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.

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 night, the first group of twelve performed solo. Tonight, those contestants must team up with previous Idol contestants to perform duets to leave a final impression on the judges. I’m not sure exactly who picked the songs that the contestants had to sing, but for the most part, it seemed like the choices were poor. Anyway, at the end of show, five must go home.

Lauren Alaina is the first to return to the Idol stage with Emily Brooke. The two took on Carrie Underwood’s “Flat On The Floor,” and unfortunately for Emily, the results were just not what she needed. After her flat performance the night before, Emily needed a standout duet. Next to Lauren though, her lack of experience showed. Sorry Emily, I think this is the end for you.

Thomas Stringfellow reminds America that his girlfriend broke up with him right before the show started, and Nick Fradiani tells him the same thing happened to him. The two duet on “Man in the Mirror.” Thomas’ squeaks have seriously been decreasing, which is great for him. But next to Nick, and with the chosen arrangement, Thomas seemed a little out of his element.

Ruben Studdard came back to team up with Stephany Negrete for “Superstar.” Whoever picked out Stephany’s dress should be fired. Stephany does a fine job vocally, but her problem is that she’s singing with Ruben. She comes off as a glorified featured singer, but the judges don’t agree with me. The judges all enjoyed it. Harry says there were some note issues, but that the emotions always trump that. I didn’t see emotion, so I’m just confused.

Sonika Vaid and Caleb Johnson joining forces for “Skyfall” may seem like a strange competition, but the result was truly magnificent. I’m not sure what changed in Sonika, perhaps having someone stand net to her helped, but she looked comfortable. Plus, her lower harmonies were outstanding. Harry says that she still seems nervous, and I agree. But, the growth so far is noticeable. Hopefully she’ll continue to loosen up.

Scotty McCreery joins Jenna Renae for his song “See You Tonight.” It seems like a huge disadvantage to have a contestant sing a winner’s song, and Jenna didn’t step up to the plate. Scotty is so consistent, so every time Jenna’s vocals failed, it was obvious.

La’Porsha Renae is joined by Fantasia for “Summertime.” The combination is so predictable, but that doesn’t take away from the power in the performance. I’ve never been a huge fan of Fantasia’s voice, so for me, La’Porsha dominated that song. Harry said it was a battle of runs, which it was, but it was phenomenal.

Lauren Alaina comes back for another duet, but this time with Mackenzie Bourg. I’m a little not okay with her flirting, but I’ll let it go because the two sing a nice version of “I Hope You Dance.” The two seem to be singing two completely different versions of the song, but it somehow works together. And yeah, okay, maybe I was imagining that he was looking at me the way he was looking at Lauren, but whatever… Harry said that this performance was “sweet” but that he was thankful for last night.

Nick Fradiani and Gianna Isabella take on his song “Beautiful Life,” which, for lack of better words, sucks. This song is not a duet. The arrangement is messy. Gianna looks uncomfortable on stage. She’s much better than this, as she proved the night before. Again, who’s making these choices?

Ruben comes back, this time with Avalon Young. While Stephany didn’t exactly hold her own next to Ruben, Avalon was able to. The difference in Avalon’s tone really held up against Ruben. She was dressed up a little more than usual, which added to the show of it all.

James VIII and Caleb Johnson sing the Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter.” Just like his performance the night before of Kanye West’s “Love Lockdown,” James showed he’s a great musician. He could do amazing things in a band, but as a solo artist, his voice just does not stack up. Caleb was amazing, and the attention was all on him when it should have been the other way around. I would one thousand percent pay for a ticket to a show if the two formed a band, though.

Any credit I gave Jeneve Rose Mitchell last night is out the window after her duet with Scotty McCreery for “Gone.” She was uncomfortable as she ran around the stage blushing. I’m not sure what else to say, but their performance was just bad. Keith said it was “Bizarre,” which is probably the nicest thing to say about that performance. I’m still not understanding why the judges love her so much, especially after that performance.

Fantasia and Jordan Sasser sing “I Believe,” and again, was just bad for Jordan. He was oversinging every bit while he tried to stand next to Fantasia. So while she was singing aggressively to emote, Jordan was singing that way to compare. The judges were far too kind, and noticed that they weren’t really dueting. Again, I think this is where we finally say bye to Jordan.

Now it’s up to the judges to decide who makes it through. La’Porsha, Sonika, Avalon, Gianna, Thomas, Mackenzie, and Jeneve all make it through to the next round.

This means that we say goodbye to Stephany, Jordan, James, Emily, and Jenna.

American Idol has changed its format. The contestants will be split into two groups of 12, one performing this week, the others next. Each singer will perform solo on Wednesday and with a previous Idol contestant on Thursday. The judges will then send five contestants home each week, leaving us with a top 14. There is no indication on how the 24 were split in two, but something tells me this was an easy way for producers to get rid of some contestants… But I digress.

Here is my ranking for the first group of twelve, from worst to best.

Jordan Sasser debuted his new short do while singing “All By Myself.” There was absolutely nothing good about his performance. He was pitchy, shout-y, bad, bad, and awful. On top of that, he was too dramatic. I think we will finally say bye to Jordan to this week.

Emily Brooke did something that I thought would be a no no and went with a song by a winner of The Voice, Cassadee Pope’s “I Am Invincible.” She was flat throughout the entire song, which was probably an octave lower than her voice could handle. It was a bit of a disaster, and the judges agree.

Stephany Negrete started the show with Jessie J’s “Mama Knows Best.” She’s beautiful, has a strong voice, and dang I was impressed with all her squatting in those sky high heels. But Harry put it best when he said “Its like connecting the dots… there was something missing.” Jennifer mentioned that she needs to listen to the words and connect, which seems to be a reoccurring problem this season.

Jeneve Rose Mitchell, what am I going to do with you? She sang Sarah McLachlan’s “Angel,” while playing a harp, which is impressive. I’m still not understanding her appeal. She sounded better than she has, and I enjoyed her vibrato in certain places, but it seemed as though she couldn’t find her pocket. She was singing too fast, and then too slow. Harry told her she did herself a disservice by playing the harp, but Keith and Jennifer loved it, despite Jennifer’s original hesitations.

James VIII gave Kanye West’s “Love Lockdown” a bluesy feel, which would be great sitting at a lounge in Los Angeles. There was nothing wrong with the performance. When you’re on American Idol though, you have to show off a bit. All James showed off was his guitar skill.

Jenna Renae sang her heart out to “My Church.” The thing is, as I’ve mentioned again and again, there are plenty of good singers in the competition. Am I going to remember this performance tomorrow? Probably not. Harry noted that she came off as shout-y in some parts, and her pitch suffered because of it. I have to agree. If Jenna stays in the competition, she has to start being, well, interesting.

Avalon Young chose “Love Yourself” by Justin Bieber. She sounded nasally in certain parts, had a few sharp notes, but her tone is smooth. She didn’t show off any creativity in her arrangement, or in her performance, which the judges didn’t let her forget. But they love her, so she’s probably safe.

Sonika Vaid looked terrified and nervous the entire time singing Taylor Swift’s “Safe and Sound.” I’m going to ignore her awful dress, because her voice is beautiful. There were moments where she was a little bit too breathy, but overall, she sounded incredible. Her nerves got the best of her performance wise, and if she stays that’s something she’ll have to work out.

Thomas Stringfellow took on “Creep,” and turned down his squeakiness by about 80% from the previous week. His pronunciation is a bit affected, with some words coming off completely unintelligible. He played around with his falsetto, and it paid it off. The only thing that bothers me about Thomas is that he’s so similar to Mackenzie, and Mackenzie just does it better.

Gianna Isabella performed “I Put A Spell On You,” and really showed off her vocal ability. Her immaturity showed, though. She didn’t connect to the lyrics at all, and just sort of stood there. The judges agreed, she needs to start digging a bit deeper.

Mackenzie Bourg has looked familiar to me since day one, so I decided to use this fancy thing called Google to see why. (And yeah, okay, maybe I was trying to find age, astrological sign, compatibility with Pisces, if he has a girlfriend, etc.) I quickly learned that he was also on The Voice. He even made it to the live rounds before getting eliminated. So, it’s not surprise that he is killing this competition thing. He sang “Say Something,” which the audience and judges loved. His raspy tone and falsettos are so easy to listen to. Keith said he believed what he was singing. There’s not doubt in my mind he’s making it to next week (well, week after next).

La’Porsha Renae… Harry said it best when he told her “I would be foolish to critique that in any way shape or form.” La’Porsha embodied Tina Turner with “Proud Mary.” She could have been over the top but she was just perfect. My one critique, sorry Harry, is that she could have switched up the arrangement somehow to show some artistry, but hey, she was still the best of the night.

And even though my bottom five performances are who I think should be going home, I know how this game works. The best are sometimes sent home, and surprises are prevalent. I see the end of the road coming for Jordan Sasser, Emily Brooke, Stephany Negrete, James VIII and Jenna Renae.

Next week, the rest of the top 24 take on the same task.

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.

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