Getting to interview Kris Allen, Adam Lambert and Allison Iraheta (or "Kradison," as "American Idol" fans affectionately call them) together was a personal career goal of mine. Last Friday night (February 12) at the Ryan Seacrest "Rock My Town" event, after a year of begging publicists, record labels and religious saviors, my dream finally became a reality.

What is it about Kradison in particular that made me want this interview so badly? For one, I'm a huge fan of their music. Before the eighth season, I've never rooted for three separate contestants in one "Idol" season simultaneously (even if it took me a little time to warm up to Adam's vocal prowess). Beyond their tunes though, when you put Kradison in a room together, sparks fly.

Adam's devilish sense of humor brings out Kris' naughty side (watch Kris joke about covering "For Your Entertainment," complete with whips) and Allison's teenage energy infects Kris and Adam with a goofiness you don't always see from the reserved "Idol" winner and arty runner-up. (Check out Adam's hilarious reggae version of "No Boundaries.")

You don't take my word for it — check out our seven-part Extended Play interview! Although I'm not sure I'd call it an interview so much as a collection of giggles, overlapping chatter and jaw-droppingly blue remarks. (Speaking of which, I hope Kris' mom doesn't find this interview. If she does, sorry Mama Allen! Blame those raunchy, "grab-happy" fans in Singapore!)

Seconds before our cameras began rolling, Kradison reminisced about how a little under a year ago, they were doing press together after being voted through from the same semi-finals group. Now they're too busy to shave, obsessing over picking a second single or looking forward to trips around the globe. Friday night's concert had a really cool "Goodbye 'Idol,' hello solo artists" vibe to it. Here's hoping my interview is one last memory for the fans before we all start obsessing over the new crop of "Idol" contenders while continuing to follow Kris, Adam and Allison's careers individually.

What's your favorite Kradison memory? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

I imagine Tuesday night's (February 16) "American Idol" was a lot like watching Brangelina's vacation videos. On one hand, you think you should care because it's Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie and their 14 children on a banana boat. But on the other hand, if you've seen one family vacation home video, you've seen them all. Nine seasons in, the final Hollyweek episodes are as old hat and predictable as an ensemble romantic comedy.

There just wasn't enough drama to sustain an hour of "Idol," let alone two. Yep, "Idol" decided last week that the Olympics were on and holy crap we need to do something desperate fans deserved an extra bonus hour of Hollywood week to help us get to know the Top 24 better.

Ironically, out of the seven names they revealed a day earlier than usual, only one was that of a contestant we hadn't seen that much of before. But did "Idol" take time to teach us anything about Lee Dewyze (or DeWyze, depending on whether you believe his website or "Idol" producers)? Hell no. We got to hear a few seconds of his weak Hollyweek (Hollyweak?) "You Found Me" and then Kara babbled about him not having any confidence. Way to give the guy a fighting chance, Simon Fuller!

Mimicking Tuesday night's pointless "Memento"-like structure, let's arbitrarily rewind and go to the beginning.

The opening chunk of the episode gave us too-brief snippets of the remaining 71 contestants performing with the band one last time. Most sang that Jason Mraz song we're all sick of, including eventual Top 24er Todrick Hall, who had the good sense to turn the twee tune into a Maxwell-style dirty slow jam. Forget a ukulele — that dude would uke your lele!

A few contestants tried that Colbie Caillat song about tickled noses we're all sick of. Like Casey James, the now infamous shirtless dude who finally proved to me that he has something to offer other than chest hair and a ponytail thanks to a husky rock interpretation of the tune. (In honor of the needlessly complicated editing, cut to: Casey James, making it to the Top 24. Congrats, man. Hope you're prepared for drooling ladies tweeting unspeakable things at you and your family members in the coming months. It will happen.)

And lastly, an insane amount of people tackled Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror" — most notably church singer Jermaine Sellers, who pulled a diva move by blaming the band for messing up the arrangement. (How Christian of him!) The band also goofed when playing "Bubbly" for momma's boy Thaddeus "I'm Not 'Bubbly'" Johnson instead of the MJ tune. Thaddeus should have probably stuck with "Bubbly" instead, as his "Man in the Mirror" was so broken he's going to have seven years of bad luck.

A few other early standouts had their 15 seconds of fame. Read more...

Hollywood Week(s) continued on "American Idol" on Wednesday night (February 10). Ryan Seacrest apparently calls this portion of the program "Hell Week." This just in: "American Idol" is now taking cues from sororities! I can't wait until next week's episode, when all the contestants lay naked on the floor while Kara DioGuardi circles body fat with a Sharpie.

Wednesday night was the dreaded "Group Night," where, like every other season, the remaining 96 hopefuls broke off into small groups, took over hallways and lobbies of a hotel in California and sang Motown tunes into half-empty water bottles all through the night. (Seriously, I hope "Idol" buys out that entire hotel. Imagine the phone calls the front desk guy must get at four in the morning: "They're still singing 'Get Ready' in the hallway!" "Two people are screaming about choreography outside my door." "I accidentally bought a porno flick 90 minutes ago. I won't be charged, right? Oh, also, some girl is butchering that Alicia Keys song in the room next to me.")

As always, a few over-the-top personalities hogged most of the screen time, so the episode was short on music, long on drama. (It was also long on frighteningly sculpted eyebrows thanks to the plucked-up Danny Jones. Yikes!) So let's break down the various plot threads producers focused on this year.

Neopolitan vs. Destiny's Wild
Both of these groups selected Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance," and for some reason decided to rehearse right next to each other. (That makes about as much sense as forcing contestants to perform group numbers when they're competing to be a solo artist. Am I right, Jermaine Sellers?) Passive-aggressive loud singing commenced, accusations of "idea stealing" got thrown around and voila! Todrick Hall, so charming in his initial audition, suddenly became the season's resident diva. With an intense gaze and an arched eyebrow typically reserved for Disney villains and drag queens, Hall menacingly sang, "They're goin' down!"

Alas, Neopolitan didn't go down. Their "Bad Romance" scored high marks from Simon and they all advanced — even Liz Rooney, whose bright pink streaks and chesty moan cried out for a make-under and a muzzle, respectively.

I preferred Destiny's Wild's "Bad Romance," if only because it opened with Todrick doing a backflip and featured a sassy one-named singer named Theri in a pleather top. I was also excited to meet rocker girl Siobhan Magnus, who apparently spends her free time raiding Bruce Springsteen's closet circa 1984 when she's not blowing glass. Now that I read this paragraph back I can see why Ellen called their performance "surreal." They all made it to the next round, too, which means Todrick lives another day to sass anyone who doesn't appreciate him for the treasure he is.

Mary Powers vs. The Dreamers, Sanity
If Todrick was the head cheerleader of the "Idol" high school cafeteria, Mary Powers was the unstable late-in-life student-teacher who often cries in front of the class. Read more...

Last night's "American Idol" propelled Andrew Garcia to frontrunner status thanks to his soulful acoustic interpretation of Paula Abdul's "Straight Up." But it was Kara's comments comparing Garcia's show-stopping performance to Adam Lambert (and not Kris Allen) that has sparked a passionate debate amongst "Idol" fans.

Who deserved to get a shout-out from Kara last night: Adam Lambert or Kris Allen?

This afternoon I had a private chat with a close friend of mine, who believes Kara was in the right by referencing Adam, and I think our civilized discussion is worth sharing with other "Idol" fans.

Glambert696969: So, Jim, I read your "Idol" recap last night.

Jim: Oh yeah? Thanks!

Glambert696969: I don't understand why us Glamberts have such a bad rep for defending Adam tooth and nail when you and [EW.com's Michael] Slezak are just as defensive about Kris.

Jim: Was I being defensive though?

Glambert696969: Yes! You just couldn't bear that Kara name dropped Adam instead of your beloved Kris.

Jim: Haha. First of all, I'm a fan of both Adam and Kris. It is possible! But more importantly, I was frustrated that Kara botched an obvious comparison. It was confusing television and it made her look like an idiot.

Glambert696969: But why was Kris Allen the obvious comparison there? You don't remember Adam's brilliant stripped down Hollywood Week performance of Cher's "Believe?"

Jim: Of course I remember that! But unless you're an Adam fan, I'm not sure that brief snippet of "Believe," as genius as it was, is burned into the public's collective consciousness the way Kris Allen's stripped down "Heartless" is.

Glambert696969: But that's irrelevant. Read more...

Tuesday night (February 9) kicked off Hollywood Week(s) on "American Idol," an always-magical time when the dead weight from the early audition episodes gets kicked to the curb faster than you can say "SkiiBoSki."

This season's first Hollywood Week (or Hollyweek) episode was especially epic because it introduced us to an eye-opening new element on the judge's panel that will change the way I view the show forever: The Coke cups were replaced with Vitamin Water Zero bottles. I know! What happened to our show, you guys?

Oh, and I suppose Ellen DeGeneres made her "Idol" judging debut, too.

Yep, Ellen is now officially part of our big, dysfunctional "Idol" family. And although I initially thought she was a terrible choice (based on her spotlight-hogging star power, her conflict of interest and one astoundingly painful guest judge appearance on "So You Think You Can Dance"), I can now say that Ellen DeGeneres is exactly what's been missing from the judge's table since the fourth season: Passion.

Unlike Randy (who doesn't bother to stretch his vocabulary beyond the word "interesting"), Kara (who doesn't even have the brain power to recall Kris Allen's name when appropriate) or Simon (who checked out right around the time Ace Young showed his scar), Ellen treated her new gig as a job worth taking seriously. (She even wore glasses! Like I said: Serious business!)

Since it was day one of Hollyweek (and since that day basically exists so that the judges can cut all the average folk who got through the first round thanks to pants splitting or sad children or loud Italian families or a history of cancer), Ellen had plenty of opportunities to flex her "brutally honest" muscles. She said performances put her to sleep, that they were cray cray in the hay hay (not in those words) and — in the case of Antonio "SkiiBoSki" Wheeler — that she was frightened by his "leopard behind a cage" stalking. Simon would have ended his critique with that metaphor, but Ellen followed up her acerbic put-down with some legitimately helpful advice. "Don't frighten your audience. Sexy and scary ... it's a fine line." (Imagine what she would have told Constantine Maroulis!)

Perhaps DeGeneres' most biting commentary was aimed at Simon directly. "So this is it," she told the cranky British judge in the first moments they shared on screen together. "I come on, you leave." Given that this was taped the same day Simon announced he was leaving "Idol," Ellen's got cajones the size of Mike Lynche's biceps.

There was a nice streak in Ellen, too. When early fave (and bridge-jumping enthusiast) Vanessa Wolfe sang Blind Melon's "No Rain" as if she were deaf and suppressing projectile vomit, Ellen told the hot mess of nerves and purple ruffles that she was "unique" before recommending she dig deep to uncover some self-confidence. "You're hiding inside and just scared to death. You gotta let go of that, because those nerves are gonna kill you." Sweetly said. Paula would be proud. (In fact, Ellen paid her respects to her predecessor by doing one of Paula's patented straight-arm seal claps after Andrew Garcia's "Straight Up" wowed the judges.)

The real stars of the show were the "Idol" editors, who deftly strung together Ellen's greatest hits, presented her as a multi-faceted character, allowed her to lighten the mood with humor only when necessary and somehow made the hour feel like it was mostly about the contestants. Emmy time!

So who are these contestants we apparently spent all this time with?

Well, it turns out anyone (and everyone) can play guitar. (Radiohead was right!) Read more...

On Wednesday night, the endless parade of costumed wannabes and ham-fisted sob stories came to an end as "American Idol" aired its final audition episode of the season. By my count, season nine has yielded two divorces, 26 foster families, two syndromes (Tourette's and Downs), one Alzheimer's, two cancer survivors, one Austistic child, one paralyzed face and a reformed bank robber, yet only one true breakout star: "Pants on the Ground" sensation General Larry Platt. And that dude isn't even eligible for the competition!

Gee, "Idol" producers, you think it's time to revamp these audition episodes?

Thankfully, Wednesday night's final helping — a hodgepodge of leftover tryouts from every city they visited — was packed with talented singers, some of whom I could even imagine at the Kodak Theater, singing a song about obstacles, fortitude and earthquakes.

My favorite was redhead crooner Lacey Brown, who made "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" sound like I was hearing it for the first time in my life. It was smoky, smooth and sophisticated, and I've re-watched it more than any other audition this season. (It also helps that Lacey looks like she could be the granddaughter of "Mad Men" character Joan Holloway.) Last year, it came down to Lacey and Megan Joy in the Top 36. Here's hoping Lacey's unique, jazzy voice will hold up more than Megan's quirky squawk should she make it past Hollywood this year.

Lacey wasn't the only familiar face returning to "Idol" land. I spotted Amy Winehouse wannabe Frankie Jordan (now with bangs!), a quick shot of hippie Rose Flack and some random tanorexic girl who was more orange than Snooki in a basketball costume. The most notable repeat customer was Jessica Furney, who sucked up to Simon by performing "Footprints in the Sand," a Leona Lewis song he co-wrote. I remember falling in love with Jessica in season eight, mostly because of hilarious Grandma Furney. But this year, Grandma Furney was nowhere to be found, and although Jessica showed off a great makeover, her audition was the equivalent to "Police Academy 5." In theory, you want to like it, but without Mahoney there, the magic's gone. (Jessica made it to Hollywood, so perhaps we'll at least get an explanation of Grandma Furney's whereabouts! I need to know!)

Read more...

"American Idol" made a fatal flaw Tuesday night during its Denver audition show. No, not by inviting back Victoria Beckham as a guest judge. (The Poshbot-2000 was actually pretty engaging this episode. She must have been rewired since the premiere.) "Idol" producers erred by reminding viewers of Daughtry's classic Denver audition right at the top of the show. Nothing in the remaining 59 minutes of "Idol" would come close to that star-making moment.

And if you just uttered the words "Bikini Boy," I kindly ask that you close this Internet window and never read one of my recaps again. Honestly, it's not worth your time because I don't speak the language on Planet Idiot.

Throughout the episode, Seacrest kept shouting at viewers in voice-overs touting Denver as one of the most promising cities yet. But the proof wasn't in the pudding we saw. Instead we had Nicci Nix, a girl who travelled all the way from Florence, Italy, to audition for "American Idol." (What, did she miss the auditions for "Italian Idol"? I'm totally flying to Greenland for their "Idol." Screw this America crap.) Despite sharing a speaking voice with Michel'le, Nicci sang with an ever-so-slightly less squeaky tone, and such an achievement is the kind of star quality Simon Cowell rewards. It's no longer about pitch. Spread the word.

At least Simon was vocal in his distaste for Casey James, the dude who survived a motorcycle accident but was no match for Kara DioGuardi's creepy casting-couch catcalls. His voice was barely audible, his charisma non-existent, but once he let down his flowing blond locks and took off his shirt (at Kara's distasteful request), it was clear that DioGuardi's Eye Candy was headed to Hollywood. Say what you will about season eight's Bikini Girl, she entered the audition room half naked. She didn't end up that way after Simon Cowell leered at her. Just sayin'.

Read more...

When I was growing up, artists banded together on original charity singles that had the illusion of being written specifically for whichever cause they were rallying behind. Bob Geldof and Midge Ure penned "Do They Know It's Christmas?" after a learning of the widespread famine in Ethiopia. Michael Jackson and Lionel Ritchie were enlisted to write "We Are the World" for famine relief, too. Even the '90s yielded an original star-studded pep talk for troops headed into Operation Desert Storm ("Voices That Care"). Not to mention "Tears Are Not Enough," "Hands Across America," "Sun City," and "We're Stars." It seems MTV could devote an entire day to playing these charity videos from yesteryear and not have to repeat any.

The emergence of various high-profile Haiti relief songs shows us that the era of the "original" charity single is long gone. It appears celebrities are only willing to sign on to a massive group production if the song is a cover of an already-established hit. Simon Cowell snagged Susan Boyle, Mariah Carey, Miley Cyrus and several others to re-do R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts," while Lionel Richie led an all-star group to update the ultimate charity single, "We Are the World."

But why isn’t anybody writing new songs for such high profile collaborations? Have musicians gotten so lazy and uninspired that the thought of composing an original tune for a "side project" has become too much to handle?

A lot has changed since "Do They Know It's Christmas?" ruled the charts. When songwriters like Bob Geldof or David Foster or Michael Jackson tackled a tune with a message decades ago, they weren't the butt of a universal eye roll like they would be today. The earnest sincerity that used to be present in pop culture has been replaced with a cold cynicism. In 1985, America didn't see Dan Aykroyd singing "We Are the World" and think, "Well he's just there to promote the VHS release of 'Ghostbusters.'"

Cynicism could also be the culprit for why inspirational ballads are less popular. In 2009, the only "motivational" hit embraced by the public was Miley Cyrus' "The Climb." And the negative buzz around the always-schmaltzy "American Idol" victory songs makes me wonder if Whitney Houston had recorded "No Boundaries" in 1988, could it have been as big as "One Moment in Time?" And conversely, if "We Are the World" was originally released in 2010, would bloggers make fun of lyrics about "brighter days" and "God's great big family?" Probably.

The oversaturation of '80s charity songs may be to blame for the genre's downfall, too. For every cherished USA For Africa, there was a forgettable (but not any less well-intentioned) Hear n' Aid. By the time "Voices That Care" arrived in the early '90s, the "random stars stand next to each other with headphones on choral risers" had become such a familiar cliché that "Saturday Night Live" was able to mock it relentlessly. (Ditto Brit-rockers Pulp, whose "Bad Cover Song" music video featured an all-star cast of celebrity lookalikes teaming together to ruin their song.)

So then maybe it's a good idea that Simon Cowell and Wyclef Jean turned to an already-known song instead of taking a chance on an unproven original. By choosing to cover classics, producers have effectively sidestepped the snarky masses who would be quick to point out any hokey sentimentality included in a new composition. Besides, the mega-success of "Glee" and Susan Boyle proves that cover songs can both warms our hearts and empty our wallets.

What do you think? Will an original composition written for charity ever become a classic the way Band Aid's Christmas carol and "We Are the World" did? Were Simon and Wyclef better off sticking to a known song? Let me know your thoughts below.

Back in the day, we had Joan Rivers on the red carpet asking celebs, "Who are you wearing?" These days, as proven by last night's Grammy Awards red carpet rundown, media outlets tap famous guest correspondents to handle fashion reports. "Entertainment Tonight" hired former "American Idol" fave Adam Lambert to rock the fashion questions while MTV sent Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi of "Jersey Shore" fame.

But which "reporter for a day" did you like better?

As "ET" Fashion Correspondent, Lambert had three patented moves. First, he told the ladies that their outfits were "beautiful." Then Lambert asked to see their backs. Finally, he flew into his falsetto to let out an adorably high-pitched, "Whaaaaat?!" Lambert's selfish microphone handling needs improvement (the mic belongs in your interview subject's face, Adam!), but he more than makes up for that by calling Taylor Swift a "glamazon" and Taboo from the Black Eyed Peas a "spaceman." Win!

Snooki's style was a smidge less refined than Adam's. Just as she was on "Jersey Shore," Snickers had zero filter. When she had a thought, she said it. In most cases, that "in your face" style yielded spectacular results. (Did you ever think you'd live to see Miley Cyrus and Fergie act star-struck?) But there were a few awkward instances, like when she told grunge gods Alice in Chains she had no idea who they were. But bonus points for Snooki getting celebs phone numbers! I'd like to see Barbara Walters try that.

So what do you think? Which celeb guest correspondent do you prefer? Leave your preference in the comments!

At the top of Wednesday night's Dallas-themed "American Idol" audition episode, guest judge Neil Patrick Harris told Kara DioGuardi that his goal was simple. "If I can make two, three dozen people cry, I feel like I've done my job."

Mission accomplished!

There were lots of tears in Dallas, all mercifully packaged into one quick "bad singers rejected" montage. In fact, out of the ten extended auditions shown Wednesday night, a whopping seven of them featured contestants who advanced to the next round. (Is that a record?) Perhaps that's why this episode was an especially enjoyable one! (Or maybe the joy came from knowing that the end is in sight for these frustrating audition episodes. Yep, I think that might be it.)

As Katy Perry proved on Tuesday night, a guest judge's performance can easily become the real reason to tune in. Neil Patrick Harris was quick-witted and charming. (He critiqued a contestant's sign for not leaving enough space for her last name. That is hilar ... wait for it … ious.) But he also avoided the usual condescension that comes with the judge's panel, particularly around contestants with medical issues. (See NPH's straightforward, "I think you’re crazy brave" reaction to Dave Pittman, the white boy with soul who can suppress his Tourette's syndrome when he sings. Yep, that really happened.)

This episode will most be remembered for dominatrix Erica Rhodes, the former child star who escaped the clutches of the Purple One (Barney the Dinosaur, not Prince). She has given up her plushie ways and is now into sadomasochism! Although, upon further reflection, the children on "Barney and Friends" did scream commands at the viewers a lot. "Dance! Sing! Paddy whack! Do it now!" I will never think of that show the same way, especially after Randy asked Erica to sing the "I Love You" song while dressed like an extra from "Exit to Eden."

Unfortunately, Erica's singing wasn't very good. (In her defense, she cited Janet Jackson as a role model. You can't learn to walk from Stephen Hawking.) I suppose Erica's "Free Your Mind" was on pitch, but it still had an unpleasant, screechy quality that made me wish her getup came with a ball gag. Yet she made it through to Hollywood, mostly due to Simon praising her for "making an effort." Oh, Simon. 99 percent of the time you hate shtick, but because this girl is in space boots, fishnets and a bullwhip, you're all for it?

At the very least, Erica proved that you don't have to be a cancer survivor in order to have an interesting "Idol" hook. (No offense to token sob story Christian Spear or her family, who no doubt watched tonight's show while wearing homemade Christian Spear Snuggies.) Erica's unique story (and charming personality) made for awesome television.

Speaking of charming, I defy anyone who claims they didn't fall madly in love with airline dockworker (and "homegrown homeboy") Lloyd "Big Successy" Thomas, whose sunny personality and plus-sized appearance made me want to leap into my TV screen and give the dude a high five and a massive squeeze. Lloyd's attitude: Amazing. Lloyd's voice: Fair to middling. (He also took some liberties with the lyrics of Stevie Wonder's "Overjoyed." Tsk tsk.) Even still, Lloyd got a ringing endorsement from the panel. "A billion percent yes," Randy yelped, to which Lloyd questioned, "A billion?" Yep, Lloyd. Randy makes up mathematically troubling percentages. He also makes up ridiculous theories about contestants' careers once they leave the show, so be prepared for that too, should you make it all the way to the Kodak Theater. (You won't.)

There was a fantastic convergence of bright personality and massive talent in Todrick Hall, a theater geek who starred alongside Fantasia in "The Color Purple" before stealing the show on "Idol" Wednesday. Read more...