Last night was a great show for the boys, but now it’s the girls’ turns to show off!
As I did yesterday, I’ll rate each song on a scale of 0-5 along with a short blurb and then pick my favorite and least favorite performances of the night.
Lovey James (“Love Runs Out” by OneRepublic) – * * *
Things were real rocky for Lovey in the first verse – she seemed off the beat and the song seemed too low for her – but everything clicked once Lovey got to the chorus. I’m not sure this was the best song choice for her, though, as the lack of melody and discernable lyrics made it hard to connect.
Adanna Duru (“Rather Be” by Clean Bandit featuring Jess Glynne) – * * * *
I’ve never heard “Rather Be” before but it’s a great choice for Adanna as it showed off the velvety smooth soft side to her voice as well as her craggy, rock chick belt. Her vocal control was great (except for a few pitchy moments) as was her phrasing. She’s in it to win it, as Randy used to say. My only little quibble: Adanna could work on her annunciation.
Alexis Gomez (“Gunpowder & Lead” by Miranda Lambert) – * * * ½
Vocally, Alexis was on point. Her growling, confidant take on a Miranda Lambert track had real promise and she seemed really at home on stage. The only issue was that “Gunpowder” is a powerful revenge fantasy song. It’s what theater people call a character song. And I didn’t see any of that crazy, jealous ex-lover in Alexis’ smiling performance. She needs to connect to the song more and really get that into character.
Joey Cook (“Somebody Like You” by Keith Urban) – * * * * ½
I love Joey. She’s so cool and unique and hip and somewhere between Zooey Deschanel and The Dresden Dolls. Her New Orleans-meets-polka-meets-country arrangement of a Keith Urban track was memorable and showed musical panache, if a limited vocal range. I don’t think America will embrace her and I don’t think Joey will do well on this show, but that’s a shame as she’s a real gem.
Katherine Winston (“Safe & Sound” by Taylor Swift and the Civil Wars) – * * * ½
Katherine has a sweet, ethereal voice that’s really quite pretty and shows off her quivering vibrato. Did it feel a little safe and a little, well, sleepy? Yup.
Shannon Berthiaume (“Who Knew” by Pink) – * ½
Kristen Stewart can get away with being awkward and blasé on stage because she’s actually very talented (I’m talking “Still Alice” Stewart not “Twilight” Stewart, by the way). Shannon cannot. Her voice is simply not good enough to get past the awful stage presence.
Loren Lott (“Note To God” by Charice) – * * * *
Loren is gorgeous and has a very powerful instrument. But with great power comes great responsibility and, if Loren is to do well on Idol, she’s going to have to develop better vocal control. Sure she has the big belt down, but the quieter moments are often pitchy and unfocused. That all makes it sounds worse than it is, though. Loren is quite a talent.
Shi Scott (“Umbrella” by Rihanna) – * *
I’m not sure what this strange arrangement of “Umbrella” was trying to accomplish and I’m not sure why they pitched it in a key that seemed to be on Shi’s vocal break. It all seemed very strained and overacted too. Good news is that Shi looks like a total star up there.
Maddie Walker (“Love Gets Me Every Time” by Shania Twain) – * * *
Often these teenage contestants come off as far older than they are, so I’m glad that Maddie’s performance felt very age appropriate. It was spunky and cute, just like her. But perhaps that’s a mixed blessing as the number ultimately felt a little pageant-y and a lot forgettable.
Sarina-Joi Crowe (“Mamma Knows Best” by Jessie J) – * * * * *
Keith had it right when he said she has the “best balance of loose and tight.” Sarina-Joi has great technique, a killer voice and total star power onstage. Best of the night (and of the season so far) by a country mile. Should I make a comment about her hideous outfit, though? No, I won’t.
Jax (“Bang Bang” by Nancy Sinatra) – * * * * ½
Jax is a star in the making. Sure, she tries a little too hard but she has the chops to back it up. Her vocals were on-point and I loved the updated arrangement of a killer Nancy Sinatra/Cher track. If this is just the beginning for Jax, I can’t wait to see what will follow.
Tyanna Jones (“Lips Are Movin’” by Meghan Trainor) – * * * * ½
This neo-soul track was the perfect song who Tyanna, who just brims with charisma and likability. Not much to say here – Tyanna didn’t reinvent the wheel here – but it was a very, very solid performance.
Show VIP: Sarina-Joi
Who Should Go Home: Lovey, Catherine, Shannon & Shi
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