The good news is that I finally like this season of Idol, it took me awhile to warm up to the new contestants and now I'm ready for the big guns. The final 10 (note: these are the contestants that will be on the summer tour), all of which I like in one way or another, except for Anoop. By the way America, I think that we made a bad decision by getting rid of Alexis Grace…while I think that her rendition of Jolene left much to be desired, I think that she was one of the best left.

Here is my rundown:


My Top 3: (so far)

1) Matt Giraud – HE IS AWESOME!!!! Randomly, he is the perfect blend of Robin Thicke, Justin Timberlake, Michael Buble and Jason Mraz. AMAZING! I have only ever voted twice in Idol history (Carrie Underwood and Carly Smithson) and I will let it be known that I'll be voting for Matt this season. I hope he wins and if he doesn’t win I hope he pulls a Jennifer Hudson/Daughtry on us and lives up to what he is capable of doing.

2) Megan Corkery – Yes, she has awkward dance moves and can be kind of different, but there is something about her that I can't resist, maybe it’s the sleeve tat (note: Carly Smithson had one too). I think she is great and given the right music choices, she'll do wonderful things.

3) Kris Allen – I think that he is just a tiny puppy that will eventually mature over the next few weeks. This guy has so much potential he has a voice that seems to adapt to everything he sings. If he figures out what he wants to be as an artist I think he'll go pretty far in the competition.


MOST ANNOYING:

1) Anoop Desai – He's just bad and I think that if it weren't for his Chapel Hill faithful from UNC voting every week, he would've been gone a long time ago. I mean he could probably easily win a karaoke competition, but other than that I've got no love for Anoop.

2) Danny Gokey – I know he has a sob story and I know that the judges love him, but I just can't get into him. For me he is a cross between Taylor Hicks and Clay Aiken and I just can't warm up yet, maybe in the coming weeks I'll figure out a way to like him.

3) Adam Lambert – A Broadway actor that has the talent and the ability to completely re-work songs to work for his style, too bad I don't really like his style. If he can figure out a way to tone down the dramatics I feel like I would like him more. He's a lot like David Cook in the sense that he takes a song and makes it entirely his own, barely even channeling the original version. Its obvious the producers like him best, he has the best lighting, usually song choice, staging, and order in the show.


For me the verdict is out on Lil Rounds and Michael Sarver, I don’t have a passionate opinion about either of them, sometimes I REALLY like them and other times I don't. I think the judges were really harsh on Michael this week, I thought his performance was by far the most fun of the evening.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Idol is back...

American Idol always comes at just the right time, in the middle of winter when all everyone wants to do is kick it indoors where it is warm and when we're starving for new television since most shows have been on hiatus (The Office/30 Rock/Brothers & Sisters) or canceled (Pushing Daisies/Dirty-Sexy-Money), so now its time for fresh television. I actually have never watched a full season of Idol until last year, but I've always watched the last 4 episodes of every season with my favorite performer in mind.

Every year I swear I'll never watch the reality wreck again, but I love it! It is sooooo corny, at times annoying, but sooooo AWESOME! Idol is my guiltiest of my many guilty pleasures and at this point in the game I'm addicted, o yea it hasn't even started yet.

Why am I addicted you ask? Let me count the ways:

1) I love water cooler talk about last night's epsiode between performance and elimination night

2) I love the inevitable conversation that will take place after elimination night

3) I love logging onto Itunes and downloading my favorite performances

4) I love the over-choreographed and under practiced group performance usually at the beginning and end of every show, you never know what might happen, just one step too close and Jason Castro's weave will go up in flames during Rihanna's Please Don't Stop the Music and it doesn't get much better than that

5) Of course the inevitable arena tour that will commence following the season finale this summer. (note: This past summer while "working" in NYC, Kristen and I schlepped it out to the concert in Jersey (sigh) and it was everything that I hoped it would be and more. Kristen is the best friend ever for actually making this hike with me, she'll try to act like she didn't love it but what is there not to love about an amateur performance of I'm Proud to be an American in front of a neon flag, whispering sweet nothings to Carly Smittson in the meet n greet line, and whooping at Jason Castro, not too many things. If you've never been, you should find your closest related 12 year cousin/niece/brother or any tween that you can find and take them because then you will at least have an excuse for being at and then enjoying the high school-esque talent show that is the Pop Tarts American Idol Tour)

6) Oh, and I want to be Ryan Seacrest (as mentioned earlier this week), have the business mind of Simon Cowell, and strive to have coffee or a vodka tonic with Paula Abdul, and now this new chick, who is the new chick you might be asking yourself? I did the same and have a found a few vague details about her from the world of wikipedia.

Kara Elizabeth DioGuardi (born December 9, 1970) is an American songwriter, record producer, and singer who has contributed to a long list of internationally successful popular songs. She writes music in the light pop-rock genre. She will be a new Judge on the eighth season of American Idol. DioGuardi has worked with Celine Dion, David Archuleta, Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, and Paula Abdul, American Idol's other female judge.

SHE SOUNDS AWESOME TO ME!!!! I can't wait to meet her tonight at 7pm central time on FOX!!!!

UPDATE: WELCOME BACK BRADFORD!!!!! I am so glad that Sam Bradford and teammates are bypassing the NFL Draft and returning for another year of Sooner football, BOOMER SOONER!