Glee: What a Feeling!

Picture this: New Directions' most underrated background vocalist paired with the golden star in a stunning performance of "Flashdance...What a Feeling". Impossible? I think not! It's been a long time coming for fans of Jenna Ushkowitz and Lea Michele who have been wishing for a duet from the two Broadway ingenues since Glee's inception. For the first time in three seasons, Glee finally remedied the unfair treatment that Tina Cohen-Chang (one of the members of the Original 5) has been served by giving her a leading role in their body-switching episode, Props. Tina got to spend a moment in Rachel Berry's shoes, complete with an uninterrupted solo of Celine Dion's "Because You Loved Me" and a standing ovation. Tina and Rachel celebrated their strengthened friendship with their tribute to Flashdance as they sang and danced their way to Nationals in Chicago (where Rachel slayed the competition with her rendition of Celine's "It's All Coming Back To Me Now").

Jack and White's "California Dreamin'"

What better way is there to anticipate the dawning of summer sunshine than with a new tune from Jack and White? Their harmonious and breezy rendition of the Mamas and the Papas' classic tune, "California Dreamin'" is the leading single of their covers EP, "Undercover" which is due on May 29th.

Preview and purchase "California Dreamin'" today on iTunes!

David Cook's The Last Song I'll Write For You

This week, American Idol Season 7 winner (and great-great-grandfather to Season 11?) David Cook returned to the stage that started it all for him to perform his new single, "The Last Song I'll Write For You". Since the release of his sophomore album, This Loud Morning, Cook has parted ways with RCA Records, and is looking forward to seeing how music listeners will receive this self-released effort of his. If you are a fan of heartfelt songs with a rockin' edge, check out the full live performance above!

Download "The Last Song I'll Write For You" on iTunes and Amazon. Follow David Cook on Twitter for the latest news and updates: @thedavidcook

American Idol Season 11: Joshua Ledet's World

Jessica Sanchez, Joshua Ledet, Hollie Cavanagh, and Phillip Phillips were at the top of their games tonight! Seriously! The singing was out of this world! “Steal Away”, “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going”, “It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World”, “Faithfully”, and “Volcano” are among some of my favourite performances of Season 11. It’s suffice to say that I was thoroughly entertained by this week’s show!

This week, I have to give the showstopper award to King Joshua Ledet. His dynamic, soulful performance of "It's A Man's Man's Man's World" was perfect in every way possible.

The talent and diversity of these kids is both insane and incredible. They bring so much heart and soul and emotion and passion and fire and fierceness to that stage - it’s awe-inspiring to see.

As for who I want in the Top 3, my picks are Jessica, Joshua, and Hollie. The Queen, The King, and The Fairy Princess. Idol royalty!

Jack and White's "XYZ" Music Video

Jack and White's music video for "XYZ" explores the realism of life with simplicity and stunning harmonies. Download Jack and White's 'Winter' EP on iTunes, and stay tuned for the release of their covers EP this summer.

American Idol Season 11: Top 4

Now that rockin' Country gal Skylar Laine has soared out of the competition, it's now down to Hollie Cavanagh, Phillip Phillips, Jessica Sanchez, and Joshua Ledet. With a Top 4 this tight in talent, it's anyone's game!

American Idol Season 11: Hollie Cavanagh's Bleeding Love

Hollie Cavanagh's rendition of  "Bleeding Love" by Leona Lewis is so stunningly beautiful, it renders me speechless. Just listen and love.

Carrie Underwood Blown Away

Consider me "Blown Away" by Carrie Underwood's latest album! The reigning princess of Country music infuses a little bit of a pop-rock into the darker, more-attitude filled songs ("Blown Away", "Two Black Cadillacs", "Good Girl") while maintaining a traditional country sound into the nostalgic tracks ("Thank God for Hometowns", "Forever Changed"). And then there are songs like the tropical jam "One Way Ticket" (which will surely be making its way onto many summer mixtapes!), the sassy "Cupid's Got a Shotgun (featuring Brad Paisley on guitar!), and the beautifully-written "Wine After Whiskey" (one of Carrie's best songs) which all help to make "Blown Away" a stellar fourth record!

1. Good Girl
2. Blown Away
3. Two Black Cadillacs
4. See You Again
5. Do You Think About Me
6  Forever Changed
7. Nobody Ever Told You
8. One Way Ticket
9. Thank God for Hometowns
10. Good in Goodbye
11. Leave Love Alone
12. Cupid’s Got a Shotgun
13. Wine After Whiskey
14. Who Are You

Download "Blown Away" on iTunes!

Megan Joy

With support from her Kickstarter backers, singer/songwriter Megan Joy was able to independently release a record which showcases her stunning, dreamy, and quirky jazzy vocal stylings. "Megan Joy" is my favourite album from the American Idol Season 8 finalists - thanks to standout tracks like "Longing", "Trouble Me", and "Can't Bring Me Down".

1. When It Turns

2. Longing

3. What Is Love

4. Trouble Me

5. Dream Love

6. Two Rivers

7. Rainclouds

8. Can't Bring Me Down

9. Ryder On The Storm

Download Megan Joy's album here!

American Idol Season 11 Tour

The schedule for the American Idols Live! Tour 2012 has been released! See Season 11 finalists Jessica Sanchez, Hollie Cavanagh, Joshua Ledet, Phillip Phillips, Skylar Laine, Elise Testone, Colton Dixon, Deandre Brackensick, Heejun Han, and Erika Van Pelt at a stadium near you this summer! (source)

Seattle, here I come!

American Idol Season 11: Top 5

Here is the American Idol Season 11 Top 5! Phillip Phillips, Hollie Cavanagh, Joshua Ledet, Skylar Laine, and Jessica Sanchez.

I am going to miss 6th-place finalist Elise Testone. She is my favourite vocalist from this year's group, and her live performances were among the most memorable in my books - "One and Only", "Vienna", "Whole Lotta Love", "I Want It All", "Bold As Love", etc. Keep on rockin' on, Queen Elise!

American Idol Season 11: Killer Queen Elise Testone

During this year's Rock 'n' Roll theme week, the American Idol Top 6 performed the songbook of Queen along with their own personal song choices. Resident psychedelic soul-rocker Elise Testone boldly went where few Idols have gone and covered both Queen's "I Want It All" and Jimi Hendrix's "Bold As Love" in one night. Is that crazy sexy cool or what? Elise Testone = Killer Queen!

American Idol Season 11: Phillip Phillips

Phillip Phillips possesses many of the qualities that American Idol fans find irresistible: laid-back vibe, boy-next-door charm, all-American good looks, and intimate performance style. He may not be a vocal powerhouse like his fellow contenders Hollie Cavanagh and Skylar Laine (who dazzled this week with their respective performances of "Rolling in the Deep" and "Son of a Preacher Man", and "Born This Way" and "Heard It Through the Grapevine"), but as the last few Idol champions can attest to, that's not the sole requirement for being successful in this competition! His re-imagining of Usher's "U Got It Bad" from an R&B hit to an acoustic jazzy number was original, cool, and oh so clever. As I was watching this performance, I couldn't help but think of Kris Allen's stripped-down rendition of Kanye West's "Heartless" - a manoveur which cemented his win in Season 8. Could Phillip's smooth move also led to his own victory? Time will tell!

Dick Clark

America's Oldest Teenager, Dick Clark, passed away from a heart attack at the age of 82 today. The legendary host/producer/entertainment industry icon will forever be remembered for his youthful nature, his innovative views, and the way he changed the way that Americans listened to pop music - from his work on American Bandstand (The Jackson 5, anyone?) to the annual New Year's Rockin' Eve Broadcast.

May the Bandstand in heaven be as rockin' 'n' rollin' as it was here on Earth! We salute you, Dick.

Adam Lambert Never Close Our Eyes

Listen to Adam Lambert's second single from Trespassing (out 5/15), "Never Close Our Eyes".

Haley Reinhart 'Listen Up!' Cover Art

Keeping in theme with her retro-fabulous image, Haley Reinhart's cover art for her debut album Listen Up! evokes the 'vintage gal in a modern world' vibe that she's been showcasing since Idol. Haley poses poolside (a likely homage to her former gig as a lifeguard) in a summery 1950s-inspired get-up, and the tropical punch colour palette corresponds well with the album's official release date of May 22.

Check out the tracklisting for the standard version of Listen Up! below. A deluxe edition (with four additional songs) is available through pre-order on haleyreinhart.com
1. Oh My! (feat. B.o.B.)
2. Free
3. Liar
4. Wasted Tears
5. Undone
6. Now That You're Here
7. Wonderland
8. Keep Coming Back
9. Hit The Ground Runnin'
10. Walking On Heaven11 Follow Me (I'm Right Behind You) 12. Spiderweb 13. What You Don't Know 14. Let's Run Away

American Idol Season 11: Hollie Cavanagh

So, about American Idol tonight...

The judges ruined what would have been an incredible show of current (as in the last three years current) songs with their heavy criticism of Hollie Cavanagh. Hollie, with her beautiful, crystal clear tone and powerful, pitch perfect vocals, finally picked a song that she could emotionally connect with - a stripped-down version of "Perfect" by P!nk. Despite delivering her best performance yet and showing her star potential, she was treated to purposeless comments like "that was not perfect" and "but you looked pretty tonight", instead of receiving the accolades she so deserved. Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, and Steven Tyler have been on her case for weeks, and honestly, seeing them continue to fail to acknowledge Hollie's great work is detracting from my enjoyment of this season.

I really hope that Hollie will take the underdog route (a la Haley Reinhart from Season 10) and stay afloat this week. Her incredible voice, sweet demeanour, and strong spirit deserves a place in this competition!

Kris Allen Thank You Camellia Cover Art

On May 22nd, American Idol Season 8 champ Kris Allen will be releasing his sophomore album, Thank You Camellia. Named after a meaningful street in Los Angeles, the record features 11 tracks, including the single "The Vision of Love" - for which the music video promotes a strong message on standing up for yourself and others. Judging from the thought-provoking tone of "The Vision of Love" and the classic, laid-back vibe of the cover art, Thank You Camellia is destined to be an honest and heartfelt collection of music from the very talented singer/songwriter!

Watch Kris perform on American Idol on April 19th. Download "The Vision of Love" on iTunes. Pre-order Thank You Camellia on krisallenofficial.com for the deluxe version of the album (with bonus tracks!)

Adam Lambert 'Trespassing' Tracklisting

The ever-so-glam Adam Lambert revealed the tracklisting for his sophomore album, Trespassing (to be released on May 15th) on Twitter this week. As evident from song titles such as "Cuckoo", "Shady", "Naked Love", "Pop That Lock", and "Chokehold", this musical effort is meant to be edgy and unique, with a heavy electro-pop/dance influence.

Pre-order Adam's album on adamofficial.com. The deluxe edition will feature three bonus tracks - "Runnin'", "Take Back", and "Nirvana".

Music Monday: Hey Jude

 
Whenever I am down in the dumps, I listen to "Hey Jude" by the Beatles. This song is an instant pick-me-up, and I hope to one day fulfill my dream of singing this with a crowd of people.


And any time you feel the pain, hey, Jude, refrain
Don't carry the world upon your shoulders
Well, you know that its a fool who plays it cool
By making his world a little colder

...

Hey, Jude, don't make it bad
Take a sad song and make it better
Remember to let her into your heart
Then you can start to make it better