American Idol Season 23: Notes on The Top 5 As We Find Out Our 3 Finalists

Tonight's show was another Disney themed show. Lin Manuel Miranda continued to mentor the contestants. I think he did a great job, his advice was so thoughtful. I understand why he is so good at what he does and so well regarded.

Slater Nalley-- 
Song 1: You've Got a Friend in Me from Toy Story
Song 2: Born to be Wild from D3 The Mighty Ducks
Notes: I thought the first performance was so good. I mean honestly, both performances were good. Slater has become one of my favorites on the shoe. He and John are both so young but both understand their identity as artists. No matter what happens, this kid is going to be a star. He will be doing country music. Lionel said he has come such a long way in the competition. 

John Foster-- 
Song 1: The Bare Necessities from The Jungle Book
Song 2: The Rainbow Connection from The Muppets
Notes: John has such a way about him. His style is laid back and authentic. There is not once in this competition where he has settled or deviated from who he is. He's always made thoughtful decisions about the songs he has chosen. Luke talked about his charm. Carrie talked about how she found a diamond in the rough with him; she needed to convince Lionel and Luke but she did it. 

Thunderstorm Artis-- 
Song 1: A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes from Cinderella
Song 2: Find Yourself from Cars
Notes: First song was everything! Thunderstorm is such an artist. Beyond that is the person that comes across to all of us. I love how the first song had a lullabye / storytelling feel to it. It was absolutely beautiful. Carrie talked about his ability to connect with people and said he is all heart. Luke said he deserves to be here and Lionel called him a vibe master. Literally any of these contestants could be top 3 (even Gabby, Mattie, and Josh who were voted off in the past two weeks could have been Top 3). This is such a talented group. 

Breanna Nix--
Song 1: This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) from The Parent Trap 
Song 2: You'll Be In My Heart from Tarzan
Notes: Breanna is someone who has continued to improve as the competition has gone on. Week after week, she has shown growth and more of herself in the performances. I think this is what's moved her forward. Whereas, someone like Gabby was consistent from the beginning. In her first song, Carrie mentioned how she seemed unsure of herself at the beginning, but as the performance went on, her confidence grew. In the second song, Luke commented that her voice and presence was so strong. 

Jamal Roberts-- 
Song 1: Ain't No Mountain High Enough from Remember the Titans
Song 2: Beauty and the Beast from Beauty and the Beast
Notes: To me, this is the first time in the competition that I saw Jamal be somewhat human and struggle or not pick the best song. I also feel like because he is such a great singer, his performance quality needs to be there as well, and I think that's what Carrie was remarking about. I know Carrie got a lot of negative press for saying Jamal should have moved around some in the first performance, but I couldn't agree more. And for his second performance, the song choice did not make sense for him. It's not that it sounded bad, it just wasn't believable. 

Top 3 Are: 

John Foster
Jamal Roberts
Breanna Nix

Going Home: 
Slater Nalley
Thunderstorm Artis

  

American Idol: My Predictions on the Top Ten

Tori Kelly's Mentorship: Part 1

Hailey Mia sang She's All I Wanna Be by Tate McRae: 9

Jordan Anthony sang Titanium by Sia and David Guetta: 7

Jayna Elise sang Confident by Demi Lovato: 8

Julia Gagnon sang Rumor Has It by Adele: 6

Kakyo sang How to Live Without You (original): 7

Nya sang Simply the Best by Tina Turner: 6

Blake Proehl sang Anyone by Justin Bieber: 8

Abi Carter sang Oceans by Hillsong United: 9

Quintavious Johnson sang Something in the Water by Carrie Underwood: 9

KB Richins sang Heaven by Bryan Adams: 6

Will Moseley sang Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay by Otis Redding: 9

McKenna Faith Breinholt sang The Story by Brandi Carlile:  8

Jelly Roll's Mentorship: Part 2

Odell Bunton Jr sang Uptown Funk by Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson: 8

Elleigh Marie sang Forget You by Cee Lo Green: 5

Mackenzie Sol sang Jealous by Nick Jonas: 9

Jennifer Jeffries sang Bruises by Lewis Capaldi: 9

Emmy Russell sang Beautiful Things by Benson Boone: 8

Ajii sang Higher by Tems: 9

Kennedy Reid sang Fancy by Reba McEntire: 8

Jack Blocker sang Rainbow by Kacey Musgraves: 9 

Roman Collins sang How Sweet It Is by James Taylor/ Marvin Gaye: 9

KBlocks sang Harleys in Hawaii by Katy Perry: 7

Mia Matthews sang Daddy's Hands by Holly Dunn: 7

Triston Harper sang God's Country by Blake Shelton: 9

Here it is..... My Top 10! 

Hailey Mia

Abi Carter

Quintavious Johnson

Will Moseley

Mackenzie Sol 

Jennifer Jeffries

Ajii

Jack Blocker

Roman Collins

Triston Harper 

Sneaking into the Top 12: Emmy Russell and Jayna Elise 

American Idol Season 21: Hallelujah for the last auditions!

Kaeyra sang Cold by Chris Stapleton-- Kaeyra has a unique sound. As I was watching the show tonight, I was thinking about how so many people sound so similar. It's why I only have four notable performances from tonight. Well five, if you include Fire returning a completely different person with a different mindset. 

Isaac Brown sang Golden Hour by JVKE and Essence by WizKid--  Isaac has just so much personality and it would be so great to have a timeless R&B singer in this competition. I feel like there is a space for R&B in music today. 

Cam Amen sang Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen-- What a special young man with a heartbreaking story, but yet a triumphant one. His voice is just so emotional, authentic, and raw. The judges were so moved that they offered him a platinum ticket.  

Fire Willmore sang Love in the Dark by Adele-- Fire came back with a new mindset, she was like a brand new person. I can tell that she worked hard on her craft while she was awaiting her second chance. It will be great to see how she continues to progress during the next round. 

Oliver Stelle sang In My Life by The Beatles and Change the World by Eric Clapton-- Oliver performs the first song and he is good but performs the second song for his dad and it is amazing. I can see him being a contender for this competition. His voice and talent is undeniably next level. 

American Idol Season 21: Bring it All to the Table

These were my faves from tonight-- Hopefully we'll see some of them in the Top 26. 

Mariah Faith sang Whenever You Come Around by Vince Gill and I Can't Make You Love Me by Bonnie Raitt-- I absolutely LOVE Mariah's story and she is relevant, but I question whether or not her voice is going to be strong enough to get her through this competition. 

Nailyah Serenity sang My Man by Barbara Streisand from Funny Girl-- Nailyah conjures Nina Simone and Ella Fitzgerald. This song beautifully showcased her vocal abilities. She took a song that was Broadway but gave it a jazz feel. Lionel said that was "heavy navigation" and he thoroughly enjoyed it. 

PJAE (Peter Gomez) sang Mirror by Madison Ryann Ward-- What a performance, PJAE was truly connected to the song. Katy called it so many things-- beautiful, effortless, emotional, angelic, sad and painful. We felt every emotion in that song. Lionel said I'd like to thank you for healing our family.  

Warren Peay sang To The Table by Zach Williams-- Warren has such a Chris Stapleton vibe. Lionel said his voice cut through. Luke thought it was badass. Lionel even thinks he could be top ten worthy. Katy compared him to a Christian Chris Stapleton. 

Paige Anne sang What About Us by Pink-- She has a gorgeous voice, very poised for 16 years old. She got some great tips from runner up David Archuleta and her voice really soars. 

Ophrah Kablan sang Baby I Love You by Aretha Franklin-- I love her old school approach to singing. Her range is awesome, and she just sings with such conviction. Lionel said you became our salvation. They all said yes!  

I also cannot wait to see single mom Fire return to American Idol after Katy gave her a second chancde to come back and audition at the Nashville auditions. 

American Idol Season 21: After the Oscars Special

I didn't get to post this on Oscar night because the show ran so late that by the time American Idol was to be on I was asleep. There was some great talent that night, but there were three contestants in particular that I found worthy of getting to the live showcases. 

In no particular order-- 

Hannah Nicolaisen sang To Make Me Feel Your Love by Bob Dylan-- this young woman just started singing a few months ago, her ability is immense. Katy said, I don't think you even realize what you have. Lionel told Hannah that a unique voice like hers is what they pray for. Luke told her she is born to sing. 

Tripp Taylor sang I Believe it to My Soul by Ray Charles-- WOW! This young man is a complete throwback to a time long before himself. He seems to have such ease when he sings and his rasp is so cool. Luke appreciates how he attacks the mic. Katy said he has the "it" factor. Lionel praises his stage presence. 

Colt Glover sang Rock Salt and Nails by Flatt & Scruggs-- Colt has a great country voice, a cool vibe, and he comes across as so humble. He was nervous but his authenticity made up for it. Katy said he is the best country singer that they have seen so far and said he was top ten worthy. Luke said he was happy that Colt was there with them. Lionel said that they are going to teach him what to do with his hands. 

**Let's see how I do, but I think these three are great talents! 

American Idol: The Top 7 Sing Disney and Songs for their Moms

The top seven were decided on Sunday night on American Idol, and I was a little discouraged with the results. Two ladies and five guys ended up being chosen. I just think there were some people that moved forward that maybe should not have-- Dillon James had not been great for several weeks. Jonny West--- I know the judges are sold but I'm not.

Last night's performances came in two rounds. Round one was Disney songs and round two was songs inspired by mom in honor of Mother's Day. The Disney round was king of lame to be honest. I love Disney songs, but I am kind of tired of the shameless Disney plugs every two seconds on ABC. The second round for me is what sold me on several of these artists. The song choices were thoughtful and heartfelt.

Arthur Gunn-- sang Kiss the Girl from The Little Mermaid and Hey Ma by Bon Iver-- First performance was sound, not great, but safe. Second performance bled authenticity. I do think he is going to make the top five, he just sounds unlike anyone else. Forget the Phillip Phillips comparisons. Arthur sounds like no one else.



Just Sam-- sang A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes by Cinderella and I Turn to You by Christina Aguilera-- I was not into either performance. Every week I hear her she sounds good, but she does not seem to connect with the songs or emote in any way. I think she is in danger of going home next week.

Jonny West-- sang Almost There from The Princess and the Frog and Amazing Grace-- I full expected him to go home this week, but I am glad he didn't. This week I saw so much from him. His performances felt inspired, he connected to the songs, and was true to himself as an artist. I believe he will stick around.

Louis Knight-- sang Can You Feel the Love Tonight from The Lion King and You've Got a Friend by James Taylor and Carole King-- This was probably his weakest couple of performances in a while. I felt like he lost focus and was off pitch, especially in the first performance. He improved on the second performance and it should be enough for him to go through because a couple of people were a little bit weaker than he was.

Julia Gargano-- sang Beauty and the Beast and Sweetest Devotion by Adele-- Julia has not missed a beat in this competition. She has been one of the strongest performers and vocalists from day one. Her first performance this week was a miss for me. Her vocals were too low, it needed to be in a different key. The second performance was her ticket into the finale. It was one of the best performances of the night.



Francisco Martin-- sang You're in My Heart from Tarzan and River by Leon Bridges-- Francisco has by far been my favorite contestant this season and this was his best performances to date. He has not taken one wrong turn. Both of his performances were equally amazing. He has a sincerity that comes through every time he sings. He also shines as a storyteller because he believes fully in what he is singing about.



Dillon James-- sang Our Town from Cars and Hang On Hang On by Amos Lee-- This is so hard because a couple weeks ago, I felt like he should have gone home for losing his authenticity. Now I feel like he's grown, but is it enough? Is it fair for him to stay around when others have been more consistent throughout the competition than he has? He regrouped without question and got his authenticity back.

My top 5:

Francisco (potential winner)
Julia (potential winner)
Jonny
Arthur (potential winner)
last spot is between Louis and Dillon

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/americanidol

**My top three performances of the night are posted.

American Idol: Who Will Be in the Finals?

Carrie Underwood Songbook:

Michael J Woodard sang Flat on the Floor by Carrie Underwood-- He was direct in his delivery, I wanted a little more attitude but in general I loved it.

Gabby Barrett sang Last Night by Carrie Underwood-- I loved Gabby singing this, she kept doing something where she was cutting off the ends of phrases. I wanted her to extend that. 

Cade Foehner sang Undo It by Carrie Underwood-- I understand why he chose that but I didn't think it was the best performance. I didn't feel he connected with the song at all.

Caleb Lee Hutchinson sang So Small by Carrie Underwood-- I did like this song for him, and he did seem connected to it. My only argument here was that his voice was very nasal.

Maddie Poppe sang I Told You So by Carrie Underwood-- I liked her rendition of this, very similar to Carrie's, clearly her voice is so unique. She continues to be the most consistent contestant

Mother's Day Tributes:

Gabby sang I Have Nothing by Whitney Houston-- Wow! Gabby did that song so well, she made it her own. I was shocked at how amazing she sounded.

Cade sang Simple Man by Lynard Skynard-- Now that was a song that he was connected to. That was real and raw and just perfect.

Michael sang Still I Rise by Yolanda Adams-- Such a moving performance, that was so powerful. His voice, I don't even know how to describe it. Lionel said you are anointed.

Caleb sang Stars in Alabama by Jamey Johnson-- The judges all commented on the uniqueness of his voice. So true, and this song was exactly the type of record he should be recording.

Maddie sang God Only Knows by The Beach Boys-- What a cool song choice! I love this, she made it so special.

Wow! Tough.... I think my top three is Michael, Gabby, and Cade

Well, I was 1 for 3! I have to say I am disappointed because Michael to me was the strongest performer in this competition. He was also the most consistent, never gave one bad or weak performance.

Cade.... with him, there hasn't been an authentic rocker that good on Idol since forever.

America Idol 2018: The Top 24 Compete for the Top 14, First Half

Dominique sang Ain't Nobody by Chaka Kahn-- I was initially bored with this performance, but he really turned up the energy and the funk. His vocals were, no question, on point. He really brought it. Katy said WOW, backwards and forwards. Lionel said there's the opening act and there's the star attraction and you are the star attraction. Luke said you showed a different side of yourself tonight.

Layla Spring sang A Broken Wing by Martina McBride-- I think the song was too old for her. I would have preferred for her to pick something more fun and more her age. One thing I notice a lot about her is that she looks and acts a lot older than she is. Katy is impressed with her growth and Luke says her personality is infectious. That is certainly an accurate comment from Luke. She reminds me a lot of Kellie Pickler.

Catie Turner sang Call Me by Blondie-- Bobby told her to pick songs that leave an impression on people. I think the song was a good fit for her, and I liked how she had fun with it. There were pitch issues at certain points. The judges certainly seemed to be enjoying it as they were all up on their feet. Luke said I couldn't quit watching you. Lionel said you make people believe in who you are, you did a great job.

Dennis Lorenzo sang Rude by Magik-- I liked that he didn't play up the reggae part of the song and made it his own. I would have liked something that showed his vocal abilities more cause he's so talented. Katy thought he did play up the reggae part. She said this was not a song that would show your vocal talent. Lionel basically said the same. Luke said I love your stage presence, I believe you're a natural star.

Michelle Susset sang If I Were a Boy by Beyonce-- There were some pitch issues to be totally honest. Michelle, to me, is the biggest star in this competition, I see her being a triple threat like J. Lo. I loved how she made this song her own, forgot all about the Beyonce version and I love how she brought her culture into it. Lionel said she came out and had great stage presence. Katy said her being able to sing in Spanish is her ace . Luke said you have a unique tone in her voice.

Michael J. Woodard sang Golden Slumbers by The Beatles-- Michael is heaven sent, he was clearly meant to be here. I love that he is so well rounded stylistically and vocally, it's pretty amazing. Luke said what I love about you is you let all your emotions show. Katy said you're so chosen, you are meant to be here. Lionel said you're spectacular in terms of showing your ability and the quality of what you're giving us is so special.

Trevor McBane sang Way Down We Go by Kaleo-- I love the dirt in his voice, the gravel, and the rasp. This song really suits him. He seemed to be very connected with the song, there was a lot of emotion coming from him. Luke said you're making us believe, but release those reigns and turn the horses loose. 

Jonny Brenns sang Georgia by Vance Joy-- I have loved Jonny since I first saw him in the auditions. This was a great performance, once again, very connected to the song, lots of emotion. The range was good, I liked his falsetto. Lionel said it went from the shy guy to the sexy guy. He said that Jonny reminds him of himself. Katy said your song choice was so dead on and perfect. Luke said you're a big star but you don't all the way know it yet. You have such a smooth voice.

Kay Kay sang Love on the Brain by Rihanna-- Great song choice, it was pitchy at points, but for the most part, she turned in a strong performance. Luke said you were just born as a star, and you look like a star. Katy said tonight the full package finally arrived.

Brandon Diaz sang Hello by Lionel Ritchie-- That was a tough song choice, but I am not sure if he pulled it off or not. The ending was very convincing but overall there were some pitch issues. Katy said you're so brave. She said it was a blessing and a curse, and he landed somewhere in the middle. Lionel said he was nervous for him while he was singing.

Gabby Barrett sang My Church by Maren Morris-- I loved the personality and attitude she gave on stage. This was such an awesome choice on song, loved this. Lionel said I have never in my life watched a person get the end of the song and blow me away. Give me a little more personality half way through, continue on your journey. Katy said that was super cool, it went from 0-100 real quick. Luke said we're looking for the shine, the sparkle, and the it factor.

Cade Foehner sang All Along the Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix-- This was the most authentic performance of the night. Cade is a total star. He dared to go with Hendrix and he lived up to it. WOW! Katy said you sure are a minister and you can preach to me anytime you want. Luke said Cade we love you buddy. Katy said whether America chooses you or not, you're a star, keep shining honey. Lionel said you bring the attitude and the personality, you bring it all.

My predictions---

Who is moving forward? (7 people)

Cade Foehner
Gabby Barrett
Dominique
Michelle Susset
Michael J. Woodard
Jonny Brenns
toss up between Dennis Lorenzo and Catie Turner

Who is going home? (5 people)

Brandon Diaz
Layla Spring
Trevor McBane
Kay Kay
toss up between Dennis Lorenzo and Catie Turner