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Phillip Phillips and Jessica Sanchez engage in a three-round vocal battle to cap season
By Carla Patton
Who would ever have guessed that a novelty name would take one man and his guitar so far in a singing competition? No, of course Phillip Phillips is more than just a funny name from a novel I would have written when I was 12. He means so much to us now! And who would have guessed that Jessica Sanchez would be taking him on in the finale? Granted, Jessica is one of the strongest voices this season, but I was so convinced it would be Joshua Ledet that I spent most of the last week completely denying his elimination and thinking it would be a Phillip/Joshua finale.
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It's the Philippines vs. the Phillippines (which is what Phillip's fans should call themselves). Have you guys heard this about the Philippines supporting Jessica Sanchez? It's not just "American Idol" anymore!
More: 'American Idol' on BuddyTV | Video: Watch 'American Idol' clips and more
They finally got Phillip Phillips into some non-gray for this episode. He's wearing blue, and it looks nice on him. He's singing "Stand by Me" by Benny King for Simon Fuller's pick. It's a bit easier and a bit more relaxed. I'm not entirely sure Phillip hit all the notes or cared if he did or not. It got really nice toward the end, though. Phillip has a sensitivity to him that is very appealing.
So, let's all just relax, let the contestants change their clothes and celebrate Jason Derülo's "healing process." Look! He's bedazzled-neck-brace free! Truly "undefeated." Except he might have been defeated by this melody, which doesn't sound ... great. Oh, Jason. Please don't stand on that chair! You'll hurt yourself again. Thank you for the memories and dreams, Coca-Cola.
So, what was Jessica Sanchez's favorite performance of the season? She can't sing another Whitney song, can she? I'll bet it's "Dance With My Father." But no, it's practically another Whitney song: It's "The Prayer" by Celine Dion, which she sang for the judges before the top 24 round -- a wise decision, because it's new to us. And she gets to wear a pretty long, pink dress. She feels more emotionally connected to this song, you can tell, and she absolutely nailed it. Way to go, Jessica! You were saving that for this moment, weren't you?
Phillip Phillips enjoyed Billy Joel week so much that he wants to sing "Movin' Out" again. I'll admit, I watched this performance back again. I didn't find it particularly remarkable that time, but it was one of his better moments tone-wise (and he can't really choose "We've Got Tonight" or "Volcano" so soon again, can he?). If Phillip wins this season, he owes Saxophone Lady a big peck and a check.
Steven gives Round 2 to Jessica again. Randy calls it a tie (cheap!), and Jennifer chooses Phillip. So, anyone could win.
Now, we will be subjected to the Winner's Songs. I don't know if there's any way these songs can be great, but at least they're not the same song anymore.
Jessica's winning single is up first. What type of artist mold will she need to break out of in a year or two? They've called her single "I Wanna Change Nothing," I believe, and it's a solid 5 out of 10. I don't find it particularly touching or catchy, but I assume she sang it well (we'll never know!). The lyrics were age-appropriate. A 16-year-old singing about how nobody knows what she's been through and how she's going to rebel sounds about right. Randy says he doesn't love the song but loves that she made something more out of it. She gave it "urban flavor," apparently. Jennifer agreed that, if it were up to her, she wouldn't have that be Jessica's first single either. Steven mumbled in agreement. So, we all hated the song! This doesn't bode well as we go into four hours of voting!
Phillip's song is titled "Home" -- straight, simple, and probably better for him as an artist. I bet he didn't get to write it, though. Oh, man. This song is good. As a non-teenager, I much prefer this song to Jessica's youthful pop ballad. It's road trippy and sensitive, and basically I am powerless to resist the charms of Phillip Phillips any longer. It was modern, fun and basically perfect. Damn. It has a hint of Mumford & Sons and a taste of Fleet Foxes. The judges rose to their feet, and we should just give Phillip the platinum microphone or whatever the meaningless trophy is now. Randy yelled about it for a while, citing Mumford & Sons and Fleet Foxes. Jennifer couldn't think of any other song that sounds like that (you need to listen to more music, J.Lo!). And Steven heard Paul Simon.
I have never witnessed such an obvious win before a finale before! OK, maybe Scotty last season. But still. Decimated. They'll both do well, but I think Phillip will have the title to shake. At the very end of the show, my unborn child, Scotty McCreery, returned to the stage to sing "Please Remember Me" as we look back at all the contestants Phillip Phillips groaned on out of here this season. I love you, Scotty. You are the "American Idol" of my teenage heart.
What do you think of Tuesday night's performances? Who's got the inside track?
The "American Idol" finale airs Tuesday, May 22, and Wednesday, May 23, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on FOX.
Host offers insight into why NBC series is beating 'Idol,' 'X Factor' in ratings
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"Voice" host Carson Daly has credited the show's blind auditions as the reason for the its success. Unlike rival shows, the coaches on the show can't see the auditioners: Their evaluations are based solely on singing quality. Daly believes the format is the prime reason it has trounced "American Idol" and "The X Factor" in TV ratings.
Daly tells Zap2it.com, "We just liked the pureness of it, hearkening back ... Is there a place for pure? In this day where you have to be beautiful and popular ... Yeah, they can sing, but what do they look like?" Daly also pinpoints another interesting dynamic only present on "The Voice": the judges being rejected. He explains: "It's the power shift. A 24-year-old sandwich maker, and he gets three chairs to turn around. Now they are in it for the right reason, and he, all of a sudden, he gets to interview them. And where else do you get that shift in power? Multimillionaires interviewed by a kid who makes sandwiches for a living."
Plus: 'Dancing With the Stars' finale preview | 'Felicity': Where are they now? | 'The Bachelorette' Season 9
'X Factor' judge says she and ex enjoy a 'great friendship'
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"X Factor" judge Demi Lovato has developed a "great friendship" with Joe Jonas, three years after their breakup. In an interview with ABC's "Nightline," the singer admits to having been "really mad at him" following their decision to call it quits in 2010. But time has healed old wounds, and the two are good friends once again.
Lovato says, "I can fortunately say that him and his brother Nick have always been there for me and are literally family and like brothers ... We have a great friendship. And we may not be as close as we used to be, but that's OK." Jonas, 23, proved the former couple had buried the hatched by tweeting his support for her new album Demi on May 14. He wrote, "Congrats (Demi Lovato) on the new record! So happy for you!"
Plus: 'Dancing With the Stars' finale preview | 'Felicity': Where are they now? | 'The Bachelorette' Season 9
Wanted star says he 'felt like a king,' eager for fans to see how group really lives
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Wanted star Max George hopes the group's new reality TV show is a big hit because he became quite accustomed to life in Hollywood while filming it. "The Wanted Life" debuts June 2, and George, for one, loved the idea of having his own mansion with his band mates for the show. He says, "It was a little bit different than being in Manchester, England. I could definitely get used to it. First of all, it was nice to wake up every morning and see the whole of the city ... That was just insane. But it was the little things to me that meant the most, like having your own bar, your own swimming pool and the run of Los Angeles. I felt like a king."
George will definitely be watching the show because there were a few unexplained mysteries that might be solved on the program -- like which band mate left their underwear hanging from the chandeliers and who trashed the Jacuzzi. He tells Ryan Seacrest, "I think we'll have to watch. I think we'll find out a lot of mysteries when we see it ... I think I'm probably going to learn a few things about myself I didn't know." As for what fans will learn about him from watching the show, he adds, "Definitely the bond I have with my brother ... and the bond I have with my mom ... I'm very, very close with them two. As a group, I think people will realize when we say we get on like brothers actually do. I think a lot of the time bands have to say that or if they didn’t people will think, 'Surely it doesn't work.' But we genuinely do really get on, and we don't just work together. We actually do everything else away from work most of the time with each other, as well. (And) we actually do party as much as we say we do."
Plus: 'Dancing With the Stars' finale preview | 'Felicity': Where are they now? | 'The Bachelorette' Season 9
'Orange County' newcomer wasn't prepared for 'intense' castmates
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"Real Housewives of Orange County" newcomer Lydia McLaughlin got a real shock when she began filming the reality TV show earlier this year because she didn't expect her castmates to be as "intense" as they are. The 32-year-old, who owns her own high-end magazine that chronicles the lavish lifestyles of Southern Californians, admits she was really naive when she first signed up to join the longest-running "Real Housewives" franchise in February. She thought appearing on the show would be a breeze. However, she quickly learned it wasn't going to be an easy ride with outspoken veterans Vicki Gunvalson, Tamra Barney, Gretchen Rossi, Heather Dubrow and Alexis Bellino as her castmates.
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She tells People.com, "It is more difficult than I thought it would be! I was just like, 'Yeah, what do I have to lose?! What would people not like about me?! I'm just going to be myself, and I'm going to be positive, and have a different type of voice!' When everyone is screaming and yelling, you really can't win in this type of show. It's intense, and those women are intense and they have an opinion, and that's why they've been on the air for so long." McLaughlin insists the drama fans see on-screen is only a small portion of the crazy antics that really take place on set: "I think that the ladies are genuinely who they are on the show, and that there isn't a lot of acting."
Plus: 'Dancing With the Stars' finale preview | 'Felicity': Where are they now? | 'The Bachelorette' Season 9
Season 12 starting to experience the downside of becoming a winner
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"American Idol" winner Candice Glover has spent the days since her TV victory last week blocking haters on Twitter. The singer, who won the TV contest at her third attempt, was a favorite throughout much of the competition. But not everyone watching was a fan. And now she's really experiencing the downside of becoming an "Idol" champ. She tells "Access Hollywood," "I can't even count how many people I've blocked in the past couple of days ... I'd get more negative tweets the further I made it in the competition. They'd talk about how you look, how you sing: 'You suck!' 'You can't sing!' I think it's natural instinct to go past the good tweets. But when you see that bad one, that's the one that sticks with you, and it doesn't feel good to feel that. But I think I've grown a lot over the show ... and I know that, no matter what anybody says on the Internet, that way I can't see them face to face, I know that I'm beautiful."
Bing: More about Candice Glover
Glover has opened up about the feud between "Idol" judges Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj, insisting she had to stay focused on her goal of winning the competition to avoid the distraction in front of her on performance nights. She adds, "Backstage, we were so focused on our performances and not going home the following day ... That really didn't even bother us. We were so determined to do a good job."
Plus: 'Dancing With the Stars' finale preview | 'Felicity': Where are they now? | 'The Bachelorette' Season 9
'Project Runway' host resorts to cash to keep her brood disciplined
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"Project Runway" host Heidi Klum has confessed she bribes her children to start off their days with a healthy breakfast. The German beauty has four kids -- three of them by her ex-husband Seal -- and admits she runs a disciplined household to keep her brood in check. Klum has developed a "points" system to reward the youngsters for good behavior. But when it comes to getting them to drink a healthy smoothie for breakfast each day, she resorts to paying them a dollar a time.
She explains to the Times, "At least I know they've eaten something healthy." And she can only hope the kids keep eating healthy through the day. She says, "Their lunchboxes (containing more healthy food) come back empty, so I don't really know what they've eaten."
Plus: 'Dancing With the Stars' finale preview | 'Felicity': Where are they now? | 'The Bachelorette' Season 9
Newly crowned 'American Idol' champ heaps praise on the judge who backed her
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"American Idol" Season 12 champ Candice Glover is hoping to collaborate with judge Nicki Minaj in the near future. Following her big win, Glover heaped praise on the judge who backed her throughout the competition and revealed that Minaj offered up some top tips on how to survive in show business. Speaking with reporters after the finale, Glover said, "She (Minaj) reminded me to not be a diva. She always tells me to have fun and be myself ... I love Nicki and hope I can collaborate with her."
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Glover's duet dream comes after Minaj told Zap2it.com, "I predicted that she would win, so someone owes me money ... Her voice has always surpassed everyone, every night. And I'm so happy that America got it right and did this based on true talent."
Plus: 'Dancing With the Stars' finale preview | 'Felicity': Where are they now? | 'The Bachelorette' Season 9
Hygiene concerns over stained, unwashed two-piece motivated decision by eBay
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The bikini "Teen Mom" star Farrah Abraham wore for the photo on the cover of her sex tape has been pulled from auction on eBay -- because it was unwashed. On Saturday, bosses at the auction website yanked the listing by porn studio Vivid Entertainment after deciding the pink crystal-encrusted two-piece did not meet the site's hygiene standards. The item had stains from her fake tan among other clear signs of wear and was listed as "used." It had not been washed since the MTV star wore it for a private photo shoot.
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TMZ.com obtained a letter sent to Vivid by eBay chiefs that explained why the listing had been removed. It reads: "Due to health and hygiene concerns, our policy does not allow used clothing to be listed on the site unless the item has been washed first." Reportedly, the bikini will be washed and re-posted on the site. The original listing that started at $500 on Wednesday ignited a bidding war that caused the price to reach $14,700 just before it was pulled from auction.
Plus: 'Dancing With the Stars' finale preview | 'Felicity': Where are they now? | 'The Bachelorette' Season 9
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Entertainment journalist Deanna "TVDeeva" Barnert visits sets, interviews industry players and critiques the final product. Buzz's daytime TV queen covers it all for MSN TV, but loves her sitcoms, soaps and any juicy drama that doesn't call itself Reality TV.
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