‘American Idol’ Hollywood Week, Pt. 3: Going Solo

Everyone says the Group Round is the toughest part of American Idol’s Hollywood Week, but for the contestants who survived all that drama and step-touch choreography, a new challenge arrived this Wednesday: the Solo Round. Each singer had just one night to arrange and rehearse a song with Rickey Minor’s band (this was the first time the judges heard any of the Season 15 hopefuls alone in a full-band setting), and then they performed without receiving a single word of feedback from Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban, and Harry Connick Jr. They simply hit the stage, sang their song – and then, to quote Depeche Mode, they’d leave in silence, rather than enjoy the silence. (Side note: No one actually covered Depeche Mode on Idol this week. Bummer.)

It was only an hour-long episode, but it was packed with performances. So let’s get right to the recapping, shall we?

Stephany Negrete – Stephany certainly set the bar high for herself by taking on a song by Britain’s and America’s sweetheart, Adele, “Set Fire to the Rain.” I can’t say the gal isn’t ambitious. This was actually a surprisingly strong vocal, since Stephany has been inconsistent this season. But she didn’t quite channel Miss Adkins’s woman-scorned fury or raw pain. (Maybe Stephany has never had her heart broken like Adele so famously has?) There was a vaguely pageant-y, overly polished vibe to this performance. However, Stephany looked like a perfect pint-sized pop star, and J.Lo seemed quite impressed that “she can walk in a pair of heels.”

Thomas Stringfellow – Keith thought Thomas’s song choice, Christina Perri’s Love Theme From Twilight “A Thousand Years,” was a terrible fit, and the insecure and shy Thomas seemed to think he flubbed this performance. I was much more forgiving. I loved it. I loved it for a thousand years. Thomas looked and sounded like the miraculously test-tube-conceived lovechild of Ed Sheeran and Harry Styles. And yes, I do mean that as a compliment.

Avalon Young – Avalon brought her Idol-and-chill, laid-back vibe to Ariana Grande’s usually strident “One More Time,” and I dug her easy-breezy performance (and her ugly-chic ‘80s sweater). However, I preferred Avalon doing the more upbeat “DJ Got Us Falling In Love” last week, when she was so cool she even did the unthinkable and managed to upstage my beloved Colette Lush.

Olivia Rox – Olivia took a risk by singing an original song. It paid off. Looking radiant and adorable (and incredibly marketable and Idol-esque), she performed with confidence and cuteness. “Decent enough songwriting skills for only 16,” remarked Keith. “Totally – she’s on the right track,” said Harry. Are “decent” and “on the right track” enough to get Olivia to the top 24? I sure hope so. I think Olivia Rox kind of rocks.

John Wayne Schulz – The returning “big handsome cowboy” of Season 10 sort of lost his mojo when he misplaced his lucky hat this week – and was forced to perform bare-headed for the first time ever. Losing his hat was like Frosty the Snowman losing his own topper: The magic was gone. (I’m calling shenanigans here. Which evil Hollywood Week rival – or conniving Fremantle producer – stole JWS’s 10-gallon chapeau?) Looking nearly unrecognizable as he hatlessly hit the stage, John performed a workmanlike and serviceable but un-extraordinary rendition of Keith’s own “John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16.” His vocals sounded professional and CMT-ready, but he just wasn’t memorable. “What is it that’s missing?” Keith pondered. Uh-oh. If not even Keith was won over, that did not bode too well for John’s future on the show.

MacKenzie Bourg – The elfin Voice alum also did an original song, “Roses,” and this was more than “decent enough” or “on the right track.” This was actually a killer folk-rock ballad, twangy and very John Mayer-esque, with shades of Kris Allen as well. The judges looked positively riveted. When they found out that MacKenzie actually penned the song, they sort of broke that “no feedback” rule, with Keith giving MacKenzie the thumbs up and J.Lo blurting, “Very nice!” Once MacKenzie was out of earshot, Keith described “Roses” as “like a lost Ed Sheeran track.” (And hey, if you liked that song, there are four more acoustic MacKenzie originals right HERE!)

Shelbie Z. – Shelbie clearly meant business, because she took on the one female vocalist that might be tougher to cover than Adele: Heart’s Ann Wilson. And she even sang “Alone,” the song that put Carrie Underwood on the Idol map! Of course, Shelbie slayed it. And she did so with a stars-and-stripes scarf tied to her microphone a la ex-Idol judge Steven Tyler. Shelbie just rocks.

Kory Wheeler – The returning indie-rock barista from Season 14 put a rustic spin on Coldplay’s “Fix You” that probably sounded nothing like what Chris Martin and company will attempt at this Sunday’s Super Bowl. Kory’s version was intimate, awkward in an endearing sort of way, and 100 percent sincere. Somebody will have to “fix me” if Kory isn’t in the top 24, because I’ll be a post-Green Mile wreck.

James VIII – James is only beginning to realize that he’s a legitimate singer and not just a guitarist and “background guy.” Granted, the man can really sing. His version of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game” had power. But those rubbery, Jim Carrey-esque facial expressions! Dang, they’re so off-putting and distracting. Maybe I would enjoy James more if Idol were a radio program, not a TV show. Or if he were on The Voice, and I was a coach, and my back was turned.

Tristan McIntosh – After a bit of drama over Tristan trying to secure her first song choice, Rascal Flatts’ “What Hurts the Most” – a ballad that means a lot to her, dedicated to her military mom – Tristan finally got her way and hit the stage with flat-ironed Alicia Keys hair and plenty of Alicia Keys poise. This was splendid; it even felt like a coronation song finale performance. “It’s a girls’ season, my word!” raved Keith. I still think there are plenty of guys, particularly WGWGs, who have a shot at being the 15th and final Idol. But they’ll have to beat Tristan first, and that won’t be easy.

Sonika Vaid – Sonika, who just might be Harry’s favorite, gave another perfect powerhouse performance technically and vocally, but I think she lacked personality and connection. She seemed to have little grasp of the lyrics to the song she was singing, “One More Time.” Said Keith: “She’s just gotta get the performance thing happening.” True. If Sonika works that out, she’ll be unstoppable.

Lee Jean – Lee’s performance of Vine star Shaun Mendes’s “Stitches” was a little meek and tentative – I’m not sure it was the best song choice – but he was still, as Harry put it, “heartbreakingly cute.” My heart would be broken if he didn’t make it to the live shows. I dig this kid. But he does sound like a kid. His voice just sounds so young. It’s too bad he couldn’t come back in Season 16. Because there will be no Season 16. Sigh.

Sara Sturm – Lee’s new BFF (and probably his new crush) took on Keane’s “Somewhere Only We Know.” I liked her tone and relaxed nature, but maybe she was a bit too relaxed. Her voice sounded worn-out from the rigors of Hollywood Week, and the judges didn’t seem that into her performance, sadly. “She’s better than that,” said Keith. “She’s much better than that,” agreed Jennifer. Sara wasn’t at her best, true, but I still thought she did a nice job.

Jenn Blosil – Could there have been a more perfect song choice for my favorite quirky girl of Season 15 than Cyndi Lauper’s heart-on-sequined-sleeve classic “True Colors”? I don’t understand why Jenn second-guessed herself and beat herself up, thinking she’d done a terrible job. Jenn, if you’re reading this, I saw your true colors shining through, and that’s why I love you. (Side note: I didn’t do quite as stellar a job with the Cyndi song myself a couple years ago.)

Emily Brooke – Emily was under the weather, and her vocals were severely compromised as a result. Then the song wasn’t in the key she wanted, and that upset her and threw her off her game. The frustration and fatigue was all over her pretty young face, and the overall performance felt muted and sad. But still, she did a respectable job with “What Hurts the Most,” and the judges didn’t seem to mind Emily’s vocal shortcomings and kept declaring that Season 15 is finally this repeat auditioner’s time to shine. Keith did, however, note that Emily got too caught up in her head during this performance.

Maile Delgado, Mionne Dynasty & Jessica Cabral – All three of these girls also fell ill during Hollywood Week. (Perhaps they got too close to contagious mono sufferer Trent Harmon?) Of these three, poor Malie, doing “Stitches,” sounded the worst; she could barely reach the notes. Luckily for her, the judges were sympathetic. Mionne bravely powered through Nick Jonas’s “Chains” and sounded decent. But only Jessica, doing Patty Griffin’s “Up to the Mountain,” sounded on top of her game. I would have never even guessed that Jessica was sick without the tip-off from Ryan Seacrest. I hope she pops a handful of vitamin C tablets and keeps on going.

Joshua Wicker – The emotional new father’s cover of “A Thousand Years” was really weird and off. He didn’t sing the song with longing; he sang it with anger. The vibe was all wrong – it felt stalker-y and creepy, and more than a little desperate. J.Lo and Keith said Joshua didn’t seem like Idol material, but oddly, Harry liked his “mournful and soulful” quality. Mournful and soulful would have been fine, sure. But this performance was more rage-ful.

C.J. Johnson – This seasoned Memphis club musician first pleased me at his audition with a Hall & Oates cover, and I was equally impressed with his song choice this week: Fleetwood Mac’s “Go Your Own Way.” I’ll pick Fleetwood Mac over Shaun Mendes any time. C.J. definitely gave his all, but he got shouty in parts, probably because he’s used to having to fight for drunken revelers’ attention in crowded, noisy bars. But this was an A for effort. Keith looked especially impressed.

Jeneve Rose Mitchell – This 15-year-old prairie home companion also went old-school, with Loggins & Messina’s “Danny’s Song.” It was an unhinged performance, with a lack of vocal control (J.Lo was not amused), but there was no lack of passion or heart. Jeneve always sings with absolutely zero fear, like no one is watching. That could ultimately be her downfall – after all, this is a show watched by millions – but it’s also part of her charm.

Dalton Rapattoni – The kid who flipped “The Phantom of the Opera” at his first audition took another intriguing chance with “Hopelessly Devoted to You” (nice Grease Live tie-in, Fox), and while he had some issues – his guitar wasn’t turned on at first, and he admitted he pretty much blanked out and had an out-of-body experience for most of the performance – I appreciated how he turned Olivia Newton-John’s sappy ‘70s ballad into a nervy, angsty rock song. “I love his song choices,” raved Keith. I do too. I am beginning to think Dalton could make just about any movie musical song sound cool.

The whirlwind episode ended with 51 contestants surviving the Solo Round, including favorites and frontrunners like MacKenzie Bourg, Colette Lush, Jessica Cabral, the unrelated Renaes (La’Porsha and Jenna), Tristan McIntosh, Shelbie Z., Jenn Blosil, buddies Lee Jean and Sara Sturm, Trent Harmon, Amelia Eisenhauer, Kory Wheeler, Jeneve Rose Mitchell, and Dalton Rapattoni.

Among the more high-profile Wednesday eliminations: poor John Wayne Schulz, who never did get his hat back, and Joshua Wicker, who at least can go home now to see his newborn child.

Come back Thursday, when the top 24 are revealed after the top 51 perform in front of a live audience in a club showcase round. It’s sure to be another performance-packed evening. Until then, Parker out.

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