American Idol

Awesome performances. Watch the videos here.

The best thing about Thursday's episode of "American Idol"? It marked the end of this season's audition phase. Next week, we're going to Hollywood!

Confession: Wednesday's last-audition sob story on "American Idol" actually made me cry.

So much for a lack of joke auditions this season.

Thursday's episode of "American Idol," set in Houston, was heavy on unsuccessful hopefuls. Need proof? One singer greeted the judges with this line: "Grant me the power to bring revolution to the world."

Let's hope the "American Idol" judges at least got a good vacation out of their trip to Aspen.

Based on what we saw Wednesday night, the talent certainly didn't make the trip to Colorado worthwhile. With very few exceptions -- for example, 18-year-old hippie Haley Smith -- the advancing hopefuls were average at best.

"American Idol" changed its routine and aired a Sunday episode that featured auditions in San Diego. The show started nearly an hour later than expected, since it followed a football game that went into overtime.

Was the special episode necessary? Depends on your fascination with Jane Carrey.

Welcome to Pittsburgh, "American Idol" fans!

Not good...Wednesday's "American Idol" premiere "had the biggest year-over-year ratings drop for a premiere episode in the show’s decade-long history," according to Entertainment Weekly.

TMZ says Amy Brumfield -- an "American Idol" hopeful who lives in a tent and advanced to Hollywood -- has a criminal past.

Welcome to the 11th season of "American Idol." I'll be your tour guide for this journey, which will last approximately until May.

Maybe you're not already counting down the hours until tonight's bad karaoke party begins. Maybe you almost forgot the 11th season of "American Idol" premieres 8 p.m. tonight on Fox.

So what's going on with "American Idol" singer Stefano Langone? Nothing, actually. I just wanted an excuse to post a shirtless photo. Kidding.

When I tell a crowd of people that I blog about "American Idol," usually at least one person offers this response: "Wow, I haven't watched that show in forever."

The last time I updated this blog, I was about 10 minutes away from boarding an airplane and had just learned about Adam Lambert's arrest.

Hey folks...I don't have too much time this morning, but Perez Hilton is reporting that "American Idol" runner-up Adam Lambert was arrested in Finland.

Still on the fence about purchasing James Durbin's album, "Memories of a Beautiful Disaster"? Read this.

I'm excited about the new season of "American Idol," but it's a different kind of excitement than what I experienced last year.

OK, so we've had some hard times in "American Idol" land this Thanksgiving weekend. Find out what happened to Lauren Alaina and Scotty McCreery.

Sometimes it's pleasant when my reality TV worlds collide. Sometimes it's scary.

When I recently lamented the absence of "American Idol," reality hit. The new season is only about two months away.

Here's the music video for "Baby, It's Cold Outside," performed by "American Idol" contestants Haley Reinhart and Casey Abrams.

Should I feel guilty for totally loving this duet featuring "American Idol" contestant Paul McDonald and his wife, "Twilight" star Nikki Reed? Granted, Paul performs the majority of the vocals, but it's still really cute.

"American Idol" runner-up Lauren Alaina lost 25 pounds and ignited an Internet debate.

I happily broke my "no Christmas music until after Thanksgiving" rule today. Why? "American Idol" finalists Casey Abrams and Haley Reinhart have a holiday duet.

Have you heard about the comments Ellen DeGeneres recently gave Parade magazine?

"American Idol" finalist Paul McDonald -- an Auburn University alum -- married "Twilight" actress Nikki Reed on Sunday in Malibu, US Weekly reports.

Lauren Alaina's debut disc, "Wildflower," is now available for purchase. Don't know if you should buy the album?

UPDATE: Turns out "American Idol" winner Jordin Sparks apparently is not dating Jason Derulo after all. So, um, false alarm. Maybe.

Thanks to Entertainment Weekly for directing me to this awesome video of season 10 finalist Haley Reinhart singing "God Bless the Child" in a New Orleans jazz club.

Six months ago, I thought I’d be throwing a party Wednesday night.

Was anyone really invested in the Pia Toscano/Mark Ballas romance?

I've been a die-hard Tony Bennett fan for a pretty long time. When I confessed my obsession during my teen years, my classmates generally offered this response: "Who?"

Kelly Clarkson officially debuted her new single, "Mr. Know It All," online.

Today's a great day in the "American Idol" universe. Kelly Clarkson's new single premieres at 5:30 p.m. tonight. I'll post a review shortly after the song hits the Internet.

In my eyes, Kelly Clarkson can do virtually no wrong.

I took a brief break from this blog while I was home in California for a few days. What did I miss?

Well, that wasn't too shocking.

It's one of the days when I wish I could have my dream job: a reporting position with the freedom to go investigate anything "Idol"-related in our region.

One of the biggest things I took away from the first season of "The Voice" -- aside from the talent -- was the relatively large number of openly gay contestants.

Melanie Moore of Marietta, Ga., won the eighth season of "So You Think You Can Dance" Thursday night. Sasha Mallory placed second.

"American Idol" executive producer Nigel Lythgoe says Jennifer Lopez will be back for another season of "Idol," but Fox hasn't made an official announcement.

Here's the official music video for Pia Toscano's single, "This Time."

Here's the official music video for Scotty McCreery's single, "I Love You This Big."

Here's the official music video for Lauren Alaina's single, "Like My Mother Does." What do you think?

I had a Friday telephone interview with Casey Abrams in conjunction with the "American Idol" finalist's role in a new campaign to raise awareness about inflammatory bowel disease.

I love it when the "American Idol" and "So You Think You Can Dance" universes collide.

We're in the "American Idol" off-season, but you're already flexing your finger muscles to prepare for some extreme voting in season 11.

What do you think about news that season three "American Idol" champ Fantasia Barrino is pregnant? Has your opinion of Fantasia changed since she won the "Idol" title?

Here's a roundup of my observations from the July 26 "American Idol" concert in Atlanta.

The "American Idol" tour organizers were kind enough to let me interview three finalists -- Paul McDonald, Lauren Alaina and James Durbin -- hours before Tuesday's concert in Atlanta.

The "Idol" tour organizers were kind enough to let me interview three finalists -- Paul McDonald, Lauren Alaina and James Durbin -- hours before the July 26 concert in Atlanta. Here's the first video interview of the batch.

I had a great time at Tuesday's "American Idol" concert. I'll be posting photos and videos throughout the day. Here's a quick batch of photos to get you excited.

Well, folks, after five years of blogging about "American Idol," I'm finally attending an "Idol" concert.

Are Brendon and Rachel from "Big Brother" more annoying than Ron and Sam from "Jersey Shore"?

I faced double disappointment while watching Thursday's episode of "Big Brother." Cassi Colvin was unanimously evicted from the "Big Brother" house and Rachel Reilly won head of household. Again.

Dominic won the power of veto on Wednesday's episode of "Big Brother," forcing head of household Jordan to nominate a new duo for eviction. She chose Cassi and Shelly.

Could "So You Think You Can Dance" winner Lauren Froderman become an all-star on the show's current season?

Jordan, this week's head of household, nominated Dominic and Adam for eviction on Sunday's episode of "Big Brother."

New player Keith Henderson was kicked off "Big Brother" Thursday night. Veteran player Jordan Lloyd is the new head of household.

Here's what you need to know about Wednesday's episode of "Big Brother."

Lauren Alaina wants to show her fellow "American Idol" finalists something special when the "Idol" tour stops in her home state of Georgia on July 26.

I couldn't help rolling my eyes upon spotting Pia Toscano's name among Google's most-searched terms once again.

Wow...I've been so obsessed with "Big Brother" and "So You Think You Can Dance" lately that I've neglected to blog about "American Idol." I'll make it up to you with a few "Idol"-related tidbits.

Another episode of "Big Brother" for the record books. I'll break some bad news right away: Sunday's show gave us absolutely no clues about why Dick left the "Big Brother" house. That will be revealed Wednesday. Any guesses?

Summer isn't complete without the phrase "head of household."

What do you think about news that "American Idol" alum Pia Toscano has a record deal?

Miranda Maleski and Robert Taylor Jr. were eliminated from "So You Think You Can Dance" Thursday night.

Javier Colon won the first season of "The Voice" on NBC Wednesday night. Dia Frampton had the second-most votes.

The four remaining contestants on "The Voice" performed one last time for viewers' votes on Tuesday. The winner will be revealed on Wednesday.

Does this rehearsal video make you more or less excited about the "American Idol" summer tour?

Missy Morelli, Iveta Lukosiute, Wadi Jones and Nick Young were eliminated from "So You Think You Can Dance" Thursday night.

Inspired by the debut season of "The Voice"? Auditions for the show's second season will come to Atlanta on Aug. 5-6.

Dia Frampton, Javier Colon, Vicci Martinez and Beverly McClellan will compete in next week's finale of "The Voice."

Coaches Cee Lo Green and Adam Levine narrowed their teams to two singers each on Tuesday's episode of "The Voice." Here are the results.

Emphasizing the talent level of this season's contestants, the "So You Think You Can Dance" judges decided to eliminate nobody this week.

Find out which singers went home on "The Voice" on June 14.

Would you pay "American Idol" runner-up Clay Aiken $85,000 to perform at your event? How about $200,000 for Daughtry?

Here's the top 20 for the eighth season of "So You Think You Can Dance." What do you think?

Season 10 "American Idol" finalist Paul McDonald is reportedly engaged to "Twilight" star Nikki Reed. Paul is an Auburn University alum.

"American Idol" runner-up Bo Bice put on a high-energy rock show Saturday night at the Phenix City Amphitheater.

Bo Bice, who placed second on the fourth season of "Idol," comes to the Phenix City Amphitheater on Saturday. The show starts at 8 p.m. and tickets are $10, free for guests 12 and younger.

What? I'm writing about something other than "American Idol" on an "Idol" blog? Believe it. Welcome to "So You Think You Can Dance" season eight, folks.

Remember how host Ryan Seacrest didn't acknowledge season nine champ Lee DeWyze on Wednesday's "American Idol" finale? Yeah, there's a story behind that.

Scotty McCreery won "American Idol" season 10 Wednesday night.

Sure, Scotty McCreery won the "American Idol" season 10 title Wednesday night. That filled up all of two minutes of a two-hour show.

I didn't get angry about this season of "American Idol" until Tuesday night.

Finalists Lauren Alaina and Scotty McCreery performed one last time for viewers' votes on Tuesday's episode of "American Idol." Here's a recap of the show.

We're almost done, "Idol" fans. Here's a quick primer on what to expect when Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina battle it out on the final week of the season.

Haley Reinhart was eliminated from "American Idol" Thursday night. Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina will compete in next week's finale.

The top three "American Idol" contestants -- Scotty McCreery, Lauren Alaina and Haley Reinhart -- performed Wednesday night. Here's a recap of the show.

USA Today's Idol Chatter blog has an interesting update on the quasi-feud between ousted "Idol" contestant James Durbin and "Idol" runner-up Adam Lambert.

Here's a link to some song choice spoilers for Wednesday's "American Idol" top three performance show.

Are you ready for some "American Idol" top three excitement? Yeah, I thought so.

James Durbin was eliminated on Thursday's episode of "American Idol." Almost 72 million votes were cast this week, host Ryan Seacrest says.

The top four "American Idol" contestants performed Wednesday night on Fox. Here's a recap of the show.

Local entertainers have a chance to audition Saturday for "The X Factor," a reality TV talent competition slated to premiere on Fox this fall.

The four remaining "American Idol" contestants -- Scotty McCreery, Lauren Alaina, Haley Reinhart and James Durbin -- will perform the songs of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller Wednesday night.

Jacob Lusk was eliminated on Thursday's episode of "American Idol." Lauren Alaina joined him in the bottom two.

The top five "American Idol" contestants performed songs from now and then Wednesday night. Here's a recap of the show.

The top five "American Idol" contestants will sing tunes from "now and then" Wednesday night. That means they'll each do one current song and one from the '60s.