American Idol 12 – Semifinals Round, Part 1 – Live Blog and Recap – 2/20/2013

Welcome to the live blog and recap for “Semifinals Round, Part 1 — Girls Perform” episode of American Idol Season 12.

Ten girls perform in front of a studio audience in Las Vegas, and the judges will cut five! Will your favorites survive?

(I didn’t intend for that to rhyme, but now I’m uncharacteristically proud of myself for inadvertently rapping. Truly, I have flow like Progressive)

Credit: FOX

8:00 PM

We open with Ryan hyping that this has never been done before. It’s the Sudden Death round, a title that immediately conjures images of a trap door opening and swallowing the eliminated contestants whole.

8:02 PM

I like the stage. It’s not a traditional live Idol stage, it’s more similar to the stage from last year’s Vegas solo rounds, except there’s an audience there this time.

Randy explains how the round is going to work: ten will perform, five will be cut. Same deal tomorrow with the guys.

In the event of a split-decision among the panel, Jimmy Iovine will be the tiebreaking vote. Somehow, I forget about Jimmy every season until live rounds actually start.

8:05 PM

Ryan introduces the ten ladies who will be competing tonight:

Adriana Lotonio
Amber Holcomb
Angela Miller
Brandy Hotard
Isabelle Pasqualone (formerly “Christina Isabelle”)
Jenny Beth Willis
Kamaira Ousley
Kree Harrison
Shubha Vedula
Tenna Torres

JENNY BETH WILLIS is up first!

-Jenny is kind of adorable, even though she’s just okay doing Trisha Yearwood’s “Heaven, Heartache and the Power of Love”. The arrangement is just really pedestrian, though she does sing it well. She definitely has potential.

-Keith felt it was a great way to start the show. Although he has mixed feelings about the song choice, he loves her effortless confidence and range.

-Nicki felt Jenny didn’t come alive until the glory note at the end, and she adds that the audience seemed more excited than she did, saying that Jenny could have had more fun with the song.

-Randy felt it was a bit “jerky” and that she never seemed to be in sync with the band. He didn’t feel it was her best performance, even though he liked the note at the end. He says she might be in trouble tonight.

-Mariah felt it was a good performance, although she thinks Jenny could have been more dynamic in the verses. That said, she liked the richness of Jenny’s voice, particularly the deepness on her phrasing of the word “Love”.

-Ryan, with hair that looks newly-dyed to “Carson Daly black”, asks Jenny about the performance, and she’s such a mousy person that I find her strangely endearing, although I don’t feel she has any kind of chance to make it unless the other nine girls bomb.

Jenny Beth Willis – Vegas Singoff – American… by IdolxMuzic

8:14 PM

-Back from break with the terrified girls in the holding room.

TENNA TORRES is up next!

-She restates, in her video package, her background as a former camper at Camp Mariah. She’s nervous because she’s 28, so this is her last shot with Idol, but she states that she’s confident she can do this.

-Tenna sings “Soulmate” by Natasha Bedingfield, and while the chorus is pretty, U have to agree with TVLine’s Michael Slezak who equates her voice with chipmunks.

-Keith liked the diversity of Tenna’s voice as well as her control throughout.

-Nicki states that a lot of her own fans got mad when she told Tenna she had a good voice, but she’s standing by her assessment, saying that Tenna has a voice reminiscent of some of the 90s R&B greats. However, she tells Tenna she needs to try a different hair style, because the one she has tonight has aged her.

-Randy loved the performance, saying “This is how you do it!” and proclaiming her the start of the night.

-Mariah says that Tenna gave a beautiful, pure performance that was effortless.

-Ryan speaks with Tenna and reveals that she didn’t even want to see her boyfriend at all today, so that she would be able to convey that feeling of longing in her performance. Clever.

Tenna Torres – Vegas Singoff – American Idol 12 by IdolxMuzic

ADRIANA LATONIO is up next!

-She’s a girl from Alaska with a lot of confidence and ambition. She seems pretty likable.

-Adriana sings “Ain’t No Way” by Aretha Franklin, and immediately I feel like she’s miles ahead of Tenna in the star department, to say nothing of the richness of her vocals. I mean, this is an ARETHA song, and she’s making it look easy. (Mariah is singing along too!)

-The judges seem to agree, getting to their feet for Adriana.

-Keith said her emotions completely belied her age. He says it was really hard not to react, because it was really good.

-Nicki asks how tall Adriana is, and she says 5’0″. Nicki then asks if she’s Filipino, and Adriana affirms that she is. So Nicki reveals that she wrote down in her notes that Adriana is a little tiny thing who commands the stage like a pro.

-Randy agrees, saying that Adriana is a pro, and that he loved it.

-Adriana says it went better than she thought it would, and Mariah says she’s really proud of her, since that was an Aretha Franklin song, and she tackled it head-on.

-Ryan jokes about how he and Adriana, at 5’0″, can see eye-to-eye.

Adriana Latonio – Vegas Singoff – American Idol 12 by IdolxMuzic

BRANDY HOTARD is up next!

-In her package, she reveals she’s been trying to make it on the show since she was sixteen, and adds that she has a lot of personality she can bring to the show.

-She sings “Anymore” by Travis Tritt, and while she does come across as an authentic country singer, does anyone else get the feeling that a lot of the girls that audition now just do country because it’s the path of least resistance? It seems like country girls have an easier time getting through than straight-up pop singers or alternative or jazzy contemporary types.

-The performance is pretty bland, even though it’s technically proficient. Keith says it was a decent performance, but he didn’t really believe it, as she didn’t really find the emotional center of the song.

-Nicki agrees with Keith, asking why Brandy felt the need to smile during a song about heartbreak. She says it was a total pageant delivery, adding that Jimmy Iovine has signed a lot of artists and they don’t smile if it isn’t true to what they’re feeling.

-Randy says Brandy might be in trouble, as he just wasn’t feeling it from her.

-Mariah didn’t really notice whether she was smiling or not – she simply cites that Brandy has a nice vibratto and implies that the performance is better than she’s getting credit for, adding that she’d like to hear Brandy do an album of classics. She also agrees with Nicki’s earlier assertion that she looks like a million bucks.

-Ryan asks Brandy about the performance, and she explains how it’s kind of hard for her to portray begging someone to come back to her. (So then WHY pick that song? Assuming, of course, that there were more than, say, three songs from which you could have chosen. It’s all about song choice, people!)

Brandy Hotard – Vegas Singoff – American Idol 12 by IdolxMuzic

8:44 PM

Back from break with Ryan introducing Shubha Vedula, and we need SO much less of that video clip of Randy obnoxiously messing up her name.

SHUBHA VEDULA is up next!

-She sings “Born This Way” by Lady Gaga, starting off at a piano, and I wish for once that these kids could be talked out of needlessly kicking things up into an uptempo arrangement when the low-key, intimate, stripped back intros are usually the best part of the performance.

-That said, it’s the best thing so far tonight. Her voice is CRAZY, especially considering her age.

-Keith felt she crammed a lot into the song, drawing boos from the audience, though he’s ultimately positive about her voice and her performance.

-Nicki tells the audience to prepare to boo again, as she felt Shubha did too much, and it felt like a mashup of Christina Aguilera and “the Gangnam Style guy”.

-Randy defends her, saying he actually liked it in parts, but that she doesn’t need to be doing all those runs. For once, I agree with him when he says that he’d have liked if she stayed at the piano. He says she has a ton of potential.

-Mariah agrees with Randy, for the most part, and it though it wasn’t as though she got horrible reviews, poor Shubha still looks slightly gutted by the critiques.

Shubha Vedula – Vegas Singoff – American Idol 12 by IdolxMuzic

8:54 PM

-Ryan interviews Brandy in the holding room about the pressure of not knowing who will go through and who will go home. He also interviews Kree Harrison, both of whom echo the general notion of how terrifying this is.

KAMARIA OUSLEY is up next!

-She sings “Mr. Know-It-All” by Kelly Clarkson and I hate saying it, but she can pretty much pack her bag now. This is absolutely terrible. You have to go back to that one Bobby guy who sang Copacabana to find a semifinal performance this bad. Or maybe just Eben Franckewitz last year.

-Keith tells her that it wasn’t the right song (drawing sparse applause from the audience), saying that she sings “You don’t know a thing about me,” and he doesn’t. And he wants to.

-Nicki says that while Kamaria looks amazing, she has this throaty, nasally quality that she’s never had before, and it just didn’t work.

-Randy felt it was her worst performance since she’s been in the competition, saying it was pitchy, all over the place, and he didn’t like it. (It’s telling that he hardly drew any boos from the audience for this comment)

-Mariah theorizes that perhaps Kamaria had trouble hearing herself, and admits that she’s kind of obsessed with Kamaria, saying that she’s vivacious, marketable, and fashionable (I can’t imagine anyone will agree with Mariah’s proclamation that she “loves the ensemble”).

Kamaria – Vegas Singoff – American Idol 12 by IdolxMuzic

KREE HARRISON is up next!

-Kree talks in her video package about how her mom used to listen to Otis Redding and her dad used to listen to Stevie Ray Vaughn, and those influences have shaped her into the singer she is today.

-She sings “Up to the Mountain” by Patty Griffin, and it’s restrained and beautiful. She might be the first contestant to do this song whose version might actually stand alongside Crystal Bowersox’s (although I’m still partial to the Mama Sox version).

-Keith and Nicki give her a standing O. Keith says she’s a natural born singer, saying that there are so many styles within the foundation of country music, such as blues and gospel, and that Kree implements them all beautifully.

-Nicki says that she would be very afraid if she were any of the other girls in the competition. Nicki tells Kree that she makes love to a song, adding that there’s something incredibly sexy about her, saying that some girls have to show tons of skin to feel sexy, yet Kree is able to be sexy while literally clothed from head-to-toe.

-Randy: “You know what? This is what we call a natural born singer.” Dude, Keith JUST said that.

-Mariah said Kree sang the hell out of that song, and she loved it. Can’t disagree there (in fact, I would be loathe to disagree with Mariah, who’s forgotten more about the craft than most will ever learn).

Kree Harrison – Vegas Singoff – American Idol 12 by IdolxMuzic

9:06 PM

-Ryan interviews Kree about the performance, and I wonder what the point is, given that he gives them only about five seconds of speaking time. But then, that’s not really Seacrest’s call. Although I feel I need to reiterate just how distracting his black hair is. It’s like that episode of How I Met Your Mother where Barney dyed his hair black to impress Robin’s dad, who feels that only sissies and women are blonde.

Is Julianne Hough’s father giving you the business, Ryan? It’s okay, you can tell me. I won’t protect you, but I’ll listen.

ANGELA MILLER is up next!

-Angela talks about watching Idol for the first time, during the season 2 finale. She knew then and there that she would audition. We recap her journey, including the standing O she received during Hollywood round.

-She sings “Nobody’s Perfect” by Jessie J, and while she isn’t playing the piano this time, it’s still a seriously terrific vocal. She also works the stage like she strolled out of her mother’s womb doing this. I also feel I would remiss if I didn’t note the difference between Angela and Brandy, in terms of emotionally connecting with the meaning of a song. She’s neck-and-neck with Kree right now for best of the night. No standing O from any of the judges though. Read into that what you will.

-Keith felt it was beautiful, and wishes he had more time to shower her in more adjectives. He suspects he will be.

-Nicki says that Angela couldn’t possibly have topped her Hollywood performance (Angela: “Thank you?”). Nicki adds that she rewatched Angela’s Hollywood performance, and she felt it was the most beautiful thing she’s seen since joining Idol, and tells her that she should avoid overdoing it since she’s already a contender.

-Randy feels she’s one of the top contenders in the competition right now.

-Mariah wants everyone in the world to get the chance to hear the song Angela wrote and performed in Hollywood week, saying that she’s an artist with immense talent.

Angela Miller – Vegas Singoff – American Ido 12 by IdolxMuzic

9:19 PM

-Back from break with Ryan shouting out Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, congratulating them on their recent Grammy wins.

ISABELLE PASQUALONE is up next!

-In her video package, she talks about have been over 200 lbs. as a kid, and having never been asked out or having gone to any school dances. She adds that those experiences helped to make her strong, and tells the youth of America that anything is possible.

-She sings “God Bless the Child” by Billie Holiday. It starts out really rough, but man does she ever save it in the latter half. That was an exceptional vocal.

-Keith tells Isabelle that her performance should stand as a kiss-off to all the boys who didn’t want to ask her out.

-Nicki thought it was tremendous, loudly singing her praises.

-Randy liked the vocal but felt it was too old-fashioned, adding that he would have liked to see her do a contemporary song, leading Isabelle to suggest that she will if they bring her back next week, with Nicki encouraging her to say “WHEN you bring me back next week!”

-Mariah thought that vocal could have sounded great on any song, saying that she loves “God Bless the Child.” I love that Mariah made note of how it’s a losing game to try and interpret Randy’s critiques.

Isabelle – Vegas Singoff – American Idol 12 by IdolxMuzic

9:30 PM

Back from break with Ryan insisting that cuts are coming up soon. Better get to it with only a half-hour left!

AMBER HOLCOMB is up next!

-Amber recalls getting cut in Vegas last year, and how she grew into herself over the last year, becoming more confident and getting a makeover to boot. She certainly looks ready.

-She sings “My Funny Valentine”, and while she’s no Melinda Doolittle, it’s a very powerful, controlled vocal (at least until the end, when she does a bunch of crazy, unnecessary runs for seemingly no reason).

-Keith asks Amber why she has to make it so hard on them, saying that she has such incredible breath control. He adds that she made what Randy would call an “old” song into something that still resonates, proving that it’s timeless.

-Nicki thought it was an incredible vocal, though Nicki worries that her “inner shine” won’t necessarily come through on TV.

-Randy said that for her inner shine to come out, she has to believe it’s there. He adds that her runs were great, particularly the last one.

-Mariah wants to smack Amber, because she was so impressed with the vocal (not sure how that works, but sure). Mariah recalls her personal connection with the song, since her mother sang jazz.

Amber Holcomb – Vegas Singoff – American Idol 12 by IdolxMuzic

9:35 PM

It’s time for the judges to deliberate during the break! Man, I didn’t even notice they’d gone through all ten girls yet.

9:41 PM

Ryan announces that the judges have made their decisions and the choices were unanimous, so Jimmy Iovine won’t be necessary tonight.

Results

Jenny Beth Willis: ELIMINATED

Brandy Hotard: ELIMINATED

Tenna Torres: ADVANCES!

Kree Harrison: ADVANCES!

Isabelle Pasqualone: ELIMINATED (BIG boos from the audience, and I can’t say I disagree.)

Angela Miller: ADVANCES!

Results Group 1 – Vegas Singoff – American Idol 12 by IdolxMuzic

After the break, Ryan asks the judges if the decision was hard, and of course, Mariah states that it was. Keith adds that they’re sending a lot of insanely-talented people home. Kamaria is up next to hear her results, and Randy annoys the hell out of me by immediately asking how she thinks she did. She already knows it wasn’t good, man. Quit drawing it out.

Kamaria Ousley: ELIMINATED (Takes the news like a total class act)

Amber Holcomb: ADVANCES!

It comes down to best friends Adriana and Shubha. Adriana is in tears already at being pit against her best friend in the competition for the last spot. Keith tells Shubha that she was fought for, and that she’s really talented.

Shubha Vedula: ELIMINATED

Adriana Latonio: ADVANCES!

Results Group 2 – Vegas Singoff – American Idol 12 by IdolxMuzic

The first five girls to make it through to America’s vote are:

TENNA TORRES

ADRIANA LATONIO

Well, in my world, either Shubha or Isabelle would have gotten Tenna’s spot, but this isn’t my world. It’s Nigel Lythgoe’s. C’est la vie.

That’s it for me. I’ll be back tomorrow night when the guys take the stage. And don’t forget to refresh the page, as videos will be added from tonight’s show as soon as they become available!

Thanks for hanging out!

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