American Idol XIII 2014 – Live Blog and Recap – Rush Week, Top 15 Male Singers – Video

Welcome to the live blog and recap of American Idol XIII "Rush Week, Top 15 Male Singers"! Which five singers will get the chop? And which of the remaining ten will earn a spot in the Top 13? Will these guys prove themselves ready for primetime?

Credit: FOX

If you're not only curious about who's singing what, but who gets cut, check out the song and elimination spoilers here. But please leave the spoilers in that thread, for the benefit of those who don't wish to be spoiled here.

And don't forget, you can voice your opinion on tonight's show in real time by hitting up the comments section and also by voting on The Buzz Dial below!

http://buzzdial.com/swing-dial/generic/?uid=HG4378YA

Let's get this show on the road!

Recap

-And we kick things off with a look back at last night's show, and I think I hate Marrialle's performance even more now than I did last night. I'm trying my best to get used to her now, since I'm resigned to her getting through no matter what. But I wasn't dreading Lazaro last season like I'm dreading the ascendancy of Marrialle Sellars.

-Ryan does his hype spiel about ten names being called, and I think I'll laugh/cry myself hoarse if they cut Ben Briley after all that B.S. with America's vote. He introduces the judges, and J-Lo is dressed like disco Galadriel, while Keith is wearing a shirt with the Maxell cassette guy on it. Tremendous. Needs more "Ride of the Valkyries" blasting in the background.

-Keith talks about their selection process, and how grueling it was to narrow it down to ten. He should also have mentioned how ludicrous it was that they had to narrow it down to 10 at all. J-Lo echoes the quality of the ten they've chosen, while Harry adorably sucks up to the crowd while discussing the pressure of performing. We then get a recap of how the 15 guys got to this point, and sorry, but I'm still livid about this "Five go home, only ten sing" nonsense. I've had breakups that were more fair than this. Our first contestant is up...

CALEB JOHNSON is up first!

Workshop: Caleb wants to bring rock and roll back to American Idol. He reveals he'll be singing "Stay With Me" by The Faces. Randy asks what he thinks he needs to work on, and Caleb states he closes his eyes too much during performances. We see him working on this in his session with Chris Daughtry, and he seems genuinely interested in improving. I don't know why so many places online insist he has an ego. I haven't seen it. Although maybe it's residual ill will from his embarrassing Vegas screw up two seasons ago? I still can't believe this dude is only 22 though. I would have thought 28 at least.

Performance: Caleb is a total throwback, and I kind of love it. I'm not sure if he's a viable frontrunner for the win or anything, but I'm slowly starting to find myself rooting for him to go far. It's been a while since we've had this kind of classic rock voice. This was a great way to kick off the show, and his range continues to impress the hell out of me.

Judges: Keith praises the soul and coolness in his voice, saying he's very natural. J-Lo says, "That was some real rock star ish right there." She adds, "You're so ready right now." Harry agrees, saying it's going to be really hard for the other guys to follow that.

-Ryan asks Caleb if he's having fun, and again, what's he supposed to say, Seacrest?

-And we're back with "The only show that produces platinum superstars!" (Seacrest throwing shade at The Voice!) Our next contestant is revealed...

C.J. HARRIS is up next!

Workshop: C.J. talks about wanting to stay true to his country roots, since he's wanted to be a country singer since 6th grade. He keeps with that tradition in his styling session with Adam Lambert, rejecting the fashion designer's offer of a fedora (good call). Randy asks about his background, and learns that C.J. has had no formal vocal or guitar training, but just picked it up himself. He reveals he's singing "Shelter" by Ray Lamontagne, and in his session with Chris Daughtry, it's suggested he ditch the guitar. Of course, it's advice that he doesn't exactly follow. And I agree with the choice for tonight to keep it, but I worry if he'll end up being one of those contestants who just can't put it away as the competition rolls on. He's a great vocalist, and doesn't need the guitar every week.

Performance: It's stunning how much better the guys are than the girls, just two performances in. His vocal is raspy and raw, but still very melodic. I just loved everything about this, and I'll be shocked if he doesn't get through. He's one of the best singers and most likable personalities in the competition. I'd argue he could actually win this thing.

Judges: J-Lo tells C.J. she hopes we'll see him throughout the entire competition. Harry, meanwhile, warns him against going sharp in his performances, as he's not sure if it's something he does on purpose or if it's involuntary. But he still likes C.J., and he liked the performance overall. Keith praises C.J. for being authentic, and for having hints of the great Dobie Gray in his voice. Great comparison.

-Ryan reveals that C.J. just had a root canal, making his performance all the more impressive. Seriously, the guys are really bringing their A-game tonight. Not that I'm terribly difficult to impress, but I'm digging this show so far, almost enough to make me forget the infuriating nature of the "only 10 sing" twist. (No, I'm not going to stop being mad. Especially when the talent pool is this deep)

-Back from break with Harry talking about how they've gone back and forth on these decisions until the last minute. This contestant in particular...

EMMANUEL ZIDOR is up next!

Workshop: Emmanuel thought, back at home, that he'd come here and knock it out of the ballpark. He expected this to be "as easy as 1, 2, 3," but his coaching session really opened his eyes, as the movement coach warned that America won't give him a second chance unless he nails it (um, have you actually watched this show before?). Emmanuel's t-shirt reads "I'm About to Do Something Awesome." Let's hope his version of "Best of My Love" by The Emotions is just that.

Performance: I like Emmanuel as a person. He's a cool guy, he's funny, and he's endearing. But dude is just NOT ready for this. This vocal was all over the place, with his voice getting strained and stretched to its limits to a deeply unpleasant degree. On the plus side, he looks like he's having fun. But this just wasn't good.

Judges: Harry calls Emmanuel out for the vocal, which was all over the place. He says Emmanuel is a great singer, but he's forgetting to actually sing. Keith agrees with Harry, while J-Lo disagrees vehemently. She even offers Emmanuel the chance to sing a few lines from "I'm Going Down", which I don't think is entirely fair, since he really should be judged by the vocal he just delivered. But then, how often does America really judge contestants by the performances they just gave? And hey, he sounds MUCH better in those few seconds than he did in the performance he just gave. It just felt unfair for J-Lo to so openly stump for Emmanuel like that.

-Emmanuel talks about his favorite Idol contestant, Vonzell Solomon. I wonder what ever happened to her. I hope she's not still working at the post office, although if she is, she likely gets a sweet benefits package.

-Back from break with Randy talking about how impressed he is by the guys tonight, before Keith introduces the next contestant, "the fastest one [on whom] we all instantly agreed". They all feel he's going to be in this competition for a long time, a kid who's just been accepted into the Berkeley College of Music.

SAM WOOLF is up next!

Workshop: Sam talks about his first performance, singing "Hey Jude" a cappella at his sixth grade talent show. He's going to be singing "Babylon" by David Gray, and his sessions sees Randy actually mentoring for once, giving Sam tips on how best to connect with the song he's singing. Sam says he's going to take the advice and do his best.

Performance: I think the song is pitched a bit too low for him, but I do like this vocal. It's not blowing me away or anything, but it's clear the kid is talented and has a lot of room to grow. The WGWG element already makes him a threat for the win, never mind the fact that he looks like a star too. And I really liked that closing line, as he did an interesting little run on the last note.

Judges: Keith says the people like Sam, and with good reason. "That voice is money," he says, and adds that as the competition goes on, his performances will get better and better. J-Lo says Sam has such a sweet quality that it's no surprise to her that everyone has already fallen in love with him. She says he has perfect pitch, and adds that it was a perfect representation of who he is. Harry gets on Sam about his seeming lack of confidence, saying that he really is terrific, and he hopes that Sam's confidence will grow as the competition continues.

-Ryan interviews Sam about the meaning of the song, which basically amounts to "Let go of your heart, let go of your head." This is the kind of insight you can only get from American Idol contestants, folks.

-Back with Ryan interviewing Emmanuel about the vibe in the Chamber vs. the vibe in the VIP lounge, and he talks about how it's great to be out among the people. C.J. says he prayed for strength, and he feels he gave America his best. J-Lo then introduces our next contestant, as only six spots remain. He's a guy who flew under the radar until Hollywood Week. It's a man whose favorite Idol contestant is Joshua Ledet...

GEORGE LOVETT is up next!

Workshop: Randy wants George to show a different side with his performance of "Grenade" by Bruno Mars, since he can really sing. The movement coach feels the latter part of his performance felt a bit too dramatic, and so she and Adam Lambert help him to work on his stage presence. Adam is really impressed with him, repeatedly stating what a great singer George is, and I can't disagree with him there. I dig George a lot.

Performance: I was kind of expecting more from George. His voice is fantastic, and he has some really great moments here, but he seriously overdoes it in places. It's like he didn't hear a single thing they told him in his coaching session. He pushed his voice way too hard, leading to a couple of cracks and breaks in his vocal. I'd love to hear him sing something more restrained.

Judges: J-Lo hopes that if George makes it through, he controls the runs a bit more, since he's kind of doing them for every other phrase. But she reiterates that he's one of the best singers here, and she's fought for him since the very beginning. Harry feels there's a risk of becoming so emotionally invested in a song that you could end up singing yourself right off the microphone. He calls it "one note," and that George overdid it. Keith feels song choice is everything, and adds (in a diplomatic fashion, of course) that George needs to pick the right tune since his range is such that he's not the kind of singer who can just sing anything.

-Harry wonders why he got boos but Keith didn't, since they pretty much said the same thing. Ryan then interviews George, who seems like a really humble, down-to-Earth guy. These guys are super easy to root for, which makes it all the more crushing that only five will get through, and even worse that five won't get to perform at all.

-We're back from break with the halfway point of the night, as Ryan interviews the guys backstage. Jordan is nervous as hell, while Malcolm is just as concerned, although he feels people shouldn't stress over things that can't be changed. We get to our next contestant introduction, including a borderline painful attempt at a cowboy group name joke from Harry.

DEXTER ROBERTS is up next!

Workshop: He's excited to meet with the stylists, while Randy earns the millions he's being paid by...asking Dexter how he got into music? Get him with those hard-hitting questions, dawg. Dexter explains he's been playing guitar since he was 5, and reveals he's planning on singing "This Ole Boy" by Craig Morgan, since that's who he is. In his mentoring session, he talks about how he plans to "Dexterfy" the song, which I hope doesn't mean he's going to murder people in Miami.

Performance: It's a breezy, fun little performance. Effortless and quite confident. His voice doesn't do it for me, but I could easily see how he might become popular among country fans. He feels far more like an old fashioned country singer than Casey Thrasher. He's charming too, ending the performance with an enthusiastic "Thank you, guys!"

Judges: Harry says Dexter is the embodiment of a modern country singer, but worries if he'll grow over the course of the competition. Keith praises Dexter, prompting Harry to note the sexiness of Keith's Australian accent. However, Keith's praise is tempered with the warning that there are tons of guys just like him fronting country bands across America, and so he needs to figure out what sets him apart. J-Lo, in keeping with her tireless positively, says that Dexter has all the time in the world to figure that out. Except, for this competition, he really doesn't. Unless America likes him so much that they don't care what he does.

-Ryan gives us voting details, and reminds us that only FOUR SPOTS remain! It's crunch time, and I'm not talking about General Mills brand cereal.

-Back from break with Ryan swiping Keith's notes and then having him introduce the next contestant, leading to a funny bit about looking down and looking into the camera. Keith talks about how some contestants should have left their guitar at home, but this next guy really knows how to play.

ALEX PRESTON is up next!

Workshop: Alex talks about being really shy until he became a band geek, which brought him out of his shell. He talks with Randy about how he learned violin at four, and it fueled his desire to learn other instruments, to the point where he now plays 11 or 12 different instruments. He's going to be singing "Volcano" by Damien Rice, but he runs into trouble during his mentoring session, as his nerves about making eye contact pop up. He notes that in intimate settings, he gets really nervous, but states that this competition is all he wants in life right now. He has a pep talk with Chris Daughtry that seems to set him straight, for the most part.

Performance: My favorite of the night so far. It's a bit more uptempo than the original, or Phillip Phillips' take on the song two seasons ago, but it's no less solid. Alex has great restraint with his voice, deploying runs and falsetto with perfect timing and awareness of where such vocal flourishes fit within the performance. He feels authentic to me, and this does nothing to dissuade me from my day one prediction that Alex would win this season. If he doesn't get through, I'll be positively stunned.

Judges: Keith calls it the best song choice of the night, as it sounds like something Alex could have written. J-Lo feels if he stays in his lane, he could go really far. Harry, meanwhile, talks about how he loves that music is like a religion to Alex, and ends by saying he loves how Alex ended "on the 9." He explains what that means when Ryan asks, and I really dig the pragmatic musical insight Harry is bringing to this season. Such a wonderful addition to the judging panel.

-Man, only three spots left. I'm getting a bit nervous for Ben Briley.

-Back from break with J-Lo revealing the next contestant, who has "delivered consistently". Back at home, he's known as "The Singing Deli Man"...

MALCOLM ALLEN is up next!

Workshop: Malcolm started singing in church, but quickly learned to adapt to crowds when he began singing in night clubs at 17. Randy, bereft of any advice to actually give beyond asking questions about how the contestant got into music, redirects Malcolm to Adam Lambert. Adam gives some germane advice about how best to deliver his performance of Anthony Hamilton's "Comin' From Where I'm From".

Performance: Not that it has to be one or the other, but if I had to pick between the two, I'd MUCH rather see Malcolm Allen in the Top 13 than George Lovett. They have similar voices, but Malcolm has much better control over his, and a much better understanding of when to deploy the runs. He also knows how to keep his passion in check, so that it doesn't end up being a dramatic, shouty, over-the-top vocal. Unfortunately, he falls out of key in places, but it's still a better vocal than at least a third of the contestants have delivered so far.

Judges: J-Lo says the lyrics really hit her, but hoped Malcolm's vocal had hit her more. She likes his voice a lot, but really wanted to feel the heart and soul of the song. She wanted to get "goosies" but didn't get'em. Harry, meanwhile, gets on Malcolm for singing the same five notes over and over again, saying that he went sharp involuntarily a few times. He notes that some singers go sharp on purpose for effect, from Rihanna to Beyonce to Stevie Wonder, but he wishes Malcolm would sing in tune, because he has a great voice. The crowd boos, and Malcolm pleads with the audience to respect Harry's opinion. This goes on long enough that Keith ends up getting prematurely cut off by the Idol music, prompting Ryan to give him another chance to re-state his opinion, which is that a more stripped back arrangement would suit Malcolm better.

-I like Malcolm a lot, and if he doesn't get through, I hope he gets a shot at a wildcard spot.

-Back from break with our next contestant, who grabs his vocals from a bunch of different styles. His nickname is "Gumbo" and he's the son of a preacher man...

BEN BRILEY is up next!

Workshop: Ben chats with Randy about, what else?, how he got into music. He then discusses his song pick, "Soulshine" by Warren Haynes, before going over it in the workshop with Chris Daughtry and the movement coach, whom we're getting a whole lot more of than either Chris or Adam, it seems. Chris says that Ben is a "what you see is what you get" kind of guy, and he really digs him.

Performance: A real contender for best vocal of the night, as Ben really digs deep with the grit and power of the song. He's a really old school 70s rock voice, with some killer guitar skills, to boot (great solo!). I was just so enthralled by this. Dude just came to LIFE up there.

Judges: Harry loved the performance, and notes the huge knot of Ben's tie, saying it's not a Windsor Knot so much as Windsor Castle. Keith and J-Lo add their praise for Ben, and I seriously think he's a serious frontrunner. I just can't see a scenario in which he doesn't make at least Top 8. Of course, I've been wrong before. But Ben is the real deal, in my opinion.

-Back from break with the final spot, as Keith reiterates that the judges spent the last week and a half watching the audition tapes and rehearsals and have compared notes. It was a tough decision, but they want to see more of this next guy, who sang and played piano very well during Hollywood Week...

SPENCER LLOYD closes the show!

Workshop: Spencer is confident with his song choice of "Love Won't Die" by The Fray, although he's trying to move away from the security of his piano, so he'll be playing with the guitar, a choice Randy loves. Adam and the movement coach (Melissa Garcia) love how he works the stage without the guitar. Spencer is conflicted on whether or not he should play an instrument, and if I were him, I think this is the kind of song that benefits from having full range of motion and ability to move around the stage.

Performance: Ultimately, Spencer forgoes the guitar and instead works the stage with the mic in hand, high-fiving the audience and really winning them over. J-Lo is rocking out, too. The vocal isn't all that great, but this kid has serious star potential. It's insane how much he looks like a star during every moment of the performance. It really is a shame the vocal wasn't better, but it wasn't the kind of song he was ever going to knock out of the ballpark.

Judges: Keith didn't think it was the best vocal (earning his first boos of the season), and stresses the importance of song choice. However, he feels Spencer's star quality is undeniable. J-Lo agrees that Spencer is a total star, while Harry says this wasn't good. He tells Spencer he needs to stick with what he knows, remaining behind the piano like he did with "Say Something" during Hollywood Week.

-After the performance, Ryan hands Spencer a sign from the crowd that basically has his name with hearts around it. Yeah, this kid isn't going home anytime soon.

-Ryan brings out the five eliminated guys, and the crowd applauds them (and the judges give them a standing O). Briston Maroney and Casey Thrasher look devastated. Jordan Brisbane, Ethan Harris, and Maurice Townsend take it in stride. J-Lo says she wants to see them back next year, while Keith reiterates that Chris Daughtry and Adam Lambert didn't get unanimous yeses but still made it. Harry states that he's had gigs he didn't get, but kept at it. He says that each of the five guys will have their moment.

-We then get a recap of the performances, and it's much more like the traditional Idol performance recap, in which we actually get to hear clips from the performances again, not like that awkward montage from the end of last night.

So who've you got going through? I'm thinking (in no particular order) Sam Woolf, Spencer Lloyd, C.J. Harris, Ben Briley, and Alex Preston. Add your predictions in the comments and keep refreshing, as more videos are coming! I'll see you tomorrow night as we finalize the Top 13 for Season 13! Until then, thanks for hanging out!

Goodnight!