Round of 24 - Boys: February 20th, 2007
American Idol is back, and again we, the audience, have the final say in who stays and who goes each week. Just like seasons 4 and 5, the judges have narrowed the pool down to 24 contestants, including 12 boys and 12 girls, and we will eliminate 2 of each for 3 weeks until we have our final 12 contestants.
Tonight, the guys performed, and tomorrow night, the girls will follow suit. On Thursday night, we'll have our results show, and just like that, the field will be cut from 24 to 20.
Five hours of American Idol per week can be exhausting, but that's what we're looking at for the next few weeks, so let's buckle down and get to voting.
First up was Rudy Cardenas, 28, from North Hollywood, CA. He seems very likable, and he comes out performing "Free Ride". It seems like every year in the early rounds, there are a few contestants who try to go for 'energy' in the early rounds, and they come off sounding like they're in a karaoke bar. Unfortunately, this was one of those performances.
His dance moves were awkward, and his singing was unimpressive. I was disappointed, because I really think he has a good chance at being in the top ten. Hopefully, he'll make it through to next week so he can show off what he's really capable of.
The Verdict:
Randy: Corny
Paula: Fantastic
Simon: Not unique
Buzz Score: 6.5
After Rudy, Brandon Rogers hit the stage, singing "Rock With You". The 29-year-old Altadina, CA native has been a backup singer for Christina Aguilera and Usher. So far, his journey into the realm of lead singer has gone well, and it continues tonight. His rendition is a little uninspiring, but his voice is solid, and his dancing is the icing on the cake.
When the judges gave their opinion, Paula said that Brandon sang too many runs, maybe since he was used to singing all those "background runs" as a backup singer. I don't know much about the music industry, but I don't recall ever hearing background singers singing runs, as they are improvisational by their very nature; not the kind of part a backup singer would normally have. Maybe I don't know enough about professional singing, but that didn't make any sense to me.
The Verdict:
Randy: Pitchy. Didn't like the runs.
Paula: Didn't like the runs.
Simon: Good singer, but he picked a safe song.
Buzz Score: 7
Next up was 28-year-old Sundance Head from Porter, TX. From his first audition, I really liked Sundance. He has a nice voice, and a fun personality. Through Hollywood week, and then into tonight, he seems to have regressed. His version of "Nights In White Satin" was alright, but his pitch was constantly wavering, and I feel like he sang the first half of the song through his nose. Mostly, it was just a boring choice of song.
I don't know what criteria the contestants use to pick songs, but often times, it seems like the song they pick is the opposite of what would showcase their talent and draw voters to them.
The Verdict:
Randy: Pitchy all the way through.
Paula: Picked the wrong song.
Simon: Sounded like "A Dad at a wedding". Old fashioned and flat.
Buzz Score: 6.5
After Sundance came Paul Kim, the barefoot 25-year-old from San Jose, CA. As one might expect, Simon did not like the bare feet, and implored Mr. Kim to start wearing shoes. Jasmine Trias and her hair-flower comes to mind. She stood firm for several weeks, and if my memory serves me correctly, she wore the flower until close to the end of the show. We'll see if Paul relents, or if he keeps leaving his shoes in the dressing room. Of course, he'll have to make it to next week for it to even be an issue.
His rendition of "Careless Whisper" started off far too low for his range, taking him way off pitch and making the song quite uninteresting. I assume he started off so low so he would be able to sing the higher part later in the song in his primary range, and if so, it worked. The bridge was very good, and he really brought it home at the end.
The Verdict:
Randy: He has a lot of promise.
Paula: He oversang and was pitchy.
Simon: Put your shoes on next week. Ordinary.
Buzz Score: 7
22-year-old Chris Richardson of Chesapeake, VA was the fifth singer of the night, and the first to actually be interesting. Singing "I Don't Wanna Be" by Gavin DeGraw, he finally brought the crowd to their feet with his rendition. His Dad was in the audience, grooving more than anyone. Chris' bounce-dancing was a little silly, but the song was exciting, the falsetto was great, and he really 'made the song his own' as the judges would say. Very good performance.
The Verdict:
Randy: Good flavor.
Paula: A lot of fun.
Simon: Liked him, but his voice sounded small.
Buzz Score: 8
Next up: Nick Pedro, 25, of Taunton, MA singing "Now and Forever". Chris Richardson finally kicked off the excitement for the night, and then Nick went and put everyone back to sleep. His falsetto was good, but other than that, the performance was pitchy, boring, and most of all it simply lacked any emotion.
I like Nick, and I hope he makes it through to next week because I think he's capable of much more. I'm also a fan of his request that people "Vote for Pedro". If he makes it to the top 12, I can see this being a slogan on more than one audience poster.
The Verdict:
Randy: Boring
Paula: No magic
Simon: No spark to the song, but pretty good overall.
Buzz Score: 7
Finally past the halfway mark of this two-hour marathon, beatboxer Blake Lewis, 25, of Seattle, WA take the stage. Blake was part of the group in Hollywood that brought the house down during the group round, thanks primarily to his beatboxing. He said in the intro that he worried about being typecast as a beatboxer, and unfortunately, that has happened. It's not all bad, though. I think he's interesting enough to get America's votes for at least a few rounds, even if his singing isn't the best. Fortunately, his singing wasn't too bad.
I'm not sure what the judges were listening to, but I thought I heard several parts where Blake completely screwed up. Keeping with the theme of the night, his rendition of "Somewhere Only We Know" was a little boring and pitchy. Overall, I would still say it was one of the best performances of the night.
The Verdict:
Randy: Loved it. Different.
Paula: Vocals were spot on. Cool.
Simon: Best performance of the night.
Buzz Score: 7.5
The eigth performer of the night was Sanjaya Malakar, 17, also from Seattle. His big story throughout the competition was that his sister also made it to Hollywood and then was cut after the last round. It makes a nice story, and it helps him seem like a very nice and family-oriented young man, which can only help him in the voting.
Singing "Something 'Bout Your Love", he started off a bit rough, but really brought it home towards the end. Sanjaya has a great voice, and I think he has the potential to go far in the competition.
The Verdict:
Randy: Bad song choice.
Paula: Washed more personality came through.
Simon: Most dreary performance of the night.
Buzz Score: 7.5
Chris Sligh, 28, from Greenville, SC said he wants to be the next American Idol to make David Hasselhoff cry by performing at the finals in May. Tonight's performance likely brought him closer to that goal. Singing "Typical", he really brought a different and contemporary sound to the night's performances. His song was a nice respite from the mostly boring songs being chosen by other contestants.
The Verdict:
Randy: Loved it.
Paula: Ahead of the chorus a little bit.
Simon: Not an incredible performance. A 'student gig'.
Buzz Score: 8
We're into double-digits as Jared Cotter, 25, from Long Island, NY is the 10th contestant to take the stage tonight, singing "Back At One" by Brian McKnight. The brisge was a little off-pitch, but overall the vocals were solid and his falsetto was great. He didn't exactly bring the house down, but it may be the best performance of the night so far.
The Verdict:
Randy: Good.
Paula: Good, but not unique.
Simon: Nasally and unadventurous.
Buzz Score: 8
The first season of American Idol saw an E.J., an A.J. and an R.J. Fortunately, we've been mostly spared the onslaught of initials since then.... until now. A.J. Tabaldo, 22, of Santa Maria, CA brought some great energy to the stage with "Oh My Love". His vocals were on point and his energy was contagious. He even got Paula out of her seat and dancing (granted that's not too difficult to do).
The Verdict:
Randy: Pretty good vocally.
Paula: You can definitely sing!
Simon: Good, but not great. Theme park performance.
Buzz Score: 8.5
Finally, the last contestant of the night, which is good, because my fingers are getting very tired from all this typing. New dad Phil Stacey, 29, of Jacksonville, FL found a place in our hearts when he missed the birth of his second daughter to audition for American Idol. The cameras followed him as he rushed home and America got to see him meet his hours-old daughter in the hospital. This feel-good story should sustain him through a few rough spots. Singing "Could Not Ask For More", Phil started off with his voice wavering. About 30 seconds into the performance, he seemed to find his voice, and the rest of the song was very good, if not overly unique.
In a night of uninspiring music, Phil's performance definitely ranks in the top half.
The Verdict:
Randy: Started rough, but the best vocal of the night.
Paula: Great. Right on pitch.
Simon: Beginning was monstrous. The rest was okay.
Buzz Score: 7.5
Voting Predictions:
Obviously, America's votes are based on more than who the best singer is. A lot of factors come into play when Americans pick up their collective phones after the show and vote. Some people get votes based on their personality, their looks, their life story, and thanks to a very popular website, some contestants get votes based solely on the fact that they are "the worst".
It's hard for me to predict who will go home. I think Rudy has a very good chance of going home, but no other guy stands out to me as one that would pull in an inordinately small number of votes. Sundance was a possibility until I saw that VoteForTheWorst.com was pushing him. Now, it's almost impossible for him to lose this week.
Based on the performances and past voting trends, here is my prediction on who will go home on Thursday night:
- Rudy Cardenas
- Jared Cotter
-----
Tonight, the guys performed, and tomorrow night, the girls will follow suit. On Thursday night, we'll have our results show, and just like that, the field will be cut from 24 to 20.
Five hours of American Idol per week can be exhausting, but that's what we're looking at for the next few weeks, so let's buckle down and get to voting.
First up was Rudy Cardenas, 28, from North Hollywood, CA. He seems very likable, and he comes out performing "Free Ride". It seems like every year in the early rounds, there are a few contestants who try to go for 'energy' in the early rounds, and they come off sounding like they're in a karaoke bar. Unfortunately, this was one of those performances.
His dance moves were awkward, and his singing was unimpressive. I was disappointed, because I really think he has a good chance at being in the top ten. Hopefully, he'll make it through to next week so he can show off what he's really capable of.
The Verdict:
Randy: Corny
Paula: Fantastic
Simon: Not unique
Buzz Score: 6.5
After Rudy, Brandon Rogers hit the stage, singing "Rock With You". The 29-year-old Altadina, CA native has been a backup singer for Christina Aguilera and Usher. So far, his journey into the realm of lead singer has gone well, and it continues tonight. His rendition is a little uninspiring, but his voice is solid, and his dancing is the icing on the cake.
When the judges gave their opinion, Paula said that Brandon sang too many runs, maybe since he was used to singing all those "background runs" as a backup singer. I don't know much about the music industry, but I don't recall ever hearing background singers singing runs, as they are improvisational by their very nature; not the kind of part a backup singer would normally have. Maybe I don't know enough about professional singing, but that didn't make any sense to me.
The Verdict:
Randy: Pitchy. Didn't like the runs.
Paula: Didn't like the runs.
Simon: Good singer, but he picked a safe song.
Buzz Score: 7
Next up was 28-year-old Sundance Head from Porter, TX. From his first audition, I really liked Sundance. He has a nice voice, and a fun personality. Through Hollywood week, and then into tonight, he seems to have regressed. His version of "Nights In White Satin" was alright, but his pitch was constantly wavering, and I feel like he sang the first half of the song through his nose. Mostly, it was just a boring choice of song.
I don't know what criteria the contestants use to pick songs, but often times, it seems like the song they pick is the opposite of what would showcase their talent and draw voters to them.
The Verdict:
Randy: Pitchy all the way through.
Paula: Picked the wrong song.
Simon: Sounded like "A Dad at a wedding". Old fashioned and flat.
Buzz Score: 6.5
After Sundance came Paul Kim, the barefoot 25-year-old from San Jose, CA. As one might expect, Simon did not like the bare feet, and implored Mr. Kim to start wearing shoes. Jasmine Trias and her hair-flower comes to mind. She stood firm for several weeks, and if my memory serves me correctly, she wore the flower until close to the end of the show. We'll see if Paul relents, or if he keeps leaving his shoes in the dressing room. Of course, he'll have to make it to next week for it to even be an issue.
His rendition of "Careless Whisper" started off far too low for his range, taking him way off pitch and making the song quite uninteresting. I assume he started off so low so he would be able to sing the higher part later in the song in his primary range, and if so, it worked. The bridge was very good, and he really brought it home at the end.
The Verdict:
Randy: He has a lot of promise.
Paula: He oversang and was pitchy.
Simon: Put your shoes on next week. Ordinary.
Buzz Score: 7
22-year-old Chris Richardson of Chesapeake, VA was the fifth singer of the night, and the first to actually be interesting. Singing "I Don't Wanna Be" by Gavin DeGraw, he finally brought the crowd to their feet with his rendition. His Dad was in the audience, grooving more than anyone. Chris' bounce-dancing was a little silly, but the song was exciting, the falsetto was great, and he really 'made the song his own' as the judges would say. Very good performance.
The Verdict:
Randy: Good flavor.
Paula: A lot of fun.
Simon: Liked him, but his voice sounded small.
Buzz Score: 8
Next up: Nick Pedro, 25, of Taunton, MA singing "Now and Forever". Chris Richardson finally kicked off the excitement for the night, and then Nick went and put everyone back to sleep. His falsetto was good, but other than that, the performance was pitchy, boring, and most of all it simply lacked any emotion.
I like Nick, and I hope he makes it through to next week because I think he's capable of much more. I'm also a fan of his request that people "Vote for Pedro". If he makes it to the top 12, I can see this being a slogan on more than one audience poster.
The Verdict:
Randy: Boring
Paula: No magic
Simon: No spark to the song, but pretty good overall.
Buzz Score: 7
Finally past the halfway mark of this two-hour marathon, beatboxer Blake Lewis, 25, of Seattle, WA take the stage. Blake was part of the group in Hollywood that brought the house down during the group round, thanks primarily to his beatboxing. He said in the intro that he worried about being typecast as a beatboxer, and unfortunately, that has happened. It's not all bad, though. I think he's interesting enough to get America's votes for at least a few rounds, even if his singing isn't the best. Fortunately, his singing wasn't too bad.
I'm not sure what the judges were listening to, but I thought I heard several parts where Blake completely screwed up. Keeping with the theme of the night, his rendition of "Somewhere Only We Know" was a little boring and pitchy. Overall, I would still say it was one of the best performances of the night.
The Verdict:
Randy: Loved it. Different.
Paula: Vocals were spot on. Cool.
Simon: Best performance of the night.
Buzz Score: 7.5
The eigth performer of the night was Sanjaya Malakar, 17, also from Seattle. His big story throughout the competition was that his sister also made it to Hollywood and then was cut after the last round. It makes a nice story, and it helps him seem like a very nice and family-oriented young man, which can only help him in the voting.
Singing "Something 'Bout Your Love", he started off a bit rough, but really brought it home towards the end. Sanjaya has a great voice, and I think he has the potential to go far in the competition.
The Verdict:
Randy: Bad song choice.
Paula: Washed more personality came through.
Simon: Most dreary performance of the night.
Buzz Score: 7.5
Chris Sligh, 28, from Greenville, SC said he wants to be the next American Idol to make David Hasselhoff cry by performing at the finals in May. Tonight's performance likely brought him closer to that goal. Singing "Typical", he really brought a different and contemporary sound to the night's performances. His song was a nice respite from the mostly boring songs being chosen by other contestants.
The Verdict:
Randy: Loved it.
Paula: Ahead of the chorus a little bit.
Simon: Not an incredible performance. A 'student gig'.
Buzz Score: 8
We're into double-digits as Jared Cotter, 25, from Long Island, NY is the 10th contestant to take the stage tonight, singing "Back At One" by Brian McKnight. The brisge was a little off-pitch, but overall the vocals were solid and his falsetto was great. He didn't exactly bring the house down, but it may be the best performance of the night so far.
The Verdict:
Randy: Good.
Paula: Good, but not unique.
Simon: Nasally and unadventurous.
Buzz Score: 8
The first season of American Idol saw an E.J., an A.J. and an R.J. Fortunately, we've been mostly spared the onslaught of initials since then.... until now. A.J. Tabaldo, 22, of Santa Maria, CA brought some great energy to the stage with "Oh My Love". His vocals were on point and his energy was contagious. He even got Paula out of her seat and dancing (granted that's not too difficult to do).
The Verdict:
Randy: Pretty good vocally.
Paula: You can definitely sing!
Simon: Good, but not great. Theme park performance.
Buzz Score: 8.5
Finally, the last contestant of the night, which is good, because my fingers are getting very tired from all this typing. New dad Phil Stacey, 29, of Jacksonville, FL found a place in our hearts when he missed the birth of his second daughter to audition for American Idol. The cameras followed him as he rushed home and America got to see him meet his hours-old daughter in the hospital. This feel-good story should sustain him through a few rough spots. Singing "Could Not Ask For More", Phil started off with his voice wavering. About 30 seconds into the performance, he seemed to find his voice, and the rest of the song was very good, if not overly unique.
In a night of uninspiring music, Phil's performance definitely ranks in the top half.
The Verdict:
Randy: Started rough, but the best vocal of the night.
Paula: Great. Right on pitch.
Simon: Beginning was monstrous. The rest was okay.
Buzz Score: 7.5
Voting Predictions:
Obviously, America's votes are based on more than who the best singer is. A lot of factors come into play when Americans pick up their collective phones after the show and vote. Some people get votes based on their personality, their looks, their life story, and thanks to a very popular website, some contestants get votes based solely on the fact that they are "the worst".
It's hard for me to predict who will go home. I think Rudy has a very good chance of going home, but no other guy stands out to me as one that would pull in an inordinately small number of votes. Sundance was a possibility until I saw that VoteForTheWorst.com was pushing him. Now, it's almost impossible for him to lose this week.
Based on the performances and past voting trends, here is my prediction on who will go home on Thursday night:
- Rudy Cardenas
- Jared Cotter
-----
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