As we are getting closer and closer to the finale, one question remains constant on my mind...how many more episodes will we have to suffer through the #idolsave? I mean, it's run its course by now, hasn't it? Anyway, the remaining contestants are taking on "arena anthems" tonight and will each perform twice, because arena anthems are much better when we cut them in half to shove 12 of them together in a 2 hour span...or so the Idol producers think. Let's get this going and see who's up for the challenge!
Contestant: Jax
Song: "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" by Jet
I'm going to overlook the fact that Jax changed the lyrics to "are you gonna be my guy," because this is a great performance. The song isn't a vocal showcase, but the energy and stage presence she has is fantastic. You want an arena anthem? You got it!
Judges Say: Keith yells "Jaaax! Wow!" He thinks it took her a little while to get into it and says she should have been energetic right out of the gate. I thought she had pretty good energy right from the beginning but maybe it felt different in the venue. JLo thinks -- whoa! Holy plunging neckline Batman! Geesh. JLo thinks Jax is ready to tour. Harry says the performance was strong.
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Contestant: Nick Fradiani
Song: "Harder To Breathe" by Maroon 5
This starts off very rough. I think Nick came in a little late and he struggles to catch up until he gets to the first chorus. He's rocking out, which is great and all, but the band is drowning him out and I don't understand much of what he's singing...and I know the lyrics to the song. Not my fave.
Judges Say: JLo and her boobs had been dancing throughout the song and she says the performance was awesome. Harry thinks the performance was scary for everyone in the competition because it was terrific. What? What the hell is going on? Keith thinks Nick is finding his lane vocally and but didn't think he was into the performance. Nick actually admits that he lost his place in the beginning....which I appreciate since the judges make no mention of it....because I assume Nick is "meant" to make it further than others in the competition.
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Contestant: Clark Beckham
Song: "Yesterday" by The Beatles
I was not aware that "Yesterday" is ranked as an arena anthem. You learn something new every day I guess. Or maybe because Clark is a front-runner, Idol just lets him do what he wants. Regardless, Clark gets kind of theatrical in this performance and tweaks the song a bit here and there for those dramatic pauses. I think for the first time I might be hearing some not so great notes come out of his mouth, but the amazing ones far outweigh the bum ones. It's a really good performance - I was just hoping that Clark would go all out with tonight's theme.
Judges Say: Harry likes that Clark did not use high notes gratuitously and thinks he did a great job. Keith says Clark made the song current but tells him he doesn't have to be so contained. JLo says the song choice was risky but thinks he did a beautiful job.
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Contestant: Tyanna Jones
Song: "Party in the U.S.A." by Miley Cyrus
Who. Picked. This. Song. Was it really Tyanna? Don't get me wrong - I jam to this when it comes on the radio. I throw my hands up and nod my head and am not ashamed to sing along with the windows down in my car. I get that we are trying to drive home just how young Tyanna is (she's just being Tyanna?), but this song does nothing for her. Zero. It's a damn shame too because I love Tyanna. I'm now saying prayers that her second performance is awesome.
Who. Picked. This. Song. Was it really Tyanna? Don't get me wrong - I jam to this when it comes on the radio. I throw my hands up and nod my head and am not ashamed to sing along with the windows down in my car. I get that we are trying to drive home just how young Tyanna is (she's just being Tyanna?), but this song does nothing for her. Zero. It's a damn shame too because I love Tyanna. I'm now saying prayers that her second performance is awesome.
Judges Say: Keith says the performance was fun and JLo thinks Tyanna seemed very comfortable on stage tonight. Harry says the song choice was smart and she killed it. I'm now in the twilight zone. We must be saving all of the for real criticism for Quentin. He and Rayvon are in the bottom 2.
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Contestant: Quentin Alexander
Song: "Light My Fire" by The Doors
First and foremost, I have to wonder how much time and effort was put into Quentin getting those pants on. Did he have help? Was it an all day process? Are they just going to cut him out of the pants when the performance is over? But I digress... This song definitely should have been a home run for Quentin, but it's actually more of double. The arrangement is really cool and he finally starts getting into the song and the lyrics about half way through (really unlike him to wait that long). So while I think the finish was strong....I'm not sure how many people were still paying close attention at that point.
First and foremost, I have to wonder how much time and effort was put into Quentin getting those pants on. Did he have help? Was it an all day process? Are they just going to cut him out of the pants when the performance is over? But I digress... This song definitely should have been a home run for Quentin, but it's actually more of double. The arrangement is really cool and he finally starts getting into the song and the lyrics about half way through (really unlike him to wait that long). So while I think the finish was strong....I'm not sure how many people were still paying close attention at that point.
Judges Say: JLo thinks Quentin looks great but wants more "vocal pow" from him. Harry dug the arrangement and the laid back vibe. Keith likes that Quentin "swims in his own lane" but doesn't say much else.
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Contestant: Rayvon Owen
Song: "I'm Not the Only One" by Sam Smith
I clearly just don't understand the definition of an arena anthem. How is this song applicable to tonight's theme? And does it even matter? This whole performanczzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.....
Judges Say: Harry says Rayvon gave a fantastic vocal performance and calls it flawless. Keith thinks this was the perfect song choice and would be a hit for him as a single. JLo says Rayvon could make it to the finale...and I throw a pillow across the room.
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Contestant: Nick Fradiani
Song: "Maggie May" by Rod Stewart
This is much, much better than the first performance. Nick is having fun with the song, he's in command of the stage, and he sounds great. Is he ready for arenas? No. But is he ready to launch a career? I'll keep my fingers crossed for him.
This is much, much better than the first performance. Nick is having fun with the song, he's in command of the stage, and he sounds great. Is he ready for arenas? No. But is he ready to launch a career? I'll keep my fingers crossed for him.
Judges Say: Keith thinks Nick made some good adjustments with the guitar this week and JLo says Nick is picking songs that suit him really well. She mentions that he hasn't created a "moment" yet though. Harry asks Nick if he can sustain a 2 or 3 hour show on the road. Nick says "I know I can" and Harry agrees.
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Contestant: Tyanna Jones
Song: "Heaven" by Bryan Adams
How did we go from "Party in the U.S.A" to a song that begins "Oh, thinking about our younger years?" What younger years are we thinking about? Taking the training wheels off? WHO MENTORED THE KID THIS WEEK? Tyanna has said plenty of times this season that she has not had a boyfriend and has trouble relating to some of the love songs she's performed, and she clearly doesn't connect with this one. Tyanna does the best that she can with it, but in my mind she has not had a strong evening.
How did we go from "Party in the U.S.A" to a song that begins "Oh, thinking about our younger years?" What younger years are we thinking about? Taking the training wheels off? WHO MENTORED THE KID THIS WEEK? Tyanna has said plenty of times this season that she has not had a boyfriend and has trouble relating to some of the love songs she's performed, and she clearly doesn't connect with this one. Tyanna does the best that she can with it, but in my mind she has not had a strong evening.
Judges Say: JLo liked this song for Tyanna and thinks we saw a side of Tyanna we needed to see. Harry asks what kind of music Tyanna wants to sing on her first album and Tyanna responds with "a mix of everything." I don't think that's what Harry was going for. Keith tells Tyanna she has a beautiful voice and then we move on.
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Contestant: Clark Beckham
Song: "Boyfriend" by Justin Bieber
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| Please Clark. Please be my boyfriend. |
Judges Say: Harry thinks Clark has done himself a disservice by setting the bar so high. He then tells Clark that "Boyfriend" was not the right song to do tonight. Keith says it needed to be more sexy and less technical. JLo doesn't think the song would be a great stadium moment. Yup - along with half of the other songs we've heard tonight, Jenny.
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Contestant: Jax
Song: "White Flag" by Dido
This song is perrrrrfect for Jax and she kind of creates a Jena Irene moment at the piano tonight. The performance is engaging, she sings the song beautifully, and I'm buying every word of it. Best of the night for me.
Judges Say: Keith says Jax held his attention for the entire song and JLo tells Jax this performance was exactly what she needed to do tonight. Harry calls the performance phenomenal.
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Contestant: Quentin Alexander
Song: "Shake It Out" by Florence + The Machine
Quentin leaves it all on the stage for his rendition of "Shake It Out." He goes for the big notes, the big staging, and the big emotional climax that he's gotten so good at. This is one of my favorite Quentin performances ever and I hope it's enough to keep him here.
Quentin leaves it all on the stage for his rendition of "Shake It Out." He goes for the big notes, the big staging, and the big emotional climax that he's gotten so good at. This is one of my favorite Quentin performances ever and I hope it's enough to keep him here.
Judges Say: JLo says Quentin is someone she wants to watch on tour and compliments his vocals. Harry...just shut up Harry. Keith thinks Quentin is clear on the type of record he wants to make and encourages him to take the reigns and use his artistic instincts. These guys are kind of saying "goodbye" to Quentin without actually saying "goodbye." Grrr.
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Contestant: Rayvon Owen
Song: "Go Your Own Way" by Fleetwood Mac
Well, here's a true arena anthem. No doubt about that. Rayvon has the right amount of energy to perform this song and does a really great job on the choruses. He's at his absolute best there. However, Rayvon is almost inaudible during the verses and I'm very much over the falsetto. Very much. But what I think doesn't matter....it's what the Twitterverse thinks that could ruin the night. Will they really save Rayvon again?
Judges Say: Harry asks Rayvon what kind of guidance he would take from a producer in a recording studio, and Rayvon says he hopes making an album would be a collaborative effort. This exchange is a complete waste of time. Keith mentions Rayvon's crazy high note and JLo calls Rayvon a fighter.
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Now we wait for the results of the Twitter save that should have been disbanded by now. Really? We're going to give the same guy a chance to be saved 4 weeks in a row by social media? Yup, not only is Idol going to allow this Twitter BS to continue....Rayvon is saved AGAIN. This is just outrageous. The judges get one save for one person for the season, but one person has the chance to be saved for 4 weeks and ending up in the Top 5 that way? I've been reading that Idol viewership has hit an all time low - this stupidity can't possibly be helping. Poor Quentin. He's not someone I thought would win, but he's 100% more entertaining than Rayvon.
Next week the remaining contestants will square off again and without (gasp) the #idolsave to fix the Final 4 take up unnecessary minutes in the show. Can Rayvon survive another week without Twitter? Will the judges' harsh response to Clark's Bieber cover put him in danger? Can I go to sleep tonight without humming "Party in the U.S.A?" Doubtful, my friends. We'll see how it all shakes out when the Final 4 are revealed. Til then!
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