The top 12 boys performed in American Idol 7 Episode 11. Now the top 12 girls get their chance, some of which have had the flu, but the show must go on.
In reference to last night’s show and people like Danny Noriega, Simon tells Ryan that if the contestants disagree, which he claims is rare, he likes that they tell him what they think.
Kristy Lee Cook sold her horse to be able to pay for her trip to the auditions and hopes to be able to earn enough money to buy him back. She’s one of the ones who is sick and sings Rescue Me. Okay performance and at least it’s fairly fun.
Randy-Not your best performance.
Paula-Don’t want to let anyone see you’re having a little bit of a tough time.
Simon-Complete wrong choice of song. Bronchitis. Flu. Whatever.
Joanne Borgella got the last spot for the girls against Cardin McKinney. She sings I Say a Little Prayer and does okay.
Randy-Pretty good towards the end. Shaky/unsure voice.
Paula-Liked it but didn’t love it.
Simon-Didn’t like it at all. Cabaret. Substandard.
Alaina Whitaker, this season’s youngest contestant, is hoping her 17th birthday the next day is a good one. She sings More Today than Yesterday and shows she’s got the whole package to make it far in this competition.
Randy-It was like going on.
Paula-Feel good song. Nailed it.
Simon-Very good. Didn’t see any nerves. Hated the song. Will be great when she’s got a decent song. Sailing through.
Amanda Overmyer has stood out as a strong singer but with a lingering question of whether she will sound the same every week. She takes Simon’s advice and stops with the Joplin, instead opting to sing Baby Please Don’t Go Lyrics. I guess if you’re into rocker chicks, this probably works.
Randy-Liked the performance/pants.
Paula-Loves everything she does.
Simon-Authentic. Stands out in the crowd. Not the best performance. Didn’t realize the scatting was intentional because it was… scatting.
Amy Davis didn’t feel confident that they would pick her over all the other people there. She sings Where the Boys Are, apparently the slowest song known to man.
Randy-A lot of pitch problems.
Paula-The camera loves her. Not a good thing to hear from Paula. Nerves got the best of her. Lackluster.
Simon-Looks great but didn’t sound great. Boring. Cabaret. Really, really dull.
Nanny Brooke White isn’t on the dark side yet. She sings Happy Together. Very fun performance, though she may be remembered more for her banter with Simon than any singing.
Randy-Started rough but worked it out in the end.
Paula-Original. Picked the right song.
Simon-Chose the right song. Not his cup of tea. Doesn’t want her to be nice throughout the competition.
Alexandrea Lushington sings Spinning Wheel.
Randy-It was hot. It worked.
Paula-Thought about her performance from top to bottom.
Simon-Didn’t get it. Terrible 60’s musical. Vocals weren’t great.
Kady Malloy, the singer impersonator, sings Groovy Kind of Love. She sounds okay, but when will contestants learn to not pick sleepy songs?
Randy-Okay but restrained and controlled.
Paula-Kady looks really pretty tonight. The Paula kiss of death. She wants to see the fun Kady.
Simon-Like night of the living dead. Came across as 80. Really likes when she impersonates Britney. “I don’t know who could impersonate you. A pencil or something.”
Asia’h Epperson sings Piece of My Heart. I’m not sure this is necessarily the best song for her, but she does a good job with it.
Randy-A little Janis, a little Asia’h. Impressed.
Paula-Fun, some really good moments.
Simon-Favorite of the night. Fun, likeable, good voice, not taking herself too seriously.
Ramiele Malubay sings You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me. Nice voice but again way too slow of a song, although she does pull together a strong finish.
Randy-Loved how it built up and saved to the end. Almost like a pro.
Paula-Force to be reckoned with.
Simon-Didn’t like her when he first saw her, but she outsung everybody tonight.
Ryan-Those shoes are great.
Syesha Mercado’s voice is back, and she’s singing Tobacco Road. This kind of upbeat song is a perfect fit for her, and a nice change from the slow songs. She shows the same kind of power we saw in Hollywood.
Randy-Definitely can sing. Big old powerful voice.
Paula-Consistent, joyful, fun, big.
Simon-Wasn’t her best performance, but it doesn’t matter because she’s probably one of the most talented girls in the competition.
Carly Smithson has taken a lot of flack for having already released an album for a major record label. They’re not hiding it now, as she tells the story of how the record company (with which her first album sold a few hundred copies following a multi-million dollar investment) imploded, and they don’t exist any more. This is like somebody telling a story of how the college they went to got shut down. She sings Look Into My Eyes and has a good voice.
Randy-That’s what the show is all about.
Paula-Reliable. Then Paula rambles some.
Simon-Didn’t get it. Way too old fashioned. Let down with all the hype.
Wouldn’t surprise me if Simon doesn’t want to waste money on somebody whose marketability is obviously so shaky, and he also probably doesn’t like people questioning the integrity of the show, which they have been since she’s not an “undiscovered” talent (she’s been discovered by 378 album shoppers).
Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another recap of American Idol 7 episode 14, which airs Tuesday at 8/7c on Fox.