~WHY I LOVE THE SHOW!!~

Yes, I admit it, I LOVE the show. You can even safely say I am a little obsessed about it! 
I am actually one of those few people that saw the first season starting from the very first show, I was intrigued and interested at the same time. To me it's a wonderful way to take my mind off things, and since music has always been a passion of mine (yes, I do own a few hundred CDs), the thought of a music show was highly appealing.

I, for one, really enjoy Simon. I may not always agree with his judgments, alas, he's always entertaining. He speaks his mind and it's a rarity these days.
What to say about Randy? I do like his mannerism and he's definitely not as cruel as Simon as far as some criticism is involved.
Paula... I am not sure I ever heard her say anything bad, really bad about anybody. Ever. She may criticize a bit,  but she always sugar coats it. This may be fine in case of the wonderful rendition of Vincent by Clay Aiken, where the producers added 30 seconds to the song at the last minute and Clay got confused by the arrangement, however, in cases where the audition is... really bad, she never flats out tells us that is 'bad', just sugar coats it. 

The first season was great fun, I really liked a lot of the contestants that made the top 10. I honestly thought that the final was going to be between Tamyra and Kelly so I was surprised when she got voted off 4th... well, more like shocked! Other than that, out of everyone else, I do believe that talent did win out in the end, and that's what counts. I think Kelly is a breath of fresh air to a music industry that is steering away from vocally talented people (read rap and hip hop) and thrilled another Celine Dion was on the verge. While nowadays she is more of a rocker than anything else, Kelly is a success, and I love her to pieces.
Of all the finalists, aside Tamyra and Kelly, I was mesmerized by Justin's charisma, and it's no real surprise that he made it to the final two all things considered. He may not have a fabulous voice (although I do like his voice),  but he sure made it back in charisma big time. I am still in shock that his CD did not sell well and that he's basically off the radar now. I really love him and I hope we see him soon... whether that will be on the TV screen or with another CD or... SOMETHING! Go Justin!

I also did like Nikki a heck of a lot, and even voted for her a few times! That 'rock' persona really sit well with her, in my view. I know she's working on an album, so, maybe soon I will be able to hear what she's really all about.
All the other contestants were 'okay' at best, while I liked Ryan Starr's style, her deep voice did not do much for me.
After the first American Idol was over, it was nice to see that many of the contestants were  coming out with new albums. Aside Kelly's and Justin's (and their movie was a hoot no matter what the critics said), I know the albums coming out for other contestants are Nikki, Christina and RJ. Tamyra, of course, may have come in 4th, but it was no loss. She was on Boston Public and her album was great. Go Tamyra!!!

Now on to American Idol 2. I really, really enjoyed season 2. While not as talented or perhaps the word is 'comfortable' on stage as some of the other contestants, I was really taken by Julia D'Amato. I enjoyed watching her making it through the auditions and make the final 12. I was not surprised to see her booted off, alas, I was happy to see her around even for just a little while. The only other contestant that really 'got' to me from day 1 and followed his trip from the auditions to the final 12 was Clay. I could not believe my ears when hearing his voice. I would pray every week that he'd make it, and I was stunned, shocked and in complete disbelief when he did not come out from group 4. Thankfully he was the audience pick in the Wild Card show, what a relief! I wanted to hear the boy sing a lot more!!!
Thankfully I did get my chance. And... what a chance! He made it through the finale.
 
Other contestants that really intrigued me were Ruben (although I am not a huge fan, I have enjoyed many of his performances) and I liked Kimberly Caldwell (yes, the blonde). As for Kimberly Locke, she completely turned me off during the group shows when he told Simon that he 'sucked' and I never recovered from that. I could never see her in a lighter note, just the case of someone with a little too much attitude. The same for Josh, unfortunately. His remarks to Simon were completely off base and turned me off. This not to say he and Kim L are talented, is just that their attitude needed some serious adjustment. Who, on the other hand, showed much class, was Trenyce. Wow! I liked that girl! If it would have been up to me I would have put her in the finale with Clay!

And now... the controversy of 2003... who 'really' won American Idol 2? The voting was very close supposedly, but many fans insisted (well, me included) that they could never get through. So... if every person that wanted to vote could have voted, what would have been the REAL winner? I suppose we'll never know for sure, but one thing is certain. When people started voting with their wallets, the clear winner was Clay. He is, by far, the most successfull AI contestant EVER. During the finale, it was clear that he was the real winner... For one, Clay was ahead in each and every poll run by even major organizations, like MSNBC and CNN. Clay had/s a lot more fan sites and fan mailing lists. The audience cheered much louder anytime Clay hit the stage.
Clay was #1 on Amazon.com for the new single released on June 10th since before the show folded, way ahead of Ruben, who was lingering somewhere in the top 10.
While Paula Abdul speculated that his song was just better than Ruben's (huh?) the fact of the matter is, is the fans that make a star. Clay may indeed have a 'broadway' voice as Simon Cowell so many times reminded us (geez...) but that has never stopped Barry Manilow, Rick Astley or Josh Groban from having a successful recording career. 

Clay has caught many people by surprise, (not me!)  that first day of auditions when he walked out looking like the world's biggest GEEK, then proceeded to show America, just what a STAR really looks and sounds like. If Clay had been drop dead gorgeous from DAY ONE, he wouldn't be the Clay America grew to love more and more with each passing week as his look became more refined, his hair more spiked, more blonde, his Voice more impossible to ignore. Clay touched our hearts for reasons even we as fans can't quite put our finger on sometimes. It was such a delight to watch his transformation. 
Clay just broke the mold into a million pieces of what a "Pop Star" in 2003 was supposed to look like.

The sales figures of the singles and his new album are staggering, and Ruben will not be able to match them, which makes this story one of the biggest entertainment stories of the year. Clay is an overnight sensation in a very REAL way that is impossible to ignore, and you can bet that RCA will probably market him exactly like he is - squeaky clean, "All-American", God & mother lovin' southern boy and all. Don't be surprised if it all of a sudden becomes "Hip" to be "Square".

I truly believe that Clay came along at precisely the right time when America (maybe even the world) needed something or someone genuine, honest, and real to believe in and look up to. God does work in strange ways, and I believe that Clay Aiken is a gift too us all.

What to say about season 3? As I write this, just before the beginning of season 4, I can barely remember the contestants. Was that season that forgettable? Let's see. I loved the diva trios... Latoya, Jennifer and Fantasia. Was I happy that Fantasia won? You bet. While I was surprised that Diana made it to the finale, at the same time I can see how and why she did. George Huff sicks in my mind as one of my favorites as well, and I can't forget Amy Adams!!

Season 4 was the absolute best for me... with Constantine, Anthony, Bo and Carrie... every week the show was a joy to watch. I was happy that Carrie won, and she will have a great career without a doubt. What to say about Scott Savol? He did not deserve to be in the top 12, let alone top 5-but that's just my opinion, of course. Bo & Constantine were my running favorites.

I am really excited about season 5 coming... Here's a toast for a great season!!