Talk about showing American Idol’s new crop of finalists how it’s done…
Jessica Sanchez, last season’s runner-up, returned to Fox’s reality singing competition to perform the first track from her upcoming debut album.
Dressed in a sparkly silver midriff-exposing top, baggy pants and silver, high-heeled high tops, the 17-year-old half-Mexican singer took the stage to sing “Tonight,” her poptastic collaboration with R&B star Ne-Yo.
It’s hard to believe Sanchez was competing on Idol just a year ago after her seasoned pro-like performance on Thursday night’s results show. She strutted her stuff across the stage with confidence, showed her Jennifer Lopez-like sass in front of a wind machine and even busted a move with her backup dancers.
Following her performance, which earned a standing ovation from Keith Urban, Nicki Minaj and Randy Jackson, Sanchez confirmed to Idol host Ryan Seacrest that she’s having the time of her life.
The future looks oh-so-bright for the Latino competitors likeLazaro Arbos on American Idol this season…
Following two weeks of intense Sudden Death episodes in Las Vegas, Mariah Carey and her fellow Idol judges have picked their Top 20 girls and guys to advance to the next round on Fox’s hit singing competition.
This season five Latinos, including the 21-year-old Cuban American hopeful with a speech impediment who has consistently impressed judges since his first audition, have made it through.
Arbos, who performed Keith Urban’s “Tonight I Want to Cry,” was the last Latino to make it through. He was the only Hispanic singer in this Thursday’s Sudden Death round.
Nicki Minaj said Arbos played it safe “in a good way” and called his performance very truthful, while Randy Jackson said there’s a “sweet spot” in Arbos’ voice and it’s like no one else’s in the competition.
Earlier this week, Breanna Steer was the last Latina to make the cut following her performance of Jazmine Sullivan’s “Bust Your Windows.” The 18-year-old part-Honduran American singer impressed the judges with her powerful performance.
Minaj called her “sexy on a stick,” while Carey told her she though Steer was “extremely marketable and gorgeous and talented.”
Last week, Devin Velez and Elijah Liu survived their extremely competitive Sudden Death round to advance.
Velez, an 18-year-old Chicago native performed a bilingual version of Beyonce’s “Listen” that earned kudos from the judges.
Minaj called his decision to sing in English and Spanish a “smart choice,” making him more marketable.
Liu, an 18-year-old half-Mexican American singer from California, performed Bruno Mars’ “Talking To The Moon.”
The half-Mexican/half-Chinese American hopeful had Minaj declaring, “I would sign you today!”
The first Hispanic hopeful to advance in the competition last week was Tenna Torres. The 28-year-old Puerto Rican & African American singer performed Natasha Bedingfield‘s “Soulmate.”
Minaj praised Torres on her 1990’s R&B tone, while Urban called it “a beautiful song for you to do,” adding, “It’s also a deceptively big song that requires a lot of control, which you mostly had throughout that performance.”
The Top 20 will all perform next week, with the public vote set to decide their fate for the first time.
Here’s the complete list of the Top 20 Guys & Girls:
Adriana Latonio
Amber Holcomb
Angela Miller
Aubrey Cleland Breanna Steer Candice Glover
Janelle Arthur
Kree Harrison Tenna Torres Zoanette Johnson
Burnell Taylor
Charlie Askew
Cortez Shaw
Curtis Finch, Jr. Devin Velez Elijah Liu
Lazaro Arbos Paul Jolley
Nick Boddington
Vincent Powell
He’s made it past the Hollywood rounds… And, now Lazaro Arbos’ American Idol dreams will take him to Las Vegas…
During Thursday night’s episode of the Fox reality singing competition, the 21-year-old Cuba-born singer was named as one of the 40 Idol hopefuls advancing to the next round.
But Arbos isn’t the only Latino competitor heading to Las Vegas…
On the boys’ side, 18-year-old Devin Velez and 27-year-old Josh “JDA” Davila have advanced; on the girls’ side, 28-year-old Tenna Torres has made it to the next round.
Next week, Idol moves to Las Vegas, where only 20 contestants will remain after that round.
During her audition for the Fox reality singing competition, the mariachi singer and San Antonio native performed Fergie’s smash hit “Big Girls Don’t Cry.” Even though she impressed the judges, it wasn’t until Randy Jackson asked her to perform a mariachi song that Acosta moved the judges to send her to Hollywood.
“The reason why I wanted you to do that is because you see the connection there, that’s the connection you need to have,” Jackson said as all of the other judges, Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban concurred.
Acosta, who started singing mariachi music when she was 6, said she was excited about the opportunity.
“Getting this golden ticket means I get to represent San Antonio and I am really excited to go to Hollywood,” said Acosta, adding that one of the main reasons why she loves performing is because she gets tourists “involved in the culture.”
“They can say, ‘Hey this is a modern city [San Antonio]’ but we still need connect to our historical roots,” she said.
During the second night of American Idol’s premiere week episodes, Lazaro Arbos manages to get Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj to agree…
The 21-year-old Cuban-American singer and American Idol hopeful stole the show and the feuding judges hearts in the second episode of the Fox reality singing competition’s 12th season during his Chicago audition.
Appearing at the end of the episode, Arbos – who has struggled with a stutter since he was six – sang “Bridge Over Troubled Water” to perfection, without any impediments.
“It’s amazing that the stammer doesn’t happen when you sing,” said judge Randy Jackson.
Keith Urban said he loved Arbos’ voice so much, he suggested the contestant “just sing all the time.”
Carey called his performance “beautiful” and told him he was adorable, while Minajsaid she found Arbos “very, very inspiring.”
In what turned out to be the feel-good story of the night, Arbos received four yes votes from the judges, advancing him to Hollywood.
“It doesn’t matter what you’ve been dealt,” announces Mariah Carey in the latest promo for the upcoming season of American Idol…
The 42-year-old part-Venezuelan singer and new judge of Fox’s reality singing competition appears in the new promo that aims to give hope to aspiring singers, claiming, “Dreams come true here [on American Idol].”
Following Carey’s decree, Randy Jackson continues, “True talent always overcomes.” Fellow judges Keith Urban and Nicki Minaj add, “If you’ve got what it takes you can make your dream a reality. ”
There’s also another promo that features a stuttering contestant. Despite his difficulty speaking, hopeful Lazaro Arbos has a good voice and impresses the judges with his rendition of “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” shedding tears as the judges praise his performance.
The new season of American Idol will premiere on Wednesday, January 16 on Fox.
Fans can watch the premiere episode a week earlier, on January 9, at a free screening in 11 movie theaters across the country in New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington, DC, Atlanta, Detroit, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Nashville and Los Angeles.
It looks like Mariah Carey is feelin’ emotions in her new American Idol stint…
The 42-year-old Grammy-winning singer and new Idol judge appears in a new promo for the upcoming 12th season of Fox’s hit reality singing competition.
In the clip, Carey delivers a short inspirational message, saying “I always sang and I always wrote. It’s just about having that ambition. You really can’t let go of your dreams,” as footage shows her during the show’s auditions.
In one scene, a teary-eyed Carey says, “Do not make me cry.” She’s also moved by another Idol hopeful, praising him, “I felt every single word you sang.” To another promising talent, she says, “I know people are going to love you.”
Together with Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban, Carey joins Randy Jackson on the judging panel, with Ryan Seacrest returning as the host.
The new season of American Idol premieres on January 16, 2013 on Fox.
There may be seven billion people on the planet… But there’s only one Mariah Carey…
Fox has debuted the first official promo for the twelfth season of American Idol, which features the 42-year-old part-Venezuelan singer and her fellow Idol judges, host Ryan Seacrest and a slew of hopefuls holding cue cards that read, “There are 7 billion people in the world…but there’s only one…”
Carey, Nicki Minaj, Keith Urban and Randy Jackson each hold placards with their names on them before Seacrest appears and promises, “The show that started it all is starting our best season yet.”
American Idol will return with a two-night event on January 16.
Mariah Carey has taken her seat at the (judge’s) table…
Fox released the first official photo of the new American Idol judging panel on Sunday, with the 42-year-old part-Venezuelan singer sitting pretty at one end of the desk.
The photo, taken on the first day of auditions for the upcoming 12thseason, was released just hours after Fox officially confirmed that hip-hop artist Nicki Minaj and country singer Keith Urban would join Carey on the panel this season.
Original Idol judge Randy Jackson was also confirmed to return as a judge, after talks with Enrique Iglesias stalled.
The image shows Jackson sitting in his usual seat at one end, with Carey at the other end of the judges’ table. Urban sits on Carey’s immediate left, and Minaj is positioned between him and Jackson.
Ryan Seacrest, also pictured, is returning as host, while Interscope Records chairman Jimmy Iovine is expected to return to provide commentary.
Auditions kicked off Sunday in New York. Other audition cities include Los Angeles, Chicago, Charlotte, NC, San Antonio, Baton Rouge, LA and Oklahoma City.
It’s apparently a no-go for Enrique Iglesias on American Idol…
The 36-year-old Spanish singer was reportedly offered $4 million to serve as a judge on the upcoming season of Fox’s hit singing competition last week.
But now comes word that the network has pulled the plug on negotiations with Iglesias, according to a source close to the show.
Iglesias, who recently wrapped his North American tour with Jennifer Lopez, had been eyed as a possible fourth judge, joining the already-announced panel that includes Mariah Carey, as well as Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban, both of whom are thisclose to wrapping up deals to join the show’s 12th season.
Randy Jackson, the sole remaining original judge, was said to be moving on to take more of a mentor role on the show. But now Fox, producers FremantleMedia and 19 Entertainment have reportedly abandoned that idea in favor of having Jackson return to the judges’ table.
No word on what derailed Iglesias’ talks, but money seems to be a big issue with talent show judges.
The current plan, according to the source, is to announce an Idol judges panel of Carey, Minaj, Urban and Jackson in time for the show’s on-site auditions, which start by the end of September.
