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American Idol Season 14 Top 11 Perform

25 03 2015

Ugh. A group number. But… it wasn’t too shabby! It’s “Movie Night” on Idol. Scott Borchetta brought in Nile Rodgers to be their mentor. Jeff Gordon delivered the names of the contestants going through. He invited them out to a race on Sunday to watch, sing the national anthem and start the race. The lighted seats remain this week.

Adanna Duru makes it through to the top 11. She sang “Love You I Do from Dreamgirls” by Jennifer Hudson. I don’t really have a comparison because I have never heard the original song. So I can’t really comment other than it was enjoyable. Keith said it was hard to hear her at the beginning. He thought she sounded great and looked amazing. Jennifer said she sounded really good on the high parts. Jennifer was missing the emotion behind the lyrics “you’re the perfect man for me, I love you I do.” Harry said she looked like a movie star. Harry thought everything was good and strong. He felt that she needed to look less down the barrel of the camera and connect more with the audience and in doing so, the emotion will come through to even those at home.

The next person going through is Daniel Seavey (good God—he’s adorable, but he is still too green). He sings “Lost Stars” from “Begin Again” by Adam Levine. The emotion didn’t come through. It was not good. It was sharp and flat all over the place. Right now I’m blaming the judges for putting this kid through. Jennifer said he did an okay job; it wasn’t his best. She actually felt a lot of emotion (really?). She doesn’t know if it was his best performance. Harry said it sounded like rehearsal is imperative but not at the expense of spontaneity. He said it sounded like he was in a practice room. It wasn’t strong tonight. Keith said the song suited him. He said it was a good performance, but now he needs to dig in a little more and not be distracted by the clapping from the audience.

Rayvon Owen!!! I am happy about this. He chose “Stayin’ Alive” from “Saturday Night Fever” by The Bee Gees. It started off a little rough. He put a little bluesy twist to the song and made it different. Harry admired the arrangement. It was a cool way to reinterpret the song. Harry asks him to consider how he can remain interesting in this competition because he has that sort of “Mr. Nice Guy” thing. Harry suggests he get a set of lyrics he can really chew on. He thinks there is too much falsetto and not enough substance (I’m kind of upset because Harry is being more critical of him than he was with Daniel). Harry gets booed. Keith said they are at a point in the competition where people say “Oh my goodness what’s happening up there.” Keith suggested from a performance standpoint he wouldn’t loiter around there (and he points to where the backup singers and band members are) unless he was in command of the stage. He said it was as if he was looking for somewhere to go. But when he came up to the front, he found it was better. Jennifer said when he was in the back she didn’t know how to feel. Jennifer said it is about how you capture the audience every time.

The fourth person who made it through is Nick Fradiani. He sings “Danger Zone” from “Top Gun” by Kenny Loggins. It was respectable. He looked uncomfortable without his guitar. Keith loves the fact that he played air guitar in front of Niles Rodgers. Keith said it was better than it was last week. Jennifer agreed. Jennifer said he’s their hot guy (which gets screams from the audience). The tone was perfect for him. She still sees him in his head. He needs to own his hotness. He just needs to sing and stop worrying about everything. Harry said that song didn’t give him anything to work with. Harry thinks the song is filled with silly words. Harry says he needs to pick a song that he can be sexy on.

AND A STUPID STORM BLOCKED MY SATELLITE SIGNAL AND I DIDN’T GET TO SEE JOEY COOK’S PERFORMANCE. UGH. Jennifer said it was really beautiful. Harry said she is finding ways to widen her lane. He felt it was a great choice. Keith said she is such an artist. He sees more depth of that artistry. She brings attention to the lyric of the song. I’ll have to go hunt down this performance on line somewhere.

Tyanna Jones is the next name called. I am already getting goosebumps because she is singing “The Circle of Life” from “The Lion King” by Elton John. It was a little pitchy especially at the beginning in her lower range, but she got into the melody and found the groove but it was went in and out of being in tune. Harry said she might have overshot the mark tonight just a bit. If she had taken a step back slightly (and the crowd boos) and relaxed into it. It had intonation issues and it sounded like she was yelling all the way through. Keith didn’t necessarily feel like it was yelled all the way through. Her tone and bravado are beautiful. Keith feels like she is the best singer they’ve got from his point of view. Keith did feel she had serious pitch issues tonight though. Jennifer said it is a very challenging song. She has no worries that she will do an amazing job next week.

After a wonderful performance by Jennifer Lopez of the theme song for the new movie, “Home” called “Feel The Light”, the next person through is Quentin Alexander!!! He chooses “You’re The One That I Want” from “Grease” by Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta. Minor goosebumps. He had a little bit of a pitch issue, but so far this was the performance of the night for me (of course I didn’t see Joey Cook’s performance). Keith said he had heard that version before. He said it was an interesting performance. He has an amazing voice but he is still figuring it out. Jennifer thought it was haunting and beautiful. She felt it was very Quentin. Harry thought it was a very adventurous interpretation. He said it was horribly out of tune and he has to think about that.

Maddie Walker is through. She sings “Let’s Hear It For the Boy” from “Footloose” by Deniece Williams. This isn’t off to a great start either. The chorus is a little bit better, but the verses are rough. The ending is flat. I guess I’m a little disappointed overall with most of the performances. I remember back to the time when Candice Glover used to have phenomenal performances every single week and I am missing that this season for everyone week after week. Jennifer is glad she sang that song because it was her mother’s favorite. It was cute and good. It wasn’t a knock-out performance. Harry did not think it was good. Harry said she does not know who she is. On country songs she has an amazing country twang. On songs like “I’ll Be There” she has no twang, so he does not know who she is. It felt very pageant-ty to him. For a song like this she should be jumping up to the rafters. Is she a country singer? Is she a pop singer? Are you a pageant? (To be honest Harry, this sounded better even if she doesn’t know who she is than Daniel’s song). Keith thinks it is just song choice. She needs to find a song that plays to her strengths.

What would have been spectacular is to bring out Kevin Bacon to dance to Kenny Loggins singing “Footloose.” I like how he tosses it to the audience to say the lyrics and you hear nothing…crickets. That is because they are all too young (or the ones that did know the lyric weren’t numerous enough).

Clark Beckham makes it through. It’s my guess now that Qaasim is not going through. Clark chose Maroon 5’s “Sunday Morning” from “Cheaper By The Dozen 2” to sing this week. My goosebump moment. I LOVED IT. This is now my new favorite of the evening. Harry felt his arrangement of the song knocked it out of the park. Keith said he is such a good singer. He just wants him to put a little bit of smile into it. Jennifer said that is when all the girls fall in love. She thought it was beautiful and it was so him. He did a whole different thing with it that she loved.

The last spot goes to—yep—Jax. She sings “Grow Old With You” from “The Wedding Singer” performed by Adam Sandler. It was a little rough at the beginning but I think she was still working out the emotion of making it through. It was Jax and it was cute. It was much better than last week but stand out? I’m not sure. Keith thought it was beautiful. Jennifer thought it played to all the quirkiness in her voice. It was a good choice and she did great on it. Harry said she is a high risk/high reward type of singers and he thinks it paid off tonight. He suggested that if the guitar stops and she continues singing to make sure it is in time with the beats.

Qaasim Middleton performs for the save. I do love Qaasim but last week he revealed that his natural singing voice needs a lot of work, even more so than Daniel (yep I just said that). It’s still too early for a save and I think the judges know that his singing voice is too weak. He is a wonderful entertainer, but vocalist? He sings “Come Together” from “Across the Universe” by The Beatles. The vocal this week is stronger than last week. Maybe last week he just chose the wrong song. Jennifer’s head is down so I’m guessing that she said yes and Harry said no (because he always says no) and who knows what Keith said because it has to be unanimous. Harry said it was the best performance of the night. And WOW! They give him the save!

(I saw Joey’s performance on-line and it was my favorite of the night).

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Tags: Adanna Duru, American Idol, Clark Beckham, Daniel Seavey, Harry Connick Jr., Jax, Jeff Gordon, Jennifer Lopez, Joey Cook, Keith Urban, Kenny Loggins, Maddie Walker, Nick Fradiani, Niles Rodgers, Qaasim Middleton, Quentin Alexander, Rayvon Owen, Ryan Seacrest, Sarina-Joi Crowe, Scott Borchetta, Season 14, top 12 revealed, Tyanna Jones
Categories : American Idol, Fox Shows

American Idol Top 12 Perform; One Goes Home

13 03 2015

The chairs the contestants are sitting in are light Christmas trees now, green and red. If the chair is green, they are allowed to sing for your votes. This year, there are no result shows. Rayvon Owen’s name is called first—but wait!! His chair is still red. I’m going to have some fun with this. I think they should ditch that chair light thing next week. His song is “Burn” by Ellie Goulding. Was he out of breath before the song even started? He had a difficult time keeping breath control and dancing around on stage. When he needed his breath for his falsetto, it almost failed him. Keith said it was a killer song choice. Keith felt that was his best performance. Jennifer agreed. The song turned out even better than she thought. She said Rayvon caught the energy of the room. Harry thinks it was one of his stronger performances, too, but Harry wants to challenge him not to have the same arc on every performance. Harry says he shouldn’t make the climax at the end all the time because that is his arc. Instead start out strong. After Rayvon finished singing and getting feedback, he got to return to his green chair. Okay, now I see what the function is of it—in case someone is tuning in late, they can see if their favorites have made it with just a quick glance.

Maddie Walker is now part of the top 11. Because Scott Borchetta is helping her work on the performance portion of her song, I will watch it. Maddie (and probably Scott) picked “She’s Country” by Jason Aldean. It was a little flat, but her performance did improve. She looked more confident and was channeling some sexy. Since she is the only country singer in the group, she’ll get all the country votes and that will keep her in the competition. Even though she was flat, that was the second best song I have heard her sing, the first being her audition song. Jennifer said it was a great job and a really, really good performance from her. She is surprised at times at her strong vocals (just in a reminder kind of way). Harry thinks she needs to learn the difference between emulating and imitating. Emulating is to surpass your heroes; it sounds, however, like she is imitating them exactly. For example, this song she sang is exactly like the record. He wants to hear her interpretation of the song versus a direct copy of the song. Keith lightens things up by saying Maddie needs to stop going through Harry’s wardrobe. He commended her for taking chances and trying to come up out of her shell. But he thinks she is getting overwhelmed with what she is wearing, and how she is going to move and how she has to work to the camera, and her voice is going to come out more and more as they go through. Ryan brings up that she was not feeling well and she just said she was in pain today (didn’t say where) and Ryan shoos her off to get medical attention. I hope whatever it is will clear up soon for her. I am not sure why they bring these things up though. She handled it like a pro by performing and the audience didn’t even know anything was wrong until Ryan said something. Does that take away from her performance (finishing on a high note) or does that help to gather sympathy (and sometimes that backfires, too)?

Joey Cook makes it through. She is so funny. She wants to kiss everyone in the group before she gets to the stage. She is singing “Fancy” by Iggy Azalea featuring Charli XCX. It is totally unrecognizable except for the lyrics and I LOVE IT. I think this is what Harry was trying to explain to Maddie. THAT WAS AWESOME. There are chants of Joey that brings tears to her eyes. Harry said he has to give her an A-plus (say what???) on a couple of fronts. The arrangement was brilliant. She sang it brilliantly. He thinks she is starting to feel that people think she is a star now on stage. Keith said she has this energy and presence about her that is “so artist.” Keith felt like a moth to her flame. She pulls people in. It’s extraordinary—the way she looks, the way she moves, the way she feels confident about that. She took the song, too, not because it was popular, but because she made it her own. Every week they see more facets to her that they have never seen before. Jennifer liked that she picked it because it is so popular. It was a really smart choice for her. To take a mainstream song and to put her own stamp on it. She would have liked to have heard a little bit more of the melody in it because people know it and they wanted to sing along with her to that but she could see her doing a whole album like that one day.

There was a slight break in the night to hear the song “No Apologies” by Jussie Smollett & Yazz from the Empire Season 1 Soundtrack performed by the two brothers on Empire, Jamal and Hakeem.

Clark Beckham is the next one to be called into the top 11. He sits at the piano and performs “Takin’ It to the Streets” by The Doobie Brothers. It was great. Not his best, but great. Keith said for him not to get confused with what he can do as a singer and what you must do as a person who needs to express. He has a phenomenal voice but Keith wants to feel like there is something he is trying to get out versus just having this incredible voice (I understand that—he needs to make an emotional connection. I think that is what he did do on his audition song which made us feel goosebumps). He wants to be inspired and he does have that in him. Jennifer liked him on the piano. She thinks Scott is right that everything needs to catch up to his vocals, like feeling as Keith was saying, his performance quality, He has something natural already; it is just expanding on that and getting more comfortable with that. When that happens it will be out of the park. Harry said it wasn’t his favorite performance (of his or of the night?) but says what he likes about Clark: He likes that he does not perform. He is a very introspective, inward-pointing guy. Instead of us watching Clark’s wheels turn, Harry thinks Clark is making their wheels turn to try to get inside his head. It wasn’t his favorite, but keep doing what he is doing. That has to be very confusing to all the contestants getting two opposing pieces of feedback).

Jax is up next. She is singing one of the song of Scott’s discoveries, Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space.” This is the first time I have heard her struggle a little bit in a song. But I still love her. She sounds out of breath, too. Jennifer didn’t think this was the right song for her. She didn’t feel really “Jax” on that song. She thinks she got overtaken by the music—she didn’t get that special quality that she has in her voice—it got swallowed up somehow. Harry said that one of her talents is taking an old song and making it new or taking a new song and making it different. That song sounded like a carbon copy of Taylor’s song. He also agrees with Jennifer. Keith said it was a good song choice as far as it being popular, but she was struggling to keep Jax in there. There was one point where she actually sang the harmony to it which is an example of either taking the song up in key or choose another song.

Qaasim Middleton is through. The theme tonight is “party songs” so I’m sure he is going to do just fine. Performance is his strong point. Qaasim takes up the electric guitar to sing “Jet” by Paul McCartney and Wings. This is the first time we are hearing his real singing voice. It is okay. I still enjoy his performances. I am glad he took the risk to show us this now. He has difficulty in the lower range of the song. I don’t mean for this to sound mean, but I think if he had sang like that for his audition, he would not have made it through. Harry asks him what he thinks the song lyric meant and Qaasim thought it was about women’s struggles and their suffrage, but he had heard it was about a giraffe. He thinks he is starting to turn into a one-trick pony. Harry receives his first boo of the season. Keith loved it. Keith felt his guitar helped his singing. He felt like that is the best he has heard him sing. Jennifer said that tonight was about party songs and for her Qaasim makes every song a party. Jennifer thought it was a great performance and she still doesn’t think they have heard him singing, but when he does it is going to be something really special.

Adanna Duru makes it through. At this point, I suspect Daniel is going home. She sings “Runaway Baby” by Bruno Mars. That was outstanding (except the last few notes). I have a much improved opinion about her. Keith felt like she had a lot of Tina Turner going on. Jennifer said she did everything they asked her to and she could see Adanna was trying so hard. Jennifer said the vocal was much better—the whole thing. Harry wants to echo what Jennifer said. Intonation—there were a few little issues but it was so much better. Good song choice. He liked the choreography. For him it was one of her better performances (I agree).

Tyanna Jones is in the top 11 (oh yay!) Week after week I keep saying she needs to do a Janelle Monae song and tonight we are getting one!!! “Tightrope.’ Tyanna happens to be a big fan of Janelle. It is a little flat at the beginning. Keith and Jennifer are standing! (I TOLD YOU IT WAS THE SONG SHE NEEDED TO DO!) And the crowd goes wild. Jennifer said she got goosies. Jennifer thinks Tyanna is so in control of everything. Harry said if he were a judge in the Olympics, he wouldn’t have clapped, he wouldn’t have stood up; he would have just given her a 10. THAT is high praise from Harry. Keith said in the opening piece she said, “I want to be able to do this forever.” She didn’t say, “I want to be a star.” She didn’t say “I want to be famous.” She said, “I want to do this forever.” Also something that touches him is that some people sing and they have this attitude of “look what I can do.” Some people sing and moan “Look what I have to do.” She sings and says, “Look what I get to do.” And that is beautiful.

Only three spots are left. One of those spots goes to Daniel Seavey. Oh boy. Now I’m worried for Quentin Alexander. If I had to pick Qaasim or Quentin, I would choose Quentin because he has a better singing voice but I am afraid his artistry doesn’t translate well for this kind of show. Daniel does not deserve that spot. His performance was the worst last week. He is singing “Happy” by Pharrell Williams. If I didn’t know the lyrics, I would not have been able to understand the lyrics from Daniel (at least at the beginning of the song). It is flat. Damn those teeny boppers. It was out of tune the entire song and his voice was cracking. He looks like he should be on American Idol Junior. Harry said he is immensely talented. This performance felt the most comfortable to him out of everything he has done so far. Is he going to be able to hang with some of more experienced? He doesn’t know. Keith said he thinks they’ll hear from him again next week because he has such likability, he has great musicality. He is going to progress; he has already been doing it. Jennifer says that is the question: Is the competition too stiff? But it is impossible not to root for him.

Quentin Alexander MADE IT!!!!! I am so happy. I wonder if this means Nick is going home because Sarina-Joi is not. “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele – Adele is tough to sing, but I think he is up for it. Bad song choice. I love Quentin and I love his voice but this song was not my favorite of all he has done. Keith loved the way he started it. He loved the different arrangement of the song. There was a spiritual thing he does with songs and he did it again. Jennifer says he brings a different flavor. It is always cool, soulful and solid. Harry says one of his greatest gifts is to dig down extremely into a lyric. He felt, though, it was a relatively shallow interpretation. He felt like he coasted over the song and they didn’t get to see what Quentin does every week. Harry said the song to him was about saying screw you to a lover and he didn’t think his smiling through the song was a good interpretation.

Nick or Sarina-Joi? Who will it be? Nick is safe. Sarina-Joi should have gotten Daniel’s spot. I’m sorry. She is too talented to be going home and they never use the save this early. Nick is singing “Wake Me Up” (Acoustic) by Aloe Blacc. Tonight I hear more Rob Thomas in his vocal. Jennifer thought it was a great song choice for him. It got a little away from him but he got it back in the end. Harry thought it was solid. He wants him to stop being so shy. Keith said that if he is used to playing with a band regularly it is a strange thing for a performer to stand out there a million miles from the band. It’s a strange feeling.

Sarina-Joi is singing for the judges’ save. I feel awful for her. After trying out all those previous times and now leaving way too soon. She is singing “Neon Lights” by Demi Lovato. She was a bit flat again, but how can you criticize that when I would be falling apart in tears right now and would not even be able to perform for a save? They are not using the save this week and Jennifer says she knows that breaks her heart. Sarina-Joi needs to remember that Jennifer Hudson did not win either and look how far she went.

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Tags: Adanna Duru, American Idol, Clark Beckham, Daniel Seavey, Harry Connick Jr., Jax, Jennifer Lopez, Joey Cook, Keith Urban, Maddie Walker, Nick Fradiani, Qaasim Middleton, Quentin Alexander, Rayvon Owen, Ryan Seacrest, Sarina-Joi Crowe, Season 14, top 12 revealed, Tyanna Jones
Categories : American Idol, Fox Shows

American Idol Season 14 Top 12 Revealed

12 03 2015

Five top girls and five top guys will be revealed from our votes. The final two spots are judges’ choice. I wonder if the judges can bring back contestants like Savion Wright? The theme tonight is to sing the song with which the contestants auditioned.

Sarina-Joi Crowe is the first name revealed. She sings “Love Runs Out” by OneRepublic. She is flat. I love her but this was not a good performance. She was warned about that her pitch last week. Keith tells her to be careful with her pitch but it was a great way to start. Jennifer is excited for her. She mentions the pitch as well. Harry is happy she is here and says she is very talented. I guess he did not feel the need to mention the pitch again.

The next person making it into the top 12 is Rayvon Owen. His song at the audition was “Wide Awake” by Katy Perry. Goosebumps. It was perfect! He is so awesome. Jennifer said he felt that moment and tells him that they had a close-up on him. Harry said he sounded terrific. Keith said he got exponentially better at the end.

Scott Borchetta announces Daniel Seavey as the next finalist. His audition song was “Straight Up” by Paula Abdul. His performance was rough. I imagine his nerves were on overdrive. He was awkward. He didn’t know where to place his hands. I think he thought (or maybe they were told) to just stand in one place, but he felt out of place doing that. He forgot a few of the lyrics. He loosened up a bit when he got the audience to clap. By the end of the song he seemed to find a groove, but his intonation was still a little off. Harry said he was going to be honest with him. Daniel is young and inexperienced. His performances haven’t been strong of late and as cute as he is, his inexperience is showing. Keith said he thinks if Daniel finds an emotional song, he’ll just kill it. Jennifer agrees. She says whatever he picks, let’s make sure he is strong the whole way through.

Maddie Walker is now in the top 12. They do need to have a country presence. Her song was “Suitcase” by Gwen Sebastian. This is the best I have heard her since her audition. Oh wait! That’s because it is her audition song and she probably practiced it a few hundred times before the audition. I do love her hair tips. Keith said it was great from a stylistic standpoint. Jennifer saw her getting into own head about the singing of it. If she loves a song, just sing it and it will come out exactly as you want. Harry agrees the song was kind of in her head but he thought it was a solid performance.

Ryan lets someone in the audience read the next name: Tyanna Jones!! Oh yay!! She sings “Wings” by Little Mix. She walks around the stage and I enjoy seeing that. She belongs on that stage and I had goosebumps by the end. Jennifer what strikes her besides her phenomenal vocals which are undeniable but her composure on stage at 16 years of age? Harry applauded her comfort on stage. Keith said if you move like a star, sing like a star, and dress like a star, you ARE a star.

Nick Fradiani makes it through to the top 12. He sings one of my favorite songs of all time, “In Your Eyes” by Peter Gabriel. When he is playing his acoustic guitar he reminds me of Chris Daughtry with a little Rob Thomas thrown in. Harry said he brings a lot of experience to it and they (the audience) screamed at the end which they should have. Keith said he has a great look and voice but he thinks Nick needs to believe in himself as much as America. Jennifer said she wants him to pick a song where every part of the song is undeniable. I don’t think that is really fair to the contestants because they don’t get to choose the song this week.

That leaves 2 spots for both the girls and guys left before the judges’ picks.

Jax advances (thank GOD). She sings “I Want to Hold Your Hand” by The Beatles. She starts off slow and then speeds it up which is a bit different from her audition song. She reaches down to hold someone’s hand in the audience. Keith said it was very clear to see why America voted for her. He would have been fine with the whole song at the piano. Jennifer said she is just as compelling now as the first time she sang the song. Harry thinks she didn’t need a band at all. I think Jax was trying to switch it up because last week she heard that maybe she needed to branch out from her trademark style.

Qaasim Middleton is in the top 12. He is singing, “Sir Duke” by Stevie Wonder. He starts off slow and moves into his Qaasim style. He is a great performer. Jennifer loves his energy. She jokes, “He’s going to own all of this stage. We get it.” Harry wonders if they are going to hear an entire performance that is not just an explosion of energy. Keith said he made the best of the moment. Qaasim showed everything he could do. Keith felt that he killed it.

Clark Beckham also is in the top 12. His song was “It’s A Man’s, Man’s, Man’s World” by James Brown. That boy’s got soul. Jennifer is grooving to the performance. That is how Clark needs to sing EVERY WEEK. He reminded me how much I loved him. Harry said if he can take the ultimate most chauvinistic song in the world and make him forget about the message and enjoy the performance, that’s quite an accomplishment. Nice job. Keith reminds Harry that it says “it wouldn’t be nothing without a woman” in there. Keith tells Clark it was an amazing job—it was killer. Jennifer said it was so, so great and for her that was the vocal of the night—amazing.

The next person who goes straight through to the top 12 is Joey Cook! Woo-hoo! She sings “King of Spain” by The Tallest Man On Earth. I enjoyed that performed without the accordion. She is talented. She doesn’t need that as a crutch. Keith said she looked shocked to be up there and she agreed she did. Jennifer said she wondered what her performances would be like on the big stage and she thought she filled it up great. It was one of her best performances. Harry said as much as he likes her style, and she is really stylized, after what he saw today she might be finding a spot up there.

The judges save Quentin Alexander first. He sings “Royals” by Lorde. That was a smart choice. When he sings the word “royals” I got goosebumps. And then I got all misty-eyed when he started crying. Qaasim comes out and gives him a hug. Jennifer says to him, “You know that you deserve to be here.” (He does!) His emotion is part of what makes him a great artist. She cannot wait to see all the performances and all the colors they will get from him this season. Harry said his favorite part of Quentin is how deeply in touch Quentin is with his own artistry and emotion. Were there pitch problems? Did it matter so much? No. Keith said he brought a real spiritualism to that song. Keith is so glad he is here.

Keith announces the next person: Adanna Duru. Too bad they couldn’t have saved another guy. I would have picked Mark if American Idol didn’t feel constrained to splice in down evenly in gender. She sings “You and I” by Lady Gaga. There are those Bollywood hand movements again. I think I’ll just close my eyes and listen to her instead. I like her voice when she isn’t screaming for notes and notes at a time. Harry said she has to find a way to take that energy and channel it through a very specific musical place because it was really, really out of tune. If she can do that, then she’ll be fine. Jennifer said it was amazing, but the only thing she is going to have to work on is really having control of her performance. Keith said when she gets like that and she gets her fellow competitors up out of their chairs, she’s got something going on.

American Idol Season 14 Top 8 Girls Perform

11 03 2015

We get right into the mix with the announcement and performance of the first girl making it through to the top 8–Tyanna Jones. She chooses “Rockin’ Robin” by Michael Jackson to get the Motown-tribute night started. It was lovely. I think her nerves were better tonight. She was better hitting those notes. It was a fun song to start the evening. Keith thought it was a great way to kick it off. He thought it was the perfect song to play to her vocal strengths. Jennifer felt like she was in a time warp to when Motown was all the rage. Harry thought it was subtle and strong. His biggest question is what can’t she sing?

The next contestant who moves onto the top 8 is Loren Lott. She also sings a Michael Jackson song, “I Wanna Be Where You Are.” When she isn’t hitting the power notes, it was terrible (she is hitting those notes off). There is only one performance that impressed me—when she sang “Skyfall.” I think it is the tonality of her voice that bothers me. It’s just a personal preference. It is very much like her speaking voice. Jennifer said she really enjoyed that; it made her smile. She thought it was a strong vocal and strong performance. Harry feels she may have nudged the bar up a little bit. Keith thought she was really good.

Maddie Walker advances. This probably doesn’t surprise me. There is a country-block voting out there. ANOTHER Michael Jackson song (well a Jackson 5 song). Do the ladies know that there is more to Motown than just Michael Jackson? She chooses “I’ll Be There.” I don’t like it. I decided to close my eyes and just listen to it because I thought maybe I was reacting to her performance of it versus the vocal on it (because she looks terrified). It sounded a bit better that way. I know she is only 17 and needs some performance experience under her belt. The end part of the vocal about 30 seconds before the song ended was very rough. Harry said if there was any doubt she should be in this competition that has been erased. Harry points out two technical things to her. Sometimes when she holds those notes out she is dead-on but other times she goes sharp. He also teaches her about dynamic so it isn’t just loud all the time. Keith thought it was a good song choice to make it her own (Really? It sounded like Mariah Carey’s version.) He thought she looked nervous. He said if she thinks about the song she is singing, and the lyric, and forget about the execution of the vocal, those nerves will go away. Jennifer said the song takes a lot of control even if it has that innocence about it, but she did a really good job even with the nerves.

Ryan pulls out another card with another name. It’s Joey Cook!! Yay!! Finally–NOT a Michael Jackson song. It’s “Shop Around” by The Miracles. She sheds the accordion. That was a smart move. It almost has a scat kind of sound to it. I like that she made the song her own. Keith always looks forward to seeing and hearing what she does. Jennifer said she is so unique and that it’s so beautiful that someone has all that emotion and not be afraid to show it and to channel it into a performance. Harry loves her artistry, too. He feels she is very unique. His only concern is that she is so stylized that he wonders if people will grow tired of that hyperstylization. Maybe not, maybe so.

Sarina-Joi Crowe makes it (was there any doubt about THAT)? She chooses a song from The Miracles as well: “You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me.” Goosebumps!!!! Major goosebumps. That was fabulous. Jennifer said she really, really sings. It is fulfilling to her. She believes in her and thinks she is the best singer here. She is super special and super gifted. Harry thinks she is terrific. She has a world-class smile. He liked the performance with the guitar but his comment to take away was intonation and pitch. I think Harry needed to give that speech to a few others and not this particular contestant. He felt the whole song was consistently flat (when I heard it back again later, I heard it then). Keith said the tone of her voice is beautiful. She also didn’t get distracted by the audience cheering where a lot of people would.

Adanna Duru makes it through. Again—what do people see in this girl? She chooses a Lionel Richie classic “Hello.” I expect Harry to criticize her for singing a ballad like he did Katherine Winston last week. Although if I have to choose between her vocal tonight and Loren Lott’s vocal, I prefer this one, until her voice cracked on that final note. And she has to stop doing those Bollywood hand gestures. They drive me nuts. Harry gives her an A-plus on singing those lyrics. On the flip side, intonation is imperative. The whole thing was out of tune. Keith said he was into the lyric. Jennifer said that she is so capable of taking the audience there emotionally but she has to choose the exact right thing to sit in her voice. Song choice has to be important.

Only two spots left. The next to last spot goes to Jax!!!! THANK GOD! She sings “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. She did her own thing with the verses but returned to the standard melody for the chorus and it gave it the real Jax vibe. Goosebumps part deux. Keith what he loves about her is her artistry. It is so original. Jennifer said she is already one of the favorites in this competition. She said making the song your own is good, but taking it so far away from the original iconic song is not. This song just didn’t work in that way. Harry said incredible voice, unbelievable charisma but he agrees with Jennifer 100%. It is a great song and he thinks the arrangement was dull. She cannot go for dull right now. I didn’t realize it until Ryan pointed it out but she was wearing the dress that broke the internet. When I see it on Jax, it is blue and black, but when I saw it on the internet it was gold and muted white.

The last person who makes it through is Alexis Gomez. She sings “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)” by The Four Tops. She is singing a song I hear in my house at least 20 times a day because it is on Shark Tales, the DVD my son watches all the time. It was terrible. Jennifer said it was really out of key and it actually bothered her (which is rare for her apparently). She apologies and says it is integral. Harry says there is no doubt she deserves to be there. There were many things he did not like about that performance but she has to figure out a way to control herself emotionally. Every week will be like that. She needs to settle down and do her thing. Keith said it wasn’t a good song choice but they can figure it out from here.

My votes will go to Tyanna, Jax, Sarina-Joi Crowe and Joey Cook.

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Tags: 4 go home, Adanna Duru, Alexis Gomez, American Idol, Harry Connick Jr., Jax, Jennifer Lopez, Joey Cook, Keith Urban, Loren Lott, Maddie Walker, Ryan Seacrest, Sarina-Joi Crowe, Season 14, top 8 girls, Tyanna Jones
Categories : American Idol, Fox Shows

American Idol Season 13 Top 12 Perform

6 03 2014

Tonight’s theme was “home.” The contestants were to do a song that defines that and what it means to them. Does it mean their town, their family members, or something else? What does “home” represent to them?

Was I the only person who was hoping the ladies would grab Ryan Seacrest and put him in the mosh pit with them?

Jena Irene

Song: “Suddenly I See” by KT Tunstall: Symbolizes her family and how she was raised.

My thoughts: I liked it. I really like the uniqueness of her voice. I also like that she makes it a little different so it does not sound like the original.
The judges: Keith: Likes her stage presence, that she was coming to life. He was not mad about that specific song for her, but liked the way she started to move around. Jennifer said she is on the precipice of really blossoming on the stage. She loves how she can make the song her own. It is the mark of an artist. Harry said he liked the switch in the melody. He wanted to see more energy from her especially at her age.

Alex Preston

Song: “I Don’t Wanna Be” by Gavin DeGraw

My thoughts: I adore his grandmother. I’m such a fan of Alex. He had a few little breath issues. And it was a bit pitchy for him. But I still loved it because he tried to change the song for himself.

The judges: Jennifer said he looks like he belongs on stage. It wasn’t his best vocal performance. The arrangement did not quite fit the song. It overtook his vocal and performance. She advised him to be careful with that balance. Harry said he is so used to hearing him at an intimate context (yet last week he didn’t like the intimate performance). It sounded similarly to what Jen said. He didn’t think it was a home run but admires him for trying to do something different this time. Keith thought the word instability came to mind for the performance. The song was around him instead of him being “in” the song. Another giveaway is the loss of breath at the end of phrasing.

Jessica Meuse

Song: “White Flag” by Dido

My thoughts: If this song has been in her set for years, it should have sounded better. I prefer when she sings from a dark place. This was not a good song choice for her.

The judges: Harry said she normally is so in tune. She was so off here. She really wasn’t present in the performance. Harry gets booed. Keith loves her musicality. With pitch and that (what Harry was saying), he does not always agree. Jennifer said she is with both of them. She feels like she is comfortable but it is not coming off that way to the audience. It was so sharp through the whole thing. But if she would have been singing with so much more conviction, it wouldn’t have mattered.

Dexter Roberts

Song: “Lucky Man” by Montgomery Gentry

My thoughts: It was nice. I’m sorry that I’m not a big country music fan. I like him and the puppies are adorable.

The judges: Keith said it was the perfect song. He took liberties with the phrasing. He showed his vulnerable side. Jennifer said she feels like they are being a little hard on everybody tonight. She liked that he surprised her. Harry wants to be completely honest. It was unquestionably the best performance of the night (so far). It was a great performance.

Emily Piriz

Song: “Let’s Get Loud” by Jennifer Lopez

My thoughts: I have mixed emotions about the Marine boyfriend video. On one hand, they could just be celebrating and being grateful for his service. On the other hand, people feel obligated to vote for her just because of that and sometimes it pays off and sometimes people hate being manipulated and refuse to vote because of that. As far as her performance, the band guy looked uncomfortable when she was singing and dancing next to him. It was in tune but it did not have enough oomph to get me up and want to dance or sing along with her which is the purpose of the song.

The judges: Jennifer said she did a really good job. She loved it but she is biased. Harry said he thought it took a lot of courage but she has to match the intensity of the locomotive train. She has to drive the train and the production was too big for her tonight. Harry gets booed again. Keith loved it. Harry says back to Keith that he wants her to improve. Keith said to be more confident.

Caleb Johnson

Song: “Working Man” by Rush

My thoughts: My favorite so far tonight. He could honestly go on tour right now.

The judges: Harry: He is the most consistent performer on the show. Always consistent, but he knows how he feels before he goes on to sing. What can he bring to rock and roll to make it modern? How can he not be predictable? Keith said he is one of the best singers he has heard in a long, long time. It was a bold thing. Keith talks about rock and roll and the need for a band. His challenge to Caleb was how does he get that thing going on without the band around him. Jennifer said it is what she has been waiting for all night. Great job tonight.

MK Nobilette

Song: “Drops of Jupiter” by Train

My thoughts: Once again, they put her name up as MK Nobillette. She looks terrified. I don’t know if that is what caused her to lose breath control and be off key. The message that came across to me was she feels defeated and feels like what is the point (because she was in the bottom 3 last week).

The judges: Keith said she needs to connect with how she looks with how she sings. If she isn’t going to not use the guitar, throw it behind her and grab the microphone. Jennifer said she needs to keep pushing herself. She will get there. It was a sweet performance. Harry gets the feeling that she does not want to be there. He advises her to work on the things that are hard, that make her uncomfortable and she will improve.

CJ Harris

Song: “Waiting on the World To Change” by John Mayer

My thoughts: He is still sharp over the note. I’m starting to think it might be a bad habit that is just hard to change. But I loved the emotion and connection he had with the song that we could feel as well.

The judges: Jennifer said he looks great tonight. She loved the performance of that song. Harry said he sang consistently sharp, but it was alright because he had conviction. Keith said all that is missing now is to make the song more of his own and not just do a straight cover. Where is his artistic take on it?

Sam Woolf

Song: “Just One” by Blind Pilot

My thoughts: It was a sweet performance. I think putting him in a more intimate context was better than what he did last week where he was lost on stage. But I worry about this. Will he be able to play in a big venue or is this more coffeehouse?

The judges: Harry: Emotional dynamics–there has to be a change–there is just one beat with him emotionally. He needs to try something else. Keith: He understands what Harry is saying. The tone of his voice is like “butta.” If he made an album of original songs, he would buy that record. Jennifer said he has to push outside his comfort zone.

Malaya Watson

Song: “Take Me to the King” by Tamela Mann

My thoughts: It was a better song and performance from last week. More mature. There was a lot of heart in that. But there were still moments that were really rough.

The judges: Keith stood up. Keith said it was a beautiful song baby. (First baby tonight). Encompassed vulnerability and range. Great job. Jennifer had goosies. She was all there for the story. And she had tears in her eyes because she is so proud of her. Harry said this felt very focused and it was risky. There were a few little problems but the message was there.

Ben Briley

Song: “Turning Home” by David Nail

My thoughts: I have no opinion about this.

The judges: Jennifer said the feeling was there. Harry did not connect with it and he felt it was shouted. Harry has a record number of boos in one evening. Keith lost the story and emotion from him. He wants him to worry less about the technicality.

Majesty Rose York

Song: “Fix You” by Coldplay

My thoughts: The emotion was there, but the song was off key in parts it needed to be in key. I liked it in the beginning but when she tried to go big, that is when her voice failed her. She reminds me more of a Tracy Chapman type of singer.

The judges: Harry enjoyed the beginning. Jennifer said she tried to do something but it didn’t work. Keith said they would see her next week.

So in summary, tonight’s Idol was VERY disappointing. The only person who nailed it tonight was Caleb. MK is in serious trouble. She has a lovely voice but her lack of confidence in herself will ultimately be her downfall. Jessica might be in trouble as well. Picking a song is so crucial. And having a theme and having to pick a song that reminds you of home but may not be a good song for your voice all have to be considered.

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Tags: "Drops of Jupiter" by Train, "Fix You" by Coldplay, "I Don't Wanna Be" by Gavin DeGraw, "Just One" by Blind Pilot, "Let's Get Loud" by Jennifer Lopez, "Lucky Man" by Montgomery Gentry, "Suddenly I See" by KT Tunstall, "Take Me to the King" by Tamela Mann, "Turning Home" by David Nail, "Waiting on the World to Change" by John Mayer, "White Flag" by Dido, "Working Man" by Rush, Alex Preston, American Idol, Ben Briley, Caleb Johnson, CJ Harris, Dexter Roberts, Emily Piriz, Harry Connick Jr., Hilda Bowen, Jena Irene Ascuitto, Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Meuse, Keith Urban, Majesty Rose York, Malaya Watson, MK Nobilette, MK Nobillette, PBMom, Ryan Seacrest, Sam Woolf, season 13, top 12 perform
Categories : American Idol, Fox Shows, TV shows

American Idol Season 13 Top 13 Perform

27 02 2014

Tonight’s theme is “This is me.” The contestants have to choose one song that defines them as an artist and as a person. The sequence with the contestants on how the voting works this season was cute. There is a new voting platform on Google.

Dexter Roberts

5 in 20: Scared of spiders, fell off a horse, did something with a butter knife (?), first kiss was on a slide, broke his finger during football.

Song: “Aw Naw” by Chris Young

My thoughts: That was rough for me. It was out of tune (sharp). He looked great though.

The judges: Keith said he was a likable guy. He thought it was an excellent cover version of the song but now Dexter needs to figure out how to make it a Dexter Roberts performance. Jennifer said something similar. Harry wonders if the ear monitors are causing him to sing out of tune. There was a pitch issue. Jennifer added that it was not the sweet spot for his voice so much.

Malaya Watson

5 in 20: Afraid of dogs, plays a lot of instruments, wears glasses because she can’t see and she loves everybody.

Song: “Runaway Baby” by Bruno Mars

My thoughts: Nice upbeat song. I don’t think it was the right song for her. It did not showcase her voice well. I felt like I was watching a high school talent show. I really like her though. I hope she will do better next week.

The judges: Jennifer loves her energy. Her performance was A-plus. The song had soul. It, however, was not her best vocal performance but says she is a contender. Harry agrees. He said intonation is huge. He mentions that she appeared nervous. Keith said what can you do from here forward? It’s about growing and learning. Her energy is contagious. She needs to figure out how to get on top of the song and not floating around it.

Kristen O’Connor

5 in 20: Her best friends are quadruplets. She loves swing dancing. She is bad at all sports.

Song: “Beautiful Disaster” by Kelly Clarkson

My thoughts: I like Kristen but it was off key. I don’t think this was the right song for her. Everyone is having pitch issues tonight. I felt like she was just singing. I didn’t feel any emotional connection from her to the song she was singing (and because of that, I did not feel anything).

The judges: Harry thought that she was a really strong pop singer but she is singing out of tune. Keith thought it was a good song choice for her. She was able to show the range and show control and dynamics in a short space of time. Jennifer said to stop thinking (after seeing 3 contestants now). Start thinking about what you know versus what they are afraid of what may happen.

Ben Briley

5 in 20: He can name every capital. He loves Tennessee football. His favorite animal is a kangaroo. He is good at throwing rocks at hitting poles. He wants to sky dive. He has a super power. And then states none of this is true.

Song: “Folsom Prison Blues” by Johnny Cash

My thoughts: Finally a better performance this evening. Who knew I would like it too (because I don’t like country music). So that is how much I did love it.

The judges: Keith said it was particularly brisk. He told him not to sacrifice his artistry in the midst of entertaining. Jennifer liked the fast tempo. She said it was a good example of taking a song that represents you and changing it up to make it yours. She loved it. Harry said he did not think it was kitsch (as Keith mentioned) at all. He liked the up-tempo. He felt it was the best performance of the night so far.

CJ Harris

5 in 20: Doesn’t like climbing high things, hates icy roads in the wintertime, does not like to deer hunt that much, hates people with bad attitudes and no personality, and is very religious.

Song: “Radio” by Darius Rucker

My thoughts: I love CJ but this was the worst performance heard tonight so far. He was always above the note.

The judges: Jennifer thought it was a lot of fun. She acknowledges there were pitch issues going on for everyone. Harry said CJ has this “cry” in his voice that he loves to hear but this song may have been among other ones during a concert. It was just an okay song choice. Harry is then booed. Keith disagrees. He thinks it was a good song choice and it was good to hear a different side to him tonight.

MK Nobilette

(Okay, the web site says it is Nobilette but the name was Nobillette on the TV screen–look!)

5 in 20: She is a mediocre snowboarder, played soccer her whole life, loves single ladies (and adds “the song”), wishes she was a dancer, loves dogs.

Song: “Satisfaction” by Allen Stone

My thoughts: It was average. She looked scared. The stage kind of swallowed her up. A few times it seemed out of tune (not on purpose), especially in the end part when she is singing “Satisfaction” a lot. I do like her new look and style. She looks wonderful in pink.

The judges: Harry loves watching her grow. He gives her some pointers about her performance. Keith said he loved the way she looks. He said there were patches of good and patches of “deer in the headlights” but it will come. Jennifer loved how she delivered it. She was awesome.

Majesty Rose York

5 in 20: Born in a leap year. She is left-handed, does the longboard, does ballet and likes to make her hair bigger.

Song: “Tightrope” by Janelle Monae

My thoughts: The beginning verses were rough. Too bad. I am a really big fan of hers and I would put her in the middle of the pack.

The judges: Keith said it was a killer song choice. Janelle is a great place for her to tap into. She is just becoming more confident in what she is doing. Jennifer loves her individuality. She said the song was perfect for her and that she is blessed. Harry said his favorite thing about her is the mystery and how it will unravel. He thought it was terrific.

Jena Irene

5 in 20: Her hair is actually brown. She is best friends with her brother. Her favorite movie is “The Wizard of Oz.” Her eyes are sometimes green and sometimes blue. She is really short.

Song: “The Scientist” by Coldplay

My thoughts: It started off rough but she found her groove in there. I liked it. This is my second favorite female performance of the night.

The judges: Jennifer said she has such a unique voice, filled with dynamics and nuances–a powerhouse singer, too. It was a tough song but she pulled it off. Jennifer loved it. Harry said he felt the emotion of the song and that she makes interesting choices on a pre-existing melody, that her melodic choices drive the lyrics. Keith said it was pitchy in the beginning but once she leaned into it, she owned the song.

Alex Preston

5 in 20: He loves extreme sports. He likes to write poetry. He is a hopeless romantic, loves coffee, and has never been…..(cut off).

Song: “A Beautiful Mess” by Jason Mraz

My thoughts: I had goosebumps. I loved it. My favorite performance of the night so far. He is so unique. A couple of notes were off, but not horribly. It was such an intimate performance.

The judges: Harry said he was brave to do that but cautioned him to try to sing it in tune. He felt it was too inward and that he did not feel what Alex was singing about. Harry is booed again. Keith said he had the complete opposite reaction. It pulled him in. He wanted to know what Alex “had never been” but Alex does not even remember. Jennifer agrees with Keith that she got caught up in the emotion and mood of it. Jennifer did a nice job. She felt it was a nice change from what everyone else is doing.

Jessica Meuse

5 in 20: She uses a lot of hand sanitizer and is obsessed by the supernatural. She likes ponies and has way too many animals. She failed band in school.

Song: “The Crow and the Butterfly” by Shinedown

My thoughts: I LOVED IT! I had goosebumps. Rocker girl after my own heart. It was my favorite female performance of the night.

The judges: Keith said it was a bold but cool song choice. It reminded him of the first time seeing her from the audition cities. There was a dark, haunting quality to it and that is what she has as an artist. The edgy rasp is appealing. Jennifer said that the sound and power of her voice gave her goosies everywhere. It was her favorite vocal performance of the night so far. It was perfect. She would love to see Jessica’s body relax a little bit. It was dope. Harry was distracted by the graphic butterflies. He thought it was strong and that it was cool to hear her sing slightly differently. She did a nice, nice job.

Emily Piriz

5 in 20: Went to chef camp when she was younger. Her eyes change colors depending on environment and clothing. She does a cool whistle.

Song: “Glitter In The Air” by P!nk

My thoughts: She was wearing way too much makeup (not her fault). I did not care for it. I felt like she was singing it and never made an emotional connection to the song. She was hitting the high note (which always brings out the applause) but her lower register was rough. I really don’t know what the judges heard because they had a very different take on it.

The judges: Jennifer said it is a tough song to take on but she did it beautifully. She thought it had a lot of emotion and her pitch was beautiful. Harry said it was great and she sang the melody well and conveyed the emotions well. Keith said it was one of his favorites of the night. He wants more yin-yang though. There was too much yin.

Sam Woolf

5 in 20: He is afraid of spiders. He wears size 10 shoes. He stepped on a sea urchin once and broke his ankle once falling down the stairs. His middle name is Joseph.

Song: “Unwell” by Matchbox Twenty

My thoughts: It was okay. It seemed to drag a bit. I almost had the feeling that he wanted to sing it faster but the music was lagging behind. He’s in the middle of the pack for me, too.

The judges: Harry said he wished his vocal mirrored the lyrics (that it wasn’t so clean and tight). It was nice but not great. Kevin said the tempo was slow. Sam had a great way of holding the center of his performance. Jennifer said he was a quiet storm. He needs to come alive. Sometimes he is a deer in the headlights.

Caleb Johnson

5 in 20: Unfortunately they caught him brushing his teeth. Did he say he once kissed a cow? The second one was something about a pancake? His favorite band is Rush. He was on the cross country team in high school. He loves biscuits and gravy.

Song: “Pressure and Time” by Rival Sons

My thoughts: GOOSEBUMPS!! (And hey look Taylor Hicks is in the house). Is Idol ready for a rock star winner? My favorite performance of tonight. This looked truly professional. I felt like I was attending his concert.

The judges: Keith and Jennifer were on their feet. Keith said he has some serious pipes and it was a cool song. He said he needs to figure out now how to put on that twist–retro with a twist. Jennifer said he was so ready for the rock-star life. Harry said it was great to hear rock-and-roll on Idol. If something happened to Rival Sons like what happened with Journey, he could be it.

My top picks for tonight

Guys: Caleb and Alex; girls: Jessica and Jena

On the bottom for me

CJ Harris, Dexter Jones, Malaya Watson

Thursday Night

Candice Glover sings!! And Jake Bugg.

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Tags: "A Beautiful Mess" by Jason Mraz, "Aw Naw" by Chris Young, "Beautiful Disaster" by Kelly Clarkson, "Folsom Prison Blues" by Johnny Cash, "Glitter In The Air" by P!nk, "Pressure and Time" by Rival Sons, "Radio" by Darius Rucker, "Runaway Baby" by Bruno Mars, "Satisfaction" by Allen Stone, "The Crow & The Butterfly" by Shinedown, "The Scientist" by Coldplay, "Tightrope" by Janelle Monae, "Unwell" by Matchbox Twenty, Alex Preston, American Idol, Ben Briley, Caleb Johnson, Candice Glover, CJ Harris, Dexter Roberts, Emily Piriz, Harry Connick Jr., Jake Bugg, Jena Irene Ascuitto, Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Meuse, Keith Urban, Kristen O'Connor, Majesty Rose York, Malaya Watson, MK Nobilette, MK Nobillette, Ryan Seacrest, Sam Woolf, season 13, Theme is "this is me", top 13 perform
Categories : American Idol, Fox Shows, TV shows

American Idol Season 13 Top 13 Picked

23 02 2014

After watching both groups perform, I believe the stronger singers this year are the boys. Ryan Seacrest wasted no time Thursday evening announcing the top 10 performers that were going through to next week’s show. In no particular order, the following names were called:

Malaya Watson is first through. She has SUCH a personality.

Ben Briley (ditch the plaid dude).

Emily Piriz. This surprised me. She has a good voice, but I didn’t like her song choice.

Alex Preston. YAY!!!!

Jessica Meuse

Dexter Roberts

Caleb Johnson (YAY). Note to Caleb: Do NOT maul Ryan Seacrest.

Majesty Rose (YAY!)

And they finally took a commercial break.

MK Nobilette

Sam Woolf (awesome!)

Wild Card

Jennifer Lopez explains. Of the 10 left, they are going to choose 5 to sing tonight so that from that they can pick 3 of them.

CJ Harris. It was good. Singing for his life? Not really. Harry said both the band and CJ screwed that up. It was not a strong start; it was average. He did not feel any of the magic. Jennifer said the specialness of his voice and soul still came through for her. Keith said he has to stay emotionally connected to the song the entire way through; he was drifting in and out emotionally.

Jena Irene. Playing keyboard. I hope she gets picked. I had goosebumps. Keith said it was a really good use of that moment.

Spencer Lloyd. I think he should have chosen the “Say Something” song (as they pointed out to him just the night before). Jennifer thinks he picked the wrong song to sing again.

Bria Anai. She was awesome. I know she will get a spot. Harry said she sang for her life but it was all over the place. She was clearly not expecting that comment.

Kristen O’Connor. She was ahead of the band. It was not her best.

Wild Cards Picked

Jena Irene

Kristen O’Connor

CJ Harris

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Tags: Alex Preston, American Idol, Ben Briley, Bria Anai, Caleb Johnson, CJ Harris, Dexter Roberts, Emily Piriz, Harry Connick Jr., Jena Irene, Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Meuse, Keith Urban, Kristen O'Connor, Majesty Rose York, Malaya Watson, MK Nobilette, Ryan Seacrest, Sam Woolf, season 13, Spencer Lloyd, top 13 revealed
Categories : American Idol, Fox Shows, TV shows

American Idol Season 13 Rush Week Boys’ Night

21 02 2014

The judges had a difficult time deciding on the 10 contestants that would be given the opportunity to perform for America’s votes this evening. They finally finished in the dressing room before the show started.

First Pick

Caleb Johnson (from Asheville–did I mention my sister lives there? Yes I have!) He sings, “Stay With Me” by Faces. The thing he needs to work on is closing his eyes while he is singing. Chris Daughtry says that he does not want Caleb’s intense face to distract them and to smile.” Caleb sings again, this time smiling. Chris adds, “Okay, halfway.” Adam Lambert hears that he wants to be “subtle over-the-topness” and laughs. I think Caleb looks great, sounds fabulous and he definitely improved with his eye-closing issues. He had the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand. He was in command! Keith said it was “killer dude.” He has soul, a cool thing in his voice that a person is just born with. There are some things you can’t learn. It was the perfect song and a great way to start the show. Jennifer said it was amazing, a real rockstarish, the real deal. “It’s your time.” Harry said it will be tough for the guys following him. It was a strong way to start the show and congratulations.

Second Pick

CJ Harris. He defines himself as country soul. His guitar and voice were self-taught. Chris Daughtry said he was having a hard time following the guitar pattern, that it distracted from his amazing vocals and to ditch it. It would free him up to sell the song. He sang, “Shelter” by Ray LaMontagne. CJ ditches Chris’ suggestion to ditch the guitar. I’m not a guitar expert so I can’t comment on his guitar skills. I thought he slayed the song. He did a fantastic job and I like his new look, too. Jennifer said he makes her smile. She said he makes her feel so many things which is a beautiful thing. Harry said he was a great talent. He advised him to watch his intonation. Harry thought he had a tendency to sing really sharp. He felt like he was singing to him and that he was going to shelter him. Keith said it was a great mix of Dobie Gray and Jonny Lang blended in to this package that was so original.

Third Pick

Emmanuel Zidor. He tells Randy Jackson that he has been “humming since the womb and singing since 5.” He wants to sing “Best of My Love” by The Emotions. The rehearsal clips looked rough. I was entertained by his performance and I love his positivity but he has a lot of work to do. I would put him in the middle of my pack. I am also glad he did not try for the falsetto that bombed in rehearsals. Harry said it was so much fun. It reminded him of the performers in New Orleans–happy, infectious energy. He recommended the same advice he gave to everyone else: “Stay in your lane.” Keith said, “I agree with Harry.” Harry said, “That’s my girl right there.” And things got awkward. I wonder if they are trying to capture the Adam Levine/Blake Shelton bromance vibe? Keith advised him to watch his adrenaline level because he was singing above the note; rein it in. Jennifer said, “I Zi-dore you. You belong on a stage.” She said it was not the best song for him. Then she asks him to sing a little bit of “I’m Going Down” and he does. That’s cheating a bit, Jennifer.

Fourth Pick

Sam Woolf. He was just accepted to Berklee College of Music (Boston, MA). He sings, “Babylon” by David Gray. Michael Orland, the vocal coach, says that he is doing a lot of eye closing and looking down which can look like insecurity. I think he is nervous but he listened to the advice and I like when the contestants do that. I could hear his voice on the radio right now. I would even consider buying his record. He did a tremendous job. My favorite so far of the night. He has really won me over during the last two performances. Keith said, “The people like you Sam.” His voice is money. His tone is great. It was a good song for him. His performance will get better and better. Jennifer said he has a sweet quality. She hopes he can gain small degrees of confidence as the show goes on.

Fifth Pick

George Lovett. He chooses “Grenade” by Bruno Mars. Adam helped him with some stage movement. He was very nervous. I did not like this song as a ballad. It sounded like he was dragging a bit behind the band. His voice cracked a few times. His pitch was rough at times. Jennifer said it was really good but he needs to control the runs; there were just too many. Harry said it was easy to come so invested that you can sing yourself right off the microphone. His passion spun out of control. Harry has heard him sing better (and Harry gets boo #2 for the Idol season). Keith said song choice is crucial and that this song did not play to his strengths.

Sixth Pick

Dexter Roberts sings “This Ole Boy” by Craig Morgan. I like his makeover. I have no reference to compare this to, but I did find it enjoyable. Harry said there were good things about what he did. Keith said he was the real deal, a fully fledged country boy from Alabama. He was fun and easy to watch. He agreed with Harry about him needing to find out what separates him from all the country voices that sound just like him. Jennifer said it was easy in a cool way. She remarked that if he was nervous she did not see it. For American Idol, he did his thing.

Seventh Pick

Alex Preston. YAY!!! He plays 11-12 instruments? Whoa. He sang, “Volcano” by Damien Rice. His challenge is also making eye contact. I could tell during his performance that he was really trying to apply the lessons he learned during the workshop. I LOVE IT. It was better than the original. My new favorite performance of the night. He has such a unique sound among the boys. Keith said it was the best song choice of the night and a good performance. Jennifer said it had such a groove that was different than anything else. He is in his own lane. If he stays there, he could go very far. Harry said music is a religion to Alex. He said his favorite part was that he ended on the “9” and that Alex knew what he meant. Ryan asked for Harry to explain and he did with Alex’s assistance.

Eighth Pick

Malcolm Allen singing “Comin’ From Where I’m From” by Anthony Hamilton. I have never heard that song before. I think he still needs a lot of work on his stage presence. The stage swallows him up. He sings well, but there are some really talented guys in the mix this year. Jennifer said he has a great voice. She wanted his physical performance to hit her more. She said she should have gotten goosies on that–to hear the pain that is in that song. She needs him to bring his heart and soul to it next time. Harry said he is a good run singer, but the danger is singing in the exact same run over and over and over; it was the same five notes and he needs to sing it in tune which elicits boo number three for Harry. Keith said–oops he ran out of time to talk. He felt like he was at the Grammy’s. He told Malcolm he needed to make artistic choices and gave him a suggestion on how that could have worked.

Ninth Pick

Ben Briley (aka “Gumbo”) I LOVE his makeover. He is singing “Soulshine” by The Allman Brothers Band. He also tends to close his eyes while he is singing. I really liked it. My judgment of him getting through over Neco Starr might have been premature and incorrect. I really truly enjoyed that. Harry said Ben seemed to like it and thought he (that he thought Ben thought) nailed it. It was a great job and was interesting. Keith said he has a great voice which was better than his guitar playing. Keith thought it was the first shredder solo on Idol. Jennifer commented that some people come alive when they are on stage versus in the rehearsal which is a sign of a true performer.

Tenth Pick

Spencer Lloyd to the delight of all the teenage girls in the room. He sings, “Love Don’t Die” by The Fray. He asked for advice about whether to use the guitar or not with the performance. Randy said for him to sing with it. Adam Lambert and vocal coach Melissa Garcia said without the guitar. The song started off rough with a lot of notes out of key. Midway through though I felt he found a groove. Being a worship leader, I know he can get a crowd going and this crowd was going, going, gone. Keith said that song choice is important and this was not his best vocal performance tonight. Jennifer said he moved the crowd and that when he is up there, he is a star. Harry said the song, “Say Something” was his strong suit; this was not. He reminds Spencer to stick to what he knows. This was not good (and Harry was booed again). He told Spencer that singing ballads is good.

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Tags: "Babylon" by David Gray, "Best of My Love" by The Emotions, "Comin' From Where I'm From" by Anthony Hamilton, "Grenade" by Bruno Mars, "Love Don't Die" by the Fray, "Shelter" by Ray LaMontagne, "Soulshine" by The Allman Brothers Band, "Stay With me" by Faces, "This Ole Boy" by Craig Morgan, "Volcano" by Damien Rice, Adam Lambert, Alex Preston, American Idol, Ben Briley, Berklee College of Music, Caleb Johnson, Chris Daughtry, CJ Harris, Dexter Roberts, Dobie Gray, Emmanuel Zidor, George Lovett, Harry Connick Jr., Jennifer Lopez, Jonny Lang, Keith Urban, Malcom Allen, Melissa Garcia, Michael Orland, Randy Jackson, Ryan Seacrest, Sam Woolf, season 13, Spencer Lloyd
Categories : American Idol, Fox Shows, TV shows

American Idol Rush Week Girls’ Night

19 02 2014

I’m very upset. I don’t understand some of the judges picks. But let’s start with what we have before I go on a rant.

I like the new stage and the new feel. Jennifer Lopez looked stunning tonight. Harry and Keith are also looking great. Only 10 people will sing based on who impressed the judges saw during dress rehearsal and 5 will be going home. This year Randy Jackson will be the mentor and conduct workshops. He wants to see the contestants learn from their experiences the prior week. The workshops bring together vocal coaches, musical director Rickey Minor, stylists, movement coaches, and….spiritual advisors (?????) Billy and Julie Mauldin. Well, okay, but what if we have atheists among the group? Also coming to share wisdom with the contestants are Adam Lambert and Chris Daughtry.

First pick

Majesty Rose York: Adam Lambert happens to be her favorite American Idol. She sings “Happy” by Pharrell Williams. Adam thinks it is the perfect song; it fits her personality and style. I thought the guitar is more like a crutch for her right now as I watched her performance. I think she would have done better without it. Her clapping was out of time with the audience (or vice versa) and it was distracting. She ditched the guitar finally towards the end of the song. The vocals were great though. Jennifer thought her voice was amazing. The whole place was on their feet and it was a very good start. Harry said she did a fantastic job. Keith said she has this breezy thing about her and had good vocal range.

Second pick

Kristen O’Connor sings “Turning Tables” by Adele. Chris Daughtry said he got chills on her first note. He offered her some great practical advice regarding stage presence. As I listened, I heard weird breaks in her phrasing and that she ran out of breath (it seemed). But there was nice control in her voice towards the end. Harry thought it was a really powerful performance. Keith said she has killer range but the breathing issues were likely from nerves. However, she got control of it halfway through. Jennifer felt she had the most special tone to her voice. She could hear her recording records tomorrow. The timing was off with the band but about halfway through she locked in and got it together.

Third pick

Briana Oakley. “Warrior” by Demi Lovato. Vocal coach Antonio Sol said that in her movement she was either not feeling it or seeing it coming through from within herself. I think she is still having connection problems. I used to be a big fan of her voice, but there are times where there are issues but then she shows a good stretch for a little while. It was inconsistent. The part I had issues with made me want to close up my ears. Keith loved the clarity in her tone and compared it to Irene Cara. The last quarter of the song she found the voice. He reminded her that she cannot be smiling when she is talking about being a warrior. Jennifer said she looked scared. She had the sound of a young Whitney Houston. The thing that has to come together is the performance quality and the connection to what she is singing. Harry said the high notes are not triple axels. She did a fine job but to be wary of it (the high notes) just because they get applause.

Fourth pick

Jena Irene (that’s GINA, not JENNA). She wants to sing “Paint It Black” by The Rolling Stones. Chris Daughtry said she has to work on her confidence. There were moments where she was questioning everything she was doing. Oh poor Randy. He pronounced her name incorrectly. She is a rocker girl!!! I loved it. She had a very powerful voice. It seems she took Chris’ advice. I think she almost sounds like Ann Wilson from “Heart.” At this point, this is my favorite of the night. Jennifer said it was sultry and one of her favorites. Harry asked her in one sentence what the song was about and she replied, “Darkness.” Keith said she was one of his favorites since the audition cities. He likes how she holds the microphone stand.

Fifth Pick

Bria Anai. She hopes to get some styling advice. Adam said there was a lot of arm pumping going on. She sang Melanie Fiona’s “Wrong Side of a Love Song.” I had goosebumps. The last note was rough in her lower range but otherwise I thought it was fantastic. Harry, however, thought it sounded like she was shouting, but otherwise was fantastic. Keith said to try not to overshoot the runway, but she still has the lips (a reference to her signature style). Jennifer said she had “star” written all over her. She needs to work on staying in control.

Sixth Pick

Marrialle Sellars: Let my rant begin. WHAT do the judges find SOOOO fascinating about this girl? I have yet to see any performance that I have liked. More talented singers have been sent home because she took this spot. She decides to sing “Roar” by Katy Perry and I do not even like what I hear in rehearsals. Adam tells her to slow it down (too frantic). He told her she has the goods but she needs to learn how to take her time. I do not see it. I don’t know how she keeps getting picked over and over. I did not think she deserved the spot in the top 15. I really dislike this song. It is totally off key and amateurish. It is my least favorite vocal so far of the night. Keith said her voice and ability to perform are much better than what they saw tonight. It was not the right song to shine on. It was not the best tempo. “It was karaoke baby.” (The first “baby” of the evening I believe). Jennifer wished she would have brought her guitar out. This was not the best showcase of who she is. She let the crowd get away from her a little bit and it affected her performance. Harry said her intonation needs working on (the ability to stay in tune). She must start singing in the pocket. He wished she would have brought her guitar and wished she showed more of the “superstar” that he knows she is. (REALLY????? SUPERSTAR????? WHEN HAS SHE EVER DEMONSTRATED SUPERSTAR ON ANY OF THE PERFORMANCES WE’VE SEEN????)

Seventh Pick

Jessica Meuse wants to sing “Drink A Beer” by Luke Bryan. Chris Daughtry felt her voice was better than her guitar playing and wanted her to step away from it and challenge herself. However, she opts for the guitar. For me, sometimes she sounds like Stevie Nicks. She is in the middle for me in terms of where I like her. However, it was very nice to hear something soft instead of going big. Jennifer said she was nervous; however, the soft and the heart she connects to. She loves her country tone. Harry said she brings something different to the table that is fresh and exciting. Technically she needs to watch for intonation, too. She goes sharp (per Harry maybe nerves). He wanted to feel what she was singing about, but again it may be nerves. He felt there was a wall between them. Keith said he was going to root for someone from Slapout, Alabama. There was, however, a disconnection between lyrics and the facial expressions.

Eighth Pick

Emily Piriz. She decides to sing “Paris (Ooh La La)” by Grace Potter. This shows me that she does not learn from others’ mistakes. Randy calls her out on it too reminding her that he is not sure the judges are going to like that song. Adam says she has to start the song more aggressively. The chorus is the punch line. The song will only work if she sings it like a rock star. She sang it well but I felt weird watching it on stage but I am not sure exactly why. Perhaps it is because it is not a song for the Idol audience. Harry asked her to say the first two lines of the song (which she does) and he says he understands she is not interested in the storyline (based on what she said during the interview). He asks her now that she is 18 does she really want to be singing that kind of song? Keith said to Harry, “It’s a touchy subject, Harry.” Harry responds, “Literally!” Keith said one of the things is this–about standing in front of the mirror for hours to bring out the rock chick. He gets that but a real artistry is through expression. It is not about standing in front of the mirror and pretending to be anyone or tapping into anything. Jennifer said she did very well. She liked it and that it was the most relaxed performance thus far. She loves her and hopes she is in the top 5. Ryan said to Emily that “Harry is in Daddy mode there.”

Ninth Pick

MK Nobilette. Her challenge is to stay connected to the song. She chooses “All of Me” by John Legend. Her lower range is rough. I liked her voice about 75% of the time. She had the emotional connection to the song so took those words and her challenge to hear. Keith said it was the perfect song choice. Jennifer said it was making people feel something. It was true sentiment and she loved it so much. Harry said she was an elegant, articulate singer. The defeatist attitude he saw during Hollywood week was gone. She belonged here.

Tenth Pick

Malaya Watson. Adam loves her runway style and Chris says her voice is stupid (good). I had goosebumps. She sang “Hard Times” by Ray Charles. It was the best performance of the night. She has such a personality for such a young woman. Jennifer says the second “baby” of the night. Jennifer said she is one of those powerhouse singers and is amazing. Harry wants to eat a donut (it was so sweet). He looks forward to watching her settle.

Neco or Ben?

Ben. I’m shocked.

Rest of My Rant

Final part of my rant. How can these judges put through Marrialle Sellars time after time after time and not see the talent in Jillian Jensen is so much more? I just don’t get it. It is the same thing I felt about Savion Wright being cut. I will say a prayer that she is one of the judges’ wild card picks. The comeback kid!!!!

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Tags: "Drink A Beer" by Luke Bryan, "Happy" by Pharrell Williams, "Hard Times" by Ray Charles, "Paint It Black" by The Rolling Stones, "Roar" by Katy Perry, "Turning Tables" by Adele, "Warrior" by Demi Lovato, "Wrong Side of a Love Song" by Melanie Fiona, Adam Lambert, American Idol, Ben Briley, Bria Anai, Briana Oakley, Chris Daughtry, dawgfather, Gina not Jenna, girls night, Harry Connick Jr., Jena Irene, Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Meuse, Jillian Jensen, Jillian Jensen is robbed of a spot again, Julie and Billy Mauldin, Keith Urban, Kristen O'Connor, Majesty Rose York, Malaya Watson, Maririalle Sellars, Neco Starr, pick Jillian Jensen for the wild card choice, Randy Jackson, Rickey Minor, rush week, Ryan Seacrest, Savion Wright, season 13, spiritiual coaches
Categories : American Idol, Fox Shows, TV shows

American Idol Season 13 Final Judgment Part 2

13 02 2014

The CJ Harris and Casey Thrasher cliffhanger starts the show. Casey is going through to the top 15. AND SO IS CJ Harris!!!! That was the right decision.

Solo Performances

I was not thrilled with was Marrialle Sellars doing “Wrecking Ball.” It was off-tune. Jena Ascuitto‘s original song was lovely. The first one that sounded good singing “Radioactive” thus far this season was Caleb Johnson. Kenzie Hall has a beautifully unique voice but her solo was terrible. I thought Sandie Lee‘s solo was much better than Austin Wolfe‘s solo but when both had to face the final judgment together, they chose Austin over Sandie.

Rest of The Boys

10. Caleb Johnson

11. Ethan Harris

12. Briston Maroney

13. CJ Harris

14. Casey Thrasher

15. ?? Neco Starr or Ben Briley

Rest of The Girls

9. Marrialle Sellars

10. Jena (that’s GINA, not JENNA) Ascuitto

11. Majesty Rose York

12. Briana Oakley

13. Brandy Neelly

14. Kenzie Hall

15. Austin Wolfe

Going Home

Sarina Joi Crowe, Nalani Quintello, David Oliver Willis, Savion Wright (are you FRIGGING KIDDING ME???), and Sandie Lee.

Savion Wright deserves to be there. I could do without Briston Maroney. His voice is like sandpaper on my ears. Personal thing. I’m sure others find his voice pleasant.

Twisted Fate

America will decide the fate of Neco Starr and Ben Briley as to who will be the 15th boy contestant. If I have to choose, I prefer Neco’s style of music. I will be voting for him.

Next Week

Next week, AMERICAN IDOL XIII’s“Rush Week” will be LIVE for two nights of performances and the season’s first results show. In a new twist, not all 30 singers will get to perform, as the judges – Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick, Jr. – will choose only whom they think are worthy of America’s vote, leaving some packing their bags before they get a chance to sing. On Tuesday, Feb. 18 (8:00-10:00 PM ETlive /PT tape-delayed), Randy Jackson returns as in-house mentor, and the Top15 girls will take the brand-new stage designed by acclaimed designer Baz Halpin (Britney Spears’ Piece of Me, Pink: Funhouse Tour). On Wednesday,Feb. 19 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live /PT tape-delayed), the Top 15 guys do the same.

Then, on the first results show of the season, Thursday, Feb. 20 (8:00-9:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed), the Top 10 finalists chosen by America – five girls and five guys – will be revealed, followed by the judges’ wild card picks to round out the Top 13 finalists.

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Tags: American Idol, are you kidding me you are sending home Savion Wright?, Austin Wolfe, Ben Briley, Brandy Neelly, Briana Oakley, Briston Maroney, Caleb Johnson, Casey Thrasher, CJ Harris, David Oliver Willis, Ethan Harris, final 13 finalists, Final Judgment, Gina not Jenna, Harry Connick Jr., Jena Ascuitto, Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban, Kenzie Hall, Majesty Rose York, Marrialle Sellars, Nalani Quintello, Neco Starr, Randy Jackson, rush week, Ryan Seacrest, Sandie Lee, Sarina-Joi Crowe, Savion Wright, season 13, wild card
Categories : American Idol, Fox Shows, TV shows

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