by Todd Betzold

 

They ended American Idol last week with a twist: one of four men who were sent home will be back tonight to compete in the semifinals in hopes of moving on to the finals next week...who will that 13th guy be?

 

So, here is how it works: the guys perform tonight, the girls perform tomorrow and on Thursday America's vote sends the Top 5 of each group into the finals and then the judges get to choose one singer each and that will form your Top 13.

 

Reed Grimm - "Moves Like Jagger" by Maroon 5
It is always difficult when a singer takes on a recent and very popular song, but Reed did this and made it his own. It had a jazz/soulful vibe to it and he played his drums a little and he worked the stage...I loved it and so did the judges.

 

Adam Brock - "Think" by Aretha Franklin
Adam, a.k.a. White Chocolate, says he has a black woman trapped inside him and he tries to release her when he takes on an Aretha song...I think she came out some, as that was a very fun performance...strong vocals and very consistent. Jennifer loved the big ending and said it was needed with such strong singers this year.

 

Deandre Brackensick - "Reason" by Earth, Wind and Fire
Now don't get me wrong, he has some very sexy eyes that want to draw you in, but I have never been a fan of this guy and he proved it again tonight. He has very high vocals and I just don't enjoy, but the judges did and so did the crowd. Randy said he is the most commercial guy he's ever seen in 11 seasons...he's ready to go right now.

 

Colton Dixon - "Decode" by Paramore
He claims he is going to shock us tonight because we are used to him sitting behind a piano...he starts the song sitting at a piano...wow, I am shocked! He then ends it standing on top of the piano. I am a fan of his, but I wasn't a fan of this song. Steven said he truly is a relevant artist today.

 

Jeremy Rosado - "Gravity" by Sara Bareilles
This started out slow for me and he did nothing special to stand out, but then he hit an amazing run of notes and I was like wow, maybe this guy deserves to be here. It is a great group of singers and he seems to just blend in, so we shall see if he moves on. Steven says that it was as beautiful as beautiful gets.

Aaron Marcellus - "Never Can Say Goodbye" by The Jackson 5
Jennifer fought for him to be in the Top 12 and now this song showed why she wanted him. It was a very good song choice with a stellar note at the end...another good performance tonight. Randy said now that is how you sing some vocals...boy can sing.

 

Chase Likens - "Storm Warning" by Hunter Hayes
The guy's country crooner this season and he was decent, but nothing special, especially coming off last season where Scotty McCreery won it all...he needed to stand out more and I think he dropped the ball on that one.

 

Creighton Fraker - "True Colors" by Cyndi Lauper
Now this was a different case for me: I was not a big fan of him and not sure why he made Top 24, but then this performance was so great and he proved himself. Great rendition and great vocals...so beautiful. Jennifer said it showed the beautiful dynamics of her voice...showed his uniqueness.

 

Phillip Phillips - "In The Air Tonight" by Phil Collins
I think he has a unique sound to his singing, but it just seems kind of like the same range...he didn't go up and didn't go down. It's hard to explain...I enjoyed it, just really unique. Randy said he is so unique and so different for this show.

 

Eben Franckewitz - "Set Fire To The Rain" by Adele
The youngest competitor on the show, takes a big risk and takes on an Adele song...she didn't take home all those Grammy's for not being able to sing. He has a fresh voice and I liked it. Steven said he has a true, straight, beautiful voice for a 15-year-old boy.

 

Heejun Han - "Angels" by Robbie Williams
You have to love this guy...he is funny, outgoing and just a treat to watch. He has a very unique voice and I enjoy it. Steven said he didn't think it was the right song, but he still loved his voice. Randy said he is a mad-talented guy and glad they found him.

 

Joshua Ledet - "You Pulled Me Through" by Jennifer Hudson
We have a lot of guys this season with high-pitched voices...nothing wrong with that, because most of them can sing the crap out of their songs. He is nicknamed Mantasia and you can sense that in this song, but I just can't get on board with him...not a fan. Jennifer said it was a privilege to sit here and hear that voice.

 

The guy who got brought back for a second chance and our 13th singer of the night:

Jermaine Jones - "Dance With My Father" by Luther Vandross
I didn't like him so much during the auditions...his baritone voice was too much for me to handle, but he chose with a perfect song and he got to show America what he can do and I enjoyed it...a very good job...stand ovation from the judges! Jennifer said he has a special voice and a special spirit and she is glad America got to see him tonight.

 

 

The girls take the stage tomorrow night on American Idol at 8/7c on FOX.

 

(Image courtesy of FOX)

 

 

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