'American Idol' brings out the last string of contestants who will compete for a slot in the Top 12 in the eight season.
- Mar 4, 2009
AceShowbiz - The third and final batch of 12 hopefuls in "American Idol", are giving their last shot to vie for a stool in the Top 12. Performing on Tuesday, March 3 are the candidate who replaces disqualified Joanna Pacitti, the blind guy and mother of three who wants to get her family back to their feet after tornado demolished their house.
First in line is Von Smith who has a rather extravagant stage act while in audition rounds. He sings Marvin Gaye's "You All I Need to Get By", and apparently struggles not to scream by making his voice softer. The judges love it, with Simon Cowell commenting, "You remind me of Clay Aiken".
Taylor Vaifanua is only 17 but she is taller than anybody there. She is up next, singing Alicia Keys' "If I Ain't Got You". Kara DioGuardi thinks the performance doesn't show her personality and Randy Jackson says it straightforwardly, "boring". Right behind her, Alex Wagner-Trugman brings out "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues" by Elton John and spurts a growl in the middle. Simon doesn't like it, delivering his famous quote, "you are like a hamster trying to be a tiger".
Arianna Afsar tries to tackle an ABBA song "The Winner Takes it All" but her voice doesn't fit well, according to Randy Jackson. Junot Joyner takes over after the break to once again sing his Hollywood Round piece, "Hey There Delilah" by Plain White T's. Simon says it is not as bad as he had thought but thinks it's rather safe. Joyner jokingly admits that he has taken cortizone shot before the performance.
Kristen McNamara performs next and the show has to remind the audience that she is a karaoke host. She sings Tracy Chapman's "Give Me One Reason" but gives a flat line all the way. The judges once again agree that it is another case of a bad song choice. Nathaniel Marshall, brings his rendition of Meat Loaf's "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)". Simon thinks he has butchered it but says that American is gonna remember him. Randy asks why he chooses the song, Nathaniel reveals his mom and him used to sing and dance around to it.
Filling in the shoes for Joanna Pacitti, Felicia Barton sure has some kind of pressure of her own. She does an Alicia Keys, singing "No One" that starts off pretty well. The judges kept it short, Simon hates the second half of the song, Kara points out some missed notes and Randy thinks it's hot. Blind guy Scott McIntyre is next with Bruce Hornsby's "Mandolin Rain", a rather contemporary choice. The judges are rooting for him and Paula Abdul sheds a tear.
A country representative, Kendall Beard from Texas is giving out "This One's For the Girls" by Martina McBride. Simon thinks her genre may score her a chance in the Top 12, while Paula prefers to comment on her outfit. Jorge Nunez tackles "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" by Elton John and has trouble with the way he pronounces his lyrics. The judges are involved in a discussion about this, particularly since Jorge is a native Spanish speaker. Simon however, thinks it will be wrong if they don't let him sing in the accent. Jorge cries from the praises.
Scoring the last favorable slot is Lil Round, who wants to turn around her fate should she win a place in the competition. "Be Without You" by Mary J. Blige is her choice, and she dedicates it to her three children. Unanimous opinion come from the judges, they love it.
The live results will be read on March 4 and the Wild Card round as well as the Top 12 will be concluded the next day.
