American Idol 2016 finalist Jenn Blosil labelled herself as “quirky” in her first appearance on season 15, and she was certainly right. Her personality and performing style may be a bit out there at times, but there is no denying her unique voice and obvious talent. Whether her hair is orange, white, or blonde depending on the day, it’s Jenn’s powerful vocals and piercingly emotive blue eyes keep us riveted to the TV screen.
Prior to her American Idol audition, Jenn had been struggling hard to make something out of her career. Although she was attached to Atlantic Records briefly, and once raised over $15,000 from fans to fund her music career, Jenn still hasn’t been able to move to the next level yet. She hopes American Idol can be the true kickstarter she needs. (Read more on Jenn’s backstory on her Top 24 profile page.)
Audition: At her American Idol Audition, 23-year-old Jenn amused host Ryan Seacrest with stories while he stared at her with a slightly confused but entertained look before she headed in to perform for the judges. Inside with the celebrity panel, Jenn continued to bemuse the judges with her oddball behavior and baby doll voiced commentary. But when she sat down at the piano, it was serious business and she wowed them thoroughly with her compelling performance of “Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons. It was an easy round of yes votes and Jenn was through to Hollywood.
Hollywood Week Lines of 8 Solos: We don’t have Jenn’s video from the initial solos in Hollywood Week, but she apparently made a great second impression on the judges and moved on to the Group Round.
Hollywood Week Group Round: In the Group Round, Jenn’s group Milk & Cookies practiced in a bathroom stall for privacy and apparently great acoustics. Despite being exhausted, the group stayed up most of the night to get their performance locked down. All that work paid off because the foursome sounded fabulous, although we thought Jenn stood out the most — giving us a little bit of an Adele feel actually. American Idol judge Keith Urban called out Jenn in specific for her “naturally quirky vibe” before passing all the girls through to the next round.
Hollywood Week Solo Round: For her next solo performance during Hollywood Week, Jenn gave a beautiful, although brief, performance of “True Colors” by Cyndi Lauper. She didn’t feel like she gave the song justice, especially since she flubbed some of the words, but we disagreed and thought it sounded lovely. The American Idol judges apparently felt the same, since they voted Jenn through to the Showcase Round.
Hollywood Week Showcase Round & Final Judgement: For her last song before The Green Mile final Top 24 decision, Jenn Blosil gave a haunting rendition of “The Hanging Tree” from The Hunger Games. The crowd was wild for her performance, screaming and cheering throughout the song. We were very hopeful that as one of the most unique singers left in the competition, Jenn would make it through to the Top 24. So we and Jenn’s fans were very pleased when the American Idol judges selected her for the semi-finals.
Top 24 Semi-Finals Solo Round: Jenn Blosil’s Top 24 solo performance of “Sorry” by Justin Bieber was one of her most entertaining of the season so far. Despite being a bit pitchy in places, the audience really seemed to love the song. American Idol judge Harry Connick Jr. said Jenn is deserving of the appreciation of her fans, even though she had issues being in tune. Keith commended Jenn’s originality and said he loved what she does. Jennifer Lopez also praised Jenn regardless of her pitch issues and that it didn’t kill the beautiful end of the song for her.
Top 24 Semi-Finals Duet Round: In the Top 24 duet, Jenn was paired with former American Idol star Constantine Maroulis on a soulful rendition of the classic song “My Funny Valentine.” Jenn told Constantine she needed advice on flirting with the camera, and we think he must have given her some great coaching, because she did a great job of it! Jennifer Lopez thought it was the “perfect duet” for Jenn and she loved and enjoyed it. Harry Connick Jr., however, thought the duet turned into a “shouting match” and didn’t like how they interpreted the song. Keith Urban, on the other hand, “frickin’ loved it” and thought Jenn actually “dominated the whole thing.”
Even though Jenn has occasionally struggled with her lyrics and pitch, the raw, emotive quality of her vocals and always captivating performances propelled her to the Top 14 finalists. No matter how far Jenn goes in the competition, she’s garnered a legion of fans who love her.
Will Jen Blosil make it through the next cut to be part of the American Idol 2016 Top 10? We’ll bring you all the latest American Idol spoilers on the next round of the competition as they happen!