Staff Writer
I’m pretty sure all of the contestants thought they were all a lock for Hollywood Week….
But they were WRONG.
“American Idol” is officially done with auditions, as the 212 handpicked contestants from Jennifer Lopez, Harry Connick Jr. and Keith Urban (who was sporting a brand new haircut) all arrived to LAX and were on their way to the hotel to get ready for the tough week ahead.
Twist time.
They were all informed, after they were ushered into an airport hanger, that select few of the 212 would be singing ONE LAST TIME before Hollywood Week kicks off, and cuts were going to happen.
First up, was 17 year old Johnny Newcomb who sang the Foster the People hit “Pumped Up Kicks” for his survival. The judges seemed impressed, but he was going to have to wait to find out his fate. Contestant after contestant stood up in front of the judges, and their competition.
I have to admit, this twist in the competition was very unique and I’m thrilled the show is trying something new in its already stellar 13th season.
Back to the action though, and it was time for Idol alum Nikki McKibbin’s son Tristen Langley who delivered a heartfelt rendition of “To Make You Feel My Love”. Would it be enough for the judges??
The following contestants struggled in their performances though, and Keith Urban appeared to get frustrated. He warned the contestants to “stop phoning it in” and get serious.
Oil field worker Eric Wood took the spotlight with his guitar, and judging the the reactions of our beloved panel, I’m guessing Eric is going to be moving forward.
But what do I know?
The judges then sent 160 contestants back to their hotel, and then had to focus on the 52 that were still there.
They were separated and sent onto 2 buses:
1 bus would take them to the hotel……and the other BACK home.
Bus #1 was unfortunately sent packing, as bus #2 joined the others back at the hotel!! Unfortunately, Tristen Langley was one of the unlucky ones, and will hopefully come back next year.
It was time for what makes Idol so entertaining:
The official HOLLYWOOD WEEK.
The first part of Hollywood Week went down like this, 10 contestants would grace the stage and belt out one song, and just hope it would be enough for one more day.
Among those that performed (and received great news from the judges) were:
Spencer Lloyd, who gave us a killer rendition of “Say Something”, and Majesty Rose York, who had yours truly thinking I was watching Corinne Bailey Rae on that stage, and that is a huge compliment!! I couldn’t find a single fault with her performance, it was that good!
Both of them were put through to the next day.
The last line came in though, and one of my personal standouts was Jena Asciutto. The young lady performed a ridiculous version of Lana Del Rey’s “Video Games” and absolutely blew me away. But, someone explain to me how Keith Urban DIDN’T know the song?!
The solo auditions carried on, and many amazing first auditions delivered once again. You all know what came next though right? The dreaded……feared……loathed……
GROUP ROUND.
The night was wrapping up, but the judges informed everyone left that it was time to find a group of 3 or 4, and then meet up with a vocal coach to prep for the next day. The tension was already starting to boil as certain groups began falling apart no sooner than they came together.
I must admit, I always do get a kick out of the one individual who claims they are the one who holds the group together, and when that group falls apart, THEY’RE the one who can’t find another group to get into.
It was the morning of group day and the cracks were showing. They were all exhausted, and the fighting was reaching an all-time high, so how will it all go down? We’ll find out…
Tomorrow night!!!
What did you guys think of the new “Go Home” round and who were some of your favorite performances?
Are you ready for Group Day???
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