American Idol Top 12 Girls Perform
American Idol Season 10 (Few Days a Week, 8PM on FOX)
Last night we heard the Top 12 GIRLS sing. It was a pre-taped, which is kind of a bummer (because I heard a couple of them got to do "re-takes") but I'm just excited to be at the voting portion of the season.
Remember, online voting will be in play for the first time EVER! So here's what happened last night, and don't forget to check out my rankings AND be back here tomorrow for the RESULTS where we'll get our Top 5 Guys and Top 5 Girls... plus the 3 Wild Card Picks!
I actually enjoyed the GIRLS night compared to the GUYS night, simply because I think the performances were mostly okay-to-good (with just a couple bombs) compared to the guys that I felt mostly bombed, with a few high spots. Let's talk about them... I'll give you the singer, the song, the judges thoughts, then my own with my score.
Tatynisa Wilson: 'Only Girl' by Rihanna
Judges' Thoughts - S.Ty said "the song sang you" but then followed it up with "you sang it beautifully" (contradiction, much?) J.Lo said she started shaky, but she got better as the song went on. Randy said it was just OK, that she didn't bring anything special and it wasn't nearly as good as Rihanna's version.
My Thoughts - I thought she was really pitchy, dawg. There were a lot of sharp and flat notes in there and it didn't really work at all. Did she work the stage though? Sure.SCORE 7/10
Naima Adedapo: 'Summertime' by George Gershwin
Pre-Interview with Seacrest - She designed her (horrible!) yellow dress special for the occassion.
Judges' Thoughts - S.Ty says he takes her personally and she reminds him of an early Ella Fitzgerald (which has Naima tearing up). J.Lo calls her an exotic flower (which just happens to be what her name means!). And then Randy tells her that it was a bit lounge act-ish, she made it interesting, but he like Fantasia's version way better.
My Thoughts - Randy! Get out of my head, dawg! It was lounge-act-ish, especially with her arm movements and strutting. BUT I kinda liked what she did with the song (to compare it to Fantasia's is unfair, considering she didn't TRY to sound like Fantasia doing that song in anyway). I think she's got a unique/beautiful look and a clear, pure voice. I hope her and her crazy designed dress make the vote. SCORE 8/10
Kendra Chantelle: 'Impossible' by Christina Aguilera
Oddest Tidbit - Kendra used to sell bath-tubs. Really!?
Judges' Thoughts - S.Ty said "voice hot, clothes hot" (yes, indeed her leather pants and bustier top was pretty bangin'). J.Lo said "she fought her way into the Top 12" and that she belonged there. Randy tried to mimick her vibrato (that he loves) and told her she reminds him of Lauryn Hill.
My Thoughts - Her voice is like a soulful R&B voice in a blonde package, but I'm not sure if she's memorable enough in this group of girls to garner many votes. I think she did some really good things with this song, but I also think she fell flat a few times.SCORE 8/10
Rachel Zevita: 'Criminal' by Fiona Apple
Judges' Thoughts - S.Ty loved her strut, but it was too Broadway for him (Rachel says she's never sang Broadway). J.Lo chimed in and asked her if this is what she wanted America to see from her out of the gates, and Rachel basically shut down after that. Randy said he barely recognized the great song and it just wasn't good.
My Thoughts - Oh. I love this song. AND I was rooting for the Season 6er. PLUS she actually changed up a song so it wasn't a copy-cat/karaoke performance. But she went too far, in the wrong direction. She made the song too jazzy/broadway/burlesque (without the stripping) and her changes messed too much with the hypnotic melody of the song. I can only hope she'll get another chance via Wild Card, because she doesn't deserve a Top 5 spot based on that performance. SCORE 6.5/10
Karen Rodriguez: 'Hero' by Mariah Carey
Judges' Thoughts - S.Ty thinks her and Jacob Lusk should pair up and sing this song (which had Karen saying Jacob's her bestie and Jacob showing he can speak a little Spanish from the balcony bleachers). J.Lo showed off her "goose-pimples" and Randy loved that she made it her own by going back and forth from English to Spanish.
My Thoughts - I love this song too. I would sing it in my bedroom over and over in 5th grade... but that was many, many years ago. She took a few risks. I mean, just singing a Mariah Carey song is a risk. Then she decides to sing half of it in Spanish, BIG risk. For me the whole thing was like a Miss America pagent performance. She was mostly in key, and hit some great high notes, but it was kind of boring IMO. SCORE 7.75/10
Lauren Turner: "'Seven Day Fool' by Etta James
Judges' Thoughts - S.Ty thought it was "spectacular" and a "complete sentence". J.Lo said her voice is "undeniable" but she's holding back in stage presence. Randy said he loves the whole bluesy-soul thing.
My Thoughts - I don't think I've heard this song before, so it was hard to get into the lyrics and uptempo beat, but I really, really like Lauren Turner's bluesy-soul voice. It's wraspy and has power which I think is great. Out of the Lauren's she's got my vote, but I'm worried America's bought into the hype of the other Lauren. We'll see SCORE 8.25/10
End Stuff - After the judges gave their critique, she said something and then followed it up with "I'm sarcastic America... just so you know" - loved it!
Ashthon Jones: 'Love Over Me' by Monica
Judges' Thoughts - S.Ty calls her "Jonesy" then tells her she has the "confidence of a queen" on stage. J.Lo tells her she has all the makings of a diva (the big hair, the body, the voice...) and then Ashthon returns the ego-boosting saying she gets it from her. Randy said he liked it and it looked like she has been "doing it forever" but that the song was beneath her. Which lead to them telling her she's more like Diana Ross than Monica.
My Thoughts - I didn't know the song, and I didn't much like her rendition of it. I think it was mostly because of her OVER-confidence on stage. I think she was trying to be a diva up there instead of showing off her vocal abilities, and I didn't care for that at all. Then for the judges to stroke that ego, made me dislike it even more. I'm sorely disappointed with this performance.SCORE 7.75/10
Julie Zorrilla: 'Breakaway' by Kelly Clarkson
Judges' Thoughts - S.Ty told her it was the wrong song for her. J.Lo asked her if she felt the lyrics "Do you really want to breakaway?", Julie just nodded; J.Lo didn't feel enough emotion from her. Randy said that it was bad karaoke, she didn't bring anything different to it, and it failed in comparison.
My Thoughts - The biggest bomb of the night IMO. (Yes, Rachel was bad, but at least she was trying something.) Julie picked a Kelly Clarkson song that she had no business trying to sing with her type of voice. She doesn't have the range, the high notes or the low notes, her voice is best set in the medium, and this song is not that. Plus I agree with J.Lo a hunderd percent... she doesn't connect with the song, it's pagent/robot material. SCORE 5/10
Haley Reinhart: "'Fallin' ' by Alicia Keys
Judges' Thoughts - S.Ty said he heard the right amount of style and sexy. J.Lo said they saw lots of different colors in her voice with that song, but she needs to get out of her head on stage. Randy didn't think the song did anything for her.
My Thoughts - She is not my cup of tea AT ALL. I don't like how she messes with the melody just to growl, then bring it up high then bring it down low, for no reason, other than she thinks it sounds good. She was the most awkward up on stage (come on, that spin?!) and she tried to act sexy singing this heart-wrenching Alicia Keys song. Puh-leaze.SCORE 7/10
Thia Megia: 'Out Here on My Own' by Irene Cara
Judges' Thoughts - S.Ty said "somebody's pitch can be so perfect it doesn't matter what you sing... That was beautiful." J.Lo gave her props for having a "quiet moment" amonst all the over-the-top performances and called it "beautiful" as well. Randy compared her tone to Michael Jackson (I'm not where he got that... but, whatever.)
My Thoughts - Okay, you know how I said Julie was a pagent/robot... Thia is one too, only the 2.0 version. Yes she's got the pagent hand-gestures and robot movements and technically, really good voice. But at least I was pulled into this song with her simplistic stage set up.SCORE 8.25/10
Lauren Alaina: 'Turn on the Radio' by Reba McIntyre
Judges' Thoughts - S.Ty said "I love you; you're the best", J.Lo said that she "doesn't even have to try" and that she "so great to watch". Randy said that there's so much more in her that he's waiting for to come out and that she reminds him of a combination of "Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood" (Okay, I kind of do see that... but I'm not convinced she a vocal superstar like either one of them yet.)
My Thoughts - I thinks she's HIGHLY over-rated. Was the song fun and does she have decent stage presence? Yes. Was it vocally one of the best of the night? I don't think so. She was breathless by the end and her high notes were mostly sharp. But, I don't think it matters what I think, because I think America will vote her into the Top 5, and if not one of the judges will surely pick her for their Wild Card, I have no doubt. SCORE 7.75/10
Pia Toscano: 'I'll Stand By You' by The Pretenders
Judges' Thoughts - S.Ty called it "unbelievable". J.Lo told her she must have been saving that song for when it counted and it was "out of this world". Randy told her she just "put yourself in the top with those amazing performances" of the past, and "that's how you do it" (First Judges Standing Ovation of the Season...)
My Thoughts - It's a great song and all my Pia worries from the earlier rounds (that she uses too much vibrato) was left in the dust. She did a great job with the song, switching it up just enough to do her own thing, but keeping the integrity of the song. She hit every high note she was after. It was by far the best of the night.SCORE 8.75/10
I think the GIRLS have given America a tougher vote than the GUYS did, because I think they were more evenly matched with performances last night. It will really come down to popularity... I'm nervous to see who America has chosen for me to watch for the next 2 months.
Tonight's American Idol will give us the RESULTS as well as J.Lo's new video and an appearance by AI Winner David Cook performing "Don't You (Forget About Me)", this year's AI Exit Song.
