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American Idol 17: Top 20 (Solos)
Air Date: Sunday, April 1, 2019 (8-10pm)
The semifinals have begun for the 17th (!!!) season of the best singing competition show ever--American Idol!
Judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie are back for their second go-round. The auditions, Hollywood Week and the Showcase/Final Judgment are behind us, which means they have narrowed the field down to 20.
Like I always do for the semifinals and finals, I'm providing my thoughts on all the performances. And like last year, I'm doing it all on Twitter as the episodes are airing--and then compiling them all together into blog posts.
Here's my Twitter recap for the Top 20 solo performances...
The #AmericanIdol semifinals begin tonight! This thread will chronicle my thoughts on all the Top 20 solo performances... #Idol #IdolTop20— Jeff Dodge (@TheJeffDodge) April 2, 2019
Madison Vandenburg ("Domino"): Taking into account every stage of the competition so far, she has become my #1 favorite. Tonight, I wasn't expecting a song like this (maybe wouldn't work in the finals, though). This was really fun, but I'm hoping her duet is more memorable. #Idol— Jeff Dodge (@TheJeffDodge) April 2, 2019
Shawn Robinson ("Jealous"): Now this is how it's done! This song is all about the falsetto--and you have to be able to put that off. Shawn most definitely pulled it off. His falsetto is fantastic here! Great song choice to complement his vocals. #AmericanIdol #Idol #IdolTop20— Jeff Dodge (@TheJeffDodge) April 2, 2019
Laine Hardy ("Bring It On Home to Me"): One of my fav's last year--disappointed he was cut early but so glad he's back & in the Top 20! I love his raspy voice--this song very much suited him. Both last night in Hawaii & tonight, his stage presence has skyrocketed. #AmericanIdol— Jeff Dodge (@TheJeffDodge) April 2, 2019
Uche ("Figures"): I loved his performance in Hawaii last night--that was pure entertainment. You can tell he's going to be this season's Entertainer. Despite not being quite as memorable tonight, his voice once again sounded great. #AmericanIdol #Idol #IdolTop20— Jeff Dodge (@TheJeffDodge) April 2, 2019
Eddie Island ("Ho Hey"): I've never understood what the judges saw in him; he's always been more of a personality than a singer. Tonight, while not perfect, may have been his best performance to date. Great song choice--he should stay in that lane. #AmericanIdol #Idol #IdolTop20— Jeff Dodge (@TheJeffDodge) April 2, 2019
Evelyn Cormier ("Leaving on a Jet Plane"): The note I wrote down for her audition was: "Interesting voice, but not sure just yet." I found myself really intrigued by her performance tonight. I don't know if "haunting vocals" is the right phrase, but something like that. #Idol— Jeff Dodge (@TheJeffDodge) April 2, 2019
Alyssa Raghu ("Ain't It Fun"): I was so glad she came back this year. You can tell she's loving being on that stage. I feel like this performance was similar to Madison's earlier tonight, in that it won't be as memorable as we would have hoped from them. #AmericanIdol #Idol— Jeff Dodge (@TheJeffDodge) April 2, 2019
Ryan Hammond ("You Say"): He had one of the best performances in Hawaii last night. And he is one of the best (male) singers in the competition this season--that's big coming from me because female singers tend to just have better voices. Love his tone! #AmericanIdol #Idol— Jeff Dodge (@TheJeffDodge) April 2, 2019
Raquel Trinidad ("Lovefool"): I'm on the fence about this one. When she started, I was like, I don't know about this. It did get a little better (a little more solid) in the second half, but this is probably the weakest of the night so far. #AmericanIdol #Idol #IdolTop20— Jeff Dodge (@TheJeffDodge) April 2, 2019
Logan Johnson ("Love Don't Live Here Anymore"): #LukeBryan had the right word for this: sleepy. It was way too slow feeling, and as such, I couldn't get into. I'm glad he had a big note in there, but it was too little too late by that point. #AmericanIdol #Idol #IdolTop20— Jeff Dodge (@TheJeffDodge) April 2, 2019
Dimitrius Graham ("Hello"): WTF was that operatic note at the start? That had nothing to do with the song and should not have been there. Obviously, he's extremely talented (remember "Latch" last night?), but there were some moments tonight he should have controlled better. #Idol— Jeff Dodge (@TheJeffDodge) April 2, 2019
Riley Thompson ("Jolene"): Can't go wrong with some #DollyParton. There were some REALLY good moments in this performance--the slow start was great, and she sounded exquisite at the end. The middle, however, was a little more karaoke. #AmericanIdol #Idol #IdolTop20— Jeff Dodge (@TheJeffDodge) April 2, 2019
Walker Burroughs ("How Deep is Your Love"): There were moments where his voice truly shined in this performance, especially that start. It didn't always land, but he wasn't terrible by any means. He seemed so little on that stage, though--maybe some stage presence issues? #Idol— Jeff Dodge (@TheJeffDodge) April 2, 2019
Bumbly ("Vision of Love"): This was hit and miss. This is a big song by an artist who used to be able to sing better than almost anybody. There were some nice vocals at times, but there were too many off notes throughout. She's gonna have to do better w/ the duet to stay. #Idol— Jeff Dodge (@TheJeffDodge) April 2, 2019
Ashley Hess ("Dreaming with a Broken Heart"): Glad to see her at the piano--since she did that at her audition. Overall, I really liked this. There were some pitchy notes in the second half when she tried to really go for it. But other than that, I enjoyed it. #AmericanIdol #Idol— Jeff Dodge (@TheJeffDodge) April 2, 2019
Alejandro Aranda ("I Fall Apart"): I wasn't completely on board with this. The positive: his voice is super smooth and just glides real nice. The downside: I won't remember this performance; it was a little too low-tempo to get me interested. #AmericanIdol #Idol #IdolTop20— Jeff Dodge (@TheJeffDodge) April 2, 2019
Kate Barnette ("Sunday Morning"): This is one of those laid-back songs that work great for laid-back type singers. Is it just me or do we really not hear female singers cover this song on these shows? I liked that change of pace. I'm intrigued, curious to hear more. #AmericanIdol— Jeff Dodge (@TheJeffDodge) April 2, 2019
Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon ("Make You Feel My Love"): He's had some really good performances in the competition so far. Behind the piano tonight, with a simple melody and simple vocals (simple meaning not all over the place), he's a breath of fresh air right now. #AmericanIdol #Idol— Jeff Dodge (@TheJeffDodge) April 2, 2019
Laci Kaye Booth ("I Want You to Want Me"): Laci has SO much potential, and she could be someone who could go far in this competition. She hasn't been put on my "favorites" list yet, but I think she could definitely get there. She's been shown a lot on the show. #AmericanIdol— Jeff Dodge (@TheJeffDodge) April 2, 2019
Wade Cota ("All I Want"): If he makes it to the live shows, I'd be interested to see how well he does. There is something about his gravelly voice that's really cool. I don't know if tonight's performance was super memorable, but I'm sure he'll stick around. #AmericanIdol #Idol— Jeff Dodge (@TheJeffDodge) April 2, 2019
My favorites of the night: Shawn Robinson, Ryan Hammond, Laine Hardy and Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon.— Jeff Dodge (@TheJeffDodge) April 2, 2019
The weakest of the night: Logan Johnson, Raquel Trinidad and Bumbly.#AmericanIdol #Idol #IdolTop20
They managed to fit 20 performances into one two-hour episode--and yet the pacing was perfect; it didn't feel rushed or anything. The celeb duets are coming up next. Then the field is narrowed to 14. See ya then...
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