The Top 12 girls took the American Idol 2015 stage via the historic Fillmore Theater in Detroit and there were some clear standouts and a few duds. So needless to say, the season is right on track. Hopefully the duds will get weeded out next week and we can have a very solid season.
Let’s take a look back at the Thursday night performances from the girls (As in past seasons, I’ll be reviewing each performance and assigning the letter grade I think each deserves).
Lovey James, “Love Runs Out.” This was an interesting song choice. I guess she did try to make it her own, at least. And it wasn’t too bad. She’s definitely what American Idol producers are looking for: young, fun, marketable. And based on this performance, I think we can expect her to stick around for a while at least. Her energy and spunk were spot on and the vocals were solid. Grade: A-
Adanna Duru, “Rather Be.” I have not what idea this song is, but I thought it was a good choice for her. It started out slow and soft and then professed into something big and powerful. So that was smart to show her range. I’m not a huge fan of her stage presence, though. She seems a bit stand-offish, but that’ something that can be worked on. But that being said, by the time she broke the song down, her energy overshadowed that diva’tude I might be noticing. Grade: B+
Alexis Gomez, “Gunpowder and Lead.” Now this is an example of good stage presence. Adanna could learn a lot from Alexis. This was a great performance. The vocals weren’t absolutely perfect, but the who thing was fun, energetic and believable. Alexis really belongs on the stage and that’s clear with this performance. Grade: B+
Joey Cook, “Somebody Like You.” Well I never expected her to do a Keith Urban song, but when you have an annoying gimmick like her, you can perform any song and it will sound cute and quirky to those who are fooled by the gimmick. I hate it, as I will for as long as she’s on the show. Grade: F
Katherine Winston, “Safe & Sound.” This was a smart choice. A lot of voters will like that she went with Taylor Swift. It might not have been the best at showing who she is as a singer, but it was soft and sweet and actually better than Taylor Swift (ducks). There were a few rocky moments, but I liked it as a whole. I don’t really think she’ll be making it past the first elimination, though. Sadly. Grade: B
Shannon Berthiaume, “Who Knew.” I kept saying “this is going to pick up, right?” Right? Yes, finally. I was getting worried. So the beginning wasn’t great. I know she was trying to change things up a bit, but that wasn’t great. And sadly the rest of the song wasn’t spectacular either. And I really like Shannon. I want her kind of edge in the game, but I don’t know if that will happen after this performance. Bummed. Grade: C+
Loren Lott, “Note to God.” What is this song? Why would you pick this song if you could pick any song you wanted? Luckily she’s a good singer and made it her own. And there were some really big moments in the performance, so that’s good. But I don’t know if people are going to respond to it the right way. Despite how powerful it was. Grade: B+
Shi Scott, “Umbrella.” What are these lyrics? Is this really “Umbrella” because I can’t understand a word that comes out of her mouth. Ugh. She’s not ready for this competition. I want to say really mean and bad things, but I’m not going to. I’ll just say I liked this better than Joey’s performance. Grade: D
Maddie Walker, “Love Gets Me Every Time.” I love how country this song is. She stuck to her roots and didn’t try to confuse us on who she is as an artist. I thought it was all very cute and vocals were solid. I do still have some issue with her stage presence. It was a little better this time, but she just seems so stoic. Which has worked out well for Carrie Underwood, so maybe that’s not even a big deal. Whatever, I think I liked it. Grade: B+
Sarina-Joi Crowe, “Mamma Knows Best.” Off and running. That’s the first way I could think to describe this performance. From the first note to the last, she brought everything she had to this performance. It was high-energy and sassy. And the vocals were perfect. This was definitely the most fun performance of the night, I think. Grade: A+
Jax, “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down).” I liked the song choice, a lot. It’s a great song and she brought it into modern day, which I appreciate. And her energy was great and so were the vocals (despite her own little gimmick added to her enunciation). Jax isn’t my favorite for all the reasons I usually don’t love a contestant, but I know a lot of people do love her and I can say she’s not going anywhere. Grade: A-
Tyanna Jones, “Lips are Moving.” Another smart song. I LOVE how this song actually fits her better than it fits Meghan Trainor. To me, last night Tyanna was like some 1960s girl group star. She was giving me major Darlene Love vibes. I loved it and I can’t wait to hear more from her. That is if America voted for her. And if they didn’t, they’re crazy. This was great. Grade: A+
I think it’s pretty clear what will happen as far as eliminations next week. There might be a few surprises, but I think we can expect Katerine, Shannon, Alexis and either Loren or Adanna to go. Who do you think will make it?