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.

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?

It’s time for the final judgement on American Idol. All 51 contestants performed solo once again, this time in front of a real crowd. It was their final chance to show the judges they have, what it takes, to be, the next, AMERICAN IDOL. (Do I sound like Ryan yet?) More than half of the contestants will head home, the rest will officially become the Top 24.

First up to walk the longest runway ever to hear her fate is Stephany Negrete. She’s pretty and is comfortable on stage while singing Alicia Keys’ “Girl On Fire,” which is no easy feat. She has a good voice. But, why is she so boring predictable? (Do I sound like a broken record yet?) Apparently the Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban, and Harry Connick see something in her, though, because she is part of the Top 24.

Shelbie Z was Shelbie Z again. Meaning, she sounded great with her big strong voice singing “Barracuda,” but there was no originality, as always. Switch things up Shelbie! Pick an unpredictable song! Regardless, she rocked the stage and the judges enjoyed it. She makes it through and promises to “put on a show” every time she’s on stage. Let’s hope so.

Michelle Marie, draped in sparkles from the top of her cowboy hat all the way down to her cowboy boots, told the judges that singing “Little Toy Gun,” was the best thing ever. Her performance was actually her strongest so far. I could have rooted for her (if I ignored her scream at the end). J.Lo tells her she was born to do this, but unfortunately, that’s not enough. It’s a no for tiny Michelle Marie. Props to her for taking it like a champ with a smile on her face.

We then say goodbye to a ton of contestants that we haven’t seen much of, like at all. Colette Lush impressed during her initial audition, but we haven’t seen much of her since. Her final judgement song was “Like I’m Gonna Lose You,” and sadly we do lose her. Jessica Cabral, who rocked her solo round even with laryngitis, shockingly was sent home. Maybe she bombed her final performance? But we’ll never know. Jessica Clark, Ameet Kanon, and Terrian are also all packing their bags. If you don’t know who most of these people are… well yeah, neither do I.

Mackenzie Bourg showed off his songwriting skills during his solo round, but for his final performance he sang the classic, “I Can’t Help Falling In Love.” The young girls in the audience are loving it, and yeah okay, maybe 25 year old me also loves his little falsetto. While his originality by far exceeds his vocal ability, I don’t think that’s a bad thing. He’s interesting, which is why he made it to the Top 24.

Trent Harmon’s only disadvantage is that he will always be mono guy. His personality hasn’t really been show, and his performances have all had the “WOW and he has mono!” compliment attached. His final judgement performance was to Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer.” It was fine, considering. (See what I mean about the veiled compliment?) But, there’s no doubt he has a great voice. He’s part of the Top 24.

Jenna Renae, James VIII, Kory Wheeler, and Adam Lasher all make it through to the Top 24 as well. Adam has gotten virtually no screen time, so he must have done something to captivate the judges. But, we don’t get to see any of their performances, so who knows what they did.

Jeneve Rose Mitchell did an interesting version of “Ring Of Fire.” I don’t like her voice. I will never understand how she made it through. But I will give her this: she is musical. She’s played who knows how many instruments at this point, and her choices are unique. But I just can’t get into her. The judges don’t care what I have to say though (except J.Lo, I think), and she’s in the Top 24.

CJ Johnson, who has been gigging for over 10 years, is another contestant whose voice far exceeds his creativity. What’s different from CJ and say, Lee Dewyze? Not much. But the judges apparently liked his rendition of “Parachute,” and he continues to the next round.

Amelia Eisenhauer, yet another singer who we haven’t really seen since her audition, brought out her violin for “New York State of Mind.” Her raspy tone is different and pretty, but her performance has a lot of flaws. Jennifer says that her being so young could be an issue, and I agree. Her lack of experience shows. But they give her a chance to move forward anyway.

Lee Jean went onstage with loads of confidence  and did Ed Sheeran’s “Make It Rain” some serious justice. His growth is showing already, and like I said before, he’s a mini Bieber. He even showed some of that Bieber ‘tude by telling the audience to be quiet, twice. Jennifer chastised him for that, calling him immature. He looked worried for a second before he was told he would be part of the Top 24.

 Avalon Young tackles Chris Brown’s “Yo (Excuse Me Miss),” which personally is a bad song choice purely for personal reasons. She seems comfortable on stage, and her tone is so interesting, but I’m so sick of her sweaters. I get that she’s a chill, but you can still look like you’re trying to dress up, a little bit. I mean, you’re on national television. To nobodies surprise (given the amount of screen time she’s received), she makes it to the Top 24.

Chynna Sherrod, Mary Williams, and Zach Person (again, who?), all get cut before we hear about Dalton Rapattoni’s doubts. He tells the audience that his self esteem is low, which is an odd choice. He then goes on to sing “It’s Gonna Be Me.” He clips the words short a little too often, making Harry complain, “Sing the words, sing ’em.” Although it was by no means a bad performance, it didn’t show off much of his singing ability. After walking the mile long hallway to see the judges to hear the verdict, Harry tells him he’s inconsistent, but in a good way, in an exciting way. Top 24, here comes Dalton.

Manny Torres, struggled to get through his solo performance round, but showed off his stage presence and confidence while he danced around the stage. Manny is the prime example of having “it,” whatever that is. He’s talented, yes, but by no means the best singer in the competition so far. But he’s fun to watch, he’s likable, he’s entertaining; take note other contestants. He makes it though. Unfortunately though, not everyone can, and
Laurel Wright, Anatalia Villaranda,Isaac Cole, Jon Klassen, Kassy Levels, and Andrew Nazarbekian are all sent home.

Thomas Stringfellow, 17, was sadly broken up with by his girlfriend of a year right before the competition started. He smartly dedicates One Direction’s “Story of My Life” to everyone with a broken heart for his final judgement performance. There was some weird screeching at the end of his words, but again, he’s likable, he’s cute, he’ll win over teens. So, top 24 it is for Thomas. Take that girlfriend! (Well, ex).

Sonika Vaid picked another ballad, “I Surrender,” and sounded great. This is exactly who needs to take note from Manny. Show some intention, some spunk, or just personality. The judges seem to worry about this as well, but they’re going to give her another chance.

Malie Delgado has had a tough time on Idol, having lost her voice during Hollywood Week. She takes on “Little White Church,” and sounds amazing. She has more to offer performance wise than say, Sonika, but the judges don’t see it. She’s going home.

Olivia Rox sang “Love Somebody,” with a bit of a cold. Not sure if her cold really affected the sound of her voice, but she didn’t sound like she had previously. Her originality has been sprinkled in some performances more than others, but it seems as there’s more to her. And we will get to find out if there is more because she moves forward.

Emily Brooke sings Carrie Underwood’s “So Small.” While the vocals weren’t perfect, it’s easy to see her growth not just from her run the previous season, but from her audition. The judges tell her she’s ready to be in front of America, and she continues on.

We say goodbye to Sara Sturm, Jordyn Simone, Tiffanne LeMay, Kayla Mickelsen, and Mionne Destiny before Gianna Isabella finds out her fate. Gianna takes on her mom’s (Brenda K Starr in case you forgot) “I Still Believe.” There was a great moment during rehearsal where Ricky Minor told Brenda to back off. She listened, which paid off, because despite some nasally areas in the song, Gianna is part of the Top 24.

Jenn Blosil, resident quirky weird girl and my favorite contestant by far, sang “Hanging Tree.” Her choices were so uniquely her which is why I love her. The judges see this and she moves to the Top 24. But because so many people have to be cut, we do say goodbye to Christian Eason, Ariel Sprague, Kelsie Watts, and Shevonne Philidor.

Tristan McIntosh, whose military mom has been by her side since her audition, sang Faith Hill’s “Stronger.” Her voice is strong as always, and it seems as though she stepped up performance game a bit. I can’t see where she’d be as an artist, but hopefully I’ll find out since she’s part of the Top 24.

Jordan Sasser and Kacye Haynes go in to see the judges together, but only one will make it through. Jordan chooses “Love Runs Out,” and I still don’t understand his appeal. He has moments where he’s great, but mostly moments where he’s not. He wins over Harry and Jennifer, but not Keith. Kacye goes for “Hold On, We’re Going Home.” He has a great voice, and he moves around on stage in such a different way. He by far outperformed Jordan. But apparently Keith’s indifference towards Jordan didn’t beat out J.Lo and Harry’s love for him because he makes it through.

La’Porsha Renae and Lindita, who lost 150 pounds to audition for Idol, also see the judges together to find out which one will make it. Before we even have to see their judgement performances, there’s no doubt La’Porsha will make it through. She’s been a favorite among the judges, for good reason, from the beginning.  Lindita does a generic take on “Bang Bang.” La’Porsha then comes out and KILLS “House of the Rising Sun.” This girl can do no wrong, and I’m so glad we will continue to hear her next week. Sorry Lindita.

Next up, live rounds.

]]> https://hollywoodtimessquare.com/recap-american-idol-top-24/feed/ 0 https://hollywoodtimessquare.com/recap-american-idol-solo-round-hollywood/ https://hollywoodtimessquare.com/recap-american-idol-solo-round-hollywood/#comments Fri, 05 Feb 2016 01:47:30 +0000 http://hollywoodtimessquare.com/?p=5109

Despite my sarcasm and pessimism towards Amereican Idol, I really do love this show. For it’s predictability, for the talent and lack therefore; it’s entertaining. So with all the being said, I’m (trying to be) hopeful for the season.

For the final round of Hollywood Week, all contestants have to perform alone in front of the judges, with absolutely no feedback to follow. After everyone has their turn, people will be split into three groups. The judges will then announce which of those groups stays, and which will have to say goodbye.

Beginning the day is Stephany Negrete, who has nobody in the audience for her due to her father having to undergo a heart procedure. She does her rendition of “Set Fire To The Rain” by Adele, and comes off pretty cliche. Her voice is nice enough, she sounded good enough, but it wasn’t anything standout. The judges say they like her to each other though, and with the amount of screen time she’s been getting, she’s probably not going anywhere.

Thomas Stringfellow performs “A Thousand Years,” and confesses to the cameras that he messed up. I agree with Keith that he did mess up, in song choice. J.Lo and Keith say they like him though.

Up next is Avalon Young with Ariana Grande’s “One Last Time”. Her tone is sweet and smooth (don’t worry, I wouldn’t know what that sounds like either but ah well), but her performance is DULL. I’m starting a drinking game: every time she does a forward hand press, take a drink.

Olivia Rox takes a risk by singing an original song. Although the song (and therefor her vocal) isn’t showcased much, it ends with the lyric, “I’m crazy about you.” The judges comment that for a 16 year old, her songwriting skills are decent, which you know means it was probably pretty generic.

John Wayne Schulz, your all american good looking cowboy, has lost his signature hat before performing. He goes onstage sans hat, and sings Keith Urban’s “John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16” He has a pleasant country voice, but like many contestants thus far, it’s not anything standout. He’s nice to listen to, but I’ll probably forget about him as soon as the next good looking guy comes on.

We then learn that the song selection process isn’t all that open. The contestants get a list of songs they can choose from, but to ensure variety, only three people can sing the same song. Since Olivia performed an original, it’s safe to say that that was an option among the list.

Tristan McIntosh realizes that she’s the fourth person to sign up for “What’s Hurt the Most.” This devastates her because this song means SO much to her. Later we learn that Malie kindly gave up singing the Rascal Flatt’s tune to allow Tristan to. With all the tears, I expected Tristan to be more connected to her performance. She does do a cool falsetto in the middle of the song which I like, but for the most part, she was just fine. She says she got REALLY emotional during her performance, which makes me question what she’ll be like on stage moving forward.

Mackenzie Bourg really shines with his original song, “Roses.” The song shows that unlike a lot of the other contestants (probably) he is actually an artist. I like this kid. He’s yet again, a white dude with a guitar, but unlike many of them, it seems as though there’s real substance in him too. Keith put it perfectly when he compares Mackenzie’s song to a “lost ed sheeran track.”

And then it’s a parade of great singers: Shelbie Z. sings “Alone,” and owns the stage, as usual. Her voice is big and strong and has elements of Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood. There’s no denying her talent. But we don’t need another Kelly or Carrie, what would Shelbie Z sound like? Don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll find out. Her chances seem better on Idol than they were on The Voice. Kory Wheeler, another why guy with a guitar (AND BLUE EYES!), lets his raspy voice belt out “Fix You.” James Vill does a really interesting rendition of “Wicked Game.” Showing off uniqueness is what gets me at this point of the game and makes me actually want to vote, so I like James.

Sonika Vaid is another contestant that has shown no originality or variety. She sings an Arian Grande song (again) and sounds great (again) but didn’t we see that already? Mix up song choices, do something surprising, perform bigger, do ANYTHING to make yourself memorable, Sonika.
After some awkward forcing of pretend crushes between Lee Jean and Sara Sturm, Lee sings “Stitches.” He reminds me a lot of Bieber when he started, and I mean that as a sincere compliment. Sara follows with “Somewhere only we know,” and I decide that I really like her. Although she hits a rough note towards the end of the song, her raspy voice is soothing to listen to. Plus she’s cute as a button like Lee.

Jenn Blosil is officially my favorite so far. She sings “True Colors,” but is disheartened after her performance. She felt like she didn’t do the song justice. No, she wasn’t perfect, but this is what I mean about being unique. Jenn’s voice is so obviously hers, and it makes me pay attention. Plus her hair and style are rad.
Emily Brooke, who we are again reminded wasn’t ready last year when she auditioned, also takes on “What Hurts The Most.” She makes some interesting choices throughout, like adding a really raspy soulful “SOOOO close,” which leaves me hopeful that she has lots of creativity in her. OVerall her vocals were all over the place, but she’ll be fine. She’ll make it through.

Apparently Idol is a breeding ground for germs because everyone is sick. Malie has laryngitis, and struggles to get her voice out during “Stitches.” She has moments where her voice does work and she sounds lovely. Her slowed down version is well liked by the judges. Mionne Destiny, another sick contestant, goes after “Chains.” The song choice probably didn’t do much for the little voice she had left. But Jessica Cabral did manage to overcome her illness and kills her performance. There are moments of rasp, moments where she really digs deep down for a growl, and it’s all amazing.

Emotional new dad Joshua Wicker who I liked enough before, kind of blew his “A Thousand Years” performance. Harry said there was something “soulful” about him, and I agree, but not then. He let his emotions take over, too much. CJ Johnson yells at us about going our own way a la Fleetwood Mac. I, as per usual, agree with Harry and will give his performance an “average.”
Jeneve Rose Mitchell, I will never understand. She sings “Danny’s Song,” which to mean was all over the place vocally. I couldn’t even stand looking at her awkward stage presence. Harry and J.Lo disagree completely about her. I’m team J.Lo on this one; it’s time for her to go home. Dalton Rapattoni, another example of uniqueness, ends the night really cool rendition of “Hopelessly Devoted to You.” As far as performers go, he’s one of the best so far, which is probably due to the fact that he was in a semi successful band called IM5.

After deliberation from the judges, everyone is split into three rooms. Two of the rooms continue on in the competition. Some notable people: Jordan Sasser (why?), Shelbie Z, Trenton Harmon, Malie Delgado, Lee Jean, Michelle Marie (again, why?) among many others. But we do lose a room, a room which includes a lot of people whose names we never learned, Joshua Wicker and John Wayne Schulz.
This cut brought down the 75 contestants to just 51. But tonight, they will have to bring that number down to just 24.

It’s time for the dreaded group round on American Idol. The 108 contestants who have made it through will be tested to their limits, people will have to compromise, people are tired; the drama is so intense! Who will survive Idol’s most “infamous” – as judge Jennifer Lopez put it, round?!

As the judges speak with the contestants before they begin to find their groups, Harry Connick Jr. delivers some real advice: step it up. The lackluster performances from the first Hollywood Week round weren’t promising, and our next and final Idol is supposed to be in that group? Yikes.

Per usual, some groups naturally blend well and are free from drama, while others don’t fare as well. The former Voice contestant Shelbie Z ditches her group. Dalton Rappattoni and Kassy are also ditched by Poh (sister of former Idol contestant Shi), who has decided to leave the competition all together. Both groups need to find a third member or else they’re going home!

All groups meet with vocal advisers as well as mentor Scott Borchetta, who dishes out tough advice: “If you want to go home tomorrow, do what you just did,” he told one group. People are losing their voices, are forgetting their lyrics, and are just BAD. Who will overcome their fatigue the next day for the judges? Dun dun dun….

First up is the dream team, Team Blue Eyes consisting of happy go lucky Jordan Sasser, Kory Wheeler, Kelsie Watts, and Jenna Renae. The group took on “Treasure,” and although not a disaster, it felt as though everyone was yelling to show off their voices in their 10 second solos. Wasn’t a problem for the judges though; all four made it through.

After struggling in rehearsals Jenn Blosil, Bri Ray, Lynnzee Fraye, and Sara Sturm perform a cool slowed down version of One Direction’s “Drag Me Down.” The girls, excpet for maybe Bri Ray, all have that funky Elle King rasp to their voices, but there’s not denying that quirky Jenn is the standout. If all else fails, I wouldn’t mind seeing them really form a group. All four made it through!

Amelia Eisenhauer, Tristan McIntosh, Lee Jean, and some random unnamed girl, take the stage next (but not before J.Lo is called out for her love of gluten free chocolate). All four are young and among the judges favorites which is easy to see why. Although none of their vocals are great, their is promise. And afterall, they’re just 15. All four make it through, which makes me wonder if anyone will succumb to group round. Also making it through and earning praise from judges: Avalon Young and Jeneve Rose Mitchell (I still don’t get her appeal), as well as each of their group members.

Chynna Sherrod and Terrian perform “Rather Be” with two others, and they’re all really boring. The girls sound just fine, but nothing memorable. But J.Lo has taken this time to remind us all that this is IDOL’S LAST SEASON! She’s going to miss this show and has been honored to be a part of it. Let’s keep moving forward…

With all the drama that surrounds group rounds, it’s surprising that Idol still sees a first: a solo group round. Remember Trent Harmon? Well, his mono prevented him from singing and getting too close to other contestants. So to make sure nobody believed that Trent got an unfair advantage, we were given drama. A first! He has to dance and move for four during his rendition of “Rather Be!” He has to sing four people’s parts! He does a fairly good job, considering, but you could really tell he was running out of breath and was hurting in so many areas. He still makes it through.

Michelle Marie, the sequined-cowboy hat wearing giddy Idol fanatic, joined forces with Lindsey Carrier and Ashley Lusk. Lindsey decided to be group leader, and had a hard time agreeing on a song with Michelle. Five hours later and with a new member, Shelbie Z, the girls decided “Undo It.” For some reason Michelle’s bouncy self makes it to the next round. The same fate doesn’t lie for Lindsey.

Brutal group round is the end of the road for some other people you won’t remember: Elvie Shane, Ashley Lilinoe, and Cameron Richard.

But the really crazy happens with Anatalia Villaranda. Her orginal group Envy, consisting of Sonika Vaid, Andrew Nazabekian, and Stephany Negret, were simply not comprimsing. They selfishly didn’t want to change songs to find a song better suited for Anatalia‘s voice. Her mom gets too involved, which leads to Anatalia leaving (or getting left, if you ask her) the group.

Meanwhile, Dalton and Kassy are still trying to scramble to find a group after Poh’s departure. Anatalia’s mom sees their struggle and pounces. Turns out, Anatalia and her mom were right, and her new group sounded pretty damn good with “Treasure.” All three make it through. And by the way, I’m calling it already: Dalton is making it far, especially if he gets to the voting stage (And if 13-18 year olds still vote). He’s cute, young, charming, and talented. 

Envy, Anatalia’s original group, should have perhaps listened to her. The trio struggled through rehearsals. The performance didn’t show much improvement. They sang “Problem” by Ariana Grande, and although Stephany and Sonika did an okay job, Andrew was shaky throughout. He did hit one crazy high note which obviously made the judges forget about the rest of his vocals, because he somehow made it through. Stephany and Sonika will also join in him in the next round.

Some people with no rhythm leave, including Jackie, who once beat Dalton in a battle of the bands! Showing off quite the opposite with some smooth moves to “Uptown Funk” were Kylle Thomasson, Kacye Haynes, Jon Klaasen, and Marcio Donaldson. The group all sounded great, moved great, and showed some energy, which many of the groups lacked. All four make it through!

After making it a point to take off her shoes, Joy Dove takes the stage with Daniel Farmer and Lindita. Lindita ends with some crazy screaming mate call which has it’s moments of WOW, but also has a lot of problems. Joy actually seems to take a back seat during the performance, which Harry calls out. Daniel Farmer ends up going home, though.

Eliz Camacho is another natural born leader, and insists on singing a song she knows, “Hit ‘Em Up Style.” She doesn’t rehearse much with her group, made up of Gianna Isabella and Dana Ordway. The girls forget their words and Eliz insists that she’s carrying. “It’s my time to shine,” she says as Gianna complains that she’s trying to overshadow them. Their performance was awkward; everyone forgot their words. But Gianna and Dana had the last laugh; Eliz was sent home after J.Lo explained that she’s made it far in her career because people like working with her. Ouch.

Joe Dahman, Alesana Tolai, Jessica Paige and Olivia Thai sing Rixton’s “Me and My Broken Heart.” The entire group looks and sounds bored. Nobody sounds bad, but everyone looks like they’d rather be somewhere else. Perhaps nerves? The judges notice and send everyone home except Jessica.

CJ Johnson, Jess Kellner, Zach Joseph, and Jessica Baker truly sound like a unit with “Renogade.” Zach is sent home after the judges complain that they were a good group, but no super stars appeared. Thomas Muglia, Joey Hendricks, Bryson Dunn, and Thomas Stringfellow perform a super meloncholy version of the same song. So meloncholy that Joey Hendrick didn’t even look up during his solo. Both Thomas’ make it through.

Manny Torres, Malie Delgado, and Christian Eason were ditched by La’Porsha, but somehow prevailed. The group had some nice harmonies with their stripped down version of “Too Close.” Malie’s voice was almost completely gone, but it just added a nice rasp to it. Manny was running around all over the stage with high energy, and elevated the others. All three make it through.

Laurel Wright, Marshall Cunningham, Drew Angus, and John Arthur Greene somehow all manage to forget the iconic words to “Stayin’ Alive.” Laurel literally turns around and stares at her group as she just mumbled into the microphone. She somehow still made it through after Harry’s talk about deserving to be on Idol, as did Marshall.

Tonie Starr, and Marlena Johnson were saved by La’Porsha after Shelbie Z left them. Marlena also, for some reason, can’t remember the words to “Stayin’ Alive” during rehearsals. Even though she swears she’ll remember for the performance, she doesnt. She sang some “ohs” and “ooooooohs.” All three ladies sounded great and powerful, but even though La’Porsha stumbled on some words as well, she was the star. Harry says, “That’s how you forget words.”

Hollywood Week continues next week, with hopefully, some much better performances. I can barely remember most of the contestants that have been featured. Are they saving some people to surprise us with next week? I hope so.

After weeks of auditions, American Idol has finally reached Hollywood week. It’s really a shame that this is the last season of Idol (WHICH WE HAVE BEEN REMINDED EVERY 15 SECONDS OF), because it seems as though the judges have really taken on the job well. Harry Connick Jr. is still the most brutally honest, but Jennifer Lopez and Keith Urban have stepped up and formed true opinions. While there are still gimmicks at play (Jlo is a diva, Harry is the musical genius, Keith is.. Australian?), the rapport between the judges is playful and sincere, rather than over the top and forcefully flirtatious (looking at you The Voice). With all that said, American Idol is still incredibly predictable and it’s almost as though not much has changed from previous seasons.

But alas, Hollywood week is upon us. The first round is the traditional rows of ten. Ten people perform solo, and the judges decide who gets to move on to group rounds. Of the 190 contestants, about half will go home.

First up is Jordan Sasser. Happy go lucky Jordan auditioned with his wife, but only he made it through. It was an uncomfortable moment that showed him unphased by his wife’s tears.

Jordan sang Tori Kelly’s “Should’ve Been Us” for his Line of Ten audition, and had a rough time. His song choice showed his lack of range, and came off incredibly shout-y. Next up were two young band kids. Billie Joe Armstrong-esque Dalton Rappattoni and green haired Jaci Butler. Dalton’s rendition of “California Dreamin'” showed off his smooth tone. His voice paired with his guitar and dreamy eyes will get him far. Jaci followed with Fall Out Boy’s “Centuries.” During her original audition the judges told her she sang “like herself,” yet this second audition was exactly what you would expect from a female lead singer. Her voice was not unique, and frankly, sort of hurt my ears. But what do I know, all three made it through to group rounds!

This season’s quirky chick (think Joey Cook from last season) Jenn Blosil (J.Blo which she refers to herself as) sang “Brother,” which showed off a unique tone. I’m partial to softer voices, but can already tell that she likely won’t make it very far. Powerhouse women singers and country singers are the types that win this thing. Also making it through are Olivia Rox, who sang a stripped down “Genie in A Bottle,” and another dreamy guy with a guitar, Tommy Stringfellow. Yep, he even has the perfect name.

The producers decided to throw in some GIRL POWER by showing a clip of Harry saying that this year is all about the girls. Look at all the girls and how little guys! Lets put it into America’s head that a woman needs to win this year! It’s probably not a brainwashing technique to get everyone to vote for a girl because Idol hasn’t received crap for having an attractive white guy with a guitar win so many times. (Yes, that’s sarcasm).

The next line of ten shows off some of the said ladies: Jessica Cabral with Ed Sheeran’s “Photograph,” Melanie Tierce with Kelly Clarkson’s “Invincible,” and Sonika Vaid, singing Ariana Grande’s “Almost is Never Enough.” Melanie, who Harry had pegged as a potential winner during her audition, unfortunately didn’t make it through. Surely this is to showcase that nobody is safe.

Continuing the trend of amazing women is new mom La’Porsha Ranae. La’Porsha’s ten month old daughter watched from the audience as her mom belted out Katy Perry’s “Eye of the Tiger.” There’s not doubt that La’Porsha has a strong beautiful voice, but I found her “grunting” forced. The judges, no doubt, will keep a voice like hers around for a while. So, of course she makes it through.

While people like Melanie Tierce are getting cut for who knows why, people like “ladies man” Daniel Farmer are making it through. His audition in Little Rock was charming, but his rendition of “Treasure” lacked any personality. Fellow ladies man Manny Torres impressed with a cool raspy version of “I Can’t Feel My Face.” Both men have been getting lots of screen time, and both make it to the next round!

Next is a quick round: Cutie pie 16 Lee Jean gives a very sweet and innocent performance of Ed Sheeran’s “All of The Stars.” Melany Huber, though only shown for a line of Gavin Degraw’s “Sweeter,” had an amazing vibrato. Shelbie Z sang some song and sounded pleasant. Why does she look familiar? Oh, because she was on The Voice. Though Lee and Shelbie make it through, Melany doesn’t which makes me wonder why they didn’t show the worst part of her audition? (Was there not one? If not, WHY DIDN’T SHE MAKE IT THROUGH?!)

Day of Lines of Ten begins with Jeneve Rose Mitchell. Jeneve literally came from middle of nowhere with her cello, and sang “Boondocks.” This girl is the perfect example of novelty. Her cello playing is incredible, but her voice? Average at best. But people love country, and she makes it through.

Brenda K. Star’s (yup, THAT Brenda K Star) daughter Gianna Isabella sang “One Night Only.” Tristin McIntosh, whose deployed mom surprised her at her audition, belted out Carrie Underwood’s “Something in the Water.” Neither girl was perfect. Both girls showed off some strong voices but lacked control and pushed too hard in areas. Both girls make it to group rounds!

Tiny, super excited, American Idol super fan (read as: one of the most annoying people ever to be on this show) Michelle Marie made it to group rounds. Her fellow super fan Kyrsti Jewel didn’t fare as well. While neither girl is anywhere near ready to be on “Idol,” Krysti was actually better. Oh well. We then get a montage of unmemorable people who also didn’t make it through.

The final line of the night includes Trent Harmon. Trent performs Sam Smith’s “Lay Me Down.” Although he has “full blown mono,” he sounds much better than most of the people who have made it through already. This guy needs to go all the way. Miranda “Poh” Scott (sister of previous Idol contestant Shi Scott) sang “Stay,” and sounded like Rihanna’s clone. Emily Brooke made it far last season on Idol. She takes on a Cassadee Pope song (um, wrong show?) and delivers a performance that shows off a voice that is very Kelly Clarkson-esque. All three get separated into different lines, and Jennifer Lopez reveals the front row will go through. After a pause she assures the back line that they are also going through. Yay!

After surviving the major cuts of the first round, who will make it through tomorrow’s dreaded group round? DUN DUN DUN..