Top 9 Revealed and Perform: Songs From the 80s

Welcome back. Last week Qaasim Middleton was the lowest vote getter but was saved by the Judges. We'll see if Qassim's gain is potentially a front-runner's loss, because there is no more Saves for the rest of the season. So if someone is eliminated they are gone. Maybe this will put a new drive into some of the contestants to not only perform well every week but to really try to win the whole thing.

The use of the Save last week also means that this week 2 contestants will be sent home. We made our Predictions last week and think that Daniel and Maddie SHOULD be Sent Home, but Maddie and Quentin WILL be Sent Home. Tonight the contestants that don't receive the lowest votes will perform songs from "The 80s" with Boy George (yes, I said Boy George) as the Mentor of the week along with Scott Borchetta. We also have included our Power Rankings and indicated if we think the contestant has risen or fallen week to week. So with all that, let's get started:

Weekly Power Rankings:
As a reminder, the criteria is based on 1. their success on the show, 2. personality, 3. judges & audience response and 4. belief that they could win.

This week is based on last week's performances and previous reactions and performances. So with that:

Top 11 Weekly Rankings Redux
1. Joey Cook (Up 1 From Last Week)
2. Tyanna Jones (Down 1 From Last Week)
3. Clark Beckham (Same As Last Week)
4. Nick Fradiani (Same As Last Week)
5. Adanna Duru (Up 1 From Last Week)
6. Jax (Up 1 From Last Week)
7. Quentin Alexander (Up 2 From Last Week)
8. Rayvon Owen (Down 3 From Last Week)
9. Qaasim Middleton (Down 1 From Last Week)
10. Maddie Walker (Same As Last Week)
11. Daniel Seavey (Same As Last Week)


Guest Performance #1: 80s Medley with David Hasselhoff 
Yep. To pay "tribute" to the 80s is the one and only David Hasselhoff. It's such a crazy few minutes. Not sure why he was the one deemed the representative of the 80s but there it is, I know he is still singing and performing overseas and is huge over there, but here in America his performance was pretty bad and corny. In only a few minutes he sang parts of "Crazy Little Thing Called Love", "Walking On Sunshine", "Never Gonna Give You Up", "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me", "Let's Dance", and "I Love Rock n Roll".  Not sure how David Hasselhoff starting the show is gonna bring in the new young viewers, but there ya go.

Top 11 Perform= They do one of Culture Club's biggest songs with Boy George, they sing "Karma Chameleon". It's not a terrible rendition, very 80s, so they got that going. But if they didn't perform this I wouldn't have minded.

Top 9 Revealed and Perform

Daniel Seavey

(You Make My Dreams-Hall & Oates)

This kid had a brutal week last week and still is the first one saved this week, yeesh. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, this kid is here to stay. He is a sweet kid, but compared to people that have been eliminated and will most definitely be gone after tonight, he doesn't really belong up there. Boy George tells Daniel to look past the criticism and don't let it get to his performance, he also thinks that Daniel has a strong voice and has got the "chops". Tonight his first note goes a stray, but he does okay to rebound, but those high notes are bad or he backs off of them. People are voting for Daniel no matter how he has sounded, or the criticism he has received, so it almost doesn't matter what he does. He didn't do anything different than any other time, it's a bit of a mess. But I am sure he will be here next week.
Judge's Comments=Keith-Loves that song. Looks good on camera. Towards end of song he got into it, but still needs to get more comfortable quicker. Jennifer-Audience loves him, loves this song for him, sat in the right spot, sang better than last week. Harry-He is an entertainer, vocal was better than last week, but needs to take the choreography away, everything is so planned, everything was moving by numbers. Just act natural.
Our Grade=D+

Quentin Alexander

(In The Air Tonight-Phil Collins)

Boy George loves how Quentin dresses.  Quentin says he needs to continue to work on his pitch. Boy George tells him to control his breath and just ease up. I love this song and Quentin mentions that it is one of his favorite songs. The song is very mesmerizing and intense and that's who and what Quentin is. He is right on the pitch this week. He was easy to listen to. I can't even explain what Quentin is wearing, but his vocals were on this week, you can see he really practiced this week to get them down, and I think it worked.
Judge's Comments= Jennifer-That performance made his cool factor go up to 1,000. The mood, the drama, everything worked. He is who he is. A home run. Harry-Digs as deeply into lyrics as much as anyone. Last 5 out of  6 songs were pretty slow. Nice to see something more up-tempo in the next couple weeks. Keith-A killer song choice, the weight and majesty of it suited him. The higher octave blew him away. Needs even more authority and a little work on the phrasing because it's all in him.
Our Grade=A-

Joey Cook

(Girls Just Wanna Have Fun-Cyndi Lauper)

Boy George wants to hear more dynamics because her song in rehearsal becomes too linear and contradicts everything about her. Her voice makes every song different and unique to her, because she is unique and different. I don't know if I liked some of the choices she made in this rendition. It sounded a little clunky at times. Towards the end it gets a little reggae-sounding and she sounded good, I almost wish it stayed funky like that the whole time. It was really all over the place tonight. After such a fantastic week last week it was disappointing, she's still a top contender on the show, but tonight she dropped.
Judge's Comments= Harry-Seemed distracted tonight. Looked down a lot. Felt like she was trying, but something was holding her back. Has been able to capture people's attention but tonight didn't do that. Keith-Good, but her bar is set so high that it was a little inconsistent. Guarantees that his wife and children are dancing at home. Jennifer- Looks adorable. In theory it was a perfect song choice, but vocally didn't match, couldn't find the groove. Fit the image, but didn't find the vocals. 
Our Grade=B-

Tyanna Jones

(I Wanna Dance With Somebody-Whitney Houston)

Boy George tells Tyanna that taking on a Whitney Houston song is like going in the ring with Tyson. Is afraid that Tyanna will "show-off" too much. The song comes out a little electronica, so not just a carbon copy of the original. Tyanna is much more in her wheelhouse this week than last time out. She puts her own spin on some of the phrasing and high notes, which she hits pretty flawlessly. It was a great rebound from last week.
Judge's Comments= Keith-Now that she is at this point she needs to loosen up and ease into it, got a little worried at times. Jennifer-Can't get in her head. Can't be perfect all the time. Do what she is born to do. Harry-Cool arrangement, made song into what can be heard today. Feels like she is in the driver's seat and was strong. Doesn't want her to be complacent, fight for it every time.
Our Grade=A-

Jax

(You Give Love A Bad Name-Bon Jovi)

Scott's biggest concern is that Jax executes. Boy George loves the drama of her performance, has the bones of a great performer, but can lose it and not get there at points, needs to not think it, just feel it. Jax performs the song on the piano to start and it's pretty amazing for about a verse, then the band comes in and makes the song super angry and intense. I like the stops of the band and Jax playing at points and just her lyrics. It is a very dramatic performance, very cool and creative. Never heard that song played like that and I really enjoyed most of it. I love when she is at the piano, more piano and less band would work too, but she is so good, another strong outing.  
Judge's Comments= Jennifer-Giving us all that 80s punk attitude and loves it. Loves how she started it. In the middle when it got into the guitar she got lost, but she ended it really strong. Harry-Originality is what brought her here, and intrigue is what keeps her here. Wonders if it would have been stronger with her just on the piano, because she was swimming in a lot of sound, but liked the beginning and end. Keith-Tells her if in rehearsal she ever feels dwarfed by everything don't hesitate to change it. Loves that she is so original, conceptually and visually, tonight it just wasn't put together right, but still so great.
Our Grade=B+

Nick Fradiani 

(Man In The Mirror-Michael Jackson)

Scott wants Nick to connect more. Boy George wants Nick to get into his hotness and masculinity and confidence. This was a very tender yet strong performance that showcased Nick's voice real well. Nick has an amazing voice but it gets lost sometimes. I think there were a few choices that could have been better tonight, maybe hold the higher notes a little longer, get a little more intense at certain moments, especially the climax of the song, but overall it was pretty good. There's always things to nitpick, but it was solid.  
Judge's Comments=Harry-Perfect song choice, fantastic vocal. Figured out that he is just sweet and is a kind soul and doesn't want to be the "hot" guy. Keith- Has a million dollar smile. Thinks that smiling would help him loosen up. Jennifer-Got caught up at the end, when he thinks about anything else it becomes something else, no connection, but when he got caught up in the lyrics and the swell it became what it was supposed to be.
Our Grade= B

Guest Performance #2: Salt-n-Pepa
Singing their classic "Push It", Salt-n-Pepa do what they know how to do, sing this song. If you don't know this song it has lyrics "Push It", "Push It Real Good" and then it repeats a lot. This song is part of a current Geico commercial that you might have seen. So good for them for taking this song and bringing it anywhere and everywhere.

Clark Beckham

(Every Breath You Take-The Police)

Boy George thinks Clark has a beautiful voice,  feels that when he gets to the high part it doesn't work, so he wants the song to be dropped a key. But during rehearsal Clark decides to stick with his original decision and ultimately not listen to Boy George. Clark is on the piano and sings without the band completly. His voice is so pure and easy, but the performance gets a little sleepy at points. When the song goes to the bridge of the song it becomes a bit more dynamic. He took this version to another place and made it his own and did it gently and with care, sort of how I wash my clothes. But seriously, it was a great job by him. 
Judge's Comments= Keith-Showed a much more heart side of him, beautiful, took him on a journey, brought out the melancholy and pain of the song. Jennifer-Loved it. Got the goosies. Everything he did was beautiful, showcased his voice. Harry-Bad news is that the remaining group has big performers that run around the stage but good news is that he doesn't have to do that.
Our Grade=B+

Qaasim Middleton

(Addicted To Love-Robert Palmer)

Boy George wants Qaasim to put more belly into some of the lines, I am thinking this means weight and strength. George loves his voice and thinks Qaasim is a great storyteller. Qaasim does bring another element to the show that no one else does, his performance skills. For the duration of the song Qaasim wasn't moving around at all, he was just singing and standing basically in the middle of the stage. In the taped package he said he wants to focus on his vocals and he did. It was a stronger vocal than a couple weeks ago. I think given his strength is performance he should do more of that and try to improve his vocals as he goes deeper in the competition, because right now his vocals aren't gonna be as strong as Joey or Clark or Quentin, it's not gonna happen, so he should focus on what works and while that is going on tinker with what doesn't.
Judge's Comments=Jennifer-Liked seeing him all reserved. Great storyteller. A really good vocalist. Harry-Strength is ability to perform, but weakness is his unwillingness to forgo some of that. He stood there, was sexy and still good. Keith-Liked his voice in rehearsal, but doesn't seem he believes in his voice as much, he wants him to be more vulnerable. 
Our Grade=B

Bottom 3
1. Maddie
2. Ravyon
3. Adanna

Safe?

Rayvon Owen

(Everybody Wants To Rule The World-Tears For Fears)

Boy George thinks that Rayvon is singing too pretty. Knows he can sing in his sleep and is technically good, but needs to have more moments, looks like he doesn't want to mess up and it's coming out wrong. Scott wants Rayvon to break out of his shell. Boy George couldn't tell if Rayvon was just placating him and will just do what he always does. Like always Rayvon has a very smooth voice, but the performance was lacking. He adds a little more intensity to his vocals and a lot less falsetto than last week. It seems that Rayvon really is going for it this week. It was good, but not spectacular.
Judge's Comments=Harry-Every single time he sings he does a strong vocal, the interpretation isn't as strong, but tonight was better and connected more, could do without the falsetto sometimes, but pretty solid performance. Keith-Beautiful song for him, showed strengths in all right places. Needs to ease in. Jennifer-Don't be afraid to go out of his comfort zone, but only when we grow is when we push ourselves and wants him to have an open-mind.
Our Grade=B-

Eliminated
Adanna and Maddie. I am dissapointed that Adanna is gone, she was growing every week and getting to be a stronger performer and vocalist. Maddie never found her groove and it was just a matter of time.

Best of the Night
Quentin. I think his performance was a combination of a perfect song choice mixed with a perfect performance. He worked hard to ensure his vocal was much better than last week and he did. I think Tyanna and Jax also improved week to week, but Quentin was one of the most memorable performances of the week. 

Going Home Predictions
Should Go Home=Daniel Seavey
Will Go Home=Rayvon Owen

Final Thoughts

*Tonight I saw a lot of the contestants try to push themselves and get into their performances even more than they have prior. I think Jax, Quentin, Clark and Tyanna really showed that they want to win. They each have their own style but are growing every week and taking in the advice and constructive criticism.

*With more eliminations means more guest performances and silly bits. I really don't miss the Idol results show because it only takes about 4 seconds to say if someone is safe or not, and Idol was stretching that show to an hour for many seasons. They were putting so much filler and nonsense in that show that you almost forgot what you were there for. These 1-episode a week shows are much more compact. And although it's tough to be the last one saved and then perform for your life, it's better than being eliminated. So no big complaints about the 1-episode a week format thus far.

*The eliminated contestants just vanished. As soon as Ryan said they weren't safe they were rushed off the stage, which is fine, but what's the point of the red chairs if they don't sit in it? The whole ending aspect of these 2-hour/1 episode-a-week show has been so strange, I don't think the producers have it down yet. I know they are short on time and the focus should be on the performers continuing on, but a moment from the judge's to say something to them wouldn't hurt. They are just shewed away like they were never part of the show. Not cool American Idol, not cool at all.

*Did anyone else notice, or was frustrated like me that the camera panned to the person saved a half second before Ryan announced it and the chair turned green? So we (the home audience) knew who was safe even without him saying it. So basically they are taking away the big part of Ryan's job. I don't get the necessity of the green chairs, but if they are there then don't show us the saved person until we hear and see who is safe. Jeez.

That's it. Next week the Top 8 will perform Kelly Clarkson songs.It'll be interesting how the 5 guys remaining will do with the theme, could be interesting. So until next week, see ya!

Top 10 Revealed & Perform: Songs From the Movies

Welcome back. This week begins the new format of only one Idol episode a week, although the show will be it's regular spot Wednesdays starting next Wednesday 3/25. The show will continue to be 2 hours with the format of one-by-one the contestants will find out if they are safe and then perform right away. The result of who is going home will not be revealed until right at the end. The Judge's Save is in play until Top 5 and the contestant's have a chance to save themselves.

This week's theme is Songs From The Movies. In recent years the contestant's have been getting around the fact of using widely connected songs to movies. They basically find a song and then hope it's been in a movie. Last year's "movie songs" included The Beatles "Come Together" from Across the Universe,  Elton John's "Benny & The Jets" from the classic Katherine Heigl movie 27 Dresses and who could forget "Make You Feel My Love" by Bob Dylan from the most famous movie of all time Hope Floats. Let's hope that the songs the contestants choose tonight are actually tied to movies, ya know, given the theme is Songs from the Movies.

We predicted Daniel as the contestant that SHOULD be eliminated, but Quentin as the contestant that WILL be eliminated. We hope we are wrong. Let's see how it all turns out, let's get started:

Weekly Rankings
This is a segment we added a couple years ago and will continue this week with this season's Top 11. Each week before the contestants perform we will post our rankings of the contestants. The criteria is based on 1. their success on the show, 2. personality, 3. judges & audience response and 4. belief that they could win. Each week we will do a new weekly ranking and let you know if they have risen, fallen or stayed flat in the rankings. 

This week is based on last week's performances and previous reactions and performances. So with that:

1. Tyanna Jones  2. Joey Cook   3. Clark Beckham  4. Nick Fradiani  5. Rayvon Owen  6. Adanna Duru  

7. Jax  8. Qaasim Middleton  9. Quentin Alexander  10. Maddie Walker   11. Daniel Seavey

Top 10 Revealed and Performed

Nile Rodgers is helping to mentor the contestants with Scott Borchetta. He was from the band Chic. Their famous song was Le Freak along with several others, but after that group disbanded he went on to produce people like Madonna, Bob Dylan, Slash, Mick Jagger and many more. 

Adanna Duru 

(Love You I Do-Jennifer Hudson/Dreamgirls)

Nile and Scott tell us that Adanna was a little nervous in rehearsal because she felt that the song may be at the edge of her range. They want her to nail the first line of the bridge because she is being tentative. The song starts in that Jennifer Hudson low range and it takes Adanna a second to get to her own voice, but once she does it sounds pretty. I feel she was a little hesitant on some of the notes. She has been criticized for going out of control before and because of that I think she made sure it was straight down the line, so she didn't belt it out like I know she can. The last note was a prime example of that, it was supposed to be big but wasn't, like she backed away.

Judge's Comments= Keith-Hard to hear her in the beginning. Sounds great, song suited her. Jennifer-Sounded nice on the high notes, but she needs to worry about the low notes. Didn't want fake excitement, could have had more. Harry-Looks like a movie star. Everything was strong and good. But notices she looks right down barrel of the lens, but recommends she sing to the audience in house and it will translate to homes across the country.

Our Grade=B

Daniel Seavey
(Lost Stars-Adam Levine/Begin Again)

This kid is in it for the long haul, despite how bad or weak he is, he just won't go anywhere now that he is here, I need to just accept it I guess....Anyways, Daniel starts rehearsal on the piano, but Nile thinks that Daniel playing the piano might not work because he is looking down while playing, which eliminates the audience making a connection, so Daniel decides to change it to a guitar.  Adam Levine has a notoriously high voice and falsetto, and Daniel has had major issues with his falsetto. Tonight it starts pretty rough. The song is pretty, in fact it was nominated for an Oscar this past year, but Daniel can't hit the falsetto. The note he tried to hit could wake up sleeping dogs in different countries. His voice goes pitchy at several points during the song and then goes flat to recover from the high notes. It was an uneven performance, it was pretty, but so very weak.

Judge's Comments= Jennifer-Such a cutie. Did an OK job, wasn't his best one, felt the emotion, but wasn't his best performance. Harry-Sounded from opening notes that rehearsal is imperative, it sounded like he was in a practice room. Keith-Loves the song and suited him, clever to not hit the falsetto in points. Thinks it was good, but needs to dig in.

Our Grade=D+

Rayvon Owen
(Staying Alive-The Bee Gees/Saturday Night Fever)

Rayvon is the opposite of Daniel, where he relies heavily on the falsetto and delivers most of the times, therefore, doing a Bee Gees song is a smart choice by Rayvon. During rehearsal Rayvon tells Nile that he wants to do the song in a Prince-like way.  The whole song was pretty much all in falsetto. It was a cool arrangement. It fit Rayvons voice and his groove really well. It wasn't all happy and light but he still didn't kill it like his voice indicates he should. Rayvon's voice is one of the best, but he is getting lost on stage.

Judge's Comments=Harry-Really admired the arrangement, cool way to reinterpret the song. Biggest question is to how he remains interesting? One way to help is to get a set of lyrics to chew on, it was fine and pleasant, but not a tremendous amount of substance. Keith-At this point that he needs to do something big. Performance wise he shouldn't loiter on stage and it looked lost. Jennifer-When he played in the back he couldn't find everything, when he came forward it was better, he captured the audience. Needs to do things that makes everyone excited.

Our Grade=C+

Nick Fradiani

(Danger Zone-Kenny Loggins/Top Gun)

Feels he has been playing it safe, the mentors feel he isn't selling the performance and is just singing. For the first time (ever?) Nick is without his guitar and is out there on his own with just the microphone. He completely reimagines this song, it is very 2015 not 1980s at all. He is a little stiff at points, but he really puts himself out there and his voice rips through some of the lyrics. This interpretation of the song could be a hit today, really cool. He makes the song really current and his last note was amazing. Really strong outing.
Judge's Comments=Keith-Getting more comfortable up there, even without the guitar, keeps moving ahead. Jennifer-He is the resident cool/hot guy, the tone was perfect, it was really well suited, still a litle in his head and should own his head. Harry-Huge Kenny Loggins fan, but that song doesn't give him anything to work with. The lyrics are really silly words. Should pick songs that make him more sexy. Wrong song choice.
Our Grade=A-

Joey Cook

(Mad World-Mark Andrew & Gary Jules/Donnie Darko)

If anyone knows their Idol history this song was famously sung by Idol alum Adam Lambert. He owned this song. I love the fact that Joey is so different than Adam and is attempting this song. The mentors and Joey mention in rehearsal that she needs to work on eye contact and not closing her eyes, so the audiences feels what she feels. She takes this song a lot less dramatic than Adam's version, but it's still haunting and beautiful. It's kind of like Lady Gaga meshed with Sia mixed with Joey and that's a great thing. I liked that she kept it simple and pretty. It really engaged the audience and was powerful. Amazing.
Judge's Comments=Jennifer-Enjoyed that, so beautiful. Gave "Sia" vibes. Really perfect. Harry-Stays in her lane, but able to widen that lane. Great song, great choice, allowed her to do something different and chew on some lyrics. Keith-Such an artist. See more depth of her artistry, brings something unusual, loves that she brings attention to the lyric of the song.
Our Grade=A

Tyanna Jones

(Circle of Life-Elton John/Lion King) 

Nile wants Tyanna to nail the melody and to glide with the modulation. Again, if anyone knows their Idol history Jennifer Hudson famously sang this song during her season. Tyanna has had a lot of fast-paced songs in the past few weeks, but this was the most slowed down than she has been, but that doesn't mean that she lacked anything in her voice. Her voice is really powerful. She is a very energetic performer and this song didn't allow her to run around and play with the audience or the band, and because of that her performance came off a little boring. She hit some crazy high notes, but overall it wasn't Tyanna's best.
Judge's Comments= Harry-Has had the ability to achieve the greatest results with seemingly the least amount of effort, until tonight where it seemed she tried really really hard. Missed the mark a little. There was some intonation issues, seemed like she was yelling the whole way through. Keith-Didn't think it was yelled the whole way through, may be the best singer left, but she had serious pitch issues. Jennifer-Very challenging song, has a powerful choice, no worries she'll do amazing next week.
Our Grade= B

Guest Performance #1= Tonight Jennifer Lopez sings her new song called "Feel The Light" from the new animated  movie Home. It obviously was taped another time because there was no way. There was some really cool graphics with her dress and the stage, it blended together. This song is the opposite of her song "Booty", so for most people, that's a good thing. I know some people don't care for JLo's voice, but she can deliever some really nice songs, this was a pretty song, and her voice was nice and tender.

Quentin Alexander

(You're The One That I Want-John Travolta & Olivia Newton John/Grease)

The mentors thought the way that he flipped the song was amazing and important.  Quentin can only do his own version of songs and this was no different. He takes this song as far removed from the original than one can do and still call it the same song. It's an amazing arrangement and reinterpretation of the song, I liked the creativity. There were some pitch problems and he went off a little, but it's very him, and I liked that it focused on the lyrics and not just the performance. 
Judge's Comments=Keith-Have heard that version before. Interesting performance because he has an amazing voice that is still being worked on. Jennifer- It was haunting, but doesn't know that the reinterpretation translated that well. Harry-Very adventurous interpretation, but if he is gonna feature his voice so prominently it has to be in pitch. It was horrible out of tun.
Our Grade=B-

Maddie Walker

(Let's Hear It For The Boy-Deniece Williams/Footloose)

Due to her health issues from last week she wasn't able to get mentored with Nile. Scott tells her to get to the high notes gradually. There are a million songs from movies, I don't know if I would have chosen this one. It's fun and light, and that's what Maddie is obviously is going for. She goes off the beat a little, but she seems more comfortable on stage and sings the song well. I didn't like how the song ended so abruptly.
Judge's Comments= Jennifer-Glad she sang that song. It was good and cute and sweet. Wasn't a knockout, but she is adorable. Harry-Didn't think it was good. Doesn't know who she is? When she is singing country she has an incredible country twang, but then on other songs she doesn't. Doesn't know if she is a country singer or pop? Keith-Needs to find the song that plays to her strength. Would have killed with a ballad. 
Our Grade=C

Guest Performance #2=Kenny Loggins comes out to perform his classic "Footloose". Harry kinda said that the lyrics of Kenny's other song "Danger Zone" were weak, and now he is performing in front of him. Kenny Loggins sounds pretty good, it was a fun performance. At the end Kenny kiddingly asks Harry "is this a good song?". I am glad he said something to call back from earlier in the night.

Clark Beckham

(Sunday Morning-Maroon 5/Cheaper By The Dozen 2)

When someone thinks of this song I doubt they think of it being connected to the 'classic' Steve Martin movie "Cheaper By The Dozen 2". C'mon. Nile and Scott loved the notes that Clark was hitting in rehearsal. Clark goes out there with his guitar to show off his sensitive, vulnerable side. This might be the first song that's from the 21st century that Clark has sung and he sings it really well. I loved that it was just him and the guitar and no band. He hits some crazy, gritty notes that only he can make look so easy. The last note is completely on pitch and in tune. He stepped it up tonight.  
Judge's Comments= Harry-Put his arrangement on that song and knocked it out of the park. Keith-Such a good singer, all he needs to do is put a little bit of smile into that. Jennifer-It was beautiful, so him. 
Our Grade=A

Jax

(Grow Old With You-Adam Sandler/The Wedding Singer)

She had a shaky week last week, and actually hasn't been strong in awhile, but she has delivered a lot of great performances, so it is in her. Nile wants to make sure that the audience is glued on her because the song is kind of quirky and cute. I loved the Wedding Singer and this song, so I give Jax credit for going out of the box with this song choice. I liked some of the things she did with this song to fit her voice and style. It was a sweet performance.
Judge's Comments=Keith-Made it! Loved that song, and hearing a girl sing it. Jennifer-Played into the quirkiness of her voice. Nice choice. Did great on that one. Harry-High risk, high reward performer, it was lovely and sweet and personally and makes sure she stays in time. 
Our Grade=B+

Eliminated Unless Saved By The Judges=Qaasim Middleton. His "Save" Performance is "Come Together" By the Beatles from the movie Across the Universe. For several weeks the judge's told Qaasim to really focus on his vocals and not just focus on the performance aspect. Well, last week he focused on his vocals and it showed off a ton of flaws. Qaasim's performance skills are at a high level, probably more than anyone left in this competition but his voice is towards the lower end of the contestant's left, and that's probably why he is in this situation. This song has been done on the show many times, it was actually done during Movie Week last year. Tonight Qaasim starts the song with a little shtick with some of the lyrics. Qaasim's vocal are much stronger than last week, but that song choice last week was pretty bad for his voice. Qaasim gets super into this performance, and goes around the stage and gets into it. He gets super intense and even drops the mic. Much better than last week.

Was The Judge's Save Used? Yep. Harry calls it a tremendous performance, but they needs to talk about the save and they only get one. It's all performance and vocal lacks sometimes, but he deserves the save!

Thoughts About Judge's Save? I don't like the fact that it was used so early. I am now nervous for some of the more consistent, more overall performers like Tyanna, like Nick, like Clark(who had a rough week last week). There are no second chances and using it on Qaasim, who's vocals are still lacking despite his unbelievable stage presence is not the best thing. But there's no going back.

Best of The Night=Clark Beckham. He has been one of the more consitent vocalists on the show, but he has only shown one side of his personlaity, until now. He deleivered on all fronts and really showed a whole new side to himself. Joey Cook also was amazing, but Clark's resurgence put him over the top.


Going Home Predictions
(Next Week due to the Judge's Save 2 contestant's will go home)
Should Go Home=Daniel Seavey & Maddie Walker
Will Go Home=Maddie Walker & Quentin Alexander

Final Thoughts

*Qaasim getting the save was huge on many levels.  But here's my question/comment, I know the contestant's are close and it's nice they are so supportive, but don't they know that because Qaasim was given the 1 save of the season that any of them can screw up and that it, it's over for them? The non-eliminated contestants were going crazy for Qaasim like he won the lottery and was going to give them part of his million dollars. Qaasim won the lottery, but because he did there is nothing left for them. They are on their own. No contestant that has received the Judge's Save has ever won the show. Jessica Sanchez received the Save and got runner-up in Season 11. But that was as close as someone has come. The majority of the contestant's that received the Save went on for a couple more weeks then were eliminated again. We'll see where Qaasim lands.

*Tonight's main issue was song choice. I liked that the contestant's at least picked songs from movies and didn't pick songs that happen to be in movies. Unfortunately, some of the choices they made were not strong. There are so many classic movie songs with great lyrics that have the ability to reinterpret and put a fresh spin, but a lot of the contestants did not do that. Tonight was one of the weaker night's in the competition so far.


That's it. Next week will be Top 9 with 2 eliminations. No more Judge's Save, and no more Thursday nights. The show will begin it's new schedule of being on Wednesdays. So come on back here after the next new episode. Until then, see ya!

Top 11 Revealed and Perform: Party Songs

Welcome back. Last night was pretty crazy, we had the reveal of America's Top 10, then they performed, then the Judges picked 2 Wildcards, who then performed, eliminating 4 other contestants. That was a lot to get to in only an hour. Tonight's episode is 2 hours and we will only have 11 performances and 1 elimination, so things should be at a better pace. The Judge's Save is in play, so that can be used at any point during the season until Top 5 week. Tonight is also the first real live show. So no editing of the judges or contestants. Last night we predicted Adanna, Daniel and Maddie as our Bottom 3 and we Predicted(hoped) that Daniel would be eliminated. In most likelihood he won't be, but he was definitely the 12th best performer out there last night. Tonight we will also finally get a look at Idol's new in-house mentor Scott Brochetta as he works with the contestants. 

Next week on this blog we will begin our Weekly Power Rankings. It's been tough to do that with the format and schedule as it has been, but next week will be like tonight, a 2 hour show. So without further ado, let's get started:

Top 11 Revealed and Perform

 Rayvon Owen

(Burn-Ellie Goulding)

Scott Borchetta tells us that Rayvon needs to push himself and run to his strengths, he says he has been just going through the motions. He says he has a great sense of himself but needs to step it up. During his performance Rayvon was trying to show a little more intensity. He relied on his falsetto a little too much and put it in spots that didn't work. He sounded out of breath at times. He found the groove when he hit the big note at the end, but it wasn't a fully great performance overall. 

Judge's Comments=Keith-Killer song choice. Sees him progress week to week. Jennifer-It was better than what she expected. Harry-Stronger performances but wants to challenge him to not have the same arc every-time, but wants to give the passion and fire from the first note, don't make end the climax every time.

Our Grade= B-

Maddie Walker

(She's Country-Jason Aldean)

Scott Borchetta tells us that Maddie is a future country siren. He gives her tips on how to perform and get better each week. She is the lone country singer left in the competition and the song tonight proved how country she is. I think she sounded off at parts. Her voice sounded strained at points and it didn't flow at other points. She looked more comfortable on stage and sounded more comfortable.We learn that she is sick and once she gets off stage she will see the doctor.

Judge's Comments= Jennifer-Great job, really good performance. Loves her attitude of sassy and sweet. Surprised at how strong her vocals are. Harry-Really can sing. Biggest concern is emulating and imitating. Sounded like she has imitated the original record from time to time. Keith-Good song. Taking chances. Sometimes she is overwhelmed by everything, but has an amazing talent.

Our Grade= B-

Joey Cook

(Fancy-Iggy Azalea)

Scott says that Joey is so uniquely cool and a real artist. She has been pushed last number of weeks and has grown from it. She takes this particular song and turns it into her own special unique way that only she could pull off. She spins it into a bluesy, funky, big bandish 1920s/1930s kind of song. I love her artistry. It started off a little weird, but I really got into this version. It was so different and creative. I really enjoyed it. Keith gave her a standing ovation.

Judge's Comments= Harry-Gives her A+ on the arrangement and sang it beautifully. Has started to finally believe that she is a star. Phenomenal. Keith-Has an artist presence. Like a moth to a flame. Pulls people in. Took the song because of the lyrics and made it her own. Jennifer-Smart choice because it is so popular. Would have loved a little more melody to it, but can see her doing an album like that one day.

Our Grade= A-

Guest Performance= From Empire, singing "No Apologies" is Jussie Smolett & Yazz.  I haven't started to watch Empire yet, I am waiting to binge watch it after the seasons ends. But my real question is WHY DOES AMERICAN IDOL THINK WE ARE STUPID? Ryan Seacrest comes out to introduce the guys, and we see the Judge's Chairs are empty and he says the Judges are "Watching from the balcony". This is crap. The performance was done yesterday, and the judge's are not in their chairs because they weren't there for the performance. You can also tell this isn't live because the audience was given Party Balloons for the theme of the night, and no one has a balloon in the audience during the performance. I don't get why Idol just can't be honest and say that this a pre-taped performance? Why the charade? Anyways it was a cool performance, but the lying really distracted me. It's American Idol Season 14, if anyone is half paying attention they know that things aren't what they appear on screen. 

Clark Beckham
(Taking It To The Streets-The Doobie Brothers)

Scott says that Clark is one of the best singers they got. Only struggle he has is can the rest of him catch up to his voice? Has been leaning on comfort songs, but time will come to step up to prove he is the next American Idol. Clark seems most comfortable on the piano, and he does that again tonight. His voice is on tonight and he seems to really get into the performance. He just hits certain crazy notes with such ease. I love his voice and his power.

Judge's Comments= Keith-Nice seeing him play piano. Be careful not to get confused by what he can do as a singer and what he must do as a performer. Wants to feel what he is trying to get out. Jennifer-He is awesome. Loves that he is really good on the piano. Has something natural already but it's keep adding to it and getting comfortable. Harry-Not favorite performance, but likes that he doesn't just perform he is an introspective guy, he tries to make the audience try to understand him.

Our Grade=B

 Jax

(Blank Space-Taylor Swift)

Scott thinks she is the epitome of the great stuff in the 1980s mashed up into 2015. Is original and has great ideas. Thinks she has what it takes. This is one of the more popular songs out there right now, so that was a smart job by Jax. She doesn't turn the song into something we can't identify, so that's good, but she didn't make it entirely special. Her voice is really good, and it's interesting to hear her take on the song. There were parts of the song that were really good, but it went off the tune a little too much that it took away from the rest of the performance. I wish she did something different with the song.

Judge's Comments= Jennifer-Has a lot of fans. Super talented. Not sure if that was the right song choice for her, didn't really hear Jax. Got overtaken by the music. Didn't feel the special quality of her voice. Harry-One of her talents is to take an old song and make it new, and take a new song and make it different, this time it sounded like a carbon copy of Taylor's version, plus needs to pull the beat along. Keith-Good song choice because it's popular, but there was no Jax in there, was out of the melody and played the harmony at one point. The song held her back.

Our Grade= C

Qaasim Middleton

(Jet-Wings)

Scott says that Qaasim is one of best performers on the show, and he makes the show great. Not the strongest singer but has huge artist potential. Needs vocal ability to match his performance skills. This is the first time we have seen him play guitar and stay centered on stage and not running around. The guitar was more like a prop, because the band was so loud you really couldn't discern his guitar playing with anyone in the band. I don't know if this was a strong song choice to really place focus on his vocals, which was his intent tonight. Some of the low notes were too low, and it didn't flow sometimes. I liked when it was just the drums and the piano and he jammed a little and grooved. This was a mix of good and not so good. It was cool to see him try something different, but it also showcased his vulnerabilities too.

Judge's Comments= Harry-Don't think his performance matched what the song was trying to say. Is starting to turn into a one-trick pony in having crazy energy performances. Keith-Loved it. The guitar helped his singing. Jennifer-Makes every song a party. Waiting for the moment to really hear him sing. 

Our Grade=C+

Adanna Duru

(Runaway Baby-Bruno Mars)

Scott thinks she is broody, moody, dangerous. Convinced that next big American Idol is edgier and she is on the edge. The Bruno Mars version of this song is super fast, but Adanna slows it down just a bit, and it pays off because it helps her vocals to stay in control. She has great stage presence and her vocals were very strong tonight, best she has sounded in awhile. 

Judge's Comments=Keith-That is why she was saved. Is cool like Tina Turner. Jennifer-Stayed in so much more in control and was the master telling us how to feel. Everything was so much better. Harry-Coasted on the groove. More in control, so much more in tune. Better performances.

Our Grade=B+

Tyanna Jones

(Tightrope-Janelle Monae)

Scott loves her because everytime she hits the stage everything goes up a level. She knows when to throw it down and gets better every week. Has wisdom beyond her years. Her age is not a deficit. This is a very quick song, in terms of a lot of lyrics in a row without much breath, but Tyanna handles it really well. She tries to throw some Gospel out there, and does a little choreography. It was almost too much but because she has so much control she reigns it all in. It's pretty amazing actually. I feel I have heard her sing a little better before, but not by much. Jennifer and Keith give her a standing ovation. 

Judge's Comments= Jennifer-Sparkles on camera. Then got the goosies. So in control of everything, the vocal, style, the audience. It was so complete. Harry-If he was an Olympic judge he wouldn't have clapped or stood up but would have given her a 10. Keith-Loves that she wants to do this forever. Some people sing, but she sings like is privileged to be there and gets to do this. 

Our Grade=A-

Daniel Seavey

(Happy-Pharrell Williams)  

Jeez, he made it again...Scott thinks that when he smiles the whole room lights up. But he needs to back everything up vocally. Like Qaasim before, Daniel plays the guitar, but you can't hear him at all. It was nice, but super unspectacular.

Judge's Comments=Harry-Spent half an hour last night going over Daniel's past performances to figure him out. Reminded himself of how immensely talented he is. Just wants him to know it seemed more comfortable tonight. Keith-Gonna hear him next week, has great likeability, enjoyable to watch. Jennifer-Impossible not to root for him, even with some great competition left in the competition.

Our Grade=C-

 Quentin Alexander
(Rolling In The Deep-Adele)

Scott thinks he has great New Orleans vibe about him. He adds a funky beat to the song and although he makes it his own he keeps the song identifiable. I didn't love the arrangement as much as I wanted to. He started the song really strong, with just him and the backup singers and playing off one another, but when it got a little more funky it got a little ordinary. He is still a cool guy, and should stick around, but not his strongest performance or vocal.

Judge's Comments= Harry-Loved the way he started it. Loved the way he made the song his own and sang a female song. Jennifer-Brings a different flavor, always cool and soulful and solid. Harry-One of his greatest gifts is digging deep into the lyric, but felt it was a little shallow interpretation. Didn't see him get really into it, just floated around too much.

Our Grade=B-

Nick Fradiani

(Wake Me Up-Aloe Blacc)

Scott thinks Nick is a Pop hunk. Has a ton of experience but has always been in a band, now needs to be a solo star. A big time contender. He goes super acoustic with this version of the song. Unlike Daniel and Qaasim, you can hear Nick play the guitar, so that's a plus. The negative is that Nick was out of tune at times. It went a little off the pitch and off in general. It was okay, but not great.
Judge's Comments= Jennifer-Knows that there is so much emotion to be last to be told to go up there. Got a little screamy. Great song choice. Got a little away from him. Harry-Solid performance. Needs to crack open and be less shy. Keith-Strange to get away from the band. Gonna see him next week.
Our Grade=B-

Eliminated Unless Saved By The Judges= Sarina-Joi Crowe. So basically last night was a mess, but she has been so good so many other night's. Plus she went first yesterday, so she could have been overlooked. Sarina-Joi must sing for the Judges. She sings Neon Lights by Demi Lovato. This was the song that Sarina would have sung this week if she was picked for Top 11. This was definitely a better job by her than last night when it was messy and out of tune, but I wasn't completely impressed. Those big notes were still so good.

Is The Judge's Save Used? No. It was just too early in the season and competition for the Judges to use the save. But she is still fantastic and I'll miss her on the show.

Best of the Night= Joey Cook. I think Tyanna was stellar, Adanna stepped it up and Clark was solid, but Joey turned a rap song into a 1920s, jazzy/bluesy song and still left it incredibly enjoyable. She sang well, looked great, and really showcased herself amazingly. Great night by her.

Going Home Predictions
Should Go Home=Daniel Seavey
Will Go Home=Quentin Alexander

Final Thoughts

*Tonight was a really weird night. First off Sarina-Joi Crowe was eliminated too early. Then, there were some really great performances, but there were some stumbles as well, by some fan favorites and past front runners. I think Rayvon, Jax, Qaasim and even Nick just to name a few had off nights. I think they tried really hard, and try to please the judges and change things up or do things differently, but it ended up not working out that well for the most part. Tyanna stayed great, Adanna stepped it up and Joey was amazing. I loved her interpretation of Fancy. 

*We already spoke about it above, but Sarina-Joi being the first eliminated out of this Top 12 is so unfortunate. I know it's still early to use the Judge's Save, but I feel if this was Top 5 or Top 6 and she was on the verge of going home they would have saved her, but because it's way too early they couldn't. It's bad timing because she is really so good, and has delivered so many great performances.

*The Chairs Turn Green, The Chairs Turn Green! So a new feature to the show is that while the contestants are sitting on the side of the stage awaiting their fate their chairs are lit red, as soon as they make it into the Top 11 their chair turns green. Basically for the money American Idol wasted on those silly chairs I probably could pay off all of my college loans, just saying. Plus to add to the unnecessary, instead of the audience standing and waving their hands so high and out of tune right in the front, the producers gave them balloons to hold and wave, so now we get the balloons being out of sync with the music and being really distracting. Awesome job by the Idol producers tonight. Oh, and like I mentioned above, they lied about the Guest Performance being live. So the Producers should be in a Timeout for the terrible night they had.  

*I am gonna have to accept it...Daniel Seavey might be here to stay for awhile. He is a nice boy, he really is, but with Sarina-Joi going home and not him I start to dislike him more and more. The more great singers go, the more I will dislike and be spiteful of him staying. It's not particularly his fault, he is just doing what he has been doing this whole time. I felt it a few weeks ago, that although he should be gone he won't, when he stayed over some great talent that left, and now we are really into the nitty gritty of the show and it's still happening.

Next week the Top 10 will be revealed and perform and 1 contestant will be eliminated. The show will not air next Wednesday due to the Empire Season Finale, so come back here after the next new episode next Thursday 3/19. Until next time, see ya!

Top 12 Revealed and Perform:Their Audition Songs

Welcome back. Tonight American Idol is back in Los Angeles but still not live, that won't start until tomorrow, that's due to there being a lot to get to in only an hour.  Let's run through what's going down this episode and a look ahead to tomorrow real quick:

1. The Top 5 Men and Women America voted into the Top 12 will be revealed
2. The Judges will then pick 2 wildcards from the contestants that were not voted through automatically (only eliminated contestants from this week can be chosen, not past contestants)
3. As soon as the contestant is revealed to be safe and into the Top 12 they will perform for America's votes with the Theme: Their Audition Songs
4. Tomorrow (3/12) 1 Contestant Will Be Eliminated and the Top 11 will perform for America's votes during the first 2 hour performance show of the year with the Theme: Party Songs

Confusing enough for ya? Hopefully that little run down will help keep everything a little less crazy, even though it still is. The fact that there is no results show is making things tougher to keep things as organized as it has been in the past, but we will go with it.

Although only 4 contestants will be eliminated tonight due to the 2 Wildcards, 6 contestants would have been eliminated. Our Predictions from last week on the 6 contestants that were not chosen by America were:
Men=Daniel, Mark and Adam  Women=Alexis, Adanna and Maddie.

So with all that being said, let's begin the craziness:

America's Votes Revealed and Performances

Sarina-Joi Crowe (Love Runs Out-OneRepublic)-I am so happy that she was picked for the Top 12. She has been amazing thus far this season. Unfortunately, I feel tonight she was off. She sounded great, because she has an unbelievable voice but she wasn't matching the band. She was very much ahead of it at times or behind it, the backup singers came in a little too loud and in front of her. Plus the music was either to soft or too loud. It was sort of a mess, I am not gonna blame all of it on her, because it could have been a band issue, plus her voice is still killer and one of the best in the competition.
Judge's Comments= Keith-Has to hear pitch and the band, super comfortable up on stage. Jennifer-So excited for her. Needs to be strong in the beginning. Harry-Very talented. This is gonna be a great competition. 
                                            Our Grade=B-

Rayvon Owen (Wide Awake-Katy Perry) I loved Rayvon's take on this song during his audition because he made it his own and really stripped it down to its just beautiful lyrics. His voice is so on point tonight. His voice is like butter, really smooth. There is one note that he hits and holds for a long time, it stays in tune the whole time and its' so perfect. Well done by him vocally. He still can improve performance-wise.
Judge's Comments=Jennifer-Felt that moment, knew it had it, it was sick. Harry-Singing in shape, sounded terrific. Keith-Got exponentially better at the end. Great song choice.
Our Grade=A-

Daniel Seavey(Straight Up-Paula Abdul) This kid is gonna keep making it and making it. There have been "cute" contestants before on this show that have done well just because they are "cute" but shouldn't really be there. I think Daniel is gonna be this season's Sanjaya(Season 6) Tim Urban(Season 9), Sam Woolf (Season 13), Aaron Kelly(Season 9) and so many more "cute, but not too great" contestants that stick around way past when they should. Tonight Daniel starts this song with a lot of focus on his voice, and doesn't perform with his guitar. He backs off some notes that he hit during his audition, and goes off the lyrics a little, he recovers but it's not great, in fact it's not good at all.
Judge's Comments=Harry-Young and experienced and compared to others and his performance as of late hasn't been good, and tonight really proved his inexperience is being shown. Keith-If he finds an emotional song he will kill it. Jennifer-Wants him to play to his strength to be strong all the way.
                                            Our Grade=D

Maddie Walker (Suitcase-Gwen Sebastian) Other than Alexis Gomez who is sorta country, Maddie is the only country singer in this competition, so all the country fans only have her to vote for, that's a huge advantage, country fans love reality shows, the country contestants win The Voice all the time. Tonight Maddie sounded pretty good, she was in tune and on the pitch pretty much the whole time. She hasn't, or wasn't able to pick country songs the past couple weeks, so this was better for her, she seemed more comfortable. It was a little boring, but not terrible.
Judge's Comments=Keith-love that she chose it stylistically, suited her even though it's not known to people. Jennifer-Don't think too much. Harry-The song was too in her head, but it was still a solid performance.
                                           Our Grade=C+

Tyanna Jones (Wings-Little Mix) She has been one of the standouts this season, so I am so happy she has made the Top 12.  This song allows Tyanna to really get into the song. She was right on the money with the band and backup singers from note one. She owned the stage and sounded amazing. She has been great every episode she has had to perform in front of the audience. Really great job tonight.
Judge's Comments= Jennifer-Phenomenal vocals and has incredible composure. Harry-So comfortable on stage. Great job. Harry-Moves, sings and act's like a star, she's a star.
Our Grade=A

Nick Fradiani (In Your Eyes-Peter Gabriel) He was one of the best last week and has been consistent so far this entire season. He just goes out there with his guitar and all the focus is on his voice for the first part of the song. The band comes in gently towards the middle to backup him up. I almost would have preferred him to just stay with the guitar and no backup, because he is just that good. It's still amazing. He is comfortable up there and found a great groove.
Judge's Comments=Harry-You're almost twice as old as some of the people he is competing with, and what's interesting is that he brings experience. Keith-Great look and voice, and needs to believe in himself. Jennifer-Strong performance wants to pick a song that every part of it suits and is undeniable.
Our Grade=B+

Jax (I Want To Hold Your Hand-The Beatles) Her audition was one of the more memorable ones of not only this season but in more recent seasons, so it's great she gets to perform this song again. She starts tonight's performance in a similar way, where she is sitting at the piano and all the focus is on her, no band, backup singers, just her, but then she gets up from the piano and the band comes in to play the more Beatles-eque version. I think I would have preferred to see her just do what she did in the audition, just piano. She was more comfortable there, and sounded more original. It was still real good, but it could have been unbelievably amazing.  
Judge's Comments=Keith-Clear to see why America voted for, could have taken the whole song at the piano, so beautiful up there. Jennifer-No question why she is here, as compelling as ever. Harry-Didn't need the band at all, really nice work.
                                          Our Grade=B

Qaasim Middleton(Sir Duke-Stevie Wonder) He takes the song almost gospel in the beginning of the song and we get to hear that he has a beautiful voice, but then the band comes in and you lose some of that quality in his voice. Again, like most weeks, his performance skills are off the chart, but his voice is not as strong when he is running around and playing with the audience. I think it would have been brave if he just made the song into a gospel-sounding song, and made it his own, rather than rely on the band again. The scatting he does at the end with the falsetto at the end was cool. But in some parts he is getting sort of predictable at this point.
Judge's Comments=Jennifer-Energy is so contagious and amazing. Owns the whole stage. Harry-Did sound nice, but wants to know if we will ever hear less than an explosion of energy. Keith-Showed everything he can do in a small, compact space.
                                           Our Grade=B-

Clark Beckham (It's A Man's, Man's, Man's World-James Brown) Clark's voice is probably one of the strongest in the competition, period. He has had issues with going off pitch or lacking in performance, but his voice has been so beautiful. Tonight everything was on the money. He hits a few particular notes that seemed so difficult but he made it so easy. He has that sultry, gritty voice that makes you feel so pumped to hear. Best performance in a couple weeks.
Judge's Comments=Harry-If he can take one of the most chauvinistic songs and make him forget it's quite an accomplishment. Keith-Amazing, killer. Jennifer-Vocal of the night, amazing.
Our Grade=A

Joey Cook(King of Spain-The Tallest Man on Earth) She doesn't have her squeeze box, like she had in her audition, but she has a little ukulele and she sounds like she has always sounded. She's a very stylistic kind of performer, she's device that way, either you like her style or you probably don't. I think she was as consistent as she has been this season. Her voice was on point for the majority of the song, and the last second of the song she goes without the band and you can hear her voice is really nice when it's pure and simple.
Judge's Comments=Keith-Little sharp up there. Jennifer-Filled up the big stage, one of her best performances. Harry-Stylized, but she might be finding a spot up there.
Our Grade=B

Who Didn't Make America's Top 10 out of 12? Quentin Alexander, Mark Andrew, Adam Ezegalian, Adanna Duru, Loren Scott and Alexis Gomez 

Wild Card Picks and Performances

Quentin Alexander(Royals-Lorde) The fact that he wasn't initially picked to be in the Top 12 gets me nervous for his Idol life on the show, but if he performs week to week as strong as he has been, and a couple males falter (i.e David) then Quentin can keep getting through. Tonight he takes the song into a spacey, kind of futuristic, groovy place. His voice is so good and his artistry is amazing. He, like Jax, can take a song and flip it on its head. Quentin makes it almost until the very end before he breaks down emotionally and starts crying, he kept himself composed up until right then. Nice job all around.
Judge's Comments= Jennifer-Deserved to be there. Emotion is part of what makes him a great artist. Harry-Favorite part of him is he 's deeply in touch with his emotion, some pitch problems but that's not a problem this time. Keith-Brought a real spiritualism to that song. So glad he's here.
                                            Our Grade=B+

Adanna Duru (You & I=Lady Gaga) I am not upset about this pick. Adanna is one of only a couple contestants that can have a powerhouse-big number. She hasn't been as consistent week to week as I hope, but when she is good, she is real good. Given that she not only had to perform last after waiting all night and seeing so many great performances, but she was last picked from the judge's and America, with that being said she kept her composure pretty well. Her voice hits some of those big notes flawlessly. She goes off a little, but her emotions were probably going crazy. Overall she proves that she is Top 12 worthy.  Keith gives her a standing ovation.
Judge's Comments= Harry-Brings a lot to this competition. Needs to take all the energy and some of it was really out of tune. Jennifer-Needs to work on having control of her performance. Harry-Has got people out of their seats.
                                          Our Grade=B

Eliminated=Loren Scott, Adam Ezegelian, Mark Andrew, Alexis Gomez

Our Favorite Top 12 Peformance= Tyanna Jones. She owned the song, the stage and delivered on every front from the first note. She has been consistent every week and if she stays as good as she has been, she can go a long way in this competition.

Our Bottom 3 Predictions=Daniel, Adanna, Maddie
Our Going Home Predictions=Daniel

Final Thoughts

*Other than Daniel Seavey out and Loren Scott in the Top 12,  I am so excited by this crop of contestants. There are at least 7 incredibly strong contestants left that could win this whole thing. 7!  And there are at least a few others that if they put a decent run together could have a shot too. When has there been that many standouts in one season? Sometimes you get 4 or even 5, but this many standout contestants is so exciting. This should be a great season, and with only one person getting eliminated at a time now, the pace of the show will hopefully slow down a little. This season has the potential to be amazing every single week.

*Several performances tonight were pretty good, but sometimes doing too much is actually too much. Jax, Qaasim and Nick for example could have gone sans band and just focused on their voice or their particular instrument, but they had the band join in and make the performances more standard. There is a big difference between being good and being great and although a lot of these contestants are having good performances, they didn't have a moment, a moment that proves that they could win this whole thing. Once that moment comes we will all know it, and feel it, and I can't wait for that to hopefully happen. 

*The show having to reveal 12 people, do a short video package of in-house mentor Scott Borchetta and have those 12 people perform was so hectic. Remember in every season other than this one, this show would have been done in the course of 3 hours. The reveal of Top 12 would have happened in the results show (1 hour) and the Top 12 would have performed the next episode (2 hours) So we are getting 3 hours of content in only an hour. I know it's Season 14, and the ratings haven't been strong the past couple years but that's just way too much. I feel before "live"/pre-taped episodes started they should have knocked the contestants down to a Top 10, because 12 is way too much in one hour. Tonight we were supposed to see how the contestants grew from their auditions, but we could barely get a small clip of how they sounded during  their audition and compare that to tonight. It's unfortunate that on such a strong season like we have this year, we are getting the least amount of content, such as behind the scenes stuff with Scott Borchetta and learning about who these people are.

*The judge's kept talking about the contestant's song choice tonight, and I feel like they didn't remember that the contestant's had zero choice in songs. They had to sing the song that was their initial audition. So it might be good advice to say in general "pick songs that do X, Y or Z", not "this wasn't a good song choice".It made me annoyed hearing them say that. It's a small nitpick.

That's it. That was a lot of stuff tonight. Hopefully everyone enjoyed it. Tomorrow the Top 11 will be revealed and they will perform. So come on back after that episode. So until then, see ya!