Catching up with Nadia Turner

Four years after her days on the "American Idol" stage, Season 4 finalist Nadia Turner  lives in New York and is playing music with an "eclectic bunch" called Black Brown, a band with a "soulful, rock, reggae kind of vibe." Nadia has two singles available on iTunes and is working on getting an album released. She's currently featured on Fox's "American Idol Rewind," a behind-the-scenes and hindsight look at each season that is currently reliving the highlights of Season 4. After experiencing the hectic world of "American Idol" and the hottest heat she's ever felt in Doha, Qatar, en route to Afghanistan for a USO tour last August, the Miami born and bred 32-year-old is taking it easy in the city on "mom duty" with her 9-year-old daughter. We caught up with the "Idol" alum this week.

Q: What was the USO tour in Afghanistan like last summer?

NT: It was amazing. It was, it’s one of those things where, you know, you watch the news and they give you bits and pieces and, you know, you hear the commentators and the news reporters, their opinions of things. But it’s a whole 'nother thing when you’re there. You know, when you’re talking to the soldiers and they’re telling you exactly pretty much how they feel about being there, the ones that support it, the ones that you know, that just want to go home, they’re just exhausted and they miss their families, and you see the sadness. I mean, it was amazing as far as getting a hands-on experience but, at the same time... it emotionally saddened me, because I even went to the hospitals where some of the soldiers were missing limbs, you know, where they’re about to be transferred back … just hearing stories about the Taliban, who puts toys in mine fields for the Afghanistan children to run and get, and then it explodes. I mean, just real horrific stories and just seeing it, being there, hands-on, it just really, it changes your life. It was a life-changing experience.

The Rushfield Review: Many are called, few will be chosen to survive 'Idol's' Hollywood Week

The field will be pared to the final 36, and it's likely many contestants won't be gracious losers.

Throughout its season, "American Idol's" executioner proceeds at an almost stately pace, dispatching a contestant a week to his or her greater reward and then taking a full week to catch his breath. But before contestants can enjoy such luxury, they first must survive Hollywood Week -- the demolition derby of the "Idol" season.

During Hollywood Week's four-episode run, which ends tonight with the mega-drama of the Green Mile episode, 140 young aspiring singers, freshly plucked from the tens of thousands who lined up to audition around the country, face their first true "Idol" test.

For the one-quarter who make the cut, the week will mark their transition from wannabes to genuine contenders for stardom. And for the viewers, Hollywood Week marks the greatest pure drama we will see all season -- rife with breakdowns, breakups, catfights and name-calling.

"It's my favorite part of the season because it's when you still have enough kids that it's fun," said "Idol's" executive producer (and head of Fremantle North America) Cecile Frot-Coutaz in a telephone interview. "You still have some train wrecks and car crashes and all of that stuff. . . . But, more importantly, it's the first time when you really start to figure out who you like.

"The reality is that it's one thing to see the kids sing a cappella in a hotel room on the road to seeing them step onstage at the Kodak Theatre. That's when you start to see the men from the boys, seeing if people can really handle this or not."

Phil Stacey blog: The best season ever?

The final performance of "American Idol's" Hollywood Week can be incredibly tough.  You’ve been there for several days and haven’t slept much.  You’ve seen OK singers stay, while incredible singers are sent packing.  And this is the last performance where the judges will have the final say whether you make it.

On a side note, every season, the producers and judges always hype it up by saying it’s the best talent ever.  I haven’t heard that once this season.  Maybe I’m just not paying attention, but I would like to say for the record that this season has more potential stars than any I have observed.

A total of 103,000 people auditioned this year.  After tonight, 60 will be left eligible to win the title of American Idol Season 8.

These contestants think this performance will make or break them, but the truth is, the judges already have decided on several people.  For example, I know before this episode starts that Lil Rounds and Danny Gokey will make it through.

On the same hand, I believe they have decided on people they want to send home.  They won’t change their decision.  I remember some people giving AMAZING performances on the final day of Hollywood Week –- and yes, they made it into the top 40 -– only to get cut during the chair episode.

During my season, we were given a small list of songs to choose from, which is why you see the same song being performed over and over.  Unfortunately, many chose to sing former "Idol" contestant songs, and none of them lived up to their predecessors.  But overall, it was a good night and we heard some great singing.

Standouts –- for me -– were Danny Gokey (of course), Matt Gerard, Anoop Desai, Stephen Fowler (though he forgot the lyrics to the song -– he is bad to the bone) and Lil Rounds.  It’s a short list for the girls, but I believe a girl will win this season.  When my season’s Hollywood episodes were finished, all the frontrunners were guys too, but only one guy made it into the top 4.  And Jordin Sparks won.

Nonstandouts that made it through -- Tatiana Del Toro.

Surprise cuts were India Morrison (the girl that rapped –- I think she could have added a lot this year, but I suppose it is a singing competition), and Michael Castro. I mean, we didn’t see ANYTHING from him after his original audition.  I think those judges have some explaining to do!

Wednesday night is the toughest for the remaining contestants.  I’ll explain in my review post.  Until then, be safe.

-- Phil Stacey

Photo: Fox

'American Idol's' Ryan Seacrest confronts Bikini Girl

In case there were any lingering doubts, Ryan Seacrest made it clear on his KIIS morning show Thursday that he's just not that into Bikini Girl.

If you've been living in a cave and have not heard of Bikini Girl, let us recap: She's the Chino Hills 20-year-old model who wore a bikini to her "American Idol" audition, landing the support of judges Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson and causing the consternation of Paula Abdul and Kara DioGuardi. She also declared that she had a mad crush on Seacrest and forced him to kiss her, even though it was clear he didn't want to.

Katrina Darrell is her name. And she was booted out during Wednesday's Hollywood rounds after she chose sleeping over rehearsing and drama ensued.

On Thursday, Seacrest kicked off a phone chat with her by letting her know that she's "very polarizing."

"There are a lot of women who wouldn’t get along with you and didn’t on the show and didn’t as viewers," he said.  "And there are some that believe it or not, actually understand you."

Her response?  "I know. It’s crazy. A lot of girls are haters."

Rushfield Review: High drama hits Hollywood Week

Together, we have witnessed what may have been the most thrilling hour in the history of television.  As previously discussed, American Idol's Hollywood Week creates unprecedented drama in the tension seen when 150 young people, dreaming of stardom, are taken from their homes and placed inches from their dreams, only to see the dream turn into a nightmare. In a scenario taken from a horror film,  "Friday the 13th" for instance, these 150 kids travel away from their homes to what they think is a fun-filled summer camp by the water, only to have an ax-wielding maniac leap out of the woods and massacre them a dozen at a time.

So close to a life beyond their imagination -- this is the Idol promise -- but only to those who can first pass through the grizzliest of horrors.

And the worst of all came last night; to escape, they had to depend on someone else.

The nobility of the Idol path is that each singer faces his or her destiny alone. In single combat against a pitiless nation, these young singers stand naked and with no earthly power able to help them, and bare their souls to us in their quest for glory. In their years of preparation, the warriors of song must learn to craft themselves into a perfect weapon forged for singing warfare, finding all they need for battle within themselves and depending on nothing outside their skins.

But then, of all the diabolic tricks, Hollywood Week puts them in teams and makes them work with and depend on others. 

On one level, this is a non sequitur of a challenge. Yes, on the show proper they will do group numbers -- they will also live together, tape Ford commercials together and attend "Shrek" sequel premieres together. But all these events are sideshows; ultimately their 90 seconds alone on stage are all that matters. 

But on another level, this change-up is completely germane.  Before the road leads back to the Nokia, every Idol survivor will tell you, their powers of stamina and determination will be tested at levels they have never dreamed. In four days, Hollywood Week can only offer them a taste of the fatigue to come, but by throwing in this completely out-of-their-experience curveball, we get a sense of what these soldiers are made of; they all say they will stop at nothing to be the next American Idol, but when you are dealing with a drama queen running amok over your choreography, that is when a singer looks into his soul and asks himself, how badly do I really want this?

Phil Stacey blog: Group dreams

Tonight covered Day Three of Hollywood Week. Trust me when I say that these contestants are TIRED during this episode. When I was on "American Idol," Day Three was group day. I remember I stayed up all night with my group practicing harmonies and dance moves. I was literally out of it when we performed –- and so was the rest of my group. My roommate, Chris Sligh, however, was in a group with Blake Lewis, Rudy Cardenas and Tom Lowe. When they formed their group, they spent all of 15 minutes choosing a song and coming up with an arrangement for the following day. They were well rested and absolutely tore it up when they performed. Theirs was easily the best group event of the day. All four people easily skated through to the next round, while two members of my group were sent home. It just goes to show, sometimes you either have it –- or you don’t.

Simon has a “forget the words” no-tolerance policy. That is, unless he REALLY likes you. If anyone forgets the words and still makes it through, they are a guarantee for the semifinals.  It really is that simple.

This episode begins with a lot of group drama. I don’t know about you, but I enjoy watching the drama.

Tatiana Del Toro is the focus of most of the drama. I am assuming this is the day she will get cut. I’m kind of surprised to see that she’s still here.

Video: Idol Chat with Maria Elena Fernandez

Discussing the events of Hollywood Week with LA Times TV reporter Maria Elena Fernandez.

Idoltracker Review: Hurray for Hollywood Week

“I want this more than anything. It’s under my skin and it bursts out when I’m on stage.”

The immortal words of Nathaniel Marshall, American Idol Hollywood Week aspirant, are a fitting tribute to what is the most exciting week of the most important program in entertainment.

Along the American Idol trail -- a slow, arduous climb up an increasingly steep cliff -- Hollywood Week represents a sudden detour into a demolition derby.  For the rest of the season, contestants will be executed at a gentlemanly once-a-week pace (or a bit more in the Top 36 rounds), but for this one segment, death does not take a stately stroll across the Idol set, but rampages across, a rabid dog unleashed seeking to bury his fangs in any victim at hand.

As the curtain rose on the Kodak stage -- the platform where Sparks and Underwood received their coronation -- we saw 147 young hopefuls, plucked from absolute obscurity and dropped at the gates of immortality.  By the end of the night, 43 of their number, a full quarter, had been cast out and told that the kingdom would never be theirs.  They have been called forth from the seas of people who flooded America’s stadiums for a chance at this dream; astounded to be 1 of 147 chosen out of tens of thousands.  But for most of those, the gates of the kingdom are as close as they will ever come.  And this is the drama of Hollywood Week.