Round of 20 - Girls: February 28th, 2007
As I mentioned last week, one bad night by the guys didn't mean that they were definitely inferior to the girls on the whole. Last night, we finally got a glimpse of what some of the guys can do, and I think we separated the great from the good last night.
Can the girls rise to the occasion, or will the water cooler talk on Thursday be about how much better the guys are than the girls? There are ten girls left. Tomorrow, there will be eight. Let's break down the performances.
Gina Glockson got things started, dedicating "Alone" to her boyfriend Joe. My first thought when she started singing this song was that Carrie Underwood had performed the same song in an early round two years ago. Knowing how the judges like to bust out the comparisons (especially to Whitney Houston) in their critiques, I think it was a bit of a risk. For what it's worth, I don't think she was as good as Carrie was at this song, but it was a solid performance. Her voice seemed nasally, especially as the song progressed, and it looked like it was a bit of a struggle to keep up with the notes towards the end of the song. A good performance, but it didn't really stand out.
The Verdict:
Randy: Pitchy.
Paula: Really Good.
Simon: Vocals forced at the end. Confused as to who you are.
Buzz Score: 8
Alaina Alexander was next, dedicating "Not Ready To Make Nice" to her Mom. I really like Alaina, and her performance was very good. She nailed the vocals in the beginning, but the song got a little ahead of her later on. Overall, a good performance.
The Verdict:
Randy: First couple bars good. Chorus - pitch went away.
Paula: Not nearly as bad as Randy said.
Simon: Like Randy taking part in a 100 metre sprint. Ran out of steam 3/4 of the way through.
Buzz Score: 8.5
I thought La Kisha Jones would have a hard time living up to the hype surrounding her after last week's performance. Singing "Midnight Train to Georgia", dedicated to her grandmother, she came out strong with great vocals. With as high as she set the bar last week, this performance didn't quite live up. She projected less emotion, and certainly didn't bring the house down, but it was very good performance, and she will surely stay around for a long time. She will probably contend for the American Idol crown. Time will only tell.
She threw in a brief dance move at the end that I really liked. It really added energy and some fun to the performance.
The Verdict:
Randy: That was hot. Started kinda rough, but ended great.
Paula: I loved it, and I love you.
Simon: Interesting dance at the end. Phenomenally good singer.
Buzz Score: 8.5
My top-rated singer from last week, Melinda Doolittle, dedicated "My Funny Valentine" to her two best friends, who interestingly enough are also her vocal coach and stylist. It was hard to find fault in her performance. A lot of slow songs are easily forgettable, but not this one. Her voice is so smooth, and she sang almost flawlessly from start to finish, eliciting a standing ovation from Paula. Just fantastic!
The Verdict:
Randy: You came out here tonight to win it. The one to beat.
Paula: Just astounding.
Simon: Incredible. Without question, the best vocal of the season.
Buzz Score: 9.5
Antonella Barba, fresh off a bunch of ridiculously hyped-up controversy, dedicated "Because You Loved Me" to her brother. Just like last week, the mic sounded weird. I think she must be holding it in a strange way. Maybe someone should tell her before she performs next week. She started out okay, and stayed pretty average the whole time. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't particularly great either. When she sang the high notes, her voice was pretty impressive. Overall, I'd say it was average, but much better than last week.
The Verdict:
Randy: Completely wrong song. Pitch all over the place. Song too big.
Paula: Made leaps and bounds from last week.
Simon: Vocals weren't good enough.
Buzz Score: 7.5
Jordin Sparks dedicated her song, "Reflection", to her younger brother P.J., and joined Sundance Head in the "crying during the intro" club. Unfortunately for her, hearing the intro seemed to unnerve her, and her whole performance was off. I really liked her a lot last week, and I still hope she makes it through to next week, because I think she could go pretty far. I'm a little worried about her making it through tomorrow's vote, though.
The Verdict:
Randy: Pitchy moments, but can really sing. So impressed with her ability.
Paula: Good human being., Good, talented girl.
Simon: Wasn't your best, but comparatively excellent.
Buzz Score: 7.5
One of my favorites from last week, Stephanie Edwards, dedicated a Beyonce song to her parents. Good vocals, great range, and lots of emotion. That's about all there is to say. It was a great overall performance, and I think she should have no trouble making it through to next week.
The Verdict:
Randy: Good, but too much like Beyonce
Paula: Fantastic. Brilliant.
Simon: Terrific performance.
Buzz Score: 8.5
I almost predicted that Leslie Hunt would go home last week, but changed my mind at the last minute. She sang fine, but I think she's too non-descript and not unique enough to get America's votes. Singing "Feelin' Good", the same song A.J. sang last night, she brought a solid performance to the table for the voters to mull over.
I thought her voice fit very well with the song, but I didn't really like the scatting at the end. Singing the same song as another contestant will always draw comparisons, and I'm going to compare her now: It wasn't as good as A.J. last night, and I think some voters may be thinking the same thing when the break out their phones. Also, her outfit was a little strange. I'm not sure what America will think about her, and I think she may be going home tomorrow night.
The Verdict:
Randy: Pitchy. Liked the a cappella beginning.
Paula: Back in your element.
Simon: Doing the best she can, but lost among the other performers.
Buzz Score: 8
Haley Scarnato was up next, with a dedication to her fiance Bobby. Her song choice was much different from last week's Celine Dion tune, and I think it fit her well. The song was a little big for her, but it fit well with her voice. One thing I noticed was that the background vocals overshadow the lead vocals in some parts, and this was echoed by Randy. When the contestants sing a Whitney Houston song, you're sure to hear the judges say that you can't sing a Whitney song without being perfect, and sure enough, Simon said this in his comments. Overall, I though it was very good.
The Verdict:
Randy: Wasn't great.
Paula: Leaps and bounds better than last week.
Simon: A for effort. Manic, verging on insane.
Buzz Score: 8
Closing out the evening was Sabrina Sloan, dedicating "All the Man I Need" to her Grammy. Again with the Whitney Houston song, and again with the judges comments about needing to sing Whitney perfect. I wonder why they rarely say this about any other singer? Anyway, the vocals were good, lots of emotion, great ending. Altogether a great performance! I think we'll probably see Sabrina back next week.
The Verdict:
Randy: Very nice overall. A little pitchy.
Paula: Fantastic. She's a contender.
Simon: Very good. She'll be back next week.
Buzz Score: 8.5
And that's that. Another week of performances is behind us. Who will go home tomorrow night? It's really tough to call. Antonella is still VoteForTheWorst.com's choice, so I doubt she's going anywhere anytime soon.
Jordin, Leslie and Haley have the best chance of going home, with Alaina not too far behind. This is a really tough one, and I've changed my mind about a dozen times before finally deciding on the following -->
Prediction: Leslie and Jordin will be going home Thursday night.
Can the girls rise to the occasion, or will the water cooler talk on Thursday be about how much better the guys are than the girls? There are ten girls left. Tomorrow, there will be eight. Let's break down the performances.
Gina Glockson got things started, dedicating "Alone" to her boyfriend Joe. My first thought when she started singing this song was that Carrie Underwood had performed the same song in an early round two years ago. Knowing how the judges like to bust out the comparisons (especially to Whitney Houston) in their critiques, I think it was a bit of a risk. For what it's worth, I don't think she was as good as Carrie was at this song, but it was a solid performance. Her voice seemed nasally, especially as the song progressed, and it looked like it was a bit of a struggle to keep up with the notes towards the end of the song. A good performance, but it didn't really stand out.
The Verdict:
Randy: Pitchy.
Paula: Really Good.
Simon: Vocals forced at the end. Confused as to who you are.
Buzz Score: 8
Alaina Alexander was next, dedicating "Not Ready To Make Nice" to her Mom. I really like Alaina, and her performance was very good. She nailed the vocals in the beginning, but the song got a little ahead of her later on. Overall, a good performance.
The Verdict:
Randy: First couple bars good. Chorus - pitch went away.
Paula: Not nearly as bad as Randy said.
Simon: Like Randy taking part in a 100 metre sprint. Ran out of steam 3/4 of the way through.
Buzz Score: 8.5
I thought La Kisha Jones would have a hard time living up to the hype surrounding her after last week's performance. Singing "Midnight Train to Georgia", dedicated to her grandmother, she came out strong with great vocals. With as high as she set the bar last week, this performance didn't quite live up. She projected less emotion, and certainly didn't bring the house down, but it was very good performance, and she will surely stay around for a long time. She will probably contend for the American Idol crown. Time will only tell.
She threw in a brief dance move at the end that I really liked. It really added energy and some fun to the performance.
The Verdict:
Randy: That was hot. Started kinda rough, but ended great.
Paula: I loved it, and I love you.
Simon: Interesting dance at the end. Phenomenally good singer.
Buzz Score: 8.5
My top-rated singer from last week, Melinda Doolittle, dedicated "My Funny Valentine" to her two best friends, who interestingly enough are also her vocal coach and stylist. It was hard to find fault in her performance. A lot of slow songs are easily forgettable, but not this one. Her voice is so smooth, and she sang almost flawlessly from start to finish, eliciting a standing ovation from Paula. Just fantastic!
The Verdict:
Randy: You came out here tonight to win it. The one to beat.
Paula: Just astounding.
Simon: Incredible. Without question, the best vocal of the season.
Buzz Score: 9.5
Antonella Barba, fresh off a bunch of ridiculously hyped-up controversy, dedicated "Because You Loved Me" to her brother. Just like last week, the mic sounded weird. I think she must be holding it in a strange way. Maybe someone should tell her before she performs next week. She started out okay, and stayed pretty average the whole time. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't particularly great either. When she sang the high notes, her voice was pretty impressive. Overall, I'd say it was average, but much better than last week.
The Verdict:
Randy: Completely wrong song. Pitch all over the place. Song too big.
Paula: Made leaps and bounds from last week.
Simon: Vocals weren't good enough.
Buzz Score: 7.5
Jordin Sparks dedicated her song, "Reflection", to her younger brother P.J., and joined Sundance Head in the "crying during the intro" club. Unfortunately for her, hearing the intro seemed to unnerve her, and her whole performance was off. I really liked her a lot last week, and I still hope she makes it through to next week, because I think she could go pretty far. I'm a little worried about her making it through tomorrow's vote, though.
The Verdict:
Randy: Pitchy moments, but can really sing. So impressed with her ability.
Paula: Good human being., Good, talented girl.
Simon: Wasn't your best, but comparatively excellent.
Buzz Score: 7.5
One of my favorites from last week, Stephanie Edwards, dedicated a Beyonce song to her parents. Good vocals, great range, and lots of emotion. That's about all there is to say. It was a great overall performance, and I think she should have no trouble making it through to next week.
The Verdict:
Randy: Good, but too much like Beyonce
Paula: Fantastic. Brilliant.
Simon: Terrific performance.
Buzz Score: 8.5
I almost predicted that Leslie Hunt would go home last week, but changed my mind at the last minute. She sang fine, but I think she's too non-descript and not unique enough to get America's votes. Singing "Feelin' Good", the same song A.J. sang last night, she brought a solid performance to the table for the voters to mull over.
I thought her voice fit very well with the song, but I didn't really like the scatting at the end. Singing the same song as another contestant will always draw comparisons, and I'm going to compare her now: It wasn't as good as A.J. last night, and I think some voters may be thinking the same thing when the break out their phones. Also, her outfit was a little strange. I'm not sure what America will think about her, and I think she may be going home tomorrow night.
The Verdict:
Randy: Pitchy. Liked the a cappella beginning.
Paula: Back in your element.
Simon: Doing the best she can, but lost among the other performers.
Buzz Score: 8
Haley Scarnato was up next, with a dedication to her fiance Bobby. Her song choice was much different from last week's Celine Dion tune, and I think it fit her well. The song was a little big for her, but it fit well with her voice. One thing I noticed was that the background vocals overshadow the lead vocals in some parts, and this was echoed by Randy. When the contestants sing a Whitney Houston song, you're sure to hear the judges say that you can't sing a Whitney song without being perfect, and sure enough, Simon said this in his comments. Overall, I though it was very good.
The Verdict:
Randy: Wasn't great.
Paula: Leaps and bounds better than last week.
Simon: A for effort. Manic, verging on insane.
Buzz Score: 8
Closing out the evening was Sabrina Sloan, dedicating "All the Man I Need" to her Grammy. Again with the Whitney Houston song, and again with the judges comments about needing to sing Whitney perfect. I wonder why they rarely say this about any other singer? Anyway, the vocals were good, lots of emotion, great ending. Altogether a great performance! I think we'll probably see Sabrina back next week.
The Verdict:
Randy: Very nice overall. A little pitchy.
Paula: Fantastic. She's a contender.
Simon: Very good. She'll be back next week.
Buzz Score: 8.5
And that's that. Another week of performances is behind us. Who will go home tomorrow night? It's really tough to call. Antonella is still VoteForTheWorst.com's choice, so I doubt she's going anywhere anytime soon.
Jordin, Leslie and Haley have the best chance of going home, with Alaina not too far behind. This is a really tough one, and I've changed my mind about a dozen times before finally deciding on the following -->
Prediction: Leslie and Jordin will be going home Thursday night.
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