Entertaining as he might have been, you wouldn’t have found too many handicappers picking Heejun Han to go all the way and win “American Idol.” And tonight, America told Han it was his turn to leave the group of finalists competing for the title. While the judges still have their save available, they chose not to use it, and Han’s heading home.
Did America make the right choice this week? Foc All Access producer Jeff Axelrod went backstage with Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson after the show to get their reactions, as well as to find out what being a musical idol means to Steven, and the songs they might have considered for the “personal idol” theme week.
Next week, it’s “The ’80s and Eight,” as the remaining finalists salute the decade that brought us Madonna, Wham!, U2, and Kajagoogoo. After they perform, to whom will America be singing Scandal’s 1982 hit “Goodbye To You”? Find out next Wednesday and Thursday as the march toward crowning the next American Idol continues on Fox.
For a new show, NBC’s comedy “Up All Night” hasn’t had any trouble attracting big-name guest stars. Jason Lee, Nick Cannon, and Henry Winkler have already made appearances, and music legend Stevie Nicks will be on the show tonight. Maya Rudolph, one of the show’s stars, is in awe of the talent that’s stopped by their set this season.
Randy Jackson said it best… There was definitely something in the air tonight on American Idol, because all the contestants brought their “A” game. Was it Colton kicking off the night with a praise song? Did it have to do with everyone getting to channel their own Idol? Whatever it was, it made for a great night of TV. Listen to what the contestants had to say right after the show about tonight’s emotional night of connection.
So who moved you? Who do you think is doing the best job of connecting to the audience? Tell us! Then make sure to tune in Thursday night to American Idol to see who ends up saying goodbye. It all goes down Thursday night at 8/7c on FOX.
To make it into the Top 9, the “American Idol” finalists had to master songs from the “Piano Man.” But was Billy Joel’s soft rock too hard for the “Idol” contestants? We asked two of the judges following Thursday night’s elimination, where Erika Van Pelt was sent home, and got two different answers.
Joel’s former labelmate, Steven Tyler, told us he thought the songs are very difficult to perform. (Click on the audio player to hear Steven Tyler)
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Jennifer Lopez, though, took a different view, and said Joel’s songs aren’t that hard to sing. (Click on the audio player to hear Jennifer Lopez)
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Next week, the remaining nine contestants get to sing songs from artists they consider their own idols. Who will they choose? And who will emulate their idols well enough to move on? Find out when the “American Idol” finalists perform next Wednesday at 8/7c on Fox.
The time has finally arrived – Hunger Games, one of the most anticipated movies of the year, is premiering this weekend! Advanced ticket sales have already broken records and it’s safe to say people will be packing movie theaters around the country to be among the first to see the film. For those of us who have read the book, there are huge expectations for Jennifer Lawrence’s portrayal of the beloved main heroine, Katniss Everdeen.
There’s a lot more to Katniss than knowing how to wield a bow and arrow. She’s strong, charismatic, determined and so rebellious that she attempts to overthrow a system that’s been in place since before she was born. This role is hands down one of Jennifer’s biggest challenges yet! We caught up with her recently and asked whether she found it scary to see herself on the big screen as Katniss and if she worried about how people would respond to her take on the role. (Click on audio player to hear Jennifer Lawrence)
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The stark difference in class is a major part of the movie, with the rich Capitol taking poor tributes from each district, placing them in a fight-for-your-life reality show and packaging it as entertainment. We can’t help but wonder if there will be comparisons drawn between the movie and our OWN class divisions in society and seemingly endless obsession with reality television. We asked Jennifer whether she thought there would be any backlash and how she felt about the message the movie sends. (Click on audio player to hear Jennifer Lawrence)
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Join the rest of America and check out Jennifer in The Hunger Games this weekend!
The American Idol Top 10 contestants share a lot in common with Katniss, Peeta, and the rest of The Hunger Games competitors. They’re mentored, styled, and put through a massive boot camp training process, and of course there are the fans – whose support is vital to the contestants’ survival each week. While there’s no killing involved (thank goodness!), each contestant does have a different “weapon” they bring to the competition. So, in the spirit of The Hunger Games we asked the Top 10 to describe “their” weapon of choice – that thing that makes them stand out from the rest. Enjoy our American Idol interview: The Hunger Games Edition.
If you could sponsor one contestant and help them make it to the end – who would you choose? Let us know! Then tune in to American Idol Thursday night and find out who makes it through another week. It all goes down at 8/7c on FOX.
Outasight is considered an overnight sensation. We personally remember him when he appeared on “The X Factor” to perform his hit single, “Tonight Is The Night,” which blew us away. One minute he’s trying to gain fans one by one, the next…his song is being featured on Pepsi ads and his fan base was growing at speed lightning. He admits it was a different medium of exposure but was ready to ride the wave because according to him he’s got a lot of music to share, it’s eclectic but it’s strong. Growing up in New York, this love of music was highly influenced by his parents. His mom was a record collector, and his dad played guitar. And when Outasight discovered a guitar hel iked in his father’s closet, Dad decided to encourage his son’s musical interests by giving him that guitar. Outasight never forgot the gesture — when he started to make it in the music business, he decided to repay his father by refurbishing that old guitar and giving it back to him as a birthday present. How sweet!
We got Outasight on hand to tell us about his love of music and how it began, apparently it was competing with another passion of his. (Click on audio player to hear Outasight)
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And so here we are, Outasight has over 13,000 followers on Twitter, he’s got a hit song on his hands, “Tonight Is The Night” is on everybody’s playlist and he’s celebrating! We asked Outasight what this special song means to him. The answer is plain and simple. (Click on audio player to hear Outasight)
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Check out the official video for Outasight’s “Tonight Is The Night”!!!
“American Idol” said goodbye to contestant Shannon Magrane Last night and FOX All Access was backstage to speak with the judges afterward.
Steven Tyler thinks things are only going to get tougher for the remaining 10 contestants, because he says they’ve been improving and raising the bar every week since they made it to the live performance round. And since the 10 remaining singers will be going on the “American Idols Live” tour this summer, we reminisced with Tyler about his first Aerosmith tour. And even though that tour took place four decades ago, Tyler told us the band’s been working on new music, and they’re on an incredible creative roll right now
It was a night of high emotions and even higher stakes last night at “American Idol.” Because of the disqualification of Jermaine Jones, the field was being cut from 11 to the Top 10, which means one contestant would go home, while the rest will all go on tour when “Idol’s” finished. Based on America’s votes, Shannon Magrane was the one who didn’t make the cut, and the judges chose not to use their save tonight.
FOX All Access was backstage after the show and spoke to Jennifer Lopez, who talked about the Top 10 finalists, having to say goodbye to Magrane, and what it will take to win the “Idol” crown this year.
Although “American Idol” is based in Hollywood, the Top 10 contestants will be in a “New York State of Mind” next week, as they tackle the Grammy-winning catalog of the “Piano Man,” Billy Joel. Who will be able to handle the “Pressure,” and who will be “Movin’ Out”? Only the good move on, so watch the performances next Wednesday at 8/7 central, and then find out who advances on the “American Idol” results show, Thursday night on FOX.
Andy Grammer is getting ready to release his ”Live From L.A.” EP on March 13 which will be available exclusively on iTunes. All the songs on the EP were recorded in front of a live audience back in January in Los Angeles at the infamous Village Studios. A few things to definitely look forward to off this new EP is the special duet he recorded with Colbie Caillat. The song they sang together, “Fine By Me.” Also, Andy sings a cover of Rihanna’s hit song, “We Found Love.” Andy is one talented dude!
Andy recently stopped by the Fox All Access studio to visit host Chris Leary and he was awesome enough to sing an acoustic version of “Fine by Me,” and we sure were fine with that! Make sure to hit us back up and let us know what you think of Andy’s “Live from L.A.” EP!!
It was a night of high emotions and even higher stakes last night at “American Idol.” Because of the disqualification of Jermaine Jones, the field was being cut from 11 to the Top 10, which means one contestant would go home, while the rest will all go on tour when “Idol’s” finished. Based on America’s votes, Shannon Magrane was the one who didn’t make the cut, and the judges chose not to use their save tonight.