Sudden Death--The Killings Continue with the Guys

Here we go with the boys! Another half gets halved…

1. Paul Jolley

Tonight I Want To Cry by Keith Urban

Dude needs to work on his enunciation. Everything in his lower register kind of ran together, but his voice soars on the high notes. I am on the fence about this guy at this point.

RATING:

2. Johnny Keyser

I Won’t Give Up by Jason Mraz

I agree with the judges that this is the best he’s performed THIS year. I still don’t know if that is up to snuff. He impressed me so much last year, but everything this year has flopped. I don’t think he makes the cut.

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3. JDA

Rumor has It by Adele

I agree with Mariah in that I thought the vocal was decent. And I agree with Keith that it seemed over choreographed. But that is his brand and style. He is a love-him-or-hate-him contestant. Is the idol audience ready for this much glitter? That remains to be seen…

RATING:

4. Kevin harris

Everything I Do by Bryan Adams

What a boring song choice. It didn’t feature what I imagine his potential is. It was an average, R&B-laced pop song performance. No originality at all.

RATING:

5. Chris Watson

Sittin On The Dock of The Bay by Otis Redding

He needs some guidance in terms of song choice and performance technique, but he is unique in a commercial kind of way. He needs a management team to steer his unique vibe in the most marketable way possible. His vocal isn’t the best, but it is far from offensive. I think he just needs some good management and he could be a star.

RATING:

6. Devin Valez

Listen by Beyonce

His voice is so rich, yet so effortless! He fell off track a tiny bit at the end, but his vocals are strong. Definitely the strongest of the guys so far.

RATING:

7. Elijah Liu

Talking To The Moon by Bruno Mars

Such a clear voice! His vocals went off track in the last third of the song, but maybe because he couldn’t hear himself on that stage. But I am in agreement with Ms. Minaj again – this kid is so marketable…very boy band-ish. I could see his face on an album cover, for sure.

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8. Charlie Askew

Rocket Man by Elton John

It was a good song choice for his wackiness. And I get that he is weird and that is cute and all, but he absolutely does not have the vocal chops to compete on Idol. And when someone like this catches on in popularity despite a bad voice, it usually doesn’t end well (I.E. me wanting to boycott this show when someone awesome is voted off in 6^th place and he is still around). So here’s to hoping he doesn’t not make it through. Sorry cute wacky boy.

RATING:

9. Jimmy Smith

Raining On Sunday by Keith Urban

His voice was drowned out by the band and the backing vocals, which is really not his fault. But the overall performance was a bit lackluster, which is a shame because he is a solid male country vocalist.

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10. Curtis Finch Jr.

Ribbon In The Sky by Luther Vandross

I was frustrated by the predictable song choice, but I absolutely LOVE his arrangement of the song! So all is forgiven. Great vocal and great performance.

RATING:

Overall these performances average out to “middle of the road.” With the ladies I saw a clear-cut group of keepers and another clear-cut group of cuts. The boys are not so clear. But after the judges’ deliberations, the keepers include: Curtis, Charlie, Elijah, Devin, and Paul. I don’t hate this group, although I would have preferred Chris to stay over Paul because he adds some variety and unpredictability to this pretty safe group. I just hope that Charlie is not a runaway train (Jon Stevens? Sanjaya? need I say more?). Contestants like that are always a slippery slope.

Now it’s your turn: let me know what you think! Any shocking advancements or eliminations? Can the girls actually win one this year? **crosses fingers and toes**

Gretchen

I love Angela Miller but I am also watching Amber Holt – what a voice!! And my fav guy so far – Devin Velez.
Nick

Hi Laura, glad to see you back for the new season. Just for the record, Curtis sang “Superstar” by the Carpenters / Luther, not “Ribbon In The Sky”. The version of the song was almost unrecognizable — it’s one of my favorites and I had no clue what it was until he finally got to the chorus. Take care — Nick