American Idol 2018 Auditions: Episode 4 Recap

American Idol 2018 continued to tug at our heartstrings Monday night with the latest round of auditions. I mean there was even a baby! I can’t recall every being emotional over American Idol, though, so maybe I’m just going through some stuff. HA. Seriously, though, we saw a whole new batch of talent, so let’s take a closer look.

If you missed Sunday night’s recap or episode, be sure to check that out also.

Trevor McBain, 22, Savanna, OK. I wasn’t sure how this audition was going to play out, since he is kind of a quirky goat farmer, but I liked the audition. He’s a bit rough around the edges, but that can sometimes be good. I’d give the audition a B+ and the judges are giving him another chance with his ticket to Hollywood.

Audriana Botlon, 20, Portland, OR. She was a little full of herself so when she busted out what I think might have been “Natural Woman” in one of the worst auditions of the season, I was taken aback. That was definitely a F audition. Thankfully, they pass her on through to Hollywood.

Genavieve Linkowski, 18, Goodrich, MI. She seems like a total natural musician. I don’ like her voice, personally, but she pretty much nailed the audition. I’d give it an A- overall. The judges really liked her and gave her three easy yeses to Hollywood Week.

Kenedee Rittenhouse, 19. Checotah, OK. This Carrie Underwood superfan comes from the same hometown and even sang with her when she was in the 5th grade. But she’s not Carrie Underwood. She’s cute and sweet and has a lot of star power, but she needs some work. I could give her a B- for the audition. The judges are reluctant but they give her a golden ticket to Hollywood.

Brandon Elder, 22, Arab, AL. So Brandon has only been singing for a year and a half, but he steps on the Idol audition stage and pulls out an original song and a performance filled with heart and soul. I’m telling you, this almost made me cry. And that never happens to me. Ever. So the fact that be made me feel that, is pretty incredible. I’m giving him an A+ and the best audition of the night, even though I haven’t seen them all. I’m done. It’s over for me. He wins the night. And thankfully, they gave him his ticket to Hollywood.

Victoria McQueen, 15, East Point, GA. She’s almost got something, but she’s not quite ready to be on American Idol despite having been born on the premiere of the very first season of American Idol. I’d say that was a C+ audition. The judges seemed to have seen something more than I did, so she gets her ticket to Hollywood.

Britney Holmes, 28, Frisco, Texas. I don’t like her presence or her style. And like Katy, I just didn’t connect to her. Her vocals are good, but that was all there is. I’d give her an A for vocals, but a C- for the rest of it. She gets a no from Luke, a yes from Katy, and a very apprehensive no from Lionel. So she’s not going to Hollywood and that makes perfect sense to me.

Dominique Posey, 26, Birmingham, AL. This was the opposite of Britney. His voice wasn’t perfect, but his delivery was. He was easy to connect to and you could just feel the emotion escaping when he sang. He’s a natural. I give that audition an A- and the judges send him onto the next round, obviously.

Amalia Watty, 28, Brookyln. Nope. I will no longer even entertain singers who do those goofy, gimmicky, unnatural voices. I hate that sound and always will. I hate that sound so much that I can’t fairly grade it, so I’ll just listen to it yourself. The judges liked it, though, and sent her off to Hollywood.

Daniel Ethridge, 22, Austin, Texas. This guy had a little too many tricks. He has something, but it’s not really my thing, much like Amalia. His original song was definitely better, though. I’d give him a C for this audition. The judges send him off to Hollywood.

Taryn Coccia, 17, Nashville. At first I thought she got lost on her way to the Miss Tennessee pageant interviews, but then she busted out some Jessie J with a twang. But wait … her sister is there too and she has intrigued Katy…

Payton Taylor, 20, Nashville. This is Taryn’s sister. Katy and Lionel decided they wanted to hear her sing, too, much to what appeared to be Taryn’s dismay. Something tells me that this was supposed to be Taryn’s moment and not Payton’s. Both were good, for sure. Payton gets her ticket to Hollywood and for some reason they tried to create some kind of sibling rivalry angle. Katy says no to Taryn, but Lionel and Luke say yes. This was all very strange.

Samothias, 20, Wheaton, IL. I thought this was going to go a lot differently with his personality and hair. First of all, I never expected him to play the piano and surely didn’t expect him to sing a Chris Stapleton song. He’s not the best vocalist, but he’s got something raw and natural. He’s a great performer. I give the whole thing a B+ … maybe an A- … The judges give him his golden ticket.

Marcio Donaldson, 28, Compton, CA. This is by far the most effortless audition so far. Marico is a brilliant performer filled with emotion and heart. I loved this audition so much. I may have spoken too soon earlier when I called Brandon’s audition the best of the night. I’ll just go ahead and call it a tie. This was an A+ performance and I’m so glad the judges gave him the shot at Hollywood Week. I’m looking forward to seeing more of him.

Marcio and Brandon definitely won the night for me. Who were your favorite American Idol Season 16 auditions from Monday night? Also, if you’re curious to know if any of your favorites from tonight or any other night make it onto the Top 24 and beyond, be sure to check out our American Idol 2018 Top 24 and Top 14 Spoilers.

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