Only three of the next 12 finalists will be moving forward and joining the six who are already moving forward. Here's what they did to win you over...
Von Smith chose to sing a song that went top 10 in 1968 by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, You're All I Need To Get By. Being a duet this song is packed with a full range of notes for both a male and female voice. Von gave his best effort to show that he can tackle the entire spectrum of vocalizations required - some of it worked and some of it seemed forced. He's nice looking and talented so it's possible we will be seeing more of him.
Taylor Vaifanua chose to sing the 2004 top 5 hit from Alicia Keys, If I Ain't Got You. She played it very safe and stayed true to an almost exact recreation of the original. While it sounded good, it didn't give Taylor a chance to step out as a unique new artist. She is destined to be a back up singer who we will not be seeing more of.
Alex Wagner-Trugman chose to sing Elton John's I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues that went top 5 in 1983. Alex is a skinny little guy who used this song to define for us why they call it a tragic hot mess. He was acting like a total goof ball and his vocalizations were much more like screaming than singing. Since only three finalists make it through the odds are that we will not be seeing him again.
Arianna Afsar chose to sing the song Abba took to the top 10 in 1980, The Winner Takes It All. Meryl Streep should have gotten an Oscar nomination for her emotional performance of this anthem in last Summer's Mamma Mia. Arianna is no Meryl Streep. She's got a nice voice, but this performance was vocally inconsistent. There were definitely some sour notes mixed in with the good ones. She may have messed up her chance for us to see her again.
Ju'not Joyner chose to sing the 2006 #1 hit, Hey There Delilah, by the Plain White T's. This song is a plain and simple love song and Ju'not made it even more plain. This is gonna be a matter of taste - you either like this slightly soulful version or you think it's just a drab rendition of the original. His personality is leaning more toward the drab so I don't think we'll be seeing him again.
Kristen McNamara chose to sing Tracy Chapman's top 5 hit from 1996, Give Me One Reason. The original version is a slow and subtle acoustic folk song and Kristen showed that can punch a little life into it. She brought some pop/rock energy to this version as well as showing off her impressive vocal range. She managed to give the surprise that she's more talented than expected. Because she impressed rather than disappointed we should be seeing more of her.
Nathaniel Marshall chose to sing the huge comeback song that Meatloaf took to #1 on the Billboard HOT 100 in 1993, I Would Do Anything For Love, But I Won't Do That. It's the perfect song for a finalist who is all about the drama. The over the top production allowed him to vocally try to match his vibrantly loud outfit. He's great for some comic relief, but since he's not ready to be taken seriously, we should not be seeing him again.
Felicia Barton chose to sing the 2007 #1 smash from Alicia Keys, No One. Felicia showed that she is perfectly capable of handling the vocals required and she also knows how to dress the part. She looked great and there's a good chance we'll be seeing her again.
Scott MacIntyre chose to sing Mandolin Rain, that Bruce Hornsby took to the top 5 in 1987. It doesn't really matter that this wasn't the most dynamic song choice because Scott knows how to bring out the emotional connection every time he sings. There's a raw vulnerability that comes through when he takes the stage that keeps you captivated. We should definitely be seeing him again.
Kendall Beard chose to sing This Is For The Girls by Martina McBride. After the Supreme Miss American Idol, Carrie Underwood, was crowned in Season Four we were immediately served the cheap knock-off, Kellie Pickler. Are we ready for another pale comparison to Carrie in Season Eight? Kendall is pretty good. She's attractive and has a nice voice so we might be seeing her again.
Jorge Nunez chose to sing a song that was a huge hit for Elton John peaking at #2 in 1974 and going all the way to #1 in 1992, Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me. Jorge has a very smooth voice and he expresses it on stage effortlessly. He has a very sincere and genuine personality. In addition, he's a very handsome guy. All the necessary pieces are there, so we should definitely be seeing more of him.
Lil Rounds chose to sing the song that Mary J. Blige took to #2 in 2006, Be Without You. You have to say it at least once - her name may be lil', but there's nothing lil about her big voice! And she proved tonight that she can do exciting and contemporary things with that voice. Since she's talented enough to put out an album now, we should certainly be seeing more of her.
Only three of these 12 finalists are moving on in the competition.
Here are my predictions: Scott MacIntyre will be the top boy vote getter and Lil Rounds will be the top girl. Jorge Nunez will then come out ahead of the others to stay in the game.
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