This week on American Idol (Season 12, Week 8), America's votes will narrow down the top 20 to the top 10. Read Kidzworld’s recap of “Las Vegas Round 1,” which aired on March 5th, 2013 to discover what you missed.
You thought last week was hard, cutting down the top 40 to the top 20. Well this week will be even more difficult as the top 20 is dwindled down to a top 10. But it's not up to the judges this time. For the first time on season 12, America has a say.
The Great
There were 4 obvious stand out performances from the girls. They included Angela (now going by Angie) Miller, who played a lovely song on the piano written by season 11's Colton Dixon; Amber Holcomb, who totally came out of her shell with an effortlessly sung Whitney Houston song; Kree Harrison, who went a little bit country this episode; and, of course, Candice Glover, who Randy called one of the best singers in the whole competition.
For the boys, Curtis Finch Jr. never fails to impress. Nicki believes that his talent surpasses the competition, and she's right. He's certainly in another league. Though Devin Velez is a force to be reckoned with as well. He sings effortlessly and appeals to the Spanish population with his duel language melodies. Burnell Taylor, who lost a ridiculous amount of weight between Hollywood and Las Vegas, has a signature voice that is unlike any other. And surprisingly this week Lazaro Arbos hit a home run. He chose the perfect song for his voice and put attitude into it.
The Good
If America votes right, there should only be one spot available to this group of girls. Breanna Steer chose the wrong song, according to Nicki, though Keith thinks she'll make it through. Aubrey Cleland chose a top 40's song - "Big Girls Don't Cry" by Fergie - so that might earn her America's votes, though it wasn't her best performance. Janelle Arthur was dubbed the best of the night so far (she sang fourth) by Nicki, though it wasn't outstanding. And Teena Torres sang with professionalism, though she lost the emotion of the song momentarily when the camera panned by her.ell.
For the boys, Elijah Liu sang well, though he didn't choose a song that showed off his vocal range. On the plus side, he's very marketable as a teen heartthrob. Nick Boddington chose the perfect song - "Iris" by the Goo Goo Dolls. He played the piano and changed up the melody to make it his own. Nick has a beautiful voice, though Randy didn't feel it was his best performance. Vincent Powell chose a song that didn't suit his voice, though based on past performances, he's certainly one of the best in the competition.
The Bad
Adriana Latonio wasn't bad perse. Perhaps if she had performed first she would have sounded better. But after hearing all the outstanding talent that night, her song dulled in comparison. The worst by far was Zoanette Johnson, who made a bad song choice and sang out of key for most of her song. Randy said it right: her performance was mess.
Charlie Askew went from awkward and nerdy to an awkward, nerdy wannabe rock star. He has a huge range and he wasn't afraid to show it, almost to a fault. He wound up screaming parts instead of simply hitting high notes. Nicki didn't appreciate his new persona. Cortez Shaw wasn't awful, but the tone of his voice really didn't suit his choice. Paul Jolley sang fine, especially at the beginning. His problem was with defining the kind of singer he wants to be. He dubbed himself pop/country, but the judges couldn't see that.
Have Your Say
Which 5 girls do you think America will vote for? Tell us in our comment section below!
