American Idol Season 9 Review #1: [Top 24] Top 12 Girls

I have to admit, the talent this year is really diverse and, personally, the girls attest to this diversity. It is because of this that I didn’t really have a favorite, even after the Hollywood rounds were over. I was fascinated by a number of them..stoked, not knowing what to expect during the semi-finals. Their styles encompassed the genres that I enjoy. You find the RnB and Soulful belters, the acoustic musicians, Adele sounding vocalists, traditional Pop singers…. So, I pretty much had such high expectations. Unfortunately, come top 24 night, I was seriously underwhelmed. I don’t know if it was because of wrong song choices, or if it was just an ‘off’ night for everyone. Moreover, the night lacked an important element that has been present in past seasons. Although there were some pretty good vocalists, the night lacked WOW performances. Anyway, here are my individual performance critiques and corresponding ratings:

Page Miles- (Free- It’s All Right) I honestly feel bad for Paige. I mean, she had a comparatively good performance tonight. I just feel that she was not given the same opportunity her competition had in securing an early fan base. She was the only one out of the whole Top 24 that did not have any TV exposure during the earlier audition rounds.

Upon being accepted into the Top 24, Simon reassured her of how great she was as a singer, and that she just didn’t know it. And tonight, after the performance, Simon still held on to his word and said that she had the best voice. From her performance tonight of Free’s ‘It’s All Right Now”, I did observe that she was indeed a technically good singer, but nothing special. What did Simon mean? This performance was Paige’s first impression to the voting audience, which could either make or break her. I guess, in my opinion, she didn’t show us what the judges (Simon in particular) meant by great singer. Will we ever get to see this potential greatness? I would feel bad if she gets the boot. I honestly do not think it’s her fault. Had she been shown in the early rounds, at her prime, perhaps her spot in the Top 12 would have been sealed. Rating: 7.5/10

Ashley Rodriguez (Leona Lewis – Happy) Without skipping a beat, I knew she would be compared to the original. First of all, her voice has a similar tone to Leona’s. Second, she followed Leona’s vocal runs and belts throughout the performance, adding only a few of her own twists. In other words, she emulated Leona, which places her at a vulnerable position to be compared. She sounded OK, but Leona sounded better. She could’ve chosen a song that would enable her to show ‘herself’ and shine. Main culprit: Song Choice. Rating: 5.5/10

Janell Wheeler (Heart – What About Love) One word: painful. What happened to the girl who had this raspy and unique tone to her voice, singing to an acoustic guitar and nailing her own version of ‘American Boy’? She was not in her element tonight. She struggled with the notes, and was incredibly pitchy at many parts. It was a mess. She’s not a belter. She should stick to the acoustic country singer-songwriter image she established earlier on. Rating: 3/10

Lilly Scott (Beatles –Fixing a Hole) As opposed to Janell, Lilly sticks to her roots, making a Beatles hit her own. She taps into the unique elements in her voice and stays original, maintaining the image she established during the auditions. The only problem with her is whether she has that IT-factor. She seems to be more of an indie artist than mainstream. Rating: 7.7/10

Katelyn Epperly (Beatles – Oh Darling) Now, I absolutely loved Katelyn’s performance. She showed personality and control over her voice. She’s giving off this Kelly Clarkson vibe. I personally think that she may be the dark horse to win it all! Her voice is seemingly very versatile, catering to a diverse set of genres. I didn’t like the outfit though..:D Rating: 9.2/10

Haely Vaughn (Beatles – I Wanna Hold Your Hand) Now, that wasn’t good. This performance was all over the place. Out of all the billboard hits that she could’ve chosen, she chose this!?! She’s a country pop singer; she should’ve done something by the Dixie Chicks or even Taylor Swift, for goodness’ sake. Ok, ranting aside, there’s still something likeable about Haeley Vaughn. She might be leaving, but if she stays, I think she still has a chance to prove America that she can make great music. Rating: 3.5/10

Lacey Brown (Fleetwood Mac- Landslide) I don’t think the performance was that bad. It was certainly the wrong song choice for her and her voice was shakey at parts, but she had her moments, using her falsetto and blending with the back up vocals. However, I do agree with Kara that she should’ve gone with songs by Sixpence None the Richer or the Sundays. Rating:5/10

Michelle Delamor (Alicia Keys – Falling) Aside from Paige, Michelle also didn’t get much TV exposure earlier on. However, she pleasantly surprised me with this performance! She showcased the many dimensions of her voice with much ease. She definitely gave a great first impression. I initially feared that she would be in danger tonight, but after this performance, I think she will earn enough votes to sail through the next round. She clearly has so much more she could bring to the table. Another dark horse perhaps? Rating: 9/10

Didi Benami (Ingrid Michaelson- The Way I Am) I love the whole vibe she’s giving. Her voice is really unique that it’s infectious. She channels a mix of Adele and Regina Spektor, making her way through this lovely Ingrid Michaelson hit. Not much to say about this girl. Package Artist? Perhaps. I think she knows who she is as an artist, and will continue to prove that. She just needs to show some energy and confidence. She seemed quite nervous. Rating: 8.5/10

Siobhan Magnus (Chris Isaak – Wicked Game) Siobhan is really different and unpredictable. That’s why I like her. During Hollywood, she belted out Stevie Wonders ‘Living for the City’ effortlessly, showing off her BIG range! Today she decided to be a bit more subtle and tap into the softer elements in her voice. She is indeed versatile, and versatility is key in this competition. Dark horse alert once again! Rating 8.7/10

Crystal Bowersox (Alanis Morissette – Hand in My Pocket) She’s the master musician of the lot. Harmonica and guitar at the same time?!?! Not to mention she’s got an incredible voice as well, knowing how to effectively convey a song’s emotion and story to the audience. I see her going the Brandi Carlile route. I think she’s a shoe-in for the top 12. :D Rating 9/10

Katie Stevens (Michael Buble – Feeling Good) She definitely has a great voice for a 17 year old, but I agree with the judges. The performance seemed pageanty and made her seem older than she really is. She has to be her age. She could do Jojo and go the Rhythmic Pop route. She really has the potential to go really far, with her voice and with the large fan base she already has. Rating 7.8/10

Below is my ranking based on my ratings:

1) Katelyn Epperly

2) Michelle Delamor

3) Crystal Bowersox

4) Siobhan Magnus

5) Didi Benami

6) Katie Stevens

7) Lily Scott

8) Paige Miles

9) Ashley Rodriguez (eliminated)

10) Lacey Brown

11) Haeley Vaughn

12) Janell Wheeler (eliminated)

Based on my ratings, Haely and Janell are out. However, I think their fan bases are quite large and solid that I do not think they will be eliminated. This coming results night, I think the ones in danger are: Paige Miles, Ashley Rodriguez and Lacey Brown.