While I'm all about positive reinforcement, these performers are vying for the top 13 places in the finals: the top five guys and girls from the popular vote, along with the judges' wild card picks. It's time to "keep it real" as it were. Playing nice now isn't doing anyone any favors. Instead the judges need to give these contestants advice to grow on.
With that in mind, I'm going to aspire to keep my reviews a little more real as well. I apologize ahead of time that the girls are going to get it a little tougher than the guys last night.
But in all fairness, there was more to criticize.
Chelsea Sorrell started off the show performing Carrie Underwood's "Cowboy Casanova."
Like I said yesterday I really advise newcomers against singing the material made famous by other idols because it can draw unflattering parallels. This is especially true when those idols have stronger voices. It's impossible to make the song your own unless you drastically change the arrangement, which is always a huge risk. Otherwise it comes across as karaoke. In this case the weaker, less experienced voice is a glaring disappointment. Though she tried, Chelsea was unable to match the fullness of the notes Carrie hits effortlessly, as such the performance can do nothing more than leave the listener unsatisfied.
While Chelsea chose wisely an upbeat tune to help offset the Curse of First, the problem is both she as a contestant and the song itself were rather forgettable. Taking a relative unknown and putting her first in a field of 12 other singers is a producer kiss of death.
Vocals: 3
Style: 4
Stage Presence: 4
Individuality: 3
Song Choice: 3
Total: 17
Probability of moving on: Poor
Erika Van Pelt has been a favorite of mine from the early auditions.
I think she has a strong rocker voice with a presence to match. Which is why I nearly screamed in frustration that she chose "What About Love" as her song. I love Heart and I love Ann Wilson, but please... can't ANYONE sing ANYTHING other than the 80s pop crap? If you want to be electric, if you want to rock it out... choose "Crazy On You" or "Barracuda" or "Magic Man." Ann is a rock GODDESS whose prowess challenges you and demonstrates your talent (if you're lucky) no matter what song you sing. So bring the excitement. Sing something different. MAKE YOUR MARK.
It will confound me till the end of time why everyone sings the same old tired syrupy 80s schlock year after freaking year. It comes across as drunken, ill-advised karaoke that just can't touch Ann's version. The only good thing I can say about it... it wasn't "Alone," which as you diehards to the blog know earns an automatic 0 in the song choice department.
In a spot where Erika HAD to stand out, she just became one of the pack with that song. Worse yet, J-Lo was absolutely right in that she held back in the performance. If you're going to hold back, just back away from the Ann Wilson category altogether.
Very disappointing.
Vocals: 3
Style: 4
Stage Presence: 5
Individuality: 5
Song Choice: 1
Total: 18
Probability of moving on: Questionable
Another early favorite of mine was Jen Hirsh.
Her audition performance of "Georgia On My Mind" was flawless. She soared between notes like a bird in flight, so I was expecting a lot from Jen tonight.
Unfortunately her performance of Adele's "One and Only" made me want to re-watch Georgia. While still good, it wasn't quite as sweet to the ear with some bum notes particularly at the end where she seemed to lose herself a bit. Her stage presence also needs a little work, she has some habits that come across as nervous quirks that are distracting to the performance. Once again J-Lo hit the critique on the nose by pointing out she gave it her all, which I would expect nothing less. So despite the fact I personally didn't see this performance topping her Hollywood audition, I think she's a strong contender with enough audience recognition to move forward.
Vocals: 4
Style: 4
Stage Presence: 4
Individuality: 4
Song Choice: 4
Total: 20
Probability of moving on: Good
Another recognizable face from both last season and season 11 is Brielle Von Hugel, a rather precocious teenage contestant from New York.
I don't know if the TV exposure both Brielle (who seems to refer to herself in the third person at times) and her mother have done the duo any real favors, especially since her performance tonight didn't do much to live up to the hype she enjoyed during earlier rounds. Her voice just doesn't match her confidence. She tackled the Otis Redding classic, "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay," which underscored her weaker lower register. It's also a highly repetitive song that seemed old fashioned and rudimentary. Here's where Cranky Cowell likely would have compared this over-confident performance to a high school recital.
And he'd be right.
Vocals: 3
Style: 3
Stage Presence: 4
Individuality: 4
Song Choice: 3
Total: 17
Probability of moving on: Questionable
Former waitress Hallie Day followed with her version of "Feeling Good."
Again, choosing a song that has been conquered by Idols Past is a tricky proposition at best. You can be absolutely competent and still leave the audience longing for that standout performance that came before you.
Whenever I hear "Feeling Good" I want to hear Adam Lambert. Case closed.
Here's what I liked about this performance. It was different. She set herself up as a nostalgic siren. She looks and sounds like she stepped out of the 1940s, which sets her apart in this field of wannabe pop stars. Sadly, however, the song she choose was a bit bigger than her voice. It was by a smidge, but a noticeable smidge. That being said, I would love to see her go forward because she's got a great vibe.
Vocals: 4
Style: 4
Stage Presence: 5
Individuality: 5
Song Choice: 3
Total: 21
Probability of moving on: Questionable to Fair
Eighteen-year-old Skylar Laine from Mississippi followed with her rocking country version of the Faces classic, "Stay With Me."
There is a lot to like about this girl as far as I'm concerned. She almost embodies the female country badass Reba McEntire all the way from her thick country twang to her down home appeal. She's also very shrewd in ways that other contestants both on the Girls and Guys sides haven't been, which is pretty amazing given she's so young. She carved out a very specific niche for herself no one before her had ever laid claim to. She didn't come out and take on a tired, overplayed ballad or a typical country song. She took something that was distinctly rock and fit it to HER style with a Janis Joplin type of abandon. That style is a whole lot of fun and very entertaining; I have little doubt she'll be one of the performances that stand out when people look back on this particular show.
Vocals: 4
Style: 5
Stage Presence: 5
Individuality: 5
Song Choice: 5
Total: 24
Probability of moving on: Strong
Country cutie Baylie Brown tackled one of my favorite country ballads. Lonestar's "Amazed" has had a deep personal connection to me through the relationship with my husband, Steven, qualifying it near the top of the list of "our songs."
I've heard this song (and sung my heart out to this song) many, many, many times in the last 13 years so it was just painfully obvious how many notes Baylie missed in her earnest performance. For her to get to this point and have that many bum notes makes me wonder how much her commercial look played into the judges' decision to let her through to the semifinals.
If Paula were still around she'd probably say, "Let me start off by telling you how amazing you look tonight," where Simon would punctuate his critique with a disgusted, "Excruciating."
It just was not good and that song is not vocally challenging enough to justify why it shouldn't have been.
Vocals: 2
Style: 4
Stage Presence: 2
Individuality: 2
Song Choice: 3
Total: 13
Probability of moving on: Poor
Another 18-year-old who appeared in both Season 10 and Season 11 is Hollie Cavanagh.
I don't know quite what to make of Hollie. She has a bit of an accent when she speaks that seems to be having its very own identity crisis. Though born in Liverpool it appears living in McKinney, Texas is driving the Brit right out of her. This inconsistency bleeds over into her singing that can be both off-putting and interesting. It's almost like that Seinfeld character who looked one way at one angle and scared Jerry silly when he saw her from a different angle.
That aside her ambitious version of Christina Aguilera's "Reflection" from the movie "Mulan" was solid. In fact, I think she chose a song that did identify her personality's complexity and she branded herself in a compelling way. She wasn't just singing a Christina song, she was telling her own story. This goes beyond the voice, which was strong even if not Christina, into the area of an artist.
Lots of potential there. I'd like to see where could go.
Vocals: 4
Style: 4
Stage Presence: 4
Individuality: 5
Song Choice: 5
Total: 22
Probability of moving on: Good to Strong
Portland barista Haley Johnsen had the misfortune of following this powerhouse performance the judges hinted could make her competitor a frontrunner.
Even more unfortunately for her, her version of the 80s Eurythmics classic "Sweet Dreams" was a hot mess... not just in comparison but in general. The arrangement was unappealing and quite honestly discomforting. Marilyn Manson tackled this Annie Lennox masterpiece in a way that was sinister and interesting, and it felt as though she was trying to merge the two versions together into some strange alien love child. In the end Haley's was just all over the place with no real definite tone. Worse, her vocals were sub par, which made tolerating her "runs" painful.
Vocals: 3
Style: 4
Stage Presence: 4
Individuality: 4
Song Choice: 1
Total: 16
Probability of moving on: Poor
Tampa teenager Shannon Magrane chose an inspirational ballad for her first live show introduction with "Go Light Your World."
Once again it felt like a missed opportunity. In the introductory video we saw how playful and youthful this 16-year-old could (and should) be and then she appears in a ball gown with a performance better suited to a beauty pageant than a show seeking the next big pop star.
There was nothing glaringly bad about the performance, it was just generic and ultimately forgettable. The main variable is that the audience she's appealed to with that song choice (the more Christian-oriented) may rally behind her performance for bringing more traditional to the Idol stage.
The judges certainly liked it. (But they like everything.)
Vocals: 4
Style: 4
Stage Presence: 4
Individuality: 3
Song Choice: 2
Total: 17
Probability of moving on: Questionable
I've been looking forward to Jessica Sanchez and her debut performance after she and DeAndre knocked it out of the park with a gospel-fused rendition of "Doesn't Matter Anymore."
I was worried when her performance was foreshadowed with the news she had been having voice trouble throughout the week. Could this early favorite pull it off?
Singing "Love You I Do," Jessica effortlessly pulled off what I missed from other teenage contestants. She kept it youthful and fun while keeping it mature and professional all at the same time. Though you could see her restraint during some notes, if this is what she sounds like when she's slightly impaired that powerhouse performance demonstrates EASILY this is the girl to watch for Season 11.
Vocals: 5
Style: 5
Stage Presence: 5
Individuality: 5
Song Choice: 5
Total: 25
Probability of moving on: Strong
Elise Testone won the coveted Pimp Spot for the night and capped off the festivities with another version of the Adele tune, "One and Only."
She branded herself well to set herself apart from the crowd, and Adele herself, with sort of an earth-child blues performance. Like J-Lo commented, the smoky tone of her voice is distinctive and interesting. I'm glad she got the last spot because I think it really gives her an advantage to make it on to the next round. I'd kinda like to see what else she can do.
Vocals: 4
Style: 5
Stage Presence: 5
Individuality: 5
Song Choice: 5
Total: 24
Probability of moving on: Good
Like last night's show it's hard to predict with any degree of certainty who will secure those five top spots to make it into the finals. These are steep cuts and there's really no clear cut indicator who will stay or go once the voting turns over to John/Jane Q. Public. Of the two groups the girls had a couple of wayward performances the guys didn't have, which helps me narrow down who I'd *like* to see move forward, Jessica and Skylar tops among them.
Don't hold back. Tell me who you'd like to see move forward.
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