The American Idol 14 Semifinals are here! Tonight the Top 12 GIRLS take the stage FOR YOUR VOTES! We’re live blogging all of the performances RIGHT HERE.
I was fully expecting the girls to out shine the boys. There were song choices that looked really interesting on paper, that didn’t pan out (Katherine Winston. Sigh). In the end, some of that potential fizzled. The girls lacked a super buzzy number like Quentin’s “I Put a Spell on You.” The standouts: Jax managed to make a meal of Cher’s “Bang Bang” and Sarina-Joi Crowe knocked it out of the park ONCE AGAIN. I’d also give honorable mentions to the adorable and talented Tyanna Jones and to Joey Cook for freaking Keith Urban out. But otherwise, the girls were mostly solid, but unremarkable.
The big misses of the night were Shi Scott’s slurry, sloppy rendition of “Umbrella,” and Shannon Berthiaume’s amateurish Pink cover. I had a little hope for Shannon after she did a nice job with “Piece of my Heart” at HOB, but it’s clear now that she’s in over her head. Neither should have advanced to the Top 24.
A quick elimination prediction: Shi Scott, Shannon Berthiaume, Adanna Duru, Katherine Winston and maybe Maddy Walker or Alexis Gomez are in trouble. I may change my mind about that.
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American Idol 14 Spoilers – Top 24 Songs
Here we go! We’re at the Fillmore. The judges take their seats! The boys are in the house to watch the girls.
Lovey James – “Love Runs Out” by OneRepublic – Girlfriend knows how to work the stage, I’ll give her that. She’s cute, but still very young. Her lower register is a little iffy, but when she launches into the chorus, she displays a well trained voice. There were actually a couple of nice little moments in there. Harry thought she did a strong job. The performance improved as it went on, says Keith. – 1-866-436-5701 – Text 1 to 21523
http://youtu.be/OUOPYQLNm_U
Adanna Duru – “Rather Be” by Clean Bandit and Jesse Glynne – Poor Adanna stuck in the death spot. There were some nice little runs in the quieter parts of the song, but once she hit the big notes, she lost control and got shouty. Keith thought it was a really good performance. “You’re going for blood!” says Jlo, but does mention her lack of control in spots. Harry liked the first half of the tune, better than the second. Me and Harry agree. – 1-866-436-5702 – Text 2 to 21523
http://youtu.be/bFWqbTKdUCg
Alexis Gomez – Gunpowder and Lead” by Miranda Lambert – I’ve heard this song covered a billion times. And that’s the trouble with singing well worn songs. The karaoke trap is real, and Alexis fell into it. She is a solid singer and an engaging performer, but I’m not sure it’s enough to prevail against the competition. Harry hopes she sticks around. But he cautions her on singing twangy when she doesn’t actually speak that way. Keith felt the guitar she was playing hampered her. Jlo wants her to continue mixing Latina heritage into her country style. – 1-866-436-5703 – Text 3 to 21523
http://youtu.be/8SlXiwy7eHM
Joey Cook – “Somebody Like You” by Keith Urban – KEITH IS GOING CRAZY. He loves this. She’s doing a honky tonk, accordion driven version of his country hit. It’s really fun and quirky and I’m completely entertained. But I wonder how long it will take before her “quirks” come off as shtick. Jlo thought it showcased exactly who she is. If Harry and Keith had a kid, that’s what their music would sound like says Harry. Keith is just tickled. – 1-866-436-5704 – Text 4 to 21523
http://youtu.be/GuuUq1BcjDM
Katherine Winston – “Safe & Sound” by Taylor Swift – Hm…Katherine is having some pitch problems. This is a very quiet song and doesn’t give her much of an opportunity to highlight what she does best. She’s also oddly disconnected from the lyrics. She seems nervous. Keith liked the song choice. he tells her not to forget to feel. Jlo compliments her on her “magical quality.” Harry didn’t think it was a good song choice. He’s right. Damn. I like Katherine. I wish she had picked a better song. She’s had too little screentime to afford any missteps. – 1-866-436-5705 – Text 5 to 21523
http://youtu.be/JOdO44q7zCg
Shannon Berthiaume – “Who Knew” by Pink – There’s a mush mouth thing going on with Shannon, and she’s consistently under pitch. Her voice was literally trailing off on the verses. When the song kicked in on the chorus, the pitch problems became even worse. Harry loves that she’s green, but she has to step it up. Keith notes that Pink songs are challenging. It wasn’t a good choice for her. Jlo says she IS a phenomenal singer. She has to start believing that. Bye Shannon. – 1-866-436-5706 – Text 6 to 21523
http://youtu.be/BN0-uWRR8Ms
Loren Lott – “Note to God” by JoJo – Loren is basically an old-fashioned belter. Is there still a place on Idol for someone like her? Her theatrical style and big vocals aren’t my thing, but other than a few pitch problems and shouty moments, she made that song work for her, in a weird, theatrical way. Jlo calls it a “brave” performance. Harry called it powerful. “You’re giving everybody a run for their money,” says Keith. – 1-866-436-5707 – Text 7 to 21523
http://youtu.be/jlCvedbujz8
Shi Scott – “Umbrella” by Rihanna – That outfit she’s wearing, alone, will probably result in negative votes. Plus, this girl is incapable of singing a melody. If I didn’t know the words to “Umbrella” I’d have trouble deciphering what the hell she was singing. She is bleating. Literally. WTF. Keith calls it powerful and gutsy, but it didn’t get him. Jlo thinks the song got the best of her. Harry thinks she’s extremely talented, but it wasn’t the right song. – 1-866-436-5708 – Text 8 to 21523
http://youtu.be/XCn1Pj8wxtA
Maddie Walker – “Love Gets Me Everytime” by Shania Twain – This is a little sleepy. Where is that Shania spunk? Missing. Love this girl’s tone, though. A big, weepy ballad would have been the right choice for the first voting week. This is like a high school pageant performance. Bored. Harry thought it was a nice, solid performance. Keith didn’t like the song choice. Jlo agrees. And so do I! – 1-866-436-5709 – Text 9 to 21523
http://youtu.be/SPzypulrpPg
Sarina Joi-Crowe – “Mamma Knows Best” by Jessie J – MY NAP IS OVER. You strut that stuff Sarina. This girl can SANG. Every song she sings becomes a Sarina-Joi joint. Her ad libs are always surprising and she never shouts or oversings. Her pitch is beautiful. Jlo thinks she rivalled Jesse J on that song. Harry calls it really really strong. Keith calls it chill and right on point. – 1-866-436-5710 – Text 10 to 21523
http://youtu.be/FeMxVh1ferc
Jax – “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)” by Cher – Jax begins the song, sitting on a stool, all torchy and dramatic. About 3 quarters of the way through, she hits the stage, the band kicks in and she suddenly becomes Courtney Love, turning the song all punky. I like that Jax is willing to go out on a limb. The rock part of the song didn’t showcase her vocals well, but it sure made the performance interesting. Keith loved it, it was killer. Jlo says she’ll definitely make it through next week. Harry says if she makes it through, she’ll be fun to watch. – 1-866-436-5711 – Text 11 to 21523
http://youtu.be/NQJMVmPF3_A
Tyanna Jones – “Lips Are Moving” by Meghan Trainor – Not crazy about this song choice, because Meghan Trainor. And this isnt’ as perfect as her HOB performance–she lapsed back into those pitch issues that plagued her audition. But, this gal is a firecracker. She’s fresh, current and so much fun to watch. Tyanna is a great candidate for the “Idol growth arc.” Harry calls her ridiculous talented. Keith would have preferred it in a higher key, but he loved it. Jlo calls her talent a gift from god. Don’t be afraid to be who you are, she says. – 1-866-436-5712 – Text 12 to 21523
http://youtu.be/8fmBne264gA
Next week, the shows go live! Once again, the boys will perform on Wednesday, the girls on Tuesday. BUT FOUR BOYS AND FOUR GIRLS WILL GO HOME. Also, Ryan teases an “epic surprise” that “You won’t want to miss.” Maybe the surprise is that Aretha Franklin will be mentoring the Top 16.