Ryan
Scruffy. Dislike.
Order
The contestants are standing in the order in which I think they'll go home: Jessica, Alex, Jena, and Caleb.
Jennifer
Mom thinks she looks like Judy Jetson.
Idol Top 4... GO!
Round #1 – Break-Ups
Caleb Johnson – "You Give Love A Bad Name" by Bon Jovi
This performance was fun and well sung. Really good. Enjoyable. However, it felt phoned-in to me... for Caleb. The last 10 or so seconds were really bright, but the rest was just like, "I have to do this dumb walk through the audience stuff... I'm just getting this one out of the way... easy peasy..." C'mon, Caleb. Top 4 level, all day long.
Jessica Meuse – "Since U Been Gone" by Kelly Clarkson
Bad karaoke. I have nothing else to say.
Audition Cities
If I were seven years younger, I would SO audition in Nashville.
Alex Preston – "Too Close" by Alex ClareAudition Cities
If I were seven years younger, I would SO audition in Nashville.
Lip sync girl doesn't know the words! Hahahahahaha! I don't know why that is so funny to me. "Imma look so cool and mouth the words... or look completely silly." :o) Regarding Alex, he was much improved from last week. I like the acoustic vibe; it honors the original, but gives it a new spin. I love it when he throws the cool chord progressions at the end... the ones HCJ calls the mysterious epic ninth or whatever.
Jena Irene – "Heartbreaker" by Pat Benatar
Jena seems to be channeling Caleb. She sounds professional and is owning the stage. I'm not a big fan of the staging itself, though. She looked a little lonely out there. I wish she'd had some musicians with whom to jam. In any case, her vocal was one of her strongest with the exception of the last note. She is demanding America's attention.
Heels
So lame. Please stop making this show all about the judges, all the time.
Jo's Round #1 Ranking
Caleb
Jena
Alex
Jessica
Even though I thought Caleb was coasting and Jena was doing work, I feel his coast is better than her work doing in this case.
Round #2 – Dedications? (We never really got it.)
Jena seems to be channeling Caleb. She sounds professional and is owning the stage. I'm not a big fan of the staging itself, though. She looked a little lonely out there. I wish she'd had some musicians with whom to jam. In any case, her vocal was one of her strongest with the exception of the last note. She is demanding America's attention.
Heels
So lame. Please stop making this show all about the judges, all the time.
Jo's Round #1 Ranking
Caleb
Jena
Alex
Jessica
Even though I thought Caleb was coasting and Jena was doing work, I feel his coast is better than her work doing in this case.
Round #2 – Dedications? (We never really got it.)
Caleb Johnson – "Travelin' Band" by CCR
There's the band with Caleb. I think that move is genius. It promotes the image of Caleb as the seasoned musician by surrounding him with seasoned musicians. Plus, those musicians are always terribly fun to watch. Enteratinment promotes entertainment. I really enjoyed the rock-n-roll turn on this CCR classic. It was a cool, new way to hear an old tune. The more I see Caleb, the more I want to see Caleb live. (Mom didn't like this performance, by the way.)
Jessica Meuse – "So What" by P!nkThere's the band with Caleb. I think that move is genius. It promotes the image of Caleb as the seasoned musician by surrounding him with seasoned musicians. Plus, those musicians are always terribly fun to watch. Enteratinment promotes entertainment. I really enjoyed the rock-n-roll turn on this CCR classic. It was a cool, new way to hear an old tune. The more I see Caleb, the more I want to see Caleb live. (Mom didn't like this performance, by the way.)
Slightly better karaoke. All her moves seemed half-hearted. Even knocking down the mic stand was kind of like, "Eh. I'm knocking down the mic stand now."
Jena Irene – "Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga
I always appreciate an attempt to change a song, and this was a neat change-up. I just didn't like it very much. It was a little overly screamy for me. Don't get me wrong, I think her performance was nailed. It just wasn't my cup of tea with a pinkie in the air.
Alex Preston – "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz
Jena Irene – "Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga
I always appreciate an attempt to change a song, and this was a neat change-up. I just didn't like it very much. It was a little overly screamy for me. Don't get me wrong, I think her performance was nailed. It just wasn't my cup of tea with a pinkie in the air.
Alex Preston – "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz
This was pretty straight-up identical to the original, but it was good... in his wheelhouse, one might say. The judges will hate it because "he's not doing enough" to be the Idol. There goes Jennifer...
Jo's Round #2 Ranking
Caleb
Alex
Jena
Jessica
Jo's Round #3 Ranking
Jena
Caleb
Jessica
Alex
Caleb
Alex
Jena
Jessica
Round #3 – Make-Ups
I loved the little runs Alex put at the end of some of the notes. It was a strong performance, especially at the end when he did the magical mystic minor third fourth. Those parts were uniquely Alex, but I'm missing his bold rearrangements.
Caleb Johnson – "Maybe I'm Amazed" by Paul McCartney
This song choice was a great way for Caleb to show the "poignancy" for which the judges keep pining, without sacrificing his rock-n-roll style. Caleb took us on a great ride through the range of that song. I told Mom and Ed, "I can't wait until he does the high ooh-ooh's," and he didn't disappoint. This performance was his best of the evening, in my opinion. He needs to attack each performance like this.
Jessica Meuse – "You And I" by Lady GagaThis song choice was a great way for Caleb to show the "poignancy" for which the judges keep pining, without sacrificing his rock-n-roll style. Caleb took us on a great ride through the range of that song. I told Mom and Ed, "I can't wait until he does the high ooh-ooh's," and he didn't disappoint. This performance was his best of the evening, in my opinion. He needs to attack each performance like this.
Fully recovered, but is it enough, or is it too little, too late? Either way, it was a great song choice, and a fabulous performance for her to close her presentations. That song could not have been more perfect for her. She didn't have to change anything about herself to make it work. Her quirks fit right in. (I conjecture that the guy she likes is one of the Idol T10.)
Jena Irene – "I Can't Help Falling In Love" by Elvis Presley
Ed is sad that she's not singing "In The Ghetto." I was worried about the slow pace, but it was wonderful and touching and emotional and BEAUTIFULLY sung. Those runs. Those note progressions. Those dynamics. It was phenomenal. Coupled with her piano playing, that performance was some classy musical genius... one of the best of the season, for any contestant.
Alex Preston – "Yellow" by ColdplayJena Irene – "I Can't Help Falling In Love" by Elvis Presley
Ed is sad that she's not singing "In The Ghetto." I was worried about the slow pace, but it was wonderful and touching and emotional and BEAUTIFULLY sung. Those runs. Those note progressions. Those dynamics. It was phenomenal. Coupled with her piano playing, that performance was some classy musical genius... one of the best of the season, for any contestant.
I loved the little runs Alex put at the end of some of the notes. It was a strong performance, especially at the end when he did the magical mystic minor third fourth. Those parts were uniquely Alex, but I'm missing his bold rearrangements.
Jo's Round #3 Ranking
Caleb
Jessica
Alex
...didn't surprise me. Most of us predicted before tonight that Jessica would be the next to go home. I'm just disappointed that Caleb seemed like he was playing it a little safe in the first two rounds. He'd better go hard every time, with tenacity, or he's in jeopardy of having his rightful Idol throne usurped. Jena knows what's up... and what she's doing.
Jo's Overall Ranking
Caleb
Jena
Alex
Jessica
Jo's Prediction of America's Ranking
Jena
Caleb
Alex
Jessica
Like we said, y'all.
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