By Mary Cavaliere

This week continued the competition for the final Top 12 with the second set of 12 from the final 36 contestants chosen at the end of Hollywood week.

 

The first one out of the gate was Jasmine Murray. I, like the judges, was disappointed because Jasmine was one of my favorites. It was a good performance, but was it good enough to beat out the other eleven contestants competing tonight? Probably not.

 

Next up was Matt Giraud who blew everyone away with "Georgia" during Hollywood week. He’s a talented guy but I think his nerves got the best of him. He had poor breath control which probably contributed to most of the song being sung off key.

 

I’d like to say the next person up was better than the first two but that was not the case. Jeanine Vailes, who is pretty new to the television audience, sang a Maroon 5 song and it was flat all the way through the entire song. When told she blew it she disagreed with the judges. But honestly, they were right on. There are only three spots available for twelve contestants so I think it is really fair to say she definitely blew it. Maybe next year Jeanine.

 

Funny man Nick Mitchell was the next to perform. He sang You’re Gonna Love Me from Dreamgirls. Can he sing like Clay Aiken (or Jennifer Hudson)? No. But when he sings I’m not cringing half way through the song like I did with the three contestants that sang before him. Honestly, I’m not sure he belongs in the Top 12, but one thing I know for sure……he DOES belong in the entertainment industry and I hope he gets enough exposure to book the night club circuit for fifty-two weeks out of the year. As for Idol, I hope once he’s eliminated they keep him on as entertainment because honestly I do not want him to leave and I’m sure others feel the same exact way!

 

Allison Iraheta was up next. This 16-year old sang Alone by Heart which is NOT an easy song to sing. I like this girl. She is definitely interesting and has a solid set of pipes. I agree with the judges, she was clearly one of the best of the night!

 

Kris Allen sang for us next. He has a great voice and a great style but I hated his Michael Jackson song choice. I’m not sure tonight’s performance is enough to keep him in the competition but we might see him during the wildcard show if he doesn’t make it through tonight.

 

Next up was Megan Joy Corkrey. She is absolutely adorable and has a very distinct voice and sound, but I personally do not feel she’s good enough for this competition. All of the judges talked about her having a recording career. Technology is pretty advanced and I’m sure she could be a hit artist as well, but for me if you can’t sing live as good as what we hear on the radio, you’re simply a persona and that isn’t enough for someone like me.

 

Mediocre performances seem to be the rage tonight! Matt Breitzke was no exception. He has a good voice but I agree with Simon and Randy….I was bored to tears during his performance. He can disagree all he wants but no one will be picking up the phone to vote for him no matter how much he loved performing the song he chose or not.

 

The ninth person up was Jesse Langseth and again we were faced with mediocrity. I’m all for rooting for the single Moms on this show. I’m one myself and would love for these girls to really excel and have a successful recording career. But if they don’t have the voice they don’t have the voice and it’s as simple as that.

 

Tenth for the night was Kai Kalama and I disagreed with the judges on this one. I thought he did a great job with the "throw-back" song he did and I think this young man reeks of sex appeal so I truly enjoyed watching him.

 

Second to last for the night was Mishavonna Henson. I think she definitely has a lot to offer. She’s got the right look and she’s got a great voice. She seemed to have a little trouble moving from her chest voice to her head voice, but compared to many of the others that performed tonight, she is way ahead of the game.

 

Once again they saved the best for last. I agree 100% with Paula. They could pull this kid off the stage and put him right into the studio. He does not even need this competition to further his career……he’s brilliant! Talk about being able to sing the phone book. Adam is the type of vocalist that can sing ANY kind of music and rock it! I enjoyed his version of Satisfaction even more than the Rolling Stones version. So I’m with Randy – I LOVED IT!

 

My number one GUY for the night without question is ADAM LAMBERT. My number one GIRL for the night is ALLISON IRAHETA. My third place would go to MISCHAVONNA HENSON. Have fun voting everyone!

 

You can read more of Mary’s television blogs at

www.myspace.com/italiangirl57

 

(Photo courtesy of americanidol.com)

 

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