American Idol Season 12: Sudden Death Round 2 Recap

American Idol Sudden Death Round 2 Contestants
L-R: Paul Jolley, Curtis Finch Jr, JDA,
Devin Velez, Charlie Askew, Chris Watson,
Johnny Keiser, Elijah Liu,
Kevin Harris and Jimmy Smith

It's the second round of the American Idol Sudden Death and 10 guys will test the live audience stage. Let's see how they fare with this kind of pressure.

Paul Jolley
Palmersville, TN
Song Choice: Tonight I Wanna Cry, Keith Urban

Paul's performance was actually good. It was very intimate but a bit boring. My mind seems to wander elsewhere and I only notice him when he hit that big note at the end. I wish he inject more excitement in his performances.

Johnny Keiser 
Pompano Beach, FL
Song Choice: I Won't Give Up, Jason Mraz

Johnny has it all but there seems something missing. He has good look, good vibe on stage and good guy voice. But all this parts doesn't seem to translate in his performance. I think he should toughen up a bit.

Josh "JDA" Davila
Chicago, IL
Song Choice: Rumor Has It, Adele

JDA performance is too much. He is too out there. His presence alone is pure entertainment value. But I don't think he would ever survive on shock value alone.

Kevin Harris
Montgomery, AL
Song Choice: (Everything I Do) I Do It For You, Bryan Adams

I think Kevin sings pretty good. But I think he made the wrong song choice. I find he made Bryan Adam's rock song weak. I wish he let go and ran with it. 

Chris Watson
Fords, NJ
Song Choice: Sitting on the Dock of the Bay, Otis Redding

I don't get it. I get it that Nicki likes his look. But the performance was bad. The judges should definitely need to separate what they hear and what they see.

Devin Velez
Chicago, IL
Song Choice: Listen, Beyonce

The best voice of the night so far. I love how Devin interpreted the song. It was also a smart move to sing some parts of the song in Spanish. He was able to define himself and reach out to his crowd.

Elijah Liu 

Rowland Heights, CA

Song Choice: Talking to the Moon, Bruno Mars

Yes it was a bit shaky. But you can't deny, Elijah exudes charisma. He does translate good on TV. He has a like-able appeal. I think of him as a good kid. , shaky performance.  Cheers to the mix.

Charlie Askew
Little Rock, AR
Song Choice: Rocket Man, Elton John

I love the depth of this kid. He doesn't have the best voice in the competition but he can out perform anybody. He is beyond his years. He is an artist. 

Jimmy Smith
Waynesboro, TN
Song Choice: Raining on Sunday, Keith Urban

Jimmy is a nice guy but that performance was a bit boring and forgettable. 

Curtis Finch Jr.
St. Louis, MO
Song Choice: Superstar, Luther Vandross

I love Curtis performance. It was a bit over the top on spots but that is how the way he does it given his church background. He is very stylized like a bird of paradise flashing out its colors for its mate.

The Verdict

Going Home

Going Home: Jimmy, Kevin, JDA, Chris and Johnny

Moving on to the top 20

Moving on to the Top 20: Curtis, Elijah, Paul, Charlie and Devin.

I am four out of five on this one. I would have pick Johnny over Paul. In moving forward, I think Johnny's calm and consistent demeanor can cope up with the competition. Paul seems so inconsistent and unsure of himself at times. But Jimmy choose Paul, so he must have seen something in Paul worthy of being in the Live finals.

My top pick for this round was Curtis. He is a well-rounded performer. Great voice and amazing stage presence. I think that makes him hard to beat. On the other hand, you have the younger guys, like Elijah and Devin, who can rack up plenty of votes from the younger crowd. Charlie also stands out. I can't take off my eyes from him when he performs. I can't wait to see the others next week. Let's see more talent.

What do you think of the results? Who was your favorite guy in this batch?