VIDEO: 'American Idol' finale, finalists and more

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Jorge Nunez says adios to 'Idol'

"American Idol" said adios to its first Puerto Rican finalist, Jorge Nunez,  on Wednesday night. On Thursday, the soft-spoken balladeer who hopes to someday strike it big like his idol, Marc Anthony, spoke with The Times about his "Idol" journey, singing in Spanish on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," which airs Monday, and other topics.

Here are excerpts from the interview.

Q: What are your thoughts and feelings this morning?

A: Since yesterday, everybody's been talking to me, asking if I was OK. And I mean, of course I am. I was part of a top 13 out of 100,000 people, a top 13 that came out of 36 amazingly talented people and there's nothing to regret about it. If anything, it's an opportunity and I'm going to use it to my advantage.

Q: Do you see yourself as singing in Spanish in the future?

A: Yeah. I think my first record will be in Spanish because it's my first language and I owe it to my people.

Q: Would you have sung in Spanish on the show?

A: Of course! I'm going to be on a few talk shows doing interviews and I'm going to sing in Spanish.

Q: I'm guessing "The Ellen Degeneres Show" is going to be one of those? (Ellen sent Jorge a lucky penny to the Top 13 party last week).

A: Yes, it is.

Q: What are you going to sing?

A: For Ellen, I'm going to sing my audition song, "My Way," by Il Divo, which I sang in Puerto Rico. Because I think right now it's the perfect song for closing this stage of my musical career and to let people know that, whatever I will do, I will do being true to myself. That's the main reason I'm going to make my first record in Spanish because, to be honest, it's the language that I love the most and I owe it to the Latino community and to my people. I mean, I love you all.

Q: As a native Spanish speaker, do you feel there was a handicap against you on "Idol"?

A: I knew that I had to work on it because it's another language. People may not realize it, but things don't mean the same thing in languages. When I talk in English, I think in English, but when I get emotional, I start thinking in Spanish because that's my language, that's my culture. So it was a little bit more difficult to get to the song, and get the grasp of each English song that I sang throughout the show. But you know what? It was worth it and I signed up for it. There were no excuses there.

Q: What do you think happened during Michael Jackson week in terms of the song selections for you?

A: My favorite male artist is Marc Anthony. And that's who I am as an artist. I follow that same trait. I am a dramatic singer. I sing with my heart. There's something about my style that I got from listening to him all my life. Michael Jackson is separated from my culture. I know who he is. Of course, I know who he is.... But for Puerto Ricans, he is not something that we can identify with. I had quite a struggle picking my songs. I wanted to pick that song because everyone knows Jackson Five and I wanted to pick something from that stage. Michael Jackson was a rocky road for me. I had a lot of trouble picking the song. I am not that familiar with all of his songs. But I picked a song that I liked and, for me, I thought I did a good job.

Q: You idolize Marc Anthony. I heard that Marc Anthony reached out to you last week. What was that like?

A: To me, that was the most memorable moment of this journey. He's the kind of person that he doesn't need anything else than his voice to make you stand up and go, 'That guy is a singer.' For someone like him to text Ryan to tell me that what I have is true talent, now that I'm saying it, I get emotional. That was the most amazing thing ever. That is something I'm never going to forget.

Your questions for Jasmine and Jorge

Tomorrow, Idoltracker has been granted an exclusive conversation with Idol's newly fallen singers Jasmine Murray and Jorge Nunez.

Please let us know: what questions should we ask?  What are the burning issues you'd like us to address with them?  Leave your questions or thoughts in the comments sections here and we will put them to Jasmine and Jorge tomorrow.

-- Richard Rushfield

Jasmine Murray, Jorge Nunez fall in double elimination

The children of “American Idol’s” eighth season experienced their first taste of entertainment mortality Wednesday night after a rare double elimination, which brought to an end the “Idol” careers of Jasmine Murray and Jorge Nuñez.

The two were eliminated in an episode that featured the unveiling of a new rule in the “Idol” competition, granting the judges veto power over any elimination. As explained by host Ryan Seacrest, the judges will have a “save” option that they may exercise once during the season if the judges unanimously agree that a singer deserves another chance. When the save is invoked, no contestant will be eliminated that week, with the following week then seeing a doubly suspenseful double elimination. The rule will be in effect until the season’s Top 5 week.

The twist was introduced as a way to undo premature dismissals of talented contestants who may have merely stumbled temporarily. Cited as examples of this phenomenon were past favorites Tamyra Gray, Jennifer Hudson and Chris Daughtry. (Although Seacrest pondered scenarios if Daughtry’s dismissal had been overturned, the new rule would not have affected him, because he wasn’t dismissed until the Top 4 week of his season.)

In the new rule’s first week in effect, the judges declined to invoke their special powers, allowing the dismissals of Murray and Nuñez to stand.

This week’s double elimination came about after another twist — when the judges decided to change the rules at the end of the Wild Card round and admit 13 contestants to the finals instead of the usual 12.
Both of those eliminated Wednesday delivered performances that earned them more favorable than unfavorable reviews from the judges in Tuesday night’s Michael Jackson-themed show. But after a strong night with few obvious horrific stumbles, both performances failed to stand out enough from the crowd.

Murray, 16, was one of the show’s two teen contestants, along with Allison Iraheta, also 16. A former pageant contestant, Murray was praised for her youthful charm, beauty and vocal skills. During Tuesday night’s performances, she was criticized by judge Simon Cowell as “robotic.”

Nuñez, a 20-year-old Puerto Rico native, was an early favorite and was referred to as potentially the show’s first great Latin heartthrob. His Tuesday night performance, however, was criticized as old-fashioned and ultimately forgettable.

NOTE: Please join us for a very special post-game chat with Idol's stage manager/den mother since the first season, Debbie Williams.  That will happen tomorrow, Thursday, 12:15 PT at latimes.com/idoltracker.

NOTE: A previous version of this story stated that the judges can use the save once for each contestant. The rule is that the judges may use the save only once during the entire season.

— Richard Rushfield

photo: Fox

Phil Stacey blog: Idol's first to fall

Jasmine Murray and Jorge Nunez have become the first to officially be voted off "American Idol" this season after Ryan announced the new "save" tweak in the rules. The judges now have the opportunity to unanimously "save" any one Idol voted off before Top Five Week, resulting in no one going home. If someone is saved, the following week two singers will end up on the chopping block. 

Ryan explained that this new rule change is to prevent one of America’s favorites from falling through the voting cracks.  He used Chris Daughtry and Jennifer Hudson as examples of those who could have been saved.  I kept waiting for Ryan to mention my name.... I’m sure he just ran out of time since it is a live show.

Jasmine Murray was in the bottom with fellow wild-card pick Megan Joy Corkrey. Immediately after being cut, she was forced to sing for her Idol life.  I felt a little bad for her, but  I wasn’t surprised that she went home.  She is a beautiful young lady who now has some great experience under her belt to build on.

It was no shocker that Jorge Nunez and Anoop Desai were in the second bottom two.  Even though Anoop’s "Beat It" performance really was the worst of Tuesday night, I thought his fans would pull through for him.  I am rooting for him to redeem himself next week.

Kayne West and Kelly Clarkson rocked out for us tonight.  I loved seeing the original Idol coming back and reminding us why we love her!

Few people realize that due to the nature of putting on a live show, not all celebrity performances are shot live.  Sometimes these numbers are taped right before the show or after Tuesday’s show.  Clues that give away a pre-taped performance include judges not in their seats or there are no contestants on the stage.

We also saw where the Idol contestants are sleeping — a $40-million, 20,000-square-foot mansion!  Not quite as glamorous as the 1,200-square-foot, two-bedroom apartment I shared with three other guys, including the loudest snorer I have ever met — Chris Sligh!  But I wouldn’t trade my apartment for the mansion; I was able to sneak my wife and babies in and out of our building!

So what do you all think of the new super-save-power the judges now possess?  Do you think America made the correct choice by cutting Jorge and Jasmine?

NOTE: Please join us for a very special post-game chat with Idol's stage manager/den mother since the first season, Debbie Williams.  That will happen tomorrow, Thursday, 12:15 PT at latimes.com/idoltracker.

—Phil Stacey

Photo: Jorge Nunez has been voted off "American Idol."

Credit: Fox

American Idol Buzzmeter: Who will go home?

Which two "American Idol" contestants will get the boot?

Our "American Idol" panelists* weigh in.

In order of most votes, their picks were:

1) Jasmine Murray -- 14/19 votes

2) Jorge Nunez -- 12/19 votes

Do you agree with their picks? Sound off!

*Look at all the panelists and full results here.

View past American Idol Buzzmeters here.

Read the episode recap here.

Michael Jackson week on 'Idol'; who's heir apparent to the King of Pop?

Does anyone else feel drained, already? As if watching Michael Jackson’s own long career slide hasn’t been hard enough, “American Idol” introduced its finalists this week with a “King of Pop”-themed show that had more peaks and gut punches than seemed possible so early in the game.

The brazenly gifted Adam Lambert had all four judges and the studio audience ready to push his dyed bangs aside and pour anointing oil on his forehead after he turned “Black or White,” one of Jackson’s most confrontational songs, into a glam-pride manifesto.

Danny Gokey, who could face off against Lambert at season’s end, was also showered in judge-love for his rendition of “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing),” which accelerated from a falsetto kiss to a full-on soul man’s seduction.

And Allison Iraheta, representing for the rocker kids of Latino Los Angeles, dove headfirst into the pathos of Jackson’s lust-rocker “Give In to Me” and ended up the season’s official dark horse.

Then there were the heartbreakers — foremost among them Anoop Desai’s stumble on “Beat It,” a song that proved musically too much for the sweetly overconfident North Carolinian. Desai is a strong but basically tactless singer, the kind who could benefit from the trial and error of a few weeks on the show. But he may not survive this overstep.

Equally wobbly was Jorge Nuñez, who seemed to be chasing after the melody of “Never Can Say Goodbye” instead of reveling in it. It’s sad that these two contenders, who bring new perspectives to “Idol,” may not make it another week.

Their harried turns revealed the trickiness of Jackson’s repertoire. His hits are so familiar that we forget how intricate they can be. In some, a singer must be able to go from feather-light melodicism to heavy aggression in the span of a single breath; in others, the build is everything, and so easily overdone.

A pedestrian delivery, such as Jasmine Murray’s on “I’ll Be There” or Alexis Grace’s on “Dirty Diana,” recalls Jackson’s phrasing and begs unflattering comparison. A quirky one, like Megan Corkery’s on “Rockin’ Robin,” threatens to slip into caricature.

For the “Idol” bunch, Jackson’s music proved to be an obstacle course. Those who jumped in strong came out ahead. But beyond the star-making turns by the season’s new Top 3, several less showy achievements should not be forgotten.

So here’s to Matt Giraud, who treated Jackson’s most opalescent song, “Human Nature,” with kindness and grace; Kris Allen similarly triumphed by laying back on “Remember the Time.”

And here’s to Michael Sarver, who got the build just right on the inspirational “You Are Not Alone.” Lil Rounds also deserves credit for finding a musical story in a Jackson song, uncovering the classic Motown roots of his Jheri-curl era hit “The Way You Make Me Feel.”

Let’s hope subtlety continues to form the undercurrent of this “Idol” season, even as its more spectacular voices ride its wave forward.

NOTE:  Please join us for our post-game chat with out team of Idol experts, Wednesday noon PT at latimes.com/idoltracker.

— Ann Powers

photo:Fox

The Rushfield Review: The Top 12 takes shape

All will be revealed is the promise of many a current television epic, but Wednesday night’s "American Idol" featured enough curtain lifting to keep the online Idolsphere’s collective head whirling for a year.

Not only did we, as expected, fill out the final slots in the Top 9 (with the predictable Scott MacIntyre, Lil Rounds -- pictured at left on Tuesday's show -- and Jorge Nuñez) but the most puzzled-over mystery of the season was finally cleared up: The identities of the wild card contestants were unveiled.

Actually, this was the first truly suspenseful results show thus far.  While the sudden death element of each week of the semifinal rounds raised the stakes immensely, the contests ended up completely lopsided, with at least two of the three weekly chairs almost certain to go to the huge favorites (Danny Gokey, Alexis Grace, Adam Lambert, Allison Iraheta, MacIntyre, Rounds).  Due to whatever quirk of fate, the distance between the favorites and the field each week has been a mile.

On the flip side, each results show, we have been treated to the spectacle of those many, many who had fallen in their performance nights, trotted out to the death couch -- a grim march to  certain execution. It was, for instance, beyond tragic to watch the once-effervescent but now utterly deflated 16-year-old Arianna Afsar, whose trembling lips and tear-stained eyes gave no doubt she knew what exactly Angel of Death Ryan Seacrest had in store for her, forced to tell the Reaper, “Obviously, I have regrets.”

Thinking about what kind of Top 12 this season’s altered format will produce, it can be said that the above favorites would likely have made it to the big stage in any season in which they appeared, while the jury is very much still out on the remaining three (Nuñez, Michael Sarver and Kris Allen).

Phil Stacey blog: The final chair

So coming into tonight, we already knew that Lil Rounds and Scott MacIntyre would easily coast into their spots in the finals.  I would like to brag that I called that when we first saw them during the audition rounds.  What we did not know was who was going to win that coveted third spot.  No matter who got it, it was going to be a surprise to all of us.

Felicia Barton is the first cousin of a friend of mine.  She is also connected to me through church relationships, so I admit that I was really rooting for her.  But I knew that her lack of screen time accompanied by some unshakable nerves would together create quite a challenge in winning over the voters.  She did not make it through tonight.

One by one, elimination by elimination, many good contestants fell victim to this year’s format.  In any other season, we would have a different group of finalists.  And we would not have had to endure so many –- for lack of a better term –- boring performances.  I am a big fan of the show, but there were definitely times I wanted to change the channel -- although tonight’s elimination episode was very enjoyable.  They started with Katy Perry’s “Hot 'n' Cold,”  which hinted that they are trying to make the show a little more current this season.

The judges confused me a little bit last night when they told one serious contestant to be more fun and a fun contestant to be more serious.  Comments such as these prove my theory that judges find their favorites and criticize the others.  But I do not think this is unfair.  Each contestant has the exact same time and opportunity to make himself/herself a judge favorite.  A few actually succeed, while many do not.  What is important to remember is that the judges do not dictate the voting and the voting is fair.  At the end of the day, America decides who will stay and who will go home. 

I had put the competition for the last spot between Felicia, Jorge Nuñez, Von Smith and Ju’Not Joyner.  And finally Ryan Seacrest announced that the third spot went to  Jorge. This is a good thing.  He has a fantastic voice and is certainly worthy of this show.  The only bad thing is that as of today, there are six guys in the finals and only three girls.  I am so glad they didn’t do the Top 36 when I was on for rather obvious reasons.  Season 6 could have been 12 girls…  Or not.

-- Phil Stacey

photo: Fox

American Idol Buzzmeter: Who will advance?

Which three "American Idol" contestants will advance to the next round?

Our "American Idol" panelists* weigh in.

In order of most votes, their picks were:

1) Lil Rounds -- 14/14 votes

2) Scott MacIntyre -- 11/14 votes

3) Jorge Nunez -- 8/14 votes

Do you agree with their picks? Sound off!

*Look at all the panelists and full results here.

View Buzzmeter Group 2 results here.
View Buzzmeter Group 1 results here.
Read the episode recap here.