Tonight we are back to 12 performances as the remaining six
contestants take on two songs. We have a “little bit country, little bit rock
n’ roll” theme this evening…which could either show off the contestants’
versatility or cement their status as a one trick pony. Will anyone be able to
knock it out of the park during both rounds? Let’s find out!
ROCK N’ ROLL ROUND
Contestant: Jena Irene
Song:
“Barracuda” by Heart
I love that Jena gets to start off the evening because she is bound
to put me in a good mood going into these dozen performances. This is a great song choice for her, and she
handles the tall order of taking on a Heart song with no problem. Jena looks more and more like a pro with each
performance and this is a fantastic way to start the show. Judges Say: Keith says the song is perfect for Jena’s voice and she has really set the bar high with this performance. JLo thinks Jena has a real chance at getting to the finale, and Harry encourages her to think about how she can let go a little more.
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Contestant: Sam Woolf
Song: “It’s
Time” by Imagine Dragons
The song title sums up what I've been thinking for weeks about Sam’s
stint on the show. He at least has a
little bit of attitude tonight and does not make me want to turn on a pot of coffee to
get through the rest of the evening. Oh,
but don’t mistake attitude for charisma. He’s still not commanding the stage in
any way…he just doesn't look lost or wounded in this performance.
Judges Say: JLo got goosies from the performance and I don’t understand how…unless Harry is grabbing at her from under the table. Harry, by the way, thinks Sam could easily put that song on a record and sing in a concert. He thinks Sam is blossoming. Keith says Sam tapped into something different this evening and asks Sam to always use emotion when he performs.
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Contestant: C.J. Harris
Song:
“American Woman” by The Guess Who
Oh dear. Dude still cannot start a song in tune and it just kills me.
When I think of this song, my brain immediately goes to the Lenny Kravitz
cover, and I would give my next paycheck to see the look on his face if he is
watching the show tonight. There’s no attitude
in C.J.’s performance, and really…the usual “you wore your heart on your sleeve
for that song” vibe everyone always praises is gone tonight as well.
Judges Say: I'm incredibly tense wondering what kind of critiques I'm about to hear. I'm just so tired of the C.J. sugar coating. Here we go. Harry thinks this was a good
performance (what the hell is going on with the judges tonight?). He does mention tone issues again…which, um, should automatically take this performance OUT of the “good”
category, Harry. Keith says C.J. was fighting his sweet side to try to tap into his
badass side and there was a disconnect between the two. Yeah, there was also a disconnect with the pitch and the sometimes playing the guitar convincingly move he was trying to do. Just sayin. JLo makes an excuse about C.J. not
being a rock n’ roll guy…and I have to fast forward through the rest.
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Contestant: Alex Preston
Song:
“Animal” by Neon Trees
Um, I think it’s safe to say that rock n’ roll is not in Alex’s
wheelhouse…not unless he is allowed to put a spin on the tune to make it a
classic in Amsterdam…or I guess Colorado these days. Should we go ahead and
make an exception for him as well though? This definitely isn't one of Alex’s
better performances. He seems to spend
the majority of the song just trying to catch up to the speed of the
music. He’ll be far better suited for
round two.
Judges Say: Keith says Alex didn't dominate the song at all and the audience “boos” him. JLo thinks there was something missing from Alex in terms of energy. Harry says at this point in the competition no one gets a “pass,” but then he says Alex gets a pass because he’s so good all the time. I feel like I’m in the freaking twilight zone tonight.
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Contestant: Caleb Johnson
Song: “Sting
Me” by The Black Crows
Caleb does exactly what we expect him to do here…totally rock this
performance. He drops the mic at one
point but recovers quickly as the drummer is doing his thing. The camera even
seemed to cut away on purpose. Can’t
have our front-runners making mistakes on screen huh? Either way, Caleb looks
like he should already be on tour, and the majority of the other contestants
should take note of his energy and stage presence.
Judges Say: JLo says “that was some real
rock n’ roll!” She points out that Caleb dropped the microphone…it rolled to
the back…then Caleb picked it up and sang right on point with the music. Ahhhh
okay. We didn't get to see the whole thing. She calls him a true performer. Harry thinks coupling the perfect song choice
with an incredible performance is virtually impossible to beat. Keith comments
on Caleb’s microphone recovery as well – apparently Caleb slid to the back of the
stage to retrieve the mic. Awesome.
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Contestant: Jessica Meuse
Song: “Somebody to Love” by Jefferson Airplane
See, this song should be a home run for Jessica – it’s completely
perfect for her voice. However, there’s
still something missing here. I realize this isn't the type of song where you
can have a blast and show off your fun side, but man…I just want Jessica to
look like she’s fighting to win this competition. The voice is there and it’s awesome. I just find myself leaning forward, holding
my breath, waiting for a “moment,” but it never arrives.
Judges Say: Harry compliments Jessica’s vocals and says Jessica presented her voice in the best possible way tonight. Keith agrees that the performance was vocally strong and then uses the word “release” for the 100th time tonight. JLo says there has to be a freedom to each performance and sometimes Jessica does not look like she feels everything she’s singing.
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COUNTRY
MUSIC ROUND
Contestant: Sam Woolf
Song:
“You’re Still the One” by Shania Twain
First thing’s first – Sam performs this song without a guitar and I
give him credit for taking a step out of his comfort zone. He also FINALLY
walks up to some teenage girls and touches their hands. Thaaaank you. Aside from these two big steps,
this rendition is totally boring. I think Sam is flat during the choruses and I
don’t buy for a second that he’s telling a story here.
Judges Say: Keith looks around and says the
girls are going crazy. He then tells Sam to relax more. Yes, Keith. I think that's one point we can all agree on. JLo talks about how cute
Sam is…and how the girls just love Sam...and how cute Same is....and that’s pretty much it. Harry thinks Sam needs to worry less about
singing the song perfectly and more about delivering the lyrics. Thank you, Harry for an actual critique.
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Contestant: Caleb Johnson
Song: “Undo It” by Carrie Underwood
Carrie had tweeted earlier that she heard a couple of contestants were singing her songs tonight, so I was already eager for this. The thing about this theme though is nothing precludes the contestants from making the song their own…and Caleb does so in a way that the song hasn’t a shred of country left when the performance ends. Don’t get me wrong - Caleb still gives us a good rock version of the song, but he already fulfilled the rock song request during the rock n’ roll round earlier.
Judges Say: JLo says Caleb did a great job but his earlier performance was “epic.” Harry agrees, saying the second song was forced but the first song was magic. Keith says he can’t wait to hear what country song Caleb does later. HA!
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Contestant: Alex Preston
Song: “Always On My Mind” by Willie Nelson
Personally, I have always preferred the Elvis Presley version of this
song, but you can’t argue that Willie Nelson isn’t awesome. The guy is 300
years old and is still cooler than 90% of artists today. But onto Alex. He completely redeems
himself here and I’ve almost forgotten about his first performance altogether. This
rendition is touching, original, and powerful without any belting.
Judges Say: Harry feels very lucky to have heard Alex perform that song in the competition tonight. Keith says the song is heartbreaking but didn't feel that from Alex. Really? Maybe Alex should have released more? JLo thinks the performance was beautiful.
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Contestant: Jena Irene
Song: “So Small” by Carrie Underwood
I love this song. I also love Carrie, and nobody does it better than
Carrie. That being said, Jena is pretty amazing here. There’s no diva-ness in her performance, no attention
drawn to the band, no effects…she just sings from her heart and the result is
breathtaking. I can’t help but smile the entire time and I’m a bit sad when the
performance ends.
Judges Say: Keith puts his head in his hand and says “Jena, baby, you are such a good singer,” and I swoon. He always has me at “baby.” JLo thinks the power of the vocal and story made the band disappear. She has the goosies again. Harry didn't really know where the performance was going…he says something weird about sheet music and melodies and interpreting Carrie’s interpretation of melodies.
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Contestant: C.J. Harris
Song: “Whatever It Is” by Zac Brown Band
This is
another situation where the song title is just perfect. I have no idea what
this is…but whatever it is, it’s not good. That’s all I have.
Judges Say: JLo says she expected a bit more from C.J. since this round should have been more his style. Harry agrees and encourages C.J. to pick songs that will kill. Keith doesn’t add anything new to the critique.
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Contestant: Jessica Meuse
Song: “Jolene” by Dolly Parton
Jessica is closing the show tonight and I’m nervous, thinking pleaseletherdowell ,
pleaseletherdowell. This is another great song choice for her and she seems very comfortable with it. I’m not sure that I love the arrangement, but
I think Jessica makes definite improvements with this performance. There’s more
feeling to her voice and I’m totally invested in the song from start to finish. I think Jessica earned the pimp slot tonight and I really hope she makes it through to next week. Well done.
Judges Say: Harry felt that Jessica was
thinking about the lyrics and the delivery and he tells her she gave another
strong performance. Keith hated the arrangement and says the song didn't need all of that
darkness. JLo thinks the vocal was really strong and she noticed a difference
in Jessica’s eyes and demeanor.
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And with that, the evening is over. Given how high the stakes are and
the constant reminders that people need to “bring it” each week, I thought the
judges were soft on the weaker performances tonight. We should be beyond the
point of “Sam is cute” and “C.J. has heart” by the Top 6 week. Between the two of them though, I
really hope we bid adieu to C.J. tomorrow. Sam’s voice is at least typically
pleasant to listen to…but I don’t think I can go through another week of C.J.
giving pitch his best try. Will he prove me wrong and survive the elimination?
Will Jessica find herself on the chopping block again? We’ll find out during
the results show. Til then!
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