American Idol Top 11: Let It Go

Tonight the Top 11 take on "songs from the cinema" for the first time....this season. How many repeats will we have from the previous seasons? Will someone inevitably attempt "I Will Always Love You" or "My Heart Will Go On?" Am I going to have to sit through another rendition of "I Believe I Can Fly?" Might we actually get a soundtrack night of songs not performed by several other past Idol contestants? Aren't there enough movie songs out there to keep us from the duplicates? Let's find out!

 

 

Contestant: Sam Woolf

Song:  "Come Together" by The Beatles

 

Sam chose an upbeat song because he wants to show a different side of himself. It's times like these when I wish Steven Tyler was still a judge on this show. I have to wonder if he'd have his eyes closed right now and sit there slowly moving his head from side to side. I miss him. Anyway, this performance is an improvement for Sam. The song definitely isn't as big as it could have been, but I appreciate that he went out of his comfort zone. Sam sounds great and moves with some swag tonight. And the girls, of course, love him. Good for Sam.

 

Judges Say: Keith liked the performance but said Sam could get even looser. JLo calls Sam a baby rock star and says we need a big rock star. Harry thinks Sam is on the way to where he needs to be but says the performance was average.

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Contestant: Jessica Meuse

Song: "The Sound of Silence" by Simon and Garfunkel

 

I love this song. Everyone is always so pumped about "Mrs. Robinson" but this has always been my favorite Simon and Garfunkel tune. Jessica has me from the first lines of the song, though she does some odd pronunciations throughout the performance. I wish she had been able to do the whole thing though. The song tells a story and chopping it up doesn't help her with her delivery...but it's not like she had a choice in the matter. The ridiculous filler packages before each performance are way more important than music anyway, right?

 

Judges Say: JLo says the song is in Jessica's wheelhouse and suits her, but JLo feels that Jessica never got into a groove. Harry thinks the band was off but compliments Jessica for staying focused. He says she did a nice job. Keith likes the way Jessica looks (which makes me say out loud "I like the way you look, Keith) but he tells her she needs to project a little more.

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Contestant: C.J. Harris

Song: "Can't You See" by The Marshal Tucker Band

 

C.J. has himself a brand new guitar and Pharrell's hat so I'm already intrigued. He's very excited to sing this song and boy is he into his performance. So is JLo...and really, so am I. He does a really great job with this song and for the first time this season, I think he totally looks like a natural. C.J. gave us C.J. tonight and not just a really good cover. Awesome.

 

Judges Say: Keith gives him a standing ovation and says C.J. nailed it. Harry steals my Pharrell joke and then tells C.J. that he just put himself in the forefront of the competition. JLo is so proud of him and says C.J. has the ability to change the world with his music.

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Contestant: Dexter Roberts

Song: "Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd

 

My brain immediately goes to Ruben Studdard and his performance (and then encore performance...and then everywhere else performance) in the second season. However, those memories are forgotten quickly because Dexter is just adorable. He's having a great time, he's looking very comfortable on stage now, and his vocals are actually pretty awesome. I imagine his dogs at home are very proud.

 

Judges Say: Keith loves Dexter's hair cut. He thinks Dexter is getting more loose on stage but now just needs to find a way to put his "Dexterism" in there. I'm not touching that one. JLo thinks Dexter is really starting to believe he can win. Harry says Dexter is smart with his song choices but tells Dexter he has to be bigger that the songs that he chooses.

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Contestant: Ben Briley

Song: "Bennie and the Jets " by Elton John

 

Ben has not seen 27 Dresses and asks us not to judge him for it. No problem, buddy - I tend to judge people who actually have seen that movie (myself included, but in my defense, I had a few martinis first). Ben plays the piano  for the first part of the song and delivers a very energetic rendition. This type of music is not what we're used to from Ben, but the performance is the best of the night so far for me. I love him.

 

 

Judges Say: JLo is confused because she's not sure who Ben is. She does think he gave a good vocal performance though. Harry says Ben took a lackadaisical walk through the song. Ouch. He then says a couple more things that make me say "jerk" out loud and I fast forward to Keith...who is also confused. Uh oh. Have we found this season's Janelle Arthur and Hollie Cavanagh? Two amazing contestants who could never do anything right? 

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Contestant: Majesty Rose

Song: "Let It Go" by Idina Menzel

 

I hope John Travolta is watching. Members of the audience have no problem saying Idina Menzel's name and they weren't even reading from a teleprompter. (Yes, I'm still bitter about him effing up Idina's name on The Oscars). On to Majesty. She is verrrrry theatrical, but I like it. Her vocals are also beautiful. I'm obsessed with the original version, so she wasn't going to top that for me, but if anyone in this Top 11 could do the song justice, it would absolutely be Majesty. Well done.

 

Judges Say: Harry says Majesty is a mystery and gives her some crap about not knowing who she is...but says she gave a strong performance. Keith says this was a big song to sing and he thinks she could have eased into it a bit more. JLo thinks Majesty could do anything - singer, actress, animation star and she says that's a positive thing.  

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Contestant: Caleb Johnson

Song:  "Skyfall" by Adele

 

Whoa. This wouldn't have made my list of 100 songs Caleb might choose tonight. That being said, the performance is fantastic. He controls the song, doesn't go over the top, and overall just keeps it simple but powerful. Caleb is ridiculously talented and I will be downloading this song tonight. Sorry Ben...Caleb just one upped you.

 

Judges Say: Keith gives Caleb a standing ovation. He says Caleb had a brilliant song choice and the performance was not predicable at all. JLo is tongue tied but eventually says Caleb was great tonight. Harry thinks the competition really started tonight. I'm not exactly sure what that means.

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Contestant: MK Nobilette

Song: "To Make You Feel My Love" by Garth Brooks...or Trisha Yearwood. They're both on the Hope Floats Soundtrack.

 

I do enjoy this song. I still listen to Kris Allen's version pretty often on my iPod. MK got herself a new look and I really like the "no hat" style. This is definitely a better performance than last week and she even gets up the courage to walk to the judges table to sing to them. It's awkward, and JLo tears up a little, but it's also a "hey, screw you for telling me I don't want to be here" move, and I kind of like it.

 

Judges Say: JLo really loved the performance and felt MK was really trying to connect. Harry says MK has star quality but cautions her that if she is going to sing runs, she has to nail them. He then rambles about technical terms...and then I fast forward to Keith. The Australian hottie loves MK's look and thinks she is showing glimpses of who she can be as an artist.

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Contestant: Alex Preston

Song: "Falling Slowly"

 

Remember when Kris Allen did this song? And Lee DeWyze and Crystal Bowersox? I do...which I why I wish Alex had picked something else. Sure he sounds fine, but I'm not a fan of  the arrangement and I don't like some of the liberties he takes with the melody. It was very "Imma be me for about 10 seconds. Okay, we're back." Maybe I'm being too harsh, but this just wasn't for me.

 

Judges Say: Harry loves that American Idol provides a platform for guys like Alex to sing a simple song with a beautiful lyrics. He's really proud of Alex. Of course he is. Keith says Alex's performances always hold his attention because they are very raw and very real. JLo thinks this was the perfect song and Alex sang it perfectly. I'm still at a loss for why they hated Ben.

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Contestant: Jena Irene

Song: "Decode" by Paramore

 

Jena goes for a spooky stage look (the song is from Twilight) and plays the piano for entirety of the song. She is completely captivating and incredibly powerful...and I don't want the performance to end. This is the best Jena has been all season. Hands down.  

 

Judges Say: JLo and Keith give her a standing ovation. Keith has to wait for the crowd to calm down before he can talk at all. He says Jena's performance is like hurdling along the edge of the cliff in a car and it's exhilarating. I couldn't have said it better. JLo thinks Jena has one of the best voices here and tells America to get on board with it. She also says it was the best performance of the night. Harry says the song was just as good as the original but Jena made it different.

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Contestant: Malaya Watson

Song: "I Am Changing" by Jennifer Hudson

 

Whew. When Ryan said Dreamgirls, I was worried Malaya was choosing "And I Am Telling You (I'm Not Going)." It's overdone and in terms of Idol, Jennifer Hudson owns that song and others need not apply. But what an absolute pleasant surprise this is. Malaya's got me yelling "Woo!" from my couch. Get it, girl. You totally earned the closing spot tonight, and you definitely earned a spot on the Idol tour.

 

Judges Say: JLo and Keith give her a standing ovation. JLo says the performance was killer and this was a perfect way to end the show. Harry thinks Malaya's sound is just going to get bigger and it's going to be a pleasure to watch. Keith says Malaya can reign it in a little bit, but the way she is blossoming as an artist is magnificent.

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This was absolutely a much better performance episode than last week. Granted, we did have some songs that have been performed by past contestants (probably because we have beat this theme to death), but all in all I really enjoyed the show tonight. Malaya, Caleb and Jena brought the house down for sure, with and honorable mention for Ben (at least for me). I do have a very special place in my heart for Majesty and Dexter, and I think C.J. made great strides tonight as well. As for everyone else though...I think Sam already has quite a fan base but I worry that Jessica's ballad at the beginning of the show might make her forgettable. That leaves Alex and MK as my bottom 2, but America could easily go a different route. Who will go on the Idol tour this summer? We'll find out during the results show tomorrow. Til then!

 

 

American Idol Elimination: White Flag

On Tonight's episode of American Idol, we will say goodbye to another contestant while hoping JLo takes the stage in an entire outfit. Well, we're close...JLo's ensemble is of the same length this evening, but at least her lower half is in shorts...so the guys standing near the stage are less likely to have a heart attack. Anywho, here are the highlights from the episode.

 

P squared! Idol welcomed back previous winner Phillip Phillips tonight. Woohoo! He's getting ready to release his second album and he performed his new song "Raging Fire" and I'm very thankful. It's not that I don't love "Home" and "Gone, Gone, Gone"...I've just been so ready to hear something new from Phillip on the radio. Plus, he's just so darn cute. We got the full blown P squared performance though, complete with the legs going crazy, strained forehead vein and the tight, shrugging shoulder moves. I really could have turned off the TV right when "Raging Fire" ended and felt 100% satisfied with the evening. Love him.

 

Results! Sam, Ben and Jessica found their way to safety first...with Emily making her way to the stools of doom. Dexter, Majesty and Alex breathed a sigh of relief next, and Jena unhappily joined Emily in the danger zone. Caleb, Malaya and C.J. were the final contestants to make it through to next week, and MK found herself in familiar territory in the bottom 3. Ryan announced that Jena is safe and it came down to MK and Emily. Ultimately...Emily was eliminated and the judges did not use their save.

 

This is another one of those situations where someone was sent home too early. Her rendition of "Stars" for the save was actually pretty good, but the risk she took singing a JLo song last night, with only a fraction of JLo's energy, was not a good call. Now MK lives to perform another week and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she will rise to the occasion when the Top 11 storm the stage again. Third time's the charm? We'll find out soon. Til then!

American Idol Top 12: Fix You

Tonight on American Idol, the Top 12 take the stage again and hope that voters (and all of their facebook profile pictures) will love them unconditionally. As Ryan introduces the judges we realize that not only did Jennifer forget the lower half of her dress, but she somehow also looks like she just rolled out of bed. I can’t imagine what the audience sees as she walks to the judges’ table. Anyway, this week’s theme is “home” in an effort to get to know the contestants a bit better and make them even that much more endearing to the viewers.  Let's see how they do.

Contestant: Jena Irene

Song: “Suddenly I See” by K.T. Tunstall

 

This song reminds Jena of home because it’s happy. I feel like we went through this with most of the contestants last week… Jena has this neat back drop of a field (a farm?) doused in sunlight, but that’s really the only happy part of the performance. Her delivery is lackluster for me and I do not feel any kind of joy from her at all. 

 

Judges Say: Keith likes Jena’s stage presence and thinks she can loosen up even more. JLo says it doesn’t matter what song Jena sings because she makes it her own. I totally disagree based on tonight’s performance. Harry wants to see Jena be more of a 17 year old and have more energy. Bingo.

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Contestant: Alex Preston

Song: “I Don’t Want To Be” by Gavin DeGraw

So, first and foremost, what’s happening with the bottom of Alex’s pants? Is this Alex’s way of working on his stage presence? Is Randy behind this? I definitely don’t love this rendition of “I Don’t Want To Be.” Something about Alex’s rolled up pants, the kind of slowed down guitar arrangement, and his overall lack of confidence make me wince while he is singing. If he’s here next week, he’s got some work to do.

Judges Say: JLo loves the suit, including the rolled up pants. She doesn’t think this was his best vocal performance, saying the arrangement overtook his vocals. Harry believes Alex is better at singing in an introspective, intimate setting but compliments Alex for venturing out of his comfort zone. Keith says the word “instability” describes the performance best.

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Contestant: Jessica Meuse

Song: “White Flag” by Dido

Jessica says she has used this song in her sets for a long time, but I don’t know that the song does anything for her voice. I’m also hoping she didn’t sound like this during all of her previous attempts of the song. Jessica sounds realllllly nasal-y and the whole thing is kind of blah, which is a shame because I really like her. I feel like we are 0 for 3 so far tonight.

 

Judges Say: Harry says the performance was understated and blasé. He also thinks Jessica was sharp the whole time.  Keith loves Jessica’s musicality and disagrees about the pitch. He says people pay less attention to the pitch when there is emotion in the delivery. Well sure Keith, but Jessica was pitchy with zero emotion. JLo says “it just didn’t happen today.”

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Contestant: Dexter Roberts

Song:  “Lucky Man” by Montgomery Gentry

Dexter is just a sweetheart. Any time I see him I just want to give him a great big hug…I bet he gives really good hugs.  Finally with our fourth performance of the night, we get something real. It’s not a showy performance, it’s not an amazing performance, but it is a real performance in terms of choosing a song that reminds Dexter of home. I'm totally invested in this and I also want to visit his dog farm asap!

 

Judges Say: All three judges sit with a smile on their faces for the first time tonight. Keith thinks this was the perfect song for Dexter and loves that he took little liberties with the tune. JLo likens Dexter to Scotty McCreery and I cringe a little. Let’s not do that to poor Dexter.  Harry is impressed and says this was the best performance of the night so far…which is true, but that’s not really saying much.

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Contestant: Emily Piriz

Song: “Let’s Get Loud” by JLo

Oh wow. This is probably one of JLo’s best songs and it’s pretty ballsy of Emily to tackle this one. The highlight of the performance for me is watching JLo sing along in her seat. Emily’s energy is lacking and I sit with my fingers crossed, hoping JLo will storm the stage and shake what her momma gave her. No dice.

Judges Say: The performance makes JLo happy and she says Emily did a really good job. That’s very nice of you. Harry thinks Emily needs to match the intensity of the song and says the production was too big for her. Keith loved the performance and encourages Emily to have more confidence. JLo then whips her hair back and forth.

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Contestant: Caleb Johnson

Song: “Working Man” by Rush

Wow. Caleb is just leaps and bounds ahead of the other contestants in terms of confidence and stage presence. He has amazing vocals and puts on quite a show. I wish the band had actually been on stage with him (closer) and backing him up more. Maybe all of the musicians could have fallen down with Caleb at the end. Sheer exhaustion, my friends.

 

Judges Say: Harry says Caleb is unquestionably the most consistent performer on the show but warns him not to become predictable. Keith thinks Caleb is one of the best singers he’s heard in a long time.  He challenges Caleb to take charge of the stage without the comfort of the band. JLo thinks he did a great job, saying “you’re what I’ve been waiting for all night.”

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Contestant: MK Nobilette

Song:  “Drops of Jupiter” by Train

 

Ohhh MK. Nervous much? I thought MK had really started to build confidence last week and I was all set to see her nail her performance tonight. Alas, the vocals weren’t that great and she’s back to looking like a deer caught in headlights again. Bummer.

Judges Say: Keith thinks MK made a good song choice. He says that she still needs to connect with the audience more. That’s putting it mildly. JLo doesn’t believe this was a break out performance for MK but says she is seeing progress. Oh yeah? Harry says that he gets the feeling that MK doesn’t want to be here because there’s no joy in her performances. Ouch.

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Contestant: C.J. Harris

Song: “Waiting on the World to Change” by John Mayer

 

For anyone unfamiliar with this song, no worries – the title is EVERYWHERE. I find the scrolling words to be very distracting but I do like C.J.’s performance this week much better than last week’s. He doesn’t do anything different with the song, but he sounds great and I do think he delivers a message here.

 

Judges Say: JLo loves that C.J. was trying to get a message out tonight. Harry interrupts, saying C.J. was sharp but really felt the lyrics. Keith thinks C.J. needs to figure out how to stop doing covers and start putting his own spin on songs.

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Contestant: Sam Woolf

Song: “Just One” by Blind Pilot

 

So, I don’t know this song. I also have never heard of Blind Pilot, but I can assure you that I would never want to be in a traveling situation with one. That being said, I like Sam. I like his vibe, and I really enjoy his sound this week. There’s just no “wow” factor though and I worry that he will get lost in the shuffle very soon.

 

Judges Say: I'm nervous for Sam. I wait for Harry to unleash utter disappointment on him (it's Harry's overall theme tonight), but he says he liked the lyrics of the song. He also says the performance was pleasant but tells Sam that he needs to try something else emotionally. Keith thinks the tone of Sam’s voice is like butter (for the record, I think Keith's voice is like butter) and proclaims that he would run out to buy a Sam album immediately.  I don't know that I would go that far. JLo doesn't have a ton of feedback but does think Sam needs to push himself out of his comfort zone.

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Contestant: Malaya Watson

Song: “Take Me to the King” by Tamala Mann

 

Malaya launched an attack on the stage last week (not in a good way), so she is cleverly starting tonight’s performance behind a piano. I actually would have been okay if she had stayed there the whole time, but the second half of the song was just as powerful with Malaya taking center stage. This is a vast improvement from last week.

Judges Say: Keith uses the word “goosies” and says Malaya made a great song choice. JLo says Malaya told us a story and she’s very proud of her. Harry feels the performance was gutsy but the message was there.

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Contestant: Ben Briley

Song:  “Turning Home” by David Nail 

Get it Ben! I completely love what he’s doing in this performance. Again, this is not showy, probably not the “moment” that we all start to look for when we get to this point in the show, but Ben is a solid performer. His vocals are on point and I would say he’s had two good weeks in a row.

 
Judges Say: JLo thanks Ben for singing with feeling. Harry didn’t feel connected and thinks the song was shouted. Keith says Ben has an incredible voice but thinks the story got lost in the technicality of the vocals. Hmm. I’m with JLo on this one.
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Contestant: Majesty Rose

Song: “Fix You” by Coldplay

I’m immediately intrigued by the daffodil in Majesty’s guitar. She also tries her hand and a calmed down start to the song ala Malaya, and like Malaya, I wish she had stayed in that quiet place. “Fix You” is a hopeful song that does not need the loud band and “I want to try to sing the biggest notes ever!” treatment. I’m a little baffled as to why this was the closing performance tonight.

Judges Say: Harry enjoyed the beginning and wished she had stayed in the quiet zone. JLo agrees. Keith says we’ll see her next week. Keith, incidentally, also said the same thing to Sam and Emily. Those are dangerous assumptions….you beautiful, beautiful man.

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So with that, the very uneven Top 12 performance show is over. I have to be honest…this was not an enjoyable episode for me.  I feel like most of the contestants should feel like they are going home tomorrow and it’s still way too early in the season to use the judges’ save. I would think they would save that for Caleb’s off week. He’s bound to have one. But tomorrow night one of these 12 hopefuls will be sent packing. Will America put MK out of her misery? Will Emily’s JLo cover be her undoing? Should Jessica raise a white flag? These questions will be answered during the results show. Til then!