Duets Premiere - How Awesome Is This Show?

ABC's Duets opens with the four coaches/judges/competitors, whatever we’re calling them, taking the stage together with a rendition of  "Let Me Entertain You" complete with pretty amazing backup dancers and marching band drummers. See? I’m already ridiculously excited. They look great, they sound great, and I want them to just keep singing. Oh, and please tell me why Robin Thicke just exudes sexiness. What’s his secret?

Our host Quddus, not to be confused with Quidditch, arrives to tell us how the show will work. The amateur contestants will perform each week with one of the awesome individuals we just saw on stage (I know – I need to tone it down), and the newbies are vying for a recording contract with Hollywood Records. We then get a glimpse of the selection process for each “team” before the amateurs perform songs by the Superstars with the Superstars (that seems to be the official name now). There will also be a scoring system. This is a whole lot of information – let’s get this show on the road!

Jennifer Nettles had a tough time choosing between the talent she encountered during auditions, but she chooses J Rome as her first duet partner. They perform “Tonight,” and Jennifer was right on the money when she said this guy has soul. I know they’re supposed to be building chemistry, and they seem to be having a great time together, but I wish they’d play a little more to the audience as well. It takes til the very end of the song for them to split off from looking at one another. Still – a good start to the duets.

Other Superstar Say: Okay, the scoring works as follows – the Superstars that did not perform will rank the duet on a scale of 1 to 100 with performance and presentation categories. Kelly speaks first (yay!), saying that she wasn’t sure how J Rome and Jennifer would blend, but “soulful music rings clear in any genre.” Robin says J Rome is handsome with a great voice. John thinks J Rome looks and sounds like a star. When we look at the “Duets Chart” which will rank the contestants, J Rome is first, because….well, no one else has performed yet.

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John Legend had a bit of a late start with this process as Lionel Richie was originally slated for this show. He finds a partner he likes in Johnny Gray though, and they take the stage now to sing “Ordinary People.” I wish John Legend could wail on the piano for every contestants’ performance on this show. He’s just mesmerizing. His tribute to Whitney Houston at the Billboard Music Awards the other night was very touching. As for Johnny Gray, he is definitely holding his own on this song. He’s worked up quite a sweat, but he’s pretty darn good.

Other Superstars Say: Robin says Johnny has the exact same emotional connection to the lyrics as Mr. Legend does. Kelly uses the phrase “too cool for school,” and I grin. Jennifer says Johnny has “a beautiful low end that just makes it warm like honey.” Wait, what? Jennifer is going to be a lot of fun to write about this season. We go to the chart, and Johnny did not beat out J Rome. It’s okay though – because no one is going home this week apparently.

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Robin Thicke is looking for a soulful duet partner who has their own style. He chooses Olivia Chisholm, and they sing “Lost Without You.” She is one lucky lady – there is so much heat going on during their performance I have to fan myself as I mutter “wish I knew how to sing.”

Other Superstars Say: John thinks Olivia sounds a bit like Aaliyah with a subtle, sexy approach. Jennifer says Olivia’s voice is so authentic in this genre. Kelly would give her left leg to look like Olivia. I would give both of my legs and any other necessary limbs and to look like Kelly. I don’t know what she’s thinking. We go to the chart, and Olivia is third.

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Kelly Clarkson has been on the road for most of 2012. I may have seen her live twice so far this year. I may have tickets to see her at least two more times this year. I may have met her in April. So, it’s safe to say that I’m looking forward to her duets the most. The first partner she chooses is Jason Farol and I already love him. Seeing how emotional he got while performing with Kelly at her concert did me in. They perform “Breaking Your Own Heart” now, a song from her newest album that has not been released as a single. Jason is definitely nervous, but he has too good a voice to be insecure. I’m so glad she picked him.

Other Superstars Say: Jennifer says Jason lights up the room. Robin thinks Jason is adorable. John loves how much Jason loves being here. We go to the chart, and Jason is fourth. The crowd does not sound pleased. I’m not either.

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John Legend’s second duet partner is Bridget Carrington and they perform “Tonight (Best You Ever Had). John steps out from behind the piano and they give Robin and Olivia a run for their money in the chemistry department. I think I like Bridget’s voice better that Olivia’s, but it’s still pretty early to be sure.

Other Superstars Say: Robin says the song makes him want to go to the club. Kelly chimes in saying the song makes her want to call her man. Oh snap! Jennifer says the song makes her want to go home after the club (she was trying to combine Robin’s comment with Kelly’s and I’m going to give her an “A” for effort). We go to the chart, and Bridget comes in above Jason. Hmm.

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Jennifer Nettles picks from her home town to find her next duet partner, John Glosson. His audition of “How Great That Art” breaks her, which breaks me. They perform “Stay” and I think Jennifer has more of a connection with John that J Rome. John is incredibly talented, and I think a ton of the viewers will be pulling for him. Hurts me a little to say this….but this is probably the best performance so far.

Other Superstars Say: Kelly is very moved by the performance and tells John he sings like an angel. John (Legend) says the two blended very well together. Robin calls Jennifer a beast, but I think he means it as a compliment. He says John held his own. We go to the chart, and John has taken the 3 spot.

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Robin Thicke searched for a gospel singer to be his second duet partner and he finds one in Alexis Foster. Their duet is “Magic” (see what I did there?), and I think he chose the right person out of the others from the audition. I’m not confident about Alexis’ heels, but I am confident about her voice. Well done.

Other Superstars Say: Kelly tells Alexis her voice is beautiful. John likes that Alexis’ voice is crystal clear. Jennifer thought the performance was fantastic. We go to the chart, and Alexis takes the 3 spot right out from under John.

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Kelly Clarkson is looking for more of a Trisha Yearwood type voice for her next partner and she had two pretty awesome voices to choose from. She goes with Jordan Meredith, and I’m thrilled for Jordan because she is such a Kelly fan. I go back to muttering “wish I knew how to sing” under my breath though. So jealous. They are taking on “Stronger,” and…Kelly’s energy is just amazing isn’t it? I’m dancing in my seat….back to Jordan. I think she sounds great. I was almost expecting her to freak out, but she keeps it together and I’m proud of her.

Other Superstars Say: John says Kelly is one of the best singers in the world, which is absolutely true. He says Jordin’s tone compliments Kelly’s. Jennifer thought they blended so well together that she a hard time hearing who was lead and who was harmony. Robin likes her smile, her hair, and her voice, so all around good reviews. We go to the chart after the commercial break and Jordin is…7th? WHAT? So both of Kelly’s contestants are the bottom 2? I call shenanigans! Kelly does too.

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As Quddus mentioned earlier, no one is eliminated tonight. The ranking confuses me. Did the Superstars just rank J Rome way higher because he went first? I definitely do not think he was better than several of the other competitors. And what I really want to know is – when does America get to vote? There will be no more of this “Kelly’s contestants are in the bottom” nonsense once that happens. The next episode will air next Thursday. Til then!

ABC Duets

I do not have much to say in the intro to Duets because the show is in its first season, and I honestly have no idea how the show will be set up other than the duet performances. This is mainly meant as a disclaimer because there will be serious favoritism in my posts about Duets. See, everything Kelly Clarkson does is awesome. I’m never going to believe differently. While I really enjoy the other coaches/judges/mentors for this show, I will be rooting for Team Kelly regardless. The reason I watch these music competition shows, and the reason I’ve been desperately wanting to write about them comes from watching Kelly’s journey on Season 1 of American Idol. Snicker if you like, but it was life-changing. She is so incredibly grounded, and her music has lightened some of the darkest situations I’ve encountered. I hope Duets is a hit for ABC, because it’s been a decade since I’ve been able to watch Kelly perform on a weekly TV show, and it would be tragic for ABC to giveth and then taketh away after one season.

American Idol Crowns A Winner!

Tonight Season 11 of American Idol comes to a close, and we will find out if the confetti will fall for Jessica or Phillip. The show begins with a performance from the Top 12 (no sign of Jermaine), and during the bridge Joshua attempts to do the splits and falls not once, but twice before former So You Think You Can Dance contestants come in to pick up the pieces. Ryan is kind enough to let us know that either Jessica or Phillip will win tonight. Get ready for a star-studded evening, kids.

After the commercial break, P squared performs with John Fogerty from CCR. Phillip has thankfully changed back to his token gray t-shirt, and Carrie Underwood looks on thoughtfully from the audience as they sing “Have You Ever Seen The Rain?” and “Bad Moon Rising.” I forgot how awesome John Fogerty is on stage. This is a great way to start the evening.

Joshua performs next, and as expected, he is joined on stage by Fantasia. HOLY HELL! What on earth does she have on?!?!? Between the hair, the make-up, and an outfit that even Cher would send back, I have no idea what’s happening here other than a complete train wreck.  I’m pretty sure they are both on crack as they run out into the audience screaming. The judges look confused, and the producers don’t even wait for the performance to end before going to commercial.

We are treated (?) now to a performance by the female finalists – a preview of what Idol fans can expect on the summer tour. As “I’m Every Woman” starts, this marks Jessica’s fourth Whitney song of the season. But wait! Chaka Khan descends the stair case, and she has raided Fantasia’s dressing room for a slightly less offensive ensemble. My favorite part of the performance is when the camera cuts to Jane Lynch in the audience and she is singing enthusiastically.

We're about to go to another commercial, and I find myself asking: where the hell is J.Lo? Ryan has been sitting in her seat since the last commercial break.

Rihanna, fresh off the Battleship (too soon?), takes the stage in some sort of glowy pyramid of lasers. She performs “Where Have You Been?” with tribal dancers as well as some unfortunate souls who are suspended from the ceiling. I can’t say I’m not entertained, though I was expecting her to whip her new hair back and forth a little more.

After the commercial break, Skylar performs “Turn On The Radio” with none other than Reba! They are rocking out, and I’m loving it. Reba looks damn good, and she made a fabulous fashion choice this evening, so I thank her for not launching an attack on my eyeballs with her outfit like the previous female duet partners did. This is my favorite performance so far.

Has anyone seen J.Lo?

And just when we thought Jessica was finished singing Whitney Houston, she’s back to sing “I Will Always Love You.” That brings our performance count to five. She sounds just as wonderful as she did the first go round, but can we please have her do something else?

The male finalists are up next, singing a medley which includes “Coming To America” and “I’m A Believer” (RIP Davy Jones). Joshua does a great job screaming until Colton introduces Neil Diamond. Poor guy – he’s at a point now where he is pretty much just speaking the words to “Sweet Caroline.”

I don’t usually comment on the Idol bloopers and montages, but the bit the finalists did regarding singing the phone book is one of my favorite moments in Idol history. Watch it here.  

J.Lo performs now, and man did it take her a long time to get ready. She’s brought the lasers from her “Waiting for Tonight” video along for the ride and begins to dance like crazy to her new single, "Goin' In." Does anyone else think this song sounds a tad like Stefano’s tune from a few weeks ago? Flo Rida joins her on stage and he seems to be singing into Jason Derulo’s neck brace. J.Lo finishes the song shaking what her momma gave her with Winsin & Yandel (had no idea who they are and had to look them up), and this is actually a pretty great performance.

Ace Young and Diana DeGarmo are apparently still dating and still in love. Ryan brings them up to the stage and Ace proposes. Diana says "yes," there are tears and excitement, they share that one special kiss, and FOX can now celebrate the Idol love they created. Your move, The Bachelor and The Bachelorette.

Hollie stays out of the Bottom 3 tonight, and she sings “You’ll Never Walk Alone” with Jordin Sparks. Was this song planned because the Idol producers knew Ace would propose? Seems like quite a coincidence. I heart Jordin – she’s grown up to be a very beautiful, very poised, and very talented woman. They complement each other well, and I’m so happy Hollie ended up with such and awesome duet partner. She deserves it.

When we return from the break Colton, Joshua, DeAndre and Hee-Jun sing a medley of songs from the late Robin Gibb. This is an incredibly subtle group number (thank you Joshua), and it is a very fitting tribute.

Jessica Sanchez performs now with the AMAZING Jennifer Holliday. They sing “And I’m Telling You, I’m Not Going” from Dreamgirls (Jennifer Holliday was the original Effie White on Broadway), and this is unreal. I actually have to take a break from typing because I am captivated by this performance for a couple of reasons: 1. Its sheer bad-assery, and 2. The apprehension that Jennifer may literally bite Jessica's head off. I spend at least half of the song clapping and “wooing” loudly though. Oh my God. This is awesome. 

And that’s not all! Aerosmith is up now performing their new song "Legendary Child," and this finale keeps getting better and better. Steven and Joe Perry must have a really close relationship because Steven is just all over him. I don’t care though – Aerosmith is one of the best bands of all time (OF ALL TIME), and you will never hear me say otherwise.

We’re down to the final minutes now, and Phillip and Jessica sing “Love Lift Us Up Where We Belong.” P squared does not look too enthused about this song, and it’s a bit awkward, but when it ends, we FINALLY get to the results. Dim the lights! Annnnnnnd…….Phillip WINS!!! Cue the confetti! Cue the winning song! Phillip doesn't even make it past the first chorus before he breaks down. He finally gives up on the song and walks into the audience to hug his family.

And just like that, Season 11 is over. I do believe the right person won, and I look forward to seeing what’s in store for him. Stay tuned for recaps of the new season of So You Think You Can Dance, as well as ABC's new show Duets. Til then!