S16.E11: Top 24 Solos (2)

[MarkHB]

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The second half of the top 24 finalists perform solos. Radio show host Bobby Bones mentors.

Performing during this episode are contestants:
• Ada Vox
• Alyssa Raghu
• Amelia Hammer Harris
• Caleb Lee Hutchinson
• Effie Passero
• Garrett Jacobs
• Jurnee
• Maddie Poppe
• Mara Justine
• Marcio Donaldson
• Ron Bultongez
• Shannon O’Hara

[Quickbeam]

Luke Bryan saying he’d never heard of “Brand New Key” made me feel terribly old. 

[ECM1231]

1 minute ago, Quickbeam said:

Luke Bryan saying he’d never heard of “Brand New Key” made me feel terribly old. 

Amen. I have already been feeling old enough.  I have not recognized the names of these artists but I have recognized quite a few of the chosen songs from radio listening, I guess. Tonight several chose older songs all the way back to Nina Simone and Heart, Houston, Cole. 

I was quite impressed with the caliber of many of tonight's performances.

[Babalooie]

Yes, better than The Voice. I'm really impressed with the quality of such young performers.

5 minutes ago, ECM1231 said:

was quite impressed with the caliber of many of tonight's performances.

[Annber03]

I generally liked everyone tonight, too. I think this group was overall stronger than last week's.

[Ms Blue Jay]

10 minutes ago, ECM1231 said:

Amen. I have already been feeling old enough.  I have not recognized the names of these artists but I have recognized quite a few of the chosen songs from radio listening, I guess. Tonight several chose older songs all the way back to Nina Simone and Heart, Houston, Cole. 

I was quite impressed with the caliber of many of tonight's performances.

LOL, I felt like it was 80s night with Barracuda (actually 70s, LOL) and "Run To You" (actually 90s).  And then that Natalie Cole song I've never heard of.  I'm way older than the contestants yet they were choosing songs that I feel like were before my time.  It was great.

(Correcting the years that the songs were released.)

Edited April 16, 2018 by Ms Blue Jay

[ECM1231]

5 minutes ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

LOL, I felt like it was 80s night with Barracuda (actually 70s, LOL) and "Run To You" (actually 90s).  And then that Natalie Cole song I've never heard of.  I'm way older than the contestants yet they were choosing songs that I feel like were before my time.  It was great.

(Correcting the years that the songs were released.)

Well, I must be older than you b/c I came of age in the 70s. Looked up "Inseparable" and it dropped way back in 1975 along with her other big hit, "This Will Be."

[Mu Shu]

I was born in 1974 and I know “Brand new key”.  Doesn’t seem like Luke whatever has much musical curiosity.

how drunk, high, or both is Katy Perry?  And why does she make that shocked face when they start singing?  Surely she knew singing would happen.  And the clothes.  God make the clothes stop.

sorry kid, but the ADA Vox thing IS a schtick.  Drag is pretty much parody, and I hate to say this, but your tuck game would have gotten you kicked out of first day drag race auditions.  I really don’t see this being a thing.  Ok but over the top belting, and a fairly weak appearance and presence.  Hell if Willam Belli could sing, it would be a tough sell for him.   Now the Lady Chablis, the Doll, she could have pulled it off.  But this Ada Vox character has no sass, no sex appeal. 

I really liked the brand new key girl.  

[Annber03]

I was born in 1984 and I know the song "Brand New Key". Thank you, late night music infomercials and VH1 Classic :p.

[sinycalone]

I thought Maddie's performance of Brand New Key was the highlight for me.   Sung well, performed with just enough sass, and fit her perfectly.

[incandescent]

I didn't take notes or anything but these are some opinions I remember having:

Maddie made a spectacular song choice. A tune people are familiar with (unless they're Luke...) that brings joy to the room. Not overly show-y but she still got to prove vocal agility. Best of the night IMO.

I think Alyssa's voice is great and her tone is one that could be easily identified on the radio.

The girl who did Whitney is the kind who would get 3-4 chairs turned on The Voice but lose her battle round.

I love Amelia's fashion sense. I disagree about her not having a sense of "inner style" or whatever they said. She has a really composed sort of swagger that I like.

The face Luke made when football dude hit the bum note summed things up pretty well for him.

[sempervivum]

20 minutes ago, Mu Shu said:

Drag is pretty much parody, and I hate to say this, but your tuck game would have gotten you kicked out of first day drag race auditions.

LOL, I had the same reaction to the way she looked in her atrocious costume. 

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why does she make that shocked face when they start singing?

I noticed she did this when Maddie started 'Brand New Key', and wondered if she knew the song, since as far as I could tell, Maddie performed pretty much the Melanie version. That octave leap in head voice (which seemed to be what provoked Katie's amazement) is nothing new or different from the original

I actually thought the first group of 12 was better/more entertaining. There were a couple of real stinkers tonight (Shannon, Ron). 

[TOL]

I’m old enough to have twirled around my room whenever Brand New Key came on my little radio in the early 70’s.  I immediately flashed back.  What a surprising choice!  

Marcio for the win. I will accept nothing less!

 

 

ooohhhhh... ditto sempervivum’s entire post 

Edited April 16, 2018 by TOL

[sinycalone]

Maddie's version seemed almost country to me....so she did switch it up from Melanie's orginal.

[twilightzone]

I am so tired of Marcio and his crying.  I get it - he has had a tough life - but so has a lot of other people.  He needs to pull it together.  The music industry is tough. 

[ichbin]

I'm 100% in for Ada/Adam for the win, but I hope to never see that jumpsuit again.

[Suzysite]

During Maddie's song I was thinking, if Simon were still a judge he'd ding her for not changing it up at all.  I thought it sounded exactly like the original.  It was very well sung, just no different.  And I'm old enough to remember that song well.

Marcio is amazing, but dang, man up dude.  I can't stand the tears every time.  I was even laughing a little.  

And then there's Adam.  Adam, you don't need to perform in drag to get confidence.   It looks clownish.   You have the voice, now drop the costumes and just sing. 

[librarianbeck]

I think if Simon were still a judge,  he'd have criticized a lot of the song choices last night as being outdated/indulgent. I have to say,  I rolled my eyes when Mara  (I think that's her name? The one with the annoying hair) did Whitney.  Having watched AI from the beginning,  I got a Whitney overdose ten years ago and I'm not ready to revisit. 

Edited April 16, 2018 by librarianbeck

[tobeannounced]

Mara gets my vote for most improved. I was pretty amazed she pulled off Whitney so well after that Tina Turner impersonation train wreck last time. That's my favorite thing about this show - seeing the growth from unpolished unknown to potential star.

Was disappointed in Caleb. He needs to concentrate on singing and quit acting all giddy about the smiling girls in the audience. Hope he did enough to stay.

I am not into diva types at all, so Ada does zero for me.

Marcio did better than I remember him doing before, but, yes, just move on from the sob story. 

Really loved Madde doing Brand New Key, but she's going to have to step it up. Sauce girl and Jurnee too.

When Ron performed last, I thought it must be a really spectacular performance, but I didn't get it AT ALL. He just seemed to mumble and groan his way through it.

Edited April 16, 2018 by tobeannounced

[WhineandCheez]

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I am so tired of Marcio and his crying.  I get it - he has had a tough life - but so has a lot of other people.  He needs to pull it together.  The music industry is tough. 

Word.  The same with Shannon telling us how her Dad lost his job and she needs to be the financial saviour for her family.  I don't mean to be negative, but getting a good career/trade is way better odds than acting/singing.  Are they getting rid of 6 tonight?  If so, my choice to go (based only on last night--many can save themselves in the duets): Alyssa Raghu, Effie Passero, Shannon O’Hara, Ron Bultongez--all of these for not having enough strenth and presence (Effie dissapointed me here);  Garrett Jacobs--stank the room up;  #6 I cannot decide.

[Babalooie]

8 hours ago, twilightzone said:

Although I am so tired of Marcio and his crying. 

I'm starting to wonder if it's an act.  Freddy Highmore is excellent at playing pitiful, as in Willy Wonka, August Rush, and The Good Doctor.  Of course he's not a professional actor like Freddy, but I can't help but think this is what's going on.  Also, he's obviously not raising the little boy alone.  Family members are always there with him in the audience.  More sob stories.  that being said, it is admirable to be a part of the little boy's life and he IS a good singer.

 

36 minutes ago, WhineandCheez said:

 #6 I cannot decide.

Go to The Idol Pad to see the Top 14 if you want spoilers.

[LennieBriscoe]

Rule #1, since 2009: Do not attempt to sing a song performed on Idol by Adam Lambert.

Corollary A: Especially if your name is also Adam.

Corollary B: Especially if you're gay.

So for me (for you, tm Randy), Ada/Adam was just awright, dawg. Alas. 

I haven't watched the rest yet.

ETA: Effie sings as Ada hopes. 

Mara Justine is so superb, I can't stand it! Tears.

Edited April 16, 2018 by LennieBriscoe

[Jillybean]

Ada's outfit/costume had me running for eye bleach. Oh honey, no.

[marketdoctor]

I wonder if they thought Maddie would be just OK with Brand New Key, instead of nailing it.  I'm not spoilered, so if she goes forward, this was her stardom turning point.  I don't remember her much from the earlier rounds; that's my loss.

 

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I get it - he has had a tough life - but so has a lot of other people. 

I wanted to see him do a duet with Tori Amos, just to see her give him a litany of what real problems are, and how you can turn them into great art instead.  

I thought Jurnee was off a little from HER best, but still great, and this week was a great example of why you don't want to do a hard 7 and 7; I'd have preferred 5/5 and four open spots for the best of the rest from either week (or 6/6 and 2, if you wanted to make for Extreeme draaamaaaa.)

Points for Ryan Seacrest showing his football days with photos.  There are moments of my life where I wish I'd taken more photos.

[thesupremediva1]

Almost everyone was on the same playing field tonight, so I don't know how they're going to whittle down. This is why I hate having two groups. At least half of last week's selections should be sacrificed to make way for this week's singers.

Ada Vox has an insanely incredible voice. I don't care what persona Adam wants to use. The voice in there sells it, and I hope Adam and Ada make top 5.

Effie is still one of my little ponies. Her voice and tone, especially in the upper register, are unicorn-like. It's clear and pristine and there's no gravel or effort. 

Sorry, I cannot abide Mara Justine. It's just a worse version of Jessica Sanchez. Both are the type who can sing anyone well, because they sound exactly like them. They're vocal camouflage. Mara Justine does wonderful impressions of the artists she sings, both vocally and with her stage work, but I don't know who she is, and at 15, I do not think she does either. And that's ok. But I cannot abide the screechy hairography we will inevitably be back to next week. 

Raghu is another lovely teenager who has zero awareness of who she is or how to present herself on stage. If they were going to cut the little blonde country girl from last week, then Raghu and Mara have no business going through. Alas, I know it's not to be. I think Raghu at least has some vocal DNA to her and a much more pleasant tone than Mara, but this show is built on powerhouse divas, so I know I'm going to be mad about the decision. 

Jurnee is another one with unicorn-like tone when she sings the right song, but tonight we saw her sing the wrong song. It was a little weak sauce and all over the place. This is a tough one, because based on past performances and potential, I'd send her through. But solely based on this evening, she wasn't even close to earning a spot. I think the judges will advance her. 

Mario sang the kind of song most people don't know and cannot sing because there are no bells and whistles. It's all emoting and vocal technique and respect for the lyrics. He shone the brightest tonight. Incredible. And I do not mind tears. Men should be allowed to cry, especially if they can sing like that.

Caleb has the kind of voice that will sell tons of records in country and make him hugely successful. He's another one that had a middling performance but could be sent through based on his resume. I'm just not sure he's flashy enough in this group of try-hards and big notes to earn it. He was one of my top 4, and I'll be gutted if he doesn't advance. 

I wasn't a big fan of the final performance. I don't know why. 

Oh, and I liked the "I got a brand new pair of rollerskates" song. I hope she advances too. 

My top 7: Caleb, Effie, Mario, Ada, Jurnee, Maddie, the girl I sang Adele whose name I can't remember

I know it won't look anything like this and I'm prepared for low-level anger.

[thefog]

1 hour ago, LennieBriscoe said:

Rule #1, since 2009: Do not attempt to sing a song performed on Idol by Adam Lambert.

Corollary A: Especially if your name is also Adam.

Corollary B: Especially if you're gay.

So for me (for you, tm Randy), Ada/Adam was just awright, dawg. Alas. 

Adam Lambert's performance of the song landed him in the Bottom 2.

[ruffy666]

12 hours ago, Mu Shu said:

sorry kid, but the ADA Vox thing IS a schtick.  Drag is pretty much parody, and I hate to say this, but your tuck game would have gotten you kicked out of first day drag race auditions.  I really don’t see this being a thing.  Ok but over the top belting, and a fairly weak appearance and presence.  

LO-frickin-L.  My hubby and I had the exact same reaction, I can't believe after 3 years of drag he hasn't learned how to tuck?  Or at least dress in such a way that you don't get an eyeful of moose knuckle?  *shudder*   I guess there's talent there but then he goes batsh*t CRAZY and it turns into an extended shouting match.  I don't get it.

Overall I thought this group was much, much more talented than last week.  I didn't like any of the performances from the first group.

[proserpina65]

I wasn't particularly impressed with most of this group.  My top picks are Maddie, Jurnee, Caleb, and Shannon. 

Ada sounded good, but that song choice was far too clichéd for me to endorse the performance. 

Effie was much better in her showcase performance, more nuanced, although if you're going to sing Heart, 70s Heart is vastly preferable. 

Marcio sounded like a lounge singer performing a lounge song - not bad, but nothing special. 

Alyssa was alright but the song was too much for her; plus I much prefer the Mickey Ekko original to the Rihanna version (although I do like both).

I missed most of Ron's performance, but for what little I heard, I didn't even recognize the song.  He was fine, but again, nothing special.

Amelia was okay.

Garret was also okay, but if he advances, it'll be because they think they can make some kind of teen idol out of him.

And finally, the sound in the theater must've been very different than what it sounded like on my tv, because not only did she choose an overwrought, schlocky Whitney ballad, she did not sing it very well.  There were a lot of bad notes in there.

I think Maddie, Caleb and Jurnee will make it.  Shannon will probably get ditched in favor of either Mara or Alyssa - if so, I'd rather it be Alyssa.  Other than that, Ada might make it, and one of Marcio or Ron.  Garrett will probably get the seventh spot.

[sempervivum]

Wasn't Ron B. the guy whose family came from Africa and they were living in a car or something? I seem to remember a poverty sob story connected to him. Wondering how he can afford braces?

Speaking of poverty, ugh on Shannon thinking she's got a prayer of saving her family finances; hopefully that's just pandering, since there's nothing else interesting about her.

Ada needs to ditch the black lipstick and 2 inch lashes; also match your face and chest color, girl! She also should have gone on Caleb's diet, so she isn't forced to squeeze her rolls into a barrel shape via Spanx. 

So we're going to go from 24 to 14 tonight, then to 10, then to 5. Apparently nobody knows yet how many will go to the finale-2 or 3? 5 weeks isn't much time for the inexperienced ones to figure it all out.

[proserpina65]

1 hour ago, marketdoctor said:

I thought Jurnee was off a little from HER best, but still great, and this week was a great example of why you don't want to do a hard 7 and 7;

She chose a weak song, but did very well with what little it gave her to work with.

[Mu Shu]

30 minutes ago, ruffy666 said:

LO-frickin-L.  My hubby and I had the exact same reaction, I can't believe after 3 years of drag he hasn't learned how to tuck?  Or at least dress in such a way that you don't get an eyeful of moose knuckle?  *shudder*   I guess there's talent there but then he goes batsh*t CRAZY and it turns into an extended shouting match.  I don't get it.

Overall I thought this group was much, much more talented than last week.  I didn't like any of the performances from the first group.

Look, I’m fine with  drag, but this isn’t well done.  I get that Adam wants to belt those overwrought Diva songs, and does it well, but I just don’t see Adam or Ava being marketable.  

It’s a hard sell either way, and there are far more appealing contestants (Jurnee) far more confident and charismatic contestants(Katie) and at least two other female belters (Effie and Gabby) who will probably be more voter friendly.

Adam is sort of lost.  I give him A for effort, but the current version needs more charisma and better optics.  

[thesupremediva1]

14 to 10 to 5? Jesus, that's Voice levels of culling. I'm not here for that.

What I loved most about Idol was the fact that if you made the top 10/12/13, you had real time to sing for America on TV every week, build an audience, and make an impact. The live shows are where stars or made. Not in these judgery-driven rounds. This really tempers my ability to invest in this new incarnation. I know they didn't build that kind of time into the run, but they need to if they want this reboot to be anything other than a Voice imitation or the flogging of a dead horse. 

One elimination per week on the live shows! One season a year! That's the ticket. It's what made Idol great and important, and why its winners have gone on to success while most people can't name one Voice winner. Why cut the BEST part of the run?

[sempervivum]

thesupremediva1, I agree with everything you said.

If it helps, according to mjs site, AI is being renewed for next year, and the next season will be longer. 

[Jillybean]

It turns out you can get through an episode really quickly if you skip the faux mentoring and faux judging. Plus, you don't have to be subjected to Katy's manspreading...WTF?

[LennieBriscoe]

Well then, escape, all the more reason for Ada not to have sung it! Hee!

[Jadzia]

It finally hit me what Katy Perry's outfit reminded me of.

Madelin Kahn in High Anxiety!

[me5671]

23 hours ago, ECM1231 said:

I was quite impressed with the caliber of many of tonight's performances.

I agree... this week's group was 100x better than last week's.

[marykat71702]

Ok, tonight's group mostly blew last week's group away.

Amelia-Believer is one of my favorite songs right now. I did not care for her version.

Garrett-1.) Was he actually playing that guitar? 2.) What the heck was that screech? 3.) Not impressed.

Maddie-That was a fun song. I thought she did a really good job with it.

Ada-Has a very impressive voice, but I'm kind of confused as to why, when Adam has said that his "true self" is actually Adam and not Ada,he is allowed to compete on the female side. He should be considered a male contestant, imo.

Caleb-I love him! Maybe this song wasn't perfect, and I like that Luke brought back "pitchy", but he's got the country thing nailed and he looks so comfortable on stage. He knows who he is, and owns it,

Effie-Holy crap, that was great! Why is she singing country tomorrow, though? I'm afraid that might not help her.

Alyssa-Hard to believe she's only 16. She has a really good voice.

Marcio-I'm melting. His voice is so smooth. I like that he's not afraid to show his emotions. Also, his son is adorable!

Mara-She reminds me of Harper from Wizards of Waverley Place, but she just knocked that song out of the park! Incredible.

Jurnee-I don't know the song she did, but I like her voice.

Shannon-Another impressive voice, but I'm not quite connecting with her like I am some of the others.

Ron-I'm not sure they did him any favors by giving him another chance at the auditions. He needs to enunciate better. I wish he wasn't the closer for the night. What is Luke talking about? Enunciation (to me, anyway) is very important.

I think the duets will be a major make/break for this group.

Damn, tonight it's hard for me to choose only 7--I would hate to be the judges right now. I think the first group is in trouble.

That being said, the 7 I would choose from tonight would be Maddie, Caleb, Effie, Alyssa, Marcio, Mara, and Jurnee. Would be ok with Shannon over Maddie or Mara.

On 4/15/2018 at 9:24 PM, ECM1231 said:

I was quite impressed with the caliber of many of tonight's performances.

Me, too.

[Guest]

6 hours ago, Jillybean said:

It turns out you can get through an episode really quickly if you skip the faux mentoring and faux judging. Plus, you don't have to be subjected to Katy's manspreading...WTF?

I say good for Katy for sitting however she wants.  I do, too.  Men don’t have exclusive rights to comfort and space.   There’s nothing obscene between our legs that’s going to escape.   

[Guest]

I'm surprised they closed the show with Ron.  I thought he was dull.  

Ada looked and sounded better than I expected, after reading here before watching.  She looked mostly fine from the chest up, at least.  I'm not a fan of that style of music but I thought she sounded really good.  

The lighting is a little weird.  I get distracted by the spotlights around the judges and all the dust in the air they show during critiques, especially Lionel's.  

I kind of like the lack of judges' table.  ABC paid a mint for these people, show them off.  Though the standing up and the shock faces are already getting tiresome.   

I actually listened to the judges' critiques this ep and they weren't that bad.  Lionel had specific advice like about mic handling and working the stage.  

I like Bobby, but I liked Jimmy, too.  Scott, I couldn't stand.  

Is this the first year Ryan has worn glasses?  I wonder if it's a fashion thing or needed for reading the teleprompter.  Or to make him appear more harmless, which I'm already sure he is, based on the case itself and the fact he's been cleared, I mean.  

Caleb was surprisingly funny and good.  I liked his comments about losing weight.  

[BogoGog24]

I'm super behind! Only just got to watch this episode now, will watch the duets later today, and hopefully be able to watch the top 14 tonight or tomorrow.

Amelia - Death slot. That performance could have been a lot more powerful. Forgettable. Gone. Bye. 

Garrett - That falsetto was not good, even Luke thought so. His comment about Garrett not having the best voice but being the heartthrob says it all. I don't see any artistry with this kid. Just a nice-looking guy all the teen girls will go crazy for.

Maddie - Easily blew the first 2 out of the water. Her artistry is very clear every time she performs and you know exactly what kind of album she would make.

Ada - Not Ada's best showing, it got a bit manic and off the rails in certain parts, but Ada is a strong performer. Unfortunately for Adam, I do think Ada is a schtick. I don't know what kind of artist Ada is or if Adam will continue with Ada going forward. I think he needs to make a decision about what he wants to do, if he wants to continue with Ada he needs to stick with that, otherwise it is getting confusing having 2 identities.

Caleb - I felt a bit bad for him that the judges criticized the song choice because he was probably afraid of them saying he wasn't current enough doing all those older songs. It was a bit shaky in areas. But overall I like his tone and think the competition needs him. 

Effie - Another Heart song? No Luke, she did not sing this better than Ann Wilson. The high notes in some places were shrill and shrieky. It felt very karaoke. Not surprised she didn't get through to the top 14 on the back of that.

Alyssa - Meh. She has great potential in her voice but other than her unique tone, she doesn't bring much originality to the table. That performance and song choice were boring. Kind of pageanty. I don't disagree with letting her go.

Marcio - I'm surprised the judges liked this because I expected them to call it old fashioned. It kind of came across that way for me, but it was also a solid vocal and good performance. 

Mara - This is the first showing from her I've actually liked. More restrained Mara is good. Her voice is wildly mature for her age. 

Jurnee - Jurnee has been a favorite of mine since the beginning and this was a solid vocal from her as always, but the song choice was kind of blah and didn't do her many favors. I think she did a good job relating to the lyrics. But she's had better performances. I disagree with the judges telling her to put more effort in though. A performer who can sing effortlessly is a good thing. If she tries to look like she's putting in effort it may get to her and she'll mess up or something. I think she just needs to pick songs that maybe challenge her a little bit.

Shannon - Probably her best performance to date, but for one thing, I think it's a really big mistake to put all her hopes into American Idol to help out her family's financial situation, especially since she was cut. She has potential but there's something about her that doesn't do it for me, like there's a big piece of the puzzle missing. Maybe she could try out again next year. 

Ron - This was awful. I don't know why this was saved for the last performance, I expected something amazing. He mumbles a lot of his words and yes Luke, he does need to enunciate more. The audience can't connect with a song or a singer if they can't understand the words. His pitch is all over the place. Deservedly cut.

I'm getting bored of the judges comments. They just make weird analogies comparing contestants to chickens and cakes. They mostly give undue praise and not enough criticism for those who really need it. There were shades of it (Garrett, Ron) but it's not enough. It seems pretty stupid to say Garrett isn't the best singer and put him through then say Alyssa was good but cut her, or say Mara needs to tone it down but Jurnee needs to look like she's trying harder. Sometimes I think these comments do more harm than good and make the contestants get all in their own heads. Just let them be themselves. Like who told Garrett he needs to dance? He looks awkward, so just let him do his own thing.

Overall I expected Group 2 to be way better than Group 1 and it was shockingly pretty underwhelming overall. I liked Maddie, Caleb, Marcio, Mara, and Jurnee the best. The others tanked IMO or were boring.