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").

American Idol Season 11: Top 3

Tonight, fairy princess Hollie Cavanagh floated away from American Idol (her sparkling, crystal-clear voice, sugary sweet disposition, and fighting spirit will be missed) in fourth place, leaving Phillip Phillips, Jessica Sanchez, and Joshua Ledet to battle it out for their spot in the Season 11 finale. But before they sing for their lives next week, the Top 3 will return back to their roots as hometown heroes for their homecomings this weekend. Get ready, Chula Vista, California; Westlake, Louisiana; and Leesburg, Georgia!

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!

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.

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: Top 6

I dare say that American Idol Season 11's Top 6 is one of the most diverse, entertaining, and evenly-matched group of contestants that we've seen since the spectacular Season 7! We've got voices that span across a variety of genres (country, pop, R&B, soul, rock, and acoustic), and, for the first time in years, the female:male ratio is in the ladies' favour!

Although I've been strongly advocating for a female winner during these past few seasons, I recognize the immense talent of this crop of singers, and I strongly believe that any one of them is capable of rightfully taking the Idol title. The race to the finish line is on, and it's bound to be an exhilarating journey to watch!

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.

American Idol Season 11: The Save

Oh, American Idol. I don't understand you sometimes.

Jessica Sanchez received the lowest number of votes this week? The one with the best chance of winning AND finding success in the music industry? How?

Jessica fans, I hope you feel motivated to vote your fingers off for your girl in these upcoming weeks to ensure that she makes it to the finale. Idol, I hope your strategy to save and give a boost to the only woman contestant of colour works.

Honestly, I do, because this girl deserves to become the 11th American Idol champion.

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!

American Idol Season 11: Skylar Laine

She shoots, she scores!

As I always say, those who fly slightly under the radar are the ones you have to watch out for...

On an uninspired American Idol Top 8 performance night filled with lackluster tracks from the 1980s (song choice really is everything, people), it was Skylar Laine who soared to new heights in the competition with her stunning rendition of "Wind Beneath My Wings". The spirited Skylar showcased her strengths of versatility and storytelling, proving that she is more than just a spunky country singer.

Looks like we'll be seeing Ms. Laine's debut at the Grand Ole Opry in no time!

There Is Only One Tree Hill

It's the oldest story in the world. One day, you're seventeen and planning for 'some day', and then quietly and without you ever really noticing, 'some day' is today. And then 'some day' is yesterday. And this is your life.

In English 10, we were asked to read our favourite poem or song to the rest of the class. One of my classmates recited the lyrics to a song called "I Don't Want To Be" by a singer named Gavin DeGraw. It was the theme song of a show she liked called One Tree Hill. As a teenager who was struggling to figure out who I was amidst the pressures of people telling me who I was supposed to be, the song's message of finding the courage to just be you resonated with me. Out of curiosity, I decided to check out One Tree Hill and see what it was all about, and from that day forward, I was hooked. I had found treasure in a show with heart and soul. For nine seasons, I grew up, learned life lessons, graduated, and evolved with the inhabitants of Tree Hill, namely the main characters of Lucas, Nathan, Peyton, Brooke, and Haley. Each episode drove home the point that every single person matters on this Earth.


Human beings are ambitious. We spend so much time wanting, pursuing, wishing. For the most part, that's okay. Ambition is good. Chasing things with integrity is good. Dreaming. As long as the chase doesn't diminish what we already have. The goodness we take for granted, the people we take for granted, the lives we take for granted. My life... is good.

This week, we said goodbye to Tree Hill after nine years (and many time jumps) later. The series finale was an emotional tribute to the many special moments throughout the course of the seasons. Fans got to see Tree Hill High School, the River Court, Karen's Cafe - the places were memories were made - for the very last time. Gavin DeGraw made a special appearance at Tric's tenth anniversary concert, where he sang "I Don't Want To Be" as the Tree Hill gang sang and danced along. Fast forward five years as the group cheered for the Tree Hill Ravens one last time, and Nathan, Haley, and Brooke looked back at their younger selves to reflect on how much has changed since their high school days. Through it all, one thing has always remained constant - that Tree Hill is home.


If you had a friend you knew you'd never see again, what would you say? If you could do one last thing for someone you love, what would it be? Say it, do it, don't wait. Nothing lasts forever.

Thank you to James Lafferty, Bethany Joy Lenz, Sophia Bush, Hilarie Burton, and Chad Michael Murray for bringing these incredible, relatable characters to life. I am so happy that they have all achieved their happy endings with their families and friends. Thank you to Gavin DeGraw, Tyler Hilton, Bryan Greenberg, Kate Voegele, Jimmy Eat World, and all of the artists featured on One Tree Hill for sharing your music and being the soundtrack of my last two years of high school and beyond. Thank you for the storylines, voice-overs, and words of wisdom that challenged me to think about love, loss, and life.


Make a wish, and place it in your heart. Anything you want, everything you want. Do you have it? Good. Now believe it can come true. You never know where the next miracle is going to come from. The next memory, the next smile, the next wish-come-true. But if you believe that it’s right around the corner, if you open your heart and mind to the possibility of it, to the certainty of it. You just might get the thing you wished for. The world is full of magic. You just have to believe it.

Make your wish.
Do you have it?
Good.
Now believe in it with all your heart.

American Idol Season 11: Whole Lotta Love for Elise Testone!

This week, the Top 9 of American Idol Season 11 paid tribute to their own idols. Since they were singing the songs that inspired them to pursue music, the contestants all gave what Steven Tyler termed as "a Magical Mystery Tour of talent and emotion."

Once again, my favourite performer of the night was Elise Testone. (I swear, I'm not deliberately scheming to push my favourite contestant upon all of you, but I have to give mad props when mad props are due!) The bluesy singer unleashed her 70s rocker side by belting out Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love", which was first covered on Season 8 by glam rocker Adam Lambert. It was groovy, electrifying, and honestly the coolest thing I've seen on the Idol stage since Haley Reinhart's "What Is And What Should Never Be" (also by Led Zeppelin) during Top 3 week last year. I just love how Elise is continuing to show us just how eclectic her musical tastes by performing these gutsy, dynamic songs every week. When you can harmonize with Stevie Nicks, sound like Janis Joplin, AND deliver a performance that would make Robert Plant proud, you know you've got it.

Rock on, woman!

Mad Men is Back

Mad Men is back.

The year is now 1966, and it is clear from the episode's opening that the atmosphere of this season is going to be one of pivotal and swingin' change as the show enters the height of the civil rights era. Don and his former secretary, Megan are newlyweds, and it is clear that their generational differences are going to come to hard clashes throughout their marriage ('Zou Bisou Bisou' is just the tip of the iceberg). Pete and Peggy both continue to fight for respect at SCDP, and new mother Joan is anxious to return back to her role of the office's Queen Bee. Due to the repercussions of a prank ad against their competitors, the advertising agency may even see some diversity in the form of African-American employees among their staff.

The times, they are a-changing.

Watch the styles, the intrigue, the ambitions, and the scandals of Mad Men on Sundays at 7pm on AMC.

Lauren Alaina and Haley Reinhart on American Idol

Throughout Season 10 of American Idol, I strongly campaigned for a female winner. I was disappointed when the girls were picked off one by one in the earlier stages of the competition, but nothing enraged me more than when Pia Toscano was eliminated in NINTH PLACE.

Despite the horror of the beginning weeks, there were two female contestants who managed to captivate Idol fans and stick around until the final three - Lauren Alaina and Haley Reinhart. Recently, the ladies were invited back to the Idol stage to sing their original music during the Season 11 results shows. Their dynamic performances of the sassy "Georgia Peaches" and the sultry "Free" proves that FEMALE is the right choice!

American Idol Season 11: Elise Testone's Vienna

As I had alluded last week when it was announced that the American Idol Top 10 would be singing Billy Joel songs, the contestant who chose to cover "Vienna" would have the potential to win my adoration and devotion. Wow, was my prediction spot on or what?

You can imagine my delight when it was revealed that my favourite finalist, Elise Testone, was going to be tackling my favourite Billy Joel tune. With her expressive voice and soulful, jazzy-blues vibe, she was the singer most suited for the song, and Elise delivered with a sensational performance that was both sentimental and powerful. It was an Idol moment worthy of the overwhelming applause and standing ovations she received!

Idol viewers, when will you realize that Elise is one of the most dynamic and heartfelt performers of Season 11? Hopefully, her "Vienna" has helped many to reach that revelation tonight.

Download Elise Testone's studio recording of "Vienna" on iTunes.

Dancing With The Stars: Gavin DeGraw

I'll admit it - I was a tad shocked when I found out that Gavin DeGraw had signed up for Season 14 of Dancing With The Stars. As musically talented as he is (and he really is! Go see him in concert!), I never pictured him as a dancer.

Colour me surprised to discover that he actually shows great promise on the dance floor! In his first ballroom performance, Gavin charmed and dazzled the audience with his elegant Foxtrot with pro-dancer (and current DWTS champion) Karina Smirnoff.

Here's hoping that Gavin DeGraw saves his last dance for the grand finale!