Tonight the Top 6 will be revealed and we will lose another contestant because, you know, the judges used their save a long time ago and left us with Twitter users to keep the suspense going. This week's theme is "American Classics," whatever that means, and each contestant will take on 2 songs each. We're at that point in the American Idol season where the 2 hour shows remain and instead of letting the contestants give complete performances, they essentially do snippets of songs so we can cram as much in as possible. Let's see how this goes...
Contestant: Tyanna Jones
Song: "Why Do Fools Fall In Love" by Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers
Tyanna had such a great week last week that it's going to be tough to be as impressive tonight. Sure, the song is fun and she gets to be a teenager and have a good time...but at this point in the competition she needs to be 'bringing it' with every performance. I say all of these things lovingly because I am a big Tyanna fan.
Judges Say: Keith says the song choice was interesting and did not show off Tyanna's vocal skills. JLo feels like they need just a bit more from her. Harry compliments Tyanna's rhythmic ease but wishes she had moved around more.
-------------------------------------------------
Contestant: Clark Beckham
Song: "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder
Clark needs to push himself outside of his comfort zone a little more this week and he accomplishes that for sure with this song. Dude looks like he's actually letting loose! Clark's vocals are (of course) on point, but he's doing some fun things with the song as well that takes his showmanship to a new level.
Judges Say: JLo says Clark is looking good and calls the performance funky and amazing. Harry doesn't think Clark could have done the song any better. Keith demonstrates some moves Clark could do with the guitar and I have to rewind and watch those a few times.
-------------------------------------------------
Contestant: Jax
Song: "Piece of My Heart" by Janis Joplin
I. Love. This. My only complaint is the performance is over too soon. Jax borrows one of JLo's wind machines and delivers a vigorous and gritty performance that makes me forget how many freaking times this song has been done on the show already. I just thank God that Qaasim never got a hold of this one.
Judges Say: Harry only knows 2 versions of this song...which means he didn't watch the first 10 years of this show. He says the performance was strong. Keith loves how Jax sings with the band behind her and JLo says Jax is in her element tonight.
-------------------------------------------------
Contestant: Nick Fradiani
Song: "American Girl" by Top Petty
Nick wants to rock n' roll for these last 5 weeks and surprise everyone. I would sure as hell be surprised. Nick is all denim-ed out tonight with some curliness in his hair, and I think he's actually at a point now where he thinks he can win. He sounds great, he looks confident, and this is probably his best performance of the season.
Judges Say: Keith "wooooo"s a lot and says the song was perfect for Nick. JLo thinks Nick has a "radio ready" voice and Harry says the performance was dead on.
-------------------------------------------------
Contestant: Quentin Alexander
Song: "Are You Gonna Go My Way" by Lenny Kravitz
Well, I can say that Quentin absolutely looks the part. He's got some attitude and is very into the song and the performance aspect. Unfortunately this tune does nothing for his voice and his pitch is kind of everywhere. Did I mention his badass outfit though?
Judges Say: JLo says the whole thing worked. She then oddly follows that up by saying the pitch was all over the place but Quentin gave a good performance. Harry thinks the band was more captivating than Quentin. Keith likes that Quentin was laid back even though the band was going crazy.
And now the show completely goes off the rails. Ryan takes the stage and tries to get Quentin talking. Quentin points at our bottom 2 - Rayvon and JOEY and says "this is whack" because they are two of the best vocalists. Well, I half agree with you buddy. Ryan reminds Quentin that there's still the #idolsave on Twitter and Quentin looks like he wants to punch him. I wish he had. Quentin leaves the stage and Harry yells that Quentin is being highly disrespectful by biting the hand that feeds him. He essentially says if Quentin doesn't like the process, he can just go home. Quentin comes back on stage (get him!) and says his personal feelings of "this is whack" are seeing two people he loves in danger of going home. Harry says that wasn't clear and Quentin quickly responds "Well, I'm glad that I got to clarify that for you." Ha! Shut up Harry.
-------------------------------------------------
Contestant: Joey Cook
Song: "My Funny Valentine" by Frank Sinatra
Joey is very glam tonight and I'm digging it. Much like last week's "Wrecking Ball," she doesn't change the song and relies on her vocals for the performance. She hits some bum notes as she tries to push her voice, but she's completely engaged in the lyrics and refraining from all of the animated moves that are typically distracting. I really want to see her stay over Rayvon and I hope she knocks it out of the park in her second performance. Regardless though, Melinda Doolittle's version of this song still reigns as my absolute favorite.
Judges Say: Harry says Joey looks lovely and thinks she did a damn good job. Yes! Keith doesn't think the song was perfectly executed and JLo "didn't feel anything" from Joey's performance. Boooo.
-------------------------------------------------
Contestant: Rayvon Owen
Song: "Long Train Runnin" by The Doobie Brothers
Rayvon's attempt to get the audience involved by shouting "Come on and help me sing this song" had to have been met with blank stares from the teenagers in the stage pit. Rayvon is finally trying to put on a performance this evening, but the hokey choreography is just killing me. Was he less boring tonight? Absolutely...but I'm tired of seeing him saved every week.
Judges Say: Keith says the performance was good but wants Rayvon to get a little more edgy. JLo thinks Rayvon stepped it up and Harry admires Rayvon's fight every week.
-------------------------------------------------
Contestant: Clark Beckham
Song: "Moon River"
Oh how I love this song. Clark gets all tuxedo-ed out and plays the piano for this performance, surrounded by fog and looking dreamy. The rendition is pretty and I sway back and forth on my couch. This isn't a standout moment, but the performance is a fitting tribute to a true American classic.
Judges Say: JLo loved the performance, saying she felt like she was in a movie. Harry uses the words "cocktail piano thing" and encourages him to learn different chords. He then calls Clark the only "musician" left in the competition. Really?!?! I'm sitting here hoping that Quentin will rush the stage but he doesn't. I mean, Clark is a front runner and I want him to be my boyfriend...but in no way is he the only musician left. Keith calls the performance "warm and fuzzy."
-------------------------------------------------
Contestant: Tyanna Jones
Song: "Proud Mary" by Creedence Clearwater Revival
This is a tall order for someone so young. Tyanna does a hell of job though. She's got the right attitude, the right vocals, and the right moves to make this performance work. I'd love to see what she would have done if time allowed her to do the whole song.
This is a tall order for someone so young. Tyanna does a hell of job though. She's got the right attitude, the right vocals, and the right moves to make this performance work. I'd love to see what she would have done if time allowed her to do the whole song.
Judges Say: Harry says the performance was as close to perfect as it could be. Keith reminds us that Tyanna is only 16 and if she's this good now, imagine how great she'll be when she's older. JLo thinks she wowed the audience and that's where Tyanna should be every time.
-------------------------------------------------
Contestant: Nick Fradiani
Song: "Only the Good Die Young" by Billy Joel
This is another song that loses context and awesomeness when it's chopped up the way it is in Nick's performance. There's no way to tell the story with the sections chosen and this "let's have 14 performances of song snippets" thing is getting on my nerves. That being said, I really like the arrangement here and the way Nick slows the song down to show off his vocals. Rather than rocking out with his guitar, which I would have expected, Nick chooses the sit on a stool and sing the hell out of something route. Smart move dude...even though you're apparently not a musician.
Judges Say: Keith says the arrangement played to every part of Nick's strengths. JLo agrees but Harry says the arrangement threw him off. He mentions the context of the song as well (it's seriously about a guy trying to get a girl to lose her virginity), and how that story didn't come across.
-------------------------------------------------
Contestant: Quentin Alexander
Song: "The Sound of Silence" by Simon & Garfunkel
I love this. "The Sounds of Silence" is a great song to begin with and Quentin takes moments here and there to really emphasize the lyrics of the song. He always has such a neat interpretation of the songs he performs on the show and I'm a fan of this one for sure.
Judges Say: JLo brings up the BS from earlier and sounds like she's scolding him. She then says it was a "nice" performance. Harry loves the tone of Quentin's voice when he holds notes...but he goes back to the pitch issue and I groan...because, you know, that doesn't seem to apply to everyone. Keith loves what Quentin goes for in all of his perofrmances but doesn't really give him any real feedback. My assumption is Quentin is the new Hailey Reinhart, Holly Cavanagh, Janelle Arthur or Jessica Meuse and won't be able to do anything right from now on.
-------------------------------------------------
Contestant: Jax
Song: "Beat It" by Michael Jackson
Oh. No. Just...no. Jax, honey, why? She is all over the stage, shouting the song as if her mic is turned off, and I think this performance is a mess. Paging Qaasim!
Judges Say: Harry compliments the static electricity in Jax's hair and her ability to run around stage. Keith thinks the performance was great and JLo says Jax looks cool. Where's the part when the judges offer critiques and for real criticism? Quentin needs to work on pitch but Jax can shatter my eardrums and it's okay?
-------------------------------------------------
Contestant: Rayvon Owen
Song: "Always On My Mind" by Willie Nelson
I definitely prefer Elvis Presley's version to any other rendition I've heard. Rayvon does a really nice job here though. He's still more concerned with the technical aspects of the song (and don't forget about the falsetto - did you know he has a falsetto?) than the lyrics but I really can't complain too much. This is one of his best performances of the season.
Judges Say: Keith says this was the right song and Rayvon sang it beautifully. JLo has goosies and Harry thinks ballads are Rayvon's strong suit.
-------------------------------------------------
Contestant: Joey Cook
Song: "Somebody to Love" by Jefferson Airplane
Joey goes all bluegrass-y with "Somebody to Love" and I'm loving every bit of it. She knows she's in a "sing for your life" scenario and she's giving it everything. This performance is 100% Joey - what you see is what you get, quirks and all, and I truly hope it's enough to keep her in the competition.
Judges Say: JLo loved the performance and says this rendition gave all of the colors that Joey Cook is...I think I know what she means by that. Harry is very impressed by the inventiveness of the performance and Keith feels like he knows what a Joey Cook concert would be like.
-------------------------------------------------
After the ridiculous Twitter hashtags have been counted, Rayvon is saved once again, This guy has been saved THREE times now via #idolsave and I've had it. This could have been corrected if the judges still had their save, but nope...they used that a long time ago on the man who brought us karaoke "Hey Ya" last week. So, we say goodbye to Joey tonight and I need to go be bitter for a little while. We'll revisit this nonsense again next week. Til then!
No comments:
Post a Comment