American Idol XIII 2014 – Live Blog and Recap – Auditions #4 – Video
Welcome to the live blog and recap of American Idol XIII "Auditions #4"! Who will get a Golden Ticket?
Credit: FOX
Videos will be added as soon as they become available, so keep refreshing! Let's get this live blog on a roll!
Recap
-We kick things off with home videos of the contestants being woken up on audition day, including Ryan Seacrest, whose mother, Connie, ambushes him in the bedroom to get him up for work. This is surprisingly cute.
-And we start off the auditions with a girl named Majesty freaking out in The Chamber over her audition.
MAJESTY ROSE, 21, is up first!
-Majesty is a preschool teacher that Harry thinks is adorable, not only from the bubbly, nervous nature of her personality, but from the flowers in her hair.
-She sings "Violet Hill" by Coldplay, and it's not perfect, but I found it kind of stunning in its simple elegance. And her guitar-playing is seriously great. Although I wish J-Lo would keep quiet during auditions. She has an annoying habit of making noises or turning to the other judges and commenting on how good she thinks an audition is. Dude, just WATCH and LISTEN. You can talk as long as you want after. (But seriously, keep it short)
-J-Lo loves how effortless Majesty is, and Keith and Harry are similarly enthusiastic about the audition, and with good reason. Majesty is one of the more unique contestants the show has had in a while, for my money.
MAJESTY ROSE is going to Hollywood!
-After a brief bit of beatboxing from Harry and J-Lo, we get things going on our next audition...
JESSE CLINE, 19, is up next!
-Jesse drove eight hours to be here, but he's used to being up for a long-ass time, since he works midnights.
-He sings "Washed by the Water" by NEEDTOBREATHE and this is a pretty terrific audition. Just a few notes in and I'm seriously impressed at the richness of his tone, which isn't like many other contestants we've heard so far. Much like Majesty, his guitar skills are aces, although I wonder if his audition would have been as strong without it. But I prefer not to think about it when we're getting auditions this strong.
-Harry interrupts Jesse to tell him what an incredible singer he is, and Keith doesn't even take time to finish his full thoughts on the audition before telling Jesse he's going through.
JESSE CLINE is going to Hollywood!
-Jesse talks about how relieved he is to have gotten through, saying this is like a huge weight being lifted off his shoulders.
-We return from break with ALYSON RAGONA, 19, a pink-haired girl with a cat shirt and a ukulele version of "Bohemian Rhapsody". After a brief bit of banter about the cat shirt, the judges say no, sending her on her way. Alyson takes it in stride, saying she'll be back next year.
-We follow it up with an audition from CHRIS MEDINA, 23, who brings his dog with him. He sings "Chasing Pavements" by Adele, and I'm not really feeling it. In fact, this is probably the most I've disagreed with these judges so far, as they all seem to love Chris, particularly Keith, who feels he can really "believe" Chris when he sings.
CHRIS MEDINA is going to Hollywood!
-We then get a pair of back-to-back auditions...
KRISTEN O'CONNOR, 24, oversings her audition, in my opinion, but I can't really argue with her tone, as her voice has a very smooth quality to it. But of the two auditions, EMILY PIRIZ, 17, is the livelier, as she delivers a controlled rendition of "Mamma Knows Best" by Jessie J. In her background video, Emily talks about what a Golden Ticket would mean to her, since she's been watching Idol since season one, when she was a little girl. The judges are enthusiastic about both auditions.
KRISTEN O'CONNOR and EMILY PIRIZ are going to Hollywood!
-And we don't slow down...
BEN BRILEY, 24, is up next!
-Ben talks about his wife, Courtney, who has been his rock throughout this entire time, encouraging him to pursue his dream.
-In my favorite audition of the week so far, Ben sings "Arms of a Woman" by Amos Lee, and sounds unlike any contestant I've heard on a singing show in a while. He's like a classic country crooner as filtered through the vocal stylings of a modern blues singer. He goes on some really interesting vocal runs, and already, this is the most excited I've been about a country singer in quite some time.
-Keith says if he heard Ben sing a cappella on the radio, he'd have to pull over; hell, he might actually crash his car. Harry, meanwhile, is all about Ben's authenticity, nicknaming him "Gumbo". The judges vote, and the decision is academic...
BEN BRILEY is going to Hollywood!
-And we return with more from the Atlanta auditions. Dear American Idol, stop trying to make #ThisIsReal happen. It's tackier than Ralph Lauren's Olympic outfits.
NICA NASHAE, 24, is up next!
-Nica spends most of her background video going on about how great she is, and how everyone is going to know the name Nica Nashae. Yet her confidence is actually fits with the diva package she's presenting, so it's not as irritating and off-putting as it probably should be.
-Luckily, she can sing. Her audition of "Natural Woman" is a bit shouty, but it's mostly good. The judges are quick to send her through.
NICA NASHAE is going to Hollywood!
-Nica celebrates with her family and talks about how there's nowhere to go but up, as she'll continue to strive.
JORDAN BRISBANE, 15, is up next!
-Jordan looks much older than 15, but he's got a winsome, youthful personality that more or less shows his real age. He has such a happy face. I like this kid.
-He sounds a bit like Burnell Taylor as he sings "When I Was Your Man" by Bruno Mars. The judges like him, but Harry warns him against doing runs, since there are other singers who did it better than he does. However, he says he thinks Jordan is a good singer, and could be a great one in a few years. Harry notes that Jordan's personality is infectious, and that people are likely going to applaud him whether he sings well or not, but I'm not sure I'd have gone that far.
-The judges vote...
JORDAN BRISBANE is going to Hollywood!
-I really like Jordan. He seems like a cool kid. I mean, his audition was a bit overcooked for my taste, but he has great fundamentals from which to build.
-Back from break as Ryan reminds us that we found Phillip Phillips here, prompting comparisons to our next auditioner...
SAM BURCHFIELD, 21, is up next!
-Sam comes in with his guitar and blows it out of the water with his version of "I Wanna Be Like You" from The Jungle Book. Seriously, loved it.
-The show is seriously doubling down on guitarists (particularly of the "White Guy With" variety), and while it's not meaning a thing for ratings, I'm welcoming the return from a pure viewership perspective. These sorts of guys just entertain me, even though they're basically a dime a dozen on a show like this.
-J-Lo loved his uniqueness, while Keith loved his guitar-playing (although he states he loved his voice more). Harry, however, felt that Sam went from speaking normally to adopting an annoying inflection in his actual singing. "I didn't buy it," Harry says, adding that he didn't feel it was good enough. But Keith and J-Lo disagree. So...
SAM BURCHFIELD is going to Hollywood!
-Sam celebrates his Golden Ticket, while Harry tells the other judges that he doesn't think Sam will last.
JESSICA MEUSE, 22, is up next!
-Jessica is from a town called "Slapout," which is just eleven kinds of fantastic.
-She auditions with one of her own songs ("Blue-Eyed Lie"), and she sounds virtually indistinguishable from a young Stevie Nicks. She has a kind of understated swagger that's really enthralling. I'm not crazy about her actual voice, but she's unique. And on a show like this, that could be the difference.
-The judges note the Stevie Nicks similarities, and talk about her uniqueness, and it's easy to see where this is headed.
JESSICA MEUSE is going to Hollywood!
-I should add that I quite enjoyed "Blue-Eyed Lie", even if I didn't love the vocal. So I agree with Jess getting a Golden Ticket, if only on principle, and the potential for growth that she displays.
-And they send us to break with one of those "#IdolHollywood or #IdolHome" auditions, where we must predict whether an auditioner goes through. As we come back from break, we learn that the man, JARED COTTON, ultimately gets a no. Hmm, and I thought he actually delivered a pretty good vocal there.
But he's not the only one to miss out on Hollywood, as we get a montage of flops, with TRAVIS HUNTER-BROWN, 26, singing a weird, ukulele take on "Valerie", while a completely tone deaf guy sings "Radioactive".
LAUREN OGBURN, 19, is up next!
-Lauren comes in sporting an American flag bandanna, and I can see what she's going for, but she just looks strange, particularly with the American flag boots and bald eagle tank top.
-Lauren sings "Fancy" by Reba McEntire, and I just wasn't feeling this at all. Maybe it's because I've heard this song a million times, and done better, but it just seemed so bland. But she does seem like an authentic country girl, which makes her much more believable as a country artist (since not all country singers these days give off that vibe).
-Harry immediately picks up on the weird fashion choices, saying she's trying too hard, and that she's a good enough singer not to need all the gimmickry. Keith and J-Lo liked her, feeling she came off as real. They vote, and it's unanimous...
LAUREN OGBURN is going to Hollywood!
-Lauren cries, and admits she never cries. After celebrating with her family, she makes the prediction that "Lauren Ogburn is the next American Idol." Ah well, if you're going to make a bet, might as well bet on yourself.
-And we're back with a pair of returning auditioners...
CALEB JOHNSON, 22, auditioned in season 11 and made it to Las Vegas, but messed up on his Green Mile performance of "Old Time Rock and Roll". He's looking for redemption, and he's not alone in that mission. NECO STARR, 22, made it to Top 42 in Season 11 but was cut, and he's intent on proving to the judges he's changed.
-Caleb delivers a really solid rock vocal (seriously, where the rockers been?) and Neco acquits himself well with a crooners' take on "Someone Like You". The judges are split on both auditions, but they both are able to get a second chance...
CALEB JOHNSON and NECO STARR are going to Hollywood!
-And it's on to our final auditioner of the night...
BRIA ANAI, 15, closes the show!
-Bria in no way looks like she's 15 years old -- well, except for the super-sparkly lipstick and pink eyeliner. The judges all love her fashion, particularly Harry, who says his daughter would adore her style.
-Bria sings "One and Only" by Adele, and it's a really interesting vocal. Her voice has a lot of character, and is distinct in a way that not a lot of voices have been so far. I might actually be able to recognize her if I heard her on the radio.
-Keith loves the way she sings, and J-Lo loves her style (but adds that none of it would work if she couldn't sing). Harry is floored that she's so good at such a young age, proclaiming that she's only been on this planet for 15 years. It's another unanimous decision.
BRIA ANAI is going to Hollywood!
-And with that, we close on a montage of auditioners singing "Hey Ya" by Outkast, as Ryan informs us that the official Golden Ticket count is up to a whopping 163! MADNESS! I love it.
Thoughts
-I kind of wish we had five weeks of one-hour audition episodes instead of nearly three full weeks of two-hour audition episodes. This was a much breezier episode than the others we've seen so far this season, packing a lot of talent and interesting characters into a short time frame. I don't think the winner is in this lineup or anything (although watch me end up being wrong), but I found myself impressed by a heartening majority of tonight's singers. The hour just flew by, and was pretty fun all the way through, between the judges and the lighthearted auditions. Not that the show still won't end up getting a rating in the mid 3s, but this was an episode that I heartily enjoyed. As for contestants, I'm ALL about Majesty Rose, Jesse Cline, Ben Briley, and Sam Burchfield, four of my favorite auditions of Season 13 so far.
Who were your favorites? Did the right singers go through? Are there any potential frontrunners in this group? Sound off in the comments!
Thanks for hanging out, guys! I'll catch you all next week!