The coaching chairs will be occupied this season by: Adam, Pharrell, Christina, and Blake.
Let the Blind Auditions begin!
Team Adam Mike Schiavo, 21
It only took a couple words for Adam and Pharrell to turn around, I wasn't sure what kind of style to expect from him. I liked his song choice and I loved what he did with it ("Talking Body" by Tove Lo). He had a really cool vibe. The more I'm hearing, the more I love him. He had a lot of really interesting things to his voice. He was soft and smooth, and then it got a little gritty. Very intriguing! I can't wait to hear more from him! He loves Maroon 5, so how cool that Adam sang "She Will be Loved" with him?! And it was magical! I totally got the goosebumps! Even though Adam was intermittently saying what chords to do. That was cool. He definitely made the right choice going with Adam.
Chair Turns: 3 (Adam, Pharrell, Blake)
John Gilman, 23
He looks a lot older than 23. Interesting style. I don't know that I necesarily like it. It's very folksy and kind of 50s. I'm bummed that Blake didn't push his button because he would have been a good fit for Team Blake.
Chair Turns: 1 Team Blake Paxton Ingram, 23
I wasn't expecting his voice to sound the way it did. His voice reminds me of someone, but I'm not quite sure who. Ne-Yo? This was such a good performance. He didn't seem like he was auditioning. I think he made a big mistake picking Blake. Blake will do nothing for him. It's surprising because he said he couldn't wait to learn from Pharrell.
Chair Turns: 3 (Blake, Adam, Pharrell)
Mary Sarah, 20
Who does she look like? She looks really familiar. OK, did not exect that voice. "Where the Boys Are?" Seriously. Just no. She might have a decent voice, but you lose some major points for the song choice. There was something really tinny about her pitch when she sang really high. I have a feeling that her voice will get really annoying, really, really quickly.
Chair Turns: 4 Team Christina Bryan Bautista, 23
I thought I remembered him. He tried out last season. I was a little surprised he didn't get any chair turns last time. I think his song choice was better last time. The beginning of the song didn't really show off his voice. I did like the breakdown in the middle in his falsetto. That was really strong.
Chair Turns: 2 (Christina, Blake)
Alison Porter, 34
She was a popular child actor ("Curly Sue"). She looks nothing like she did back then. I'm not loving her song choice. She does have a pretty voice though. Her high notes were pretty screetchy.
Chair Turns: 4 Team Pharrell
Caity Peters, 21
I didn't expect her to have such a deep, rich texture to her voice. There was something really cool about this performance. She showed a nice range of loud and soft. It was really good, and I really wanted to hear more!
Chair Turns: 4
Nick Hagelin, 28
Cute, cute guy! And his story...wow. What can't this guy do? He's a classicly trained ballet dancer, he's a singer, and he's got the cutest kid who has a disability and he taught him how to walk. He's taking a big risk singing Adam's song, "Lost Stars". He gave a really nice performance. He actually sounded a lot like Adam on the high falsetto part of the song. His voice sounded very different from Adam's on the rest of the song, which was interesting.
Chair Turns: 3 (Pharrell, Christina, Blake)
Abby Celso, 20
She has such a low voice...not my cup o' tea. I liked the 2nd half of the song when she did some falsetto and it was in higher key. It was a pretty good performance.
Chair Turns: 2 (Adam, Pharrell)
Caila
Ben says that he thinks he has the deepest relationship with Caila of all the girls. He thinks she will make a great wife.
They take a rafting ride down a river. And could there be any more silence? She talked about where her room was. They talked about the most generic topics. Not a whole lot going on here. She was surprised that she was so anxious. Ben can tell that she isn't herself because she's very quiet and reserved. He asked if she was excited and she said yes, but he knew she was holding something back and that something was going on.
She said she thinks that she is overthinking being anxious. She is worried that he will pull away because he feels her pulling away. He told her that they've gotten to know each other well enough that if she gets anxious, she should tell him and he can try to help her through it.
She still hasn't told him that she loves him, but she's hoping that at the end of the night, that she'll be ready and it will be the right time.
She told Ben that she was happy that he noticed that she wasn't herself and calling her out on it. At the last Rose Ceremony she realized that 2 other people are probably falling in love with him. All of her previous relationships she's had doubts and it didn't feel right. Being with him is different and it just feels right. She said she's wanted to tell him for a long time that she was in love with him.
That was exactly what Ben was waiting to hear from her. She said he didn't have to say anything, she could just tell how he felt. They kissed and there were fireworks! Literally. And they were kind of out of control.
Tonight our Season 15 Top 10 singers were finally all revealed! One of these singers will be the 15th and FINAL American Idol. That's so sad to think about! But let's not get too sad just yet, we still have about 6 weeks left.
In case you haven't been watching and are just tuning in, here's a rundown of the Top 10 to help you get to know them.
Girls
Guys
Avalon Young
Age: 21
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Occupation: Server
Audition City: San Francisco, CA
Fun Fact: was named after the album of the same name by Roxy Music; was a member of the band Over the Edge
Number of Twitter Followers: 14,000
Unofficial Odds to Win: 3-1
Dalton Rapattoni
Age: 20
Hometown: Dallas, TX
Occupation: Vocal Coach in School of Rock
Audition City: Little Rock, AR
Fun Fact: was discovered in a national talent search where he was a part of the Disney boyband IM5; most recently a member of Fly Away Hero
Number of Twitter Followers: 109,000
Unofficial Odds to Win: 2-1
Gianna Isabella
Age: 15
Hometown: Jackson, NJ
Occupation: Student
Audition City: Philadelphia, PA
Fun Fact: she is the daughter of Brenda K. Starr ("I Still Believe"); won the New York Dream Night Talent Search competition in 2014
Number of Twitter Followers: 7,261
Unofficial Odds to Win: 100-1
Lee Jean
Age: 16
Hometown: Bluffton, SC
Occupation: Student
Audition City: Atlanta, GA
Fun Fact: was a part of a duo with Hannah Lindsey Lane
Number of Twitter Followers: 15,500
Unofficial Odds to Win: 50-1
La'Porsha Renae
Age: 22
Hometown: McComb, MS
Occupation: Call Representative
Audition City: Little Rock, AR
Fun Fact: tried out for American Idol in Season 8
Number of Twitter Followers: 9,752
Unofficial Odds to Win: 6-1
MacKenzie Bourg
Age: 23
Hometown: Lafayette, LA
Occupation: Musician
Audition City: Atlanta, GA
Fun Fact: Competed on The Voice in Season 3 (2012) on CeeLo Green's team and was eliminated on the first episode of the Live Playoffs
Number of Twitter Followers: 105,000
Unofficial Odds to Win: 9-2
Olivia Rox
Age: 17
Hometown: Agoura Hills, CA
Occupation: Student
Audition City: San Francisco, CA
Fun Fact: daughter of saxophonist Warren Hill and music producer Tamara Van Cleef; starred in Annie and received the Denver Critics Ovation Award Nomination; wrote her first song on the piano at age 4 and has now written over 300 songs
Number of Twitter Followers: 7,242
Unofficial Odds to Win: 8-1
Trent Harmon
Age: 25
Hometown: Amory, MS
Occupation: Waiter
Audition City: Little Rock, AR
Fun Fact: His family owns a farm and a restaurant; graduated from Monticello, where he lead worship services on campus; also auditioned for The Voice
Number of Twitter Followers: 11,600
Unofficial Odds to Win: 10-1
Sonika Vaid
Age: 20
Hometown: Martha's Vineyard, MA
Occupation: Student - studying biology
Audition City: Denver, CO
Fun Fact: she is of Indian decent and her parents immigrated to the US when she was a child; is a regular performer at a local park near her home for special events
Number of Twitter Followers: 7,611
Unofficial Odds to Win: 15-1
Tristan McIntosh
Age: 15
Hometown: Nashville, TN
Occupation: Student
Audition City: Little Rock, AR
Fun Fact: she won Q108's Clarksville's Got Talent competition in 2013; was a member of the Children's Christian Choir and the Let Freedom Sing Tour
Tonight's the night! We finally find out who our Top 10 are!
I'm feeling pretty good for my absolute favorites, but I'm worried about a couple people. And I'm even more worried that Jenn and Jeneve, one or worse - both, will make it over much more deserving singers. The polls I've been seeing made it pretty clear that Manny will be going home. He was dead last in a lot of viewer polls I've seen. Thomas didn't fare too well after getting a harsh (but very truthful) critique from Harry. Somewhere in the middle, on the bubble, were Gianna, Avalon, Tristan, Lee, Jeneve, and Jenn. Mackenzie was the overwhelming favorite in all of the polls that I saw. Like seriously, it wasn't even close. So that makes me ecstatic! I'm just hoping all of those people voted.
They aren't wasting any time with the results, and here we go! Joining Dalton, Trent, La'Porsha, and Olivia are:
Tristan
Sonika
Gianna
Mackenzie
Avalon
Lee
That means that the 4 singers leaving are: Jeneve, Jenn, Manny, and Thomas
Can I get a HUGE "WOOHOO"!!!!!! Oh, my, gosh! I am incredibly, incredibly pleased with this! Jenn and Jeneve are gone! I thought I might get lucky and 1 would go home, but I never dreamt I would be so lucky for both of them to go! Mackenzie, Sonika, and Lee all made it, so that made me very happy. I like Tristan, Avalon, and Gianna so I'm not disappointed with them at all. All in all, I think this is a pretty great Top 10. La'Porsha is my least favorite, and I don't care for her much at all. The other 9, I'm very OK with. Shocking. What a great way to go into the final season!
Joining the panel to judge the first performances from the Top 10 is none other than Season 1 Winner, Kelly Clarkson! Love her!
Performance time!
Olivia - "Unconditionally" by Katy Perry
Is her microphone on? I can barely hear her. She had some nice moments, but for some reason this just kind of seemed all over the place to me. It was OK, but I was not super impressed with that. My Score: C+
Gianna - "Listen" by Beyonce
I just can't get over how different she looks with straight hair!. She did not look comfortable singing this at all. Her face was pointing forward, but her eyes were looking off to the side, back and forth, very strangely. She sang loud, but she had some really, really off notes. Her last big note was good and on-pitch. I didn't feel much of a connection to the song. The nerves really got to her on that one, I think. Kelly hit the nail on the head that she was really thinking too much. You could tell that she was thinking about the next note and she lost the connection and emotion in the song. I agree with Harry that it sounded really rehearsed. My Score: C-
Lee - "Skinny Love" by Bon Iver
I know this as a song by the artist named Birdy. It's a great song, but she does it a lot slower than this version. I love her version, but I'm liking this version as well. It was nice to see him do a little bit more of an upbeat song. He seemed really nervous and had some tiny pitch issues. I still really enjoyed his performance, though. He's such a good kid and he's just so likable. I would like to see him branch out a little bit. He knows what he does well, and like Keith likes to say, he stays in his "lane". That's great, and important, but he's becoming too predictable and isn't really showing us something new and exciting. If he can tweak some songs and give them a different spin, it could take him really far. Still love him though, I'm just getting a little worried for him at this point int he competition. My Score: B+
Avalon - "Stitches" by Shawn Mendes
I love this song. this is a good one for her. The lower notes were a little off at the beginning. I really started to like it a lot at the chorus. The first few whispered, very low "needle and a thread"s were almost unintelligible. I really wanted to love this. It was good, but it wasn't her best. It semed so short and we didn't really get to hear the best parts of the song...it was kind of choppy. My Score: B-
Dalton - "Hey There Delilah" by The Plain White T's
I LOVE that his family bet on Chris Daughtry. And I love that he approaches songs the way he does because of David Cook. So, this is an awesome song and I don't think it's ever been done on Idol. He could sing the phone book and I wouldn't care. I'm obsessed with him. He is just in a different league than everyone else in this competition. I really hope the voters stand by him and give him the credit he deserves. He's a true artist. He's a true performer. He's just great. I don't know if I would call this "electric barnyard" like Keith called it. Everyone else has looked terrified tonight, but not Dalton. I was worried about what Harry would say about this, but he was 100% in favor of it. He said he's flipped every single song he's done and so far he's batting 1000 - what an awesome compliment from one of the toughest critics. His song choices are not only very different, but they are so smart. He picks songs that people know and can relate to, and then he tweaks them and it feels kind of like we're hearing them for the first time. That's exactly what David Cook did, so it's very easy to see why Dalton is able to do the same thing. ♥♥♥♥♥ My Score: A
Tristan - "Nothin' Like You" by Dan + Shay
I don't know why she always picks songs that start out too low. Just like Gianna, she's having some major pitch issues. She also did the same thing as Gianna kind of looking out of the corner of her eyes. Her song choices are just strange. I can never feel a connection to the song from her. It always seems like she's forced to sing a song she doesn't really like that much. Which is actually not the case, since country is what she wants to sing. I don't know, it's always just a little off. My Score: C
MacKenzie - "I See Fire" by Ed Sheeran
I love this song! Great choice, MacKenzie! Just like Dalton, he could sing the phone book and I wouldn't care. He just doesn't have a bad performance. He knows what he does well and he just knows how to perform. Beautiful!♥♥♥♥♥ My Score: A
La'Porsha - "Diamond" by Rihanna
OK, La'Porsha - great song choice! The runs were a bit out of control. As usual, she had a case of "the runs". But...there were things I really liked. The good song helped. If she could cut the runs by 50% I would have liked it a whole lot more. Yes, we know you can do vocal runs up and down and backwards and forwards and upside down. We get it. Can you do anything else? Of course everyone was going to scream themselves silly. J. Lo said she has control. I think it's the opposite. I think she goes out of control and she just can't help herself. There is no need to sing every note in the scale on every...single...word. Have some restraint, please. Please. LESS IS MORE. My Score: A-
Sonika - "Bring Me to Life" by Evanescence
I love this song! What a cool choice for her! Very unexpected! We're used to hearing her sing power ballads. This is power in a whole new direction and I love it! We got to see her really let loose. Amy Lee (Evanescence) has such an incredible voice and those high notes are no joke. She did an amazing job. Like, really amazing! That last note was killer! That's the Sonika I knew was in there somewhere! We've just been waiting for her to break loose. She totally brought the drama and it was incredible! Absolutely one of the best tonight, by far! Kelly is right, she is NEVER pitchy. And to follow what La'Porsha did was incredible. LOVED IT! Her best performance by far. My Score: A+
Trent - "Like I Can" by Sam Smith
Great song choice. I feel like I say the same thing about Trent every week. I like some things he does and some things he does just drives me nuts. He did a little better with the forced over-singing. His falsetto sounded a little too shouty tonight. I don't know that I've ever heard him sing quite like that before. I liked his performance, but I definitely didn't love it. I agree with Kelly - I would like to hear him sing soft and tender more. It's like he only has 1 volume and intensity, and it's 100. It would be nice to have a little more balance. My Score: B
Following all of this season's contestants, we were treated with an incredible, emotional performance by the one and only, first American Idol winner, Kelly Clarkson. She warned us that she might not be able to make it through without crying. She ended up having the entire building and everyone at home in tears!
Tonight: the judges will pick 4 singers to move automatically to the Top 10. The judges said they had to be unanimous among the three of them. They will not be performing tonight. The 10 singers not selected will perform a song they've already done this season. America will vote to save.
Tomorrow Night: the voting results will be revealed. 6 more singers will make it into the Top 10 and 4 singers will be eliminated. The Top 10 will then perform a new song live, for the first time this season. America will then be voting as normal, for the rest of the season. After this week, we move to 1 episode per week. That episode will be a 2-hour episode airing on Thursdays from 8-10 PM EST.
So, let's get to it!
The judges choose these 4 to get a "Fast Pass" to the Top 10:
Dalton
La'Porsha
Olivia
Trent
Dalton, La'Porsha, and Trent are very obvious choices. Olivia is a little bit of a surprise. I feel like they've been a lot more positive towards singers like Avalon and especially Jenn. I am super pumped about Dalton, obviously. La'Porsha was a given...much to my dismay. I also am not 100% #TeamTrent. I don't see what they see. I liked him in his audition and felt that he really performed well in Hollywood despite having mono. But now, I feel like he over-performs with way too much angst in his face. His runs are over-done as well. If he can reign it in and tone it down a notch, his performances will really excel and take him to another level. Until then, I'm not really a fan.
Days 3-6 Brains Camp
The Brains FINALLY have fire. So much for Debbie knowing how to do everything. Maybe she's just holding back and doesn't want to "show off" her skills? Yeah, right.
Debbie refuses to drink any treated water. She said she looked at the water that Liz has been boiling and she won't touch it. She said the chances of there being organic chemicals present that they need to boil and filter the water are slim to none. She has 20 years of experience analyzing water, don't you know?! She said she's got an immune system like a horse. The thinks she can judge the water just by looking at it. Liz said the fact that she is still there and feeling fine doesn't prove that she hasn't picked up a parasite. I agree with Liz. It's not going to show up immediately. What is she thinking?! You can't see parasites in the water!
I'm starting to like Peter. His commentary on Debbie was pretty funny. Does she have 30 or 40 cats? I think the answer is probably 40 cats. He said you want someone like her, who has no game, on your tribe. He wants to keep her around as long as possible.
There's a clear divide on the tribe: the old (Joe and Debbie) and the young (Peter, Aubrey, Neal, and Liz). Apparently Joe used too much of the kerosene on the fire, and then left the bottle on its side and it ate through the cap and they lost most of it. This caused a little tiff with Joe and Liz. Brawn Camp
OK, so I just got SUPER excited for Season 4 of Big Brother Canada (BBCAN)!!! Voting is now taking place to vote 2 international Big Brother stars to enter the house with this season's houseguests!
Girls: I've only started following Big Brother UK (BBUK) the past 3 or 4 seasons, so I'm not very familiar with Nikki Grahame, but I have heard some of the housemates (as they're called in the UK) refer to her. I know absolutely nothing about Veronica because I have not watched any of Big Brother Italy. Based on that, I'll go with what little I know about Nikki and vote for her.
But as for the guys...I know them both well! Jase was on Season 5 and All-Stars Season 7. He is well-known for being a part of the 4 Horsemen alliance. He was also the very first victim of, what is now known as, the backdoor! And Tim. Where do you begin with Tim? I. Love. Tim. He competed on the first season of Big Brother Australia (BBAU) that I watched (back in 2013), and it has by far, been my favorite season of ANY Big Brother. A large part due to Tim. However, the rest of the cast on his season were superb. Love them all! But Tim...Tim is special. I gotta love an American player up for this wildcard, but I would do anything to watch Tim play Big Brother again! He's a legend, that's for sure.
There are 7 days left to vote, so do your part and make sure you vote for Tim. Sorry Jase. You cannot compete with the likes of Tim. Click here to vote! You don't have to be from Canada for your vote to count! You can also vote over and over!
I'm a little bummed because I was really wanting to watch Season 3 of BBCAN before Season 4 starts (I'm a little behind!). I'm so busy that there is no way that's going to happen now. I wasn't planning on blogging this season, but I might just have to now! This is so exciting!
The season premiere of BBCAN is Thursday, March 2 at 9:00 on Global. If you are outside of Canada, you won't be able to watch the videos on Global's website unless you use an app to mask your country of origin. However, I'm guessing all of the videos will be available on YouTube, as they have been in the past.
Tonight on American Idol, here's what's happening. The judges are going to select 4 singers to automatically advance to the Top 10. They will not have to perform tonight (actually already taped). The remaining 10 singers will perform a song they've already done. America will get to vote tonight for the first time. We will be voting for the remaining 6 spots.
Here are the judges' picks for the freee pass (leaked by The Idol Pad):
Dalton Rapattoni
La'Porsha Renae
Olivia Rox
Trent Harmon
Want to know what songs the 10 singers will be performing tonight? Here's the list:
Avalon Young – “Yo (Excuse Me Miss)” by Chris Brown
Gianna Isabella – “I Put A Spell On You” by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins
Jeneve Mitchell – “Ring Of Fire” by Johnny Cash
Jenn Blosil – “True Colors” by Cyndi Lauper
Lee Jean – “Make It Rain” by Ed Sheeran
MacKenzie Bourg – “Roses” (Original Song)
Manny Torres – “Master Blaster (Jammin’)” by Stevie Wonder
Sonika Vaid – “I Surrender” by Celine Dion
Thomas Stringfellow – “Story Of My Life” by One Direction
Tristan McIntosh – “What Hurts The Most” by Mark Willis/Rascal Flatts
We will find out the 6 top vote-getters who will move on tomorrow night. Tomorrow night, our Top 10 will perform live for the first time. So make sure to tune in tomorrow for the big reveal and to vote again!
I just read a great blog post about Ben, which pretty much sums up every single thing I love about him. Thought you might want to read it as well - read it here.
This week: Hometowns
Amanda - Laguna Beach, CA
Amanda's kids joined her and Ben at the beach. She hadn't seen them yet, so it was a big reunion for them. Her girls, Kinsley and Charlie, look like twins - how much age difference is there? I forget, but they look the same age! They both had the cutest pigtails. Ben got a little emotional when he watched them run and hug Amanda. The girls were excited to meet Ben and wondered where he was, but little Charlie said she was shy. Awe!
Amanda is looking for someone who wants to lover her kids and make them a priority. She felt like her past relationships that wasn't the case.
I knew Ben was going to be amazing with them. He was so engaging and really went out of his way to talk to both of them and be active with them. He chased them and they chased him, they played in the sand, and even flew a kite. They were like the perfect little family. And then...reality set in. The car ride. Screaming from the backseat. Lots of crankiness after the long day.
Then it was off to meet the rest of her family: her mom, dad, and sister. Their first impression was that Ben seemed a little bit yound and wondered if he was ready to be an "instant dad". They hope he has good intentions.
His mom asked him what he was thinking. He said he had never really thought about it until he met her and then he realized he was OK with it and he was surprised by his reaction. Her dad asked about their relationship. Ben said their relationship has been real and honest. He said they've talked about what a future together woud look like. Her dad stressed what a change having kids would change his life and the responsibility of putting the kids before what he wants.
Amanda said her feelings have grown so much and she would be really devastated if she went home. Ben kind of said the same thing - that he feels really good about their relationship and having growing feelings. They had a nice kiss on his way out and he told her to tell her family thank you, and that they were awesome. He was very genuine and really seemed to have a great time. But, I think he knows that he has a lot of things to think about. He knows it's not just all about him...there are the kids to think about.
Tonight - duets and 5 cuts! We find out which 7 will join last week's 7 in the Top 14. Let's see if those semi-shocking spoilers were correct!
Again, just like last week, click on the song titles for a blast to the past and revisit the alums doing their thang with the the song. And then, check back (probably tomorrow) for videos of the performances (in case you're reading this recap having not watched the episode...or you just want to see them again!).--NOW UPDATED WITH VIDEOS!
Tonight's Alums:
Constantine Maroulis (Season 4 - 6th Place)
Chris Daughtry (Season 5 - 4th Place)
Kellie Pickler (Season 5 - 6th Place)
Jordin Sparks (Season 6 - Winner)
David Cook (Season 7 - Winner)
Haley Reinhart (Season 10 - 3rd Place)
Amelia Eisenhauer & Kellie Pickler - "Suds in the Bucket" by Sara Evans
This could be a decent match-up, although we haven't seen Amelia really do a straight-up country song. They are harmonizing really well. This is a time where Amelia's violin actually suited the song. She was trying to sing louder than we normally hear her and it was causing her voice to sound really strained in some spots. I actually enjoyed this performance a lot (for a country song). I mean, how can you not love Kellie Pickler. I love her...she just cracks me up. I think her fun personality brought out a little bit more of a fun side of Amelia.
Shelbie Z - "Work Hard, Play Harder" by Gretchen Wilson
I knew she would have to get back to her country roots sooner or later. It was an OK performance, but I was pretty bored throughout the whole thing.
Manny Torres - "Adventure of a Lifetime" by Coldplay
Great song choice! It's current, it's fun. I like to see him moving around on stage. His voice sounded great. Fun performance.
Yes!!! Survivor is back! Woohoo! Make sure to check out my season preview with cast photos and bios before proceding with tonight's first episode recap!
And they're off! They've got 2 minutes to grab anything and everything they can from the ship. Loose chicken! Caleb jumps right in and wrangles him! Good job, Caleb! Things are being thrown left and right...they'll be lucky if no one gets knocked out down below. And there it is, someone got conked!
Their rafts look so unsteady with all of the things piled on top. Will someone's raft take a dump? Tha sure would suck!
This week, Ben is taking the girls to his hometown of Warsaw, Indiana. He lives in Denver, but this is where he grew up. He met up with his parents and filled them in on the girls and what's happened so far.
He picks the girls up in a boat...that he was driving by himself. 1-on-1 Date: Lauren B
To say that no one was excited to see Lauren get the first one-on-one date would be an understatement. It didn't help that Ben asked Lauren on the date in front of everyone else.
Ben picks up Lauren in a an old red Chevy and drives her around town. He showed her spots from his childhood. He also shared an embarassing story about his first kiss.They stop at the Baker's Youth Club where Ben used to work. A lot of his friends still work there.
They joined in on the fun and played games with the kids. How cute is Ben with the kids?! Totes adorbs! He was so cute with a little kid who was crying off by himself. Awe! Total swoon moment.
The director challenged the "Half Court King" to a half court shot and if he made it, Ben had to kiss Lauren. Shocker...he nailed it!
Ben had a surprise for the kids and for Lauren, and he brought in a couple of Indiana Pacers and the Pacer mascot.
The talk of the evening was about their last conversation. He said what was said about her affected him because he hasn't seen any of that. He said he didn't want to be blindsided. She said she felt helpless because she couldn't say or do anything to show him that it wasn't true. She said she can be her complete self when she's around him. He said that one thing said about her wouldn't make him change his way of thinking about her. When he said he trusted her she felt like a huge weight was lifted off her shoulders. They seem to be back on the same page. It's a shame that Leah had to try to sabotage what they had.
They ended the evening at the local bar with some of his friends.
She didn't say it to him, but she said that she is in love with him.
I listed last week's Group 1 results, and now that that's over, I just found the Group 2 results.
I've read the spoilers, so if you don't want to sweat it out through all the performances, here are the most recent spoilers according to TIP (The Idol Pad).
Let's just say there are a couple surprise eliminations and at 1 kind of surprising person advancing (based on some past criticism). I'm sure the performances this week will help these make more sense, just like Emily's elimination last week.
Top 24, Group 2 Results:
Eliminated:
1. Adam Lasher
2. Amelia Eisenhauer
3. C.J. Johnson
4. Kory Wheeler
5. Shelbie Zora
I'm so excited to see the duets with the Idol alums! I think this is a great idea, and I really wish they would have thought about it sooner!
I've decided I'm not going to grade tonight's performances just because they are probably all going to be really good. Having the alums sing with them is only going to increase their performance, so it's a little hard to grade.
They will be singing songs that were sung by the alums when they were on the show or one of their own released songs. I'm feeling a little ambitious, so included in tonight's recap, will be a link to the Idol alum's original performances of their songs (click on the song titles). So, if you're new to Idol and didn't watch when these Idols were contestants, you can give them a listen. If you're a regular watcher, you might find it fun to go back and reminisce.
I will also add videos of tonight's performances if I'm able to find them online. As of right now, nothing has been posted.
The Top 24 have been broken up into 2 random groups. The first group of 12 will be performing tonight, and the second group of 12 will perform next week.
From each group of 12, the JUDGES will be choosing 7 singers to move on, and 5 will be eliminated. That will give us the Top 14. Notice I said "judges"? That's right. Normally at this stage, the public gets to vote for singers to move on. However, this year, that decision is in the hands of the judges.
After the Top 14 are chosen, a mixture of judges' and viewers' votes (not sure exactly how yet), will determine our Top 10 to move on to the live shows.
So, like I said, tonight the first group of 12 will be performing their solo songs. Tomorrow night, we will see them perform a duet with an Idol alum, and then the judges will reveal their decisions of who stays and who goes.
Last week, we had the dreaded "to be continued". Olivia had just made the really awkward and offensice "Teen Mom" comment to Amanda. And Ben had just pre-empted the Rose Ceremony by asking Olivia to go talk, re: all the shady stuff he just heard about her from the other girls.
He tells Olivia that the women are saying that she is not connecting with them like everyone else. She said she had a target on her back because of getting the first impression rose and the group date roses. She felt like the girls hated her and so she withdrew to not throw it in their faces. And then they complain that she's not being social, so she feels like she can't win. She said she's different from everyone there because she likes to read in her room and talk about smart things, while everyone else wants to do each other's nails and hairs. She said she smiles and tries to be nice, but she knows that she can come off as intimidating because she is confident and can be aggressive to get time with him. She said that when he asked how things were in the house that she said they're fine because she can handle herself. I don't quite think that's what he meant, but whatever. So, she actually did come off as pretty normal in that conversation and she had some pretty good answers, but we've seen the other side of her as well. Which side is the real side? The girls, of course, are not happy to see Ben come back with her and she still has a rose. They try to talk to her, but she doesn't want to talk about it. Emily doesn't think that her tears are real.
Rose Ceremony: Get Roses (9): Amanda, Becca, Caila, Emily, JoJo, Lauren B, Lauren H, Leah, Olivia Eliminated (2): Jen, Jubilee (on the group date)
Emily was really sweating it out being the last one called. She was worried about what she had said to Ben. He kept Olivia and she couldn't understand why, so she was afraid she was going home. Instead it was Jen...whom no one could have pointed out in a line-up. Her and Leah..who are these girls?
Tonight we go from 51 to 24. It's the Final Judgement: "The Green Mile"
Update: I was able to find each of the top 24's performances, INCLUDING the ones that they didn't show on the show! Those performances are now embedded below my original responses for each singer.
Top 24
Girls Amelia Eisenhauer
"New York State of Mind" by Billy Joel
I'm not as impressed with her as the judges are. The violin makes her different, but I don't think her voice is that strong.
Avalon Young
"Yo (Excuse Me Miss)" by Chris Brown
Interesting song choice. It wasn't my favorite of hers, mostly because of the song. I do like her voice though.
Emily Brooke
"So Small" by Carrie Underwood
She chose a great song, and she did a good job. Her long held-out notes were really strong.
Gianna Isabella
"I Still Believe" by Brenda K. Starr/Mariah Carey
Ouch...mama is meddling a little too much again. Mama needs to take a step back. I actually didn't love her singing her mom's song. I don't think it was her best performance. She was kind of singing in her throat and it was a little grating. She's still so young, I'm not sure if she will hold up for the duration of the competition.
Jenn Blosil
"The Hanging Tree" by Jennifer Lawrence (from The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1)
Interesting performance again. Same thing I say every time: too much screeching. Constant screeching is just hard on the ears. And she's just so flaky. Ugh.
Jenna Renae
I seriously don't remember this girl. She's either gotten no air time, or she has been really unmemorable.
Jeneve Rose Mitchell
"Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash
No. No. No. So wrong on so many levels. I don't know what you call this performance. And again I say, this is not good singing and how does no one else agree with me? Yes, she's different. But different doesn't always mean good. She is not ready for this competition. Hollywood is going to eat her alive.
LaPorsha Renae
"The House Of The Rising Sun" by The Animals
It comes down to her vs. Lindita. Do we really need to guess which one was going through? Pretty much a no-brainer. Honestly, you know I would have much rather seen Lindita go through, however, my opinion of her type of singing is always in the minority...always. I give LaPorsha props for picking some pretty decent songs and not sticking to the "diva" songs from Aretha, Whitney, etc. For the most part, I actually liked her performance. But I have a HUGE problem with the ending. I can't even put into words what she did with the "ay-ye-ye-ye-ye" at the end. No. Just no. That did NOT warrant the only 3-judge standing ovation (that we saw). Nope. Not at all.
Olivia Rox
"Love Somebody" by Maroon 5
I was a little bit disappointed with this. It's a great song, but I don't think it was right for her. I normally really like her, but I didn't love this performance for some reason. Maybe it's because she was sick, but I don't think that was it completely. I do like her, so I'm glad we get to see more from her.
Shelbie Z
"Barracuda" by Heart
Nice to see her doing something other than country again. As much as I don't like her personality, she does have an incredible voice.
Sonika Vaid
"I Surrender" by Celine Dion
Another really strong performance from Sonika. She showed some real power on this song. She had the quiet that she is so good at, but she did show some powerful dynamics at the end. Really nice! One of my favorite girls.
Stephany Negrete
"Girl on Fire" by Alicia Keys
I get more impressed with her every time I see her. Great song choice.
Tristan McIntosh
"Stronger" by Faith Hill
She's actually getting better every time I hear her. I hadn't heard that song before, but I really liked it. And she keeps changing up her looks. She went with really straight hair before and now it grew about 24" and was a little curly. She looks so much more mature.
Guys
Adam Lasher
Can I get a big "WOOHOO!" I was worried about him because he has gotten like 0 air time since his audition. I honestly can't believe they put him through. I mean, I can, but based on what they've shown of him, I thought he was getting the "loser" edit. And why couldn't we at least get to hear him sing?! The spoilers said he sang "Stay" by Rihanna. I REALLY wanted to hear that!!!
CJ Johnson
"Parachute" by Chris Stapleton
I don't know this song, but I'm enjoying his performance. He is really coming alive and getting better with every performance. He's climbing the ranks of my guy favorites very quickly. I think I've finally put together who he reminds me of. I think he's a combination of Lee DeWyze, Alex Preston, and Caleb Johnson.
Dalton Rapattoni
"It's Gonna Be Me" by N'Sync
You know what I'm going to say, right?! Unbelievably awesome! I love what he did with the song. It was maybe a little too theatrical with his movements on stage, but he's got a presence and I am so drawn in by every performance. <3 <3 Not only do I love to hear him sing, I love to hear him talk. That sounds weird, but he's so witty and he just makes me smile.
James VIII
Seriously?! Thought the spoilers might be wrong on this one. He is probably the biggest dark horse for the guys. But I'm so glad he made it because I really loved his last performance. And just a side note...remember his friend that forced him to try out? Amber Lynn? Yeah, she's been MIA this entire process. He is now in the top 24, and she didn't even make the top 51.
Jordan Sasser
"Love Runs Out" by One Republic
Love this song! Whoa, he's got his hair down! We haven't seen him like that before. I think he did a pretty good job with a difficult song to sound good on. His last notes were pretty amazing. And he held that last note for a ridiculously long time! Wow! Still a fan.
Kory Wheeler
Nice!
Lee Jean
"Make It Rain" by Foy Vance/Ed Sheeran
Another great song choice for Lee. He kind of cracked on the high falsetto note. But, he did some really amazing things with his runs and a switch to a minor key. It was really cool. I love this kid. he got scolded by J. Lo for telling the crowd to shhh 2 times during his performance. Ouch.
Mackenzie Bourg
"I Can't Help Falling in Love with You" by Elvis
Beautiful. Just beautiful. <3 I love that he changed the song up. So impressed. People get on board with Mackenzie...he's the real deal.
Manny Torres
"Master Blaster (Jammin')" by Stevie Wonder
Ooh...what happened Manny? This is a very, very uncharacteristic performance from him. He is usually so smooth and flawless. But this, he's just all over the place and forgetting the words. Is it because he's not performing with his guitar? This is not the time to have an off performance. It's also the first song choice that I haven't liked from him. Looking forward to putting that one behind him.
Thomas Stringfellow
"Story Of My Life" by One Direction
Great song choice. He has had some stumbles as of late, but this was a much better performance. He might be dealing with heartbreak (his girlfriend of 1 year broke up with him 3 days ago because she thought he might leave her), but he looked like he was having fun on that stage. He had a couple voice cracks, but that is kind of his thing. the thing that bothers me the most with his is how on every single line he sings, he ends it with a high-pitched squeak that sounds like he has the hiccups. Literally...every...single...line. If it wasn't for that, I would really like him. I love hs tone, but dude, stop the hiccups. Stop them now.
Trent Harmon
"Tiny Dancer" by Elton John
He needs to lose the hat (please not another Rayvon). But, he's getting stronger every performance. That was actually a really good performance. He must be feeling better.
Going Home
Girls Ameet Kanon Anatalia Villaranda
She had drama in the group round, but I actually really liked her voice. I would much rather of had her than a couple other girls they put through.
Ariel Sprague Chynna Sherrod Collette Lush
"Like I'm Gonna Lose You" by Meghan Trainor & John Legend
Wow, I kind of forgot about her. We haven't seen much of her since her audition. Her voice seemed to waiver like she was nervous. Her voice kind of cracked in a few places, too.
Jessica Cabral
I seriously can't believe they didn't put her through. Of course, my favorite girl :( I was really hoping the spoiler was wrong.
Jessica Clark Jordyn Simone Kassy Levels Kayla Mickelsen Kelsie Watts Laurel Wright Lindita Hamili
"Bang, Bang" by Jessie J., Ariana Grande, & Nicki Minaj
What a big performance! She has so much power in that little body! Too bad they couldn't find one more spot for her...she's fun. Vocals may not be 100% all the time, but she can sing. Malie Delgado
"Little White Church" by Little Big Town
She's good, but she just clearly isn't at the level of some of the other girls. Mary Williams Michelle Marie
"Little Toy Guns" by Carrie Underwood
Not her best by far. I'm not quite sure how she is still here, especially with so many incredible girls this season. She had some big notes, but there were some really off notes. And what was with her makeup? Way too much! Mionne Destiny
Sara Sturm
Oh no, what is her BFF Lee Jean going to do without her?
Shevonne Philidor
Terrian Tiffanne LeMay - "Numb" by Usher
Guys Andrew Nazarbekian
He was a longshot to make it, but I kind of liked him.
Christian Eason Isaac Cole
aka Justin Bieber hair...I forgot all about him...didn't know he was still around.
Kacye Haynes
"Hold On, We're Going Home" by Drake
I did not care for the song or his performance at all. It came down to him and Jordan, and I'm so glad they put Jordan in instead. Jon Klaasen Zach Person
Hollywood Week - Round 3: Solo Round
This is the part where they get no feedback and after everyone has performed, they are split into 3 rooms. 75 singers will be cut to 51.
They have 1 night to pick and learn their song. Only 3 people can sing the same song. I think that's a first for that rule.
One note before the recap. I'm going to be trying something new this season, starting now (hopefully). After episodes air, I will come back and update the recap with the embedded videos of the performances. I have a lot of friends who find it hard to watch the episodes, so I want to make it easy for them to find all of the performances all in one place. So, we'll see how this goes. Check back tomorrow (or Friday), and we'll see how this works!
Update: I've added a few videos for the performances from last night, however, there aren't very many available, unfortunately. I'm sure when we get to the next round of performances more (hopefully all) will be available.
1-on-1 Date: Amanda
Olivia was sure her name was going to be the name on the date card. She can't understand why Amanda would be getting a date, because she has kids and she thinks she is all wrong for him. She thinks because she has kids, she won't be coming back from their date. [Hint: this is foreshadowing for an incident coming up later.]
Ben wakes Amanda up at 4:30 in the morning for their date. He can't wait to see their faces when he catches them by surprise all asleep. He was greeted with the usual responses. Lauren H with her retainer was pretty funny. However, did someone tell Amanda that he was going to do this, because she woke up with perfect hair and makeup...like perfect.
They went for a hot air balloon ride over the city.
She shared that she was nervous to open up to him about her life and who she is, besides her kids. She doesn't want to scare him by talking about her failed marriage. She said she got married when her oldest daughter was 6 months old. She said there were red flags, like he wasn't the nicest person all the time and she and her girls weren't always a priority to him. After getting pregnant with her second daughter, she found things on his phone about other women. He said he admires her for all she's been through. It breaks his heart that someone would do that to her and her daughters. He isn't sure why someone like her would be interested in someone like him, but he's very appreciative. He said he never wants her to be embarassed or ashamed of her past. He doesn't want her to hold anything back for fear of what he might think. And with that, she got the rose.
Can you believe this is Season 10?! Wow!
