American Idol Top 10 Women

More dedications, not much else to say. I wonder how much the ratings have jumped due to all the Antonella scandal, etc?

Gina Glocksen: Sang "Alone" and dedicated it to her boyfriend of two years. I really like this girl and her voice. She sang it very well, but didn't knock it out like Carrie Underwood did. Simon had a problem with her look and was a little incoherent about it. The dress was pretty awful, but her hair and makeup looked nicer than last week.

Alaina Alexander: Dedicated to her Mom, "Not Ready to Make Nice". Better song choice than last time, but vocals sounded weak and all over the place. It did get better for me after she stepped away from the mic stand, but overall not good.

LaKisha Jones: "Midnight Train to Georgia" dedicated to her adorable grandmother. I've heard the comparisons to Mandisa, but I like LaKisha much better. Randy thought it was rough in the beginning, sounded perfect to me.

Melinda Doolittle: Dedicated "My Funny Valentine" to her two best friends. She hates clothes and shopping and I completely relate to that - another reason to like her! The performance at times was too shouty and glorynote-ish for my taste. If not for that, it would have been perfect.

Antonella Barba: Took on Celine's "Because You Loved Me" and dedicated it to her brother. She looked like a sexy 70's housewife, from the fugly dress to the accessories, but that is the stylist's fault though. The vocals were very rough in the beginning and then were just various shades of rough all throughout. And some attitude showed through when Randy gave his accurate critique - THEN she compares herself to JHud. Please, send this girl home.

Jordin Sparks: I love this girl and just want to hug her! Also dedicated to her brother, "My Reflection". It started out a little slow and a tad boring for me, but ended beautifully. I can't believe this girl is only 17!

Stephanie Edwards: First off, loved the earrings. Dedicated "Dangerously in Love" to her Mom and Dad. I don't care for the song or Beyonce, but tried to put that aside. While it was good, I liked last week so much better. The fun little squeal at the end made me smile.

Leslie Hunt: As I type this, I already for got what song she sang! I was pretty meh on the whole thing and didn't care for the scatting at all. Although she wasn't the worst IMO, she is kind of forgettable and is in danger of going home tomorrow night.

Haley Scarnato: Sang Whitney Houston song "Queen of the Night", dedicated to the fiancee. WOW, the hair was insane and while she didnt' reach Nicole proportions of crazy singing, it was very very close. So yeah, didn't care for it at all but did feel bad for her when she teared up.

Sabrina Sloan: Another Whitney Houston song, dedicated to Grandma. She has a gorgeous voice and was so much better last week and the reason why is because she was so controlled. This time, there was too much glory-noting and with a voice like hers, she doesn't have to do that.

Top 2: Jordin Sparks and Melinda Doolittle
Bottom 2: Antonella Barba and Haley Scarnato

American Idol Top 10 Men

The theme of this show was to dedicate songs to special people. It was all very sweet, but being the cynical worrier that I am, I worried about all the cute couples that were shown. American Idol is hard on relationships, ask Anthony Fedorov and Bucky Covington, just to name a couple. :(

Phil Stacey: Dedicated his performance to the Troops and sang "I Ain't Missing You". It was kind of cheesy, but then most 80's songs are - which is why I love them. The ending was pretty good, vocals were nice but I liked him better last week.

Jared Cotter: Sang "Lets Get It On" and dedicated it to Mom and Dad. Alrighty then.... I liked it, ladies in the audience loved it, Paula was verklempt. I also thought of a couple people here who probably REALLY loved it. ;P Agreed with Simon on the Loveboat impression, but overall it was enjoyable. He wore the blinding white shoes again, but I have to say the pants were pretty awesome.

AJ Tabaldo: Also dedicated his performance to Mom and Dad and sang something - I had no clue song that was. He did a great job, nice glorynotes at the end and wasn't overdone. I like this guy, there is a real sweetness about him and I hope he makes it to the Top 12 at least.

Sanjaya Malakar: Sang "Steppin' Out" and dedicated to his grandfather. The entire performance felt so uncomfortable and I felt bad for him. He has a nice voice, but is was so timid and boring during the entire performance. Randy took the words right out of my brain - it was like a High School talent show. America, please let him go - I don't want to watch him be crushed every week.

Chris Sligh: Dedicated to his very hot looking wife and awww they are a cute, if very mismatched couple. Sang "Trouble" and LOVE HIS VOICE, I could listen to him all day. I know some don't like this guy, think he is too cocky and calculating, but I find that strangely attractive. He was sweet tonight, but I expect him to bust out the sarcasm again next week. I hope.

Nick Pedro: He sang the most boring rendition of "Fever" that I have ever heard. There was nothing special about the performance. zzzzzzzzz Cute girlfriend though.

Blake Lewis: MY Blake Lewis.....is he going to dedicate the song to a girlfriend? Is he? Is he? Nope, the parents again. A man of mystery, my Blake Lewis. Sang "Virtual Insanity" and once again he picked a song that I love. Simon only liked the middle part, I loved it from beginning to end. He did the right amount of beatboxing and let his clear vocals handle the rest. Perfect. *squee!*

Brandon Rogers: Sang "Time After Time", dedicated to Grandma. I liked the arrangement, unlike Nadia Turner's "caught up in spircles" version during AI4. Very nice vocals, but nothing special about the performance or delivery. Then he preemptively argues with the judges, something about feeling the song. Bad move.

Chris Richardson: Another dedication to Grandma, sang "Geek in the Pink". This was a good song choice for him because he is a good performer and the song was perfect for his weaker voice, as compared to others. I enjoyed this one.

Sundance Head: Dedicated song to his 2 month old son that he misses awwww. Sang "Mustang Sally" and redeemed himself from last weeks snoozefest. That BIG voice was the perfect way to close the show.

Top three: Chris Sligh with Blake Lewis and Sundance Head tied for second.
Bottom Two: Sanjaya Malakar and Nick Pedro

Carrie Underwood: THE American Idol

I will make a prediction; not only will you win this show, but you will sell more records than any other previous idol winner.

Simon Cowell, March 22, 2005
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8WvD-D9sTM

I remember Simon making this prediction and being rather skeptical at the time. While very talented and blessed with a beautiful voice, Carrie Underwood didn't appear to be a natural performer by any stretch and when terms of endearment like "Farmbot" and "Carrie Ruxpin" were bandied about after some of her American Idol performances, I didn't always disagree.

Since her win, Carrie has not only proven her detractors (including myself at times) wrong, she continues to win new fans within and outside the Country genre not only with her undeniable talent, but by her graciousness, humility and sense of humor.

She toured from April through December both as a headliner and opening act for more established artists like Kenny Chesney and Brad Paisley. In all, Carrie made over 150 tour stops. You watch these videos of her various performances throughout the year and you can clearly see how much she has blossomed into an accomplished artist and WOW has she ever grown as a performer!

"Inside Your Heaven" (Acoustic) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUUzs02Fp6A

"Sweet Child O'Mine" (Acoustic) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0KzHlbEk5c

My favorite video - "Before he Cheats" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P16BSv0ygmc
Love this video! Loved pissed off Carrie! And the cheating bastard is quite hot! Perfect!

"Jesus Take The Wheel" (at the ACM's) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCtppDSEQ_c

"Life in the Fastlane" (2007 Grammy's) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kxpt6nE9K1k

Following an exhausting 8 month tour schedule, just prior to Christmas, Carrie said thank you to our troups overseas by joining the USO for several days to perform concerts at military bases throughout Iraq and Kuwait. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBtnVbmZb5w

And when Carrie wasn't touring, she spent the past year filling her mantle with awards, too many to list, but here are the bigger ones:

2006 ACM AWARDS
Top New Female Vocalist
Single Of The Year for Jesus, Take The Wheel

2006 CMA AWARDS
Female Artist of the Year
Horizon Award

2006 AMA AWARDS
Favorite New Breakthrough Artist (all genres)

2006 BILLBOARD AWARDS
Album of the Year (all genres)
Country Album of the Year Won Female Country Artist of the Year
New Country Artist of the Year
Female Billboard 200 Artist of the Year

2007 GRAMMY AWARDS
Best New Artist
Best Female Country Vocal Performance (JTTW)

http://www.carriefans.com/forum/showthread.php?t=67417

Oh yeah, in between all of that touring and award winning, Carrie also found time to graduate Magna Cum Laude from Northeastern State University with her bachelors degree in Mass Communications (emphasis in broadcast journalism).

As of writing this, Carrie has sold nearly 5 million copies of her debut album Some Hearts, while Kelly Clarkson - a Superstar in her own right - sold 2.5 million of her debut album and Clay Aiken selling 2.7 million of his debut album. I guess Simon was really on to something there ;)

Carrie is currently finished with touring to support Some Hearts and is back in Nashville hard at work on her new album, due to drop this Fall. I am curious to see what kind of album it will be. Carrie's whole life has changed, she is older now and I am hoping that her new album takes on more grown up subjects that reflect the woman she is today.

*****Co-writing credit goes to Rulz, a very enthusiastic fan of Carrie's. Many thanks for the co-writing, fact-checking and for locating all the videos. You RULE!*****

Antonella, you really blew it!

Ok, bad puns aside I do feel for the girl. Her ex-boyfriend or friends really SUCK for leaking these pictures - just a really cruel and horrible thing to do. Someday, karma will come around to you, ex boyfriend, and bite you on that little blur of yours.

On the other hand, Antonella isn't a completely innocent victim here. I don't judge her for the sexual act because human beings have been enjoying that one for eons, but I do judge her for the moronic and repeated lack of common sense. JMO, but doing things around cameras that you don't want your parents, your future husband, your employers, and your future kids to see someday crosses a line. Don't assume for one minute that the guy you love or you at least think you know won't show those pictures to his horny friends at the very least or use them vindictively against you at the very worst.

When did girls get so stupid? At least pornstars get paid for their naughty pics but Antonella is only being paid in public humiliation now. Maxim is probably calling her though, so she could turn this into a win-win situation. I guess....

I don't know the girl; she could be basically nice and fairly smart but made a bad mistake that will forever label her as the "girl from American Idol who ___________ . I wouldn't wish that on anyone, but there are more and more pictures coming out that seem to indicate that this isn't a one-time lapse in judgment here. It will be interesting to see how not only American Idol handles this, but Antonella herself.

EDIT: Word now is that Antonella has denied that the BJ pics are her and it seems that the evidence backs her up. American Idol isn't commenting on the pictures and Antonella isn't available for interviews.

I guess she is staying. Has Frenchie Davis been reached for comment? I would love to hear her take on this.

Top 24 Results - Nothing shocking here.

Is it just me or are the judges a little harder on the guys this year? Don't get me wrong, they were way below the girls but I thought last year's Top 12 Men/Boys were weaker. Or maybe it was because I was pretty meh on last Season other than Chris and Elliott.

Anyway, they give a preview of all the stars that will be appearing on American Idol this Season. Herman's Hermits? What, Chad and Jeremy weren't available? ;P

The Group Song: Seeds of Love by Tears for Fears?! What are they smoking over there this year? The group sings always feel cheesy to me until they get to the Top 6 or so, but this was probably the worst one yet.

First Men's Elimination: They torture Paul Kim by letting him hear that five other contestants were safe before breaking the news. I can't say that he looked surprised, but he did look like he either wanted to hurl or cry and that made me feel bad.

Then he did his singout and reminded me of why he needed to go. Was he wearing shoes? I forgot to check.

First Women's Elimination: Once again, the back row is called up with Antonella in the Paul Kim slot of doom. She is SAFE and freaks the hell out, so now I wonder how they are going to screw with the front row. I didn't have to wonder for long, because Tall Quad was called up and axed quickly.

She took it rather stoically and did a nice singout. That's about all.

Fantasia made an appearance to announce that she will be in the Broadway play The Color Purple. She sang "I'm Here" and WOW do the judges still love her or what? I liked her on AI3 and so happy to see her still doing so well.

Second Women's Elimination: Now its the rest of the front row until ohhhh its between two of the Quads. Please be Alaina....please be Alaina..... DAMN IT, Nicole is gone.

WOW, Simon looked a little pissed off and I don't blame him. Nicole was upbeat and sang out like a pro.

Second Men's Elimination: You knew what was coming, Rudy and Sanjaya in the bottom two and Sanjaya is safe. I get the feeling he will Chicken Little his way into the Top 12.

Rudy actually seemed a bit relieved about the whole thing and did his Free Ride again, but the hip thrusts were gone. Someone has been reading message boards, obviously.

Then the Montage of losers was shown, but without that Bad Day song that I once thought was catchy but grew to despise. I guess I wasn't the only one.

American Idol Top 12 Women - They just rule!

The title says it all! Unless the boys really step it up over the next couple months, a woman is going to be the next American Idol. They really put those boys to shame. Unlike last year's Top 12 women, they all deserved to be there. There wasn't a Brenna Gethers and a few others that seemed to be obvious cannon fodder.

Stephanie Edwards: What a performer! She sang You Don't Call Me Anymore and reminded me so much of Fantasia in the way she would get down into the song. Loved her!

Amy Krebs: So she is the Tall Quad who sang I Can't Make You Love Me. She had no stage presence; had a pleasant voice, but at times sounded babyish and a little nasally. Agreed with the judges....pretty boring.

Leslie Hunt: Sang Natural Woman. I am a fan of the smoky voice and I liked hers, but the awkward stage movements were a little distracting. If she makes it back next week, I hope she drops the librarian dress and does something with a hard rock edge.

Sabrina Sloan: Sang an Aretha song I didn't catch the title of and knocked it out! Everything was flawless - the facial expressions, the vocals, the movements, very controlled. Still wow'd about this one as I write this.

Antonella Barba: Ok, first off she started off by sitting on a stool which sent me into giggles because of the whole potty thing. Sang Don't Wanna Miss A Thing and it was pretty bad. It was the very definition of pitchy, at time she seemed out of control and out of sync with the arrangement. She is gorgeous though and that might buy her another week.

Jordin Sparks: Beautiful smile and very poised for a 17 year old. Sang Turn Back Around and at first was too sweet and bland with it considering the subject of the song, but then she hit her stride and sang like the pissed off woman she needed to be. Very powerful vocals.

Nicole Tranquillo: The Nondescript Quad, but straightening her hair did help set her apart. Didn't like the song or performance. It was too Las Vegas hotel to me and at times she even looked insane. She can sing though and she can stay as long as she never does anything like that again.

Haley Scarnato: The Pretty Quad. Sang "Its All Coming Back To Me Now". Nice sounding voice, but the performance was very beauty pageant. I was bored, but couldn't pin exactly why until Simon stated it well. The whole thing was too old for her.

Melinda Doolittle: Sang another Aretha song and sang the HELL out of it. Awesome performance and she obviously has a gift, but I wonder how she would do on Country night or something else in a genre that would take her out of her element.

Alaina Alexander: The Dramatic Quad. Sang Brass in Pocket and really REALLY tried but it was meh and left me very cold. She also had a bit of an attitude and that didn't help.

Gina Glocksen: Now THIS is the smoky voice that I love. Sang All By Myself which has the potential for being boring, which it certainly wasn't. She sounded a little off a few times, but overall a good performance, great voice.

LaKisha Jones: Sang You're Gonna Love Me and did a great job. She did have the JHud crazy eyes thing going for her, but didn't move me like Jennifer Hudson did in Dreamgirls. Great job overall, but thought the judge's praise was a bit over the top this time.

Top Two: Sabrina Sloan and Stephanie Jones
Bottom Two: Antonella Barba and Alaina Alexander

Secret lovers....that's what we AREN'T....

And so now its time to post the final facts of THE LIST. Big thank you to those of you who helped put this Masterpiece together, you know who you are. ;) If you missed the first half of THE LIST you can find it here. http://delusionfree.blogspot.com/2007/02/unbreak-my-heart.html

If you would rather not read any further, Fork has graciously made this montage set to the musical stylings of Atlantic Starr's Secret Lovers. It pretty much sums up Canthony in one neat little video. Big ups to Fork!

This is also time for celebration because unless something earthshattering (and REAL) happens in the Canthony realm, I will not be blogging on it again. Ever. Why? Because according to the very words from Anthony and Carrie, there is no "Canthony" in the romantic sense and it would be pretty whacked out to continue blogging on something that doesn't exist, no?

26. Carrie and Anthony both seem to be single.....do they start dating each other? NO! Other than Carrie occasionally mentioning him in interviews as someone she keeps in touch with (along with Lindsey Cardinale), there are no new Canthony sightings or rumors. Nothing.

27. Carrie gives an interview to TV guide and when asked about talking to fellow contestants she had this to say, "I talk quite a bit to Anthony Fedorov- and no, we're not dating..."

28. Carrie answers more questions in an interview comparing her to Kelly Clarkson. When asked what was the strangest rumor she heard about herself, Carrie's answer was "that I was having a relationship with Anthony Fedorov".

29. July 2006 – Anthony is at Misquamicut RI, having an interview before his performance later that day, but takes the time to check out a busty blonde outside the tour bus. HELLO! Definitely the actions of a young and VERY single guy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcqDciRMxao

30. August 2006 - Anthony “dirty dances” with a girl on stage at Spiediefest. We get it, you're "single baby!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xorJ-Y3tsg8

31. October 2006 - Anthony and Melissa McGhee appear to have had a fling or flirtation in TX that was witnessed by several of his fans.

32. More on “Melanthony” - Onstage antics caught on video aside (Anthony barking out "Hurt me!" is my favorite), the two of them were spotted more than a few times acting like a very flirty offstage.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0evEUemWwbM

33. Carrie goes to Cabo and apparently meets some cute surfer dude that she likes. More on this later.....

34. Late October 2006 - Carrie says she is taking Anthony to the CMA's as her date. She makes it VERY CLEAR, more than once that its not a date-date and that he is her "good buddy".

35. At the CMA's. Carrie and Anthony act like friends who are very comfortable with each other, not secret lovers filled with longing and sexual angst.

36. Carrie makes it very clear in two different interviews that Anthony is "not my boyfriend"

37. Anthony in the Extra interview looks directly into the camera and says emphatically "We are NOT! DATING!" Was he maybe speaking directly to the diehard Canthony believers? You be the judge.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8qjXqh3Q5o

38. Its reported that Anthony was flirting with yet another TV reporter, this time at the CMA afterparty.

39. When Carrie was interviewed at an afterparty and asked if she and Anthony were a couple, she once again said no. She said they are just very good friends and even discuss their love interests with each other.

40. In a another afterparty interview, Carrie gives this reason for bringing Anthony to the CMA's: "someone who would look nice and not embarass me" Sounds like TRUE LOVE!

41. Enter Josh Brown - He has been interested in Carrie for a few months now and has made no secret of it on his weekly radio show. Carrie has hinted about him in other interviews, mostly teasing that he hasn't called her yet.

42. Now confirmed by Josh Brown on his KMPS radio show that he and Carrie are regularly communicating by text.

43. Billboard Awards once again. Does Carrie take Anthony, since he is presumably available? NO! She takes some guy who she is awkward around and wouldn’t let him hold her purse.

44. Carrie's date for the Billboards has been confirmed by pictures that it was indeed "Kevin" the surfer dude she met in Cabo. Amazingly, he looks just like Chad, but we won't say anything more about him. I am sure she's glad she dropped this one.

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r94/kchilton2006/kevin3.jpg

45. A brief clip of Anthony getting down on the dance floor at Ace's birthday has emerged. It speaks for itself.

http://anthonyfanclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3943&start=0

46. Christmas Day 2006 - Tony Romo and Carrie Underwood are shown standing next to each other on the sidelines, both sets of fans noticed the flirtation between them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4H596StdNs

***Later confirmed by Carrie that they are NOT! DATING! but they were DEFINITELY! FLIRTING!***

47. January 2007 - Anthony gives an interview to GDNY. When asked about Carrie dating Tony Romo, Anthony simply said he hadn't talked to Carrie "in a couple weeks". During those couple weeks it was confirmed by Carrie she was talking to both Tony Romo and Josh Brown.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ys5lD3YGOk8

48. February 2007 - Anthony does an interview with Idol Chat. When asked if he and Carrie "tongued" after their CMA date his answer was, "No! We are just FRIENDS people!"

49. February 2007 - During a segment on Fox News NY, Anthony was asked if he and Carrie ever dated and his answer was, "No, we were always just good friends" but he did agree to the obvious - that Carrie is "good looking".

50. February 2007 - A rumor surfaces that Carrie has been seeing Oliver Trevena, a British aspiring popstar? model? - not really sure - that lives in Los Angeles. They had a date at Hyde in Los Angeles in January, later proven by pictures. www.olivertrevena.com

51. February 2007 - Carrie was back in LA on 2-8-07 and once again at Hyde with Oliver Trevena. E! News caught this video of them leaving and holding hands.

http://www.eonline.com/thevine/player.jsp?channelID=search&mediaID=18780

52. At both the Clive Davis Grammy pre-party another Grammy afterparty, Oliver Trevena was indeed Carrie’s very attentive and cozy date. Picture proof can pretty much be found everywhere and THANK GOD they aren’t from Facebook this time.

53. As reported by People Magazine: "The two shared sushi while holding hands at their table. How serious is the romance? So far, Underwood is keeping mum." Carrie was never "mum" over Anthony. Does "he's like my little brother" and "Not my boyfriend! Not my boyfriend...." ring a bell?

So there you have it, and I didn't even include second-hand gossip like Carrie "all over" some guy at the Opry or Matt Hasselbeck catching Carrie making out with Oliver at the Superbowl and on and on.....Whether or not you choose to believe Carrie and Anthony's own words and actions that they aren't having a super top secret romance, that is up to you. They have stated and shown that they are good friends to each other and that is something real to celebrate.

American Idol Top 12 Men - I'm impressed!

WOW, you guys were right. The Top 24 pictures of these guys didn't do them justice at all. None of them sang a note yet, but every single one of them looks interesting to me and not just potential eyecandy, but there is definite eyecandy. YAY!

And yeah, after a quick look at the girls, two of them on the very end look like twin pretty princesses. It could be a frustrating night tomorrow.

As for the judges, Randy seems subdued, Paula seems subdued. Simon is still the same - smug, with a healthy dash of arrogance and a whole lot of sexy.

Rudy Cardenas: Niiiice! Seems to have a sweet and infectious personality. Great performer and I did enjoy his performance of "Free Ride" despite the cheesy hip thrusts. Agreed with Simon though, his vocals were nothing special.

Brandon Rogers: Gorgeous smile! Definitely knew how to work the eyes without being all creepy about it. Sang "Rock With You" and I didn't care for the song and was a tad bored, but the vocals sounded smooth to me despite the "pitchy" reviews from the judges. He was wearing blinding white shoes.... not sure why guys think this is a good look.

Sundance Head: They showed a clip of his audition and I got all excited to hear his big booming voice, but was quickly disappointed. He sang "Nights in White Satin" and seemed to struggle all throughout. Agreed with the judges on their assessment, he was like a dad at a wedding. If he makes it through, I hope he busts out a blues number or even a dramatic Meatloaf song would be great.

Paul Kim: For the love of God, I hope he wears some shoes....ewww, he didn't. Then he sang "Careless Whispers" and proceeded to butcher my favorite George Michael song. It was a hot mess from the beginning and the high notes made me cringe. I agree with Simon, put your damn shoes on.

Chris Richardson: And here is the eyecandy I was looking forward to! Definitely the heartthrob type and the female vote may take him far in this competition. He sang "I Don't Wanna Be" and while it wasn't a hot mess, it wasn't that great - all nasally up in his nasal. (tm somebody I know ;P ) Overall, enjoyed his energy.

Nick Pedro: Seems sweet and has a cute dimple in his right cheek. That is about all I can say because his "I Will Be Your Man" bored me to tears even though the vocals weren't half bad.

Blake Lewis: Rocking the A-Fed geek chic with his spiked up hair. Sang "Somewhere Only We Know." Ahhhhh! Love this song, love his sweet and soothing vocals, just LOVE THIS GUY. Sure, part of it is that he reminds me of Anthony but its more than that. Seems to be a humble and genuine guy and hope that doesn't change. LOVE HIM!

Sanjaya Malakar: He got the Bucky Covington Bouncy Breck Hair by the stylists tonight. He sang a Stevie Wonder song that I didn't recognize. He has a pleasant voice, was clearly nervous and I agree with Simon, it was dreary. He's a sweet kid that I don't want to see crushed by this competition. He may be one of the first to go this week and that might be a blessing.

Chris Sligh: Loved his snark and humor. I agree with him regarding "Sweet Home Alabama", that song is really played out now. Great song choice....not sure what it was but it worked for him. Great vocals. I think he will go far in this competition, but some might be put off by his over confidence.

Jared Cotter: Very handsome, reminds me of a High School track coach. Smiling face, but scared eyes. That isn't so bad, I thought the same thing about Carrie Underwood and look where she is now! Sang "Back at One" with a great falsetto at the end. Didn't hear the "nasal" that Simon referred to though.

AJ Tabaldo: Like his personality and you can see his joy of performing shining through. I didn't care for the song or performance itself, but it wasn't bad - just not my preference. I hope he stays thru next week because I would like to see more from him.

Phil Stacey: Very nice eyes and that won me over right there. Don't care for the bald head, but perhaps its an homage to Oli-T? Hee! He sang "Could Not Ask For More" and it started off very badly. Whatever was holding him back, he was able to shake off and brought it home during the chorus and the end. I disagree with Randy, not the best vocal of the night. That goes to Blake Lewis.

Overall, I was very impressed with the guys this year. Its going to be a close competition and I am looking forward to this entire season.

My Top Three: Blake Lewis, Chris Sligh, Brandon Rogers (in that order)
My Bottom Two: Sanjaya Malakar and Paul Kim

American Idol Top 24 - Let's have fun and be OPINIONATED!

Can you believe that Season 6 of American Idol is starting already? I am looking forward to this week because I will actually be seeing these people and hearing them sing for the first time. Part of this was because I couldn't stand another season of painfully bad auditions and Simon making fun of the mentally handicapped, but the main reason is that I didn't want to be influenced by the blatant pimpage of certain contestants that happens every season.

So to prepare for this post, I went here http://www.americanidol.com/contestants/season6/ to check all the contestants out. I didn't read their bios yet (don't want to be unduly influenced by any sad stories yet), so my observations are pretty superficial.

First, the women. Right off the bat, there are four girls (Alaina, Amy, Haley, Nicole) who look so similar they could be sisters. I hope their singing style and vocals are distinctive from each other, otherwise it will be hard to tell them apart. I went crosseyed watching The Real Housewives of Orange County and trying to tell one blonde, botoxed, fake breasted female from another and would rather not have this happen again. Another thing I noticed is that none of the women are under the age of 18, which I appreciate. Don't get me wrong, I have also enjoyed the talented high-school aged teens who have been on the show in the past but I always feel bad for them when Simon rips them to shreds on National Television and then am relieved on their behalf when they are finally voted off. I have also agreed with the judges in the past that some of the younger performers lack depth when performing.

Now the guys. One of the reasons why I watch American Idol is for the eyecandy. I not only admit to this shallowness, I completely embrace it, but there seems to be a lack of eyecandy this year. I exclude Phil Stacey from that because he is Ace Part Deux and has a very nice smile. But don't despair ladies (or any gents that are reading), I have high hopes for sleeper eyecandy like Anthony Fedorov was. At first he was just a cutie but went to HOT DAMN! with the tight pants and tight black T-shirt that one night. *happy sigh* However, we can be spared from the eyemolesting Constantine's this year though, kthanks. The other two guys I noticed right away were Chris Sligh and particularly Sundance Head. Those two intrigue me because they look like the two guys who sat zoned out in their classes during college and it was ALWAYS 4:20 in their world. You can't judge a book by its college days cover though, so yeah looking forward to seeing what these two are all about.

So, I can't wait to discuss American Idol with all of you. Tune in on Tuesday for the guys and Wednesday is Ladies Night!

Anthony Fedorov....Where has he been, where is he now?

Anthony Fedorov was the first person that I ever became a true fan of. I can't to this day describe what exactly it was that drew me to him, but I became a huge fan of his the night he sang "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" and have remained one ever since.

Since Anthony was voted off Idol in 4th place and then went on the American Idol tour with the rest of the Top 10, where in the midst of the tour we discovered his love and incredible talent for singing Spanish music. He has since been working on an album, which he hopes will have a couple Spanish tracks. One of his Spanish songs, Culpame, can be heard on http://www.idolwaves.com/charts and had recently spent 3 weeks at number one.

In addition to writing, recording and performing at private events, Anthony has also done some fun things like Celebreality Fear Factor, where he was teamed with Carmen Rasmussen (American Idol Season 2) and was a judge on MTV's Triple Threat. He also made some public performances, which quite a few lucky fans of his travelled great distances to see. Here are some youtube clips to enjoy.

At Kellogg's Night With The Idols (March 2006)

Still Loving You http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJF9AQgZKW8

In April 2006, he had a performance at the Rumba Room in Los Angeles and the Cherry Blossom Parade in Washington DC.

"I Got You" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDC9MgGQLWs

At Beachfest in Misquamicut, RI (July 2006)

Loving Angels Instead http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwftZFan5vc

Days in Avalon http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxV1M7wuydI

At Spiediefest in Binghampton, NY (August 2006)

That's Okay http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xorJ-Y3tsg8

Italian Song (title unknown) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3z2nVwyVt8

Mini-Tour with the Idols in Texas (October 2006)

I Am Your Angel (with Melissa McGhee) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQit8SwcF-4

Historia de un Amor http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRfQJVq6QSg

Never Over (for Denis Fedorov) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xpg3f3byAJ8

Anthony has sang our National Anthem publicly several times. In my opinion, he does the best rendition of the Star Spangled Banner of any other male singer out there.

At Madison Square Garden 12/11/06 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDNUi1yR3tU

It looks like 2007 is going to be Anthony Fedorov's year! He has been named the Spokesperson for the Sarcoma Foundation of America http://www.curesarcoma.org/. Anthony's brother, Denis Fedorov, succumbed to this type of cancer in September 2006 and Anthony has said this is his other calling - to help find a cure for this cancer and others.

Anthony will be appearing (along with Ace, Mandisa, Nadia, and Jessica) at Dolphin Stadium in Sunrise, Florida on April 7, 2007 and also touring US Airforce bases in April 2007 http://www.kasports.com/extremesummer.htm to perform for the troops. And the best news yet is......

Anthony has been chosen to play "Matt" in The Fantasticks! This role is perfect for him and this opportunity has been a long time in coming. More information regarding the play, performances and tickets can be found here. http://www.playbill.com/news/article/105571.html

2007 is shaping up to be a huge year for Anthony, what many of us fans have been waiting for and I can't think of a more deserving person.

Unbreak my heart.....

You know that horrible feeling you get in your chest and in the pit of your stomach when your lover says they don't want to be with you anymore? Yeah, that is what I felt for about 10 seconds when I first saw this picture and it was 10 seconds too long. That was wrong on so many levels and was the first of many turning points that told me I needed to STEP AWAY from the Kool-aid that was Canthony and get some perspective.

I promised over 50 facts a couple days ago and here are the first 25. So without further ado, here is the first installment of THE LIST. Oh, and HAPPY VALENTINES DAY *mwah*

They continue to say they're JUST FRIENDS and their actions match their words. So why do some still believe no matter what?

1. September 11, 2005 - Final AI4 Tour Date: Anthony kisses Carrie on the cheek. While very cute, Carrie appears uncomfortable and pulls away

2. October 2005 - Anthony says more than once in a Chat with his fans that he and Carrie were just friends. And for good measure, he's "single baby!"

3. October 2005 - Despite insider gossip that Canthony are going to come out as a couple and record a DUET (big freaking deal ), neither happens. I know it’s shocking, but while we all believe that....

4. Carrie meets up with Chad sometime mid-October and they later start dating....and also happening in mid-October.....

5. Anthony tapes Fear Factor and is openly smitten with known Reality “Star” Trishelle Canatella. Some cry “editing”, but they can only edit what Anthony gave them.

6. Carrie is at the CMA's with her Mom as her date, but pictures later prove that Chad was also there.

7. November 2005 - Anthony performs at Tatiana's was there with an attractive brunette named who he was flirty with (handholding, singing to her, etc etc)

8. Anthony took 30 year old Rebecca Cardon (The Amazing Race) to the Big in 05 awards.

9. December 6, 2005 - The BMA's. Chad is indeed Carrie's date, Anthony is there with the AI makeup artist. We all know what happened next.....

10. The Picture Attack. The entire situation was very unpleasant and some cried photoshopping. Carrie was kissing Chad’s wasted and smug face. Ewwww, but its still a fact.

11. In the Fishbowl interviews with Rebecca, Anthony was flirtatious with her and was asked about a romance between he and Carrie. His response? "There never was."

12. Its also confirmed by Rebecca that she and Anthony went on a couple dates in addition to Big in 05.

13. Rebecca also states during a later Fishbowl show that Anthony wanted to spend time with her around New Years Eve when he was in NYC and during that time.....

14. Carrie spends the holidays with Chad in Oklahoma. Confirmed by Carrie in a radio interview.

15. Carrie now gives various radio interviews and openly talks about having a boyfriend from back home.

16. February 2006 - Vonzell is doing an interview on the TV Guide Channel about AI. When asked about couples, she mentioned that people thought that Carrie and Anthony were a couple but that it was not true.

17. March 2006 - Carrie sings JTTW on American Idol and Anthony shows up to watch her. Do they reunite and rekindle their supposed romance? No, of course not! Anthony meets and starts dating Heather Cox (AI5 Semi-Finalist).

18. March 2006 - Anthony appears on the Tyra show and actually laughs about it "they called us Canthony Federwood!" and says ONCE AGAIN that he and Carrie never dated.

19. Carrie is more open in radio interviews about her relationship with Chad. He even accompanies her on a couple tour dates.

20. May 2006 - Anthony is at his 21st birthday with a blonde that looks strikingly like his ex-girlfriend Irina, not at all like Carrie.

21. Anthony is interviewed on the Red Carpet and ONCE AGAIN says sincerely that he and Carrie are and have only been good friends. However, he had no problem confirming that he once dated Heather Cox.

22. May 2006 - Carrie and Anthony hang out at the AI Finale afterparty, pictures later surface. There is also a picture of Anthony chatting with Melissa McGhee....more on that later....

23. A reporter from Arizona calls Anthony a "Player" because he was flirting with her at the AI Afterparty. Hmmm, all this action in Carrie's presence....

24. June 2006 - Carrie and Chad break up, their relationship lasted 9 months. Chad was obviously not some kind of cover for Anthony, as some have claimed and might still believe.

25. Carrie initially says in an interview with Teen People that she and Chad are only on a break to reassess their relationship.

Sorry to leave you with a cliffhanger, but stay tuned for the rest! I won't make you wait too long.....

Anthony donates autographed shirt for Charity

Anthony has donated this shirt from his "The Way You Look Tonight" performance. The proceeds from this auction will benefit the family of a 4 year old girl named MacKenzie, who is battling Leukemia.

http://www.myspace.com/idoljunkies will be putting this item on ebay later this week.

The message on the shirt says, "Live your dreams!!!" and the exclamation points make a little smiley face, awwww.

When I hear about Anthony doing things like this, I am more proud than ever to be his fan.

On a more shallow and fangirly note, he looks soooooooo cute in the hat. And his signature is so ornate. SQUEE!

Sad, sad Joshua Brown. Saddest Man in the Whole Damn Town

I like Josh Brown a lot. For those who don't know, Josh Brown is a Kicker for the Seattle Seahawks and is the latest Golden Toe winner. Anywho, I had been following his radio program ever since November when his teammates (one of them being Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck) joined him on KMPS and teased him mercilessly about his crush on Carrie Underwood. Although not a sportsfan by any stretch, I enjoy listening to Josh's show. He comes across as very charming, personable and has an great sense of humor.

Here is the VERY brief background on Cash Brownderwood (tm a good friend of mine, you know who you are). He met Carrie backstage at one of her concerts last Summer, along with Matt Hasselbeck acting as his "wingman". They got to talking and Josh promptly put his foot in his mouth by saying something to Carrie about "cattle being led to slaughter". Hello?! You don't say something like that to an animal lover and vegetarian. I give him a pass on that though, he might not have known yet.

So the CMA's roll around and Josh does something very sweet by sending Carrie flowers and a card wishing her luck. AWWWWWW! His fellow players later told the story on how on the eve on an important game, Josh seemed preoccupied. They asked him what was up and he said, "I hope Carrie wins tonight." HEE! All very, very cute and I was hooked on this saga. To relive the magic, here is the link to the audio. http://kmps.com/pages/217186.php The file is titled Josh Brown, Matt and Shaun.

So every Tuesday, I and some other fans would listen to his show and squee at every Carrie mention that happened. To Josh's credit, he never brought up Carrie but did answer candidly when asked by the DJ. From November through December, he indicated a couple times that they were communicating with each other by text. Since I like him a lot, I had my fingers crossed for him that they would date, at least for a little while.

Then Romowood happened. We all know what a huge frenzy that turned out to be, what with Carrie becoming the Yoko Ono of the Dallas Cowboys overnight. Even Josh was curious and asked her, "I just had to know." As we know, Romowood turned out to be a whole lot of hype and nothing.

Josh had said he and Carrie had plans to meet up at the Superbowl, but something went awry because the Tuesday after Josh said he only ran into Carrie at the airport when he was there himself dropping a friend off.

Now to the present day. Josh was on his usual Tuesday radio show and Carrie was naturally mentioned, now that she is a Grammy awardwinner and all. Did Josh watch his cruuuuuuush on the Grammy's? No, he was at a Merle Haggard concert instead. There must have been a reason....

It turns out there was. According to Josh, Matt Hasselbeck saw Carrie making out with Oliver at the Superbowl. Josh is now bitter, feels played, and that Carrie "sold him out" because they did have plans to meet and it never happened. Hmmm, her being there with another dude is a pretty big clue there.

Josh, I really like you and I say this with love in my heart - why the hell didn't you "make your move" sooner, like months ago? I know you had said you didn't want to seem like a stalker. True, women don't like stalkers but they hate indecisiveness. You waited and what happened? Oliver Trevena sacked up and asked her and guess what? He got the girl. I have nothing against Oli-T (other than calling himself that), but you seem like you could be the better man.

Good luck next time, Josh and I hope that come Valentines Day 2008 you will have the girl of your dreams.

EDIT: Thank you to the delusion free factchecker for correcting my prior inaccuracies. You are the wind beneath my wings.

Oliwood? Well, its looking better than Romowood

Last week, out of nowhere, it comes to light that Carrie may be dating an aspiring popstar named Oliver Trevena (or "Oli-T" his gangsta name). At first, fans were skeptical even a opinionated anti-Canthony individual like myself who just LIVES for this kind of news [/sarcasm]. Nonetheless, the stories just don't stop.

Quote from that bastion of accuracy US Weekly:

Carrie Underwood, 23, has been seeing a new guy: British singer Oliver Trevena. The pair, says a source, began dating just weeks ago, and on January 28 got cozy when he dropped her off at LAX airport in L.A.After a long farewell hug and kiss, the American Idol winner “was walking on air, she was so happy,” witness Alison Sultan tells Us. “She took over her shoes to go through security and did a twirl through the metal detector!”

Twirl Carrie, TWIRL! Get down with your bad self! Not sure I believe this one, but love can make you do some crazy dances though.

This was reported by USA Today

Sony/BMG’s Joe Galante, Butch Waugh and Rene Bell, had taken over an area containing several seats. When Carrie Underwood arrived with new English beau, Oliver (who is very sweet and cute—looks a bit like Justin Timberlake), she joined them. Carrie must have been starving, if her appreciation for her publicist’s bringing over a plate of food is any indication.

In the next media mention, we find out the REAL reason why the publicist brought Carrie some food.

Carrie Underwood may not have walked the red carpet at the Grammys with her new boyfriend, British singer Oliver Trevena, but that doesn't mean he wasn't with her. I saw Underwood and Trevena looking lovey-dovey at the Sony-BMG after-party at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

The American Idol winner and her beau held hands on a couch while chatting with friends and sharing a small plate of assorted sushi. Trevena fetched a couple of drinks from one of the many open bars (he tipped the bartender $5), and then Underwood hand-fed him some of the night's waffle and fruit dessert.

http://www.eonline.com/gossip/planetgossip/blog/index.jsp?uuid=8b12714d-6908-46c0-ab3f-929bb06cae61

I don't know about you all, but isn't hand-feeding for lovers? Yeah, that's what I thought. Let the pearlclutching and whacked out excuses begin!

Romowood was compelling at one time, but turned out to be utter BS for the most part. I am reserving judgment on Oliwood, but I will go out on a limb and say that this isn't a publicity stunt of any kind. I will be on the Oliwood train when they start using their jewelry to communicate. That is the ultimate sign of committment.

"There Never Was" - I believe you, Anthony.

Canthony was once very addicting and used to be fun, I must admit! There were pretty convincing rumors going around that Anthony Fedorov and Carrie Underwood were indeed having a secret romance during the Summer and Fall of 2005. At first, it was pretty innocent, mostly gossipy fun and speculations on any Canthony sightings or news from the Tour. The best part of it was that it seemed that Anthony and Carrie were in on the fun and started madly flirting with each other onstage.

Unfortunately, the fun turned into an unhealthy obsession after their tour ended and it all got very out of hand. Fact is, during the last few months of 2005, I got swept up and too emotionally involved, believed whacked out theories - many of them my own, rumors and insider information from untrustworthy people. I had also said and done things that I now wish I hadn't. I don’t need to say anything more - many of have been there, remember, and have the same regrets.

The purpose of this post isn't to make fun of people who believed in Canthony once and might even still believe that Carrie and Anthony are carrying on a secret romantic relationship to this day. Why? For one thing, I like a few of them and hope aren't too disappointed all over again when Carrie and/or Anthony each find someone special - and that will happen at some point. Second, I once fervently believed myself and will not wash my hands of that.

Why did I once believe? Because I wanted it to be true and, ashamed to say, needed it to be true. Looking back, what I allowed myself to believe was pretty ridiculous. Canthony was later proven to be false and I felt pretty bad - worse than I should have. I have nobody to blame for that but myself. I re-learned a good few lessons....Believing in something does not make it true - if someone repeatedly denies a romantic relationship, save yourself the angst and trouble and believe what they say, and finally - don't get too emotionally involved in other people's relationships, worry about your own real life ones.

So why does this matter now, over a year later? It would be one thing if it were only people having fun making montages and blends, writing fanfiction and squeeing about Canthony going to the CMA's together, but that isn't what's happening. It seems to be just as serious an obsession for some as it was over one year ago. The saddest and most frustrating part is that even to this day, friendships - from the closest to the casual - have been changed and not for the better. Former friends are now suspicious of each other over this. Its not over something important like politics or even religion - its over a romantic relationship that no longer exists and Anthony & Carrie consistently state NEVER existed! It would be laughable, except that real people and feelings are involved.

The fact remains that Anthony and Carrie have told us by their words and actions that they are not romantically involved and likely never were. I can think of over 50 reasons to accept what they say, not BS insider information, third hand gossip or subjective gut feelings, just the facts and Canthony's own words. Interested? Check back later. ;)