Going to do it a little different from last night - I'll review each performance in the order they appeared. A little easier that way. Here goes.
Chelsea Sorrell - I don't remember this girl from Hollywood. I can't really tell you what I notice first (hard to miss), but once she settles in, she's not bad. A little pitchy in some spots, but overall, a good performance. It's not something I'll remember in particular, but then again, I don't remember most of the previous season's performances! Good job Chelsea.
Erika Van Pelt - Full disclosure here. Erika reminds me of Molly Ringwald for some reason. So I'm pre-disposed to like her. But she can definitely sing - in fact, she was one of my favorites from her first audition. She takes on Heart's "What About Love" from the mid 80's. She looks REALLY different from her previous auditions - I love her new look! And it's a strong performance. I agree with J Lo - she could have gone even bigger with the song, but it's still very good. Solid and professional. I hope she sticks around because she seems like a very polished, seasoned performer who will get stronger each week she is around.
Jen Hirsch - So from one of my favorite performers to another. LOVE Jen - was a big fan from Hollywood. I don't think this performance was as good as I know she can be - her big voice finally shows up towards the end of the song, but I was hoping for more of that throughout the song. Having said that, I have no doubt whatsoever that this girl can sing. And she'll get even better as this competition goes on (just like Erika). I just hope she makes this first cut. Still a big fan, Jen.
Brielle Von Hugel - My friend Karen claims that Brielle is this season's Haley - that is, someone that she can't stand. I liked her performance tonight, with the exception of her pronunciation of "Georgia". :^) Steven thought that part was great. Eh. But I thought it was really good. Sorry Karen! As J Lo said, it was entertaining.
Hallie Day - As much grief as I gave Adam last night for being a Steelers fan, I GOTTA give much love to my hometown girl Hallie Day, who undoubtedly supports the AFC North Champion Baltimore Ravens. Ok, taking sports out of this, she sings "Feelin' Good" by Nina Simone, which seems to be played at least 10 times each season. While I won't say she slays the song, she does a really good job with it and finished very strong. I see a bright future for this girl - keep it up Hallie! Oh, and GO RAVENS! BALTIMORE baby!! :^)
I have not heard a truly bad performance yet! What's going on here?? Uh oh...did I just jinx the girls coming up??
Skylar Lane - I didn't like this girl at all during Hollywood, but I'll give her credit. She REALLY gets into "Stay With Me", turning it into a country romp. Even thought Country really isn't my favorite genre, she has fun with this song, and I like it. Sure, she goes a little "off the rails" (first time using that term this year!!), but it's hard not to love her energy. Mini-Reba kicked some behind tonight.
Baylie Brown - While there is little doubt she is a very attractive young lady, her performance of "Amazed" by Rascal Flatts is, to me, the first dud performance of the evening. Pitchy -and at times painfully so. You can see the look on the judges faces. Not good. Sure I've heard worse, but compared to the other performances so far this evening, nowhere near as strong. But wow, she should be on a Soap Opera. And when Steven criticizes you (well, for him...if you can to call it criticism), you know it's bad. All 3 judges said she looked really good. Again, not a great sign.
Hollie Cavanagh - After Baylie's performance, Hollie's is a breath of fresh air. She's got a really strong voice, and while the song itself is not one of my favorites, she really does a great job. You can clearly tell she's got a powerful voice. Great job Hollie. Just pick a better song next time! Oh, and she's cute too...darn it, I said I wasn't going to comment on the looks!
Haley Johnsen - I have a feeling this will be the worst performance of the night. Awful song choice and an even worse execution of it. She's basically just screaming most of "Sweet Dreams" by Eurythmics. Ugh. I have nothing left to say except she shouldn't come back based on this dreck. Yuk!!!
Shannon Magrane - Hard to believe she's only 16 - wow. I think I said the exact same thing last week. While the song was unbelievably boring, Shannon does a good job with it. Not as polished at certain points during the song, she really belts it out at other times. I have no doubt she should stick around because a) she's young, b) she's attractive, c) she can sing and d) she's so much taller than Ryan, and it's funny looking at her standing next to him. Very nice work Shannon!
Jessica Sanchez - While she gets off to a rocky start, she really picks it up and ends up with quite a powerhouse performance. Always find it amazing when these big, powerful voices come out of some of the smallest people in the competition. She really does a great job with this, and could be a front runner if she keeps this up! Great job Jessica - completely surprised me.
Elise Testone - Sitting at the piano, singing the same Adele song that Jen Hirsch sang, Elise really impresses me. I really love her dark, husky voice. She will be a force to reckon with, I believe, in this competition. Great job Elise - way to end the show on a very, very high note!
Wow...how do you pick just 5 from this lineup?? Nearly impossible. But if I had to do it, I'm going with Erika Van Pelt, Jen Hirsch, Hallie Day, Jessica Sanchez and Elise Testone. VERY closely behind would be Shannon Magrane and Hollie Cavanagh and Skylar Lane. With honorable mention to Brielle (that's for you Karen!).
Tune in tomorrow to see who the top 10 plus 3 wild cards are!
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