For the music lovers of the world April is known for one thing — and no it’s not April showers — we’re talking about Coachella, the ever growing music festival in Indio, California that boasts more diversity in its lineup than most other festivals. Every Coachella lineup usually includes at least one act from every musical genre — well, except for country, you don’t really see a lot of country.

But, for all the diversity in the music, most Coachella festival goers end up looking roughly the same every year. There is definitely a “signature” look amongst attendees. Generally if you spot denim hot pants, boots, and a floral bandeau top paired with a blossoming flower headband (or flower anything really), you know you’re right smack in the middle Coachella. Coachella is all about bringing out the inner hippie in all of us –also, it’s usually hot as balls —  so many of us like to show off our softer side while wearing as little clothes as possible.

There’s nothing wrong with going flower power for a weekend (or two, if you’re hardcore enough to attend both weekends), but with all the different kinds of music available for us to explore, isn’t it more fun to match your outfit to your musical mood? We certainly thought so and because we want to help you stand out from the crowd we matched some of our favorite celebrity looks from recent Coachella’s to the music genre they fit best.

These looks will help inspire you as you get ready for you weekend in the desert. And, to help make the process more fun, we created playlists to help keep you in the mood while you’re getting ready.

Enjoy!

1. Hip hop/R&B – Amandla Stenberg

Amandla Stenberg at the 2016 Calvin Klein Coachella Warehouse Party photo by Neil Rasmus

Our favorite hip hop looks are equal parts comfort, statement and nostalgia. Amandla Stenberg hit all these notes at the Calvin Klein party during weekend 1 of Coachella 2016. Her look was reminiscent of TLC’s signature look from the 90s, but she updated the crop top and baggy jeans look with wide-legged linen pants. If you’re going to Coachella for the hip hop chances are you want to dance and also listen to some sick lyrics. Listen to some Ice Cube to help you perfect the old school look and then throw in some DJ Mustard so you can see if your outfit passes the dancing test. 

2. Electronic – Ellie Goulding

INDIO, CA – APRIL 15: Singer Ellie Goulding poses backstage during day 1 of the 2016 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival Weekend 1 at the Empire Polo Club on April 15, 2016 in Indio, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Coachella)

Usually when electronic music and festivals come together, less is more in terms of clothing. But why not make your outfit a bit more sporty while jumping around to whichever DJ set you want to catch? Ellie Goulding did just the right amount of attention grabbing and comfort by mixing up her silver shorts with white sneakers, which we think “Kanye” would appreciate. Now comfortably wait for that bass to drop at Calvin Harris or Jack U’s sets

.

3. Pop – Kate Bosworth

Kate Bosworth attends the 2015 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Club. Photo by Rachel Murray / Getty Images

Even though many people love to hate on pop music, there’s a reason its POPular- it’s easy to listen to, catchy, and fun. So shamelessly rock out to some Ellie Goulding, or go get “high on legal marijuana” with Halsey. As for what to wear, just turn to effortlessly chic Kate Bosworth- a simple white dress with an embroidered jacket will go a long way. It’s cute, it’s comfy and just a tad bit sleeker than the typical Coachella look.

4. Indie – Emma Roberts

Emma Roberts appeared at the REVOLVE Desert House.
Photo by Ari Perilstein/Getty Images

Indie, short for independent, comes in many shapes and forms in the music and fashion world. To us indie is all about being different from whatever’s most popular. So ditch the flower crowns, the crazy patterns, and the big statement jewelry. Instead, chill out while discovering Beach House and BØRNS, and keep it simple and chic with a denim dress, like Emma Roberts at last weekend’s festivities.

5. Rock – Kendall Jenner

Kendall Jenner rocks out at Coachella in 2015.

Rock style is easy to identify- lots of leather, back, studs, tights, and chunky boots. But why not take inspiration from rock women of the 70’s? Kendall Jenner did just that at the music festival in 2015 with an off the shoulder crop top and a maxi skirt with high slits. While you’re getting ready tune into the rock classics of Gun ‘N Roses, or discover bands like Moon Taxi and The Kills, each song is sure to inspire a different kind of look.

This story was originally published on Feb. 5, 2014

Musicians are intimidating. They are talented, spontaneous, often very good-looking, and sometimes a little temperamental. Whether you’re a fan, a groupie, or a journalist (like me), it’s not unusual to get a funny feeling in your stomach when you’re about to talk to a musician because you never really know what you are going to get. Talking to Lydia for the first time was no exception.

Leighton Antelman performing at the Fonda Theater. (Photo by: Rosemary Vega)

The indie rock band from Arizona got together in 2003. They’ve released four studio albums, all with a strong fan following. They’ve played at the Vans Warped tour, Bamboozle and the Zumiez Couch Tour. One could say they’ve accomplished a lot in the last decade, but Lydia has also dealt with its fair share of drama. In 2010 they went on a year long hiatus due to creative differences between the two original band members, Leighton Antelman and Steve McGraw. If you look a their Wiki page it seems like they’ve had a revolving door of band members. A search in Google images will produce photos with six band members and others with three. It’s all a little confusing and — needless to say — I didn’t know which iteration of Lydia I was about to meet. But, since the band had just come off a successful tour with the Maine and Anberlin, I was interested in finding out what they had up their sleeves next.

Justin Camacho, the band’s guitarist, met us at the entrance to the Fonda Theater. He had a big goofy grin on his face and seemed full of excitement as he led us to the backstage area. We walked through a hallway crowded with other musicians and after a few minutes arrived at the band’s dressing room. Leighton and Matt Keller (one of the newer band members) greeted us with handshakes and offered up bottled waters. Each band member pops open a beer. I realized fairly quickly that this encounter was going to be more hangout than interview.

“How has it been, touring with Anberlin and getting to tour with The Maine again?” I ask while looking for a place to set down my microphone/phone.

“Great,” Leighton says as he helps pull out a stool to put the phone on.

“Yeah, it’s been awesome,” Justin says.

Matt gives a thumbs-up and then laughs. “I put my thumb up, but the phone can’t hear me put my thumb up. It’s been a really good time. We get to play to a whole bunch of new people every night. Anberlin are super cool guys. And The Maine- we’re all good friends with The Maine, so it’s good to hang out with those guys too. It’s been a good time.”

“The tour has been over for a month maybe, and this is just a make up show, of course. But the tour was great. It’s fun to see these guys randomly,” Justin says.

“It was like a reunion, a little bit,” Leighton concludes.

“Was there a specific show on tour that you remember that was just really awesome?” I ask.

Matt stops to think for a minute. “I remember Salt Lake City being a really good time.”

“We had a great time in Salt Lake. Santa Ana …at the Observatory. I don’t know if you guys were at that one- it was probably one of the biggest shows of the tour. It was crazy how many people were there, and it was very exciting,” Justin says.

“It gets hard to answer that, because you’re out there for a month and a half… And something like, the venue you played in Idaho, in your mind is the venue you played in Seattle, and everything gets confused. You never know where you are, or what day it is,” Matt adds.

“We love them all,” Justin says, not wanting to leave any shows out.

“There hasn’t been a terrible one, let’s put it that way,” Leighton says.

After a couple of introduction questions, we start talking about the infamous hiatus. In May of 2010 the band announced that their summer tour would be their last. The tour was titled “The Lydia Finale: A Goodbye & Farewell Tour.” Leighton reported in several interviews that him and original guitarist, Steve McGraw, just didn’t get along anymore. McGraw was scheduled to play with Lydia in the farewell tour, but backed out a week before the shows started. Lydia drummer, Craig Taylor eventually convinced Leighton to find new band members and continue releasing music under the Lydia name.

Lydia goofing around backstage a the Fonda Theater. (Photo by: Rosemary Vega)

“When you guys went on your hiatus, there was some drama about why you guys broke up, especially with Steve. How are you guys now, do you have any kind of relationship at all?” I ask Leighton.

“Yeah, absolutely. Um, we just played a festival in Colorado- he lives in Colorado. So he comes out to all of our shows in Denver- that’s where he lives. So there’s no beef there.”

“He got me into the band,” Matt chimes in.

“He’s a good dude, it was just kind of wrong time and the wrong place for both of us. So we kind of had to part ways. We just wanted to do two different things. It wasn’t anything personal. It was just musical, I guess, I don’t know what you want to call it,” Leighton says.

“There was a fork in the road,” Matt says.

“Yeah. That’s really all it was, it wasn’t anything like, I punched him in the face, you know,” Leighton says with a laugh.

A punch in the face would have been more exciting from a storytelling perspective, but the break up was actually pretty tame according to the group.

“That would have been an awesome story,” I say.

“Yeah, that would have been a way better story for sure,” Leighton agrees.

“You should just start telling people that,” Matt says.

“Absolutely should. But no, we still talk, for sure. He’s a good guy. He’s crazy, but he’s a good guy.”

“He is crazy…” Matt says, his voice trailing off.

Over the past few months, my skin has succumbed to the wear and tear of winter. It happens every year, right around the end of February my entire body collectively gasps, “I NEED SUNLIGHT,” but I am helpless to come to its aid. I live in Erie, PA, the second snowiest city in the USA (no, seriously…we’ve won awards for it), when winter hits — it hits hard.

When the weather isn’t cooperating, there’s a good chance your skin will revolt as well.  My skin’s winter mutiny makes me feel more oily than normal and I find that makeup leaves my skin with a dull, boring sheen, which is why I was delighted to come across L’Oreal’s line of Magic Skin Beautifier BB Creams at Target one gloomy Thursday.

According to L’Oreal’s website, the BB Creams have, “4 Beautifying Actions in 1.  Hydrates, Corrects, Perfects, Neutralizes. [Resulting in a] Flawless Bare Skin Finish.”

These all sounded like great things and my skin was definitely in need of a pick me up. Now, I love to try new beauty products, but I find it difficult to shell out more than $10 per product unless I have a strong recommendation.  So, $7 at Target was a great price for me to indulge my curiosity.

I decided to try the anti-redness BB cream, which utilizes the concept of neutralizing redness with the

My face, or Mount Doom?

color green.  This is an idea I have been following for a while, as I have struggled with acne all of my life and have quite a bit of scarring from it.  I’m also about as pale as they come, so any light blemish looks like Pompeii on its most active day.

When I brought the tube home, I was really excited to try it.  If this product worked well, I hoped to cut back on my concealer and foundation usage, which I specifically use

HULK EXFOLIATE!

to cover up my acne.  When I opened the tube, I was surprised to find that the product was more of a liquid than an actual cream.  I also found that you need to use great caution when squeezing the tube because if you’re overly zealous — your bathroom sink will look like the Hulk sneezed all over your vanity.

When I applied the cream to my face, I found that a little bit goes a long way.  It’s rather thin when properly applied, but you don’t need much to see a difference.

You can see the difference with just the BB cream applied.

Before and after of me wearing the anti-redness cream

Overall, I was thrilled with this product.  I haven’t used concealer to hide my acne since—well, it’s been so long that I don’t remember.  The BB cream works so well to neutralize the areas with extra redness that I even considered just wearing the primer by itself.

A word of caution: you truly don’t need much of this stuff to make an impact.  If you are heavy handed with your application, you may end up with a bit of an orange glow.  I only try to put this over the areas with acne scars now.  I have never applied it directly to my entire face.

But, do you know what I did apply to my entire face?  L’Oreal’s Anti-Fatigue BB Cream. I was so impressed with the anti-redness tube that I gladly forked over another $7 for another product from the line, hopeful that it would bring me a healthy glow amidst the 100+ inches of snow we were

Me wearing the anti-fatigue cream

receiving.

Personal note:  did you know if you apply orange-tinted makeup during the winter months when the landscape is blanketed with snow flurries, your skin will look like a jack-o-lantern?  No?  You didn’t know that?  Apparently, neither did I.

I couldn’t stop laughing at my reflection in the mirror.  I’m sure somebody, somewhere was using this product and getting great results, I was not that person.  I actually started wondering, “What type of skin would you need to make this product work?” Would you need to have a naturally darker complexion? Or would you just have to be an Oompa Loompa?

In Conclusion…

Maybe it’s Maybelline

The anti-redness cream worked great, the anti-fatigue cream — not so much — but I am still tempted to try the rest of L’Oreal’s BB Cream line (along with their CC creams).  My goal is to break away from all foundations and use them sparingly, although I do love, love, love L’Oreal’s Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation (it’s what I used in my photos after the BB cream).

The other great news? If your 2016 Halloween costume happens to be an Oompa Loompa, you’re all set!

This week on American Idol we get to hear all the contestants perform twice- one solo and one duet! Idol is getting so close to its FINAL finale, and yet for some reason, producers have decided it’s a good idea to recycle songs that have been done over and over again in prior seasons. I guess if it worked once, it’ll work again? For some contestants taking on songs from the “American Idol Song Book” it did…

BUT before we get to any solo critiques and reveal who the two unlucky souls from the Top 8 that must pack their bags are, here’s a quick recap of the duets:

La’Porsha Renae and Trent Harmon collaborated on Charlie Puth’s “See You Again.” This is going to be our final two contestants, and this duet solidified that prediction. Their voices blended together beautifully, but were different just enough to allow each other to shine.

Avalon Young and Sonika Vaid took on “Rise Up,” by Andra Day. To be honest, I thought Sonika would destroy Avalon in this duet with her strong vocals. But to my surprise, I don’t think neither singer “won” the duet, but neither “lost.” Both had strong moments, and both also fell flat in their performance.

The teeny in me freaked out when I realized MacKenzie Bourg and Dalton Rapattoni would be singing Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way.” I was quickly disappointed by the delivery though. While the two didn’t sound bad by any means, neither seemed excited to be singing this gem of a song. Judge Harry Connick Jr thought it was a poor song choice, and asked them what the song was about. Nobody knows Harry, that’s why it’s beloved! But I do agree. The heart throbs of the competition did manage to support each other vocally though, which was nice I guess.

Poor Tristan McIntosh and Lee Jean had the unfortunate task of singing “I Don’t Want To Miss a Thing.” Tristan sounded amazing at the beginning, but the song went downhill from there for both of them. It was two kids taking on this huge song, on an emotion level and vocally. If last week’s performances didn’t make me think they were already going home, this performance would have.

As almost predicted, the bottom three consisted of Avalon, Lee, and Sonika. I’m not even going to begin to question Sonika’s place in the bottom three over some others. Avalon gave a very ambivalent performance with “P.Y.T.” Perhaps she had given up already. Her nasally voice was in full bloom tonight, and I wasn’t a fan. Poor Lee Jean went for “Let It Be,” and was only able to showcase his nerves. Lee has so much potential. He just needs to come out of his shell and get some more experience. Sonika gave a nearly perfect rendition of Whitney Houston’s “I Have Nothing.” Harry, Keith Urban, and Jennifer Lopez decided to (very rightfully so) save Sonika.

So after saying goodbye to Avalon and Lee, here’s our top 6 ranked from worst to best:

Tristan had a great performance last week, which is why she somehow is still in the competition. This week though, she took on the heavy “A Broken Wing,” by Martina McBride. Tristan sounded amazing throughout most of the song. But when she didn’t, it was terrible (that last note anyone?). The real problem with Tristan is she keeps taking on these heavy songs, but her performances show a little girl pretending to be an adult. This is so incredibly event when Harry asks what happens at the end of the song, lyrics wise. Tristan admitted that she wasn’t sure; she thought the girl just leaves. No, girl, she kills herself. HEAVY STUFF.

The old Dalton came back this week a little with “Eleanor Rigby.” He mostly stuck to the original, adding a touch more “punk” (read: pop punk), to it. The song grows and grows until it finally reaches the climax, which is sort of how Dalton’s entire performance was. The beginning half (or slight more) fell flat, with some weird cut off words thrown around here and there. But as soon as Dalton got up from his chair, he started picking up a bit. The drama was back, and he did a nice big, strong, kinda rough (in a good way?) ending note to try to secure a spot in the Top 5 next week.

Sonika proved once again that she has incredible pipes with “I Have Nothing.” Her performance was vocally flawless, but still Sonika needs to continue to let loose and grow. Yes she can sing, but where was “Bring Me To Life” Sonika? Did she connect with the lyrics at all?

Oh MacKenzie, how I love you so. He took on Joe Crocker’s “You Are So Beautiful,” and man did I swoon. MacKenzie’s song choice was smart- he needed something to win over the girls that are slowly getting over Dalton. The straight forward, tender arrangement without his guitar felt vulnerable, kinda. Yes, he still could have dug a little deeper, but I was perfectly content just listening to his beautiful tone. And okay, I definitely was imagining it was me he was singing to.

I’m going to ignore all the goofy faces and grins that Trent made while singing “Stand By Me,” because he sounded completely amazing. MacKenzie should take some notes on how he’s changing the song, vocally. While some artists transform the song by messing with the melody and arrangement, Trent added his thang with runs, dips, falsettos and whatever other vocal things singers do (I’m not one, so I don’t know, a pocket maybe?). His only downfall is lack of connection to the lyrics. While he sounded incredible, I wasn’t emotional (or imagining I was being serenaded by him).

La’Porsha proved once again that she is going to win this thing with “Come Together.” She took a class rock song and made it her own, “full diva” as Jenny From The Block said. From the beginning to her growly “one thing I can tell you,” all the way to the ending high note, La’Porsha delivered fire. La’Porsha knew that we had seen ballad after ballad from her, so she showed us she can groove. A+, babe… Well, minus the outfit.

Next week only one contestant will go home to make our Top 5. Who will it be? Tristan.

This week on American Idol contestants will be singing Grammy hits. We will also say goodbye to two contestants. Because Idol is now on only once a week, eliminations and performances will take place on the same night. Host Ryan Seacrest will call out contestants that were voted through last week by America to perform one at a time- meaning they’re safe. Yes, the bottom three will have to sit through the entire show to think about their performance and how to wow the judges. Jennifer Lopez, Harry Connick Jr, and Keith Urban will then decide to save just one. No pressure. America then gets to do it all over again and vote for their favorite.

Because this format is ridiculous and the bottom three should perform first, that’s how I’m writing this recap. The bottom three this week consisted of Gianna Isabella, Olivia Rox, and Avalon Young. I’m amazed that we will have to say goodbye to one of these ladies, but Lee Jean and Tristan McIntosh are still somehow in the competition.

Avalon Young did an okay rendition of The Weeknd’s “Earned It.” I’ve never been a huge fan of Avalon’s voice, but the judges apparently loved it. Olivia Rox made an incredible attempt to continue her journey on Idol with Pink’s “Trouble.” She sounded amazing, but as the story goes with many contestants, she needed to perfect her performance ability. Gianna Isabella was really ambitious with “If I Ain’t Got You.” She was pitchy and bland throughout, and the judges noticed. The trio decided to save Avalon.

With that out of the way, here’s our ranking of the Top 8 performance, from worst to best:

Lee Jean switched things up and sang “Use Somebody” by Kings of Leon instead of an Ed Sheeran track. He sounded pleasant enough, but there was an umph missing. He needed to dig into his voice a bit, or as J.Lo put it, he needed “more voice” in him. He needs to begin pushing his voice to its limits to see where he can take it.

Avalon performed “Earned It,” and knew she was singing for her life. As I’ve been saying, Avalon is very much a singer that you either hate or love. I’m not a fan of her nasally tone, but in terms of performance, this was probably one of her best. She sounded great, but did I enjoy it? Not really.

Last week, Dalton Rapattoni underwhelmed with “Hey There Delilah.” This week he continued that downward spiral with “Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons. Dalton normally has an energy and confidence on stage that no other contestant really has. But tonight, that vanished in every way. His vocals, movements, facials, everything was so bland. Was it just me or were the background singers louder than him throughout the song? Harry finally said what everyone has been thinking and compared Dalton to Billie Joe Armstrong. J.Lo warned him not to get in his head, which is exactly what happened. Snap out of it, Dalton! But I’m sure his fan army will vote him through.

Tristan McIntosh had a good night with “Go Rest High On That Mountain.” She stripped the song down and finally had an amazing vocal. Tristan’s problem is still connection. While she sounded beautiful and seemed to be showing some sort of emotion, it didn’t seem quite enough. It could be that she’s only 15, but still, pick songs you can relate to.

Sonika Vaid is slowly creeping up on my list of favorites. This week she continued her “I’m breaking out of my shell” storyline and showed some more growth in her stage presence with Kelly Clarkson’s “Since You’ve Been Gone.” Her voice is incredible, there’s no doubt about it, but she needs to keep pushing in her performance ability. She’s showing growth, but she needs to starting wowing if she wants to win. I’m hoping the judges were harsher on Sonika than other contestants (looking at you Lee) because they know she can push herself more.

MacKenzie Bourg transformed Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” into a lovely mid tempo singer-songwriter jam. I don’t know how any times I have to reiterate how much I love MacKenzie’s tone, and that’s never changing. But Jennifer is completely right when she says that MacKenzie needs to dig deeper in his voice. The judges mostly loved it, and Harry was one hundred percent correct when he said that he should have committed to his choices more fully. Regardless, he knows how to melt everyone’s heart with that voice of his.

Trent Harmon is making a come back y’all. Trent took on “When A Man Loves A Woman,” and absolutely killed it. Apparently Scott Borchetta also noticed the face pulling and made Trent work on fixing it. Keith made a point that it seemed like ht was thinking too much about fixing this, and it took away a bit from the performance, but it still didn’t compromise the voice. Trent is improving ten fold, and Jennifer was so right in predicting a La’Porsha and Trent finale.

La’Porsha Renae performed Beyonce’s “Halo,” and it was amazing. But, it just didn’t compare to “Diamonds,” last week. She still blows the competition out of the water, but she made some poor melodic choices this week. Jennifer said she’s the one to beat, and that is so accurate. La’Porsha just needs to keep up with herself at this point to make sure her fans don’t leave her for say, Trenton.

So who will be going home next week? I see the bottom three being Lee, Avalon and Tristan, with Lee and Avalon being the ones we say goodbye to.

Last night, Harry Connick Jr, Jennifer Lopez, and Keith Urban gave La’Porsha Ranae, Dalton Rapattoni, Olivia Rox, and Trent Harmon fast passes to the Top 10. The remaining six were voted on by us, and unfortunately we say goodbye to Jeneve Rose Mitchell, Thomas Stringfellow, Manny Torres, and Jenn Blosil. While I’m not entirely surprised, I’m disappointed that Jenn didn’t make it further. I’m going to miss her squeaky voice and quirkiness.

On a happier note, a very pregnant Kelly Clarkson lent her voice as a fourth judge this week. She also sang her heart wrenching new song “Piece By Piece,” which had everyone in tears. In case you missed it, do yourself a favor and watch it:

Poor Tristan McIntosh. She tried to tackle “Nothin’ Like You,” by Dan + Shay. Tristan was trying to keep up with the lyrics and catch her breath throughout the entire song. She never nailed the bit notes, and just got overshadowed by the band. The judges tell her to pick songs that are more suited for her fifteen year old self, which I think was a nice way of saying don’t pick such ambitious songs.

On a very similar note… How did Gianna Isabella make it this far? How is she performing over Jenn Blosil? She gave Beyonce’s “Listen,” a show, and failed miserably. There were problems everywhere with her intonation. I’m not sure she hit a single note all the way. There wasn’t a single original, creative moment in the song or performance. All bad. Nothing good. That’s it.

Avalon Young seemed to rush through “Stitches.” She seemed nervous throughout the song, and even let out a sigh of relief when she finished. I’ve never really been a fan of her voice, and it seemed that the nasal quality was amped up to the extreme tonight.

Lee Jean brought out his guitar for Bon Iver’s “Skinny Love.” He sped up the song and made it a bit more folky, which was a nice approach. He tried hitting a falsetto towards the end which didn’t quite work. Kelly said it best when she noted he was competing against some strong vocalists. In harsher terms, he just doesn’t have what it takes to make it much further. He’s good a what he does, his voice is easy to listen to, but is he the American Idol? I don’t think so.

Olivia Rox started off with a beautiful toned done rendition of Katy Perry’s “Unconditionally,” and she should have stayed there. It was soft and pretty, and again, showcased a different side of Olivia’s voice. But as soon as the song picked up speed, she lost it. She hit the notes, sure, but her on stage presence doesn’t have any power. Keith advised her to keep loosening up.

Trent Harmon started out the competition as a front runner, and while he’s still better than a good majority of the contestants, I really hope he doesn’t start crashing and burning. His choice of Sam Smith’s “Like I Can,” showed the flaws in his voice more than that unique quality about it. His vibrato was lacking, and his falsetto wasn’t as strong as normal. Can someone please tell him to stop pulling faces, too?

Just by the amount of screams as soon as Ryan Seacrest said Dalton Rapattoni‘s name, it’s easy to assume he’s safe for a while. With that being said, this was my least favorite performance by Dalton. He sped up and punk-ified “Hey There Deliah,” and it didn’t work. I give him credit for changing up the song, but the intention behind the song was completely lost. He was just a confident rocker dude running around on stage. But, he was on pitch, so that’s a plus. The judges all loved it, though, and the screams from the crowd indicate they did, too.

Who took over Sonika Vaid‘s body and brought out this confident woman on stage? Perhaps since she went on after La’Porsha she kicked up a few gears, but her rendition of Evanescence’s “Bring Me to Life” was powerful. It was dramatic, it was fiery, and she sounded as amazing as she always does. Sure, she probably could have still brought it up a bit, but just as Jennifer noted, if she wakes up in this competition, it’s going to be a COMPETITION.

So La’Porsha Ranae is winning this competition right? I mean, even Kelly said it tonight. La’Porsha completely transformed Rihanna’s “Diamond,” with her effortless voice and runs. She looked and sounded like a star on that stage. I’m not even sure what else to add. She was perfect and controlled. She got a dramatically long, very well deserved, standing ovation.

Well, it looks as though America still doesn’t have much control over who will make it to the next round on American Idol. At the top of the show, Ryan Seacrest reveals the judges get to choose four contestants who will automatically make it to the Top 10. After those four are revealed, the remainder will perform for our votes! Tomorrow, Ryan will reveal the six that will complete the Top 10.

Harry Connick Jr, Jennifer Lopez, and Keith Urban give fast passes to emo rocker Dalton Rapattoni, Olivia Rox, Trent Harmon, and soulful singer La’Porsha Ranae.

The remaining six contestants had to recreate a favorite moment from this season so far, which makes total sense considering each singer has maybe had one “moment.”

Any way, here’s our ranking, from worst to best:

Gianna Isabella is slowly figuring out how to perform, but she’s still not quite there yet. Her rendition of “I Put A Spell On You,” came off just slightly better than a karaoke performance. Her immaturity was so evident, especially during the “I love you, I love you, I love you.” Where was the pining? It’s okay to be 15, but pick songs that you can actually relate to. Or learn to act, I don’t know.

Thomas Stringfellow, whose girlfriend broke up with him just before the show in case you didn’t know, came back again with his hiccuping vocals for “Story of My Life.” I’m glad that Harry finally called him out on his bad habit, but it’s a little too late. I really like Thomas’ tone, and if the hiccups had been brought to his attention before, he could have fixed it. Such a shame.

Guys, Lee Jean did an Ed Sheeran song! Again. (I know, it’s not really his fault.) Unforunately for Lee, his second go at “Make It Rain,” was simply not as good as the first time. He failed to hit many notes and his performance was lackluster. Keith said it was “chill,” but clearly, to a fault. He looked more bored on stage than I was sitting at home listening to him.

Jeneve Rose Mitchell took a very liberal approach to “Ring of Fire,” without an instrument! Jeneve is not my cup of tea. She never has been, and she never will be. But, I do appreciate how different she is. She’s in a league of her own. Harry said what she does is “polarizing,” which is why she’s likely to be gone soon.

The first time Manny Torres sang “Master Blaster (Jammin’).” it was uninspiring. The second time Manny sang it, it was still uninspiring. It was energetic, yes. He sounded fine, yes. He has a confidence on stage that very few other contestants have. But there was nothing memorable about what he left on the stage. Nothing stood out enough to make people vote for him over anyone else.

The only reason Tristan McIntosh isn’t lower on the list (as in, did worse), is because she’s improving. She took on “What Hurts the Most,” which Keith and Jennifer gushed about. She showed some vulnerability, and was actually connecting with the song. She made some interesting choices with her vocals that were beautiful. But, throughout most of the song, Tristan seemed to be singing from the back of her throat which made her sound, well, not great.

Avalon Young took on Chris Brown’s “Yo (Excuse Me Miss)” once again. Avalon, who has been sporting the natural look, has curls in her hair and make up on! She looks great, not that she didn’t before, but surely her made up face will probably leave some people at home uncomfortable since she swore fame wouldn’t change her. One thing that Avalon has going for her, definitely, is lack of competition. She sounded great, especially if you’re into the whole nasally voice sound. As Jennifer pointed out, she’s getting more and more comfortable on stage as well, even starting with a “How y’all doing?”

Look, Jenn Blosil is a weirdo, and I love it. I already know that people voting will likely disagree with me, though. Her bedazzled eyebrows may have been too distracting for anyone to pay attention to her performance. Jenn’s squeaky voice is one that can easily go pitchy, and it unfortunately happened here. Her performance had more depth than any of the contestants that went on prior to her, though. I hope America keeps her around longer than a “better” vocalist. Looking at you Gianna.

Sonika Vaid proved that she’s one of the best vocalists in the competition right now with Celine Dion’s “I Surrender.” It’s not secret that this girl can SING. But again, she looked scared. There was no intent behind the lyrics for her. But she’s still amazing, so much so that J.Lo got “goose-ys” (goosies? gooseys?), on her cheek!

Mackenzie Bourg is going to make it until the end. He may not win, but at this point it doesn’t matter. He proved that with his original song, “Roses.” (I’m not saying this song is about me, but I mean my name is ROSEmary.) Mackenzie’s smartest move was playing that song; we got to see what he’d be like post-Idol. And it’s good. Not only is he a good songwriter, but his voice is so sweet and soothing. It also helps that he’s a cutie pie.

Tomorrow we will say goodbye to four contestants, and while clearly I have my ideas of who should go home, I see the end for Thomas, Manny, Lee Jean, and Jeneve.

When you have the Grammys and Valentine’s Day happening on the same weekend, it is always best to celebrate with good music and a chic ambiance.

Musician Josh Stevens and America’s Next Top Model contestant Naima Mora delivered exactly that with their pre-Grammy Gala at the Redbury in Hollywood. Steven’s and Mora created an intimate and trendy rooftop party to help celebrate music’s biggest night.

Stevens, a record producer, songwriter, engineer and singer recently released his very own EP, “Story of Summer.” Mora, who is also a singer when she’s not modeling, has been touring with Stevens. The two performed their latest singles and Mora debuted her clothing line Naima X Hitoma.

Check out what they had to say about their sound, the Grammys and their love of music.

After a pretty lackluster set of solo performances last night, the contestants needed to step up their game, big time. Before the show started judge Harry Connick Jr. relayed that the duets with previous American Idol contestants would be used heavily to make their choice for the Top 14 since, “across the board everyone as hovering in a kind of mediocre place.” No pressure. Contestants of Idol past this week included Jordin Sparks, Kellie Pickler, Haley Reinhart, Chris Daughtry, David Cook, and Constantine Maroulis.

Amelia Eisenhauer was up first, teaming up with Kellie Pickler for “Suds In The Bucket.” While Amelia was solid throughout, it was obvious from the get go that this duet was not really a duet. It was Amelia’s time to be a back up singer, fiddler, and awkward dancer. This and her unfortunate song choice of “Wake Me Up” last night will likely lead to Amelia’s dismissal.

Haley Reinhart and Kory Wheeler took on “Benny and the Jets.” Kory could have easily faded into the background next to powerhouse vocalist Haley. But Kory stepped it up. Some sort of fire was lit under his ass (and behind his blue eyes), and the performance showed it. He was energetic and sounded incredible. The judges definitely took notice.

Lee Jean paired up with Chris Daughtry for “Home.” Lee Jean was obviously out of his comfort zone. I mean, he wasn’t singing Ed Sheeran so that’s not a surprise. He looked nervous throughout, and it was painfully evident next to Chris. His vocals were shaky throughout most of the song. Towards the end, he finally found his groove, and showcased his tone. Probably one of his worst performances, but the judges loved it. Their praise can only mean one thing; he’s going to take someone’s more deserving place in the Top 14.

American Idol did something incredibly original and gave us a paring of two rocker white dudes: CJ Johnson with David Cook. The duo sang “The World I Know.” Honestly, I tuned out about twenty five seconds in. The performance was dull. I couldn’t really tell their voices apart, except when CJ hit dud notes since the song was completely outside of his register. Keith said, “I think you did as good as anybody could with that song,” which is a nice way to say it was unoriginal.

The award for most awkward chemistry goes to Manny Torres and Jordin Sparks. In the package, Jordin had Manny say the words to their song, “No Air,” and I cringed with how uncomfortable Manny was. To be fair, as soon as I looked away from their strange hand holding, Manny sounded pretty good. The style of song fit perfectly for his tone. But I couldn’t get over him walking towards Jordin on his tippy toes.

Jenn Blosil stole the spotlight from “All Star” Idol Constantine Maroulis during “My Funny Valentine.” Jenn can do no wrong in my book. Her voice is so unique, but because of that, it probably won’t take her as far as it should in the competition. No, her vocals weren’t perfect, but frankly, I don’t give a shit, that’s how much I love when she’s good. Jenn could have (should have) sang this alone, because when her voice mixed with Constantine’s it was too jarring. Keith heard it as a “shouting match,” which I’ll have to agree with.

Kellie Pickler came back again to sing “Best Days of Your Life,” with Tristan McIntosh. Tristan took the lower part of the song’s harmony, which was a bad choice. She struggled in the low register, and never really caught up throughout the performance. Her lack of experience was obvious as she wandered around on stage, and Harry made sure she was aware of it.

Olivia Rox and David Cook took on “Light On.” I never disliked Olivia, but she’s really started to grow on me. She sounded like a different person on stage tonight, and I’m hoping so much that this is her real voice. She has the opposite of resting bitch face, as in she always looks happy. That shouldn’t annoy me, but while performing, it does sometimes. Once she starts picking up that performance skill, she’ll be amazing.

Haley Reinhart and Adam Lasher sang the classic “I Can’t Help Falling In Love With You.” I’m still not really sure who Adam is, which is not his fault at all. He was doomed to fail from the get go with lack of screen time. Haley sounded absolutely stunning during the song, and stole the show. Adam has a nice tone, and he sounded just fine, but that’s the problem. He really needed to be standing out to get further in the competition. He also did an awkward hand hold thing at the end which made me cringe. Sorry Adam, it was nice getting to know you for a second.

Rocker Chris Daughtry and different type of rocker Dalton Rapattoni teamed up for “Higher Ground.” This is a combination of white rocker dudes that’s actually enjoyable. The two have such different styles of singing and performing, but they worked really well together. Their harmonies were smooth. Dalton’s attractiveness is just a cherry on top at this point. Harry noted that the fire in the performance was mostly due to the band, and while that may be true, it didn’t take away from Dalton and Chris’ chemistry.

Ryan then sang some of R. Kelly’s “Ignition,” which was no doubt to fill some time. But I already experienced too many cringeworthy moments, so moving on…

Front runner Trent Harmon and Jordin Sparks chose “To Love Somebody.” Jordin gave him solid advice, and told him to turn down his vibrato. He listened, and it certainly paid off. The way Trent maneuvers through his head voice, to falsetto, to vibrato, is so effortless and flawless, there’s no way his performances could ever sound bad. Now if only he could turn down that scrunched up face thing he does…

To end the show, Constantine and Shelbie Z performed “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which sounds like a bad idea before either even opened their mouths. Talk about a screaming match, Harry. I get this song is shouty, but Queen can get away with it. Shelbie and Constantine, not so much. In the softer parts of the song, Shelbie sounded amazing, and she definitely knows how to work a stage. J.Lo says she lost Shelbie, and Harry couldn’t find the point of view of the song as a duet. Tough break, Shelbie.

After the judges deliberation, we say goodbye to Adam Lasher, Shelbie Z, Kory Wheeler, Amelia Eisenhauer and CJ Johnson. I’m baffled with their choice to keep Lee Jean, Manny, or even Tristan McIntosh over Kory. Kory had a much better week than both of them, but I really shouldn’t be surprised; just compare screen time.

This means your Top 14 is: Avalon Young, Dalton Rapattoni, Gianna Isabella, Jeneve Rose Mitchell, Jenn Blosil, La’Porsha Ranae, Lee Jean, Olivia Rox, Mackenzie Bourg, Manny Torres, Sonika Vaid, Thoms Stringfellow, Tristan McIntosh, Trent Harmon

Until next week!

Last week we said goodbye to 5 of the 12 contestants from the first group of showcase performances. This week we do it all over again, narrowing down the second group of 12 to just 7. Harry Connick Jr, Jennfier Lopez, and Keith Urban will all decide which 7 will join the others to continue on in the competition.

As usual, here’s my ranking of the performances, from worst to best:

Amelia Eisenhauer would have benefited from keeping Avicii’s “Wake Me Up,” as a ballad. But instead, she sped up the temp and completely lost control of her voice. Keith and Jennifer agreed that the song choice was not good. Harry said that she should find songs that are more quirky, whatever that means.

Shelbie Z took on Gretchen Wilson’s “Work Hard, Play Harder,” which should come as no surprise to anyone. Her vocals were solid, that’s not the issue. Her issue is predictability and safety. She’s a great vocalist, but that’s not enough to win this competition.

CJ Johnson is always solid. Him performing “I’ll Be” was no exception. But he’s predictable. Is there anything different from his rendition and Edwin McCain’s? Yeah, Edwin’s was better. Keith said it was perfect, J.Lo agreed, so maybe I’m crazy.

Adam Lasher, who has seen very little TV time, picked “Black and Gold.” The performance was solid, with some tempo issue here and there. The real problem is that none of us has seen him. Even if he made it to Top 14, would anyone vote for him? Yes, he could have picked a much more show off-y song, but he definitely wasn’t the worst of the night.

Tristan McIntosh took on Carrie Underwood’s “Good Girl.” Her execution was incredibly awkward. Her lack of stage presence mixed with so many sharp notes left for a super mediocre performance.

Kory Wheeler did the unfortunate thing of picking one of my favorite songs, James Bay’s “Let It Go.” He sounded fine, but he really could have benefited from taking some creative artistry and switching it up a bit. Harry said it wasn’t great because it wasn’t moving to him. Jennifer said it was the most comfortable she’s seen him onstage.

Olivia Rox is fortunate that everyone else had pretty terrible performances. Had she performed last week against the other 12 contestants, she would have easily gone home. She started with a slowed down rendition of Demi Lovato’s “Confident,” and it was great. But as soon as she stood up and sped up the tempo, everything fell apart. She awkwardly ran around on stage doing some strange moves with her left hand. To top that all off, she was pitchy. Keith and the judges loved it though.

Manny Torres chose Coldplay’s “Adventure of A Lifetime” for his showcase. He sounded fine and was confident on stage, but that’s just not enough at this point of the game. You have to be showing off all you’ve got to advance, and Manny didn’t really do that. He sounded fine, and he definitely has confidence on stage, but is that enough? Jennifer says he could have connected more with the audience. Harry agreed, and reiterated that it’s all about the lyrics.

Jenn Blosil, my girl, my fave, wasn’t the best she could have been. She was a bit out of tune for the beginning of Justin Beiber’s “Sorry,” and Harry definitely called her out of that. But hey, she’s still one of the few contestants that is already an artist, so I forgive her. The rest of her performance was great, so who cares really?

Lee Jean decided to do another Ed Sheeran track, this time “Runaway.” As incredible as Ed is, this song does not allow for anyone to showcase any vocal ability. Lee Jean definitely understands where his strengths are, but he still could have picked a better song. The judges agree, it wasn’t the best song choice.

Trent Harmon asked “What Are You Listening To,” this week while singing Chris Stapleton’s song. For the most part, Trent was amazing as usual. He connected, his voice is undeniable, but at times his vibrato was too strong. Harry said that it wasn’t the usual Trent that we’ve seen, but I don’t think that means we’ll be saying goodbye anytime soon.

Dalton Rapattoni slowed down Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell,” and had everyone eating out of his palm. His arrangement was different and he sang mostly in tune, which I’m sure Harry appreciated. All the judges loved it, and the fact that Jennifer also has a crush on Dalton makes me feel better about my crush.

With all the dull performances this week, it’s seems as it’s anyone’s game to lose. Olivia and Dalton definitely will take two of the seven available spots advancing in the competition. But who else will?