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With the American Idol season 12 finale just over a week away, the lineup for the grandest of results episodes is coming together.
As The Hollywood Reporter previously reported, several alums of the Fox show have been asked back, incl… Continue Reading
It’s not often that an American Idol finalist has to excuse him or herself from the press room following a show taping, but that’s exactly what happened on Thursday night after Amber Holcomb was sent home. (Kree Harrison, Angie Miller and Candice Glover continue on in the competition.)
The tears had started rolling while she was still onstage, and again after the credits rolled. That’s when judge Nicki Minaj, exceptionally sensitive to people crying around her, pleaded with the Houston native to dry those eyes. “You did not fail,” she insisted. “You are a winner!”
VIDEO: ‘American Idol’ Last Words: Janelle Arthur
More than an hour after those fateful words, the 19-year-old had a too-small suitcase on her mind when she broke down again and had to take “a minute,” as suggested by a minder. All of the Idol reporters in attendance understood, of course. It comes with the territory. Every week, inevitably, someone has to go home.
Amber Holcomb will learn soon enough that the only way to look is forward. There’s a North American tour on the horizon and opportunities that can’t be squandered. In fact, she was already dropping names of artists she’d like to collaborate with — be it a guest vocal or an opening slot. “Rihanna, Miguel, Frank Ocean, Nicki… I want to be everywhere,” she said with wide eyes.
STORY: ‘American Idol’ and the Theory of ‘3’: Is Every Third Season a Dud?
Of the ever supportive Minaj, Holcomb added, “She’s my cheerleader. She was, like, ‘Don’t even worry. … You’re gonna have people beating down your door.’”
One thing the fourth place finalist wants viewers at home to know about the judges? That despite any perceived drama, when it comes to the contestants, “They are genuine and so loving,” said Holcomb. “They really care about us.”
Look for Amber Holcomb’s “Last Words” interview with THR special correspondent and fellow Idol alum Casey Abrams on Idol Worship later today…
Twitter: @Idol_Worship
There’s an oft-whispered theory among American Idol insiders: the notion that every third season of the show is inevitably a weaker one.
Before we dive deeper into the coincidence-turned-conspiracy, let us first say that seasons three, six and nine featured many finalists that we absolutely adore, but there’s no denying (and some of those very contestants would even admit this) that in the annals of Idol history, they don’t quite compare to the year of, say, Adam Lambert or season seven’s battle of the Davids (David Cook vs. David Archuleta).
So why is this triple play more often a stumble? Season three and season nine seem to have suffered from a certain sameness — the former’s battle of the divas, first featuring Jennifer Hudson, Fantasia and LaToya London then coming down to four girls including Diana DeGarmo and Jasmine Trias, didn’t have enough variety, and you could make a similar argument for season nine, when finalists Lee DeWyze, Crystal Bowersox and Casey James all wore their acoustic guitars as a badge of honor.
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Season six is more of an anomaly. Featuring beat-boxing wunderkind Blake Lewis, soulful former backup singer Melinda Doolittle and radio-ready eventual winner Jordin Sparks (not to mention blue-eyed R&B man Chris Richardson and soul-rocker Brandon Rogers), it had the opposite scenario with plenty of diversity — but it also had Sanjaya in the Top 10, which by the end of the year 2007, had driven tune in but also inflicted some damage on the Idol brand.
Other than season nine, when the four-judge panel included the inexplicable addition of Ellen DeGeneres, a tuned-out Simon Cowell and a marginalized Kara DioGuardi, an Idol season sinks or swims as a result of its contestant pool so you can’t really blame the table at the front. On the other hand, they’re the last word in the audition process and if too many of the same singers are going through, ultimately, that’s on them. Then again, they deserve credit for discovering diamonds in the rough like season three’s Fantasia and every other unexpected winner — and there certainly have been plenty.
VIDEO: ‘American Idol’ Surprise Reprieve: Final Four React
Also working against the “three” seasons? Perceived highs from the season before. In season three’s case, it was the final thisclose vote tally between season two’s Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard. In season six’s case, it was the ratings smash that was season five, when Taylor Hicks and Katharine McPhee battled for the top spot. And in season nine’s case, it followed Lambert. ‘Nuff said.
Will season 12 suffer the same fate? In a year or two, will we be saying, “Angie who?” Will anyone remember how five forgettable guys fared on a season dominated by girls? And poor Aubrey Cleland… (If you’re asking yourself, “Who’s that?” click here.) Exactly.
Where do you stand on the much debated dud theory? Does it hold any weight? Chime in below…
Twitter: @Idol_Worship
