The American Idol 2014 Top 9 took on the theme “I’m With The Band” Wednesday night. They got to strut their stuff along with Ricky Minor and the band as the frontman to their own little mini concert.
As always, I’ll be reviewing each performance and assigning the letter grade I think each one deserves.
Alex Preston, “Don’t Speak.” Well that was a surprising and adventurous song choice. I know I’ve heard the arrangement before, though, so he can’t take full credit. But whatever, that was a great performance. It was inventive and smooth and fun. I thought it was probably one of his best. Performance Grade: A-
Majesty Rose, “Shake it Out.” Well this was not the song or performance she needed to keep herself afloat this week. I don’t think she’s going to like the outcome of this performance any more than I do. Her voice was thin and she lost control of the song a few times. I just wan’t into it. Performance Grade: C+
Dexter Roberts, “Boondocks.” That was a very good performance. His vocals were there. His energy levels were there and so was his connection to the audience. But I don’t think the song choice was right. He really, really, really needed to pick a pop song and put a country spin on it. I think he’ll be in trouble again. Performance Grade: B+
Malaya Watson, “The Long and Winding Road.” This was a perfect song choice for Malaya. Ever since that first week when she made the worst song choice, she’s really stepped up her game with song choices. And this was another solid performance from her. I think she’ll be just fine again this week. I liked this one a lot. Performance Grade: A
Sam Woolf, “Hey There Delilah.” I think this was a good song choice for him. I think it was kind of boring and safe, but I think it’s a known enough song that it will be a good thing for him when the vote comes out. I think he’s done better, but I won’t say it was bad at all. Performance Grade: B
Jessica Meuse, “Rhiannon.” Perfect song choice, first of all. I love Fleetwood Mac so I’ll always encourage it. It is hard to hear someone other than Stevie Nicks sing Stevie, but I liked this. I think it was her best performance to date. Her vocals were spot on and she made the performance really believable and natural. Performance Grade: A+
C.J. Harris, “If It Hadn’t Been For Love.” Well this was boring. And I don’t know what to make of it. His vocals were solid, I guess, but every single week it’s like I’m watching a different person perform. I have no idea what kind of singer he is or or what kind of singer he wants to be. I don’t get it. Performance Grade: B-
Caleb Johnson, “Dazed and Confused.” Led Zeppelin was the perfect song choice for Caleb. This performance was fantastic. It was the right mix of tempos and his vocals were perfect. This was definitely his best performance ever. Performance Grade: A+
Jena Irene, “Bring Me To Life.” Good song choice. I had originally thought Evanesence would be good for Jessica, but this works for her as well. She lost her voice a few times so it definitely could have been better, but the performance was entertaining and I think she’ll be safe this week because of it. Performance Grade: A-
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