Couch Potato Review: American Idol 11 - Top 13 Performances

The top 13 contestants of American Idol. First row: Joshua Ledet, Colton Dixon, Hollie Cavanagh and Jessica Sanchez.
Second row: Heejun Han, Shannon Magrane, Deandre Brackensick, Jeremy Rosado and Skylar Laine.
Third Row: Elise Testone, Philip Phillips, Jermaine Jones and Erika Van Pelt.

After the semi-finals, the top 13 were selected by people's votes and judges choice as a wildcard contender. The theme for the performance night was the songs of Stevie Wonder, which performed by male contenders and the songs of Whitney Houston for female contestants.  Here's my review on the top 13 performance night of American Idol season 11.

Shannon Magrane sang "I Have Nothing" where I am expecting that she can nail the song and one of the best performances of the night. But the nerves gave the best of her on that evening. She had the powerful voice to deliver that song. However, she needs to tell the story of the song.  When I heard the studio version of her song, she did an amazing job. Score: 7.0 

Elise Testone did a wrong song choice for her amazing voice with her rendition of "I'm Your Baby Tonight" I am hoping next week that she is safe and not part of the bottom 2. Score: 8.0 

Erika Van Pelt sang "I Believe In You and Me" where she nailed the song but she didn't reach the high notes. She needs to improve her performance next time because she had that beautiful and soulful voice. Score: 7.8

Jermaine Jones proved that he deserves a second chance in his rendition of "Knocks Me Off My Feet" where his low baritone trademark matches the song. Score: 8.5

Jeremy Rosado touches the heart of the audience with his performance of "Ribbon in the Sky." It wasn't his best performance but he interprets the song in a beautiful way. Score: 8.4

I am wondering why Joshua Ledet made it to the bottom 3 guys although he had a very good performance of "I Wish." I think he made it to the bottom 3 although he did a very good job but he is similar to Jacob Lusk of season 10. Score: 8.9 

Skylar Laine said that she didn't sing a Whitney Houston song in her life. But when she performed "Where Do Broken Hearts Go", it was proven that she can sing any song not just a country but any kind of song. In other words, she is versatile. Score: 9.0

Deandre Brackensick did a reggae performance of "Master Blaster (Jammin)" where he did a soulful and groovy performance plus his clean falsettos. Score: 9.1 

Colton Dixon sang "Lately" which suits his voice and I love the transition from mellow introduction to the rock part. He is a versatile singer and he owned the song. Score: 9.5

Philip Phillips sang "Superstition" where this song is also his audition piece. He is a very good musician and singer. He got an entertaining performance with his guitar as an accompaniment but predictable song choice because other contenders sang that in previous seasons. Therefore, he is a true artist. Score: 9.8

MY TOP 3 BEST PERFORMANCES:

Heejun Han chose "All In Love Is Fair" which is a perfect song choice for him and much better performance than last week.  His voice is smooth and soft, clear and truly romantic. It proves that he is a very good singer in singing ballads, maybe next time I want to see him singing upbeat tempo songs. Score: 9.9

Hollie Cavanagh sang "All The Man That I Need" where she performed effortless but powerful. She had the clear phrasing and diction and she deserves to come back from last season. She is one of the best singers for the eleventh season. Score: 9.9

Jessica Sanchez once again received a standing ovation and positive reviews from the judges with her performance of "I Will Always Love You". She did a fantastic belting and soulful performance and that was superb. Score: 10.0

Blogger's Note:

Predictions and Elimination: Elise, Erika and Shannon made it to the bottom 3 girls while Jermaine, Jeremy and Joshua made it to the bottom 3 boys. In the end, Elise saved by the judges and Jeremy was eliminated first from the competition. On the coming weeks, I am looking forward to Heejun, Colton, Phillip, Jessica and Hollie to the top 5 and one of them will become the winner of American Idol. Therefore, I am also looking forward to the two female contenders will make it to the finale (it was happened last season 3 where Diana DeGarmo and Fantasia Barrino competed in the finals of that season). But watch out because there are also competitors who will emerge as dark horse maybe it is between Elise Testone or Skylar Laine. However, I want Hollie, Jessica and Heejun made it to the final three. Lastly, all of the contenders for the eleventh season are great and exceptional.

Couch Potato Review: American Idol 11 - Semi Finals (Female)

We also have the 12 girls who made it to the top 24 of the eleventh season of American Idol. They have different music styles that matches their look and packaging.

Chelsea Sorrell

Chelsea Sorrell did a great start with her performance of "Cowboy Casanova" by Carrie Underwood. She had a powerful voice which is applicable in other genres such as rock and country. However, she didn't showcase her vocal prowess and this was a safe song choice. Score: 8.0 

Erika Van Pelt

With her rendition of Heart's "What About Love" Erika Van Pelt showcased her powerful vocals and very good voice quality. She hit the notes and very good song choice. Score: 9.4

Jen Hirsh

Jen Hirsh proved herself once again as one of the best singers in the competition with her performance of "One and Only" by Adele. She has the clear phrasing and soft but powerful and wide range of voice. Score: 9.6 

Brielle Von Hugel

Brielle Von Hugel sang Roy Orbison's "Sittin on the Dock of the Bay" where she proved that she is a true performer with her movements and confidence on stage. She improved a lot from the previous season. Score: 9.3 

Hallie Day

Hallie Day delivered a classy rendition of "Feeling Good" by Nina Simone. One thing that I can say to her is sultry singer and woman. Score: 9.0

Skylar Laine

The country girl Skylar Laine performed "Stay With Me" with her strong vocals and country style of singing and she had a lot of energy in performing in stage. She had a strong confidence and she had the voice which is similar to Reba and the confidence in her performance which resembled to Tina Turner. She is a rockin country singer.  Score: 9.4

Baylie Brown

The comebacking contestant from season 6 Baylie Brown sang "Amazed" by Lonestar. She looks gorgeous and her voice is beautiful. She did an effort but not a good song choice for her. She reminds me of Antonella Barba but Baylie is a better singer. Score: 7.5 

Hollie Cavanagh

We also have returning contender from season 10, Hollie Cavanagh who sang "Reflection" by Christina Aguilera. She showed huge improvement from last season (where she cut before the top 24) where she had the clear phrasing and a crystal-clear voice. It was a perfect song choice for her. Score: 9.9 

Haley Johnsen

Haley Johnsen performed "Sweet Dreams" by Eurhythmics where she had an amazing voice but the performance is not good and definitely, wrong song choice. Score: 6.0 

Shannon Magrane

Shannon Magrane sang an inspirational song from Kathy Troccoli entitled "Go Light Your World" which showcased her vocal prowess. She's got the look and the packaging (especially her pretty face and height). Overall, she's got the the exceptional singing talent at the age of 16. Score: 9.8

Jessica Sanchez

Jessica Sanchez wowed the judges and the audience with her rendition of "Love You I Do" by Jennifer Hudson. She is the one to beat among the girls in this competition because at her young age of 16, she's got the powerful voice, soulful vibe, strong showmanship, stage confidence and the musicality. Definitely, she is one of the best American Idol contestants ever. Score: 10.0

Elise Testone

Elise Testone closed the performance night with her rendition of "One and Only" by Adele. She's got the musicality where she played the piano and an amazing voice. She is truly a professional and versatile singer. Score: 9.7


In the end, Jessica, Hollie, Shannon, Elise and Skylar made it to the top 5 highest votes among the female semi-finalists and made it to the top 10, while Erika, Jen and Brielle were chosen by the judges for wildcard round where Erika was selected for top 13.

Couch Potato Review: American Idol 11 - Semi Finals (Male)

Right after the nerve-racking regional auditions, the intense Hollywood week and the spectacular Las Vegas round, the top 24 were already selected for the eleventh season of American Idol. Last week, the boys were able to compete first for the slot in the final 13. 

Reed Grimm

First up, we have Reed Grimm  with his performance of Maroon 5's "Moves Like Jagger" where he had a jazzy rendition of the song, Reed is truly a genius where he knows how to use the drums while singing (proven in his Hollywood Week performance of "Georgia In My Mind") and he is one of the best singers of the season. He had the quirky personality and moves, strong showmanship and musicality as well with his unique voice. Score: 9.8

Adam Brock

We also have Adam Brock with his rendition of "Think" by Aretha Franklin. He did a brave attempt to sing that diva song with his soulful voice which can be owned by a African American singer jazz or soul singer. He had a powerful voice, that is why he called as "White Chocolate" by Steven Tyler. Score: 8.4

Deandre Brackensick

Then we also have the comeback contestant from season 10, DeAndre Brackensick with his version of Earth, Wind and Fire's "Reasons". He is also have a soulful voice and clear phrasing of word. The best part of his performance is the very smooth transitions in terms of hitting the falsettos. Score: 9.5

Colton Dixon

With his performance of Paramore's "Decode" Colton Dixon showed his strong showmanship on state as an indie rocker. He started his performance while playing the piano and he lose on that instrument and he knows how to move the stage as a rocker. Score: 9.6 

Jeremy Rosado

Jeremy Rosado delivered a heartfelt rendition of "Gravity" by Sara Bareilles. He had the clear diction and he knows how to connect with the audience with this song choice, a perfect song choice and a beautiful performance. Score: 9.9 

Aaron Marcellus

Aaron Marcellus received a standing ovation with his performance of "Never Can Say Goodbye" by Jackson 5. He had a beautiful and wide range of vocals especially the last note was truly phenomenal. Score: 8.9

Chase Likens

Chase Likens made the girls cried with a country song "Storm Warning" where he got the looks, packaging and a good voice. But he lacked of screen time in this season. Score: 8.2 

Creighton Fraker

Creighton Fraker did a soulful and heartfelt performance of Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors" where he reminds me of Justin Timberlake. Score: 8.4 

Phil Phillips

Phil Phillips shown his originality in his cover of Phil Collins' "In The Air Tonight" where he performed with a rock acoustic version. He is one of the distinct voices in American Idol and he truly owned the song by making his own arrangement. He is one of the most likable contestants so far. Score: 9.9

Eben Franckewitz

The youngest contender this season was Eben Franckewitz who captivated the judges with his angelic voice and cute looks. He performed "Set Fire To The Rain" by Adele. He had a very beautiful voice and he can make it to the top but he didn't stand out during that time because of his song choice. However, he showed a strong confidence and he sings like a pro. Score: 8.6

Heejun Han

The lovable and funny Korean American Heejun Han who became an early favorite in this season performed "Angels" by Robbie Williams. He had a soulful voice, clear phrasing and he is truly a likeable person because of his sense of humor and looks. His voice is smooth but not powerful. Therefore, he should sing different genres of music in order for him to win this season. Score: 9.2 

Joshua Ledet

Joshua Ledet performed Jennifer Hudson's "You Pulled Me Through." He had that soulful R&B/gospel vibe in his voice. He reminds me of Jacob Lusk of season 11. Another outstanding performance where he is also making a female song into a male version.  Score: 10.0 

Jermaine Jones

The gentle giant Jermaine Jones definitely deserves to come back with his deep soulful baritone in his rendition of "Dance With My Father" Score: 8.6


In the end, Jermaine, Heejun, Joshua, Colton and Phil made it to the final 13 as the top 5 highest votes among the boys while Reed, Jeremy and Deandre selected by the judges for the wildcard performance where Jeremy and Deandre were selected.


Blogger's Note: The top 7 guys who made it were truly deserving but I am expecting that Reed Grimm will make it to the top 13. I am looking forward for him to have a recording contract soon because he is a truly a musical genius and a quirky musician. 

Couch Potato Review: American Idol 11 - Las Vegas Week (Part 2)

This is the second part of my review for the Las Vegas Week of American Idol 11. The contestants were group themselves into two to four members to sing traditional 1950's hits. 

Wendy Taylor, Mathenee Treco and Lauren Gray

Let us start with the   group of Lauren Gray, Wendy Taylor and Mathenee Treco performed "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" by The Shirelles. Take note, they trained by the "vocal coach from hell" which results into a good performance especially Lauren nailed it and Wendy did a job well done performance. Unfortunately, Mathenee was eliminated after that performance. Rate: 7.6

Jessica Phillips, Courtney Williams, and Britnee Kellogg

We also have the girl trio of The Neapolitans composed of Britnee Kellogg, Courtney Williams and Jessica Phillips with their mashup of The Supremes hit "Where Did Our Love Go" and "You Keep Me Hanging On." Each of the showcased their vocal prowess where Britnee has a powerful voice, Courtney has a soulful voice and Jessica with her R&B tone. The song matches their group but Jessica and Britnee was eliminated. Britnee deserves to be in the top 24 where she is the total package singer where she had the looks and powerful voice. Rate: 8.5 

Clayton Farhat, Scott Dangerfield, Adam Lee Decker and Curtis Gray

Then the songs of Elvis Presley lives on with the following groups. We have the all-male group of rockers composed of Scott Dangerfield, Clayton Farhat, Adam Lee Decker, and Curtis Gray with their version of "Jailhouse Rock." They have the guts to sing that song because they are rockers plus the packaging and the entrance which they are in character plus the costume. Rate: 8.0 


We also have the group of Caleb Johnson, River St. James, Blaire Sieber and Joshua Sanders with their rendition of "Burning Love." I think the four of them did a very good job in performing as well with the packaging. I noticed that Caleb stand out in this performance because of his rockin and powerful vocals. Rate: 8.3 

Aaron Marcellus, Nick Boddington, Jennifer Hirsh and Creighton Fraker

Last but not the least is the performance of Creighton Fraker, Jen Hirsh, Nick Boddington and Aaron Marcellus of Bryan Hyland's "Sealed With A Kiss." They have the perfect blending and one of the most harmonized groups in Las Vegas. However, Nick was eliminated at the end of this round. Rate: 9.0


Unaired Performances:

Marisa Pontecorvo, Naomi Gillies and Hollie Cavanagh

One of the unaired performances in Las Vegas Week was the mashup of "Mr. Sandman" and "Mr.Postman" by Hollie Cavanagh, Marisa Pontecorvo, and Naomi Rae Gillies. They have their individuality in this performance where Hollie sang with her clear diction and powerful vocals, Naomi with her wide vocal range and Marisa with her effort in singing an upbeat tempo song. They have the perfect mashup of song choice which is very good. Rate: 7.7


Watch American Idol Season 11 for the semi-finals round of your top 24 plus one contestant will make it to the semi-finals which turns into 25.

Couch Potato Review: American Idol 11 - Las Vegas Week (Part 1)

This review was based on the Las Vegas Week performance of contenders in American Idol where 10 is the highest and 1 will be the lowest.

Right after the auditions and Hollywood week, the 72 hopefuls went to Las Vegas They were able to group themselves into duos, trios or quartets to sing classic songs from the 1950's. Most of them became potential stars and stand out in Vegas Week and made it to the top 24. 

Cari Quoyeser, Chase Likens, Colton Dixon, and Skylar Laine

The first group to present were Cari Quoyeser, Skylar Laine, Chase Likens and Colton Dixon with their rendition of "Dedicated to the One I Love" by The Shirelles. The song suits them individually where they show their mellow side and it is such a good combination of country singers (Chase and Skylar) and a rocker (Colton) in a group singing a 50's classic love song. Rate: 8.0

Ariel Sprague, David Leathers Jr., Gabi Carrubba and Jeremy Rosado

The next group composed of Ariel Sprague, David Leathers Jr., Gabi Carrubba and Jeremy Rosado did a soulful and upbeat performance of Jackson 5's "Rockin Robin" where they have the choreography and they can sing while dancing. Rate: 8.1 

Adam Brock, Erika Van Pelt, Shelby Tweten and Angie Ziederman

Then we also have the group of Adam Brock, Angie Ziederman, Shelby Lynn Tweten, and Erika Van Pelt with their groovy rendition of "Great Balls of Fire" by Jerry Lee Lewis. Adam did a great entrance while playing a piano, Erika matches the song with her low alto voice, Angie has a strong showmanship and she acts while singing (but there are times that she oversing) and Shelby did an ok job for that. Rate: 8.0 

Schyler Dixon, Brielle Von Hugel, and Molly Hunt 

We also have the all-girl trio of Schyler Dixon, Brielle Von Hugel and Molly Hunt sang "Why Do Fools Fall in Love." They have the total packaging - from looks to their costumes and they have the blending. Brielle truly stand out in the group but Schyler and Molly became back-ups that is why Molly and Schyler were eliminated. Rate: 7.5 

Haley Johnsen, Eben Franckewitz, Elise Testone and Reed Grimm

One of the most outstanding performances in Las Vegas Week came from Reed Grimm, Haley Johnsen, Elise Testone, and Eben Franckewitz with their rendition of "The Night Has A Thousand Eyes" where each and everyone of them stand out. Reed's quirky character, jazzy voice and groovy moves made a very excellent entrance, Elise's husky tone and Haley's simple vocals which is similar to Kelly Clarkson matches the song and Eben's angelic voice and new found confidence makes him a versatile performer. Overall, they received a standing ovation from the judges as a result of perfect harmony and strong showmanship. Rate: 10.0 

Neco Starr, Jairon Jackson, Heejun Han, and Phil Phillips

We also have the cool rendition of The Flamingos' "Only Have Eyes For You" sung by Neco Starr, Heejun Han, Phil Phillips and Jairon Jackson. They have the melody where Neco, Heejun and Jairon did a soulful vocals and Phil's husky, rocking voice which proves that he is not just a rocker or acoustic star but he can sing soul classics. Rate: 9.8 

Candice Glover, Deandre Brackensick and Jessica Sanchez

Then our first part of the review caps off with the trio of Deandre Brackensick, Jessica Sanchez and Candice Glover with their powerful and soulful performance of Buddy Holly's "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" where it received a standing ovation from the judges. Jessica's soulful, jazzy and powerful vocals, Deandre's clean falsetto, and  Candice's strong vocal prowess match the song choice with their talent. Unfortunately Candice was eliminated in this round. Score: 9.9

Unaired Performances:

Chelsea Sorrell, Janelle Arthur, Aubree Dieckemeyer and Baylie Brown

The group of four beautiful girls composed of Baylie Brown, Aubree Dieckemeyer, Janelle Arthur and Chelsea Sorrell did a rendition of The Ronette's "Be My Baby." The four of them did a great job. They were able to show "girl power" in this performance. Baylie stand out with her smoky and smooth vocals, Janelle shows her strong showmanship and clear vocals, Chelsea with her clear voice and wide range and Aubree with her smooth quality of voice but the song didn't match her vocals. In the end, Baylie and Chelsea made it while Aubree and Janelle was eliminated. However, Janelle gave her best performance in this group but why she was eliminated after that performance? Rate: 8.0

Couch Potato Review: American Idol 10 - Las Vegas Week

It was 2011, a new round of American Idol introduced to the viewers and aspiring hopefuls. This is the Las Vegas Week. It is the phase of the competition where the contenders who passed the final round of Hollywood week will going to Las Vegas to perform by groups on a particular music theme. They are trained by vocal coaches and musical directors. In the tenth season, the first theme of Las Vegas round was the songs from The Beatles where contestants are performing by duets or trios. Most of the contenders who stand out in this round made it to the top 24 as well in the final 12. Here are the memorable performances in the American Idol Season 10's Las Vegas Round:

Pia Toscano and Karen Rodriguez

First, we have Pia Toscano and Karen Rodriguez sang "Can't Buy Me Love" which shows their harmony and they can sing in an upbeat tempo. It was an out of the box performance. 

Naima Adedapo, Jacob Lusk and Haley Reinhart.

Then, the trio of Naima Adedapo, Jacob Lusk and Haley Reinhart did the 1970's hit "The Long and Winding Road" where they performed it with their powerful vocals and perfect blending of their voices. They are one of the best performers in that round because three different styles combined in one group and a song choice that matches their prowess.

Kendra Chantelle and Paul McDonald

We also have the relaxing rendition of "Blackbird" by Kendra Chantelle and Paul McDonald. Kendra has a sultry voice while Paul performed with his husky vocals plus the accompaniment of the acoustic guitar which makes their rendition soothing to the ears. 

Julie Zorrilla and Tim Halperin

Then, the musically inclined performers Tim Halperin and Julie Zorrilla where they sang "Something." It sounds current because of their voices are in the mainstream and contemporary. Tim's voice is similar to Chris Martin of Coldplay while Julie is to American Idol 7's Brooke White. They are truly talented in music because of their voice, style and musicality by playing the keyboard. 

Other remarkable performances during the Las Vegas Week including the trio of Tatynisa Wilson, Lakeisha Lewis, and Jerome Bell singing "I Saw Her Standing There" with their groovy tune and soulful performance in an upbeat song. We also have the duo of Casey Abrams and Chris Medina, adding strings to the performance of "Hard Days Night" which matches their vocals.

2012 Blogging Opportunities

This 2012, I am doing the multitasking work from my professional career to my pastime which is blogging. I was not able to blog here in Blogspot since January 2012, thinking of new ideas which is refreshing to the readers as well with improving my craft. Looking forward starting March for new adventures and entries in Blogspot. 

You can also follow my Wordpress page entitled "Talaarawan ni Mister Commuter" (Mr. Commuter 's Journal).