American Idol--Top 36--Group 3

My thoughts of group 3 are below. Read on.



I hope tonight goes well. My early picks for the night are Scott MacIntyre, Lil Rounds, and Von Smith. I bet that one of these three will go last. My guess is Lil.


Von Smith--"You're All I Need"--Marvin Gaye
I'm glad to see that Von doesn't want to be the "screamy" guy. Maybe he can be someone I like because he does have a good voice. I think he starts off too low and muddy. He gets a bit better as the songs goes on, but I never felt that he was in the pocket. Good but not great. Going this early and not being spectacular may not be enough for him. Judges give him a tongue bath, but I don't think it was as good as all that.

Taylor Vaifanua--"If I Got You"-Alicia Keys
Mixed bag here. The end is nice, but the beginning is a bit rough. It wasn't memorable to me. Judges give generally blah comments.

Alex Wagner-Trugman--"I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues"--Elton John
Okay. Reality check. Yes, I know he's not the best voice. He's got this growly thing he does with his voice at times that sounds like he is losing his breath, and he doesn't come across as the most confident of performers; however, I must say I like him. There is a dorky sense of fun that you get from watching him. I liked it, but I don't think he'll get the phone calls. Judges praise his energy but pan the vocals.

Arianna Afsar--"The Winner Takes It All"--ABBA
Bad and boring. Another seventeen-year-old bites the dust. Judges pretty much pan the song choice and the performance.

Ju'not Joyner--"Hey There, Delilah"
He is singing a much more relaxed version of the song. I'm not a fan of the arrangement. I don't think it shows off his voice as much as it could. It actually isn't bad, but there are parts where his weaknesses are evident. Another not bad, not great performance. Judges were pretty complimentary. Ends up he had some asthma issues. I'll give him benefit of the doubt.

Kristen McNamara--"Give Me One Reason"--Tracy Chapman
A slightly jazzier version of this song. I like the take. May not be the best song for her, but she's good. Judges like her but not the song or her image.

Nathaniel Marshall--"I Would Do Anything For Love"--Meat Loaf
I love this song. He better not mess it up! The slower parts are okay, but the uptempo parts sound karaoke. His voice isn't strong enough for this song, methinks. He is talented, but I think this is the last we will see of Nate. Judges were anti song, but pretty much pro him.

Felicia Barton--"No One"--Alicia Keys
Despite some voice cracking at the top of her range, this was a contemporary-feeling performance. Not perfect but nice job. Judges were for the most part positive.

Scott Macintyre--"Mandolin Rain"--Bruce Hornsby and the Range
For the most part, I liked this, but there were some bum notes that really hurt my ears. The ending though was strong. I'd like Scott to make it to the Top 12, so I can see him play the piano and sing. If he doesn't make it though tomorrow night, he'll be a wild card choice, methinks. Mixed reviews on the singing but high praise from all the judges. They are pushing hard for him. I like how Scott high fives Ryan (making fun of how Ryan tried to high five him in Hollywood).

Kendall Beard--"This One's for the Girls"--Martina McBride
Now they say she's from Lufkin instead of Austin. I was not crazy for her in Hollywood, and I'm still not crazy for her. This is better than then, but I still don't feel her. Some notes really hurt. I'll leave the real critique of the song to people who know this song. Judges thought she showed who she was but didn't like the vocals.

Jorge Nunez Mendez--"Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me"--Elton John
I was not a fan of Jorge before, but I really liked his performance. There are still some pronunciation problems, but I like his tone with this song. I really liked this! He gets roundly praised and cries. That should give him a spot in the Top 12 (probably votes; if not, by wild card).

Lil Rounds--"Be Without You"--Mary J. Blige
My prediction about Lil Rounds going last (first made last week) was right. Great voice. She's not overdoing it like she did in Hollywood. It was just a strong performance. If she sings like this consistently, she'll be the girl to contend with. Judges praise her to the moon. She'll be through.

So, I think from tonight's show, we'll get Lil Rounds, Jorge Nunez Mendez, and Scott MacIntyre.

My guess for Wild Cards will be: Anoop, Von Smith, and Matt Giraud (or Ricky Braddy). If they must take a girl, maybe they'll take Anne Marie Boskovich.

Thoughts?