Last night the girls took on Motown, Detroit, and another night of eliminations.
Who survived and who thrived? Read on to find out.
Tyanna Jones Sang “Rockin’ Robin” by Michael Jackson
Keith Said: Perfect song choice. You sang really good.
J-Lo Said: You gave me throwback vibes.
Harry Said: The only question I have is: What can’t you sing?
The Verdict:
When I watch Tyanna perform, she really just seems like the bet kid in a middle school talent show. Her voice is fine but it’s not fully developed. She’s comfortable onstage but she doesn’t own it. She just seems like somebody who may grow up to be great rather than somebody who’s already great.
It definitely didn’t help that she sang a song that’s essentially a kid’s sing-a-long.
The Grade: C+
Loren Lott Sang “I Wanna Be Where You Are” by Michael Jackson
Keith Said: It’s really good, baby.
J-Lo Said: You really made me smile right now.
Harry Said: You just nudged the bar up a little bit higher.
The Verdict:
Loren gave off a decidedly 80s vibe with her performance tonight. Maybe it was the headband. Maybe it was because she sounded like she was in an 80s sitcom where one of the kids records a music video. Whatever it was, she just wasn’t current at all.
She also didn’t deliver much of a vocal. The song was boring and the arrangement was worse. She never got a moment to really show of any vocal prowess and alternated between a pretty flat verse and a pretty sharp chorus.
Nothing really came together for Loren in this one. Except maybe that headband.
The Grade: D
Maddie Walker Sang “I’ll Be There” by The Jackson 5
Keith Said: That was a good choice for you.
J-Lo Said: You did a really good job.
Harry Said: If there was any doubt, that’s been erased.
The Verdict:
It’s nice to see Maddie break out of the generic country lane and show she has some chops beyond just a twang. And she really showed a lot tonight.
Hints of the twang were still there, but her voice was far more present as she delivered a very strong vocal that dripped with passion. She said in her video that people were doubting her. I was definitely one of them, but that’s looking more like the past tense right now.
The Grade: B
Joey Cook Sang “Shop Around” by The Miracles
Keith Said: I’m so looking forward to always seeing and hearing what you do.
J-Lo Said: You’re so beautiful and so unique.
Harry Said: You’re so stylized I worry that people will start to tire of that.
The Verdict:
Phony baloney jazz from a phony baloney singer. Joey just drips with inauthenticity. From her fake tone to her forced phrasing, nothing about her seems genuine – it’s an act that I’m definitely not buying and don’t find anything but annoying.
Yeah, hold your hands up like Billie Holliday again, Joey. Maybe you’ll fool somebody into thinking you can sing like her. It’s not going to be me, though.
The Grade: D+
Sarina-Joi Crowe Sang “You’ve Really Got a Hold On Me” by The Miracles
Keith Said: The tone of your voice is beautiful.
J-Lo Said: You sing. You really sing.
Harry Said: The whole thing was consistently flat.
The Verdict:
Sarina can flat sing. She’s got the best voice, the biggest range and the widest set of vocal tools of anybody in this competition. That’s very clear whenever she takes the stage.
On this performance, though, she overdid it a little bit. Yes, her vocals were impressive, but they were almost too impressive. Littered with unnecessary runs, big notes and stanzas that seemed off-melody, Sarina seemed more concerned about showing off her abilities than singing the song.
Her abilities are vast, but she has to reign them in to better serve the song and herself.
The Grade: B-
Adanna Duru Sang “Hello” by Lionel Richie
Keith Said: You owned the song.
J-Lo Said: I liked that. I didn’t love it.
Harry Said: I give you an A+ on singing those lyrics, but the whole thing was out of tune.
The Verdict:
I’ve always thought of Adanna as just kind of generically good. Tonight, she stood out from the distinction with a very connected performance that milked as much authentic emotion from a corny song as is humanly possible.
It was a little bit theatrical, but her voice allowed her to overcome that aspect: She sang with a totally radio-ready R&B voice that allowed her some theatrical embellishments without making the performance seem cabaret.
A week ago I felt like Adanna was getting blown off the stage by the microphone stand. Now I can’t wait to see what she does next.
The Grade: B+
Jax Sang “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
Keith Said: It’s just you. It’s your thing.
J-Lo Said: You gotta be careful to take it so far away that the song doesn’t work.
Harry Said: Incredible voice. Unbelievable charisma. The arrangement, though, was dull.
The Verdict:
Jax did her Jax thing on this song. It sounded like a smoky jazz lounge in the fifties and unlike Joey, I believed everything about it. Nothing forced or overtly stylized about it – this is how Jax sings and it really works for her.
I’m not sure how current it is, or where it can go, but it’s definitely a pleasant enough bit of difference for this stage of the show.
The Grade: B
Alexis Gomez Sang “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch) by The Four Tops
Keith Said: That wasn’t a good song choice for you.
J-Lo Said: That was really out of key. It even bothered me.
Harry Said: There were a lot of things I did not like about that performance. You have to control yourself.
The Verdict:
Just terrible. A total half-drunk karaoke performance that played more like joyous singing of relief than an actual performance. She sang in about five different keys and was out of tone in all of them. Why’d she get through again?
Plus she performed barefoot. Icky.
The Grade: D
Predictions:
For those keeping score Shannon, Katherine, Lovey and my beloved Shih got the ax this week. Oh, Shih. Why’d you have to leave us? Who is going to provide us with borderline hysterics every week now? Even tonight she was on point. She didn’t get to sing but she was up like a girl losing her mind over the Beatles at every performance. So sad to see the insanity leave.
As for next week, Alexis has to be gone. That was a terrible performance right in the worst spot to be bad – where everyone will remember it. She’s definitely gone and I want to say Loren will join her. Until I read back over my recap, I didn’t even remember she performed on this show.
That’s it for this week. Check back next week for the Top 12 reveal and the first live show from Hollywood.