Tonight's episode of American Idol features the Top 9 performing "with the band," which is this evening's theme. The contestants got to hang out with Fall Out Boy this week, receiving words of wisdom and no doubt some hair and tattoo tips. We are also treated (?) to our first group number of the season, which I am going to completely glance over. Let's see what Top 9 do on their own...
Contestant: Alex Preston
Song: "Don't Speak" by No Doubt
Alex likes the idea of having the band behind him because it's new energy to feed off of...which would make total sense if dude wasn't so laid back. He does some interesting things with the song that I really like, but I hope the relaxed performance isn't forgettable by the end of the evening. That's always the danger with going first and not really wowing anyone.
Judges Say: Keith says Alex's style and sound are consistent but would like more edge from him. JLo can't help but think of Gwen Stefani when she hears the song (probably because it's Gwen Stefani's song), and she thinks that Alex's rendition sucked the energy out of the song. Uh oh. Harry says Alex is designing his own life right now and admires how Alex has his feet firmly planted on the ground. That being said, Harry would also like him to move around the stage. Yup.
----------------------------------------Contestant: Majesty Rose
Song: "Shake It Out" by Florence and The Machine
Oh no. I've been really pulling for Majesty. I was really hoping she would bring the house down this week, and in choosing this song, she may have thought she would have a "moment." However, trying to rock out like Florence is not Majesty's strength. She's out of breath sometimes...hitting weird notes other times...and I think she might be in trouble this week. We'll see what happens with the other 7 performances.
Judges Say: JLo says vocally Majesty was all over the place, but the performance aspect was a 10. I don't even know how that's possible. Fuzzy math. Harry thinks Majesty is very talented but has been waiting for her to break through in the competition. He did, however, dig what she did with her performance. Keith loved the song choice but cautions her to keep control of her vocals.
----------------------------------------Contestant: Dexter Roberts
Song: "Boondocks" by Little Big Town
Just. Want. To squeeze him. Dexter delivers a fine performance of the song but doesn't seem to be enjoying himself the way he should be. Hell, Keith is having a better time singing along from the judges' table. This is another one of those scenarios where Dexter sounds great, but does not do anything interesting or different with the song.
Judges Say: Harry mentions again that Dexter chooses anthem type songs but only delivers generic performances. Keith hands Harry a giant gummy bear and I need to locate one of those immediately. He then says Dexter's version could have been a hit on the radio if Little Big Town hadn't recorded it. JLo liked the performance but does want Dexter to shake things up a bit. Now...about that gummy...
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Contestant: Malaya Watson
Song: "The Long and Winding Road" by The Beatles
Believe it or not, Idol has covered some Beatles tunes over the years. The opening is rough and she tries to do a LOT with the song. She hits some bum notes, some screechy notes, and some fantastic notes. It's a pretty uneven performance, but the girl is young and has a long (and winding) road ahead of her to work out the kinks. Sorry. Had to.
Judges Say: Keith thinks the performance was beautiful and says Malaya's personality and spirit came through. JLo compliments her control (huh?) and says Malaya's voice has the sweetness of a young Michael Jackson. WHOA JLo. Take it easy on the MJ comparisons. Harry gives Malaya the "most consistently improving" award and says the performance was strong. So they heard something a little different than I did....that's why they get paid the big bucks?
----------------------------------------Contestant: Sam Woolf
Song: "Hey There Delilah" by The Plain White Ts
Sam sings this song surrounded by light bulbs. It's almost like he wants to be Fred Savage's wingman in Little Monsters. Fantastic movie. Highly underrated. Finding the movie clip was actually a lot of fun because this performance just about puts me to sleep. JLo is grinning from ear to ear the whole time though and I feel like it's opposite day for me and the judges on American Idol.
Judges Say: JLo says the song was perfect for Sam and asked if he was singing to anyone in particular. She wants him to connect more. Harry liked the stripped down version of the song but didn't feel like Sam was connected to the lyrics either. Keith tells Sam that he doesn't have to feel so obligated to every note. Sam says his "Delilah" is his grandma, the crowd goes crazy, and I bet Sam will be here another week.
----------------------------------------Contestant: Jessica Meuse
Song: "Rhiannon" by Fleetwood Mac
I LOVE this song. And if you are a Fleetwood Mac fan and have not watched Season 3 of American Horror Story, you are truly missing out. I really, really like Jessica's rendition of "Rhiannon" and this is honestly my favorite performance of the night so far. Sure, Jessica is no Stevie Nicks, but she channels her a bit and does sing the song beautifully.
Judges Say: Harry says this was his favorite Jessica performance. Keith loves Jessica's outfit but advises her to find a way to pull the audience in when she isn't playing an instrument. JLo echoes Keith's sentiments but does think Jessica is more confident and connecting with the audience more.
----------------------------------------Contestant: C.J. Harris
Song: "If It Hadn't Been For Love" by The Steeldrivers
I do not know this song. Even so, I can still tell that C.J. is out of tune for most of the performance. His raspiness is great and I applaud how he really gets into each song, but he has not made any improvements on the "vocals vs. emotion" front.
Judges Say: Keith thinks C.J. made a clever song choice but cautions him not to confuse the sound of expressing with the feeling of expressing. That's a very positive spin on C.J.'s pitch issues. JLo thinks the song started off good...was off in the middle...but good in the end. She gets some "boos" and I have no idea why. Harry thinks Keith said it best regarding the pitch issues.
----------------------------------------Contestant: Caleb Johnson
Song: "Dazed and Confused" by Led Zeppelin
Yes. Yes. And YES. As soon as tonight's theme was announced I was excited to see Caleb with the band. He totally kills it (as if there was any doubt) and I have to watch the performance twice before I can move on. JLo rocks out in her seat so hard, stank face and all, I really wish that she would just rush the stage and head bang. Jena has her work cut out for her to top this performance.
Judges Say: JLo and Keith give Caleb a standing ovation. It actually takes a while for the room to settle down before JLo can talk. She calls Caleb sexy and says he took it to another level tonight. She "luhs" him. Harry thinks Caleb could not have done the song any better and Keith says the performance was more "I'm with the singer" than "I'm with the band."
----------------------------------------Contestant: Jena Irene
Song: "Bring Me Back To Life" by Evanescence
This song is perfect for Jena. She totally takes advantage of the band atmosphere, she makes a great effort to connect with the audience...oh, and she sounds pretty badass. Jena has realllllly stepped up her game and I'm excited for her. I still think Caleb had the performance of the night, but she was still well deserving of the pimp slot. Awesome.
Judges Say: Harry says Jena followed Caleb's performance just fine (wow!). He thinks Jena's voice could be heard on the radio as well. Keith believes Jena delivered tonight and JLo says she sounded phenomenal. She does think that Jena could have been more messy though.
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What a way to close the night. Caleb and Jena let loose and owned it and I still give a ton of credit to Jessica as well. I'm indifferent to the other performances though and not sure what will happen tomorrow night. Majesty has been living in the bottom 3, C.J. can't seem to carry a tune, and Dexter has struggled to break out of the "I play songs everyone knows and do not change a thing" funk. Will one of these three head home? Will Sam's snoozefest place him in danger again even though he loves his grandma? We will have to say goodbye to one of these 9 hopefuls during the results show and keep our fingers crossed that it's not one of the true contenders. Til then!
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