1- Colton Dixon sings "Everything" by Lifehouse - The verses took a little bit too long to build up but when he finally opened up to the chorus his delivery was right on point. Overall, Colton has really great stage presence and emotionally connects to every song he sings. Very consistent, very solid!
2- Skylar Laine sings "Gunpowder and Lead" by Miranda Lambert - Great phrasing, vocal inflections and connection to the storytelling. Skylar is simply just a natural superstar. Her sass, confidence and energy own the stage. I loved the adlib that she gave at the end because it showcased power and range and only hope to hear her show off that part of her voice more!
3- Heejun Han sings "A Song For You" by Leon Russell - What a vast improvement from last week's horrendous performance! His tone is so unique and this song showcased the really cool husky textures in his lower register. I felt like the beginning was really strong but kind of lost his momentum towards the ending. I don't think he deserved a standing ovation from the judges but perhaps its because he set the bar so low for himself last week. Good voice but he is NOT the best singer in this competition.
4- Hollie Cavanagh sings "Jesus Take The Wheel" by Carrie Underwood - First off, Hollie finally pulls off the right outfit and looked phenomenal. Some of the notes in her song were a little bit iffy but I think she pulled it together and gave a touching performance. Her storytelling was on point and by the time she reached the end of the song she really nailed the high notes with conviction, power and control. This girl is a budding powerhouse.
5- DeAndre Brackensick sings "Sometimes I Cry" by Eric Benet - This week DeAndre's stage presence was a lot more tamed. The placement of his voice has improved but he definitely lacked the dynamic contrast that he needs in order to compete with these other singers. During the modulation in the bridge, the notes totally lacked the necessary breath support. He is definitely special but still needs a lot of coaching.
6- Jessica Sanchez sings "Sweet Dreams" by Beyonce - Excellent job climbing up to the climax of the song from the very beginning teasing us with dynamics and vocal control. I agree with Stevie Nicks that the slowing down of the tempo was brilliant; her version of this song turned into a powerful, heartfelt ballad. I also agree with Steve Tyler: this little diva is a star already.
7- Phillip Phillips sings "Still Rainin" by Jonny Lang - This dude might win this competition. He is consistent, solid and truly the whole package. Great song choice, amazing power and overall very strong vocal chops. This was another great performance added to his track record and he's reaching to the top.
8- Joshua Ledet sings "Without You" by Mariah Carey - This was my favorite Joshua performance. He did a wonderful job holding back his powerhouse vocals in the beginning of the song and showcased his chops with a lot more finesse. What incredible emotion! It was visceral. This performance was the only one of the night that deserved the judges' standing ovation!
9- Elise Testone sings "Whole Lotta Love" by Led Zeppelin - Risky song choice but this chick really rocked it out! Amazing vocal grittiness, power and control. She can be dirty and she can be pretty. Just killer, Elise. Really really great job!
Tonight I felt like the producers did a great job saving the best performances for last. Elise and Joshua completely took their songs to the next level. Elise demonstrated great showmanship and Joshua gave us his entire heart and soul. The mediocrity was sandwiched in the middle and became easily forgettable as the night went on. I also feel like the judges gave standing ovations to the two worst singers in the competition- Heejun and DeAndre. I didn't agree with many of their comments tonight. They need to be more critical as the competition gets stiffer. It would be a shame to sway America's votes from the singers who truly deserve a fair shot at this thing.
This week, I predict DeAndre and Heejun are in trouble. At the top this week is Phillip and Jessica.
What do you think????
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