It’s time for American Idol’s top 13. I’ve been a longtime fan of the show, I actually write for mjsbigblog.com, which is a really well known Idol blog (and reality TV blog). I’ve been covering So You Think You Can Dance and The X-Factor for them, and I participate in an Idol Chat with MJ herself every week.
I felt compelled to write a blog this week about the Top 13, and their performances.
1) Dexter Roberts
Honestly, I’m not sure what song he sang. He didn’t announce it, and it seemed like a pretty basic performance. I agreed with Jennifer Lopez that the song wasn’t in his “sweet spot”. It was pitched too low for him. He also lacked any real charisma while performing. His country counterpart Ben Briley had a ton more charisma with his choice later, and it’s likely that only one of them will go the distance. It looks like Dexter is losing the battle for now. He needs to pick better songs moving forward (more recognizable, in a better part of his range). GRADE: C
2) Malaya Watson- Runaway Baby
The vocals were pretty bad. Josh Ledet performed this same song in Season 11, and it landed him in the bottom 3. Malaya’s vocals were much worse. If the contestants were supposed to choose songs that showcased who they wanted to be as an artist, I’m confused as to what Malaya wants in the industry. I don’t think she knows who she is yet, which will not elevate her very far in the competition. Yes, she’s a solid performer, but it won’t mean anything if the vocals aren’t there. GRADE: D
3) Kristen O’Connor- Beautiful Disaster
Her vocal was better than the first two, but she lacked any kind of connection to the song, which has been my constant problem with Kristen. I thought she sang it well, and I disagree with Harry that she was off-pitch. Maybe she missed one note that he heard, but I thought it was a pretty on point performance. It just was incredibly boring. Of all the songs from Kelly Clarkson she could have chosen, and she chose this? I don’t think Kristen sparked enough of an interest to keep her safe this week (she is a wildcard after all), and will likely be in danger, despite having technically outsung Dexter and Malaya. GRADE: C
4) Ben Briley- Folsom Prison Blues
By far the best performance “so far”. It was like a completely different show when Ben hit the stage. Not only did he have a super cool background design, but he changed up the song a bit (he sped it up), and sang the crap out of it. He also exuded stage presence, despite being glued to one spot (unlike Dexter). Ben is on pace to outlast Dexter, by a lot if he can keep up this pace. GRADE: B+
5) CJ Harris- Radio
I’m so glad he chose something not written by Ray Lamontagne. I love that it was uptempo, since CJ has mostly sung really gut wrenching ballads the whole competition. He showed stage presence he hasn’t shown before. It’s a nice comeback from a rough performance last week. I think CJ did what he needed to do to regain some of the momentum he’s lost. I agreed with Harry that the song didn’t get to highlight the best parts of CJ’s voice, but I think it was a good song choice because CJ really needed something uptempo. GRADE: B
6) MK Nobilette- Satisfaction
Interesting song choice. I’m not sure I know who MK is as an artist though, which is a problem. I feel like she hasn’t had a ton of screentime, and she had one great performance last week which easily got her a Top 13 spot in a sea of mediocre females. If we’re talking about the long run here, MK needs to step it up if she plans on making the Top 5, or really even like the top 8 or 9. I don’t think this is the kind of song she would record. I like that she showed her fun side tonight, but I didn’t like the song choice at all. I suppose she technically sang it well. She could stand to use more of the stage on an uptempo, since she’s not grounded to an instrument. GRADE: C+
7) Majesty Rose- Tightrope
I feel like this is the kind of artist that Majesty wants to be. It’s almost the same choice as Malaya choosing Runaway Baby, but it just fits Majesty better. I wish Majesty had gone back to a slower choice this week, since she hit us with an uptempo last week. Majesty is one of my favorites in the competition, and picking a Janelle Monae song shows where she fits into the industry. I think she’s more of an artist than this song allowed her to show. She basically showed Malaya how it’s done though. FINAL GRADE: B+
8) Jena Irene- The Scientist
I wish she had done this on piano like Katelyn Epperly (who was ROBBED). It was a a good performance, but it came across as lacking since I’ve seen this song covered better. A huge step forward from Paint It Black, and probably the right song for this week. I think she’s gaining ground this week, which helps, but she has to be in it for the long haul. FINAL GRADE: B