It's hard to believe that after 15 seasons and 14 years, American Idol is finished. We've seen hundreds of singers audition and dozens upon dozens of singers rise to fame - even if they didn't win or even make the live shows. It just proves the impact that this show has had on the music business. I wanted to take this time to take a look at the last 15 seasons, now that it's officially over. I have so many fond memories of the show, and I am truly going to miss it.
Let's look at the winners. I'm pretty proud to say that I completed this from memory without looking at anything! (Of course, I did check to make sure I actually had them right.)
Season 1 (2002): Kelly Clarkson
Season 2 (2003): Ruben Studdard
Season 3 (2004): Fantasia Barrino
Season 4 (2005): Carrie Underwood
Season 5 (2006): Taylor Hicks
Season 6 (2007): Jordin Sparks
Season 7 (2008): David Cook
Season 8 (2009): Kris Allen
Season 9 (2010): Lee DeWyze
Season 10 (2011): Scotty McCreery
Season 11 (2012): Phillip Phillips
Season 12 (2013): Candice Glover
Season 13 (2014): Caleb Johnson
Season 14 (2015): Nick Fradiani
Season 15 (2016): Trent Harmon
Tonight, Kieran will "dim the lights" for one final time. It's kind of cool that the final 2 are both from Mississippi - how odd is that? They have really bonded through this competition and they seem to be really good friends, and I think each of them would be so happy if the other one won. That's so great to see.
If you think you have it figured out who is going to be the 15th and final American Idol, think again. This is just how close it's going to be:
We have 2 hours of great performances by TONS of former Idols. I am going to probably cry through this whole thing! It's been so fun to see behind-the-scenes videos and photos posted from the Idols that I follow on Facebook.
Tonight - the last time to vote on American Idol! The last performance episode. The last elimination before the finale and the end of it all. It makes me sad just to think about it! At the end of the night, one will be eliminated, and we will find out who the Final 2 will be.
In a rare group performance, we get to see our Top 3 perform together doing "Stole the Show" by Kygo. They sounded so amazing together, and this was the perfect song! The only bad thing was that it wasn't long enough! We only got to hear a little snippet of it.
Round 1: "Winner" Song Trent - "Falling"
The has the feeling of a Weeknd song. It is very much the anti-Idol-winning song. Usually the winning song is an upbeat anthem. This is a slow and sexy little ditty that really suits Trent's personality. He clearly connects with it and he's singing the heck out of it. Uh oh - he must really be in the zone because we're seeing the strained faces that plagued him in the early weeks of the competition. He's done so well to focus and keep his face under control, but he lost it a little in this performance. That might not be a bad thing. His vocals were great, and if he falls back into "the face" every now and then, it's not a big deal. The problem was when he could do nothing BUT that face. My Grade: A
Dalton - "Strike a Match"
I can't wait to hear this! Another interesting song for a "winner's song", but it's a great song for him. He was a little pitchy at the beginning, but at the chorus, his voice just soared. I don't know if his whole heart was in this song, but he just makes me smile. My Grade: B
La'Porsha - "Battles"
I'm really sad to see La'Porsha's big hair back. I can't believe she ditched the braids that took 15 hours to do. I'm guessing it could have taken 15 hours to undo that! The title of this song says everything. This is clearly her anthem this entire season. It started out way too low for her. This is maybe the closest thing to the normal "winner's song" that we're used to. It's a great song, with a great message. It clearly fits her style very well. I was maybe expecting a little more from her given the song and it's meaning to her. It was a great performance, but it didn't give me chills and it wasn't really epic. My Grade: A-
Tonight we find out the Top 3! I can't believe next week is the finale already! It's all ending too soon. I'm worried about Dalton tonight. As much as I love MacKenzie, I think it's his time to go.
Tonight the singers have prepared 3 songs each: 1 picked by the judges, 1 picked by Scott Borchetta, and 1 song picked by them to represent their hometown. I believe they will all sing 1 song and then we will find out who is eliminated. Again...not fair. I think everyone should get to sing their prepared songs. Round 1: Hometown songs
MacKenzie – “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen (Lafayette, Louisiana)
He visited the hospital where he almost lost his life and he shared his words of hope for some kids there. So sweet! It was a very emotional trip for him to say the least.
If you've ever read my blog, you know I love this song, and it doesn't matter how many times I hear it, and by how many artists sing it. Each version is unique and beautiful. Just a couple strums of the guitar and I have goosebumps all over my entire body. Clearly, this is an absolutely perfect song for his style. He sounds great. I think this is by far one of his best performances. He had everyone just captivated. He sings with such a quiet voice, but yet it can be deafening. He had a great moment where he did get louder than I think we've ever heard him. It was very dynamic. My Grade: A
Dalton – “Calling You” by Blue October (Dallas, Texas)
First stop - his Grandma's hair salon to get his hair done. Awe! A visit home would not be complete without a visit to his school - The School of Rock where he teaches vocals. Seeing him working with the kids = swoon. Seeing him break down just makes me want to cry!
I forgot about this song! Who else would pick this song? No one! And that's why it's so great that he picked it! This is the type of song that he excels at. He sounded great. I know it's not everyone's cup o' tea, though. I like the arrangement he did. It was pretty similar to the original, but I noticed some differences that really worked for him. And of course he just knows how to put on a great performance. I love everything he does, and I thought it was great. The crowd had a great response to it. My Grade: A-
Trent – “Tennessee Whiskey” by Chris Stapleton (Amory, Mississippi)
He hasn't seen his family since he left because he's really superstitious. His family's restaurant was filled with people! He strapped on the apron and went right back to work! This isn't the first time that I've gotten a real sense of "winner vibes" for him, but that's what I'm getting from this visit. And then add a surprise visit to the stage by his family, whom he thought was still watching from hom...
I didn't love this song choice. I did like his a cappella break in the middle. Vocally, it was perfection as always. The beginning was pretty boring, but overall, it was a pretty good performance. My Score: B+
La’Porsha – "Glory" by Common and John Legend (McComb, Mississippi)
She stopped by the shelter that she stayed at and she talked to the women there. Powerful stuff.
Her talent is undeniable. Perfect song choice for her. This week the drums actually made sense (not like last week). She absolutely slayed this song. Wow. My Score: A
The Top 5 perform and we find our Top 4. And guess who's performing tonight! One of my faves - David Cook! Woohoo! And also Katharine McPhee! Great night of music! The singers will be doing Sia songs and American rock songs. Sia will also be performing her new single.
David rocked as usual. Katharine sang so beautifully - also as usual - again, proving that she should have been the winner of Season 5.
American Rock Songs La’Porsha — Bon Jovi’s “Wanted Dead or Alive”
Could be interesting. Look at her hair this week! t took 15 hours to do that! Whoa! I So, what will she do with this song? I think she's proven that she can pretty much sing anything. This would probably never be her first choice to sing, but she did a pretty good job with it. There wasn't much different about her version from the original. It might have been nice to see her do something a little more interesting with it. My Grade: B+
MacKenzie — Cheap Trick’s “I Want You to Want Me”
OK, so I'm so screwed again with my bracket. I really felt like he was going to be in the bottom 2...up until the episode started, and then I started getting a really bad feeling that it was going to Dalton. Oh dear. I really like this song, so I hope he can do something interesting with it. So far it's starting out too slow and the crowd is trying to clap along and they are really off time. His pitch is a little off, and now it seems really off. Come on MacKenzie...you can do better than this! He changed up the melody a little bit and I'm not sure I liked it that much. This was really just OK for me. It seemed like it was trying to go somewhere but it just didn't. My Grade: C+
Trent — Z.Z. Top’s “Sharp Dressed Man”
This is going to be very interesting. He turned it into a sort of jazz song. Very, very different than the original. But, it kind of works for him. He stuck with that until the chorus and then it got more like the original, which somehow still worked for him. I actually really liked this performance. My Grade: A
This week's theme: America's Choice
If you, like me, thought that tonight there would be no more judges' save, and we would actually see the lowest vote-getter go home, well...we'd all be wrong. Apparently the judges will again be saving someone. Rumor has it that we will see the Top 6 all perform 1 song. Then we will find out who the bottom 2 and who is going home. Then the remaining 5 will perform their second song. And Ryan confirms this at the top of the show. The bottom 2 will actually be revealed and they will perform for the judges' save. He does say that this will be the last judges' save...but they seem to be making things up as they go along this season, so we'll see if this is true.
So, let's get to it! Who else is incredibly excited to watch Adam Lambert perform his new song tonight?! Can't wait! And here he is right at the top of the show performing one of his best songs from Idol and one of my absolute favorites!!!!! "Mad World" - it just doesn't get much better than that! I ♥ Adam Lambert! The only thing that's changed since Season 8 is that he's even better than he was back then. But why did they have to cut it so short! I wanted so much more! Click here to watch his epic performance back then. His new song is amazing...can't wait to download it. He is the epitome of a great performer. This is what Dalton needs to strive to match if he has any chance of winning this season. And can I just say how hot Adam is looking right now?! Seriously wish he was batting for our team, if you know what I mean.
Not only are we treated to Adam Lambert, but also Jussie Smollet and Yazz from Empire performing a new song from the show. Love Empire and this song is amazing! Can't wait for it to come back from hiatus!
Just a note here...I'm grouping both performances of each singer together for easier comparison...this doesn't reflect the order they were performed. One last note before my recap: apparently I'm feeling very nostalgic tonight with Adam's return, because I immediately was reminded of previous Idol performances, so you will find links to those original videos inside my recaps of this season's contestants.
Updated post with performance videos! Tonight's Theme: "Most Performed Songs"
2 words: "Um....why?" Seriously? They couldn't come up with anything better? Looking at the list of songs each singer will be performing, I'm only really excited to see Dalton take on "Eleanor Rigby". David Cook anyone? I remember very clearly how well David slayed that song, and I can only hope that it will be great for Dalton as well. MacKenzie choosing "You Are So Beautiful" makes me so sad. I absolutely hate that song. He better rearrange the heck out of this song if he wants it to be any good. He's in danger of going home, and a slow, unimpressive song like this could be what sends him out the door. Heaven forbid he should end up in the bottom 3, the song sung like the original will never be enough to save him - especially since the judges told him he should have done more with his Whitney song last week. I'm a little worried because he was excited about that song and how much he changed it, and then they said he should have done more. Last week he teased another exciting song choice for this week, and then I see what it is. I don't know...crossing my fingers and hoping for the best.
So, there are 8 singers left, and 3 of them are doing the Beatles - that's almost half!
Before we get to the performances, I have to ask - and I never comment on the judges' clothes - but what on earth is J. Lo wearing! She's basically wearing a silk bra, and I'm not even joking. The bra had a tiny piece of fabric covering her stomach, but there are cutouts on both sides, so it's not much. Wow, really J. Lo?
UPDATED! Post now includes last night's performance videos!
From the Top 10 to the Top 8 in one night...that's what we're in for tonight.
Before the show tonight, it was spoiled that there is a twist tonight. It was previously reported that 2 singers would be eliminated at the top of the show. However, it sounds like now, all 10 singers will perform. The bottom 3 singers from last week's voting will perform. At the end of the show, the JUDGES will then SAVE one singer, sending the other 2 home. This could have a big effect on my bracket. Picking the 2 going home was one thing, but taking into effect who the judges might want to keep around is another.
On my bracket, we picked a bottom 4 (since we didn't know if they would do a bottom 3 or possibly 4 since 2 are going home). My bottom 4 picks are: Lee, Gianna, Tristan, and Avalon. The 2 singers I picked as going home are: Lee and Gianna
With this new information about the judges saving someone from the bottom 3, I'm not sure if I should change my picks or not. I think the judges have been pretty critical of Lee and like other singers better, so I think if he's in the bottom 3, he's still going home. Gianna on the other hand...they've continued to praise her even when she's not that good, although they thought she maybe should have picked a different song last time. Depending on who else is in the bottom, she might get the save. Too hard to tell, but I think I'm sticking with my picks.
Also, in case you're wondering. After MUCH consideration (it's never been this difficult for me to choose a winner), I finally made my winner prediction for my bracket. Drum roll please...DALTON! I finally just decided I want to pick someone I like and who I hope will win. I didn't want my last season of Idol to be spent "rooting" for someone just because I picked them in my bracket. I wanted to pick someone I feel who's worth rooting for. Also, as my co-worker pointed out - I should pick him because I'm from Dalton...Ohio that is. That must be a sign. So with that interesting point, it's worth noting that I consciously have to think before I pronounce Dalton's name because we don't say our town the way he says his name.
So, let's get to it! The song list was leaked yesterday, and I can say I'm pretty excited to see some of these. There are some surprises and also some very expected choices. The theme is based on The Grammys.
First one through is....none other than my boy, Dalton! I told you, it's a sign! I feel good about this year!
Calling all American Idol viewers! As you know if you've read this blog, every year for the last 4 years, some friends from work and I have created our own American Idol bracket we call "Queen of the Idol Picks". When we get to the Top 10, we each choose who we think will win it all. Each week, we pick who we think will be in the bottom 3 and who will go home. Points are assigned to each pick we get right. A 10-point bonus is awarded at the end if the person we picked at the beginning wins it all. I've won it twice, and I REALLY want to win the final one to bring home the final trophy!
Every year, I have a pretty good feeling who is going to win. I've won twice, with the help of my winner picks of Phillip Phillips and Caleb Johnson! In the years I didn't win, I picked the runner-up or final 3 singer (Clark Beckham-2nd and Angie Miller-3rd). So, as you can see, I have a pretty good track record. This year, I just have no idea which direction to go! I normally feel like someone I love is going to win, so I feel good about my choice. This year, I seem to be in the minority of people not #TeamLa'Porsha. I feel like this season could go so many directions depending on who ends up against who.
I need help! I've even gone so far as to put together a list of pros and cons for the people I'm sure are going to make it to the final weeks. There's clearly a case for why each of these singers could be our final American Idol. I would love to hear some other opinions to help me make my choice. I need to make my decision my show time tomorrow. And go!
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
