S21.E11: Top 26 Perform in Hawai'i (Part I)

[PhD-Purgatory15]

I gotcha covered, Ms. Bluejay 😉

 

The First 13 sing for America's Vote at the Aulani Resort in Hawai'i. 

The consensus in our house was it was a night of quite a few good's but not very many great's. I feel bad for Haven, because while "The Middle" didn't work out the way she wanted I'm glad to see her try something else. My overall pet peeve are singers on AI (and AGT/The Voice) who sing one style only. They literally do a different version of the same song week and week. Hate that. So I want to give Haven at least some credit for trying something way outside what has been her lane to date). Same with Warren P.

If I'm being honest, I've heard so many delicate/fragile sounding covers of "Holding Out for a Hero" over the last decade or so it was a little jarring to hear Elise K do it the full blast, Bonnie Tyler way. 

I think Kaeyra was a standout. She was closer to great than most on her En Vogue cover. 

If I was in the mood to be worried about a few contestants, I think PJae, Zachariah (WTF was that?!), and possibly Maria Faith might be pretty far down this group of 13..

Sight unseen, I think this first group got the way better advisor/mentor in Allen Stone. But I reserve the right to be blown away by Noah Cyrus. I'm just not expecting it.

[JayDub1987]

1 hour ago, PhD-Purgatory15 said:

I gotcha covered, Ms. Bluejay 😉

 

The First 13 sing for America's Vote at the Aulani Resort in Hawai'i. 

The consensus in our house was it was a night of quite a few good's but not very many great's. I feel bad for Haven, because while "The Middle" didn't work out the way she wanted I'm glad to see her try something else. My overall pet peeve are singers on AI (and AGT/The Voice) who sing one style only. They literally do a different version of the same song week and week. Hate that. So I want to give Haven at least some credit for trying something way outside what has been her lane to date). Same with Warren P.

If I'm being honest, I've heard so many delicate/fragile sounding covers of "Holding Out for a Hero" over the last decade or so it was a little jarring to hear Elise K do it the full blast, Bonnie Tyler way. 

I think Kaeyra was a standout. She was closer to great than most on her En Vogue cover. 

If I was in the mood to be worried about a few contestants, I think PJae, Zachariah (WTF was that?!), and possibly Maria Faith might be pretty far down this group of 13..

Sight unseen, I think this first group got the way better advisor/mentor in Allen Stone. But I reserve the right to be blown away by Noah Cyrus. I'm just not expecting it.

Thanks for starting this. I wasn't sure what the etiquette was for starting show threads on the AI forum, so I didn't pull the trigger HAHA. 

 

By and large, I agree with most of your points. Kaeyra was absolutely a standout performer. Elise K did "Holding Out for a Hero" far better than I thought she would. I was fully expecting a trainwreck when she said what song she was singing. I do disagree with your Mariah Faith assessment, as I thought she nailed "You Should Probably Leave." 

I think Matt is an incredible singer, but it really annoyed me how they brought his wife up on stage to try to drum up extra votes for him. Dude can absolutely bring it vocally. I don't think AI needs to go above and beyond to make us want to vote for him. 

Haven didn't do well, but I'm with you. I hope she doesn't get punished for trying something out of the norm for her. However, Warren went outside of his norm covering Adele and proceeded to absolutely crush that IMO. 

Oliver didn't do anything that wowed me, but I think he did good enough to stick around. Kinda the same with Nailyah. Lucy, we all know you have kids and you're "a fighter." We get it. You want to be there. Her cover of "What's Love Got to Do With It" somehow managed to come across as a pretty good performance in spots and a weird karaoke rendition in others. 

[sempervivum]

Allen Stone was a good mentor, and I liked his performance. He looks like Weird Al and sings like Daryl Hall.

I didn't think anyone was terrible; I did think PJAE and Lucy both looked kind of messy, and didn't sound as good as they have previously. 

Warren does have hair! Still waiting for Oliver to remove the beanie. Their performances were good.

Elise, Haven, Mariah, Matt and Nailyah just don't interest me. 

I find it touching that a kid (Zachariah) born in 2004 so thoroughly connects with Little Richard.

Kaeyra, Emma and Iam were outstanding (I do expect to be bored by Iam in a few weeks, though).

Actually looking forward to hearing what We, Tyson and Marybeth do tonight.

 

[JayDub1987]

3 minutes ago, sempervivum said:

I find it touching that a kid (Zachariah) born in 2004 so thoroughly connects with Little Richard.

I have no idea how I forgot Zachariah! I'm still trying to figure him out. I keep thinking that he's so over the top that he has to be a production plant of some kind. It's almost like he's a parody of a performer...but he's really not bad. Some of his moves give me second-hand embarrassment, but he's really not a bad vocalist. I'm just sure about him. 

[gingerella]

None of these finalists do anything for me, and they certainly are by no means 'the bestest of the best that ever bested ever'. However, none really sucked last night, though some were better than others. The ones I remember are:

I was interested when Warren said he was singing Adele, but he Kentucky Fried Chickened that song up to the point that I didn't recognize it. I give him props for going outside his wheelhouse, but he manages to make everything he sings sound exactly the same.

I wanted Pjae to do well, but I thought his performance was just okay, sadly. I also wanted to grab scissors and cut that goddamned ringlet that was hanging down in the middle of his face! Maybe if he'd put that aside he would have been able to focus more? I hope he makes it through and has another chance because I think he's talented.

Mariah did very well IMO, and I love her voice. Reminds me a bit of Bonnie Raitt.

Nailyah also did very well last night IMO, and I loved how she sang the first part true to the song, then she colored it up with a very jazzy undertone on the second part. Singing an iconic song like that was a risk, and tbh I'm not a fan of the original version, but she did really well.

Zackariah seems more like schtick that serious performance. Like if I saw him performing on a cruise ship or in a Vegas bar, it would make sense, but on AI, not so much.

Lucy, did not do that well, she let it all get out of bounds a bit too much and it was too messy for me. That said, I hope she at least gets enough exposure that something comes out of this experience for her.

Haven didn't do well either but I was confused...Didn't she tell Allen she was going to bust a move in the second part of that song? I only saw a brief flailing of arms akimbo and then right back to her original stance. Did I blink and miss her 'dancing around'? I'm not that concerned about this kid, she's only 16, she can go home anytime and grow a bit.

Oliver was okay, but he doesn't do anything for me. And Iam, well, hometown boy, first Hawaiian finalist, blah blah blah fishcakes. I don't think he's any better than any dude playing ukelele that you'd see at a high end tourist luau tbh. I just don't see all the fuss but I'm glad he's got local exposure because he can probably parlay that into a career in the islands.

Take away: Out of this batch, I'd like to see Mariah and Nailyah go to the end, both are really good.

 

[thesupremediva1]

I found these performances middling to good - no one truly wowed me. But no one was a train wreck.

The judges gave useless word salad comments that were less intelligible than usual. I can’t even call what Lionel said critiques.

This group felt particularly stacked. Haven, Iam, Lucy - many heavy hitters here. So many so that I can barely remember anyone who will be on tonight.

Are results for top 20 out of groups? Or did they just divide for easier TV scheduling?

 

 

[MarylandGirl]

1 hour ago, thesupremediva1 said:

I found these performances middling to good - no one truly wowed me. But no one was a train wreck.

The judges gave useless word salad comments that were less intelligible than usual. I can’t even call what Lionel said critiques.

This group felt particularly stacked. Haven, Iam, Lucy - many heavy hitters here. So many so that I can barely remember anyone who will be on tonight.

Are results for top 20 out of groups? Or did they just divide for easier TV scheduling?

 

 

I read that 3 from each group get cut. At some point, the judges get to save someone, but that might be when they go down to 12?

I feel like Haven and Lucy had the worst actual performances. Then again, there are a few I'm having trouble even remembering, so maybe being pretty bad is better than not being memorable at all?

I think for both of them, it was a song choice issue. Haven, the song had too much going on for her, and she seemed a bit lost. Lucy, with all the moving around she was doing, it seemed she was playing catchup on the vocals quite a bit. Maybe both just needed more time to practice?

I can't decide how I feel about Zachariah. He's entertaining, and as a viewer, I'd rather see someone where I'm like, "I wonder what crazy thing they'll do next time?" rather than "What slow ballad will they sing?" But not sure he's right for Idol. On another forum, someone said he'd be good on Broadway, and I could see that, if it was more of a rock show, say. Or maybe if he were fronting a band?

I was puzzled as to why Allen Stone was so obsessed with getting Warren to throw his hat. I was glad he didn't in the end! It made me think of when I was going to try out for my middle school talent showing dancing to Madonna's "Vogue" with a black hat that I was going to toss off partway through. It is best for everyone that I decided not to audition for that show because I couldn't seem to remember my routine. Well, I suppose I would have given the judges some laughs, if nothing else! Pretty sure I would not have made the cut.

[Annber03]

3 hours ago, gingerella said:

I was interested when Warren said he was singing Adele, but he Kentucky Fried Chickened that song up to the point that I didn't recognize it. I give him props for going outside his wheelhouse, but he manages to make everything he sings sound exactly the same.

I did like the performance, even though that style of music isn't generally my thing, because I thought the song worked surprisingly well in that style and, like you, I appreciated him taking an unexpected song and putting his own spin on it. But this is a fair critique as well. 

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Nailyah also did very well last night IMO, and I loved how she sang the first part true to the song, then she colored it up with a very jazzy undertone on the second part. Singing an iconic song like that was a risk, and tbh I'm not a fan of the original version, but she did really well.

It felt like everyone (myself included :p) was holding their breath waiting to see if she'd hit the high notes on that song, and damn, she sure did and then some! Yeah. She was a standout for me last night, for sure. 

5 hours ago, JayDub1987 said:

I think Matt is an incredible singer, but it really annoyed me how they brought his wife up on stage to try to drum up extra votes for him. Dude can absolutely bring it vocally. I don't think AI needs to go above and beyond to make us want to vote for him. 

I'll agree with this. But yeah, that was still a pretty freaking smooth performance. And it was cute to see his wife in the crowd smiling and watching him on stage. 

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Lucy, we all know you have kids and you're "a fighter." We get it. You want to be there. Her cover of "What's Love Got to Do With It" somehow managed to come across as a pretty good performance in spots and a weird karaoke rendition in others. 

Yeah, I really liked how she went into the chorus, she had some good buildup there and it transitioned so smoothly. But then she started doing the headbanging and I think it affected her voice a little as a result. I totally get being into the song, of course, and getting energized on stage and all that, I liked that she got so into the performance. Just that I do think it did affect her vocals a bit. 

Agreed on Elise being a standout, too. And I loved the red dress she had on, it was really pretty and she looked great. 

Also nice to hear someone do "Don't Let Go (Love)":

I really like that song. I liked that a lot of the song choices weren't so predictable - regardless of how good the performances themselves were, it was nice to hear something a little different from the norm. 

I'd never heard of Allen Stone before this episode, and I was amused by his total surfer vibe (when Ryan said he was going to do a Bob Marley song I was like, "Of course he is." :p). But he was a good mentor, yeah, and I liked how supportive he was of the contestants. 

[snarkylady]

A few comments before tonight's performances:

All in all a pleasant evening, I enjoyed most of the singing.

Having said that, the judges were worse than ever.  It was as though they thought "I know these are the things that annoy viewers about me so here comes some more".

Luke wore one of the ugliest Hawaiian shirts I have ever seen.  Katy, center of the attention always, looked very nice in the eye catching yellow. Ryan's casual green looked good and it's a tough color to pull off.  Lionel looked cool but when doesn't he?

Back to Luke for the moment....is he sick this year?  He has looked "off" and out of it to me any number of times.  Maybe he doesn't want to do the show any more. 

I agree that bringing Matt's wife on stage was awful.  Shame on Idol for that. 

Nailyah -- I have hated that song for decades so I muted it.  That said I think she'll go far here, she dresses beautifully and makes herself look as good as possible. 

And then there's Lucy.  Probably not fair of me but it wouldn't hurt to put a little effort into how she presents herself. 

Allen Stone -- never heard of him.  With the exception of the hat he was an excellent mentor

[JayDub1987]

54 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

I'll agree with this. But yeah, that was still a pretty freaking smooth performance. And it was cute to see his wife in the crowd smiling and watching him on stage

Oh, I had no issues with the shots of her. It was the post performance electioneering that annoyed me. I don’t need his wife on stage talking about what a great guy he is. I’m voting for the best singer, not the best husband. And I did throw some votes on him if those actually count. 

[MissPriss]

1 hour ago, JayDub1987 said:

And I did throw some votes on him if those actually count. 

I really wish we didn’t have cause to wonder. 🤔

[JayDub1987]

7 minutes ago, MissPriss said:

I really wish we didn’t have cause to wonder. 🤔

I don’t think votes count on any of these shows….or in general lol. I should probably steer clear of my conspiracy theories regarding politics HAHA

[LennieBriscoe]

I couldn't hear anybody over my horrified screaming at Noah's non-brows. 😱

[TheGreenKnight]

This is a weak season so far. Iam was the only strong performance of the whole night. The only other person I kind of liked was Matt. I think there's 3 or 4 I remember from the Hollywood episodes that should be on Part 2, but still.... A pretty weak lineup this year.

And please make the Chris Stapleton wannabe go away.

[Vermicious Knid]

Mediocre performances from everyone but Nailyah and Iam. 

The country singer with the long blonde hair makes me think he should just be an Alan Jackson tribute act. 

[ljenkins782]

On 4/17/2023 at 3:36 PM, MarylandGirl said:

I can't decide how I feel about Zachariah. He's entertaining, and as a viewer, I'd rather see someone where I'm like, "I wonder what crazy thing they'll do next time?" rather than "What slow ballad will they sing?" But not sure he's right for Idol. On another forum, someone said he'd be good on Broadway, and I could see that, if it was more of a rock show, say. Or maybe if he were fronting a band?

That's where I'm at. In a show where there is only one winner, I always like a wildcard performer who might pull off something unexpected or entertaining. This guy is so earnest and so committed to putting on a show even if it looks somewhat ridiculous and I like that more than a person who's too shy to open their eyes or whatever, even if the shy one is the technically better singer.

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I'd never heard of Allen Stone before this episode, and I was amused by his total surfer vibe (when Ryan said he was going to do a Bob Marley song I was like, "Of course he is." :p). But he was a good mentor, yeah, and I liked how supportive he was of the contestants. 

I'm glad I'm not alone in having no clue who this guy is. Between his looks and his in-crowd mugging, he looked like some kind of SNL sketch performer embedded in the group as a spoof. He was a good mentor though.

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I think Matt is an incredible singer, but it really annoyed me how they brought his wife up on stage to try to drum up extra votes for him. Dude can absolutely bring it vocally. I don't think AI needs to go above and beyond to make us want to vote for him. 

I am not getting the hype over Matt. He sings fine, but nothing about him grabs me at all. He's nice looking, sings nice, seems like a nice guy, but it's forgettable for me.