Tag: Jessica Sanchez

Phillip Philips & Jessica Sanchez.

I didn’t need to stay home to watch “American Idol” live, because I already knew that Phillip Phillips had the fan base to pull out the win. It’s not “fair,” in that his vocal talent was not and is not as great as that of either Jessica Sanchez of third-place finisher Joshua Ledet, but it proves, once again, that the show is primarily a popularity contest. Singing is secondary to likeability. The selection of Scotty McReery last year proves that and it has been proven once again.

The selection of the boy rather than the girl proves the bias towards female singers, also. Yes, there have been some female winners, but they are the exception that proves the rule. It is harder for a girl to win this contest than for a boy; maybe in the Kelly Clarkson, Fantasia Barrino, Carrie Underwood years, the men, as competition, weren’t as strong. Whatever the rationale you settle on, there is no doubt that young girls vote (repeatedly, it would seem) for their favorite male singer, and this year, that favorite was Phillip Phillips.

When the Top Three made their visits home, Phillip’s father and his relationship with him were a network’s dream. The pawn shop owner was packing a pistol and Phillip even picked up his favorite stuffed turkey and toted it around the store. In the parade sequence, Phillip seemed genuinely touched, and there could be no doubt that he was overcome with emotion at the finale, as he tried (unsuccessfully) to finish singing his song “Home.” I found it touching and rewound and replayed the finale moment(s) more than once.

I find Phillip charming, too. He reminds me so much of a young Dave Matthews, and we certainly can use a young(er) Dave Matthews on the music scene. He writes songs and plays guitar, and his acknowledgement of his brother-in-law’s contribution to his musical success was another sign of the close-knit family from which he comes.

Not that Jessica Sanchez had a family any less close-knit, but, in writing for www.Wikinut.com, I found the half-Filipino/half-Mexican singer being trashed on that international site. Why was she not being praised? The answer is that she was being criticized by a resident of the Philippines for not being “Filipino” enough! I had previously thought that Jessica’s ethnic background might be a plus for her, initially, but, as it turns out, that vote did not materialize.

Those who say, “Well, it isn’t fair. Jessica is a better singer” have a completely valid point. To them, I say, “Is life always fair?” It certainly hasn’t been to me, of late! Talent in any field is not an entree to success if you have to curry favor and win approval of massive numbers of people to cash in on that talent. In the case of “American Idol,” which I have been following since 2007, it has not escaped my attention that someone the audience “likes” (Scotty, last year), rather than someone who really has the pipes will win every time. Remember Adam Lambert’s year? Does anyone really believe that Chris Allen was a “better” singer than Adam Lambert, who had already been in Broadway productions?

I enjoyed the finale, although I found some of it to be sub-par. The Neil Diamond medley and the Bee Gees medley did not “gel” and someone should tell Chaka Khan not to wear a skin-tight catsuit when backed by young women easily 30 years younger and 30 pounds thinner than she is at this point in her career. Also, the “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” number seemed to consist primarily of screaming and weird faces on the part of Jennifer Holliday, so the less said about that, the better.
As for Aerosmith’s outing as a band: liked it. Can’t help myself, I enjoy watching Steven Tyler dance around. I enjoy watching Mick Jagger dance around. I’m sure I will enjoy watching Phillip Phillips dance around, in years to come.

I predict bright futures for both Jessica Sanchez and, even more so, for Joshua Ledet. I think these fantastic voices will “live well and prosper.” I think that Phillip Phillips will also be one of the Idol winners who will go on to success. He has that “Q” factor that makes you want to root for him, and he seems to know what he wants to sing and who he wants to be as an artist.

One thought I had about 3 programs back is this: Whatever happened to the announcement that Tommy Hilfiger would be dressing the contestants and “advising” them regarding their fashion faux pas, this season? It seems he sank without a trace. Whover put Sklar Laine in her horrible outfit tonight, when she shared the stage with Reba McIntyre, should have their head examined. My God! What a horrific outfit for the poor thing to wear, given her particular figure flaws. Whose Big Bright idea was THAT?

I did think that Tommy Hilfiger’s “advice” seemed to consist primarily of showing the eager contestants a closet full of potential downfalls and letting them select whatever they wanted. That, to me, is not advice. It’s like taking your child to the candy store to instruct them on eating the right foods. None of the contestants seemed to look “better” after Hilfiger’s appearance on the scene. And then, like the Mad Hatter, he simply disappeared. It was weird. He didn’t ever help Jimmy Iovine to dress and look like an adult, nor did he save Randy from the embarassment of wearing a jacket that made him look like he owned a string of ice cream parlors.

The “group” numbers were weak, in general, and Fantasia, Chaka, Jordin, et. al. added little. On the other hand, it was fun watching Phillip sing with an icon and Joshua and Skylar seemed thrilled to be onstage with their idols (Fantasia and Reba, respectively). I also enjoyed the “live” onscreen proposal of Ace (from some long-forgotten season) to former contestant Diana DeGarmo. The comment he made about “taking Broadway” lends some support to the concept that these singers will go on to have careers in music. I know that I, personally, have seen Syesha Mercado and Constantine Maroulis onstage in Chicago in traveling Broadway productions:”Dream Girls” for Syesha and the upcoming Tom Cruise casting as Stacey Jax in the film version of the play is something to ponder.

I noticed Phillip Phillips, during his moments onstage when he was overcome by emotion and stopped singing, trying to spit out confetti that was raining down on the crowd. This confetti looked pretty substantial! It’s no wonder that Phillip gave up on singing the lyrics, given the emotion of the moment and the paper packing his mouth. It didn’t stop the drum major people in the background who kept marching back and forth as Phillip sang about “Home.” I think it was Phillip’s far superior song on the final night of competition that helped him win. Jessica’s song was shrieky and nonmelodic. She had done well up to that point, but song selection was never Jessica’s strong suit during her weeks on the show. She would go from superb, as with her Whitney Houston selections, to really stupid, as with the number she sang in sky-high heels that was her attempt at an “upbeat” number (“Set the night on fire…etc.). That little ditty really didn’t enhance her reputation on the show, and she has Gloria Estefan to thank for that particular miscue.

Phillip, on the other hand, seemed to select just the right song, even if it wasn’t a song any of us had ever heard. He was always interesting to watch and I enjoyed his awkward dance moves. I also thought that Joshua Ledet was the most “compleat” (British spelling) performer of the entire competition. And, for sheer spunky “Let’s get this show on the road” you had Skylar Laine.

Holly Cavanagh got some good moments during the finale, as well she should have. I enjoyed hearing her sing the perennial graduation favorite “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” I did not enjoy revisiting Colton Dixona and DeAndre Brackensick seemed unusually prominent during the men’s group numbers. I actually have forgotten the name of the chubby male singer that made it through primarily because Jennifer Lopez liked him. My spouse did not like Han whatever-his-name-was, the Asian singer, but it was nice to see Elise (Testone) again. This is one of the few “American Idol'” groups that I would potentially pay money to see, as a group. They were that good, in general. I’m still trying to remember the name of the 2 blondes (one with a new short hair-do, I think), because, like all of America, we forget our idols much too quickly.

Jessica Sanchez finishes 2nd on "American Idol."

“American Idol” Performance Night of April 18, 2012, with Predictions for April 19, 2012

By Connie Wilson

On April 19, 2012

In Music, Pop Culture, Reviews, Television

'American Idol" on April 18, 2012.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012, Fox, 8 p.m. (ET) Performance night on “American Idol” with just 7 contestants still standing. The four girls and three boys still remaining in the competition sang 2 songs each: one current song from 2010-2012 and one soul song.

Who did well?

The biggest winners, from the standpoint of judges’ reactions, were probably Hollie Cavanagh, Skylar Laine, Joshua Ledet and Phillip Phillips.

Who was off their game?

The three that seemed lackluster this night, or simply failed to find favor with the judges or the audience were Colton Dixon, Elise Testone and Jessica Sanchez. Perhaps that Judges’ Save, used to prevent Jessica from getting the axe last week, won’t make any difference.

Most Improved

It should be pointed out that Hollie Cavanagh, who has consistently been in the bottom three, did a good job on Wednesday night with her rendition of Adele’s “Rollin’ in the Deep.” It was a good song choice, and, while her performance was not perfect, it was “very well done,” as Randy admitted. (Steven Tyler declared it “perfect.”) Later, Hollie sang “Son of a Preacher Man” while wearing a short pink dress and Randy said, “Dude, you worked it out,” while Jennifer Lopez said that Hollie “showed a new composure.”

Skylar Laine also did herself proud, singing Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” in a country arrangement, which Jennifer Lopez declared she had never heard before, while adding, “A more perfect song for you does not exist.” Steven Tyler pointed out the voting bloc that loves country, saying, “A lot of people with a drawl will vote.” Randy said: “Dude, you’re so ready.” There are 2 things that one can say consistently about Skylar: 1) she will always give a peppy, spirited rendition where she emotionally connects to the material and (2) she almost always will have on a horrible outfit. Only once has she looked really lovely in a long, flowing gown. The bared arm dress she had on this night was horrid. For her second song, Skylar sang Marin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” causing Steven Tyler to declare her to be “somethin’ else” and “a wild horse that cannot be tamed.”

Floundering:

Colton Dixon sang Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance.” The judges gave him acceptable comments for his first song and Jimmy Iovine pointed out the teeny-boppers will vote for him (unless they, too, are put off by his apparent narcissism). His second song of the night was an “Earth, Wind & Fire” song, and that is where things started to go downhill for Colton. Steven Tyler dubbed it “a bad song choice” and Randy said, “You sounded good, but it’s not as exciting as we would have liked.” Jimmy Iovine pointed out weeks ago that Colton does not have the pipes of a Joshua or a Jessica; he was right.

Elise Testone also had a rough night. First, she sang “No One” by Alicia Keys wearing an attractive orange dress and with a breeze blowing through her long, blonde extensions. Steven Tyler criticized the song choice, while Jennifer Lopez chose to encourage her to smile more (“When you smile when you sing, your eyes come alive.”) Elise’s second song of the night was Al Green’s “Let’s Get It On” and Steven Tyler commented, “You need to take it up a notch.”

Jessica Sanchez.

The third rockiest performer, in terms of her ability to electrify the audience, was Jessica Sanchez. She opened with “Fallen” by Alicia Keys. While her singing earned raves from the judges, they all noted her apparent remoteness and distance from the material. Later, when she chose to sing “Try A Little Tenderness,” she had on one of the worst outfits of the night. The Jodhpur pants and the overpowering necklace obscured one of the best girls’ bodies in the competition. I fear the Judges’ Save will not matter on Thursday night.

Hanging In There

Phillip Phillips, wearing his trademark gray, sang “You Got It Bad” by Usher and earned a standing ovation from the judges. Steven Tyler said, “With you, we never know what we’re gonna’ get. It was great tonight, great. “ Jennifer Lopez pronounced Phillip’s performance “Sexy” and said, “It shows your versatility.” Randy said, “I smile every week. This year, we have a true artist on the stage.” It does seem that Phillip knows he does best and to his own self is true. His song choices are good; he doesn’t let the constructive criticism throw him or deter him from delivering on his music. He always seems connected with what he sings and is engaging to watch. Phillip’s second song of the night was “In the Midnight Hour.” He came out from behind his guitar and actually danced a dance which Steven Tyler declared “brilliantly awkward.” Phillip is very likeable. He is the one remaining boy in the competition who is handsome, humble, hetero (for the teeny-bopper girls) and sings well. He is also very original. A dark horse (gray, of course).

Joshua Ledet sang “I Believe” by Fantasia and received a standing ovation. Randy declared Joshua, “Truly one of the most gifted singers we have ever had on this show. Love you. Love your voice.” Jennifer Lopez praised Joshua’s commitment to the material he sings, saying, “You leave it all on the floor every time.” Steven Tyler declared, “You could sing the phone book.” For his second number, Joshua did a rousing rendition of Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna’ Come.” He displayed more dynamic touches than the other competitors, starting softly, and was praised for “holding back and then letting go.” Joshua sounds a bit like Sam Cooke and looks a bit like Johnny Mathis.

Bottom three?

Elise, Colton and Jessica. Either girl could go home.

March 28, 2012, on “American Idol:” Who Did Well? Who Will Go Home?

By Connie Wilson

On March 29, 2012

In Music, Reviews, Television

Wednesday, March 28, 2012, Fox, 8 pm (ET) Deandre Brackensick, who sang fifth in tonight’s “American Idol” performance night, sang Eric Benet’s “Sometimes I Cry.” That song could have been used as the theme of tonight’s performances, with several of the remaining 9 contestants tearing up at key moments. [Yes, I know who Eric Benet is, Gentle Reader. That is not the point here. The point is that a song like “Whole Lotta’ Love” by Led Zeppelin (as an example) is going to be much more recognized than “Sometimes I Cry” by the singer best-known for his marriage to Halle Berry, whose biggest hit came 12 years ago.]

First up was Colton Dixon, who selected a LifeHouse song, and, after giving the females in the audience lyrics like, “You’re all I want, you’re all I need. How could it be any better than this?” (which Colton described as his “favorite worship song of all time”) he teared up a bit, to start the evening off. Steven Tyler declared, “You’ve got that star quality,” while Jennifer Lopez gushed, “You’re a performer. You’re amazing” and Randy—who has a genius for stating the obvious—said, “I think I could be looking at a contender for the title.” (Someone should clue Randy in that all the contestants are there because they are “contenders for the title.”)

Skylar Laine from Mississippi followed and selected a Miranda Lambert song. She had on the most horrible outfit I’ve seen this year: a black studded pleather motorcycle jacket with a weird asymmetrical top with a white border that emphasized exactly the areas that a short somewhat stocky performer like Skylar should be seeking to de-emphasize. The earrings for all the girls were so large that a wind might have taken any of them skyward. Jennifer praised Sklar’s “unbridled energy”, while Randy declared, “I loved it. It’s all about telling a story. You are a powerhouse singer.” Skylar’s outfit during her trio was just as bad a choice, but her enthusiastic performances remained typical for the country girl from the Southland.

Hollie Cavanagh probably received the least glowing reviews from the judges after she sang Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus Take the Wheel.” She, too, teared up, saying that it was celebrity judge Stevie Nicks’ story of her mother’s recent passing that caused her to lose it. Steven Tyler said, “I just wish you’d have sung a different song. It was just okay for me.” I’m with Steven on this, and Randy pointed out some “pitchy moments” for Hollie. She looked lovely in an all –white dress with a silver necklace collar and her hair down, and the stage effects of fog and snow were equally effective, but it wasn’t Hollie’s best night.

Deandre Brackensick, as mentioned above, sang fifth, and selected an obscure song, despite the fact that Jimmy Iovine and Stevie Nicks pointed out that, “He’s one of the guys in jeopardy here.” Deandre chose to display his impressive falsetto range, but he selected a song (Eric Benet’s “Sometimes I Cry”) that was not that well known. Steven Tyler chose to say, “You gave Prince a run for his money” So beautiful” referencing the high runs in the song, and Jennifer Lopez used the word “Crazy” five times. Randy, in his usual bombastic fashion, said, “That’s who you are. Guess who else is back in the house!” I’d like to see Deandre resurrect some old BeeGees hits if he insists on singing in this high falsetto voice, but nevermind about that for now.

The final singer who did not do it for me tonight (to be followed by the “hits”) was Jessica Sanchez, undeniably one of the most vocally talented of the girls. Her song by Beyonce: meh. Jessica used a set with red doors and wore a dress with a train that was not her most attractive look (plus the de rigeur huge earrings). Although Steven Tyler dubbed the dress “beautiful” and Jennifer Lopez used words like “Beautiful. Gorgeous. Great performance,” for me, Jessica had an “off” night. I’d say that about all of those mentioned above.
So, who really hit the vocal ball out of the park on “American Idol” on March 28^th?

They saved the best for last.

Elise Testone sang Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta’ Love’ and brought the house down. Steven Tyler told her, “You made Robert Plant proud.” Jennifer Lopez proclaimed that it was “some real rock star stuff” and Randy said, “An amazing job. Congrats!” Elise had a bit of an advantage in that she has sung the song with her own band previously. She also had the confidence of knowing that Stevie Nicks thought she was outstanding and said she would hire her right then, if she needed a singer, saying, “I don’t like to sing with just anyone.”

Heejun Han also did a nice job with his choice of the Donnie Hathaway song “I’m Singing This Song for You” and much talk of how he has turned his attitude around. The judges did give him a standing ovation, and Steven Tyler said, “You did it. You turned it around. That was great.” Jennifer Lopez remarked, “You don’t make it this far by mistake.” Randy praised Heejun’s “buttery, beautiful tone,” although noting that “it wasn’t perfect.” Heejun has been in the bottom three more than once, and, last week, he definitely pissed off Steven Tyler. Was his good job tonight enough to keep him from going home? We’ll know tomorrow (Thursday, March 29, 2012).

Two (of the four) best, for me, were Phillip Phillips and Joshua Ledet.

I happen to be a Johnny Lang fan (“Lie to Me” being my favorite) and have seen him in concert, so I did know his song “Look Out My Window,” and I loved what Phillip did with it. Phillip is always interesting and, as Stevie Nicks remarked, “He’s gorgeous.” That was right after Stevie told Phillip (who asked for her autograph), “You’re going to be a very big star.” Randy said, of Phillip’s performance, “That was a great performance. Amazing. I love you. I love the individuality. Big Props. You got big things in front of you.” To me, Phillip is a young version of Dave Matthews, so the Johnny Lang twist was appreciated.

Joshua Ledet was also “on” tonight, singing Mariah Carey’s “Without You” (Harry Nillson version0 and doing it justice. Randy said, “Dude, I think that was flawless. It was emotional for you.” That comment was in reference to Joshua’s tearing up at the end of the song, which made the fourth contestant of the night (Colton, Hollie, DeAndre and Joshua) and the fifth standing “O” from the judges.

The contestants also formed trios to sing spirited versions of songs by Michael Jackson (Deandre/HeeJun and Joshua), Madonna (Skylar/Jessica and Hollie) and Fleetwood Mac (Colton/Elise and Phillip). These were very enjoyable, and I only wished that Skylar’s sweater didn’t hang below her white jacket, which stuck out and emphasized her generous posterior. The hat wasn’t working for me, either, but she sure is a spunky singer. And, after all, this is a singing competition.
So, who’s going home tomorrow night?

I put Phillip Phillips, Joshua Ledet, Elise Testone as “safe.” Heejun Han was good tonight, but did he do too much damage to his image last week and in prior weeks? Colton has a female fan club, of which I am not a member, so they’ll probably phone it in. Skylar was her usual spirited self, (but had on horrible outfits); Hollie looked beautiful but made a few vocal gaffes. DeAndre did his falsetto schtick, which the judges seemed to love, but did the folks at home? And Jessica was lackluster, but, if she were to show up as the lowest vote getter, I believe the judges would use their once-in-a-season “save” for her.

If I were a betting woman, I’d stick with the two boys who have become regulars in the bottom three (Heejun and DeAndre) and throw in one of the girls who were off their game tonight, which means Hollie first and Jessica second, since her song didn’t receive the enthusiastic reception of some others.

If they kick Elise off after that performance, there is no justice.

“American Idol” Contestants Display “Attitude” on March 21, 2012 Show

By Connie Wilson

On March 22, 2012

In Music, Pop Culture, Reviews, Television

Wednesday, March 21, 2012, Fox, 8 pm (ET) Attitude seemed to be the keyword tonight on “American Idol.” Who has it? Who needs to get it? What should it be?

The recent entry of Tommy Hilfiger as an advisor to the contestants on how they should dress produced advice to Phillip Phillips that he should not wear gray and, from celebrity mentor Sean P. Diddy Combs and Jimmy Iovine, that he should put the guitar down and sing without it. Phillip did neither. He not only wore gray-on-gray, but he contributed a version of “Movin’ Out” that was so original I didn’t recognize it as a Billy Joel song (tonight’s theme). Phillip said, “I’m not a guy about image. The music comes first” and was pronounced “brilliant” by one judge.

Jessica Sanchez had another good night, singing “Everybody Has A Dream.” Jennifer Lopez called it her “defining moment” and Randy praised her consistency. There seems to be a bit of a contradiction there, since the judges were quite critical of her song last week, when she attempted an upbeat number from Gloria Estefan. Steven Tyler said, “You’ve gone way past my judging. Thank you for letting me hear you sing, baby.” Randy called her song, “Flawless, perfect, perfection.”

Colton Dixon was another contestant who showed some attitude regarding the comments made about his hair by Tommy Hilfiger. He sang Joel’s “Piano Man” and the judges seemed to like it. [I thought the ending just dropped off in a weird way].

Heejun Han sang “Don’t Go Changing” and seemed to be telling the judges off. It seemed as though Steven Tyler was not taking it well, as he said, “You showed ’em. You told ’em. At some point, you gotta’ take it (the music business) more serious.” Both Randy and Jennifer, while unimpressed with Heejun’s vocals, said it was “enjoyable” and “a breath of fresh air.” Heejun escaped elimination last week; we’ll see how he does this week.

Deandre Brackensick did “Only the Good Die Young.” Randy pointed out that it “wasn’t that great…just okay.”

Erika Van Pelt sang “New York State of Mind” and she displayed her “attitude” by letting the show cut and color her hair into a virtual Liza Minelli flashback. One of the judges compared her new short hair-do to Pat Benatar. I saw Pat Benatar this past summer; her hair looked nothing like this Minelli do.

Joshua Ledet, who had such a great week last week, sang “She’s Got A Way” and admitted that he “didn’t know the song.” It wasn’t Joshua’s best night, considering he is perhaps the most vocally talented male contestant, although Steven Tyler said he “sang the sweat out of that song.” What was more puzzling was Steven Tyler’s admission that he “didn’t know the song.” (Yikes!)

Skylar Laine sang “Shameless.” It wasn’t her best night. She wore HUGE earrings, as did all the girls.

Elise Testone, who sang a song nobody knows called “Vienna” was praised by the judges. Again, not as good a choice of songs as she could have made.

Hollie Cavanagh had an off night in singing “Honesty.” She was off-key at several points. She did look very nice in a white pantsuit with a sparkly silver top.

Who will go home? I’d say one of the girls who sang an obscure song. The most obscure song was that sung by Elise, followed closely by Skylar’s. Skylar should get the country vote, but Erika and her new black haircut might end up in the dumps, as well. I’m betting that Phillip Phillips, Jessica Sanchez, Colton Dixon, Joshua Ledet and Hollie Cavanagh will be “safe,” but, after that, it’s anybody’s ball game.

Finalists on “American Idol” on 3/1: +10 out of 13

By Connie Wilson

On March 1, 2012

In Music, Pop Culture, Television

Jessica Sanchez, one of "American Idol's Finalists announced on March 1st, 2012.

The Finalists were announced for “American Idol’s” eleventh season on March 1st, 2012, and, while my picks were pretty much right on the money for the female contestants, I missed a couple of the boys.

The girls…all of whom were mentioned as strong contenders in my prediction column of yesterday….were Elise Testone, Jessica Sanchez, Erika VanPelt, Hollie Cavanagh, Skylar Laine, and Shannon McGrane.

The male contestants I thought were going to go through and correctly picked were Joshua Ledet, Phillip Phillips, Deandre Brackensick and a mention on my part of the likelihood of Colton Dixon. I did not select Jermaine Jones, Heejun Han or Jeremy Rosado, thinking, instead that either Reed Grimm, Aaron Marcellus or Adam Brock were more likely to be Finalists.

Still, 10 out of 13 is not a bad average at close to 80%. (76%)

Now we’ll see which of the contestants can go the distance.

Top Twelve Female Semi-Finalists Perform on Feb. 29, 2012

By Connie Wilson

On March 1, 2012

In Music, Pop Culture, Television

Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez, Randy Jackson

Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012, Fox, 8 pm (ET) The twelve female contestants on “American Idol” performed tonight. Smart money will be on these six to make it through:

Jessica Sanchez

From the first time she sang, it was apparent that this 16-year-old from San Diego was something special. Even with swollen vocal cords, she delivered a wonderful performance of “Love You, I Do” that caused Randy Jackson to say, “Crazy! Oh, my God! That girl can really sing. One of the best of the last two nights. Unbelievably talented.” Jennifer Lopez praised her saying, “So beyond your years, it’s crazy” and Steven Tyler mentioned her exceptional timing and pitch-perfect voice.

Elise Testone

Elise is twenty-eight and from Charleston, North Carolina. She began at the piano and then sang Adele’s “One and Only,” while attired in a black dress with an irregular hemline. Steven Tyler said, “You blew it out of the water. Nice goin’.” Jennifer declared her to be “One so special and different. Maybe the best singer here. You are one to watch.” Randy Jackson agreed that Elise was, “Definitely a force to be reckoned with” and called her, “One of the best voices.”

Hollie Cavanagh

Hollie is a little slip of a blonde girl from McKinney, Texas. She sang “Reflection.” (“When will my reflection show who I am inside.”) Attired in a short, glittery dress, she really delivered and the only criticism, from Steven Tyler, with which I agree, was that she should have worn her hair down. He called her, “One of my favorites from the start. Just beautiful.” Jennifer said, “If you came back, I thought you could win it.” Randy said, “You’re one of our favorites. I love your vocals. You tried to slay one of the biggest dragons tonight (referencing Christina Aguilera’s version). The parts that worked were genius.”

Skylar Laine, 18, from Brandon, Mississippi; Shannon McGrane, 16, from Tampa, Florida; Jen Hirsh.

These three are less “sure things.” Skylar gave a spirited C&W rendition of “Stay with Me” by Faces and received good feedback as Randy called her a “rockin’ country girl” with comparisons to Reba McIntyre, Kelly Clarkson and Tina Turner. Steven Tyler said, “Keep that up, girl.” With the popularity of country music in the land, Skylar has a good chance.

Shannon McGrane sang “I Left Your World” and looked lovely in a white dress with a sparkly belt and sparkles on the left shoulder of the Grecian-style dress. Jennifer praised her “passion,” Randy said, “Way to bring it.” Steven said, “You started Gospel-ly and then took it upstairs and it went beautiful.”

Jen Hirsh, who sang Adele’s “One and Only,” was praised by Jennifer Lopez as having done “a really good job” and Randy pronounced her, “One of the greatest singers in the competition this year,” but Steven Tyler noticed “a little trouble with the last little thing.”

I thought that Erika Van Pelt, who sang “What About Love?” and Brielle VonHugel (“Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay”), the contestant with the overbearing stage mother, did as well as Jen Hirsh. The two who should be going home were Baylie Brown, who sang Lone Star’s “Amaze” and Haley Johnsen. Baylie is a beautiful blonde and was wearing a coral dress. She seemed to be trying to get by on her considerable good looks. That did not work. The other contestant who massacred a song was Haley Johnsen, 23, of Beaverton, Oregon, who took on Annie Lenox’s “Sweet Dreams Are Made of This,” eliciting the accurate assessment from Randy Jackson, “It was a bit of a nightmare, instead of a dream. A little train-wrecky for me today.”

“American Idol” Group Night Aimed to Appeal to New, Older Demographic

By Connie Wilson

On February 19, 2012

In Music, Pop Culture, Reviews, Television

"American Idol" 2012 judges Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez, and Randy Jackson.

AmIdol2012After many years of faithfully following “American Idol,” this year, for the first time, the group performances have been as polished as those from Hollywood. One-hundred hopefuls out of over 1,000 would-be singers formed groups in Las Vegas for the February 16, 2012, program, but, this time, the contestants sang on a big stage with costumes, props, choreography and bells and whistles that we usually don’t see until Hollywood. The goal: to whittle the troupe down to forty (forty-two fortunate souls were passed on).

Changing Audience

The young singers performed songs from the fifties and sixties. This may well be because the demographic watching the show has become older and more mainstream. Other programs, like “The Voice” and “The X-Factor,” have siphoned off the younger viewers, but “American Idol” is still doing fine with middle America.

Song Selections

Every group performed a professional rendition of a song that those who are older than twenty-one would know and remember. Examples: “Why Do Fools Fall in Love?,” “Rockin’ Robin,” “Jailhouse Rock,” “The Night Has a Thousand Eyes,” “I Guess It Doesn’t Matter Any More,” “Great Balls of Fire,” “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?”, “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do,” “I Only Have Eyes for You,” “Sealed with a Kiss” and the Elvis anthem “Blue Suede Shoes.”

Standout Performers

There were some standout performers: David Leathers, who looks like an elementary school student, was outstanding. Reed Gramm, 26, from Wisconsin, who kept phoning home to talk to his mother on the last show, continued to please the judges, who were heard to mutter that he was “like Casey (Abrams).” Reed seems to be a crooner in the Michael Buble mold, but he’s better heard than seen.
The villain of the show has already been cast. He’s Richie Law, the cowboy wearing the hat and acting arrogant. Richie teamed with Jermaine Jones, a fine singer with a great voice but a bad lisp when he speaks. Both have deep bass voices like last year’s winner, Scotty McReery.
The camera consistently followed the Asian contestant Heejun Han from Flushing, New York, who has a very sweet tone to his voice, but who locked horns with the cowboy early on. Also in Heejun’s group was Neco Starr, whose lead vocals on “I Only Have Eyes for You” were great and Phil Phillips, who seems to have modeled his style on Dave Matthews.

There are too many good voices this year to start taking odds, but I was particularly impressed with 16-year-old Jessica Sanchez of California, whose group sang “Guess It Doesn’t Matter Any More” and with Joshua Ledet of Lakeview, Louisiana. The weird hair guy whose sister (Skylar) got cut is really starting to creep me out, so the less said about him, the better.