Here we are back at it again for another recap, this time the top 12 girls. The semi-finals this season are going to be much shorter, as tonight there will be a massive cut in contestants. We'll go from 24 down to 10 in one night! There is talk that next week, a wildcard show will take place which will allow two contestants previously eliminated the chance to join the ten that made it through and form this season's top 12. So we'll see how that all pans out next week. As for last night's girl's performances, here's how it all went down:
Ta-Tynisa Wilson - "Only Girl (In the World)" by Rihanna : I guess I am a bit perplexed as to why Ta-Tynisa chose this song because it is not a song that really caters to a person's vocal abilities (much like Jordan two night's ago). It's such a fast-paced song that she seemed out of breath at times with it and she had difficulty keeping up. Plus the background singers and herself did not match up very well together. Her voice just didn't sound very good performing the song and it was just okay for me. It does not look like she'll be moving forward.
Naima Adedapo - "Summertime" by Ella Fitzgerald : Another questionable song choice, particularly when Fantasia in season two absolutely killed it, making it one of the greatest Idol performances of all time. So you know those comparisons are already going to take place. I actually thought she sang it pretty well, but I'm not sure that she made it all that memorable. She created this jazzy, loungy feel to it which is a pretty interesting combination. Naima definitely proved that she has the pipes to sing such a song; now we'll see if the voting audience connected with her.
Kendra Chantelle - "Impossible" by Christina Aguilera : Kendra had a couple of memorable performances prior to the green mile selection show, including her rendition of "Georgia on my Mind" and her duet with Paul McDonald on "Blackbird." So you know she has the capabilities of doing something special this season. And there's a lot of risk in doing a Christina Aguilera song but Kendra proved she was up to the challenge. She was in tune, she made the performance interesting, and she's got a pretty darn good voice. Nice job to Kendra.
Rachel Zevita - "Criminal" by Fiona Apple : The judges and/or producers in previous seasons (and to some extent this season) have always been on contestants to turn songs into their own. But, you don't want a song completely rearranged into something that makes it unrecognizable from the original. And that's exactly what Rachel did with "Criminal." I liked her attempt with the song, but it was just too much. I agree with Steven's assessment that it turned into a broadway-type performance, whether Rachel wanted to hear it or not. It just did not work on the Idol stage.
Karen Rodriguez - "Hero" by Mariah Carey : So Karen did something to turn this Mariah classic into her own; she sang half of it in Spanish! Prior to tonight, I didn't think she had much of a chance to make it to the top 12, but she just might have a fighting chance after last night's performance. I don't know that she did anything else different with the song, other than sing half of it in Spanish, but she proved that she can sing with the very best of the best on the girl's side of the competition. I certainly thought she made the song interesting to listen to.
Lauren Turner - "Seven Day Fool" by Etta James : Now here's a contestant on the girl's side in which I don't know very much about! I don't know if she received as much air time compared to the rest of the girls, but she proved with this performance that she belongs within the top 24, at least. It was such a fun, upbeat little ditty and she made it so contemporary! It's as if you could listen to that on the radio today, it sounded that good. Now that's how you perform an old classic like an Etta James song.
Ashton Jones - "Love Over Me" by Monica : This is one Monica song I am not familiar with, so Ashton is doing good by me in picking a more unfamiliar Monica song (at least in my eyes). I mean, she sang it pretty well, I'll give her that. But I don't know if it's a performance I am going to remember again tomorrow. Actually I don't remember any of her other performances prior to tonight! So that doesn't bode all that well for her. I will say this, she performed this Monica song pretty well, even though I wasn't a huge fan of the song when all is said and done.
Julie Zorrilla - "Breakaway" by Kelly Clarkson : There is always a risk in choosing a Kelly Clarkson song on this show, considering that she is THE original American Idol! If you choose such a song, you have to nail it, and sadly Julie did not. There were a lot of high expectations for Julie - she did such a stellar job during Hollywood week. But alas, it did not pan out as well during the first live show. It just wasn't the right song for her style. She was off-pitch and sharp in spots and it just did not flow together as well as when Kelly sang it originally. It just did not work.
Haley Rinehart - "Fallin'" by Alicia Keys : She has a really unique female voice, doesn't she? I remember her being rather up and down during Hollywood week, so we'll see if she can step it up here. It usually never bodes well for a contestant to perform an Alicia Keys song - nobody ever seems to have much success doing it! And I'd have to say the same for Haley. Right off the bat I knew it was going to be the wrong song for her. It just did not suit her vocal style. It almost seemed a bit too theatrical for me, as well. She should have tried a little less harder to prove herself - and to pick a different song, too!
Thia Megia - "Out Here on my Own" from the musical Fame : Thia is an amazing vocalist for someone so young, but some people do not find her singing to be all that endearing. Let's see if she's able to prove herself to those folks tonight. I actually thought it was a pretty decent performance. Maybe she wants to focus her talents towards broadway singing, because she performs those kinds of songs quite well. Her performance seemed to be controlled more so than usual, as if she was holding back a bit, and I didn't mind that at all. Nice first try on the big stage for Thia.
Lauren Alaina - "Turn on the Radio" by Reba McEntire : Here we have one of this season's front-runners, even Steven has her picked as being the winner already - and that was after her audition! Well, she has a long way to go yet, but she's off to an exceptional start. I actually thought she made a smart move by choosing a Reba song as opposed to choosing a Mariah, Whitney, or Alicia Keys song like a few of the others. She knows exactly who she is as a singer and she proved that she can sing country, too! It was an enjoyable, upbeat performance and she should glide right into this season's top 12.
Pia Toscano - "I'll Stand By You" by the Pretenders : Pia had that memorable moment in Hollywood week when she was with two other girls performing the song "Grenade" by Bruno Mars. Their performance of that song made me enjoy that song all the more. So we know Pia can definitely sing, and she proved it by knocking "I'll Stand By You" right out of the park. It was soulful, sensual, and just plain good. She was very deserving of that standing ovation from the judges and it looks like she's capable of going very far in this competition.
The Top 12 Girl's Performance Rankings:
1: Pia Toscano
2: Lauren Turner
3: Kendra Chantelle
4: Lauren Alaina
5: Thia Megia
6: Karen Rodriguez
7: Naima Adedapo
8: Ashton Jones
9: Ta-Tynisa Wilson
10: Hailey Rinehart
11: Rachel Zevita
12: Julie Zorrilla
So there we have it; the top 24 performance shows are in the books. The semi-final results shows are always so unpredictable - last year we definitely had a few shocking eliminations at this stage. So we'll see how it all goes down this season; especially when 14 contestants will be sent packing tonight! Enjoy the fun! I will recap the wildcard show next week.
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