Daylight Saving TimeMom arrived at Casa Cobb in something other than total darkness! Hooray, DST!
JLo's Ponytail
Like! I Dream of Jeanie!
Music From The Movies Theme
Again with the wide open theme. I like that the contestants have wiggle room rather than being pigeonholed as in past seasons.
Idol Top 11... GO!
Sam Woolf – "Come Together" by The Beatles from Across The Universe
CUTE (but slightly awkward) vignette of the contestants acting like Sam. It's a little early to know the contestants' quirks, which gives this idea a touch of awkwardness. However, I'm looking forward to the others, so it can't be all bad. There was nothing wrong with this performance. It was vocally spot on. However, I was a little bored. Not bored... just not entertained as much as I think I could've been. I am slightly bothered by the fact that Sam's teeth are always visible. Mom: "I wish they showed the band because I want to know what makes the 'SH-CH' sound."
Jessica Meuse – "The Sound of Silence" by Simon & Garfunkel from The Graduate
Ooh, a little rough on the vignette. I wonder how she felt about it. Who did I call an acquired taste last week? Jessica is, as well. She definitely has talent. Her rock sound has a distinct nasal twang that will be loved by some, hated by others. However, this is a show where people vote FOR a contestant instead of AGAINST a contestant. That fact will work for her. I liked the acoustic beginning, but when the band joined her, they SCREWED IT UP! She stayed the course, though. Bad last note. Weak. Really liked Jessica's hair and make-up tonight. The judges concurred with me on both the band and the hair. Ed didn't like Jessica's "toeless boots."
C.J. Harris – "Can't You See" by Marshall Tucker Band from Blow
Boring vignette. BEST CJ PERFORMANCE EVER. He sounded like a seasoned star. Confidence. Grit. Solid pitch. I've had him low on my list for the last couple weeks, and I had almost forgotten why I originally liked him. Now I remember! Hooray for CJ. Keep it going next week, dude. Also, I liked watching JLo's Jeanie ponytail bop around her head.
Interjection
The number things are dumb.
Dexter Roberts – "Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynrd Skynrd from Forrest Gump or Sweet Home Alabama or any number of movies set in the south
Ed nailed the song selection. Vignette: "Can I borrow your guitar real quick? And break your string? Before your big rehearsal?" That quote from Alex and Caleb's muttering made me LOL. (I use LOL about once a month, so you know it's real.) The little pompadour suited Dexter well, but what suited him best was this song. Whether you love or hate his genre, you have to admit that Dexter knows who he is. Roll Tide Roll. LOL again. Good heavens, Dexter has made me acronymical. Next thing you know, I'll be hashtagging.
Ben Briley – "Benny and the Jets" by Elton John from 27 Dresses
Funny vignette. GREAT choice to play the piano, but I think it was missing something by not adding in the band. This performance is not the best I've heard from Ben, but he nailed the "read it in a magaZIIIIIIINE." Oh, wait. Here comes the band. I like it better than him at the piano. So, bad choice to start on the piano. But now I know he's good at playing the piano. So, good choice to play the piano? Who knows. The falsetto stuff at the end was uncomfortable. Idol judges are always so big on knowing oneself. I know that's important in the industry, but I like a well-rounded singer. Yay for showing your many facets, Ben. (Keith is talking about the same thing.)
HCJ on Piano
Never disappointing.
Majesty Rose – "Let It Go" by Adele Dazeem... oops, Idina Menzel from Frozen
Another funny vignette. Somewhere, Amelia Unger is thrilled. That child analyzed this film for four-and-a-half miles (while we were running, not driving), one freezing cold Saturday morning. I loved it. This performance, however, I did NOT love. I thought Majesty was difficult to understand, I thought her pitch was FLAT as Kansas, and I thought the notes sounded fractured. However, she performed the song well. She sang with confidence and expression, from her heart. Her make-up looked great, as well. I feel like the weak singing trumped the good performing, though. The world is loving this song, so I don't think it will respond well to this sub-par rendition. In summary, click here.
Caleb Johnson – "Skyfall" by Adele from Skyfall
Ed just said, "Alright, the show is starting." YES. In the vignette, I liked the "Caleb" hair on MK. OH MY GOD. JESSICA! I have been saying, "If Jack Black and Meat Loaf had a baby..." ALL SEASON. I've thrown Chris Farley in there, too, though. This was not my favorite Caleb performance, but boy, was it good. I like to see him rock out, but I also enjoyed watching him be poignant and rely solely on his vocal. He SLAYED that *Adele* song. You guys, ADELE. He dominated it. Even though I prefer watching him rock and roll, my second-favorite from him is better than everybody else's tip-top. Also, it was important for him to show all facets of his performing ability. Well done, Master Caleb.
MK Nobilette – "To Make You Feel My Love" by Bob Dylan from Hope Floats
She looks hot tonight! Jessica was funny in the vignette. I LOVE this song. Just like MK said, I like most of its covers, too. (Most notably: Garth Brooks and Idol Winner Kris Allen) MK tried her darnedest to deliver a personality, but it just didn't fly. She's just too nervous. It's obvious that she's uncomfortable in every possible way. What a shame that such a beautiful voice is getting overshadowed by her discomfort. Making her walk up to the judges made me fully uneasy. She was trying to make heartfelt gestures with her hand, but it just came off as bad acting. Poor MK. I really like her.
Alex Preston – "Falling Slowly" by Glen Hansard from Once
Good vignette. As you can probably tell by reading, I write about the contestants while I listen to them. However, I just listened to Alex. I didn't want to miss any of the poignant moments. It was simply a beautiful, touching performance. Loved the song. Loved the interpretation. Loved the rendition. Only suggestion: get pants that aren't high-waters if you're going to wear weird shoes, Alex.
Jena Irene – "Decode" by Paramore from Twilight
Love, love, LOVE Jena's shirt. Vignette was a little boring. Mom goes, "Look they gave her trees." So they did. What a very powerful performance. It was a great song to show her poignancy, emotion, and musicianship. I followed her to all the places she took me. It was the best kind of roller coaster. I completely bought into that one. Well done, Jenna... I mean, Jena.
Malaya Watson – "I Am Changing" by Jennifer Hudson from Dreamgirls
The contestants NAILED her personality in the vignette. This song was the best selection Malaya has made so far this season. She was heavy vocally, but her conviction sold it. It was less of an "I'm a good singer!" performance, and more of a "This is me!" performance. I just want her to push less. She's going to blow out her voice singing like that. Though this was her best performance so far in the live shows, I think she can do better.
Tonight's Show...
...was a stand-out. We usually don't get a show this good at the Top 11 level. Even the performers that struggled tonight weren't slouches. Enjoyable. I was entertained.
Jo's Ranking
I said I wouldn't do this, but I thought there were clear cut divisions tonight...
- Caleb
- Jena
- Alex
- CJ
- Dexter
- Jessica
- Malaya
- Sam
- Majesty
- Ben
- MK
Jo's Prediction of America's Ranking
- Caleb
- Alex
- Jena
- CJ
- Malaya
- Dexter
- Jessica
- Sam
- Majesty
- Ben
- MK
What do you think? Comment on the Facebook link!
