VoiceSave", having to include the first name of the artist you'd like to save, and the hashtag VoiceSave. I would save Jonny, as I had thought the other two belonged in the bottom three. I think Jonny was killed by song selection. After another break, we return to the stage, and Carson announces that it was a tough night, but it was Kat who was saved, and Jonny and Josh who are leaving tonight.

American Idol Season 11 Top 7 Results

I'll have to be honest here. As we prepare to tonight's elimination of once member of the Top 7 group, I am not really definite what will happen. Watching last night, I know my least favorite of the night were Phillip Phillips, Hollie Cavanagh, and either Joshua Ledet or maybe Colton Dixon. With that known by all, I find it interesting how I thought four out of seven could end up in the bottom, knowing full well that 2 of the 4 might be getting by on other things...

Clockwise: The Top Seven; The Judges; James Durbin; and Jennifer Hudson & Ne Yo.

With a brief recap of what happened behind the scenes last night, the judges are introduced, as is Crusty. He tells of exciting performances from James Durbin and Jennifer Hudson, with Ne-Yo. But first, the Top Seven perform an amazingly awkward version of Raise Your Glass by Pink.



Wow, that was pretty bad. They quickly move to a Ford Music Video, but I will choose to ignore it. Really. But then Crusty talks about Tweets from singers, invites to the prom, and jewelry gifts. But soon it was time for the for business, and Crusty asks Hollie and Jessica to join him on the stage. Jimmy I talks about both, saying Hollie is stiff and stilted, and Jessica just free and easy. So, after the vote, Hollie is sent to the right side of the stage, and Jessica to the left. Oh, Lawdy, they are going to put two groups of three on the stage, and have some unsuspecting fool pick who they think is safe. Such a cheap and tired trick. But before they get any further, it is time for the first guest performance of the night, James Durbin singing Higher Than Heaven, off his album A Beautiful Disaster.



Well, that was an odd performance, sort of reminiscent of bad hairband metal from a time long ago. He brags about clearing 100,000 units sold since the release, which gives me pause to think. Then I decide to not waste my time and move forward. Back to Crusty and the results. Phillip and Elise are pulled out, and given the recap treatment. Jimmy I talks about the performances, and thinks both will be in the bottom three. Phillip joins Hollie on the right, and Elise joins Jessica on the left. Then, of course, it is time for a break. On the return, it is time for the only Idol alumni with both a Grammy and Oscar. It is Jennifer Hudson and Ne Yo to sing Think Like A Man. The video features Rick Ross.



This is a nice, complex staging of a rather forgettable song. Crusty tries to talk to them, but it seems Jennifer's microphone was not turned on. Was it live, or was it Memorex? With Hudson's voice, why wouldn't they let her do it live? I think it was just a post-performance issue. After an exceedingly long break, Colton and Joshua are called to the stage. Yet again, we revisit the performances, and the judges comments. They loved them. Jimmy I was also loved them both. Joshua is sent to join Elise and Jessica, and Colton is joining Hollie and Phillip. Crusty goes to join Skylar in the seats, and the review the judges comments, and Jimmy I loves her, and fears she might be left behind. We hear that Skylar is safe, and Crusty asks her to pick the group that is safe, and she refuses. But he places her with Hollie, Colton and Phillip, all who are safe. The judges are appalled that Elise, Joshua and Jessica are the bottom three, and Steven announces they will use the save tonight. Wow, that just killed some of Nigel's thunder, didn't it? So, did the judges think Colton, Phillip and Hollie should be in the bottom? Or Skylar replacing one of them? Well, first they send Joshua back to safety, and Elise is safe. Jessica will be singing for her life. She starts to sing, and the judges storm the stage, and use the Save. And then Randy complains that Jessica is one of the best singers in America, and how could the voters not support her? Yep, that is what we needed, to be berated. Nice, Randy.

Idol Results, With No Result!

Clockwise: Lana Del Rey; Demi Lovato; and Daughtry.

While I am away at a show listening the the music of Tom Goss and Stewart Lewis, many of you will be watching the Results show for American Idol. At this point, we don't really know if someone will be sent home or not, but we have heard they have three guests coming all, to support new releases. In fact, one guest already played a role tonight, when Chris Daughtry had dinner and a TwitPic with Colton, and gave him some advice. Chris will front the Band Daughtry as they come on the show to play their released just earlier this week. Give a listen to Outta My Head.



Many will remember Chris from his time on Idol in 2006, where he was a frontrunner and surprise elimination in fourth place. Outta My Head is off the album Break The Spell, is available on iTunes and Amazon. It might be tough to find someone in the world who hasn't heard of Demi Lovato. It comes as no surprise Demi will be a featured performances on Idol. I am sure the producers are hoping she and the others guests give a boost the the ratings, which have faltered a bit as of late. She will be on to perform Give Your Heart A Break.



I sure this will keep many of the kids happy who are watching the show. Give Your Heart A Break is the followup to her megasuccessful single, Skyscraper. Both can be found on the album Unbroken. You can purchase Unbroken from iTunes and Amazon. And finally, they will also have singer Lana Del Ray on the show. The singer made quite the controversy when she sang Blue Jeans on Saturday Night Live, So again it does not surprise me that she was invited on American Idol, for the sheer suspense of her performing.



Blue Jeans is a single off the Born To Die album. You can purchase it on both iTunes and Amazon. As to who is going home this week on Idol, the only definite is that Jermaine already did. The only other definite I know is that I will be having a wonderful time. Hope you have a great time, too!

X-Factor Results • Who's Going Down?

The Contestants: Top Row: Rachel Crow; Marcus Canty; Melanie Amaro. 2nd Row: Josh Krajcik; Chris Rene; Nicole Scherzinger; Steve Jones; Simon Cowell; Paula Abdul; and LA Reid.

The show kicks off with an outstanding performance by the amazing and beautiful Lenny Kravitz. He performed Rock Star City Life from his latest album, Black And White America.



He brings everyone to their feet with a raucous and muscular performance. Then we get a recap of last night's performances, and we go through the panel to discover their favorite of the night was Chris René with his original song. Well, except Paula, who thought they were all great and should be signed by Simon... Like that will happen. Soon, it is time for the results, and the Top Five and the mentors are brought on stage. The first act to pass on to the semifinals is Josh Krajcik. The next person safe is Chris René. That leaves Marcus Canty, Melanie Amaro, and Rachel Crow standing on the stage, two of those three needing to sing for their survival.

After a quick interview with those last three, just to find out they are nervous, Steve Jones introduces 9-time Grammy winner Mary J Blige. She will be singing Need Someone off her latest album, My Life II... The Journey Continues (Act 1).



Mary J is a very special singer, one who can bring the listener on her emotional journey with her. She gets a standing ovation, not only from the audience, but from the judging panel as well. Soon, we are back to business, and Steve Jones interviews Josh and Chris, and excited pair indeed. Then it is time to find out who will round out the Top 4. The next act in safety is Melanie Amaro. She gets a hug from Simon, and then runs to Rachel to comfort her friend. Little Rachel and Marcus will be singing for their future, the final spot in the Top 4. After hearing utter bogus tripe from Nicole and Paula, LA Reid introduces Marcus, who sings I'm Going Down, by Rose Royce.



He gives an OK, and rather predictable performance. It is time for Rachel Crow, who reprises I'd Rather Go Blind, by Etta James. The song was also sung by Beyonce in the movie Cadillac Records.



She sings the bejeezus out of the song, bringing Paula and Nicole to their feet. After worrying if Rachel is just too young for this, she brings down the house. So it is up to the judges to decide who stays and who will go. LA says this is the toughest part of the show, and votes for Rachel to go home, because he is standing by his act. Simon votes to send Marcus home. Paula votes to send Marcus home. Nicole is in tears, saying she can't make the decision, despite that is a major part of her job as judge. She votes to send Rachel home, sending it to America to decide. The act with the fewest votes is Rachel Crow. She drops to the ground in tears. She pulls it together to speak to Steve Jones, which highly paid judge Nicole can't seem to do. As Rachel falls into Simon and Paula's arms, the audience boos Nicole. It turns out she might be too young to be a part of all this, but proved to be a bigger adult that one of the judges...

X-Factor Results • Silver Screen Swansong

Left to right: Simon Cowell, Paul Abdul, L.A. Reid, and Nicole Scherzinger.

After the show last night, I picked Stacy Francis and Lakota Rayne to be in the bottom, with Stereo Hogzz close behind. There were also a couple of groups in the middle, which is never a safe spot this early on. Keep in mind, however, that neither of my pick for the bottom two was in the bottom last week. LOL! The show kicks off with a recap of last night, and then the Top 11 performed Save The World by the Swedish House Mafia. Nice song, could have done without this group cover.



After show performance, LA Reid speaks up that he was too harsh on Melanie Amaro, which is true. No one apologizes for being too easy on some of those acts last night... Soon, though, we see a recap of the performances, and it certainly reminds me that the judges should spend less time coming up with trite lines for Simon, and more time working with their acts... After a discussion of some convoluted contest I completely ignored, Willow Smith comes out to perform here latest single, Fireball. The single features Nicki Minaj, although she wasn't there performing.



Although Steve Jones teases about finding out which 9 acts are safe this week, we find out British singer Jessie J will be performing her latest single, Domino. It is actually quite a catchy tune, and unlike Katy Perry, she can really sing.



After some feeble flirting by Steve stiff-as-a-board (and not in a good way) Jones and humorous Jessie J, who brought an extra outfit for the announcer, it was time for a commercial break before the safe contestants are announced. Remember, they will put 9 through as safe, and the bottom two will perform for the judges, who will then make a choice. After the commercial, Paula comes out with the Groups, Nicole is with the Over 30s, L.A. is with the Boys, and Simon escorts the Girls. In no particular order, the Top 9 begin with Stacy Francis, followed quickly by Astro. Melanie Amaro is also safe, as is Marcus Canty. The next in safety is LeRoy Bell, and adorable Rachel Crow. Josh Krajcik is safe, making all the Over 30s through. Drew is also safe, making all the Girls through. The final entry making it through is Chris Rene, and leaves the two groups in the bottom yet again. For the second week in a row, The Stereo Hogzz are singing for survival, joined by another group, Lakota Rayne. One was in my bottom, the other a close runner-up. Once again, Paula has the privilege of introducing both acts. The first is Lakota Rayne, singing Jordin Spark's gorgeous No Air.



Well, that was somewhat unimpressive. The vocals were at times breathy and weak. Paula quickly introduces The Stereo Hogzz, who will perform Michael Jackson's You Are Not Alone.



Somehow, they manage to make it sound older than it really is. And I still find the voice of the lead singer to be really nasal, and a bit sharp. This puts it in the hands of the judges, and I don't know what they will do. I think ultimately, neither is particularly strong nor marketable, but I might keep the Country singers around just to have the genre represented. But I would have sent The Stereo Hogzz home last week, too... After a break, Steve Jones polls the judges one at a time, on who will go home. LA is up first, and Nicole votes to send the Hogzz as well. Paula abstains, and then chooses to send home Lakota Rayne. If Simon picks the Hogzz, they leave. If he picks Lakota Rayne, the group with the lowest number of votes will leave. Simon chooses to send home The Stereo Hogzz, and all we know about next week is that for the first time, an act not from Paula's category will be in the bottom. See you next week for the Top 10!