Errr, okay. So Clay Aiken is appearing on America’s Next Top Model, both as a mentor (of sorts) and a judge. I’ve got nothing against it, but honestly this decision felt a little weird, at least for me. Wasn’t it just a while ago when we loved him for his singing chops? Nothing against American Idol contestants venturing beyond the singing talents they’ve demonstrated when they were just taking off, but… I don’t know. It really is just weird.
So, to console myself, I’ve searched far and wide for wherever Idol alumni will be performing within the next weeks. I know Archie just did the national anthem for the Pro Bowl, and I know Cookie is kicking off a campus tour, and of course I know all that Hudson’s been into. As for the others, well, it’s an interesting lot, too.
First up: Jordin Sparks. The winner of Idol‘s sixth season has signed on to perform the national anthem—spot a pattern?—on the NBA All-Star Weekend this weekend. To be exact, she will be singing on the All-Star Saturday Night Event, better known as the night when basketball players show off their slam dunking skills and all that. The event, which will be held in her hometown of Phoenix, Arizona, also features other star performers, including John Legend and fellow Idol graduate Elliott Yamin.
(As an aside, though, Chris Brown—who Sparks performed with in that hit song “No Air”—has pulled out of performing for the event. Ahhh, the mess that is the alleged pre-Grammy Rihanna domestic violence thingie. It’s caught up with the 19-year-old big time.)
The second one goes to new Idol judge (although it doesn’t feel like she’s new, really) Kara DioGuardi. She’s still active in her other job, which is writing songs for other pop stars, and proof of that is Nick Lachey’s latest solo effort, Coming Up For Air. Kara co-wrote one of the tracks in the album, “Temporary”, and for good measure, she sings with him there, too.
“Initially, just in the studio, we thought, ‘All right, let’s sing it together and then we’ll maybe find someone else to be on it’ but she did such a great job on it,” the former 98 Degrees member—and ex-husband of Jessica Simpson—told Access Hollywood.
So that means we’ll hear Kara singing outside of those American Idol audition episodes. I have the urge to mention Bikini Girl, but… never mind.
-Henrik Batallones, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Sources: Reality TV Magazine, Access Hollywood
(Images courtesy of Fox)
Staff Writer, BuddyTV
