Idol Sales: Phillip Phillips Single Debuts Strong And Breaks An American Idol Record!

It's official, having a Finale song that can sell on its own merit  is definitely paying off for Phillip Phillips and American Idol as well. Yes folks, Phillip Phillips' Home is off to an IMPRESSIVE start as he manages to rank #2 on the Billboard Digital Songs chart and #10 in the Billboard Hot 100 with 278,000 downloads sold, according to Billboard. Once again, this gives American Idol bragging rights. Haha. They must be thrilled!

The last time an American Idol coronation single made the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 was four years ago when David Cook's Time Of My Life landed at #3 with 236,000 downloads. Home, therefore, just ousted Cook to have the record for the BIGGEST selling debut week for a coronation single since SoundScan began tracking downloads in 2003. Season 2 Finalists, Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken, sold more than Phillips', but they are CD singles, which were more prominent before.

Moreover, Home is officially the 2nd best digital sales week EVER for any American Idol alum. Kelly Clarkson's My Life Would Suck Without You has that record when it debuted with 280,000 downloads.

Oh, and Phillip Phillips has the 4th biggest debut of 2012, only trailing behind Justin Bieber's Boyfriend (521K), Maroon 5's Payphone (493K) and Katy Perry's Part Of Me (411K). And yes, that's a MIGHTY IMPRESSIVE feat for the new American Idol.

As for Jessica Sanchez, her sales were abysmal as she didn't even chart ANY of her released songs in the Billboard Digital Songs chart. Even Change Nothing didn't climb into the Top 200 songs, which makes her the FIRST runner-up in Idol history to release a song and fails to crack the charts a week after the Finale. Her compilation of American Idol performances debuted at #126 selling 4,000 copies. This is quite disappointing relative to Phillip Phillips' EP, which enters the chart at #11 with 24,000 copies sold, according to USAToday. I wonder what happened to her fans?

Figures after the jump!!

American Idol 11 Wrap-Up: 25 Best Performances

To the obligatory count: 6 months. 40 episodes. 159 live performances. 12 elimination rounds. Yes, with another season in the history books, I compiled a list of the most memorable live performances up to the Finale.

American Idol Season 11 was absolutely terrible for me! How am I supposed to rank the performances of possibly one of the most impressive group of finalists I’ve ever seen on this show? Honestly, after reviewing all the episodes and my weekly reviews, I just stared at my laptop and asked myself, “What the hell do I do now?” Sure, I came up with a ranking, but even the list that I finalized isn't as definitive compared to what I published in previous seasons. What got into these kids? Haha.

Anyway, just like many other lists or countdowns, this one is extremely biased. It's based on personal preferences. There will probably be some performances that are nowhere to be found on your list that may be as high as 10 or something on here - actually I guarantee it. But please respond maturely, flames don't make me particularly happy.

SEASON 7 Best Performances (to be transferred)
SEASON 8 Best Performances (to be transferred)
SEASON 9 Best Performances 
SEASON 10 Best Performances

Now, we pay tribute to the performances that made this season worth watching - and reviewing!:

Honorable Mentions!

Week: Top 8

Theme: 1980s

Week: Top 5

Theme: 1960s

Week: Top 3

Theme: Jimmy Iovine's Choice

Week: Top 6
Theme: Open

Week: Top 7 Redux

Theme: Now

Week: Top 25

Theme: Wildcard

Week: Top 13

Theme: Whitney Houston

Here are the TOP 25 Best Live Performances of Season 11:

Music Video: I'm On A Roll - Stefano Langone

Oh, look! It's Stefano Langone's (7th Place, Season 10) music video for his debut single, I'm On A Roll, which he also performed a couple of weeks ago on American Idol.

Admittedly, I hated the song when I first heard it - it sounded so amateurish and a bit dumb - but it's growing on me. I think it fits in whatever pop radio is playing right now and for someone who went out at 7th, the song is a solid effort for Stefano. The video is hilarious if a bit cheesy, but that's him. Oh, and Casey Abrams' cameo is like the best part. Haha. Enjoy!

Music Video: Dark Side - Kelly Clarkson

It's finally out! Kelly Clarkson just debuted her third single, Dark Side, new music video off her latest album, Stronger. I must say, I really LOVE this new Kelly Clarkson era!

This is possibly one of my favorite tracks in her album and yes, I kind of enjoy this music video. It's pretty straightforward with a nice uplifting theme. And is it just me or she's looking extremely gorgeous and fresh in her past three music videos. I never got into the whole Kelly Clarkson bandwagon until My December, and I regret it now. She's fantabulous and now easily one of my favorite American Idols EVER! Enjoy!

American Idol 11: Home - Phillip Phillips

Here is Phillip Phillips' first single, Home - the song that I still believe won him the title. I've said this in my review post, Home is possibly one of the BEST coronation song in American Idol history. Not exactly my type of music, but I digress. It's an excellent feel good song that's incredibly uplifting without being cheesy. The song sounds contemporary and Phillip's vocals are interestingly inviting than commanding, which is a pleasant surprise. Sure, it has this Mumford and Sons vibe, but who am I to complain? I actually want to punch myself for loving this song! Haha.

American Idol 11: Change Nothing - Jessica Sanchez

Here is Jessica Sanchez's supposed "winning" single had she won American Idol, Change Nothing. I must say, I didn't like the song when she performed it last night, but this one's a grower. Relative to past coronation songs we had from the atrocious No Boundaries to the trite I Love You This Big, this is actually pretty good. The nuances of the song and her vocal range are pretty spectacular. Plus, she even sounds like Beyonce during the verses. Call me crazy, but I can see radio stations playing this.

American Idol 11: Finale Results Show

For the last time, here's the last results show that I'll cover for this season. That was really fast no? Anyway, I will live blog the results show so keep refreshing the blog for updates! I'm hoping for an interesting Finale show and a favorable results at that.

While you're at it, here's my REVIEW and PREDICTION blog post. 

Results after the jump!

American Idol 11: Final Thoughts and Prediction

This season went by so fast no? Indeed, American Idol Season 11 is coming to an end. I must say though, this group may be far less interesting compared to last season in terms of personality, but Season 11, arguably, have one of the best set of finalists and most competitive group EVER. Heck, it even came to a point where I had trouble coming up with a definitive rankings in some weeks.

So, it's not a surprise how close the competition is between this season's Top 2, no matter how incredibly diverse they are as singers/artists. No, their Final performances weren't all that great, but taken as a full season, there's no clear cut winner between Phillip Phillips and Jessica Sanchez, unlike how Scotty McCreery won the title last season.

Now, as for my prediction, I'm taking on a HUGE limb here and say that Jessica Sanchez will win American Idol this year. I know. I know. This is pretty random as I have completely NO IDEA who will eventually win the title - a first for me since I started watching the show back in Season 3. Jessica got the shaft for her "winning" song and Phillip ended up having a better song and a ridiculously better production to help him out and make a lasting impression to the audience.

However, the fact that Jessica got criticized for her last song may have pushed her fans to vote for her even harder than usual, which was also the case for Kris Allen and David Cook. Though I'm not, in any way, underestimating Phillip Phillips' obviously STRONG fanbase and the simple fact that he has the perfect formula to actually be the next American Idol = White + Male + Wholesome + Guitar. One thing I have to say though, if Phillip wins, he'll have one of the best coronation songs on American Idol history. Haha.

For what it's worth DialIdol, a site that has predicted the Final results correctly since the software program has been available in Seaon 4, has Phillip Phillips on top. The difference between Phillip and Jessica, however, is quite small, so it's not that certain this year. They may have been VERY accurate for the Final results as far as landline phone vote goes, but the proportion of phone vote has been declining over the year. And since Phillip's lead isn't as big as Scotty over Alaina or Lee over Crystal or even Cook over Archuleta, who wins the season might be determined by who has more text and online votes.

So yes, this is still a toss up. But I'm sticking with my prediction last March 8, 2012 and say that Jessica Sanchez will win American Idol Season 11. It's time for a girl to win, don't you think? But I wouldn't be mad if it's Phillip Phillips just because he has a great sounding debut single.

American Idol 11: Top 2

Well, just like any other Finale Performance Night since Season 9, this was yet again a bit lackluster, underwhelming, rushed and uneventful. Both Jessica and Phillip delivered decently, but I expected something more than just decent. Heck, this is the Finale and for a duo with "musical artist" and "big ole voice", this should've been more interesting than usual.

Maybe the biggest problem was the fact that the song choices were excruciatingly disappointing. Sure, there were good moments for both finalists, but they could've done better given good materials for them to work on. Simon Fuller's song choices sucked, the encores were marginally better, and yes, the coronation songs were ok.

Anyway, without further nonsense, I'll get to the rankings..

DISCLAIMER: I am no expert, but this is my opinion - to each his own - and yours will be in the comments below! Haha.

American Idol: Finale Curses, Superstitions and Whatnot

Back in 2010, I posted a list of Fun History Facts regarding the American Idol and now, why not update the list before the Finale of the curses and superstitions no matter how dumb, purely coincidental and far fetched they are. It's obviously silly, but hey, they're fun to think about so don't take these things seriously. Haha.

List after the jump!!

Billboard Music Awards 2012: I Will Always Love You - Jordin Sparks

.. and the American Idol Winners were not yet done for the night as Jordin Sparks performed a heartfelt tribute to Whitney Houston. While the song has been covered a million times already, the fact that she actually had a relationship with Whitney made this so much more touching. Jordin is so underrated that I completely forgot how powerful her voice actually is. Her rendition was fantastic and she sounded phenomenal. She has shown a lot of growth since American Idol and while she seemed to be dialed in emotionally, her vocals didn't suffer one bit. Good job!!

You know what, watching the American Idol Female Winners last night made me think back and wish for the days when talented girls could actually win the show.. Sigh.

Billboard Music Awards 2012: Blown Away - Carrie Underwood

Next is Carrie Underwood's performance of her second single, Blown Away, off her album with the same title. I admit, the song isn't one of my favorites, but the song has really grown on me. I thought that the song was well written with some powerful lyrics in it. Her vocals were solid and incredibly well modulated. To me, everything just came together perfectly - the visual effects, the drama, the vocals. Enjoy!

Billboard Music Awards 2012: Dark Side - Kelly Clarkson

Yes, the American Idol trifecta represented the show very well last night at the Billboard Music Awards. If anybody wants an argument for American Idol, whether it's about the contribution of reality singing shows to the music industry or about American Idol against other reality singing shows, I feel like we could just show them last night's broadcast with three of the winners pulling off the best performances of the night.

First up, it's Kelly Clarkson debuting her newest single, Dark Side, off her album, Stronger. I must say, she looked stunning. I liked that her performance was understated, heartfelt, and lovely. There's a sense of vulnerability in her delivery and that tone was just gorgeous. Enjoy!

American Idol 11: Top 2 Head-to-Head Match Up!

Yes, just like last year with Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina, I've taken the trouble of going back through all my season 11 performance show reviews and snagging the grades I gave both Jessica and Phillip on each of those occasions. Below, a head-to-head comparison, just to see which finalist ''won'' the overall season in my book, and to refresh your own memories so you can do your own seasonal audit.

Head-to-Head Match Up after the jump!

American Idol 11: Top 3 Results Show

Wow! That was fast! Seriously. We're down to three finalists and today, we'll find out who will battle it out next week for Season 11 Finale.

As of now, anything is possible! Joshua Ledet could share the same fate as Melinda Doolittle or even Phillip Phillips could be like Danny Gokey - a frontrunner who despite not hitting the Bottom group got eliminated. Somehow, I feel like in a Phillip-Joshua Finale, Phillip would win the show, but if it's Phillip-Jessica, I have a funny feeling Jessica could win it all. But what do I know.

Again, read at your own risk!

RESULTS after the jump!!  

American Idol 11: Top 3

After following this season with a lot of enjoyment as I claim Season 11 as possibly one of the best groups on American Idol EVER, I have to say that the Final 3 episode really bummed me out. There was not one build up of excitement and I didn't feel like anyone was really fighting for it.

Also, was it just me or did Jessica totally received a "Syesha treament"? All of the songs given to her were either too hard to pull off or too generic to create a standout performance. She was bussed so hard, it seemed like a crime! Haha. Why did the judges even bother saving her a couple of weeks ago when their look of distaste now when she sings the snot out of a song was so apparent? Yes, they usually say great things but there's no genuine enthusiasm unlike their effusive praises for the two remaining guys where they are practically jumping out of their seats.

Oh, and it was funny how Joshua got a standing ovation during the first round, but when asked who was better, the judges gave confused answers saying that Phillip and Jessica were better in some aspects. So, does that mean the standing ovation for Joshua was meaningless and staged? Haha. Can't. Even.

Anyway, here we go!

DISCLAIMER: I am no expert, but this is my opinion - to each his own - and yours will be in the comments below! Haha. 

The Voice Season 2: 20 Best Performances

.. and just like that Season 2 of The Voice Season 2 is done and we have a new unexpected winner, Jermaine Paul. Yes, I somehow ditched the show a couple of weeks ago, but I still decided to come up with a definitive list of stand out performances this season.

I admit, the show has been a little frustrating. The potential of the contestants this season have been pretty outstanding, but they weren't showcased properly due to faulty and yes, dumb format. Personally, Jamar Rogers and Juliet Simms outsang everybody during the Semi-finals, and yet one of them SHOULD be eliminated because they're in the same team. This was not right! Plus, I thought the judges had TOO MUCH control on who goes home, but I digress.

Just the same, this season managed to provided a couple of outstanding performances. So, without further ado, here they are:

American Idol 11: Top 4 Results Show

.. and by tonight, we'll be down to the Final 3 where they will receive a well deserved homecoming! That fast? Wow. Again, I'm still unsure who will be eliminated tonight. Sure, Hollie was the weakest last night, but I wouldn't discount her yet. She has some people! Anyway, David Cook and Jennifer Lopez will perform tonight.

Again, read at your own risk!

RESULTS after the jump!!  

American Idol 11: Top 4

Thanks to Joshua and Jessica's excellent back to back closing performances, this would go down as possibly one of the more remarkable performance episodes this season. True, Round 1 wasn't all that exciting, but the actual competition started in Round 2 when almost everyone gave STUNNING performances. This show is legit! Take note, The Voice and X Factor US! Haha.

As for the judges, that's a totally different story. I mean, I don't pay any attention to what they say any more. None of them are consistent, and their opinions are pretty worthless especially Randy Jackson. He's back to his stupid gigantic blob of chocolate and air. He needs to stop making me want to put my foot in his mouth. Ugh.

Anyway, here we go!

DISCLAIMER: I am no expert, but this is my opinion - to each his own - and yours will be in the comments below! Haha. 

American Idol 11: Top 5 Results Show

Today, another one got eliminated. Let me say though, for the first time in years, I still don't know who will end up where. Usually, I have a pretty clear idea of who's the clear frontrunner at this stage in the competition, but this Top 5 is so strong it's still anybody's game. Anyway, Carrie Underwood and Coldplay will perform tonight.

Again, read at your own risk!

RESULTS after the jump!! 

American Idol 11: Top 5

This was a weird - not exactly a bad thing - episode. I don't know. Most of the delivered some great performances and the person who I thought should go home this week did surprisingly well. Usually, at this stage of the competition, I already have a good idea of who could potentially win American Idol. Season 11 is a totally different story!!

Oh, before anything else let me just say this: Originality means nothing if it ain't sung well. As Matt Giraud said, "You got to sing it good before you sing it cool." Thank you very much!

Anyway, here we go!

DISCLAIMER: I am no expert, but this is my opinion - to each his own - and yours will be in the comments below! Haha.