The American Idol 2014 Top 6 took the stage to sing two songs each, one country and one rock n’ roll. It was a pretty solid night overall.
As always, I’ll be reviewing each performance and assigning the letter grade I think each one deserves.
Jena Irene, “Barracuda.” Great song choice. And the performance was fantastic. I was actually pretty entranced. But I’m a big Heart fan. So the fact that I was impressed says a lot. I think this is my favorite performance by her. Very well-done. Performance Grade: A+
Sam Woolf, “It’s Time.” This was a very smart song choice for him. It’s not much of a singy song, but his voice sounded pretty tight on it and it was all very entertaining and I found myself actually enjoying myself while listening to him perform it. Performance Grade: B+
C.J. Harris, “American Woman.” This was by far the worst performance of the night and his worst all season. Not only was it yet another odd song choice for him, the vocals were bad, the tempo was weird and he seemed uncomfortable. Performance Grade: D+
Alex Preston, “Animal.” I was very happy to see Alex finally sing an upbeat song. But before I go on, I have to say it felt weird. Ha. The vocals weren’t his best and like the judges said there was just something missing. Not sure what it was. It just wasn’t his bag. Performance Grade: B
Caleb Johnson, “Sting Me.” Why doesn’t he do really familiar songs? That’s risky. I really wanted him to do something iconic and the Black Crowes just aren’t it. This was fine. His vocals were fine, but I was bored. Performance Grade: B+
Jessica Meuse, “Somebody to Love.” Great song choice for her. I never thought of this one for her when I was making my suggestions, but I really thought it was great for her. It was also pretty awesome to hear an updated version of the song. I liked it. Performance Grade: A
Sam Woolf, “You’re the Still The One.” Well I never expected him to pick Shania Twain, but OK. Eh, it was all just pretty weird. It’s a good thing his first time around was so good because this one was mediocre at best. Performance Grade: B-
Caleb Johnson, “Undo It.” Another interesting song choice. But this one worked for Caleb better than Sam. Caleb is just a natural. He can basically sing anything he wants. I liked this one a lot. Performance Grade: A
Alex Preston, “Always on Mind.” Great song choice. Great version. I love how tender and soft it all was. It was definitely better than the first song. I don’t know if fans will love it, because it’s not a current song, but he sure made it his own. Performance Grade: A+
Jena Irene, “So Small.” She made a great decision by taking a completely different approach to her country song. Her first was up tempo and rockin and this was slower but she didn’t hold back the power. Her vocals were just as strong as the first time around. Performance Grade: A
C.J. Harris, “Whatever It Is.” This was a better song choice for him. He sounded much better, but even much better for him isn’t perfect. I really don’t understand how he’s still in the competition, but OK. This was a pretty middle of the road effort. Performance Grade: C+
Jessica Meuse, “Jolene.” PERFECT song choice. Especially since this was the only song suggestion I got right this week! So bear with me as I toot my own horn! Ha. Anyway, I loved the arrangement and the vocals. I thought it was one of the most entertaining performances of the night. Performance Grade: A+