‘American Idol’ Gets A Boost From Tim Urban, Michael Lynche
March 11, 2010 by admin
Filed under Guitar News
Aaron Kelly and Andrew Garcia, however, get some tough words from the judges.
By Gil Kaufman
Tim Urban
Photo: Fox
The top eight men took the stage on “American Idol” on Wednesday (March 10), a night when the front-runners staked a claim for their spots in the top 12, and the weaker members of the herd punched their tickets home. When the dust settled, Michael Lynche emerged emerged as the new one to beat with a performance so strong, it brought judge Kara DioGuardi to tears, and seeming also-ran Tim Urban possibly saved himself with his strongest performance to date.
Lee Dewyze made it clear that he intends to hang around, coming out strong with a Dave Matthews-like acoustic ramble through Owl City’s “Fireflies.” It wasn’t always on key, but he made up for it with his infectious charm and barroom sandpaper drawl.
Randy Jackson thought it was too soft a song for Lee’s voice, and a bit pitchy, but he liked how he made it his own, and Kara appreciated the confident vibe he brought to the tune. “There’s nothing to rave about after that,” said Simon Cowell, who didn’t feel his favorite male semifinalist had “a moment” but still displayed solid progress.
As his star has steadily risen on the show, Alex Lambert nailed his song choice with Ray LaMontagne’s weary ballad “Trouble,” a tune that perfectly fit his dry-throated voice and sad-eyed, innocent demeanor.
“The only thing standing in the way of you winning is you right now,” Kara said, praising his unique voice but counseling him to let it rip. Ellen busted out the ripening banana metaphor one more time and said Lambert is getting better and better every week, even as he maintains his innocence. Continuing with the inappropriate advice, Simon said Lambert needs to loosen up, perhaps by imagining Jackson in a bikini.
With two weeks of bad news behind him, Tim Urban went for it by tackling Leonard Cohen’s iconic — and hard-to-sing — “Hallelujah.” Strumming an acoustic guitar, Urban didn’t try to reinvent the wheel but capably hung in there for his strongest effort to date.
Ellen, feeling bad about slagging Urban every week, ran up onstage and hugged him as a kind of apology, and Simon patted himself on the back for giving Urban back his confidence, calling it Tim’s best performance to date. “You walked in some pretty big shoes, and I think you did a pretty good job, Tim,” Randy said, as Kara predicted he might have sung his way back from the brink with his honest, emotional take on the song.
Needing to find his groove again, Andrew Garcia went back to the well for a cover of Christina Aguilera’s breakthrough hit, “Genie in a Bottle.” The Santana-like flamenco/soul take felt like another high point, with Garcia making the song his own.
Kara, though, sensed he was fighting with the melody and straining too hard to recapture his “Straight Up” glory, saying, “It just wasn’t great.” It was a good idea, but too pitchy and not dynamic enough for Randy, though Ellen loved the song choice and wished the genie had come out of the bottle earlier. “It was a little bit desperate,” Simon said.
Casey James went with Keith Urban’s “You’ll Think of Me,” a safe, straightforward acoustic country ballad that highlighted his soulful tone. That’s exactly what Randy thought, encouraging Casey to go edgier and more rock. For Simon, it was James’ second-best effort, one that made him seem sincere and sounded great, even if it was a bit forgettable. His former number-one fan, Kara said she was missing the spark, but was glad he wasn’t trying to be a phony rock star anymore.
A singer seemingly on the bubble, Aaron Kelly, also chose a country tune — Lonestar’s “I’m Already There” — which started out pitchy and tentative and didn’t get much better as he rose from his stool and wiggled awkwardly back and forth, alternating between pure and off-key notes.
The singing wasn’t great for Ellen, but she thought Aaron carried himself like a much older, more experienced singer than he is. “I love you, you come out onstage every week and you give it your all,” said Kara, who then pointed out that the song is about a man calling home to talk to his kids, which just doesn’t make any sense coming from a 16-year-old. Simon, however, totally disagreed, saying it was the right type of song for him and he had the right emotion, even if it wasn’t a great vocal.
Todrick Hall’s philosophy? If you might go home, go big. His unexpected take on Queen’s “Somebody to Love” turned out to be a bold choice for the dancer, who turned the tune into a sanctified gospel showpiece.
“Todrick is back!” Randy announced, calling it one of the best male vocals he’s heard in weeks. Cowell took it down a notch, dubbing the performance more fit for Broadway than an “Idol” recording artist while giving Hall props for performing and not just sitting on a stool and strumming a guitar.
Then Big Mike Lynche brought down the house. He also switched it up, singing British icon Kate Bush’s classic ballad “This Woman’s Work,” evoking Maxwell with his silky, between-the-sheets R&B version.
The praise was unanimous. Simon said it was the best performance of all the live shows so far, Ellen declared the personal trainer the new one to beat, and DioGuardi literally burst into tears at the emotion the new dad put into the tune. All a dumbfounded Randy could say was “Really?”
Four more singers go home Thursday night as this year’s top 12 is revealed.
What did you think of the men’s performances? Who killed it? Who blew it? Who is definitely making it to the top 12? Let us know by leaving your comments below.
Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page, where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.
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Corey Feldman Tells Larry King About Corey Haim’s Final Days
March 11, 2010 by admin
Filed under Guitar News
Feldman also reveals the pair’s plans to make two ‘License to Drive’ sequels on ‘Larry King Live.’
By Josh Wigler
Corey Feldman on “Larry King Live” Wednesday
Photo: CNN
Actor Corey Feldman, 38, appeared Wednesday night (March 10) on CNN’s “Larry King Live” to discuss the death of his best friend and colleague Corey Haim, 38. Feldman, who co-starred with Haim in movies such as “The Lost Boys,” “License to Drive” and “Dream a Little Dream,” said he was “in shock” over the news of Haim’s passing and that he had seen the late actor as recently as “three or four days ago.”
“He was fine,” Feldman said when asked about Haim’s appearance at the time of their last meeting. “He was actually giving me some advice about something I was very upset about. He was being very positive.”
According to Feldman, reports that Haim died of a drug overdose are premature, citing other possible factors including kidney and heart failure, an inadvertent lethal mixture of prescribed drugs, or simply his body shutting down after years of drug abuse.
“Until the coroner’s report comes out and until we get specific evidence and until we know exactly what the toxicology report says, nobody knows [how Haim died], and nobody is going to know,” Feldman said. “We are aware of the fact that Corey Haim has a long and detailed drug history and battled addiction for many, many years. I know it better than anybody, because I’ve been the guy stuffing charcoal down his throat when he was [overdosing]. I’ve been the guy trying to make him stand up or say a complete sentence. I’ve been through it with him many, many times, and it’s happened very badly and very intensely through the years.”
While Feldman said he appreciated the outpouring of condolences from Haim’s many mourning fans, he was disappointed that the late actor’s support didn’t reveal itself sooner.
“At the end of the day, where were all of these people the last 10 or 15 years of Corey’s life?” Feldman asked. “Where were all of these people to reach a hand out to him and say, ‘You’re a legend. You’re an amazingly talented and wonderful person.’ ”
Feldman said mean-spirited remarks from tabloid magazines and Web sites such as TMZ were quite troubling not just for Haim, but also for himself. In light of Haim’s death, Feldman suggested that society needs “to grow up and think about every time we laugh at somebody in the tabloids, every time we poke a finger at somebody and say, ‘They’re a joke’ or ‘They’re fat’ or ‘They’re a drug addict’ or ‘They’re washed up’ or ‘They’re a loser,’ we need to look at ourselves and say, ‘Who am I?’ ”
Haim had filmed several movies prior to his death, Feldman said, including a celebrated role in “American Sunset.” Feldman also revealed that before Haim’s death, the longtime collaborators “were negotiating a deal to do [their] first movie together in nine years.” Haim was apparently in the process of pitching a sequel to “License to Drive” called “License to Fly,” which would have been followed up with a third installment called “License to Dive.”
There are currently no funeral plans for the late actor, Feldman said, though he hopes to arrange a memorial service where members of Hollywood would pay their respects to the actor, citing “Lucas” and other films as reasons to fondly remember Haim’s contributions to the industry.
“Hopefully, he’s going to be remembered as a beautiful, funny, enigmatic character who brought nothing but life and light and entertainment and art to all of our lives,” Feldman said.
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Jessica Biel Recalls ‘Intense’ ‘Summit On The Summit’ Climb
March 11, 2010 by admin
Filed under Guitar News
Actress says Mount Kilimanjaro ‘was like this mysterious, foreboding, ominous woman.’
By James Montgomery
Jessica Biel
Photo: MTV News
NEW YORK — While climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, as part of Kenna’s “Summit on the Summit” mission, Jessica Biel got to know the 19,000-odd feet of rock pretty well. In fact, she’s pretty sure the mountain is actually a woman.
“She was like this mysterious, foreboding, ominous woman. And she was hidden almost all day long, and just when you were unmotivated, and feeling like crap and uninspired and thinking, ‘What am I doing here?’ the clouds would part and she would peek out, and the beauty would strike you, and then you’d be inspired again,” Biel told MTV News on the red carpet for the premiere of “Summit.” “And she was literally, like, this woman who would pull this veil over her face and disappear, and then she’d show a little bit of herself, and then she’d disappear again. It was kind of this running joke, but I really felt that way. I felt like, ‘I respect you. Please let me get up, please.‘ ”
But just because Kilimanjaro was inspiring doesn’t mean she also couldn’t be positively dominating too. In the film — which debuts Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on MTV — Biel and her fellow climbers (a team that also featured Lupe Fiasco, Santigold, Emile Hirsch and a team of scientists, United Nations ambassadors and experienced mountain guides) were brutalized by freezing rain and snow, gashed and twisted on stones and dizzied by the rapidly thinning atmospheric conditions. But that was just the physical trauma. The real challenge, for Biel at least, was overcoming the mental aspects of scaling the peak.
“It was a combination of the mental and the psychological aspects of the mountain, of the slow-but-steady pace that you had to go up it, and that sometimes made your brain just want to explode, because you just wanted to get there so badly,” she said. “And then you couldn’t see anything at night, when we were doing our ascent attempt, and you start thinking that it would never end and you’d start to think, ‘Why am I here? This is miserable!’
“But then you’d get this rush of inspiration of ‘I’m not doing this for me. I’m doing this for something bigger than me, for people who don’t have a voice, for people that need water around the world,’ and then you’d power through,” she continued. “Your mind started to play tricks on you. And then, with the altitude, you just felt so strange. You didn’t know why you were lethargic, you didn’t know why you were so tired. It was an intense experience.”
And that bigger goal was to raise awareness about the global clean-water crisis, a problem much bigger than any mountain. But Biel was inspired, not just by her trip to the top of the world, but by the larger message the mission carries: that together, people can conquer even the most insurmountable of challenges.
“That’s a part of all movements. One voice is something, but a group of voices can change the world. All grassroots movements started that way, and with the Internet and people following us and watching our ascent, it really feels like people were excited by what we were doing and hopefully were inspired to create challenges for themselves, whatever that may be, and for whatever cause that may be,” Biel said. “To get involved with their community, or pick something around the world that they care about, that they feel they should stand up for. That was the idea behind this. Kenna wasn’t going to stop, because he had this group of friends behind him, who were supporting him. And I wasn’t going to stop, because I wanted to be there for Kenna, and I didn’t want to take the group down. It was such a group mentality, and I don’t think we could’ve done it without everyone being there, and 100-percent ready for the challenge.”
Don’t miss “Summit on the Summit: Kilimanjaro,” airing Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on MTV.
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‘American Idol’ Top Eight Women: What They Need To Do
March 9, 2010 by admin
Filed under Guitar News
Paige Miles and Didi Benami need to step it up, while Crystal Bowersox and Lilly Scott should keep doing their thing.
By Gil Kaufman
Crystal Bowersox on “American Idol” last week
Photo: Frank Micelotta/ Getty Images
This is the week we’ve all been waiting for. Following Tuesday and Wednesday night’s performances, we will be down to season nine’s top 12, and the competition on “American Idol” will start to get serious.
After last week’s surprise switcheroo due to Crystal Bowersox’s illness, the remaining 12 ladies served up a mixed bag of good, bad and eh on Wednesday night. Lilly Scott and Siobhan Magnus proved to be suddenly strong competition for Bowersox, who stormed back from her undisclosed ailment to regain her spot as the woman to beat this year.
So what do the rest of the ladies need to do to win the hearts — and ears — of the nation? How can they get enough votes to avoid landing in the bottom two? Here’s what we do (and don’t) want to see from these “Idol” hopefuls, starting with those who need the most work.
Didi Benami
It feels like this once-promising singer has seriously lost her way. After ditching the thing that got her to the big show (i.e., sensitive singer/songwriter material with a jazzy twist), Benami was undone by a hard-to-watch warble through the Bill Withers soul classic “Lean on Me.” Didi would be wise to dig into the Lily Allen or Corinne Bailey Rae songbook to get back into the game.
Paige Miles
The judges have told Miles she has the strongest voice in the competition this year, but so far, she’s failed to make much of an impression personality-wise. Last week, Kara DioGuardi faulted her for smiling through a cover of Kelly Clarkson’s “Walk Away,” dissing Miles for not getting the angry mood of the song right. And she should know — she co-wrote it! She needs to put the coloring books away and bite off a meaty Alicia Keys song that will allow her to open up and show some serious emotion.
Katie Stevens
This teenager needs to find her inner child. After weeks of going too old, Stevens is in danger of losing her spot if she doesn’t show the panel that she could be a youthful, contemporary artist. She tried to display her younger side by singing Bailey Rae’s signature “Put Your Records On,” but even that didn’t work because the judges said it felt too unfocused and bland, with Simon Cowell suggesting she needed a bit more time to figure out what kind of artist she wants to be. Unless Stevens can smash it with a convincing tumble through a Katy Perry or Rihanna song, she might be back in her old classroom next week.
Lacey Brown
Proving you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t, Brown followed the judges’ advice and performed Sixpence None the Richer’s “Kiss Me” — and they didn’t like it. In order to stick around, she needs the kind of signature moment Magnus provided with her Aretha Franklin power note, so this week’s selection should focus on displaying her range and originality.
Siobhan Magnus
Has one note ever meant so much? Magnus, this year’s token quirky girl, could very well have stamped her ticket to the top 12 last week thanks to that massive wail at the end of her version of Franklin’s “Think.” Now, Magnus just has to keep surprising the judges and audience to stay in the running. Luckily, she hasn’t painted herself into a genre corner so far and has displayed an indie-leaning sensibility, so she’s free to try out anything on the charts, from Lady Gaga to Owl City.
Katelyn Epperly
The judges weren’t crazy about Epperly’s slow take on Coldplay’s “The Scientist,” but America gave it a thumbs-up and she made it to sing another day. She should strap the guitar back on this week and give us a new twist on a contemporary singer/songwriter, perhaps even putting some jazz into a Taylor Swift tune.
Lilly Scott
Scott is on a roll. She nailed her Beatles cover two weeks ago, gave another solid performance with Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come” last week, again proving that while she may not have the best voice, she’s got a unique stage presence and memorable delivery. It would be great to see her sit at a piano this week and rework a contemporary ballad, say something from Muse or Carrie Underwood.
Crystal Bowersox
At this point, it’s Crystal’s game to lose. She’s proven she can kill it with classic-rock tunes, thanks to a very strong gospel-tinged rendition of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Long as I Can See the Light,” but this week might be her chance to tackle a newer artist and prove that she can be relevant now. A Jack Johnson song might do the trick.
What do you want to see from the girls on Tuesday night? Who do you hope steps up their game this week? Let us know below!
Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page, where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.
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The Notorious B.I.G.’s MTV Interviews: A Look Back
March 9, 2010 by admin
Filed under Guitar News
Thirteen years after B.I.G.’s death, we look back on his life as hip-hop’s brightest star.
Notorious B.I.G.
Photo: MTV News
Tuesday (March 9) is a day not to mourn, but to celebrate the life and legacy of one of music’s most gifted artists: the Notorious B.I.G.
His voice, his flow, his rhymes, his swag — whatever you wanted, B.I.G. had it to offer. He could tell stories, battle it out, ignite the party or kick game to the ladies. Christopher Wallace was made for rap.
We didn’t get much time with Biggie. He put out his first album in 1994, and he died in early 1997 before the release of his second LP (Life After Death). Due to his work ethic, however, we have a catalog of timeless music that is often imitated, never duplicated. As mesmerizing as a Biggie song was, part of his allure as an artist was his charming personality. He’s a rare breed that could capture the wit and magnetism in his offstage persona and bring it to his music.
Here, we are taking you back into our vaults to relive Biggie’s best MTV interviews. He was candid and thoughtful as he spoke about the inspiration for his music, his stage performance and much more.
On Tuesday night, Diddy is going to celebrate the life of his friend and marquee artist at Brooklyn club the Lab.
“We’re trying to make March 9th a national hip-hop holiday,” Diddy told MTV News last week. “It already is, on the low. MTV is going to have a big special. We’re doing a party. I’m going to Brooklyn. It’s gonna be the first time I’m throwing a party in Brooklyn. I’m from Harlem. Everybody in Harlem knows you don’t usually go over the bridge to Brooklyn. It’s a big, big deal. Me being such a Harlemite, I’m going over there to pay respect to my man. It’s gonna be a big party in Brooklyn with Mister Cee. It’s a big day. It’s a day to celebrate his life. It’s a day to celebrate the life of the man. We done did the movie, the records. It’s something that, I guess, as a label we’re obsessed with: making sure people don’t forget about this man in a positive way. March 9 is Biggie Day. … Bump Biggie all day, feel good and positive.”
On Tuesday, MTV Jams will be playing videos by B.I.G. and a slew of other fallen musical soldiers, such as Michael Jackson, Tupac Shakur, Aaliyah, Big Pun, the Lost Boyz and their deceased member Freaky Tah and Camoflauge. This week’s “Sucker Free Sunday” on MTV2 is running a special tribute to Biggie, hosted by Diddy.
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Lil Wayne Fans Say They Already Miss Jailed MC
March 9, 2010 by admin
Filed under Guitar News
‘I hope he gets out early!’ one MTV News reader says as Wayne begins prison term.
By MTV News staff
Lil Wayne
Photo: Louis Lanzano/AP
Shortly after Lil Wayne turned himself in to serve his yearlong prison sentence, the superstar MC’s absence could be felt, both online — where Weezy had been busy tweeting and posting videos in recent weeks — and on the street.
“It’s messed up looking at his situation, being a role model,” Wince Aubrey, 32, told MTV News. “But he got caught red-handed, so he’s being a man and owning up to his responsibility. He’s gonna be missed.”
Lil Wayne’s sentencing had been delayed a number of times, first for dental surgery he required and then once again after a fire occurred at the courthouse last week. But on Monday, the rapper was formally sentenced to one year in prison after pleading guilty to attempted gun possession. The New Orleans native will now call Rikers Island his home at least until November, when he could be released after eight months for serving his jail stint with good behavior.
“Wow, that really sucks,” MTV.com reader Courtney wrote. “I think that this is so stupid. … He is a good artist and donates a lot of money to charities. I hope he gets out early!!!”
“DAMN! So, finally he’s gone,” Superman commented online. “Stay strong, Weezy. Best rapper alive.”
But not all fans were saddened by the departure of the nearly ubiquitous hip-hop star.
George Asatrian, 21, argued that Lil Wayne won’t be missed too much. “Hip-hop won’t be affected too much by him going to jail,” he told MTV News. “Because he probably has so much music to last, and I think he has enough people under him who will hold him down until he comes back.”
Brooklynite Angel Velasquez said that even though the rapper’s sentence is short, it will still be challenging. But he cautioned about too much hype surrounding Lil Wayne’s imprisonment. “It’s not all about Weezy,” he said. “There’s a lot more entertainers out there.”
What do you think about Lil Wayne’s jail time? Will you miss the rapper while he’s out of the public eye? Let us know below!
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Michelle Delamor ‘Questioned’ Singing Creed On ‘American Idol’
March 7, 2010 by admin
Filed under Guitar News
‘I feel that I still did give my own style to it, but I maybe should have chosen a different song,’ she says.
By Katie Byrne
Michelle Delamor
Photo: Fox
While she didn’t get a lot of screen time before the semifinals, Michelle Delamor established herself as season nine’s resident diva with her first live “American Idol” performance of Alicia Keys’ “Fallin’.”
Unfortunately, she made an oddball song choice (an R&B version of Creed’s “With Arms Wide Open”?) that sent her packing Thursday, along with Jermaine Sellers, John Park and Haeley Vaughn.
Does she think lack of screen time did her in? We caught up with the 22-year-old from Miami on Friday (March 5) to talk about that and much more.
Q: On Wednesday, Kara said “With Arms Wide Open” was your best performance yet. Then during the results show, she took that comment back. Was that difficult?
A: You know what? It was a little bit disappointing, but knowing myself, I’m really a perfectionist, and I know that I didn’t do my best. I know that Wednesday was not close to my best performance. I understood where she was coming from. I was a bit disappointed that she had those things to say, but I couldn’t say that she was wrong for it.
Q: What was your thought process behind choosing the Creed song?
A: After my first performance, I had done Alicia Keys, and the judges all thought I needed to take a risk and try something they wouldn’t expect me to do, so that’s why I chose to do Creed, because I knew they wouldn’t expect that. It’s kind of like a rock ballad, and I’m not a rock singer. I thought I was taking a risk, and I tried too much to go by what the judges said. I wanted to make sure I did the right thing, and I was too caught up in my mind. I feel that I still did give my own style to it, but I maybe should have chosen a different song.
Q: At any point, did you question your decision to go with the Creed song?
A: I did. I really did question it. As a matter of fact, I think part of what messed me up a little bit is that I questioned it before I got up on that stage. When you’re not sure of the song that you’re performing, it’s gonna be noticed and people can feel that. I definitely would have done my next song. I would have reversed [the order].
Q: What were you planning to sing next?
A: I wanted to do “Come Together” by the Beatles, but Michael Jackson style. I feel like it has so much drive, so much intensity. It’s a song that I feel. I love it. My idol, my inspiration Michael Jackson, he covered it. And he did an amazing job, and I’ve just always loved that song.
Q: Do you think your lack of screen time in the early rounds led to your exit?
A: Actually, in the very beginning, they had made a whole commercial that said “Meet Michelle,” and I thought that was amazing. I was like, “Oh my God, I can’t believe it!” And then I saw that they didn’t really show me much, but I figured, “They know what they’re doing.” I knew that I didn’t really have a story. I kind of have a normal lifestyle back at home, not so much tragedy or anything like that. I don’t think that makes for good TV. [Laughs.] So I understood.
Were you sad to see Michelle go? Do you think her Creed song choice got her voted off? Let us know below!
Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page, where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.
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Jermaine Sellers Says He Appeared ‘Diva-Ish’ On ‘American Idol’
March 7, 2010 by admin
Filed under Guitar News
‘Sometimes, the camera can make you look more arrogant,’ castoff says of his comments to the judges.
By Katie Byrne
Jermaine Sellers
Photo: Fox
Jermaine Sellers got some pretty harsh feedback from the “American Idol” judges for his semifinal performances, but said he was convinced that his faith would carry him through the negativity.
His dream came to an end, however, on Thursday, when he was voted out of the competition, along with John Park, Haeley Vaughn and Michelle Delamor. “In God, there’s no failure,” the 27-year-old said after his elimination.
So what’s next for the Joliet, Illinois, church singer? We caught up with him Friday (March 5) to discuss that and much more.
Q: You were very outspoken about your faith on the show. Do you think your post-singing comments had anything to do with your elimination?
A: Though I hate to say it, yeah, I do. Because sometimes, the camera can make you look more arrogant and diva-ish. Anybody that knows me knows I’m, like, the coolest guy. I like to make people laugh. I honestly do wear a onesie to bed, the whole nine yards. I hate it that I was made out to look like something that I’m not, but it’s television. I felt like every night that I went out there, I sang from my heart. And the part that really messed me up the most was that I couldn’t focus, because I was so scared about what was going to be said this week as far as me singing so much. I just felt like, the best way to prove a person wrong is by fighting them with God, letting God fight your battles. That’s why I kept throwing it out there. A lot of people don’t realize that with us making it this far in the competition, we haven’t really sat down and took time to thank God for us even making it this far. And without him, we’ll fail. That’s why I kept having to throw him out there. We don’t acknowledge him enough.
Q: The judges obviously liked you enough to put you in the top 24, but then they tore you apart once the semifinals started. How did you take their sudden criticism?
A: I took it the best way that I possibly could. The thing about it is, as an artist, you have to stay true to yourself. And with you staying true to yourself, it’s a certain way I sang my entire life, from a child on up. I kept pulling back. I pulled back a lot, because there was a lot more that I could have done. I felt like if I pulled any more back, it would be like I’m basically whispering to them. I’m a church singer.
Q: What was your favorite part about making it so far on “American Idol”?
A: Making it to top 20, it’s a blessing. That’s the best experience about it, just getting on that platform and being able to, not just sing to people, but to minister to them too. People don’t realize that the reason I sang songs like Oleta Adams ["Get Here"] and Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On?” — half of the reason I did “What’s Going On” was because I felt like we’re not paying attention to what’s going on as far as Haiti, as far as Chile. We’re not paying attention to it. We’re spending time focusing on other stuff when we should be focusing on what’s actually going on in the world right now.
Q: If you could go back, would you change your song selections because of the judges’ comments?
A: “American Idol” is for teenyboppers. There’s a lot of young people and they want to hear more current stuff. They want to hear the Keri Hilson stuff, “Knocks You Down” type stuff. And that’s not where my soul is. I’m more of “Let’s talk about reality. Let’s talk about what’s going on right now.” When I sang “Get Here,” I wasn’t just talking about one specific individual; I was talking about peace. I was talking about love, respect, joy. I want all of that to come back to us. Even though I tried to deliver it the best way that I could, I never got my point across because I let fear conquer me.
Were you sad to see Jermaine go? Do you think his outspoken nature was his “Idol” downfall? Let us know below!
Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page, where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.
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Drake’s New Single ‘Over’ Is ‘Real Dope,’ According To DJs
March 7, 2010 by admin
Filed under Guitar News
‘I love this record,’ DJ Khaled says.
By Shaheem Reid
Drake
Photo: Jason Merritt/ Getty Images
Although Drake has had a string of hits on radio and in the club, from his own “Best I Ever Had” to collaborations like “Forever” and “Say Something,” the pressure was on for the first official single from Thank Me Later to deliver. And, judging from the reaction he’s getting from some of hip-hop’s biggest tastemakers, Drizzy has another smash on his hands with “Over.”
” ‘Over’ is real dope,” DJ Statik Selektah said. “He could have chose to run with a soft, candy-coated record, but he didn’t. The beat is crazy. I’m looking forward to his album!”
“I love this record,” DJ Khaled told MTV News. “It’s amazing! It’s special! Drake did it again! It’s a hit!”
“I think Drake’s record is dope,” said host of MTV2’s “Sucker Free” and Power 105.1 on-air personality DJ Envy. “I know he had a lot of pressure and the world staring at him, but I think he delivered. He did it his way — outside the box.
Drake’s song talks about how he’s dealing with his fame since coming on the scene last year.
“On a couple of different levels, it’s not what you might think somebody would do,” DJ Green Lantern said. “Its not like, ‘Let me make “Best I Ever Had” Part 2.’ It’s an everybody type of record.”
“I put him in the box with Kanye, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne — artists that love the craft,” Envy added.
“As I’m listening [to the song], I’m like, ‘Yeah man. It’s dope,” Green Lantern said. “In the sense of the general straight-listener sense, it’s a catchy song. It’s a catchy song that will stick in your mind, be on repeat and connect to people. ‘I’m doing me.’ That was the first part that stuck out to me. The ‘hood is gonna love the ‘I’m doing me. I’m doing me.’ That’s the ‘hood right there.”
Green says the record has ‘hood and pop appeal — it’s universal.
“As Drake said before, the hipsters and the hood f—s with him, so his single has to be across the board. The Jay Electronica lovers f— with Drake and the Lil Wayne/Gucci Mane lovers f— with Drake, so his single has to go across the board. It’s not a lot of people that could do that. Technically, the beat is different too — it’s a sample. I’m like, ‘This sh– is dope.’ ”
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‘American Idol’ Loses Haeley Vaughn, Jermaine Sellers, John Park, Michelle Delamor
March 5, 2010 by admin
Filed under Guitar News
Danny Gokey performs his debut country single during results show.
By Gil Kaufman
Haeley Vaughn on “American Idol” on Thursday
Photo: Fox
In some ways, the first two weeks of this year’s “American Idol” semifinals have felt a lot like an extension of the brutal Hollywood Week: a painful but necessary mass culling of the herd in order to get to the good stuff.
Four more singers went down Thursday night (March 4), including Michelle Delamor, Jermaine Sellers, Haeley Vaughn and John Park. Inexplicably, Tim Urban, the cute boy who has proven two weeks running that he is the luckiest guy on the stage, was given a pass, which allowed him to bust out his “what? me?” face yet again along with Todrick Hall, whose Tina Turner cover drew serious fire but also enough votes to keep him in the running.
Pumped-up Michael Lynche did it again with a solid James Brown cover, and Casey James was waved through despite a split decision from the panel on his cover of the oft-sung “I Don’t Want To Be.” That left Purple Haze singer Park standing after another messy week courtesy of John Mayer’s “Gravity,” which, in typical “Idol” fashion, Park sang way better on his way out after being eliminated, almost hitting half the notes and showing more personality and verve than he had in weeks.
The second man to go was testy soul man Jermaine Sellers, who got the dreaded “cabaret” putdown from Simon for his smooth-jazz version of Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On.” He was paired center stage with onetime front-runner Andrew Garcia, who kept on chugging despite a just so-so reception for his version of James Morrison’s “You Give Me Something,” which the panel felt lacked pizzazz.
That left suddenly surging rocker Lee Dewyze in the running after his solid take on Hinder’s “Lips of an Angel.” Nervous teen Aaron Kelly and equally nervous Alex Lambert, who is starting to come around thanks to a nuanced cover of John Legend’s “Everybody Knows,” also survived.
Sellers said it wasn’t his unpredictable personality that did him in. “Where I sing from, you can’t be taught how to riff and run and sing high notes,” he said. “I’m a church singer. That’s where my heart is.” He tried to take it to church one more time as he gently sang his way off with the Gaye classic, hitting all the same nutty, seesaw notes that did him in to begin with.
For the ladies, the first casualty was Michelle Delamor, the somewhat bland R&B singer who took a chance that didn’t pan out with Creed’s power ballad “With Arms Wide Open.” “I think I was so wrapped up in trying to do everything right while being judged that I kind of lost sight of just performing,” she said dejectedly, promising to keep on keepin’ on. The second run through “Arms” was no better and maybe a bit sharper, so America appeared to have gotten it right.
Didi Benami dodged a bullet, even after Simon compared her to a screeching cat thanks to her bomb-tastic cover of Bill Withers’ “Lean on Me.” Also making the grade were quirky jazz bird Lilly Scott, soul belter and possible new front-runner Paige Miles and high-schooler Katie Stevens, who still hasn’t found her groove but did just enough with “Put Your Records On” to stick around again.
The second ax then fell on Haeley Vaughn, the teenage cow-pop wannabe who fell down hard with her attempt at Miley Cyrus’ “The Climb” and appeared to sense she was not going to stick around. Standing next to her was Lacey Brown, who did what the judges suggested and sang Sixpence None the Richer’s “Kiss Me,” even if they didn’t like the results, and made it through anyway.
“I think I could definitely use some more experience,” Vaughn said, lamenting that she’s going to have to return to high school next week before making the rocky climb one more time.
Even with mixed results from the judges for her gutsy but very slow solo piano ramble through Coldplay’s “The Scientist,” Katelyn Epperly lived another day; resurgent leader Crystal Bowersox bounced back from possible elimination after her hospitalization Tuesday thanks to a winning version of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Long as I Can See the Light”; and resident oddball Siobhan Magnus blew the room away with her note-heard-’round-the-world throwdown on Aretha Franklin’s “Think.”
Returning to the stage was last year’s #3 finisher, Danny Gokey, who performed “My Best Days Are Ahead of Me,” the debut single from his upcoming album. Rocking a leather jacket, jeans, a burgundy shirt and his signature specs, Gokey’s gravelly soul voice was warmly received as he sang the peppy country/pop tune about the power of positive thinking. “I can be whatever I want to be/ My best days are ahead of me,” he crooned over a twanging pedal-steel riff. “I’ve got sunsets to witness, dreams to dance with/ And beaches to walk on and lovers to kiss.”
After spending most of his “Idol” run being tagged as “the guy with the tragedy” — a reference to the death of his young wife Sophia four weeks before his audition — Gokey said he wanted to come out with a first single that showed how much hope “Idol” gave him. “I just found out the writer of the song lost his wife too, and he wrote this song a few months after she passed away. And without me knowing it, I picked it up, I recorded it and put it on radio. … It’s an anthem for me. I’m excited about life again.”
The group sing-along was to the Black Eyed Peas’ “I Gotta Feeling,” with the girls doing a much better job of selling he corny lip-synch than the boys, who seemed like they were extras on a “Sesame Street” skit about positive hip-hop. The painfully cheesy segment did give us a glimpse of mullet man Lambert fake-shouting the lyric “Mazel Tov!” and Urban throwing up some painfully suburban rapper hands, as well as the quirky Magnus just saying no to tight skirts and leggings and going with ripped jean shorts over tights.
The girls will be back performing Tuesday, followed by the guys on Wednesday.
What did you think about the eliminations? Did America get it right? Who do you think should have gone home? Let us know below.
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