The Finale:
Simon Fuller's Choice:
Jena Irene sang The Dog Days Are Over by Florence and the Machine-- Keith and Jenn commented on the high energy of the performance. Harry said he hopes it's a song that she puts on her album. It was a good song choice, really showed Jena's vocal range.
Caleb Johnson sang Dream On by Aerosmith-- Jenn said that's what you gotta do, this is the finale. She told him that he seized the moment. Harry said it was phenomenal, really great job. Keith thought the way he arced the whole performance was exceptional. Another amazing song choice, wow, literally brought tears to my eyes cause I didn't know if he was going to hit that high note. Amazing!
Contestant's favorite moment:
Jena Irene sang I Can't Help Falling in Love with You by Elvis Presley-- Harry thought it was beautiful. Keith said she is a trailblazer and an original (so much so that she inspired someone else on a reality show to sing it --- Christina Grimmie on The Voice). Jenn said she feels her soul come through on that song. It was beautiful the first time and it was beautiful again. I loved it.
Caleb Johnson sang Maybe I'm Amazed by Paul McCartney-- Harry said I think you won the first round, and I think Jena won the second round. It's really close. I loved this performance as well, the funny thing is, hearing them both again, I am not as surprised as I was the first time around.
Original Songs:
Jena Irene sang We Are One-- I never love the original songs very much. I think I have maybe like 2 or 3 in all the years Idol has been on. This song was all right. Keith felt like it suited her and Harry liked that it sounded as good live as it did in the studio.
Caleb Johnson sang As Long As You Love Me-- All the judges felt like Caleb gave it his all and said America would have a hard time voting. I'm with the judges, who will win this.... your guess is as good as mine.
Showing posts with label Caleb Johnson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Caleb Johnson. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
American Idol Season 13: Now it's Three
Randy's choice:
Alex Preston sang Bastille by Pompeii-- Good song choice, liked the drums. However, I did think there were some pitch issues. Harry said it seemed like he was thinking at parts but said he should keep practicing and do the song on the road.
Jena Irene sang Titanium by David Guetta and Sia-- This was another good song choice by Randy; however, she was screechy in points. It started off weird, even Jenn picked up on it.
Judge's Choice:
Caleb Johnson sang Demons by Imagine Dragons-- Keith thought he killed it and liked the Steve Perry vibe in his voice. Jenn said when you voice is failing you like that, focus on the emotion, and she felt like he did.
Alex Preston sang Stay by Rihanna feat. Mikkey Ekko-- Wow, genuinely impressed with his interpretation of that song. Jenn and Keith were on their feet. Jenn appeared to be getting the shivers as he was singing. I agree with Jenn, I didn't hear shreds of Rihanna or Mikkey in that song. Harry asked him what his concerts would be like, and he said fun. Keith liked the artistic license he took and he owned the song from start to finish.
Jena Irene sang Heart Attack by Demi Lovato-- I was a little but underwhelmed by this performance. I expected her to go up and hit that note at the end. I wanted her to hit that huge high note, and she didn't, she just ended the song. It was kind of weird.
Hometown Choice:
Caleb Johnson sang Dazed and Confused by Led Zepplin-- Keith and Jenn were on their feet throughout the performance. It was full of energy and I truly enjoyed the performance. Keith said it was a moment of miraculous healing. Jenn called it a true Idol moment, ridiculous. Harry said you took full advantage, absolutely fantastic.
Alex Preston sang The Story of My Life by One Direction-- I feel like out of all the songs Alex sang, this one fits him well and he emotes.The only song I perhaps would have chosen more is his original song Fairy Tale. Harry thought it was a classic Alex performance, very strong, he doesn't know anyone who doesn't like that song. Keith thought after the amazing performance of Stay, it was a step down.
Jena Irene sang Creep by Radiohead-- Harry thought it was better than the first time around. Keith said your progress is mindblowing and you do belong here. I agree! This was an awesome performance. I liked the word Keith used last week, spellbinding.
The following Idols paid their respects on Episode 500!
Carrie Underwood
Phillip Phillips
Kris Allen
David Cook
Lee Dewyze
Fantasia
Jordin Sparks
American Idol Season 13: The Recap, We're Down to 4
Sorry this comes so late, but on the heels of some amazing performances last week, Idol said goodbye to Jessica Meuse who made it much further than I ever thought she would.
Last week's performances consisted of three solo performances for each remaining contestant with the theme being Break Ups, Make Ups, and Dedications.
I will list each contestant, their songs choices, a score of 1-5 and any comments I may have.
**Caleb Johnson**
**You Give Love a Bad Name by Bon Jovi-- Score: 3 out of 5, it was a little bit karaoke compared to some of his other performances
**Travelin Band by Creedence Clearwater Revival-- Score: 4 out of 5, better than the first song, J. Lo thinks he killed it!
**Maybe I'm Amazed by Paul McCartney-- Score: 5 out of 5, And then came round three. This was Caleb's best performance of the season, and perhaps one of the performances of the season. Keith and J. Lo gave him a standing ovation. He was absolutely phenomenal, the pitch, the vocal, the phrasing, everything was amazing.
**Jessica Meuse**
**Since U Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson-- Score: 3 out of 5, she lacked the energy that Kelly Clarkson uses to sell this song. She needed to be jumping around more.
**So What by Pink!-- Score: Score: 3 out of 5, again, not the best choice for her but vocally she turned out a performance better than what she usually does.
**You and I by Lady Gaga-- Score: 5 out of 5, best performance I have heard from Jess Meuse, amazing way for her to close out the night. This song was suited for her and, it just fit her voice like a glove. Loved Harry's comment, the girl from Slapout came out swinging with a song that was perfect for her and killed it.
**Alex Preston**
**Too Close by Alex Clare-- Score: 4 out of 5, not the best performance or song choice for Alex, but a good effort nonetheless. I would have liked to feel more dynamics in this performance.
**I'm Yours by Jason Mraz-- Score: 4 out of 5, very close to the original, I felt like he could have done more with this performance especially since his style is very much like Jason Mraz
**Yellow by Coldplay-- Score: 5 out of 5, this was his best performance of the night. I know some called it sleepy, but I prefer to call it dreamy. Keith loved his poetic vulnerability, and Jenn said he is integral to the competition.
**Jena Irene**
**Heartbreaker by Pat Benatar-- Score: 4.5 out of 5, vocally sound, but lacked movement.
**Bad Romance by Lady Gaga-- Score: 3 out of 5, this was a sloppy performance from Jena in comparison to what we are used to from her. Harry commented on why she didn't hit the high notes, it seemed easy enough for someone as vocally strong as she is, but she didn't. She told Harry it sounded like yelling.
**Can't Help Falling in Love by Elvis Presley-- Score: 5 out of 5, this was the Jena performance that had me in tears. It was so beautiful, so intimate, so passionate. What made it so amazing was that she made this song contemporary yet all the passion was still there. Jenn was in tears and got up to hug Jena. harry congratulated her on her courage and said it was incredible. Keith thought it was spellbinding.
Last week's performances consisted of three solo performances for each remaining contestant with the theme being Break Ups, Make Ups, and Dedications.
I will list each contestant, their songs choices, a score of 1-5 and any comments I may have.
**Caleb Johnson**
**You Give Love a Bad Name by Bon Jovi-- Score: 3 out of 5, it was a little bit karaoke compared to some of his other performances
**Travelin Band by Creedence Clearwater Revival-- Score: 4 out of 5, better than the first song, J. Lo thinks he killed it!
**Maybe I'm Amazed by Paul McCartney-- Score: 5 out of 5, And then came round three. This was Caleb's best performance of the season, and perhaps one of the performances of the season. Keith and J. Lo gave him a standing ovation. He was absolutely phenomenal, the pitch, the vocal, the phrasing, everything was amazing.
**Jessica Meuse**
**Since U Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson-- Score: 3 out of 5, she lacked the energy that Kelly Clarkson uses to sell this song. She needed to be jumping around more.
**So What by Pink!-- Score: Score: 3 out of 5, again, not the best choice for her but vocally she turned out a performance better than what she usually does.
**You and I by Lady Gaga-- Score: 5 out of 5, best performance I have heard from Jess Meuse, amazing way for her to close out the night. This song was suited for her and, it just fit her voice like a glove. Loved Harry's comment, the girl from Slapout came out swinging with a song that was perfect for her and killed it.
**Alex Preston**
**Too Close by Alex Clare-- Score: 4 out of 5, not the best performance or song choice for Alex, but a good effort nonetheless. I would have liked to feel more dynamics in this performance.
**I'm Yours by Jason Mraz-- Score: 4 out of 5, very close to the original, I felt like he could have done more with this performance especially since his style is very much like Jason Mraz
**Yellow by Coldplay-- Score: 5 out of 5, this was his best performance of the night. I know some called it sleepy, but I prefer to call it dreamy. Keith loved his poetic vulnerability, and Jenn said he is integral to the competition.
**Jena Irene**
**Heartbreaker by Pat Benatar-- Score: 4.5 out of 5, vocally sound, but lacked movement.
**Bad Romance by Lady Gaga-- Score: 3 out of 5, this was a sloppy performance from Jena in comparison to what we are used to from her. Harry commented on why she didn't hit the high notes, it seemed easy enough for someone as vocally strong as she is, but she didn't. She told Harry it sounded like yelling.
**Can't Help Falling in Love by Elvis Presley-- Score: 5 out of 5, this was the Jena performance that had me in tears. It was so beautiful, so intimate, so passionate. What made it so amazing was that she made this song contemporary yet all the passion was still there. Jenn was in tears and got up to hug Jena. harry congratulated her on her courage and said it was incredible. Keith thought it was spellbinding.
Monday, May 5, 2014
Reality Recap-- The Voice loses the wrong person yet again, and American Idol's new twist
Kat Perkins sang Landslide by Fleetwood Mac-- I completely admit, this song has been a little bit overdone on reality shows, but the style and tempo change was exactly what Kat needed. She was starting to sound similar in all her performances, and this was actually different. Kat started to cry at the end of the song, and Blake said it was making him cry.
Tess Boyer sang Ain't It Fun by Paramore-- Tess is my favorite female voice on the show this season. I love her so it hurts me when so many people are critical of her. I cannot understand why she went home at this point. She did not have the worst performance. I think I would have sent Kat or Audra home this week. Tess should have been there through the end. Another fact is that Tess never received anything but compliments from the coaches, and her last night performing was no exception. Blake commented on her perfect pitch, and Shakira felt like she nailed the performance.
Audra McLaughlin sang You Lie by Reba-- Unlike the coaches, I actually felt like this was one of her weaker performances. I didn't really like the choice of song, it made her seem dated. It would be nice to see her do some Carrie Underwood or Band Perry or Thompson Square. She should have been in the bottom three rather than Tess.
Josh Kaufman sang This Is It by Kenny Loggins-- OMG! Horrible song choice! Usher, what on Earth were you thinking? You could have got Josh sent home with a song choice like that. Luckily, America saw how talented he is. This was dragging at points. I think I disliked the song so much that it bored me a little bit. Adam once again regrets losing Josh and Blake thinks he is dumb for losing Josh.
Christina Grimmie sang Hold On We're Going Home by Drake-- This was the performance of the night. What a daring, yet smart song choice. This was such a risk but it showed so much creativity and it worked. She handled the song and the stage so well, the high note was amazing. I honestly think Christina deserves to win the whole thing this year. Shakira said it was her best performance thus far. Adam approved of her artistic decisions.
Jake Worthington sang Run by George Strait-- I enjoyed this performance. Jake remains one of the most likable contestants this season. It was nice to see him change things up a little and see him without a guitar and singing a song somewhat outside of his comfort zone. Usher loved his spirit and Blake thought he gave a solid performance.
Bria Kelly sang I'm With You by Avril Levine-- Overall, she was my pick to go home for the week, that didn't happen. I just don't see Bria's desire and hunger to be here. Vocally, she isn't where the other contestants are. There were lots of pitch issues in this performance and Adam was the only coach who had the courage to bring them up.
Delvin Choice sang Bright Lights from Gary Clark Jr.-- This wasn't my favorite Delvin performance, and maybe it's because I wasn't familiar with the song. However, I do need to mention how much I love Delvin's voice, and the fact that I feel like he puts 100% of himself into every single performance.
Kristen Merlin sang Let Her Go by Passenger-- I wasn't sure at first if I liked Kristen, but I grow to like her more every single week. She is quite the talent. Actually, she reminds me a lot of Melissa Etheridge. She has a strong, genuine texture to her voice.
Sisaundra Lewis sang Oh Sherrie by Journey-- Sisaundra took a huge risk by opening the song acapella, and man oh man, not only did she sound amazing, but it paid off big time! She worked the stage, and her vocals were dreamy. I loved this, and I cannot wait to see her rock out again. Adam commented that she blew the roof off the place, and Blake said she made him look smart.
The following night, it was revealed that Bria, Tess, and Kat were the bottom three, and at the end of the night, although Tess had the better voice, it was Kat's confidence that won out in the end. Even I must admit that her performance of Paris was convincing.
-------------
American Idol brought with it a surprising twist this week. The day after the final five sang songs chosen by the public, they were asked if they all wanted another week together as the final five and two people would be sent home the following week, or they could vote to send someone home like they always do. The decision had to be unanimous, and it wasn't and 18 year old cutie Sam Woolf was sent home. The big story following results night was which two contestants voted to break the final five apart rather than keeping them together another week. It was later revealed to be Jena and Alex. I personally would have liked to see everyone stay together another week. What's the harm? I think it would have brought stronger performances in the upcoming week for the contestants.
Here is a recap of how I felt their performances stacked up---
(Jason Mraz coached the contestants this week, and he was pretty awesome)
Round 1:
Alex Preston sang Sweater Weather by The Neighbourhoods-- Enjoyed this song choice for Alex. Very much in line with this style, and Jason Mraz's comments appeared to help Alex as he is definitely more engaged.
Caleb Johnson sang I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing by Aerosmith-- Not loving it, and I can tell Caleb didn't love it either. Perhaps a little bit of a lackluster choice for him from America. It seemed like the right idea in theory but I think all that was on Caleb's mind is that the song has been overdone.
Jessica Meuse sang Human by Christina Perri-- I am on the same page as Harry. It wasn't my favorite performance but the song choice was right on. Her vocals were good, the dynamics were nice. Definitely, a better than usual performance for Jessica.
Sam Woolf sang Sing by Ed Sheeran-- This is the song of the minute right now, so Sam would have really had to knock it out of the park for it to be a hit for him. He did better than usual, but what it was missing is the falsetto that Ed laces throughout the song. This is a song that is really based on those high notes, and Sam lacked that. Performance wise though, Jenn was right, it was the most comfortable he's been on a stage.
Jena Irene sang My Body by Young the Giant-- Jena takes Jason's advice to heart and her stage presence improves. I am not too familiar with the song, but she does a great job with it nonetheless.
Round 2:
Alex Preston sang Say Something by A Great Big World-- Harry called this the performance of the night, and it actually was. I think Alex won the night. I believed every word, and I agree when Keith called it the perfect marriage of song and artist. I was overwhelmed by emotions as Alex sang this but he managed to hold it together.
Jena Irene sang Valerie by Amy Winehouse-- I didn't initially get this choice for Jena, but the moment she opened her mouth and started singing, I understood. This was everything it needed to be, a jazzy vocal, it was a different choice for Jena but still in her wheelhouse. Oddly enough, although I thought she pulled this off, the judges didn't.
Sam Woolf sang How to Save a Life by The Fray-- I liked this song for Sam better than the first. It had some bumps along the way, but it finished up strong. I think in general, the reason Sam got sent home before his time is because she song choices were not the best for him. Too bad, he is a really talented kid.
Jessica Meuse sang Summertime Sadness by Lana Del Rey-- I love this song and loved it on Jessica. Consequently, I think the great song choices she got are the reason that she is still in the competition instead of at home.
Caleb Johnson sang Still of the Night by Whitesnake-- No idea how this was chosen for Caleb but it was a great choice. Clearly there are some fans of Idol who are really into 80's rock. This was a great performance. Caleb holds strong as a contestant, but this might be an Alex verse Jena final.
What do you think?
Tess Boyer sang Ain't It Fun by Paramore-- Tess is my favorite female voice on the show this season. I love her so it hurts me when so many people are critical of her. I cannot understand why she went home at this point. She did not have the worst performance. I think I would have sent Kat or Audra home this week. Tess should have been there through the end. Another fact is that Tess never received anything but compliments from the coaches, and her last night performing was no exception. Blake commented on her perfect pitch, and Shakira felt like she nailed the performance.
Audra McLaughlin sang You Lie by Reba-- Unlike the coaches, I actually felt like this was one of her weaker performances. I didn't really like the choice of song, it made her seem dated. It would be nice to see her do some Carrie Underwood or Band Perry or Thompson Square. She should have been in the bottom three rather than Tess.
Josh Kaufman sang This Is It by Kenny Loggins-- OMG! Horrible song choice! Usher, what on Earth were you thinking? You could have got Josh sent home with a song choice like that. Luckily, America saw how talented he is. This was dragging at points. I think I disliked the song so much that it bored me a little bit. Adam once again regrets losing Josh and Blake thinks he is dumb for losing Josh.
Christina Grimmie sang Hold On We're Going Home by Drake-- This was the performance of the night. What a daring, yet smart song choice. This was such a risk but it showed so much creativity and it worked. She handled the song and the stage so well, the high note was amazing. I honestly think Christina deserves to win the whole thing this year. Shakira said it was her best performance thus far. Adam approved of her artistic decisions.
Jake Worthington sang Run by George Strait-- I enjoyed this performance. Jake remains one of the most likable contestants this season. It was nice to see him change things up a little and see him without a guitar and singing a song somewhat outside of his comfort zone. Usher loved his spirit and Blake thought he gave a solid performance.
Bria Kelly sang I'm With You by Avril Levine-- Overall, she was my pick to go home for the week, that didn't happen. I just don't see Bria's desire and hunger to be here. Vocally, she isn't where the other contestants are. There were lots of pitch issues in this performance and Adam was the only coach who had the courage to bring them up.
Delvin Choice sang Bright Lights from Gary Clark Jr.-- This wasn't my favorite Delvin performance, and maybe it's because I wasn't familiar with the song. However, I do need to mention how much I love Delvin's voice, and the fact that I feel like he puts 100% of himself into every single performance.
Kristen Merlin sang Let Her Go by Passenger-- I wasn't sure at first if I liked Kristen, but I grow to like her more every single week. She is quite the talent. Actually, she reminds me a lot of Melissa Etheridge. She has a strong, genuine texture to her voice.
Sisaundra Lewis sang Oh Sherrie by Journey-- Sisaundra took a huge risk by opening the song acapella, and man oh man, not only did she sound amazing, but it paid off big time! She worked the stage, and her vocals were dreamy. I loved this, and I cannot wait to see her rock out again. Adam commented that she blew the roof off the place, and Blake said she made him look smart.
The following night, it was revealed that Bria, Tess, and Kat were the bottom three, and at the end of the night, although Tess had the better voice, it was Kat's confidence that won out in the end. Even I must admit that her performance of Paris was convincing.
-------------
American Idol brought with it a surprising twist this week. The day after the final five sang songs chosen by the public, they were asked if they all wanted another week together as the final five and two people would be sent home the following week, or they could vote to send someone home like they always do. The decision had to be unanimous, and it wasn't and 18 year old cutie Sam Woolf was sent home. The big story following results night was which two contestants voted to break the final five apart rather than keeping them together another week. It was later revealed to be Jena and Alex. I personally would have liked to see everyone stay together another week. What's the harm? I think it would have brought stronger performances in the upcoming week for the contestants.
Here is a recap of how I felt their performances stacked up---
(Jason Mraz coached the contestants this week, and he was pretty awesome)
Round 1:
Alex Preston sang Sweater Weather by The Neighbourhoods-- Enjoyed this song choice for Alex. Very much in line with this style, and Jason Mraz's comments appeared to help Alex as he is definitely more engaged.
Caleb Johnson sang I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing by Aerosmith-- Not loving it, and I can tell Caleb didn't love it either. Perhaps a little bit of a lackluster choice for him from America. It seemed like the right idea in theory but I think all that was on Caleb's mind is that the song has been overdone.
Jessica Meuse sang Human by Christina Perri-- I am on the same page as Harry. It wasn't my favorite performance but the song choice was right on. Her vocals were good, the dynamics were nice. Definitely, a better than usual performance for Jessica.
Sam Woolf sang Sing by Ed Sheeran-- This is the song of the minute right now, so Sam would have really had to knock it out of the park for it to be a hit for him. He did better than usual, but what it was missing is the falsetto that Ed laces throughout the song. This is a song that is really based on those high notes, and Sam lacked that. Performance wise though, Jenn was right, it was the most comfortable he's been on a stage.
Jena Irene sang My Body by Young the Giant-- Jena takes Jason's advice to heart and her stage presence improves. I am not too familiar with the song, but she does a great job with it nonetheless.
Round 2:
Alex Preston sang Say Something by A Great Big World-- Harry called this the performance of the night, and it actually was. I think Alex won the night. I believed every word, and I agree when Keith called it the perfect marriage of song and artist. I was overwhelmed by emotions as Alex sang this but he managed to hold it together.
Jena Irene sang Valerie by Amy Winehouse-- I didn't initially get this choice for Jena, but the moment she opened her mouth and started singing, I understood. This was everything it needed to be, a jazzy vocal, it was a different choice for Jena but still in her wheelhouse. Oddly enough, although I thought she pulled this off, the judges didn't.
Sam Woolf sang How to Save a Life by The Fray-- I liked this song for Sam better than the first. It had some bumps along the way, but it finished up strong. I think in general, the reason Sam got sent home before his time is because she song choices were not the best for him. Too bad, he is a really talented kid.
Jessica Meuse sang Summertime Sadness by Lana Del Rey-- I love this song and loved it on Jessica. Consequently, I think the great song choices she got are the reason that she is still in the competition instead of at home.
Caleb Johnson sang Still of the Night by Whitesnake-- No idea how this was chosen for Caleb but it was a great choice. Clearly there are some fans of Idol who are really into 80's rock. This was a great performance. Caleb holds strong as a contestant, but this might be an Alex verse Jena final.
What do you think?
Monday, April 28, 2014
Reality TV Recap.... Who went home on Idol? Did the wrong people go home on The Voice?
You're probably wondering if you read regularly, what happened last week, why didn't I write? Well, I've been a little bit under the weather with some allergy/ sinus issues. As you can imagine, they're exhausting, but here I am, back and better than ever. The week started with me not agreeing with the results of The Voices. The wrong two people went home. The bottom three should have been Bria Kelly, Kat Perkins, and Delvin Choice deserved consequences for his bad song choice. Of course at the end of the night, everyone would have used #TheVoiceSave on Devlin because he's too talented, but to lose Bria and Kat would not have been that bad. In order to change my mind, they would need one amazing performance. Losing TJ Wilkins and Dani Moz was just wrong, never mind the fact that Tess Boyer was even in the bottom three. Come on America, get with it! None of those contestants were bottom three material. My real hope is that what should have happened last week happens this week.
I'm going to start with the bad news on American Idol, and it's two fold-- on performance night, there were very few performances that I would say knocked it out of the park, and second CJ Harris went home and once again Jessica Meuse avoided elimination. However, I don't think she will be able to hide this week. In fact my prediction for the final three, unless someone falls apart is Jena Irene, Caleb Johnson, and Sam Woolf. Look for Alex Preston to finish fourth and Jessica should make an exit this week in fifth place.
It was rock n' roll and country night on the show so each contestant sang two songs. Below is the order that each of them performed in. I put a number in front of each contestant's name indicating their placement in that particular round (in my humble opinion of course!). So, for example, I think Caleb won the rock round, and I think Alex won the country round. CJ and Jessica finished in fifth and sixth place in both rounds, so their place in the bottom two was justified.
For the first time, Jena had some pitch problems in both of her songs. Sam was confident on song one, but song two was all wrong for him. CJ suffered from picking the wrong songs in both rounds. Alex played it safe on song one, but song two was solid. Caleb's first song was stellar but song two was fodder. Jessica picked a great song one, but failed to move on stage literally, and song two was a hot mess.
Rock Round
2. Jena Irene sang Barracuda by Heart
3. Sam Woolf sang It's Time by Imagine Dragons
6. CJ Harris sang American Woman by Guess Who
4. Alex Preston sang Animal by Neon Trees
1. Caleb Johnson sang Sting Me by The Black Crows
5. Jessica Meuse sang Somebody to Love by Jefferson Airplane
Country Round
4. Sam Woolf sang You're Still the One by Shania Twain
2. Caleb Johnson sang Undo It by Carrie Underwood
1. Alex Preston sang You're Always on My Mind by Willie Nelson
3. Jena Irene sang So Small by Carrie Underwood
5. CJ Harris sang Whatever It Is by The Zac Brown Band
6. Jessica Meuse sang Jolene by Dolly Parton
I'm going to start with the bad news on American Idol, and it's two fold-- on performance night, there were very few performances that I would say knocked it out of the park, and second CJ Harris went home and once again Jessica Meuse avoided elimination. However, I don't think she will be able to hide this week. In fact my prediction for the final three, unless someone falls apart is Jena Irene, Caleb Johnson, and Sam Woolf. Look for Alex Preston to finish fourth and Jessica should make an exit this week in fifth place.
It was rock n' roll and country night on the show so each contestant sang two songs. Below is the order that each of them performed in. I put a number in front of each contestant's name indicating their placement in that particular round (in my humble opinion of course!). So, for example, I think Caleb won the rock round, and I think Alex won the country round. CJ and Jessica finished in fifth and sixth place in both rounds, so their place in the bottom two was justified.
For the first time, Jena had some pitch problems in both of her songs. Sam was confident on song one, but song two was all wrong for him. CJ suffered from picking the wrong songs in both rounds. Alex played it safe on song one, but song two was solid. Caleb's first song was stellar but song two was fodder. Jessica picked a great song one, but failed to move on stage literally, and song two was a hot mess.
Rock Round
2. Jena Irene sang Barracuda by Heart
3. Sam Woolf sang It's Time by Imagine Dragons
6. CJ Harris sang American Woman by Guess Who
4. Alex Preston sang Animal by Neon Trees
1. Caleb Johnson sang Sting Me by The Black Crows
5. Jessica Meuse sang Somebody to Love by Jefferson Airplane
Country Round
4. Sam Woolf sang You're Still the One by Shania Twain
2. Caleb Johnson sang Undo It by Carrie Underwood
1. Alex Preston sang You're Always on My Mind by Willie Nelson
3. Jena Irene sang So Small by Carrie Underwood
5. CJ Harris sang Whatever It Is by The Zac Brown Band
6. Jessica Meuse sang Jolene by Dolly Parton
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
American Idol Season 13: The Top 7, Competitor's Picks
Awesome performances tonight by the top seven. Demi Lovato sat in on the action tonight and commented on the duets/ group performances.
Caleb Johnson sang Family Tree by Kings of Leon chosen by Alex Preston-- I had never heard that song before by King of Leon and to me it sounded like the song belonged to him. It was a good song choice for him. Keith said you are such a consistent, dynamic performer. Jenn thought it was pretty amazing. Harry said he changed up the song a little bit and he liked what he did with it.
Score: 8 out of 10
Jessica Meuse sang Gunpowder and Lead by Miranda Lambert chosen by Sam Woolf-- I didn't really like how Jessica just stood there for the whole performance. I really wanted her to run around on the stage and be more free and spontaneous. Her voice sounded great, but she didn't interact well with the audience. It's like her personality wasn't coming across easily. Jenn said she sounded a little bit off vocally in the verses; it didn't seem natural. Harry said there is a lack of rhythmic delivery when she performs. Keith thought that the energy dissipated as the song went on.
Score: 7 out of 10
Sam and Alex sang Let Her Go by Passenger-- That was one of my fave duets ever on American Idol! I loved it, loved the arrangement, loved their sound. Harry thought it was sweet and okay. Keith thought it was cute but was more interested in seeing it singularly, like what they would do as solo artists. Demi liked the energy, but wanted to hear more. Jenn could see that the girls liked it.
CJ Harris sang Gravity by John Mayer chosen by Caleb Johnson-- This was my favorite CJ performance, Caleb certainly picked the right song. CJ connected like he always does, but he was also in good voice tonight and he stayed on pitch. I smiled as the song went on because this was a home run for a performance. Keith said it was a good performance, and the song was right for you. Jenn said you get more comfortable on stage every week, now all you need to do is create the performance and work with the arrangement. Harry said you have the greatest gift, the ability to connect with an audience. You always connect personally, whether your performance is good or not, and I believe that was your best performance to date. Caleb said it was bad to the bone.
Score: 9 out of 10
Dexter Roberts sang Muckalee Creek Water by Luke Bryan chosen by CJ Harris-- Keith said be careful with the intense songs where the melody is down cause it can pull you off key. Jenn liked seeing this different side of him. Jenn gave a message to all the contestants to elevate their performances. Harry said no matter what the circumstance, take the song and make it your own. I feel similar to Jenn and agreed with her take on this performance. I enjoyed the fact that he did something quite different from what he normally does, and he did connect, and he got into the performance. This is a point though where the performances need to be at an even higher level, so I am looking for that from him cause he's so talented.
Score: 8 out of 10
Jena and Caleb sang Gimme Shelter by The Rolling Stones-- Jenn felt like that performance would be played again and again. Demi thought they killed the duet. She thought the energy was through the roof and she would love to sing with them.
Alex Preston sang The A Team by Ed Sheeran chosen by Dexter Roberts-- Jenn said Dexter picked the perfect song for him. Harry said there is great beauty in smaller performances. This is my favorite performance of the night so far. I second that comment, Harry! I loved this performance. This was like second nature for Alex, he was so comfortable and in the pocket for the whole performance.
Score: 10 out of 10
Sam Woolf sang Sail Away by David Grey chosen by Jessica Meuse-- I was loving this, Sam was sweet tonight. I enjoyed how he really got into the performance, his passion was obvious and intense. Harry said you are a work in progress and you improve every week. Harry thought it wasn't the right song choice, because he felt like he needed something more familiar. Keith thought he looked good and felt comfortable. Jenn said he did a great job connecting with people watching his performance.
Score: 9 out of 10
CJ, Dexter, and Jessica sang Compass by Lady Antebellum-- Harry said the harmonies were out of tune. Keith liked the way the song fit the guys voices. Demi said Jess has a beautiful voice, and she liked each of them singing individually. She wanted them to move around more on stage cause it was a little stiff and awkward and she didn't think the harmonies were good.
Jena Irene sang Creep by Radiohead chosen by Caleb Johnson-- Keith loved her fearlessness and how bold she is. Jenn thought it was beautiful and loves how she makes everything hers. Harry said you're a phenomenal talent and you sing everything with humility and intrigue. I think you did some major damage tonight. I don't get why Ryan thought this was an unlikely song for her because I thought it was pretty awesome. Jena's vocals and artistry were beautiful and obvious.
Score: 10 out of 10
My bottom three, as crazy as this sounds--- Jessica, Caleb, and Dexter. Will Jessica make it another week? Or will she leave Jena alone as the only female left in the competition?
Caleb Johnson sang Family Tree by Kings of Leon chosen by Alex Preston-- I had never heard that song before by King of Leon and to me it sounded like the song belonged to him. It was a good song choice for him. Keith said you are such a consistent, dynamic performer. Jenn thought it was pretty amazing. Harry said he changed up the song a little bit and he liked what he did with it.
Score: 8 out of 10
Jessica Meuse sang Gunpowder and Lead by Miranda Lambert chosen by Sam Woolf-- I didn't really like how Jessica just stood there for the whole performance. I really wanted her to run around on the stage and be more free and spontaneous. Her voice sounded great, but she didn't interact well with the audience. It's like her personality wasn't coming across easily. Jenn said she sounded a little bit off vocally in the verses; it didn't seem natural. Harry said there is a lack of rhythmic delivery when she performs. Keith thought that the energy dissipated as the song went on.
Score: 7 out of 10
Sam and Alex sang Let Her Go by Passenger-- That was one of my fave duets ever on American Idol! I loved it, loved the arrangement, loved their sound. Harry thought it was sweet and okay. Keith thought it was cute but was more interested in seeing it singularly, like what they would do as solo artists. Demi liked the energy, but wanted to hear more. Jenn could see that the girls liked it.
CJ Harris sang Gravity by John Mayer chosen by Caleb Johnson-- This was my favorite CJ performance, Caleb certainly picked the right song. CJ connected like he always does, but he was also in good voice tonight and he stayed on pitch. I smiled as the song went on because this was a home run for a performance. Keith said it was a good performance, and the song was right for you. Jenn said you get more comfortable on stage every week, now all you need to do is create the performance and work with the arrangement. Harry said you have the greatest gift, the ability to connect with an audience. You always connect personally, whether your performance is good or not, and I believe that was your best performance to date. Caleb said it was bad to the bone.
Score: 9 out of 10
Dexter Roberts sang Muckalee Creek Water by Luke Bryan chosen by CJ Harris-- Keith said be careful with the intense songs where the melody is down cause it can pull you off key. Jenn liked seeing this different side of him. Jenn gave a message to all the contestants to elevate their performances. Harry said no matter what the circumstance, take the song and make it your own. I feel similar to Jenn and agreed with her take on this performance. I enjoyed the fact that he did something quite different from what he normally does, and he did connect, and he got into the performance. This is a point though where the performances need to be at an even higher level, so I am looking for that from him cause he's so talented.
Score: 8 out of 10
Jena and Caleb sang Gimme Shelter by The Rolling Stones-- Jenn felt like that performance would be played again and again. Demi thought they killed the duet. She thought the energy was through the roof and she would love to sing with them.
Alex Preston sang The A Team by Ed Sheeran chosen by Dexter Roberts-- Jenn said Dexter picked the perfect song for him. Harry said there is great beauty in smaller performances. This is my favorite performance of the night so far. I second that comment, Harry! I loved this performance. This was like second nature for Alex, he was so comfortable and in the pocket for the whole performance.
Score: 10 out of 10
Sam Woolf sang Sail Away by David Grey chosen by Jessica Meuse-- I was loving this, Sam was sweet tonight. I enjoyed how he really got into the performance, his passion was obvious and intense. Harry said you are a work in progress and you improve every week. Harry thought it wasn't the right song choice, because he felt like he needed something more familiar. Keith thought he looked good and felt comfortable. Jenn said he did a great job connecting with people watching his performance.
Score: 9 out of 10
CJ, Dexter, and Jessica sang Compass by Lady Antebellum-- Harry said the harmonies were out of tune. Keith liked the way the song fit the guys voices. Demi said Jess has a beautiful voice, and she liked each of them singing individually. She wanted them to move around more on stage cause it was a little stiff and awkward and she didn't think the harmonies were good.
Jena Irene sang Creep by Radiohead chosen by Caleb Johnson-- Keith loved her fearlessness and how bold she is. Jenn thought it was beautiful and loves how she makes everything hers. Harry said you're a phenomenal talent and you sing everything with humility and intrigue. I think you did some major damage tonight. I don't get why Ryan thought this was an unlikely song for her because I thought it was pretty awesome. Jena's vocals and artistry were beautiful and obvious.
Score: 10 out of 10
My bottom three, as crazy as this sounds--- Jessica, Caleb, and Dexter. Will Jessica make it another week? Or will she leave Jena alone as the only female left in the competition?
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
American Idol Season 13: The Top 8 Part 2, It's the Big 80s!
Yay! Season 7 Winner David Cook coached the final 8 this week.
01 Jena Irene sang I Love Rock n' Roll by Joan Jett-- David said he was initially confused but then really started to dig what she was doing with the song. Jena was sounding a little bit like Gwen Stefani in this performance. It's like a slowed down punk rock version of the song, and I actually found myself liking it too. Keith loved the originality she brought to the performance. Jenn wanted it to sound a little more amped up in the middle but thought she did put her stamp on it. Harry thought it felt choreographed in terms of her stage movements, and wanted her to go with what she was
Score: 8 out of 10
02 Dexter Roberts sang Keep Your Hands to Yourself by Georgia Satellites-- David told him to remember to enunciate! The pointers David gave Dexter should help to make his performance sharper. I loved the guitar solo, thought the performance was fun, and it looked like Dexter thoroughly enjoyed himself, it was a party! Jenn said it felt good today, and she felt he had a personality this time around. Harry thought he did a nice job, rocked out, and earned it. Keith said feel free to do something completely unexpected.
Score: 9 out of 10
Alex Preston and Sam Woolf sang The Girl is Mine by Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney-- Keith liked how their voices sounded together. Jenn said she felt Sam connected better.
03 Malaya Watson sang Through the Fire by Chaka Kahn-- David thought Malaya was a firecracker. He asked her to bring more focus to her performance. Malaya had several impressive moments in that performance. She hit some high notes and hit them right on. Keith agreed with David calling her a firecracker. Jenn said you're our baby, relax up there. Harry said she sacrificed the beginning of the song because she was thinking about hitting that high Chaka note which Harry said he was impressed with.
Score: 8 out of 10
Jena Irene and Caleb Johnson sang It's Only Love by Bryan Adams and Tina Turner--
04 Jessica Meuse sang Call Me by Blondie-- David told Jessica that although all her notes were spot on, she didn't seem to be enjoying herself. I am so happy David mentioned this to her. Harry said she has a great voice, but felt she needs to be in the pocket more. Keith is waiting for her to release. Jenn said she needed it to exude the sexy cool that Blondie exudes, and she needed "call me" to be "CALL. ME!". I am feeling Jenn's comment and I totally agree. This could have been better. I even understand Harry's shuffle and groove comment.
Score: 7 out of 10
05 Sam Woolf sang Time After Time by Cyndi Lauper-- David told Sam to own the stage while he is up there and said he is so so talented. Keith said your vocal ability is there. Jenn thought he did a good job and she watched him intently. She thinks Sam and the guitar is his strength. Harry said he is getting better every week, and he saw him looking into the camera the whole time but it is okay for him to look at the girls. I saw Sam connecting much more, and I agree with all the judges comments. He is one of my favorites, and when you grow every week, it means your potential is limitless.
Score: 9 out of 10
Malaya Watson and CJ Harris sang I Knew You Were Waiting For Me by Aretha Franklin and George Michael-- Jenn said I thought you two were cute together. Harry thought it was like regional theater, and Keith said you would know Harry.
Alex Preston sang Every Breath You Take by The Police-- David thought Alex felt nervous because he was rushing the song. Not sure I like how much this strays from the original. It was a good vocal, and it sounded very John Mayer-ish. The only thing is I was waiting for that build up to when Sting belts out.... "since you're gone, I've been lost without a trace....". Harry liked how it was original and sounded like a totally new song. Harry says he is a performer more than he is an entertainer. Keith said when you started singing you grabbed my attention like that. Keith said David was right in his push and pull of the tempo. Jenn said she missed the tempo of the song, and it was too different.
Score: 7 out of 10
Jessica Meuse and Dexter Roberts sang Islands in the Stream by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers--
CJ Harris sang Free Falling by Tom Petty-- David said everyone is so good this season. He and CJ worked on tempo which I think is important for CJ. Only thing I didn't like was how it ended and the fact that it ended. Jenn said she routes for him with every note. Harry said when you hit the high notes in that performance you were much more in tune. You have such a great connection with people. Keith felt like it was a great rendition of that song. CJ said David was an unreal person, and really helped him on the song. He added that he helped every one of them. He didn't know what he was going to do with the bridge of the song and David helped him.
Score: 9 out of 10
Caleb Johnson sang Faithfully by Journey-- David wants Caleb to give this song more reverence and this is the 80's song that takes it to church. Amazing vocal by Caleb. I just loved this performance, it encompassed what the 80's were all about. Harry said people anticipated your consistent vocal and something that was more subtle, and you did it. Nice work! Keith said it was killer, perfect song for you, I had my lighter up; I loved it man. Jenn said Steve Perry is one of the Gods. I thought it was amazing.
Score: 10 out of 10
Who is in trouble? Will two be sent home instead of one? Alex and Jessica followed by Jena and Malaya could be in some trouble tomorrow night. I think Jessica might be going home.
01 Jena Irene sang I Love Rock n' Roll by Joan Jett-- David said he was initially confused but then really started to dig what she was doing with the song. Jena was sounding a little bit like Gwen Stefani in this performance. It's like a slowed down punk rock version of the song, and I actually found myself liking it too. Keith loved the originality she brought to the performance. Jenn wanted it to sound a little more amped up in the middle but thought she did put her stamp on it. Harry thought it felt choreographed in terms of her stage movements, and wanted her to go with what she was
Score: 8 out of 10
02 Dexter Roberts sang Keep Your Hands to Yourself by Georgia Satellites-- David told him to remember to enunciate! The pointers David gave Dexter should help to make his performance sharper. I loved the guitar solo, thought the performance was fun, and it looked like Dexter thoroughly enjoyed himself, it was a party! Jenn said it felt good today, and she felt he had a personality this time around. Harry thought he did a nice job, rocked out, and earned it. Keith said feel free to do something completely unexpected.
Score: 9 out of 10
Alex Preston and Sam Woolf sang The Girl is Mine by Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney-- Keith liked how their voices sounded together. Jenn said she felt Sam connected better.
03 Malaya Watson sang Through the Fire by Chaka Kahn-- David thought Malaya was a firecracker. He asked her to bring more focus to her performance. Malaya had several impressive moments in that performance. She hit some high notes and hit them right on. Keith agreed with David calling her a firecracker. Jenn said you're our baby, relax up there. Harry said she sacrificed the beginning of the song because she was thinking about hitting that high Chaka note which Harry said he was impressed with.
Score: 8 out of 10
Jena Irene and Caleb Johnson sang It's Only Love by Bryan Adams and Tina Turner--
04 Jessica Meuse sang Call Me by Blondie-- David told Jessica that although all her notes were spot on, she didn't seem to be enjoying herself. I am so happy David mentioned this to her. Harry said she has a great voice, but felt she needs to be in the pocket more. Keith is waiting for her to release. Jenn said she needed it to exude the sexy cool that Blondie exudes, and she needed "call me" to be "CALL. ME!". I am feeling Jenn's comment and I totally agree. This could have been better. I even understand Harry's shuffle and groove comment.
Score: 7 out of 10
05 Sam Woolf sang Time After Time by Cyndi Lauper-- David told Sam to own the stage while he is up there and said he is so so talented. Keith said your vocal ability is there. Jenn thought he did a good job and she watched him intently. She thinks Sam and the guitar is his strength. Harry said he is getting better every week, and he saw him looking into the camera the whole time but it is okay for him to look at the girls. I saw Sam connecting much more, and I agree with all the judges comments. He is one of my favorites, and when you grow every week, it means your potential is limitless.
Score: 9 out of 10
Malaya Watson and CJ Harris sang I Knew You Were Waiting For Me by Aretha Franklin and George Michael-- Jenn said I thought you two were cute together. Harry thought it was like regional theater, and Keith said you would know Harry.
Alex Preston sang Every Breath You Take by The Police-- David thought Alex felt nervous because he was rushing the song. Not sure I like how much this strays from the original. It was a good vocal, and it sounded very John Mayer-ish. The only thing is I was waiting for that build up to when Sting belts out.... "since you're gone, I've been lost without a trace....". Harry liked how it was original and sounded like a totally new song. Harry says he is a performer more than he is an entertainer. Keith said when you started singing you grabbed my attention like that. Keith said David was right in his push and pull of the tempo. Jenn said she missed the tempo of the song, and it was too different.
Score: 7 out of 10
Jessica Meuse and Dexter Roberts sang Islands in the Stream by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers--
CJ Harris sang Free Falling by Tom Petty-- David said everyone is so good this season. He and CJ worked on tempo which I think is important for CJ. Only thing I didn't like was how it ended and the fact that it ended. Jenn said she routes for him with every note. Harry said when you hit the high notes in that performance you were much more in tune. You have such a great connection with people. Keith felt like it was a great rendition of that song. CJ said David was an unreal person, and really helped him on the song. He added that he helped every one of them. He didn't know what he was going to do with the bridge of the song and David helped him.
Score: 9 out of 10
Caleb Johnson sang Faithfully by Journey-- David wants Caleb to give this song more reverence and this is the 80's song that takes it to church. Amazing vocal by Caleb. I just loved this performance, it encompassed what the 80's were all about. Harry said people anticipated your consistent vocal and something that was more subtle, and you did it. Nice work! Keith said it was killer, perfect song for you, I had my lighter up; I loved it man. Jenn said Steve Perry is one of the Gods. I thought it was amazing.
Score: 10 out of 10
Who is in trouble? Will two be sent home instead of one? Alex and Jessica followed by Jena and Malaya could be in some trouble tomorrow night. I think Jessica might be going home.
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
American Idol Season 13: The Top 8 Take it Back to the Start
This week was something new but old. I don't think American Idol has ever done this before, but the top 8 performed their audition songs again.
Jessica Meuse sang Blue Eyed Lie (an original song)-- Jenn said you always get an idea of who people are when they sing their own original music. She loved it. Harry said it's like when you watch Cher or Nancy Sinatra from the 70s. He said there was an odd dead space near the end of the song. I liked this performance, I didn't love it, but it was strong overall, and it's always nice to hear someone sing original material because it does let you know who they are as artists or who they want to be at the very least.
Score: a strong 7 out of 10
CJ Harris sang Soul Shine by The Allman Brothers Band-- Jenn felt it was better than the first time that he did it. She feels he touches people's hearts. Harry said you're special enough to be here and so is your voice, you've been working on the things we've spoken to you about. He said work on pitch cause when you get a record deal, which I hope you will cause you're that good, if you sing on pitch they aren't going to auto tune your voice the way they would if you're singing in tune. Keith agreed it was better than the first time. I was listening intently as he sang cause I know Harry has picked on him since the beginning about pitch and singing in tune, and it was something that was sticking out to me. I feel like this was his best performance to date. He took the notes and he used the criticism to his advantage.
Score: 8 out of 10
Alex and Jena sang Just Give Me a Reason by Pink and Nate Ruess-- Started out rough but finished strong, I liked this pairing. The song suited both of their styles.
Sam Woolf sang Lego House by Ed Sheeran-- Harry said the wrong word gets thrown around with you, you're competent as a singer. When these young people are screaming for you, acknowledge it, and pick someone in the audience and smile at that. Keith said he is getting looser and more soulful, and he feels he improves every week and is happy with where he is headed. I liked this performance very much, the vocal was honest. That's a tough song to sing, and he sang it effortlessly. It seems as though he did gain some confidence from the first time he sang the song.
Score: 9 out of 10
Jessica and Caleb sang Stop Dragging My Heart Around by Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty-- Aside from Jessica being a little bit screamy at the end, this was good. They both sounded like authentic rockers.
Malaya Watson sang Ain't No Way by Aretha Franklin-- Keith gave her a standing ovation. Wow, Malaya's performance really touched me, I had chills and there were tears by the end. Her voice was so strong and emotional; she is so beyond her years. Jenn said she has so much more control and poise than when she started, and Jenn feels she could run away with this competition. Harry said you have such incredible access to such musicians, learn how to sing runs so that you're in tune with the chords underneath you. Keep singing, because you're great.
Score: 10 out of 10
Dexter Roberts sang One Mississippi by Brett Eldredge-- Jenn said everything we've been asking you to do, you did. Harry said you sang the crap out of that song, and you sang it beautifully. I was touched, and you have great ideas by the way. Keith commented on how great the song was. He said you've grown leaps and bounds; pay less attention to the sound of your voice, and think about communicating the lyrics. That was my favorite performance by Dexter ever, and one of my favorite performances of this whole season. I found Dexter believable and genuine, and the song was touching and right in his wheelhouse. How amazing!
Score: 10 out of 10
Malaya and Sam sang Lucky by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat-- Sam sounded outstanding at the beginning of the song. The way that their voices mixed seemed a little bit labored.
Jena Irene sang Rolling in the Deep by Adele-- Keith gave Jena a standing ovation. Harry thought she did a great job. Keith said what I loved about that performance is that you made it your own and you never let that go. It was bold and I loved every second of it. Jenn told her to come out and destroy everyone with her performances. This was my favorite Jena performance ever. This was like a slowed down disco version of Rolling in the Deep; the performance was cosmic. Her voice sparkled and her range was incredible; she might be the most improved contestant.
Score: 10 out of 10
CJ and Dexter sang All Right by Darius Rucker-- This performance got stronger and stronger as it went along. Initially the harmonies were a little weird but they worked it out.
Caleb Johnson sang Chain of Fools by Aretha Franklin-- Keith said you're a blues warrior, a soul conqueror, you're a viking. Jenn said you always do what you set out to do, well done. Harry said your stakes are so firmly planted in this competition. He said I would like to hear you sing something that's not so loud. I appreciate how Caleb changed this song up and made it more of a blues rock oriented song. I have to say that I agree with the points that the judges brought up. I am especially in agreement with Harry. I have heard him slow it down, but I haven't hear him get quiet.
Score: 9 out of 10
Alex Preston sang Fairytales (an original song)-- Jenn said you're more comfortable now. Harry said I loved it, you did an original song, and I loved that. Keith said he was so proud of him and so proud of everyone. Amazing! If I was there, behind the judges table, I would have been on my feet with tears running down my face. Alex's performance hit it out of the park, his verbratto was incredible. There was just so much feeling and emotion in that, and that's how I see him as an artist.
Score: 10 out of 10
Who is going home tomorrow? Sadly Jessica and CJ could be in some trouble.
Jessica Meuse sang Blue Eyed Lie (an original song)-- Jenn said you always get an idea of who people are when they sing their own original music. She loved it. Harry said it's like when you watch Cher or Nancy Sinatra from the 70s. He said there was an odd dead space near the end of the song. I liked this performance, I didn't love it, but it was strong overall, and it's always nice to hear someone sing original material because it does let you know who they are as artists or who they want to be at the very least.
Score: a strong 7 out of 10
CJ Harris sang Soul Shine by The Allman Brothers Band-- Jenn felt it was better than the first time that he did it. She feels he touches people's hearts. Harry said you're special enough to be here and so is your voice, you've been working on the things we've spoken to you about. He said work on pitch cause when you get a record deal, which I hope you will cause you're that good, if you sing on pitch they aren't going to auto tune your voice the way they would if you're singing in tune. Keith agreed it was better than the first time. I was listening intently as he sang cause I know Harry has picked on him since the beginning about pitch and singing in tune, and it was something that was sticking out to me. I feel like this was his best performance to date. He took the notes and he used the criticism to his advantage.
Score: 8 out of 10
Alex and Jena sang Just Give Me a Reason by Pink and Nate Ruess-- Started out rough but finished strong, I liked this pairing. The song suited both of their styles.
Sam Woolf sang Lego House by Ed Sheeran-- Harry said the wrong word gets thrown around with you, you're competent as a singer. When these young people are screaming for you, acknowledge it, and pick someone in the audience and smile at that. Keith said he is getting looser and more soulful, and he feels he improves every week and is happy with where he is headed. I liked this performance very much, the vocal was honest. That's a tough song to sing, and he sang it effortlessly. It seems as though he did gain some confidence from the first time he sang the song.
Score: 9 out of 10
Jessica and Caleb sang Stop Dragging My Heart Around by Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty-- Aside from Jessica being a little bit screamy at the end, this was good. They both sounded like authentic rockers.
Malaya Watson sang Ain't No Way by Aretha Franklin-- Keith gave her a standing ovation. Wow, Malaya's performance really touched me, I had chills and there were tears by the end. Her voice was so strong and emotional; she is so beyond her years. Jenn said she has so much more control and poise than when she started, and Jenn feels she could run away with this competition. Harry said you have such incredible access to such musicians, learn how to sing runs so that you're in tune with the chords underneath you. Keep singing, because you're great.
Score: 10 out of 10
Dexter Roberts sang One Mississippi by Brett Eldredge-- Jenn said everything we've been asking you to do, you did. Harry said you sang the crap out of that song, and you sang it beautifully. I was touched, and you have great ideas by the way. Keith commented on how great the song was. He said you've grown leaps and bounds; pay less attention to the sound of your voice, and think about communicating the lyrics. That was my favorite performance by Dexter ever, and one of my favorite performances of this whole season. I found Dexter believable and genuine, and the song was touching and right in his wheelhouse. How amazing!
Score: 10 out of 10
Malaya and Sam sang Lucky by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat-- Sam sounded outstanding at the beginning of the song. The way that their voices mixed seemed a little bit labored.
Jena Irene sang Rolling in the Deep by Adele-- Keith gave Jena a standing ovation. Harry thought she did a great job. Keith said what I loved about that performance is that you made it your own and you never let that go. It was bold and I loved every second of it. Jenn told her to come out and destroy everyone with her performances. This was my favorite Jena performance ever. This was like a slowed down disco version of Rolling in the Deep; the performance was cosmic. Her voice sparkled and her range was incredible; she might be the most improved contestant.
Score: 10 out of 10
CJ and Dexter sang All Right by Darius Rucker-- This performance got stronger and stronger as it went along. Initially the harmonies were a little weird but they worked it out.
Caleb Johnson sang Chain of Fools by Aretha Franklin-- Keith said you're a blues warrior, a soul conqueror, you're a viking. Jenn said you always do what you set out to do, well done. Harry said your stakes are so firmly planted in this competition. He said I would like to hear you sing something that's not so loud. I appreciate how Caleb changed this song up and made it more of a blues rock oriented song. I have to say that I agree with the points that the judges brought up. I am especially in agreement with Harry. I have heard him slow it down, but I haven't hear him get quiet.
Score: 9 out of 10
Alex Preston sang Fairytales (an original song)-- Jenn said you're more comfortable now. Harry said I loved it, you did an original song, and I loved that. Keith said he was so proud of him and so proud of everyone. Amazing! If I was there, behind the judges table, I would have been on my feet with tears running down my face. Alex's performance hit it out of the park, his verbratto was incredible. There was just so much feeling and emotion in that, and that's how I see him as an artist.
Score: 10 out of 10
Who is going home tomorrow? Sadly Jessica and CJ could be in some trouble.
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
American Idol Season 13: The Top 9 Nine Bring it on Band Night
Alex Preston sang Don't Speak by No Doubt-- I was digging this performance. I think he did such a good job of putting something together that stayed true to him but honored the original arrangement of the song. Keith wanted him to bring a little bit more edge. Jennifer said it's the kind of song that you can't help but identify with the original artist. This laid back version of it kind of sucked the energy out of the song. Harry wants to see him move around and engage the audience more.
Score: 7 out of 10
Majesty Rose sang Shake it Out by Florence and the Machine-- The song was too big for her, and as a result vocally she seemed to get swallowed up by the song. Her performance was entertaining but the vocal still isn't there for me. Jenn admitted the vocals were all over the place but the performance was a ten. Harry felt she was so close to connecting and breaking through in this competition. You're so diverse that it's hard for people to find something to latch onto. He added that he was proud of her. Keith felt it was the perfect song for her but her energy gets dispersed with the energy of the crowd. You need to center yourself.
Score: 7 out of 10
Dexter Roberts sang Boondocks by Little Big Town-- Harry said you choose huge songs and it's rhythmically driven, and you need to be able to make it your own. Keith said had Little Big Town not sang that song and it was given to you, it would have been a hit on country radio for you. Jenn said she could see what Harry and Keith were saying, but felt Dexter did a good job. It was hard for me to judge Dexter's performance cause vocally it was solid, but performance wise, it could have used a little bit more. I most identify with Keith's comments. I think he definitely could record country hits today, I think it's a matter of him showing us what is so special about him.
Score: 8 out of 10
Malaya Watson sang The Long and Winding Road by The Beatles-- Malaya's voice was just absolutely flawless in this number. I felt every word, and she took this song by The Beatles and she made it relevant to today; that's meaningful. I hear a passion in her voice, and it's not just a passion that is about her connection with words, but a passion to singing itself. t's very Lauryn Hill in Sister Act. Keith said that was beautiful baby. It really showed me your spirit. Jenn said your voice stands out above everyone else's for me. She compared him to a young Michael Jackson. Harry said you consistently improve. The performance was strong, you can become something great, don't worry about stardom, work on your craft.
Score: 10 out of 10
Sam Woolf sang Hey There Delilah by Plain White T's-- The performance had a good flow to it, vocally it was a solid performance, now he just needs to connect on a more emotional level with the song. Jenn said that song was perfectly suited to you. She wanted him to make a better connection to the song. Harry liked the stripped down performance of the song. Harry felt it was the most comfortable he has seen him. He agreed with Jenn's telling him to make a connection. Keith said don't feel obligated to hit every note perfectly, loosen the edges, glide around the words.
Score: 8 out of 10
Jessica Meuse sang Rhiannon by Fleetwood Mac-- The song fit Jessica perfectly, this was her vibe totally. I could see her making a record very reminiscent of what Stevie Nicks did when Fleetwood Mac was at it's height. Harry said you did a nice job, you felt focused, and you were thinking about what the song means to you. This performance seemed different to me, nice job. Keith thought she looked comfortable. He said work on being as comfortable without an instrument as you are with it. Jenn said you have the voice, now I need to feel something too.
Score: 8 out of 10
CJ Harris sang If It Hadn't Been For Love by The SteelDrivers -- I love the feeling that CJ brings to his performances. He is committed, the problem was, vocally, it was not sound enough. There were a lot of hole in the vocals. Keith said it's not just about getting the note out but getting the point across. Keith and Jenn didn't think it was the best choice of song for him. Jenn didn't know the song well enough to be with him throughout the performance. Harry said you need to do a lot of things seamlessly and juggle many things to have a successful performance. Harry repeated that he has to work on his pitch. He said it was a good performance but he can do better.
Score: 7 out of 10
Caleb Johnson sang Dazed and Confused by Led Zepplin-- Nothing that Caleb does, surprises me, he is definitely the man to beat in this competition. Jenn said he can be her front man anytime. Harry said it was a great performance but something weird happened at the end. He said it's going to be tough for whoever is following that.
Score: 10 out of 10
Jena Irene sang Bring Me to Life by Evanescence-- I loved this performance, I am a huge Amy Lee fan, and this was Jena's wheelhouse. Vocally, she was strong, there was so much abandon in her voice, yet so much control. Harry said she followed Caleb's performance. He said she worked the audience, worked the bands, and I hope you're happy. Keith said she delivered. Jenn said she sounded phenomenal, she wanted her to be more messy.
Score: 10 out of 10
Score: 7 out of 10
Majesty Rose sang Shake it Out by Florence and the Machine-- The song was too big for her, and as a result vocally she seemed to get swallowed up by the song. Her performance was entertaining but the vocal still isn't there for me. Jenn admitted the vocals were all over the place but the performance was a ten. Harry felt she was so close to connecting and breaking through in this competition. You're so diverse that it's hard for people to find something to latch onto. He added that he was proud of her. Keith felt it was the perfect song for her but her energy gets dispersed with the energy of the crowd. You need to center yourself.
Score: 7 out of 10
Dexter Roberts sang Boondocks by Little Big Town-- Harry said you choose huge songs and it's rhythmically driven, and you need to be able to make it your own. Keith said had Little Big Town not sang that song and it was given to you, it would have been a hit on country radio for you. Jenn said she could see what Harry and Keith were saying, but felt Dexter did a good job. It was hard for me to judge Dexter's performance cause vocally it was solid, but performance wise, it could have used a little bit more. I most identify with Keith's comments. I think he definitely could record country hits today, I think it's a matter of him showing us what is so special about him.
Score: 8 out of 10
Malaya Watson sang The Long and Winding Road by The Beatles-- Malaya's voice was just absolutely flawless in this number. I felt every word, and she took this song by The Beatles and she made it relevant to today; that's meaningful. I hear a passion in her voice, and it's not just a passion that is about her connection with words, but a passion to singing itself. t's very Lauryn Hill in Sister Act. Keith said that was beautiful baby. It really showed me your spirit. Jenn said your voice stands out above everyone else's for me. She compared him to a young Michael Jackson. Harry said you consistently improve. The performance was strong, you can become something great, don't worry about stardom, work on your craft.
Score: 10 out of 10
Sam Woolf sang Hey There Delilah by Plain White T's-- The performance had a good flow to it, vocally it was a solid performance, now he just needs to connect on a more emotional level with the song. Jenn said that song was perfectly suited to you. She wanted him to make a better connection to the song. Harry liked the stripped down performance of the song. Harry felt it was the most comfortable he has seen him. He agreed with Jenn's telling him to make a connection. Keith said don't feel obligated to hit every note perfectly, loosen the edges, glide around the words.
Score: 8 out of 10
Jessica Meuse sang Rhiannon by Fleetwood Mac-- The song fit Jessica perfectly, this was her vibe totally. I could see her making a record very reminiscent of what Stevie Nicks did when Fleetwood Mac was at it's height. Harry said you did a nice job, you felt focused, and you were thinking about what the song means to you. This performance seemed different to me, nice job. Keith thought she looked comfortable. He said work on being as comfortable without an instrument as you are with it. Jenn said you have the voice, now I need to feel something too.
Score: 8 out of 10
CJ Harris sang If It Hadn't Been For Love by The SteelDrivers -- I love the feeling that CJ brings to his performances. He is committed, the problem was, vocally, it was not sound enough. There were a lot of hole in the vocals. Keith said it's not just about getting the note out but getting the point across. Keith and Jenn didn't think it was the best choice of song for him. Jenn didn't know the song well enough to be with him throughout the performance. Harry said you need to do a lot of things seamlessly and juggle many things to have a successful performance. Harry repeated that he has to work on his pitch. He said it was a good performance but he can do better.
Score: 7 out of 10
Caleb Johnson sang Dazed and Confused by Led Zepplin-- Nothing that Caleb does, surprises me, he is definitely the man to beat in this competition. Jenn said he can be her front man anytime. Harry said it was a great performance but something weird happened at the end. He said it's going to be tough for whoever is following that.
Score: 10 out of 10
Jena Irene sang Bring Me to Life by Evanescence-- I loved this performance, I am a huge Amy Lee fan, and this was Jena's wheelhouse. Vocally, she was strong, there was so much abandon in her voice, yet so much control. Harry said she followed Caleb's performance. He said she worked the audience, worked the bands, and I hope you're happy. Keith said she delivered. Jenn said she sounded phenomenal, she wanted her to be more messy.
Score: 10 out of 10
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
American Idol Season 13: The Top Ten Sing Top Tens
This was an up and down night of performances with lots of combat between the judges.
MK sang Perfect by Pink-- Love that track by Pink, didn't love the way she did it. Her vocals sounded weak and a little bit sloppy. She started strong, and it sounded like she ran out of breath and lost herself at the end. Keith told her to own the stage a little bit more. Jenn felt more emotion from her when she started the song than ever before. Harry didn't think it was one of her stronger performances. He feels she could put together a good album but wonders what she would put together a live show.
Score: 4 out of 10
Dexter Roberts sang Cruise by Florida Georgia Line-- This is literally one of my fave country songs ever. I love how it always makes you want to sing, and I loved how Dexter got into the song as well as the performance aspect of it. Jenn felt he sang it well, but wished he had done more to get the crowd with him. Harry did not think it was a good performance because he didn't get bigger than the song. Keith thought it was a good song choice and feels he is consistent. He liked how the song was slowed down at the beginning. Keith asked why he didn't do that throughout, and said to keep going with that and who he really is. I think with the exception of Keith, the judges are full of it. With hit songs, you're not ever going to be bigger than the song unless you have something super magical up your sleeve. And he did get the crowd in to it so I have no idea what Jenn is talking about.
Score: 7 out of 10
Jena Irene sang Clarity by Zedd-- Jena had some great energy on stage and got into it with the crowd. It started out a little quiet. It did sound like there were some technical problems, but her vocals trumped that once she got into the song. Harry said he could get a clear idea of who she is to that performance, and felt she did a lot to it considering there isn't a lot to the melody. Harry said he felt like he was at Ultra. Keith thought she moved around a lot and looked comfortable doing it. Jenn loved her singing that song.
Score: 8 out of 10
Alex Preston sang Story of my Life by One Direction-- I don't know about how the judges feel, but I liked that performance. Alex stayed true to who he was but still captured the intention of the song. His vocals were in a nice comfortable place. Keith thought he made it his own. Jenn said he owned the stage, sounded great, and reminded her of Buddy Holly. She said he evoked greatness. Harry thought he hit the bulls eye on the artistry target and leads the pack in that category.
Score: 9 out of 10
Malaya Watson sang When I Was Your Man by Bruno Mars-- Love Bruno Mars, and his style suits her so much. I am happy she made the choice to not play the piano but to sit for the performance. I did feel her emotion and he sincerity so I did agree with the judges comments here. Jenn said that her not changing the lyrics did not affect her and she still had "goosies". Harry thought she was sincere in interpreting the lyrics. Keith loved hearing the control in her voice, and said it really pulled him in.
Score: 9 out of 10
Caleb Johnson sang Edge of Glory by Lady Gaga-- Caleb transformed that song and made it his own. I loved it, I anticipated those spots that get big and loud and dynamic and he handled those places exactly as I thought he would. Harry liked how he took this song and put his own spin on it. He gives him an "A+" for originality, but does feel he has done better performances. Keith said you have a killer tone and no one else has that sound. He didn't like the half time feel of it that Harry liked. He thought there was an imbalance in energy. Jenn thought it suited him in the half time feel but she thought it lacked the feeling.
Score: 8 out of 10
CJ Harris sang Invisible by Hunter Hayes-- I'm a little bit unsure of his performance. I do feel that he felt every word, but I felt like his vocals faltered in a few places. I could hear when he was going off key, and I am pretty sure he was aware of it. Keith said he nailed that song in rehearsal, but it was shaky tonight. He needs to stay in control of the pitch when the cameras are on. Work on it cause you have everything else going for you. Jenn said there is no doubt that his heart is in it. Harry said he is singing out of tune, and he needs to get his pitch in check. He purposely doesn't go to rehearsals because he doesn't care what people do in rehearsal.
Scores: 6 out of 10
Jessica Meuse sang Pumped Up Kicks by Foster the People-- Jessica .... Jessica, I am still waiting for you to break out of this slump you're in. I liked this song choice, but it was quite provocative. Like Ryan said, when I played it for the first time, I didn't really hear it. I agree 100% with Jenn on this, I liked it and I understand the fact that she was trying to find that balance between lyrics and music. I think Harry took it a little too hard and literally. Jenn thought it felt really good tonight. Harry disagreed with Jenn and felt she had a complacent smile on her face. He felt her voice was one dimensional, and didn't get why she was smiling. Keith liked it and thought that she made it her own. Harry emphasized that the lyrics are not happy lyrics. Jenn said there is something more to it than the lyrics, there's the trippy melody and the groovy drive to it, so she believes Jessica was trying to find that balance in between on this.
Score: 7 out of 10
Majesty Rose sang Wake Me Up by Avicci-- I am indifferent to this. I am not a huge fan of this song to begin with so I actually liked the fact that she tried to change it. I don't necessarily think this was a winning performance for her. I still haven't seen from Majesty what I feel I want to see and hear or should see and hear. Harry felt like this performance was the Majesty that he liked when he first heard her. Keith likes Majesty but felt that the song didn't work the way she performed it. He thinks her voice always delivers. Jenn saw fear at the beginning of her performance and she said she needs to not allow herself to be affected by the negative things.
Score: 6 out of 10
Sam Woolf sang We Are Young by f.u.n. feat. Janelle Monae-- I liked this performance very much, it was actually one of my favorite tonight. I appreciated the arrangement, Sam's voice was dead on. I think he is one of the most talented contestants in the competition. Keith said he didn't have a lot of time to speak to him tonight, but said he will speak to him next week. Jenn loved it, thought it was so much better than last week. Harry still feels like he is timid. Really? I didn't feel like it was timid at all.
Score: 9 out of 10
My bottom 3 prediction: MK, Majesty, and CJ
Who is going home? MK
MK sang Perfect by Pink-- Love that track by Pink, didn't love the way she did it. Her vocals sounded weak and a little bit sloppy. She started strong, and it sounded like she ran out of breath and lost herself at the end. Keith told her to own the stage a little bit more. Jenn felt more emotion from her when she started the song than ever before. Harry didn't think it was one of her stronger performances. He feels she could put together a good album but wonders what she would put together a live show.
Score: 4 out of 10
Dexter Roberts sang Cruise by Florida Georgia Line-- This is literally one of my fave country songs ever. I love how it always makes you want to sing, and I loved how Dexter got into the song as well as the performance aspect of it. Jenn felt he sang it well, but wished he had done more to get the crowd with him. Harry did not think it was a good performance because he didn't get bigger than the song. Keith thought it was a good song choice and feels he is consistent. He liked how the song was slowed down at the beginning. Keith asked why he didn't do that throughout, and said to keep going with that and who he really is. I think with the exception of Keith, the judges are full of it. With hit songs, you're not ever going to be bigger than the song unless you have something super magical up your sleeve. And he did get the crowd in to it so I have no idea what Jenn is talking about.
Score: 7 out of 10
Jena Irene sang Clarity by Zedd-- Jena had some great energy on stage and got into it with the crowd. It started out a little quiet. It did sound like there were some technical problems, but her vocals trumped that once she got into the song. Harry said he could get a clear idea of who she is to that performance, and felt she did a lot to it considering there isn't a lot to the melody. Harry said he felt like he was at Ultra. Keith thought she moved around a lot and looked comfortable doing it. Jenn loved her singing that song.
Score: 8 out of 10
Alex Preston sang Story of my Life by One Direction-- I don't know about how the judges feel, but I liked that performance. Alex stayed true to who he was but still captured the intention of the song. His vocals were in a nice comfortable place. Keith thought he made it his own. Jenn said he owned the stage, sounded great, and reminded her of Buddy Holly. She said he evoked greatness. Harry thought he hit the bulls eye on the artistry target and leads the pack in that category.
Score: 9 out of 10
Malaya Watson sang When I Was Your Man by Bruno Mars-- Love Bruno Mars, and his style suits her so much. I am happy she made the choice to not play the piano but to sit for the performance. I did feel her emotion and he sincerity so I did agree with the judges comments here. Jenn said that her not changing the lyrics did not affect her and she still had "goosies". Harry thought she was sincere in interpreting the lyrics. Keith loved hearing the control in her voice, and said it really pulled him in.
Score: 9 out of 10
Caleb Johnson sang Edge of Glory by Lady Gaga-- Caleb transformed that song and made it his own. I loved it, I anticipated those spots that get big and loud and dynamic and he handled those places exactly as I thought he would. Harry liked how he took this song and put his own spin on it. He gives him an "A+" for originality, but does feel he has done better performances. Keith said you have a killer tone and no one else has that sound. He didn't like the half time feel of it that Harry liked. He thought there was an imbalance in energy. Jenn thought it suited him in the half time feel but she thought it lacked the feeling.
Score: 8 out of 10
CJ Harris sang Invisible by Hunter Hayes-- I'm a little bit unsure of his performance. I do feel that he felt every word, but I felt like his vocals faltered in a few places. I could hear when he was going off key, and I am pretty sure he was aware of it. Keith said he nailed that song in rehearsal, but it was shaky tonight. He needs to stay in control of the pitch when the cameras are on. Work on it cause you have everything else going for you. Jenn said there is no doubt that his heart is in it. Harry said he is singing out of tune, and he needs to get his pitch in check. He purposely doesn't go to rehearsals because he doesn't care what people do in rehearsal.
Scores: 6 out of 10
Jessica Meuse sang Pumped Up Kicks by Foster the People-- Jessica .... Jessica, I am still waiting for you to break out of this slump you're in. I liked this song choice, but it was quite provocative. Like Ryan said, when I played it for the first time, I didn't really hear it. I agree 100% with Jenn on this, I liked it and I understand the fact that she was trying to find that balance between lyrics and music. I think Harry took it a little too hard and literally. Jenn thought it felt really good tonight. Harry disagreed with Jenn and felt she had a complacent smile on her face. He felt her voice was one dimensional, and didn't get why she was smiling. Keith liked it and thought that she made it her own. Harry emphasized that the lyrics are not happy lyrics. Jenn said there is something more to it than the lyrics, there's the trippy melody and the groovy drive to it, so she believes Jessica was trying to find that balance in between on this.
Score: 7 out of 10
Majesty Rose sang Wake Me Up by Avicci-- I am indifferent to this. I am not a huge fan of this song to begin with so I actually liked the fact that she tried to change it. I don't necessarily think this was a winning performance for her. I still haven't seen from Majesty what I feel I want to see and hear or should see and hear. Harry felt like this performance was the Majesty that he liked when he first heard her. Keith likes Majesty but felt that the song didn't work the way she performed it. He thinks her voice always delivers. Jenn saw fear at the beginning of her performance and she said she needs to not allow herself to be affected by the negative things.
Score: 6 out of 10
Sam Woolf sang We Are Young by f.u.n. feat. Janelle Monae-- I liked this performance very much, it was actually one of my favorite tonight. I appreciated the arrangement, Sam's voice was dead on. I think he is one of the most talented contestants in the competition. Keith said he didn't have a lot of time to speak to him tonight, but said he will speak to him next week. Jenn loved it, thought it was so much better than last week. Harry still feels like he is timid. Really? I didn't feel like it was timid at all.
Score: 9 out of 10
My bottom 3 prediction: MK, Majesty, and CJ
Who is going home? MK
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
American Idol Season 13: The Top 11 Sing Songs from the Cinema
Sam Woolf sang Come Together by The Beatles from the movie Across the Universe-- Keith liked the way Sam loosened up in the performance, Jenn echoed that. I actually enjoyed hearing him sing a more upbeat song, something with meaning. I felt some passion from Sam this week.
Score: 8 out of 10
Jessica Meuse sang The Sound of Silence by Simon and Garfunkel from the movie The Graduate-- Jenn felt she never got the groove on in that song, but she does feel like she can win. Harry said the band was off, and he gave her props for sticking with it. Harry thought it was a nice job. I actually thought this was an improvement over last week, but I will admit that it didn't blow me away.
Score: 7 out of 10
CJ Harris sang Can't You See by the Marshall Tucker Band from the movie Blow-- Harry said he sang his way back to the forefront of the competition, and he felt it was a strong performance. Keith feels he knows exactly who he is from that song. Jenn said you have the ability to change the world with your music and she said she was proud of him. I'm not as enthusiastic as the judges are. I like CJ but I'd like to hear more soul from him and I still haven't heard it yet.
Score 7 out of 10
Dexter Roberts sang Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynyrd from the movies Forrest Gump and Sweet Home Alabama-- Keith said he's starting to loosen up and really sing. Keith said find the places to make it individual to you and who you are. Jenn said it's a lot about personality, and she said you're starting to believe you can win, good performance. Harry said you're smart and you're going down the check list, solid performance. Dexter knows himself so well, and this was really the perfect song for him. He was in the zone the whole time. I agree with all the judges, I love his haircut, he looks strong and he sounds strong.
Score: 9 out of 10
Ben Briley sang Bennie and the Jets by Elton John from the movie 27 Dresses-- Jenn said she is confused because he was so country this past week, and now he's Elton John. Harry wonders if he has heard the real Ben. Keith misses his easy authenticity, and wonders who he is as an artist. I loved that he sang this.My only criticism is I don't think he has his falsetto mastered, but this was a strong performance, despite what the judges thought.
Score: 7 out of 10
Majesty Rose sang Let it Go by Idina Menzel from the movie Frozen-- Harry, Jenn, and Keith all had similar feedback for her. They all said that she's shown many sides of herself, singing Janelle Monae to Coldplay to a Disney song. They like that she's doing that. Harry said she may be spreading herself too think stylistically. Jenn said she can do anything as did Keith. I felt the judges were easy on her and hard on Ben for doing the same things. I found her to be pitchy in several areas and the judges didn't mention that once. Overrated performance but a possibly overrated contestant.
Score: 6 out of 10
Caleb Johnson sang Skyfall by Adele from the movie Skyfall-- Keith said great song choice, and great vocal restraint. Jenn said perfect song choice for you, it took us away from the rock but still you. Harry said the competition started tonight. I thought the song choice was a big risk and it paid off big time. I loved how he was vulnerable but still powerful. He was the best of the night, and continues to be the most consistent.
Score 10 out of 10
MK Nobillette sang To Make You Feel My Love by Bob Dylan from the movie Hope Floats-- Jenn really loved it, and she felt her really trying to connect. Jenn said she reminds her of KD Lang. Harry said you sing beautifully, make sure if you sing a run, you nail it. Keith felt MK looked like a star, and saw glimpses of who she could be. This was her best performance yet. I was impressed and I actually did have tears in my eyes by the end. She showed vulnerability this week, and she made a connection.
Score: 8 out of 10
Alex Preston sang Falling Slowly by Glen Hansard from the movie Once-- Harry said I love that you had the opportunity to do this, it was simply stated, elegantly done, and I'm proud of you. Keith said your performances hold my attention because they're raw; I love your artistry. Jenn thought it was the perfect song for him, beautiful. Another one of my favorites tonight. I agree with everything the judges said. Alex continues to take risks by being different; he embraces it.
Score: 9 out of 10
Jena Irene sang Decode by Paramore from the movie Twilight-- Keith loves when she plays the piano and the ferocity; it's exhilarating. Jenn thinks she has one of the best voices here. Harry said he can feel this big sigh of this relief from the contestants. He said you do your own thing and it was really really strong. This was my favorite Jena performance and one of my favorites of the night. She was the strongest girl, this was a passion filled performance, strong vocals, I could hear the influence of Hayley Williams but she was different than her. Jena kept herself out of the bottom three with that performance.
Score: 10 out of 10
Malaya Watson sang I Am Changing from the movie Dreamgirls-- Jenn said perfect song, perfect way to end the show. You have an amazing voice. Harry believes she's the belter of the group and thought she did a great job. Keith felt her energy and said that what she has inside is beautiful. What a strong vocal from Malaya. The song suited her well, and she equaled Jena's performance in value, vocal, and execution.
Score: 10 out of 10
My Bottom 3 Prediction (not easy to say at all!): Majesty Rose, Jessica Meuse, and CJ Harris or Ben Briley ..... I think Majesty is going home.
Score: 8 out of 10
Jessica Meuse sang The Sound of Silence by Simon and Garfunkel from the movie The Graduate-- Jenn felt she never got the groove on in that song, but she does feel like she can win. Harry said the band was off, and he gave her props for sticking with it. Harry thought it was a nice job. I actually thought this was an improvement over last week, but I will admit that it didn't blow me away.
Score: 7 out of 10
CJ Harris sang Can't You See by the Marshall Tucker Band from the movie Blow-- Harry said he sang his way back to the forefront of the competition, and he felt it was a strong performance. Keith feels he knows exactly who he is from that song. Jenn said you have the ability to change the world with your music and she said she was proud of him. I'm not as enthusiastic as the judges are. I like CJ but I'd like to hear more soul from him and I still haven't heard it yet.
Score 7 out of 10
Dexter Roberts sang Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynyrd from the movies Forrest Gump and Sweet Home Alabama-- Keith said he's starting to loosen up and really sing. Keith said find the places to make it individual to you and who you are. Jenn said it's a lot about personality, and she said you're starting to believe you can win, good performance. Harry said you're smart and you're going down the check list, solid performance. Dexter knows himself so well, and this was really the perfect song for him. He was in the zone the whole time. I agree with all the judges, I love his haircut, he looks strong and he sounds strong.
Score: 9 out of 10
Ben Briley sang Bennie and the Jets by Elton John from the movie 27 Dresses-- Jenn said she is confused because he was so country this past week, and now he's Elton John. Harry wonders if he has heard the real Ben. Keith misses his easy authenticity, and wonders who he is as an artist. I loved that he sang this.My only criticism is I don't think he has his falsetto mastered, but this was a strong performance, despite what the judges thought.
Score: 7 out of 10
Majesty Rose sang Let it Go by Idina Menzel from the movie Frozen-- Harry, Jenn, and Keith all had similar feedback for her. They all said that she's shown many sides of herself, singing Janelle Monae to Coldplay to a Disney song. They like that she's doing that. Harry said she may be spreading herself too think stylistically. Jenn said she can do anything as did Keith. I felt the judges were easy on her and hard on Ben for doing the same things. I found her to be pitchy in several areas and the judges didn't mention that once. Overrated performance but a possibly overrated contestant.
Score: 6 out of 10
Caleb Johnson sang Skyfall by Adele from the movie Skyfall-- Keith said great song choice, and great vocal restraint. Jenn said perfect song choice for you, it took us away from the rock but still you. Harry said the competition started tonight. I thought the song choice was a big risk and it paid off big time. I loved how he was vulnerable but still powerful. He was the best of the night, and continues to be the most consistent.
Score 10 out of 10
MK Nobillette sang To Make You Feel My Love by Bob Dylan from the movie Hope Floats-- Jenn really loved it, and she felt her really trying to connect. Jenn said she reminds her of KD Lang. Harry said you sing beautifully, make sure if you sing a run, you nail it. Keith felt MK looked like a star, and saw glimpses of who she could be. This was her best performance yet. I was impressed and I actually did have tears in my eyes by the end. She showed vulnerability this week, and she made a connection.
Score: 8 out of 10
Alex Preston sang Falling Slowly by Glen Hansard from the movie Once-- Harry said I love that you had the opportunity to do this, it was simply stated, elegantly done, and I'm proud of you. Keith said your performances hold my attention because they're raw; I love your artistry. Jenn thought it was the perfect song for him, beautiful. Another one of my favorites tonight. I agree with everything the judges said. Alex continues to take risks by being different; he embraces it.
Score: 9 out of 10
Jena Irene sang Decode by Paramore from the movie Twilight-- Keith loves when she plays the piano and the ferocity; it's exhilarating. Jenn thinks she has one of the best voices here. Harry said he can feel this big sigh of this relief from the contestants. He said you do your own thing and it was really really strong. This was my favorite Jena performance and one of my favorites of the night. She was the strongest girl, this was a passion filled performance, strong vocals, I could hear the influence of Hayley Williams but she was different than her. Jena kept herself out of the bottom three with that performance.
Score: 10 out of 10
Malaya Watson sang I Am Changing from the movie Dreamgirls-- Jenn said perfect song, perfect way to end the show. You have an amazing voice. Harry believes she's the belter of the group and thought she did a great job. Keith felt her energy and said that what she has inside is beautiful. What a strong vocal from Malaya. The song suited her well, and she equaled Jena's performance in value, vocal, and execution.
Score: 10 out of 10
My Bottom 3 Prediction (not easy to say at all!): Majesty Rose, Jessica Meuse, and CJ Harris or Ben Briley ..... I think Majesty is going home.
Thursday, March 6, 2014
American Idol Season 13: The Top 12...Songs about Home
Last night the top 12 performed songs that reminded them of home. It was an interesting selection of songs to say the least everything from J. Lo to Montgomery Gentry. It was also a night of mediocre performances. I, like the judges, struggled to really praise the performances of the contestants when there really wasn't much to praise. Big deal, you did an "okay performance"; I am sure it left the judges wondering in some cases why they selected some of these contestants in the first place.
Those that did perform well seem to do so on a regular basis; they're consistent. I failed to remind those reading my blog last week that I give the contestants a score from one to ten --- one being you're destined to be sent home to ten being you could win this thing.
Here was the performance order: Jena Irene, Alex Preston, Jessica Meuse, Dexter Roberts, Emily Piriz, Caleb Johnson, MK Nobilette, CJ Harris, Sam Woolf, Malaya Watson, Ben Briley, and Majesty Rose.
Last night there was only one performance that was a ten to me, and that was Caleb Johnson who performed Working Man by Rush; dude stole the show. He was the only one who had a performance that would be able to stand up in the real world. He performs like he's been doing it for years. He is someone who reminds me of a cross between former contestants Bo Bice and Chris Daughtry. Harry says he is the most consistent of any contestant, but wonders what he can do to make rock n' roll more contemporary. Harry also cautions him to not be so predictable. Keith says that his voice is an amazing gift, and he says Caleb is one of the best singers that he has heard in a long time. Jennifer says she was waiting all night for a performance like this, and he brings it every time.
Caleb: 10 out of 10
There were a couple of 8's-- above average
Dexter Roberts singing Lucky Man by Montgomery Gentry and Malaya Watson singing Take Me to the King by Tamela Mann.
Dexter dedicated his performance to someone back home who is no longer with them, and that honesty and vulnerability is what makes him to well liked by the Idol viewer. I loved this performance, it was simple yet meaningful. Keith thought it was the perfect song choice, and liked the phrasing choices he made. Jennifer mentioned Scotty McCreery and how he would choose songs that were surprising yet so him. Harry emphasizes that it was without question the best performance of the night so far (and it would be one of the best overall)
Dexter: 8 out of 10
Malaya is definitely back on her game, she went from being in the bottom two last week to being one of the best. Being at the piano suited her, and she reminded me a little bit of Alicia Keys. She has a quiet power to her voice just like Alicia, and I actually heard her making an effort to enunciate every word. Harry was proud that she stayed in control all the way through. Keith and Jenn both praised her powerful vocal, and liked the song choice. Keith was actually standing up.
Malaya: 8 out of 10
There was a trio of 7's, all in the second half of the show---
They were Sam Woolf singing Just One by Blind Pilot, Ben Briley singing Turning Home by David Nail, and Majesty Rose singing Fix You by Coldplay.
Sam is so talented he is one of those people I could listen to all day. The problem is something that Harry cited which is that he doesn't always connect emotionally. Keith agreed with Harry, but on the positive side, he felt like his tone was butter and would buy his album tomorrow. Jenn said she wants to see a "super wow" performance from him.
Sam: 7 out of 10
Ben sounded good, not great, but good. The problem with this performance wasn't the performance value, but that the song itself was so vocally complicated that he lost track of the story along the way. Jenn said she felt it had a shaky start but she was with him by the end and felt the emotion. Harry said he didn't connect with the song, and he felt like it was shouted at the end. Keith also agreed with Harry and said he lost the emotion.
Ben: 7 out of 10
Majesty Rose was someone for me that was on the cusp of being a 6 but I gave her a seven. The beginning of the song was great, but when the second half came along, it was like she completely forgot what she was singing about. She sang this huge note and her voice cracked, and it was off key. I liked the song quiet. I didn't like how she reinvented the end. Harry said that he liked the beginning but not the end. Jenn reminded her that she doesn't always have to go for the big note.
Majesty: 7 out of 10
My 6 of the week went to Emily Piriz for her performance of Let's Get Loud by Jennifer Lopez.
My issue with this performance was the same issue that Harry had which is that the song and the production of it was too big for her. Basically she wasn't loud enough for Let's Get Loud and the song swallowed her whole. Keith says he loves it but doesn't say why and Jenn can't be critical of someone performing her own song.
Emily: 6 out of 10
There were four 5's in my opinion-- Jena Irene sang Suddenly I See by KT Tunstall, Alex Preston sang I Don't Wanna Be by Gavin DeGraw, Jessica Meuse sang White Flag by Dido, and CJ Harris sang Waiting on the World to Change by John Mayer.
This may be a bit harsh, but it's very honest, and I am going to be brief in my comments. All these people are in danger of going home tonight.
Jena is 17; this song was boring. She had no energy and it showed. Harry wanted more from her.
Jena: 5 out of 10
Alex sang a great song, but I don't know that the arrangement was right for him. Harry didn't like the arrangement. Keith said he felt the song was around him rather than him being centered in the song.
Alex: 5 out of 10
I love Jessica, but this song was a curse for her. It was really boring, and for a rocker that's not a good thing. Harry felt the performance was blasé. She went sharp for almost the whole thing. and Harry said no one clapped or cheered on her high note because it was so off. He didn't feel she was present in the performance. Jenn agrees and says her conviction was missing.
Jessica: 5 out of 10
CJ has tons of potential to do well in this competition but has failed to capitalize on it thus far because of bag song choices and bad arrangements. Harry said he was also sharp. Keith said he needs to make the song his own. I agree; I didn't feel a connection.
CJ: 5 out of 10
My only four of the night goes to MK who sang Drops of Jupiter by Train.
I love this song but this performance was a train wreck from start to finish. First off, she showed no confidence while she was singing or in her song choice. There were a few times where she seemed to forget lyrics or her arrangement. Keith said she seemed to have no connection with the song. Harry wondered if she really wanted to be there.
MK: 4 out of 10
Bottom 3 prediction: MK, Jena, and a toss up between Jessica and CJ (with Jessica probably on the losing end of this). Who will go home? Look for MK to be sent packing.
And now for something I've never done before!---
Introducing my sidekick....
The mysterious "M's" bottom 3 prediction: Jessica, MK, and Alex. Who will go home? MK
Those that did perform well seem to do so on a regular basis; they're consistent. I failed to remind those reading my blog last week that I give the contestants a score from one to ten --- one being you're destined to be sent home to ten being you could win this thing.
Here was the performance order: Jena Irene, Alex Preston, Jessica Meuse, Dexter Roberts, Emily Piriz, Caleb Johnson, MK Nobilette, CJ Harris, Sam Woolf, Malaya Watson, Ben Briley, and Majesty Rose.
Last night there was only one performance that was a ten to me, and that was Caleb Johnson who performed Working Man by Rush; dude stole the show. He was the only one who had a performance that would be able to stand up in the real world. He performs like he's been doing it for years. He is someone who reminds me of a cross between former contestants Bo Bice and Chris Daughtry. Harry says he is the most consistent of any contestant, but wonders what he can do to make rock n' roll more contemporary. Harry also cautions him to not be so predictable. Keith says that his voice is an amazing gift, and he says Caleb is one of the best singers that he has heard in a long time. Jennifer says she was waiting all night for a performance like this, and he brings it every time.
Caleb: 10 out of 10
There were a couple of 8's-- above average
Dexter Roberts singing Lucky Man by Montgomery Gentry and Malaya Watson singing Take Me to the King by Tamela Mann.
Dexter dedicated his performance to someone back home who is no longer with them, and that honesty and vulnerability is what makes him to well liked by the Idol viewer. I loved this performance, it was simple yet meaningful. Keith thought it was the perfect song choice, and liked the phrasing choices he made. Jennifer mentioned Scotty McCreery and how he would choose songs that were surprising yet so him. Harry emphasizes that it was without question the best performance of the night so far (and it would be one of the best overall)
Dexter: 8 out of 10
Malaya is definitely back on her game, she went from being in the bottom two last week to being one of the best. Being at the piano suited her, and she reminded me a little bit of Alicia Keys. She has a quiet power to her voice just like Alicia, and I actually heard her making an effort to enunciate every word. Harry was proud that she stayed in control all the way through. Keith and Jenn both praised her powerful vocal, and liked the song choice. Keith was actually standing up.
Malaya: 8 out of 10
There was a trio of 7's, all in the second half of the show---
They were Sam Woolf singing Just One by Blind Pilot, Ben Briley singing Turning Home by David Nail, and Majesty Rose singing Fix You by Coldplay.
Sam is so talented he is one of those people I could listen to all day. The problem is something that Harry cited which is that he doesn't always connect emotionally. Keith agreed with Harry, but on the positive side, he felt like his tone was butter and would buy his album tomorrow. Jenn said she wants to see a "super wow" performance from him.
Sam: 7 out of 10
Ben sounded good, not great, but good. The problem with this performance wasn't the performance value, but that the song itself was so vocally complicated that he lost track of the story along the way. Jenn said she felt it had a shaky start but she was with him by the end and felt the emotion. Harry said he didn't connect with the song, and he felt like it was shouted at the end. Keith also agreed with Harry and said he lost the emotion.
Ben: 7 out of 10
Majesty Rose was someone for me that was on the cusp of being a 6 but I gave her a seven. The beginning of the song was great, but when the second half came along, it was like she completely forgot what she was singing about. She sang this huge note and her voice cracked, and it was off key. I liked the song quiet. I didn't like how she reinvented the end. Harry said that he liked the beginning but not the end. Jenn reminded her that she doesn't always have to go for the big note.
Majesty: 7 out of 10
My 6 of the week went to Emily Piriz for her performance of Let's Get Loud by Jennifer Lopez.
My issue with this performance was the same issue that Harry had which is that the song and the production of it was too big for her. Basically she wasn't loud enough for Let's Get Loud and the song swallowed her whole. Keith says he loves it but doesn't say why and Jenn can't be critical of someone performing her own song.
Emily: 6 out of 10
There were four 5's in my opinion-- Jena Irene sang Suddenly I See by KT Tunstall, Alex Preston sang I Don't Wanna Be by Gavin DeGraw, Jessica Meuse sang White Flag by Dido, and CJ Harris sang Waiting on the World to Change by John Mayer.
This may be a bit harsh, but it's very honest, and I am going to be brief in my comments. All these people are in danger of going home tonight.
Jena is 17; this song was boring. She had no energy and it showed. Harry wanted more from her.
Jena: 5 out of 10
Alex sang a great song, but I don't know that the arrangement was right for him. Harry didn't like the arrangement. Keith said he felt the song was around him rather than him being centered in the song.
Alex: 5 out of 10
I love Jessica, but this song was a curse for her. It was really boring, and for a rocker that's not a good thing. Harry felt the performance was blasé. She went sharp for almost the whole thing. and Harry said no one clapped or cheered on her high note because it was so off. He didn't feel she was present in the performance. Jenn agrees and says her conviction was missing.
Jessica: 5 out of 10
CJ has tons of potential to do well in this competition but has failed to capitalize on it thus far because of bag song choices and bad arrangements. Harry said he was also sharp. Keith said he needs to make the song his own. I agree; I didn't feel a connection.
CJ: 5 out of 10
My only four of the night goes to MK who sang Drops of Jupiter by Train.
I love this song but this performance was a train wreck from start to finish. First off, she showed no confidence while she was singing or in her song choice. There were a few times where she seemed to forget lyrics or her arrangement. Keith said she seemed to have no connection with the song. Harry wondered if she really wanted to be there.
MK: 4 out of 10
Bottom 3 prediction: MK, Jena, and a toss up between Jessica and CJ (with Jessica probably on the losing end of this). Who will go home? Look for MK to be sent packing.
And now for something I've never done before!---
Introducing my sidekick....
The mysterious "M's" bottom 3 prediction: Jessica, MK, and Alex. Who will go home? MK
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
American Idol Season 13: The Top 13..... This is Me!
Dexter Roberts sang Aw Naw by Chris Young-- Loved this song choice for him. It did seem like he was having trouble hearing and perhaps that's why the pitch wasn't as perfect as it could have been. Keith said he needs to figure out how to make it a Dexter Roberts performance, Jenn felt the same and added that he really got the crowd going, but the song's key wasn't in the sweet spot of his voice. Harry thought that the ear monitor may have caused him to sing out of tune.
Score: 7
Malaya Watson sang Runaway Baby by Bruno Mars-- I was underwhelmed by the performance. I love that song, and I loved her personality, but the vocal lacked for me big time. She was mumbling a lot. Jenn loved her personality and song choice, but didn't think it was her best vocal. Harry thought she seemed nervous, and Keith didn't think she was on top of the song.
Score: 5
Kristen O'Connor sang Beautiful Disaster by Kelly Clarkson-- I felt like she was out of tune, and I still don't understand why the judges chose her for the wild card. Harry thought she was out of tune. Keith liked her song selection. Jennifer said something that made no sense, she told all the contestants to not think but to think.
Score: 4
Ben Briley sang Folsom Prison Blues by Johnny Cash-- I need to admit something. I didn't really know Ben Briley before this performance, and so I didn't think he belonged in the top 13. Seeing him tonight proved to me that he belongs here. I loved the performance, loved his voice, and loved the way he changed it up. Keith said he has true artistry and not to ever compromise that. Jennifer liked the way he picked up the tempo and Harry agreed and then called it the best performance of the night so far. Harry admired the fact that he chose a Johnny Cash song.
Score: 9
CJ Harris sang Radio by Darius Rucker-- I didn't care much for the song choice because it did nothing to show off his vocals. It was out of tune too. I don't know what's going on. Jennifer liked the energy of the performance. Harry loves the "cry" in CJ's voice, but thought the song choice was just okay. Keith thought it was a good song choice, and liked the swagger.
Score: 6
MK Nobillette sang Satisfaction by Allen Stone-- The song choice was weird, this was probably my least favorite performance of the night so far. I didn't hear a lot of range in her vocals, she sounded very monotone throughout the performance. Harry commented on how different she looked without makeup. Keith thinks she has already grown since her audition city to now. I am still trying to figure out if he said she looked like a deer caught in the headlights. Jenn thought this performance showed a different side of her, and she loved it. Really judges?
Score: 4
Majesty Rose sang Tightrope by Janelle Monae-- Majesty is "her majesty" tonight because she is my favorite girl so far. Her song choice was awesome, and it was a difficult song, and she did it so well. I loved her vocals, she has that old school R&B style. Keith liked her song choice. Jenn said there is no one else like her, and she had a great performance. Harry said my favorite thing about you is the mystery and he called it terrific.
Score: 9
Jena Irene sang The Scientist by Coldplay-- This performance was a mixed bag for me. There were times when Jena was shining and there were times when I felt like it was almost off key, and she was pushing vocally. Jenn liked all the different dynamics in her voice, and called her a powerhouse. She felt that she pulled it off. Harry said she makes good choices on a preexisting melody. He felt like her choices drive the harmony. Keith said lean into the song and own it.
Score: 7
Alex Preston sang A Beautiful Mess by Jason Mraz-- I liked Alex's performance tonight because it had so much sincerity and I love the tone of his voice. Like Keith and Jenn, I was completely pulled into him, I was basically hanging on each word, and there was a part of me that wanted to know what he did vocally before he actually did it. Harry thought the performance was introspective. Keith disagreed a little bit with Harry and thought that it pulled him in. Jenn said she agreed with Keith and was very caught up in the mood that he created and the emotion.
Score: 8
Jessica Meuse sang The Crow and The Butterfly by Shinedown-- Jessica is someone I have been interested in since her audition, and I am a fan of her raspy tone. Certainly, it lends itself to a rock style, but she could sing almost anything. Keith liked her bold but cool song choice, he found the rasp in her voice appealing. Jenn said it was her favorite vocal performance of the night so far, and told her to relax onstage more. Harry liked hearing this different side of her, and thought she did a nice job.
Score: 8
Emily Piriz sang Glitter in the Air by Pink-- I like Emily, and I thought her vocal was stunning. My only criticism is that it was almost too perfect, and I wanted that edge that Keith was talking about in his comment. Jenn thought she did a beautiful job of taking on this song and liked her pitch and said she was gushing. Harry said it was great and she sang the melody well and conveyed the emotion well. Keith said it was a beautiful vocal performance, one of his favorites of the night. But he told her not to forget to bring the edge.
Score: 9
Sam Woolf sang Unwell by Matchbox 20-- I enjoyed Sam's onstage presence, he seems really comfortable on stage and with his instrument. I do like his vocals and how he made the song his own. I do think it was a shred too slow for my liking, had he picked the tempo up a little, I think he would have gained more interest. Harry thinks the lyric is important in that song, but wished the vocal was more messed up. I am unsure what that means. Keith thought the tempo was slow. Jennifer wants him to believe more in his abilities.
Score: 7
Caleb Johnson sang Pressure and Time by Rival Sons-- Caleb's performance was so authentic and it really took me back to when Bo Bice was on American Idol. I love having a true rock singer on the show who just bleeds rock. Caleb's vocals are the real deal, the song was perfect for him, and he is someone who could be up on a stage now and recording albums. Keith said you are so retro, but be sure to put a twist on that. Harry said if Rival Sons ever needed a singer, you'd have that gig. Keith and Jenn gave him a standing ovation.
Score: 10
Bottom 3 Prediction: Malaya Watson, MK Nobillette, Kristen O'Connor.... guy most likely to be in the bottom three... CJ Harris
Score: 7
Malaya Watson sang Runaway Baby by Bruno Mars-- I was underwhelmed by the performance. I love that song, and I loved her personality, but the vocal lacked for me big time. She was mumbling a lot. Jenn loved her personality and song choice, but didn't think it was her best vocal. Harry thought she seemed nervous, and Keith didn't think she was on top of the song.
Score: 5
Kristen O'Connor sang Beautiful Disaster by Kelly Clarkson-- I felt like she was out of tune, and I still don't understand why the judges chose her for the wild card. Harry thought she was out of tune. Keith liked her song selection. Jennifer said something that made no sense, she told all the contestants to not think but to think.
Score: 4
Ben Briley sang Folsom Prison Blues by Johnny Cash-- I need to admit something. I didn't really know Ben Briley before this performance, and so I didn't think he belonged in the top 13. Seeing him tonight proved to me that he belongs here. I loved the performance, loved his voice, and loved the way he changed it up. Keith said he has true artistry and not to ever compromise that. Jennifer liked the way he picked up the tempo and Harry agreed and then called it the best performance of the night so far. Harry admired the fact that he chose a Johnny Cash song.
Score: 9
CJ Harris sang Radio by Darius Rucker-- I didn't care much for the song choice because it did nothing to show off his vocals. It was out of tune too. I don't know what's going on. Jennifer liked the energy of the performance. Harry loves the "cry" in CJ's voice, but thought the song choice was just okay. Keith thought it was a good song choice, and liked the swagger.
Score: 6
MK Nobillette sang Satisfaction by Allen Stone-- The song choice was weird, this was probably my least favorite performance of the night so far. I didn't hear a lot of range in her vocals, she sounded very monotone throughout the performance. Harry commented on how different she looked without makeup. Keith thinks she has already grown since her audition city to now. I am still trying to figure out if he said she looked like a deer caught in the headlights. Jenn thought this performance showed a different side of her, and she loved it. Really judges?
Score: 4
Majesty Rose sang Tightrope by Janelle Monae-- Majesty is "her majesty" tonight because she is my favorite girl so far. Her song choice was awesome, and it was a difficult song, and she did it so well. I loved her vocals, she has that old school R&B style. Keith liked her song choice. Jenn said there is no one else like her, and she had a great performance. Harry said my favorite thing about you is the mystery and he called it terrific.
Score: 9
Jena Irene sang The Scientist by Coldplay-- This performance was a mixed bag for me. There were times when Jena was shining and there were times when I felt like it was almost off key, and she was pushing vocally. Jenn liked all the different dynamics in her voice, and called her a powerhouse. She felt that she pulled it off. Harry said she makes good choices on a preexisting melody. He felt like her choices drive the harmony. Keith said lean into the song and own it.
Score: 7
Alex Preston sang A Beautiful Mess by Jason Mraz-- I liked Alex's performance tonight because it had so much sincerity and I love the tone of his voice. Like Keith and Jenn, I was completely pulled into him, I was basically hanging on each word, and there was a part of me that wanted to know what he did vocally before he actually did it. Harry thought the performance was introspective. Keith disagreed a little bit with Harry and thought that it pulled him in. Jenn said she agreed with Keith and was very caught up in the mood that he created and the emotion.
Score: 8
Jessica Meuse sang The Crow and The Butterfly by Shinedown-- Jessica is someone I have been interested in since her audition, and I am a fan of her raspy tone. Certainly, it lends itself to a rock style, but she could sing almost anything. Keith liked her bold but cool song choice, he found the rasp in her voice appealing. Jenn said it was her favorite vocal performance of the night so far, and told her to relax onstage more. Harry liked hearing this different side of her, and thought she did a nice job.
Score: 8
Emily Piriz sang Glitter in the Air by Pink-- I like Emily, and I thought her vocal was stunning. My only criticism is that it was almost too perfect, and I wanted that edge that Keith was talking about in his comment. Jenn thought she did a beautiful job of taking on this song and liked her pitch and said she was gushing. Harry said it was great and she sang the melody well and conveyed the emotion well. Keith said it was a beautiful vocal performance, one of his favorites of the night. But he told her not to forget to bring the edge.
Score: 9
Sam Woolf sang Unwell by Matchbox 20-- I enjoyed Sam's onstage presence, he seems really comfortable on stage and with his instrument. I do like his vocals and how he made the song his own. I do think it was a shred too slow for my liking, had he picked the tempo up a little, I think he would have gained more interest. Harry thinks the lyric is important in that song, but wished the vocal was more messed up. I am unsure what that means. Keith thought the tempo was slow. Jennifer wants him to believe more in his abilities.
Score: 7
Caleb Johnson sang Pressure and Time by Rival Sons-- Caleb's performance was so authentic and it really took me back to when Bo Bice was on American Idol. I love having a true rock singer on the show who just bleeds rock. Caleb's vocals are the real deal, the song was perfect for him, and he is someone who could be up on a stage now and recording albums. Keith said you are so retro, but be sure to put a twist on that. Harry said if Rival Sons ever needed a singer, you'd have that gig. Keith and Jenn gave him a standing ovation.
Score: 10
Bottom 3 Prediction: Malaya Watson, MK Nobillette, Kristen O'Connor.... guy most likely to be in the bottom three... CJ Harris
Monday, February 24, 2014
The Top 13 on American Idol Season 13 Revealed
I've been wanting to write this blog post since last Thursday when the top 13 were announced, but I had to give myself a few days to be more thoughtful and less emotional.
Who should have been in the top 13 and wasn't: Malcolm Allen, George Lovett, and Bria Anai
Who shouldn't have made the top 13: MK Nobilette, Kristen O'Connor, CJ Harris (on a bad day)
Everyone who said this was the year of the girl, I have news for you. The girls are going to have to bring it because Malcolm and George who were left out of the top 13 could have won the whole thing.
I didn't get the point of the judges choosing a top 30 (well 31, we voted if Ben Briley or Neco Star should go through). There was no point for the viewer. They chose 16 male and 15 female singers. Then during "rush week", on live TV, the judges chose 10 male and 10 female singers to sing and 5 of each never even had the chance to sing a full song from start to finish for America. I did not like the idea of that.
I enjoy all the judges; however, I felt Harry was way too harsh during all of rush week. He acted as though none of these young people deserved to even be there. I understand that he probably sees a lot of potential in many of them, but giving out a few compliments every once in a while wouldn't hurt. I honestly feel that Harry's particularly harsh comments contributed to Malcolm and George not making the top 13.
As for Bria, I think the judges just made a massive error. Kristen O'Connor was in no way better than Bria. Bria needed to be refined, but she was a diamond in the rough.
I've focused on the negative up to this point, so now I would like to sing the praises of those contestants who more than deserved to make it into the final 13. Alex Preston reminds me so much of John Mayer, I love his authenticity, and he can play a mean guitar. I love the country guy-- Dexter Roberts, there's something about him that is so blue collar, but yet, he can really sing. My hope is he doesn't get caught up in the image part of things cause I like him the way he is. Love the two rockers in this group, Jessica Meuse and Caleb Johnson, those are two who I have loved since their first auditions, and I could see them in the group of finalists. Sam Woolf is someone else who is so talented and when you look at him, it seems unlikely, but I just enjoy how he is so different than everyone else. If Malaya Watson and Majesty Rose can pull it together and be consistent, these are two ladies who could be extremely popular with America. They both have great qualities to their voices.
America's Top 13
Who should have been in the top 13 and wasn't: Malcolm Allen, George Lovett, and Bria Anai
Who shouldn't have made the top 13: MK Nobilette, Kristen O'Connor, CJ Harris (on a bad day)
Everyone who said this was the year of the girl, I have news for you. The girls are going to have to bring it because Malcolm and George who were left out of the top 13 could have won the whole thing.
I didn't get the point of the judges choosing a top 30 (well 31, we voted if Ben Briley or Neco Star should go through). There was no point for the viewer. They chose 16 male and 15 female singers. Then during "rush week", on live TV, the judges chose 10 male and 10 female singers to sing and 5 of each never even had the chance to sing a full song from start to finish for America. I did not like the idea of that.
I enjoy all the judges; however, I felt Harry was way too harsh during all of rush week. He acted as though none of these young people deserved to even be there. I understand that he probably sees a lot of potential in many of them, but giving out a few compliments every once in a while wouldn't hurt. I honestly feel that Harry's particularly harsh comments contributed to Malcolm and George not making the top 13.
As for Bria, I think the judges just made a massive error. Kristen O'Connor was in no way better than Bria. Bria needed to be refined, but she was a diamond in the rough.
I've focused on the negative up to this point, so now I would like to sing the praises of those contestants who more than deserved to make it into the final 13. Alex Preston reminds me so much of John Mayer, I love his authenticity, and he can play a mean guitar. I love the country guy-- Dexter Roberts, there's something about him that is so blue collar, but yet, he can really sing. My hope is he doesn't get caught up in the image part of things cause I like him the way he is. Love the two rockers in this group, Jessica Meuse and Caleb Johnson, those are two who I have loved since their first auditions, and I could see them in the group of finalists. Sam Woolf is someone else who is so talented and when you look at him, it seems unlikely, but I just enjoy how he is so different than everyone else. If Malaya Watson and Majesty Rose can pull it together and be consistent, these are two ladies who could be extremely popular with America. They both have great qualities to their voices.
America's Top 13
- Malaya Watson
- Ben Briley
- Emily Piriz
- Alex Preston
- Jessica Meuse
- Dexter Roberts
- Caleb Johnson
- Majesty Rose
- MK Nobilette
- Sam Woolf
- Jena Irene – Wild Card
- Kristen O’Connor – Wild Card
- CJ Harris – Wild Card
My Top 13
- Malcolm Allen
- George Lovett
- Bria Anai
- Malaya Watson
- Majesty Rose
- Jessica Meuse
- Caleb Johnson
- Alex Preston
- Dexter Roberts
- Sam Woolf
- Jena Irene
- CJ Harris
- Emily Piriz
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