It's night 2 of the American Idol big top 12 reveal/immediate elimination. Last night the remaining contestants took the stage hoping to make it to the Top 10. Because the elimination shows are gone, tonight's format is similar to the Top 12 reveal....each "safe" contestant will be called one at a time to perform. The person in 12th place will sing for the judges' save. Tonight's theme is "party anthems, so here's hoping these guys can give us an energy filled two hours. Let's see how they do.
Contestant: Rayvon Owen
Song: "Burn" by Ellie Goulding
Okay, so I'm not a fan of Rayvon's falsetto in this song. I'm actually not a fan of the song choice either. "Burn" is the party anthem that best suited his style? I doubt that. That being said, he still does that thing where he goes up on his tip toes a lot...and that makes me smile.
Judges Say: Everyone in the audience has balloons because, you know, it's a party. Keith "woooos" and says "Burn" was a killah song choice. He also calls this Rayvon's best performance. Really? JLo says the performance was really great, and Harry challenges Rayvon to not rely on his falsetto as the arc of his performances.
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Contestant: Maddie Walker
Song: "She's Country" by Jason Aldean
Yes. Yes, she is country. She's not enjoying herself as much as she should be with this song though. It's a party, Maddie! She sounds really great but she's just too darn serious tonight. I hope she's able to let loose a little more next week.
Judges Say: JLo says Maddie is sassy and sweet and thinks this was a really great performance. Harry's biggest concern is Maddie knowing the difference between imitating and emulating. He wants to hear Maddie's interpretation of songs and not a copy. Keith thinks Maddie is a little overwhelmed by the camera, wardrobe, and dance moves, but believes she will become more comfortable as the competition continues.
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Contestant: Joey Cook
Song: "Fancy" by Iggy Azalea
You read that right. Joey is taking on "Fancy" tonight. Joey, of course, does her own thing with this song and I absolutely love it. She sits on a stool with a cool dude playing the bass next to her and she never moves from her seated spot. Her legs stay crossed behind the mic stand and she lets her hands and face tell the whole story. There are some critics out there who think Joey is too animated, but for me, her enthusiasm comes from a very genuine place and I'm totally fine with it.
Judges Say: Harry says the arrangement was brilliant and she sang it brilliantly. Keith thinks Joey has a potency that makes the audience like a moth to a flame. JLo tells Joey she made a smart choice tonight but wanted to hear a bit more of the original melody.
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Contestant: Clark Beckham
Song: "Takin' It to the Streets" by The Doobie Brothers
Clark sings from behind the piano tonight, which is sexy and all, but I would have loved to see what kind of energy he would have brought by taking center stage. He looks like he desperately wants to get up and dance when he gets to the chorus and I think that would have been a ton of fun. No worries though - his vocals are amazing and it's still a really great performance.
Judges Say: Keith says it was cool to see him play the piano but he wants Clark to do more than just be an incredible voice. JLo loved the piano aspect as well and agrees that Clark needs to push himself out of his comfort zone. This wasn't Harry's favorite performance, but says Clark should keep doing what he's doing. Huh?
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Contestant: Jax
Song: "Blank Space" by Taylor Swift
Hmmm. Talking about emulating and not imitating (thank you, Harry. I will be using this a lot). Jax even throws in some of T-Swift's dance moves from the number of times she's performed this on TV in the past few months. She sounds okay, but I normally love her voice and I don't think this was the right song for her.
Judges Say: JLo says Jax has a lot of fans and is super talented. She felt that Jax was overtaken by the music and encourages her to choose a song next week that shows how special she is. Harry thinks the performance was a carbon copy of Taylor's and Keith agrees. The Australian hottie thinks she struggled keeping the melody.
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Contestant: Qaasim Middleton
Song: "Jet" by Paulk McCartney and Wings
Qaasim has to tone his movements down tonight as he plays guitar for this tune. He's totally rocking the Lenny Kravitz look...but that's unfortunately all he's rocking. The vocals are all over the place and I can barely understand a word he's saying. Thank goodness I already knew the lyrics to the song, but I imagine anyone hearing this for the first time tonight is not in a rush to download the original.
Judges Say: Harry asks Qaasim what he thought the meaning of the song was, and then tells him that his performance did not match the song. Harry then says Qaasim is turning into a one trick pony. I'm inclined to agree but JLo "boos" him. Keith loved the performance (what!?) because he thinks the guitar helped the singing. Again, what?!?! JLo thinks Qaasim makes every song a party and she enjoyed the performance. God help me.
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Contestant: Adanna Duru
Song: "Runaway Baby" by Bruno MarsSo, this is an improvement on the mess she made of "You and I" last night, but I'm still not really a fan. The "I'm sexy and I know it" shtick feels forced at times, though I will say that I enjoy her energy tonight.
Judges Say: Keith tells Adanna "that's why we saved you!" JLo says she stayed in control of the song and the vocals were much better. Harry agrees and compliments the song choice.
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Contestant: Tyanna Jones
Song: "Tightrope" by Janelle Monae
I love this kid. Start to finish, this is an awesome performance. She had me when she started rocking out next to the band, sporting blue hair, a bow tie, and suspenders. Tyanna works the stage and has really great energy, all while still keeping her vocals completely on point. Hot damn.
Judges Say: Keith and JLo give her a standing ovation. The crowd yells and cheers for such a long time before JLo can get started talking about her goosies. JLo calls the performance "complete." Harry says that if he were a judge in the Olympics, he would have given her a 10. Keith is very touched by Tyanna's humble attitude toward singing and music. He loved the performance.
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Contestant: Daniel Seavey
Song: "Happy" by PharrellSo, last night's performance was a train wreck and I wondered how he made it through to the Top 12 over some of the others. This performance is much, much better and he had me clapping along. Is he still out of his league? Definitely. But at least if he makes it through next week there will at least be a decent performance to back up that adorable smile.
Judges Say: Harry says he's spent a lot of time reviewing all of Daniel's performances this season because he's trying to figure Daniel out. He thinks Daniel is immensely talented and says this was Daniel's strongest performance. Keith thinks we'll definitely see Daniel next week and JLo says it's impossible not to vote for Daniel. Oh yeah? Let me show you how possible it is.
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Contestant: Quentin
Song: "Rolling in the Deep" by AdeleThis is normally the part of the show where I rant about how I hate when contestants cover Adele. However, I do like this arrangement and the drums in the background. It's kind of a tribal feel. Quentin does a really good job connecting with the song and I'm totally engaged in the performance. Nicely done.
Judges Say: Keith loved that Quentin took a female song and made it his own. JLo thinks Quentin brings a soulful, solid flavor to the show, and Harry says Quentin's greatest gift is to dig deep down into the lyrics.
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Contestant: Nick Fradliani
Song: "Wake Me Up" by Aloe Blacc
Nick seriously needs to be more confident. Dude is so talented and I'm not sure he realizes it. He looks around and speaks "I tried carrying the weight of the world" instead of singing it, and I "woo" from my couch. Not sure if this was a show-closing type performance, but I definitely think it was a strong one.
Judges Say: JLo tells Nick that it got a little bit screamy but she really liked the song choice. Harry says it was a solid performance and encourages him to crack open in his next performance. Keith believes we will see Nick perform again next week.
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This leaves Sarina-Joi Crowe as the eliminated contestant. Though she does her best with Demi Lovato's "Neon Lights," the judges definitely aren't going to use their save this early. Next week the Top 10 will perform again, with the judges save in the air for the 11th place finisher. Will Daniel continue to get the teen girl votes? Will the voters also see Qaasim as a one trick pony? Will another safe week give performers like Nick and Maddie the boost they need to let loose in the competition? We'll find out next Thursday. Til then!
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