The guys from the Top 20 of Season 12 on “American Idol” competed for viewer votes for the first time, with some of them showing their true potential while others let nerves get the best of them.
- Elijah Liu was the first to take the stage. Rather than the young pop artist look he wore last week, he went with a more traditional crooner style: white T-shirt with a brown blazer, dark pants, and, to keep it young, white sneakers. He also had a new light streak in his pompadour, which looked as if he’d spilled some bleach on it. His voice was often nasal as he sang Rihanna’s “Stay,” and he made use of forced arm gestures. Still, it was better than last week, and the girls in the audience seemed to approve, as they cheered him afterward. Keith Urban thought the song suited his voice and showed good control. Nicki Minaj said, “I think I would be willing to stay.” She thought he looked very marketable, and she could imagine seeing his face on “blankets and pillows and cups.” Randy Jackson liked it better than last week and thought he was very current and marketable. His problem with it was that “it never left first gear.” (Absolutely right, Mr. Jackson!) Mariah Carey thought it was one of his better performances and liked his confidence. She did acknowledge that Randy had a point about the song never reaching a moment, but she still thought he could be very marketable.
- Cortez Shaw, who’s got a very athletic build, wore a young street-clothes look that seemed a little too plain and casual, as if he was at his initial audition: a white long-sleeved T-shirt with a faded denim jacket, khaki pants, and black hightops. He sang the Bruno Mars song “Locked Out of Heaven,” giving it a very upbeat pop feel and throwing in some cute dance moves with his feet. The higher notes were a bit too high for him, and it felt almost as if he was stretching his voice thin to reach them. He was much stronger at the end when he launched into a run in his more natural range. Keith asked why he sang the song, and Cortez said he’d wanted to sing it since hearing it in Hollywood week. But Keith said that, while he loved his spirit, it wasn’t the best song for him. Nicki told him he seemed like he was really hyped tonight: “You got your mojo back.” It was good that he enjoyed it, she said, but said that whoever is styling Elijah should style him, too. (Of course, until they hit the Top 10, the contestants style themselves, but she may not realize that.) Randy thought the key was too high for him and that he was straining, though he did like the song. “I’m just not sure you’re there yet.” He also agreed about the suggestion to revise his styling, such as going for a leather vest instead of the denim. Mariah liked that Cortez had done an up-tempo song and agreed that the song should have been down at least a half step for his range. She said she hoped that those watching at home saw his previous performances (and presumably, would vote for him).
- Charlie Askew, the 18-year-old known for marching to his own beat, was sporting a pencil-thin mustache in his video package, which he said he’s been growing for half a year! Known for being unpredictable, he again went for a completely different look, wearing a gray camouflage tank top with black pants, lots of necklaces, his hair pulled back in a ponytail and sporting a feather earring. He looked for all the world like a dozen “tough boys” who grew up in my Pennsylvania cow town, which seemed odd for him because that’s not who he’s seemed to be up until now. His delivery of the Genesis song “Mama” was very passionate but often strained to the point of shouting. His high tenor made for a very different tone from the original, but voters may give him some points for his energy. Keith told him he has a huge range and thought there was something about this performance that seemed “not fully genuine” and disconnected. Nicki asked him, “Where’s my little baby at, Charlie? What happened? I feel like someone stole my kid.” She said she doesn’t want to see him working out, doesn’t want to see his bare arms, and that he should lose the ponytail and the earring. “I want my cute, cuddly Charlie back.” Randy said that “it didn’t connect at all for me tonight.” At this comment, Charlie looked about to cry. Mariah said, “You’ve already gotten a nice earful,” so she told him that she enjoys him a lot and likes that he adds diversity and variety to the group. Diplomatically, she added, “It’s up to America. Maybe they will fall in love.” When host Ryan Seacrest asked Charlie why he’d chosen the song, he almost fell apart, saying that the only reason he smiles all the time is because he feels he has to. Ryan told him that it’s not easy to have those feelings and to come onstage with them, but that he has friends here. That’s why Ryan, regardless of his faults, is the best host of any television singing competition. He managed to keep the poor teenager from falling apart.
- Nick Boddington, who once had dark curls before shaving his head (as evidenced by photos that Ryan showed before he went onstage), performed “Iris” by Goo Goo Dolls at the piano, wearing a short-sleeved blue chambray shirt and his usual black fedora. He was better than last week, but it wasn’t magical. The song wasn’t entirely in his range, and he messed with the melody at the beginning, making the song initially almost unrecognizable. Still, especially in contrast to Charlie, it was sweet and vulnerable. Keith thought it was a perfect song choice and noted that he seemed more comfortable at the piano. “I think you were really nervous in certain spots,” he notes, but he liked the vulnerability in his tone. Nicki called him “Bodding” and said it was one of her favorite songs, so she didn’t like that he changed up the melody. Still, she was glad he was back to his comfort zone. Randy didn’t think it was his best performance, though he was happy that Nick tried to make the song his own. He thought it was a solid performance. Mariah thought it was “sort of an unfair thing” because “you really kicked in at the end,” so she didn’t want to be too critical of the beginning of the song. Again, she pointed to some of his earlier performances that she hoped people would consider while voting.
- Burnell Taylor went for a younger look this week, rather than the retro-crooner look with the button-downs and bow ties, choosing instead a pale pink button-down shirt, distressed denim jacket, dark jeans, and a backwards acid-washed baseball cap. He was very composed at the microphone, singing the same song he did for his initial audition, “I’m Here” from “The Color Purple.” Clearly, he’s very comfortable with this song, and he sounded like a true artist, with phenomenal vocal control and pitch-perfect vocals. His gestures made him seem more like a speaker or a preacher than a singer, but they helped convey his confidence. Keith said his voice is “instantly recognizable” and that he loved it. Nicki asked him what he did differently from the first audition. Burnell said that, since his audition had been chopped up when edited for television, he wanted the audience to hear the full song. Nicki said that he was born to do this, and she was glad that the judges had brought him here. “I hope people vote for you, Burnell. I really love you.” Randy loved how genuine he sounded and liked that he did that song again. Mariah said, “So you did it again.” She said it was “a tearful moment,” because she’d been waiting to hear that same emotion from him again.
- Paul Jolley, in a sit-down with Ryan, told a quick story about meeting Carrie Underwood backstage at an awards show when he was singing backup vocals for a country act. For his look, he stepped away from the bright colored button-down shirts he used to favor and instead went for a black striped button-down, with light jeans and black sneakers. His song choice tonight, Christina Aguilera’s “Just a Fool,” was a better fit for him than last week’s selection, being comfortably in his range and suiting his vocal style. This time he wisely muted the theatricality of his performance, though he still seemed a bit tense. Keith asked him how he saw himself, and he said he wanted to be pop country (although, notably, he hadn’t sung a country song tonight). Keith wanted him to “ease it in a little bit more.” He basically was telling him to relax a bit. Nicki asked him, “Are you feeling jolly today?” She thought it was a solid performance and urged him to listen to Keith’s comments about how to be a better country star. Randy said the beginning was amazing but “something happened” and that his tone changed when he got louder, which wasn’t as pleasant. Keith jumped in, saying he has to “un-cabaret it.” Mariah said she hadn’t known he wanted to be pop country but thought he was doing a variety of things to show his range. Hearkening back to last week, she agreed with music mentor Jimmy Iovine that Paul has a strong instrument in his voice. Overall, she felt the crowd enjoyed it (which is a nice way of not committing to whether she herself liked it).
- Lazaro Arbos stuck to his signature look of brightly colored shirts, wearing a hot pink button-down shirt with a white blazer, this time with no bow tie, paired with light grey pants. He sang “Feeling Good,” a song that’s been famously covered by Michael Buble and performed many times on this show, which will leave him open to comparisons with such previous contestants as Season 8 runner-up Adam Lambert. Uncharacteristically, Lazaro was actually throaty and a bit sexy, which the girls seemed to love. For once, he seemed to drop his shyness onstage entirely. Keith liked how he connects with people. Nicki asked him if his favorite color is pink and when he answered yes, told him they have something in common. She also noted the audience response and praised him for putting some attitude on the song. Randy liked how he lit up when he performed. Mariah asked him, “How do you feel? Do you feel good?” She says she’s always impressed at how he throws himself into his music. If she had to critique anything, she said this song was a little too low for him and that maybe his mid-range is stronger.
- Curtis Finch Jr. went for a bit of a younger, less formal look than the previous week, wearing a loose white button-down cotton shirt, a gray suit vest, black jeans, and white shoes. He sang R. Kelly’s “I Believe I Can Fly,” and he threw in a lot of unnecessary runs. His sustained note at the end brought the judges to their feet in a standing ovation. He has a lot of talent but needs to learn restraint. Keith said, “I believe you can fly, Curtis.” He said, “You just ooze everything good and light and godly and whole” and that “you have so much hope in you.” Nicki commented that he raises the bar every time he sings. She felt his singing ability was given to him by a higher power and that he has a calling in his life to “bless people and do something good.” Randy said, “Let’s all just said praise God to start this off.” He said that “the competition tonight started right here for me.” Mariah liked the song choice and said she was thankful that Curtis is here. He’s been one of her favorites the whole time.
- Devin Velez stuck with his retro 1950s crooner look, wearing a white-and-blue striped button-down shirt under a red sweater, along with a black bow tie and slim-fitting white pants. He began at the microphone, in English, singing the Andrea Bocelli song “Somos Novios,”which was also recorded by Elvis Presley as “It’s Impossible.” Then he stepped away with the mike, singing in Spanish, at which point he was much more comfortable and emotional. He really seemed like a throwback singer, which may help him to get both younger and older voters. Keith gushed over the performance, causing Nicki to remark, “I think he likes you.” She complimented him in Spanish and then told him that he reminded her of a Spanish Ken doll. Randy praised both his tone and his vibrato. Mariah also loved the look but called it secondary to a performance she termed “incredible.” She liked his ability to jump between both genres and languages.
- Vincent Powell was doing a very ’80s song, “End of the Road” by Boyz II Men, but he looked contemporary in a gray-and-white patterned button-down shirt, open at the collar, paired with a gray twill jacket and white jeans, along with black tennis shoes. He started soft and built up to both an incredibly rafter-high note and then to some impressive runs, but it felt like he was trying too hard. Keith thought the nerves got the best of him. Nicki agreed, saying this song wasn’t the best for him. Randy said that he’d overdone it but that he’s still one of the best singers in the competition and he hopes America sees that. Mariah said there were moments of brilliance and that she wants America to vote for him.
- Tomorrow, the results: only half of the girls and half of the guys will go through into the Top 10. Of course, since Randy already dropped a hint Tuesday night about wild cards, anything could still happen.
- Of the Top 20, the ones most likely to be advancing are: Girls – Kree Harrison, Candice Glover, Angie Miller, and Janelle Arthur, with the final spot going to either Aubrey Cleland or Breanna Steer. Guys – Burnell Taylor, Curtis Finch Jr., Lazaro Arbos, Devin Velez and either Vincent Powell or Nick Boddington. Wild Card – If the judges/producers opt to use a wild card (or two), this year it’s far more likely to benefit a girl, meaning don’t lose hope if your favorite doesn’t get through initially: cross your fingers for a possible “surprise” Top 11 (or even Top 12).
