Season 11's American Idol Top 4 Performers

At this point of the competition on Season 11's American Idol, it could be anyone's game. Tonight we witnessed our Top 4 finalists-- Hollie Cavanagh, Joshua Ledet, Phillip Phillips and Jessica Sanchez-- sing for their lives! Here is what I thought about each of the performances:

Round One: California Dreamin'
- Phillip Phillip sings "Have You Ever Seen The Rain" by Creedance Clearwater - I love that Phillip showcased a little bit more range. His belt was clear and healthy, since he's finally stopped singing with his throat. Still boring, but definitely hearing a lot of improvements with his voice.

- Hollie Cavanagh sings "Faithfully" by Journey - This girl is peaking at the right time! I loved how she really held back in the beginning and gave us those beautiful big notes at the end. She utilized her technicality to give us so much power, confidence and emotion. Great performance!

- Joshua Ledet sings "You Raise Me Up" - Keeps swallowing phrases, not enough breath in verses. Key change did him well because he was able to redeem himself. His outro was extremely impressive and showcased impeccable range.


- Jessica Sanchez sings "Steal Away" by Etta James - Incredible phrasing, control and style! This girl's vocal performance is way beyond her years! She showcased attitude, growl, power and incredible melodic chops. Her flips to her head voice were very impressive and she just nailed it!



Round Two: Songs that Inspire Them
Phillip Phillips sings "Volcano" by Damien Rice - I agree with Randy that this is one of Phillip's best performances this season! It was very well sung, passionate and simply sexy. This is Phillip in his true element.. but is it enough?


Hollie Cavanagh sings "I Can't Make You Love Me" by Bonnie Raitt - This song was just too mature for little Hollie to tackle. She tried her hardest to evoke emotion, but came across rigid and robotic. I was disappointed with some of her melodic choices as she didn't "go for it" like I know she could. The tempo should have also been a lot slower. Sorry, girl!

Joshua Ledet sings "It's a Man's Man's World" by James Brown - FIERCE! The outfit, the attitude, the staging, the instrumentation, the arrangement.... flawless! His range, control, growl, passion and maturity are ridiculous! I really wanted a female to win Idol this year, but Joshua keeps outdoing himself. This performance was epic!

Jessica Sanchez sings "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going" by Jennifer Holliday - Perfect song choice!!! This performance showcased her passion, power and confidence and she delivered it flawlessly! The entire song felt like she was climbing a big mountain and she executed it with maturity well above her years. What a Diva!


I think its obvious where the divide in the talent is based off of tonight's performances, overall consistency and performer track records.

Its a battle between Jessica and Joshua.. Hollie and Phillip have no chance. Phillip might stay for another week because of the female teen demographic, but will have no chance of making it to the finale. Hollie will most likely be packing her bags tomorrow night.

What do you think?!

Season 11's Top 5 American Idol Singers Perform!

Its another double theme night on American Idol. Season 11's Top 5 American Idol performers gave us their best renditions of songs from the 60s and from the UK. Weird theme, but Jimmy Iovine is back and I am happy to watch him mentor our singers with Steven Van Zandt. Here's a recap:

Round 1 - 60's Music

Hollie Cavanagh sings "River Deep, Mountain High" by Ike & Tina Turner - Shakey and off pitch introduction, but then she really opened up as she built up the chorus. She really came out of her shell and gave us a nice, sassy side. Not every note was perfect.. However, like always she gave us an awesome last diva note! You can really see (and hear) Hollie fighting for what she wants!

Phillip Phillip sings "The Letter" by The Box Tops" - After watching Phillip's performance, I was convinced that I had never heard of this song before. But then I looked up the original version on youtube and recognized it. Phillip took a lot of liberty with the melody and even though I agree with the judges that he made this song his own, he basically made up a completely different song. There is a fine line between arranging an original version of a song and completely rewriting the whole thing. He crossed that line tonight.

Skylar Laine sings "Fortunate Son" by Creedance Clearwater Revival - We all know that Skylar is a spitfire on stage. She really knows how to work the crowd and is sassy, confident and full of energy. I thought the song choice was right up her alley but maybe a little too much of what we have seen her do in the past? To her defense, her stage presence has blossomed even more. She truly worked that ENTIRE stage and gave a solid, professional concert-quality performance!

Phillip & Joshua sing "You've Lost That Loving Feeling" by The Righteous Brothers - What an awful rendition of a beautiful song! These two singers can not be anymore different! Their voices completely clashed in timbre and caused serious tuning issues to the point where the harmonies were dissonant and ugly! Ahhhh! This also showcased how much BETTER of a singer Joshua is compared to Phillip. The dude totally got slaughtered by Joshua's thick, soulful vocals. Not a great performance AT ALL.

Jessica Sanchez sings "Proud Mary" by Ike & Tina Turner - I felt that Jessica did a great job showing us some growth with this song. We all know that uptempos are not her forte but she is definitely getting better. Her time feel has improved as well as her overall ability to crisp her phrases and control her vibrato. She looked a little awkward on stage and needs to work on her blocking and choreography, but did a great job tackling such a difficult song!

Joshua Ledet sings "Ain't Too Proud To Beg" by The Temptations - This song is right up his alley and I completely agree with Randy that Joshua could potential resurrect old school R&B into the new generation mainstream. He laid really nicely in the pocket and gave us an easy, natural and very well done performance.


Round 2 - Brit Pop:


Hollie Cavanagh sings "Bleeding Love" by Leona Lewis - I commend Hollie for choosing such a difficult song.. in fact, I have been working on that song for MONTHS and I'm still not happy with it! Anyway, her delivery was flawless; it was intimate and beautiful. I would have loved to have heard her hit the high "A" in the song, but she kept it safe and performed it very well.

Phillip Phillip sings "Time of Season" - Phillip finally decides to stick with the original melody and although he performs the song in a slower, groovier tempo, he failed to make his performance memorable.  I was bored and his falsetto was consistently underpitched. The boy may have just hit his glass ceiling at Idol!

Skylar, Jessica & Hollie AKA The Diva Trio sings "Higher and Higher" by Jackie Wilson - It's always hard to share the stage with fellow divas but I think the girls did a great song sharing the spotlight and nailing their harmonies! Not my favorite arrangement, but they did really well.

Skylar Laine sings "You Don't Have to Love Me" by Dusty Springfield - Sing it, girl! Great job tearing up that ballad and making it your own! And holy RANGE! This girl really showcased her chops and gave us an emotional delivery. As J.Lo said in her critique, Skylar really might win this whole thing!

Jessica Sanchez sings "You Are So Beautiful" by Joe Cocker - Beautiful and tender delivery.. but we all know that Jessica can sing the heck out of a ballad. Her performance was very sophisticated, but that last note was flat. She needs to really work on the intonation in her higher register. The judges loved it and I think she's amazing, but wonder if she will make it to the top like they say she is...

Joshua Ledet sings "Too Love Somebody" by The Bee Gees - Well of course the judges gave Joshua another standing ovation.. I was waiting for it. His performance was amazing. He did an excellent job delivering an effective dynamic contrast and passion. He kept it low in the beginning and gave us his signature scream at the end. I'm just kind of tired of that scream to be quite honest...


So.. who is going home?!

Phillip was by far the weakest of the night and I would HOPE that America votes accordingly. Hollie really stepped up her game, but am not sure if she will be safe. I feel that Skylar and Joshua were the most consistent tonight and predict that they will be safe. Jessica is in the middle for me this time.

It's time to get rid of our WGWG (white guy with guitar) and time to have a DIVA win this thing!

What do you all think?!?!

American Idol Top 7 Perform Songs from Then & Now

Here is a recap of this week's Top 7 American Idol Performances as the singers interpret songs from Then & Now...

Hollie Cavanagh sings "Rolling In The Deep" by Adele - Extremely risky as NO ONE should ever sing this song unless you are Adele. But I honestly feel like she really nailed it. The voice was strong and powerful and her delivery was sassy and heartfelt. You go girl!

Then - "Son of A Preacher Man" - Sounded great but was missing the dynamic contrast. However, she gave the BEST last note of the night... 2 weeks in a row ;)



Colton Dixon sings "Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga - Awesome arrangement! I love the half time chorus and the bridge sounded pretty sexy! Colton is consistent and has great style.

Then - Earth, Wind & Fire sings "September" - Love this arrangement yet again! Colton may not have the best voice but can arguably create the best arrangements of songs week after week! Not sure if he will be save because the other singers really brought it this year!


Elise Testone sings "No One" by Alicia Keys - I loved the melodic choices during the intro of the song. However, it needed to be a little bit sweeter than what she delivered. Overall, not the best song choice for what she could potentially do.

Then - "Lets Get it On" by Marvin Gaye - Very cool sexy, jazzy interpretation. It is clear that she is very musically sophisticated, so why does she lack the fan base that others so naturally have? She is a true professional but fear that she is going home next.


Phillips Phillips sings "You Got it Bad" by Usher - Really nice arrangement and interpretation of this classic Usher song. Still needed to show more range and dynamics, but loved the style.

Then "Midnight Hour" by Wilson Pickett - Same performance again. This dude is talented but I've heard him sing literally the same song every week. Maybe he is too much of an individual and just can't help being "himself." Hmmm... luckily it picked up during the end of the song, but is it enough? Not sure if it is....


Jessica Sanchez "Fallin" by Alicia Keys - Safe song choice but she delivered it very well. Effortless, flawless and amazing. Girl has talent, style and charisma when she sings. She is ready to go.

Then "Try A Little Tenderness" by Otis Redding - NICE! This girly has so much control, power and style. She truly made this song her own - best performance of the night!


Skylar Laine sings "Born This Way" by Lady Gaga - LOVED the country interpretation. Excellent reharm, growl and stylization! She is an awesome performer!

Then "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye - Not sure if it there was too much melodic freedom, but I loved her ability to take this classic R&B tune and transform it into a modern country arrangement. Consistent, solid and "brilliant" as Randy said. ;)


Joshua Ledet sings "I Believe" by Joshua Ledet - I loved that he showcased his lower register and gave us a little bit less of his signature shriek. We know you can blow and I'm glad that you showed us just a little bit of restraint!

Then "A Change is Gonna Come" by Sam Cooke -  Amazing, but I was honestly a little bit bored. Too much screaming for my taste. I am not sure how big of a disconnect there was between the live performance and the national broadcast because I am questioning the judges' standing ovation...


Overall, the talent is extremely impressive this year. I can honestly say that every single one of these performers deserve record deals that will propel them into successful careers in the music industry. Joshua is the next gospel star, Colton needs to front a rock band, Phillip is straight up ready to take over the indie/acoustic rock scene, Jessica is going to rule Top 40, Hollie could make it big on Broadway, Skylar is going to be the next country music sensation and Elise is gonna tear it up as a jazz/blues singer/songwriter. I've never been so passionate about the group that we have this year....its going to be difficult to say goodbye to someone tomorrow!

But honestly, I'm thinking our girl Elise will be going home. Thankfully, she will do well because she actually has experience and education and is just probably not gonna win this competition...

What do you think?!

American Idol Season 11 - Top 8 Perform

It's 80s night for Season 11's American Idol Top 8 performers! This week the singers were mentored by Jimmy Iovine and No Doubt's frontwoman Gwen Stefani and bassist Tony Kanal. Here is a recap of this week's performances:

1- DeAndre Brackensick sings "I Like It" by Debarge - I am not a huge DeAndre fan, but can admit that this was one of his strongest performances. I enjoyed listening to him sing with his real voice as opposed to his falsetto. Stage presence and pitch are getting a lot better, too. He is definitely responding well to the vocal coaching that he is getting backstage. Still not my favorite, but can respect his growth!

2- Elise Testone sings "I Wanna Know What Love Is" by Foreigner - Elise's vocals are always solid; she is a consistent performer with undeniable talent. This week, however, she failed to deliver anything special. As the competition gets tougher every week, these singers are going to need to dig deep and perform creatively. The key change was iffy and the melodic choices were not as strong as the ones she has made in the past. Sorry, Elise - you may be in trouble!

3- Phillip Phillips sings "That's All" by Genesis - Great song choice and yet another solid performance to add to his track record. It was a little screamy for my taste but I totally loved the arrangement of the tune. Not sure if Phillip is an American Idol, but definitely an artist that I am starting to respect. This guy is crawling his way to the top!

4- Joshua Ledet sings "If You Don't Know Me By Now" by Simply Red-  This was a perfect song choice for him. I especially enjoyed the adlib towards the end of the song. It not only showcased his powerhouse vocals but demonstrated his amazing melodic choices. Very natural, very heartfelt and overall, awesome job!

5- Jessica Sanchez sings "How Will I Know" by Whitney Houston - Jessica needs a little help when it comes to properly executing uptempo songs. Her voice is big, bright and powerful, however she needs a lesson or two on rhythm and time feel. Some of her lower notes in the verses got lost and lacked the necessary breath support and execution. However, this young diva is very talented and will most likely be safe.

6- Hollie Cavanagh sings "What A Feeling" from Flashdance - Another awful outfit choice, by the way. BUT anyway, the verses needed a little bit more support as her lower notes were a little shakey. Her voice is undoubtedly strong and beautiful, but she needs to relax and allow herself to connect to her performances. I also agree with Steven.. her pitch was all over the place. She is a loud, slightly robotic Diva in Training. Relax, girly!

7- Colton Dixon sings "Time After Time" by Cyndi Lauper - I truly enjoyed Colton's rendition of this classic 80s tune. The 80s was such an awesome decade and he did a wonderful time transforming this 80s anthem into a modern, rock song. Vocally, I felt like he could have pushed the dynamics and given us a little bit more of that power and adlib towards the end. Great stage presence, too!

8- Skylar Laine sings "Wind Beneath My Wings" by Celine Dion - Beautiful tone and control. It was wonderful to hear Skylar perform a ballad with such emotion and conviction. That key change showcased her range beautifully. This was the exact performance that she needed to have! Great job girl!

Tonight did not showcase the group's talents to their fullest potential. Perhaps its the pressure, the fatigue and the uncertainty that comes with a competition of this caliber. I felt like Skylar and DeAndre really put their best feet forward. Phillip and Colton continued to be solid and will glide through another week of safety. Jessica and Joshua performed a beautiful duet and will continue to be at the top. And finally, Elise and Hollie are who will most likely be in trouble.

What do you think???