Fan Fare

“Idol’s” Matt Giraud feelin’ the love

He may have lost the race to become the ”American Idol” but Matt Giraud says he couldn’t have wished for a better way to go out of the TV singing competition than with his rendition of ”My Funny Valentine” in jazz week.

“Going out with Simon (Cowell) calling you brilliant and comparing you to Nat King Cole is pretty much the best way you could go…I was at complete peace with myself, ” Giraud, 23, told reporters on Thursday after being voted off the show .

The dueling piano player said that being saved by the judges from elimination two weeks ago under the new “judges save” rule introduced this year, was something he will always remember.

“I’ve never felt so much love in the room. It was one of the coolest moments of my life…I really didn’t know that people felt that passionately about me,” he said.

Giraud had some advice for other “Idol” wannabes that echoes the weekly refrain from the judges — song choice. “There are a million songs that you love and they move you. But picking a song that you sing well is the hard part. Picking the song that is good for you is a different part,” he said.

But would things have turned out differently for Matt if he had picked another jazz standard?  “I’ve listened back to it and I wouldn’t change a thing…I’m proud of what I did,” he said.

“Idol” goes topsy-turvy as Adam hits a speed bump

“American Idol” golden boy Adam Lambert hit a big speed bump on Wednesday night after he landed among the show’s Bottom Three vote-getters for the first time this season.

And, just when it seemed lone woman contestant Allison Iraheta was standing on thin ice, she skated handily into the next round.

Host Ryan Seacrest played up the surprise results for all it was worth, taking Lambert by the arm to join fellow low vote-getters Matt Giraud and Kris Allen, leaving Iraheta and Danny Gokey to stare at each other slack-jawed.

For Gokey, the surprised reaction might not have been completely warranted, since alpha judge Simon Cowell had nice things to say about him the night before. But Cowell had told 17-year-old Iraheta that her performance left him feeling she “could be in trouble.”

None of the judges has ever said anything that ominous to Lambert, whose ride to the Top 5 was among the smoothest of any contestant this season. After Lambert ended up in the Bottom Three, panelists Paula Abdul and Kara DioGuardi both expressed shock.

“It’s crazy,” Abdul said.

It was an unusual week, with the contestants trying their best at standards from crooner Frank Sinatra and the rest of the Rat Pack, in a theme that Los Angeles Times writer Ann Powers said seemed a strange fit.

On “Idol,” it’s a man’s world this season

On “American Idol,” it appears to be a man’s world after all.

It’s no secret that male contestants like Adam Lambert and Danny Gokey have trounced their female counterparts in the singing competition since early this season. And, with just one woman in the show’s Top 5, viewers on Tuesday night were left wondering if the final four contestants would all be men for the first time in “Idol” history.

It’s been a long time since two women — Fantasia Barrino and Diana DeGarmo — competed for the “Idol” title in the finale of the show’s third season in 2004. 

Not that the show’s surviving female contestant performed badly on Tuesday night. Allison Iraheta, who turned 17 this week, won major praise from judges Randy Jackson, Kara DioGuardi and Paula Abdul for her performance of “Someone to Watch Over Me.” DioGuardi even said she could see the Los Angeles teen in the finals.

“Bad cop” judge Simon Cowell, however, said he thought Iraheta still lacked the belief that she could win the competition, and was at risk of being voted off this week.

“I have a horrible feeling you could be in trouble tonight,” Cowell said, as his fellow judges vehemently disagreed.

Having been among the show’s Bottom Three vote-getters on three occasions so far this season, it’s questionable whether Allison has the fan base to catapult her to the top two.

Who is bound for the “Idol” finale?

Lil Rounds and Anoop Desai sang their swan songs Wednesday night on “American Idol,” meaning the singing competition lost its two most uniquely named contestants in one fell swoop.

Nostalgia for “Little” and “Anoop Dogg” aside, their joint offing was hardly unexpected. Lil, a 23-year-old mother of three from Memphis, struggled to gain the judges’ respect through most of her time in the show’s Top 13. Desai, a 21-year-old from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, meanwhile, was among the show’s Bottom Three vote-getters for four straight weeks.

Now, the show is down to five singers, and the big question is which two will make it to the season finale. Adam Lambert has emerged as the frontrunner, but who could challenge him?

Allison Iraheta‘s chances appear slim, after having thrice landed in the Bottom Three, including this week. She is also by far the show’s youngest contestant, at just 16. But could Allison benefit from being the only woman left standing?

Matt Giraud also seems unlikely to make it, having been eliminated from the show twice already by viewers (and each time saved by the judges) — once in the Top 36, and once last week. The fact that he is still around, however, means he must have something going for him. He could prove to have nine lives, after all.

Kris Allen, the show’s “pretty boy” contestant, is a big hit with women viewers. The guitar-strumming Arkansan’s performances, however, have also won huge praise from the judges nearly every week. To use an “Idol” word, he could be among the most “commercial” of the remaining contestants.

Danny Gokey, like Lambert, has been a frontrunner since his first “Idol” audition in Kansas City. The widower and church choir director, whose personal story has pulled at viewers’ heartstrings, is also considered among the best vocalists left in the competition.

Adam Lambert keeps “Idol” judges entranced

Before he went on stage, the camera swooped down on “American Idol” contestant Adam Lambert as he stood beaming in the crowd. But as usual, Lambert was more than just a face in the crowd on Tuesday night, as he again wowed the judges and solidified his frontrunner status.

It was Disco Week on “Idol,” and true to the theme Lambert sang the Bee Gees hit “If I Can’t Have You,” effortlessly hitting the high notes and inspiring judge Paula Abdul to gush that his performance made her feel his “pain.” Abdul was not alone. All the judges said they loved the performance, with alpha judge Simon Cowell commending Lambert for surprising him by picking a Bee Gees song.

“I would have put $10,000 you were going to do Donna Summer, but that’s what’s so good about you, you did something we weren’t expecting,” Cowell said.

Speaking of betting, it seems the smart money is on Lambert. Online betting firm BookMaker.com, which usually confines itself to sports gambling, said on Tuesday that the “Idol” title appears to be Lambert’s to lose, if he does not slip up.

At the other end of the spectrum, embattled singer Lil Rounds continued to leave the judges unimpressed. She sang the Chaka Khan hit “I’m Every Woman,” and although her performance was energetic and confident, judge Randy Jackson faulted her for a lack of vocal control. Lil said that she had a good time with the song, which only gave Cowell an opening to tear her down.

“I’m glad you had fun, because I think this is going to be the last week we’re ever going to see you,” Cowell said.

Cowell had a similarly biting critique for Anoop Desai‘s version of the Donna Summer song “Dim All the Lights.”

Jennifer Hudson sings of love in “Idol” return

A lot has happened to Jennifer Hudson since she last took the stage on “American Idol.” In her highly anticipated return to the show on Wednesday night’s broadcast, Hudson sang “If This Isn’t Love” from her Grammy-winning 2008 debut album.

If the performance was not as poignant as her power ballad “You Pulled Me Through” during the Grammy Awards on Feb. 8, it was a moment to be savored for a singer who has experienced life’s highs and lows since she finished a disappointing seventh in 2004. Ironically, when producers this season introduced a rule allowing them to save one contestant from elimination, Simon Cowell mentioned Hudson’s early exit as a justification for giving him and his fellow judges veto power over America’s votes. And on the same night that viewers saw Hudson’s performance, they saw the judges use their save power to rescue Matt Giraud.

As it turns out, Hudson was not in the studio when it happened. Her performance was taped three weeks ago, and Hudson herself is currently on tour. Judging by a review from a writer with the Atlanta Journal Constitution posted on Wednesday, the tour is going well. “Hudson is a wonder,” the reviewer wrote. “And not just because it is remarkable that she is out in front of audiences mere months after her mother, brother and nephew were killed. But because on the first night of her two-night stand in Atlanta  - the second show being Thursday- this relative newcomer arrived with an ease with the audience that never let on that this is her first tour ever.”

On “Idol” Wednesday night, host Ryan Seacrest (who was careful to dress the same for the pre-tape as for Wednesday’s live broadcast), mentioned Hudson’s Oscar win for her role in the 2006 movie “Dreamgirls” and her Grammy win for best R&B album this year.

“You’ve got an Oscar and a Grammy, what else is left?” Seacrest said.

“I don’t know, well I guess coming back here and singing,” Hudson replied.

How did Hudson do? Was her return everything viewers wanted from the “Idol” favorite?

Can “Idol’s” Adam Lambert be stopped?

Seven singers are still vying for this year’s “American Idol” crown following Wednesday’s offing of Scott MacIntyre, but already there is no longer a pack of frontrunners. Rather, there is one.

Adam Lambert has outshone many of his rivals on this season of “Idol,” winning over fans with his unique showmanship and mindblowing vocal range. Since he entered the show’s Top 12, only one performance has received so-so reviews from the judges, and that was during the notoriously difficult Country Week. Remember Lambert’s “Ring of Fire”?

This week, Lambert’s special shine all but transformed into utter domination of his competitors. Not only did his Tuesday night rendition of the Gary Jules version of Tears for Fears’ “Mad World” receive a shocking standing ovation from persnickety judge Simon Cowell, but Jules himself praised Lambert publicly on Wednesday, calling the performance “fantastic.”

At the same time, some of Lambert’s top rivals appear to be struggling. Diva Lil Rounds ended up in the Bottom Three on Wednesday after several weeks of negative comments from the judges, and reviews have been mixed for performances by Matt Giraud, Allison Iraheta, Kris Allen and Anoop Desai.

To be fair, Danny Gokey is still a formidable opponent to Lambert. It’s up for debate, however, as to whether Gokey can stand out as much as the offbeat Lambert in voters’ minds.

So can the Adam Lambert train be stopped at this point? And if so, who will run him off the rails?

“Idol” Top 9: Cowell zingers and a turnaround for Scott

“American Idol” is already down to nine singers, and as the contestants have honed their performances, judge Simon Cowell has refined his famous one-liners. This week he was in top form, sparing only a select few from his special brand of humiliation.

Here were his top proclamations of the night for each contestant:

Anoop Desai, who performed Usher’s “Caught Up”

Simon: “It was a little bit like a college boy wanting to be a pop star and failing. It actually gave me a headache.”

Megan Joy, who sang Bob Marley’s “Turn Your Lights Down Low.”

Simon: “All of the things we liked about you are disappearing.”

(In fairness, Randy Jackson had the most devastating line for Megan: “It was like watching paint dry”)

On “Idol,” country night takes down frontrunners

“Country Week” is always a mixed bag on “American Idol”, alternately filling viewers with anticipation and dread.

Tuesday night’s tribute to the “Grand Ole Opry,” with country icon Randy Travis as guest mentor, certainly didn’t buck that trend, taking several of the show’s frontrunners down a notch and allowing dark horses to emerge.

“Anoop Dogg” delivered the night’s biggest surprise when his version of Willie Nelson’s “Always on My Mind” received universal praise from the judges. And yes, that included Simon Cowell, who last week said Anoop didn’t deserve his coveted spot in the Top 13.

“Glad to have you back, Anoop,” Cowell said.

Kris Allen was also a fave, earning the title “Tender Dog” from Randy Jackson for his version of the Garth Brooks ballad “To Make you Feel My Love.”

Matt Giraud’s rendition of Carrie Underwood’s “So Small” also made him one to watch in the competition, the judges said.

“Everyone’s been talking about Danny and Adam,” Cowell said to Giraud after his performance “I think you are quite similar to Danny. Tonight, I think you outsang him.”