Tonight the Top 11 take on "songs from the cinema" for the first time....this season. How many repeats will we have from the previous seasons? Will someone inevitably attempt "I Will Always Love You" or "My Heart Will Go On?" Am I going to have to sit through another rendition of "I Believe I Can Fly?" Might we actually get a soundtrack night of songs not performed by several other past Idol contestants? Aren't there enough movie songs out there to keep us from the duplicates? Let's find out!
Contestant: Sam Woolf
Song: "Come Together" by The Beatles
Sam chose an upbeat song because he wants to show a different side of himself. It's times like these when I wish Steven Tyler was still a judge on this show. I have to wonder if he'd have his eyes closed right now and sit there slowly moving his head from side to side. I miss him. Anyway, this performance is an improvement for Sam. The song definitely isn't as big as it could have been, but I appreciate that he went out of his comfort zone. Sam sounds great and moves with some swag tonight. And the girls, of course, love him. Good for Sam.
Judges Say: Keith liked the performance but said Sam could get even looser. JLo calls Sam a baby rock star and says we need a big rock star. Harry thinks Sam is on the way to where he needs to be but says the performance was average.
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Contestant: Jessica Meuse
Song: "The Sound of Silence" by Simon and Garfunkel
I love this song. Everyone is always so pumped about "Mrs. Robinson" but this has always been my favorite Simon and Garfunkel tune. Jessica has me from the first lines of the song, though she does some odd pronunciations throughout the performance. I wish she had been able to do the whole thing though. The song tells a story and chopping it up doesn't help her with her delivery...but it's not like she had a choice in the matter. The ridiculous filler packages before each performance are way more important than music anyway, right?
Judges Say: JLo says the song is in Jessica's wheelhouse and suits her, but JLo feels that Jessica never got into a groove. Harry thinks the band was off but compliments Jessica for staying focused. He says she did a nice job. Keith likes the way Jessica looks (which makes me say out loud "I like the way you look, Keith) but he tells her she needs to project a little more.
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Contestant: C.J. Harris
Song: "Can't You See" by The Marshal Tucker Band
C.J. has himself a brand new guitar and Pharrell's hat so I'm already intrigued. He's very excited to sing this song and boy is he into his performance. So is JLo...and really, so am I. He does a really great job with this song and for the first time this season, I think he totally looks like a natural. C.J. gave us C.J. tonight and not just a really good cover. Awesome.
Judges Say: Keith gives him a standing ovation and says C.J. nailed it. Harry steals my Pharrell joke and then tells C.J. that he just put himself in the forefront of the competition. JLo is so proud of him and says C.J. has the ability to change the world with his music.
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Contestant: Dexter Roberts
Song: "Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd
My brain immediately goes to Ruben Studdard and his performance (and then encore performance...and then everywhere else performance) in the second season. However, those memories are forgotten quickly because Dexter is just adorable. He's having a great time, he's looking very comfortable on stage now, and his vocals are actually pretty awesome. I imagine his dogs at home are very proud.
Judges Say: Keith loves Dexter's hair cut. He thinks Dexter is getting more loose on stage but now just needs to find a way to put his "Dexterism" in there. I'm not touching that one. JLo thinks Dexter is really starting to believe he can win. Harry says Dexter is smart with his song choices but tells Dexter he has to be bigger that the songs that he chooses.
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Contestant: Ben Briley
Song: "Bennie and the Jets " by Elton John
Ben has not seen 27 Dresses and asks us not to judge him for it. No problem, buddy - I tend to judge people who actually have seen that movie (myself included, but in my defense, I had a few martinis first). Ben plays the piano for the first part of the song and delivers a very energetic rendition. This type of music is not what we're used to from Ben, but the performance is the best of the night so far for me. I love him.
Judges Say: JLo is confused because she's not sure who Ben is. She does think he gave a good vocal performance though. Harry says Ben took a lackadaisical walk through the song. Ouch. He then says a couple more things that make me say "jerk" out loud and I fast forward to Keith...who is also confused. Uh oh. Have we found this season's Janelle Arthur and Hollie Cavanagh? Two amazing contestants who could never do anything right?
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Contestant: Majesty Rose
Song: "Let It Go" by Idina Menzel
I hope John Travolta is watching. Members of the audience have no problem saying Idina Menzel's name and they weren't even reading from a teleprompter. (Yes, I'm still bitter about him effing up Idina's name on The Oscars). On to Majesty. She is verrrrry theatrical, but I like it. Her vocals are also beautiful. I'm obsessed with the original version, so she wasn't going to top that for me, but if anyone in this Top 11 could do the song justice, it would absolutely be Majesty. Well done.
Judges Say: Harry says Majesty is a mystery and gives her some crap about not knowing who she is...but says she gave a strong performance. Keith says this was a big song to sing and he thinks she could have eased into it a bit more. JLo thinks Majesty could do anything - singer, actress, animation star and she says that's a positive thing.
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Contestant: Caleb Johnson
Song: "Skyfall" by Adele
Whoa. This wouldn't have made my list of 100 songs Caleb might choose tonight. That being said, the performance is fantastic. He controls the song, doesn't go over the top, and overall just keeps it simple but powerful. Caleb is ridiculously talented and I will be downloading this song tonight. Sorry Ben...Caleb just one upped you.
Judges Say: Keith gives Caleb a standing ovation. He says Caleb had a brilliant song choice and the performance was not predicable at all. JLo is tongue tied but eventually says Caleb was great tonight. Harry thinks the competition really started tonight. I'm not exactly sure what that means.
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Contestant: MK Nobilette
Song: "To Make You Feel My Love" by Garth Brooks...or Trisha Yearwood. They're both on the Hope Floats Soundtrack.
I do enjoy this song. I still listen to Kris Allen's version pretty often on my iPod. MK got herself a new look and I really like the "no hat" style. This is definitely a better performance than last week and she even gets up the courage to walk to the judges table to sing to them. It's awkward, and JLo tears up a little, but it's also a "hey, screw you for telling me I don't want to be here" move, and I kind of like it.
Judges Say: JLo really loved the performance and felt MK was really trying to connect. Harry says MK has star quality but cautions her that if she is going to sing runs, she has to nail them. He then rambles about technical terms...and then I fast forward to Keith. The Australian hottie loves MK's look and thinks she is showing glimpses of who she can be as an artist.
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Contestant: Alex Preston
Song: "Falling Slowly"
Remember when Kris Allen did this song? And Lee DeWyze and Crystal Bowersox? I do...which I why I wish Alex had picked something else. Sure he sounds fine, but I'm not a fan of the arrangement and I don't like some of the liberties he takes with the melody. It was very "Imma be me for about 10 seconds. Okay, we're back." Maybe I'm being too harsh, but this just wasn't for me.
Judges Say: Harry loves that American Idol provides a platform for guys like Alex to sing a simple song with a beautiful lyrics. He's really proud of Alex. Of course he is. Keith says Alex's performances always hold his attention because they are very raw and very real. JLo thinks this was the perfect song and Alex sang it perfectly. I'm still at a loss for why they hated Ben.
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Contestant: Jena Irene
Song: "Decode" by Paramore
Jena goes for a spooky stage look (the song is from Twilight) and plays the piano for entirety of the song. She is completely captivating and incredibly powerful...and I don't want the performance to end. This is the best Jena has been all season. Hands down.
Judges Say: JLo and Keith give her a standing ovation. Keith has to wait for the crowd to calm down before he can talk at all. He says Jena's performance is like hurdling along the edge of the cliff in a car and it's exhilarating. I couldn't have said it better. JLo thinks Jena has one of the best voices here and tells America to get on board with it. She also says it was the best performance of the night. Harry says the song was just as good as the original but Jena made it different.
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Contestant: Malaya Watson
Song: "I Am Changing" by Jennifer Hudson
Whew. When Ryan said Dreamgirls, I was worried Malaya was choosing "And I Am Telling You (I'm Not Going)." It's overdone and in terms of Idol, Jennifer Hudson owns that song and others need not apply. But what an absolute pleasant surprise this is. Malaya's got me yelling "Woo!" from my couch. Get it, girl. You totally earned the closing spot tonight, and you definitely earned a spot on the Idol tour.
Judges Say: JLo and Keith give her a standing ovation. JLo says the performance was killer and this was a perfect way to end the show. Harry thinks Malaya's sound is just going to get bigger and it's going to be a pleasure to watch. Keith says Malaya can reign it in a little bit, but the way she is blossoming as an artist is magnificent.
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This was absolutely a much better performance episode than last week. Granted, we did have some songs that have been performed by past contestants (probably because we have beat this theme to death), but all in all I really enjoyed the show tonight. Malaya, Caleb and Jena brought the house down for sure, with and honorable mention for Ben (at least for me). I do have a very special place in my heart for Majesty and Dexter, and I think C.J. made great strides tonight as well. As for everyone else though...I think Sam already has quite a fan base but I worry that Jessica's ballad at the beginning of the show might make her forgettable. That leaves Alex and MK as my bottom 2, but America could easily go a different route. Who will go on the Idol tour this summer? We'll find out during the results show tomorrow. Til then!
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