It's the start of American Idol Hollywood week. The guys are first to perform. Many have fallen including some judges' favorites. They were cut because they fall prey from being too complacent and by not memorizing the lines to the songs. Forgetting the lyrics is a no-no. Some made the mistake of choosing the wrong song. Some don't do well in groups. But even if you do these mistakes, it pays to be present and show your personality.
Some favorites that had gone through the top 28 are...
1st Batch: Paul Jolley and Lazaro Arbos
Paul and Lazaro have great singing voice but their problem is their nerves. I hope they gain more confidence as they progress forward in the competition.
Curtis Finch Jr. Performs
Devin Velez in Hollywood Week
Watch out for Curtis and Devin. Unlike the first two, these guys don't have problems with confidence.
Gurpreet Singh Sarin and Cortez Shaw Performance
Also moving forward are Gurpreet "The Turbanator" Singh Sarin and Cortez Shaw. I personally like Cortez voice.
Jimmy Smith sing his piece
Jimmy sang his heart out for redemption and it paid off big time. He moves on to the next round.
Nick Boddington makes a comeback
Nick Boddington made his mark singing "Stars". I sure he will make to the live performances this time around.
Charlie Askew is not afraid to show his weird side
I don't particularly like Charlie's squeaky voice but I like the way he attacks the song. I also like his personality on the stage.
Burnell Taylor and Marvin Calderon Performances
I like these guys who sings with a lot of soul. Burnell and Marvin advances to the next round.
Some contestant performances were not shown, but these guys also made it through to the next round.
Adam Sanders
Jada Davila
Johnny Keizer
Vincent Pau
Some early favorites that didn't make it in this round are:
Matheus Fernandez
Nicholas Mathis
Papa Peachez
Michael Johnson
Dave Brown
Nate Tao
All in all, 28 guys made it to the next round. However they are not on the clear yet. The judges announced they still need to cut 8 guys more after they seen all the girls' performances next week.
Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj, Keith Urban and Randy Jackson.
Mariah is the biggest addition that the American Idol put into that judging panel. Her drawing power is huge. Observing from the first episode alone, most who came in for the audition are some of her avid fans. I find Mariah's comments a bit short but they do carry much weight. She knows about voices and her keen sense of detecting tone and voice quality is quite on.
Nicki is the loudest and colorful among the judges. And that would instantly get you to focus your eyes and ears on her. It's also surprising that she can carry her own weight in bringing some sense into the audition mix. Her star power is immense that she outshines her colleagues. Mariah is not okay with that. And I think, that's what starts the sparks to fly. The now and then Mariah and Nikki starships collisions are so entertaining. Which brings us to the other new judge - Keith Urban.
Keith is a country artist but from another country. It is not his first try at a judging gig since he was in a rival singing competition a year before the move to American Idol. However I still need to see the Urban significance in the mix. Perhaps he is there to bring in the country crowd to the show. But right now, his position at the judging panel makes him a buffer for the two colliding divas. He seems not happy guy as far as the sitting arrangement is concern.
Randy is the veteran judge here. However he is out shined by the new judges. However, credit goes to him for staying twelve long seasons of the American Idol. He has become the mentor of all new judges and that is the true value he gives to the show.
As early as now, I am watching out for the white guys with guitars (WGWGs). They might not show most of the auditions, but I am sure there would be a lot of guys who will try out with their guitars in tow. Would there be a break in the WGWGs winning streak this year? No clue as of yet. But you have to admit that the odds are there since it's been the winning formula for the past 5 seasons.
Here are some of the better auditions by far:
Angela Miller
Angela said she has problems hearing in both ears but -oh man! She sure can sing. Mariah said she has a wonderful tone in her voice.
Ashlee Feliciano
You would remember Ashlee as the girl with an awesome family. Her voice is awesome too. The way her voice can instantly switch from low to high register is unique.
Frankie Ford
Double FF, as Randy called him, has a story of perseverance which you wanna root for to succeed. There were a few flaws on his audition but he is quite determined to work on it. There is no denying passion and the will to succeed.
Gurpreet Singh Sarin
Aside from having a thousand colorful turbans, his nickname "The Turbanator" is memorable. However, would his soft sounding voice and vibe shines through? I am expecting more colorful turbans in the future. Ones that can rival Nicki's wigs and headpieces.
Sarah Restuccio
Sarah - the country girl / Nicki Minaj protege. Well, that is how I remember her. Is she a versatile performer or she still searching for the artist within? However, she does hold a lot of promise.
Shira Gavrielov
Shira is originally from Israel. Sweet girl in short shorts. Her tone and pleasing accent did stand out. Keith was so amazed that he almost gave Nicki a bath.
Tenna Torres
Tenna is one avid Mariah fan. She even brought photos to show proof she went to Mariah singing camp. And it shows in her voice. Mariah was so delighted with her and the photos too that she ordered copies of it.
Do you think anyone of these guys is the next American Idol?
