American Idol XIII 2014 – Season 13 Premiere – Austin/Boston Auditions – Video
It's finally time for the season premiere of American Idol XIII! Tonight, we kick off the 2014 season with auditions in Boston and Austin! Is the winner in tonight's crop of auditioners?
Credit: FOX
Let's get this show on the road!
Recap
-We kick things off with a contestant preparing for her audition, a guitar strapped around her body. I love this cold open, as it immediately makes this feel like a huge deal.
-The girl in question is Marrialle Sellars, 17. She sings "Grenade" by Bruno Mars, and it's a better as a performance than as a vocal, as her facial expressions are great. But even while it's not perfect, it's still a great way to kick off the season.
-Keith Urban tears off a piece of the Golden ticket and offers it to Marrialle. J-Lo and Harry Connick, Jr. split the rest of the ticket into thirds and offer her the pieces. Harry then has her look into the camera and say that she'll be the next American Idol. And like that, we're off to the races!
MARRIALLE SELLARS is going to Hollywood!
-We then get an intro of the season, with Harry Connick, Jr., Keith Urban, and Jennifer Lopez getting together at the first auditions, while the contestants struggle to keep it all together. The judges talk about what this means to them, and why they believe in American Idol, and for once, it doesn't sound like they're just shilling a brand. I dig it.
TROY DURDEN, 29, is up first!
-This guy is a dancer of sorts, although I guess the word "dance" is being used liberally here, as he twerks like a man having a seizure. He tries to get J-Lo to join in, to no avail.
-Troy then blows me the hell away by singing an absolutely beautiful rendition of "Over the Rainbow". Harry wasn't expecting that at all, and the judges are all impressed, particularly after they ask him to sing it again while twerking, which he does with a fair amount of swagger. This is the rare funny audition that actually ended up being awesome.
TROY DURDEN is going to Hollywood!
-From there, we see some other contestants in the holding room, struggling with their nerves for the audition ahead.
SAM WOOLF, 17, is up next!
-WGWG ALERT! Sam gives some of his backstory, explaining how he was raised by his grandparents after his mother left him at age 13.
-Sam sings "Lego House" by Ed Sheeran, IMMEDIATELY getting on my good side. This is an absolutely gorgeous audition, although he seems a bit shy. Keith loves Sam's uptempo interpretation of the song, while Jennifer loves how he blossomed as the audition goes on. Harry then talks about how he hates that Sam has a treble clef tattoo, since his own 17-year-old daughter wants one. He says it actually looks great on Sam though. Ultimately, while Harry says no to the tattoo, he says yes to Sam.
SAM WOOLF is going to Hollywood!
-We then get a bit a video package centering on the auditioners, and it essentially plays as a "tonight on American Idol" trailer. Looks like there will be a fair bit of drama ahead. Hopefully, there are fewer joke auditions. I'm so over that nonsense.
-We come back from break with the Idol tour bus dropping by small towns along the route, as we're introduced to "The Chamber," an individual holding room for auditioners. Everyone is terrified, of course. But instead of hopping right into the auditions, we go to a video package in which Ryan Seacrest reminds us who our judges are, in case we've been living under some kind of spacious, well-furbished rock.
Rapid-Fire Auditions
-We get a series of rapid-fire auditions, showing three contestants who made it to Hollywood.
ETHAN THOMPSON, 23: WGWG! And he kills it with his audition of "Pull Me Down" by Mikky Ekko.
LINDSAY PEDICONE, 18: This has been her dream since she was 5 (seriously, this show has been on FOREVER), and she makes the most of it, nailing the hell out of "Bottom of the River" by Delta Rae.
JILLIAN JENSEN!!!!!!!! Seriously, one of my favorite contestants from The X Factor USA. And she sounds even better here than she did before. Looks frigging gorgeous too. She sings "Not Over You" by Gavin DeGraw, and I love it.
-And the judges do too, as all three receive golden tickets!
TAYLOR HILDACK, 19, is up next!
-She's super-excitable, and wants to kiss Ryan Seacrest, but fears she'll make things awkward. She comes in and is super cute with Harry, giving him a sly wink upon mentioning she attends community college. No idea why she does this, but it's charming.
-Taylor sings "Before He Cheats" by Carrie Underwood and it's...eh. Not great. It's okay, but not up to the level of the competition. However, J-Lo believes in her and votes yes anyway. This leaves it to the men. Unfortunately, they both vote "no", sending Taylor on her way.
-From here, we get a montage of heartbreak, as several contestants fail to make it through, including one girl who's here for her SEVENTH try. That's profoundly unfortunate.
STEPHANIE HANVEY, 16, is up next!
-Stephanie is a self-professed Jersey Girl whose favorite artist is Jennifer Lopez. She talks about all the doors J-Lo opened for Latinas, and a sign in her pre-performance video package indicates she worked as a lifeguard all summer to save money for this opportunity. Naturally, she struggles to maintain her composure upon meeting J-Lo, but I feel like she does a pretty good job of it.
-She sings "Price Tag" by Jessie J, and it's kind of bland. She has an okay voice, but this was just really unspectacular, and I'm not sure it's going to be enough to get her through. Keith says that the voice isn't really there yet, but says the show is about more than just the singing. Harry is impressed with her composure, saying that there's just something about her. We go to break with Stephanie's fate hanging in the balance, but I'd wager money she goes through, particularly since this is an "ad-break interruption audition."
-Back from break, Keith says "yes" while J-Lo talks about how inconsistent Stephanie's vocal is. But she says "yes" anyway, and Harry adds his own. With all due respect, that wasn't a "three yes" performance. Sweet, lovely girl though.
STEPHANIE HANVEY is going to Hollywood!
-Stephanie gushes and says she's going to win it all. I don't know about that, but congrats! (Harry adds that Stephanie can die happy knowing she's going to Hollywood, which seems to indicate he doesn't really think she has much a shot of going far)
MORGAN DEPLITCH, 15, is up next!
-This girl does NOT look 15, but her nerves and bubbly attitude make her seem her age. She talks about what a big role model Jennifer has been to her, and what a great role model she is to other.
-Morgan sings "Paris (Ooh La La)" by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, and she has a pretty good voice, even though she runs out of breath towards the end. Keith and J-Lo like it, although Harry was a bit creeped out by the "shavin' me smooth" lyric in the song, prompting J-Lo to remark that Harry is "such a dad!" However, although he wishes Morgan would sing something more her age, he ends up sending her through to Hollywood anyway. Three yeses for Morgan!
MORGAN DEPLITCH is going to Hollywood!
-Morgan is stoked, but we keep things moving...
JAMES EARL, 22, is up next!
-This guy is hilarious, just from how he interacts with the judges. It's not really something I can convey through a straight recap, but he's a really fun guy.
-Unfortunately, he doesn't have a great voice at all. He sings one of his own songs, "Everything In Life," and it's just all over the place.
-The judges like him, but they didn't enjoy his performance. They wish he would have brought the goods, but alas. And so James goes home without a golden ticket. His reaction is great, as he just can't believe they didn't like it. See? This is a joke audition I can get behind. In and out, no lingering on the trainwreck aspect. And not a bitter or delusional auditioner, just a guy who seems to get the joke. Good times.
-And we're back with our next audition, already in progress...
JACQUELINE VERNA, 18, is up next!
-Jacqueline sings "I Love You, I Do" from Dreamgirls, and it's a pretty good vocal, but Harry says he's not that impressed by the pentatonics (the notes, not the group). Given his critiques last season, this was to be expected, as he just isn't as into melisma and vocal runs as the other judges. I just hope he doesn't handicap contestants for it, since there is a place for that kind of singing, whether it's a kind of singing he gets or not.
-The judges give Jacqueline a no, telling her to maybe come back again after she's worked on her voice. Harry then explains the concept of pentatonics to the other judges, and while I see where he's coming from, it comes across as the most pretentious thing in the world, as he challenges America to not do the expected.
-And we move on to our next auditioner...
AUSTIN PERCARIO, 17, is up next!
-Austin talks about his stage mom, who is a bit overbearing, although he doesn't seem to mind. He has a great sense of humor about it, and I imagine girls are going to love this guy just from his look alone.
-He sings "Titanium" by Sia, and it's a really solid audition -- at least until the end, where he sort of rushes through the last bits of the song. But it's just as well, as the judges are eager to praise him, comparing him to Justin Bieber, and saying that while he has a stage mom, it's a good thing since she'll be spending a lot of time around stages in the future, if this audition isn't any indication.
AUSTIN PERCARIO is going to Hollywood!
-His mother picks up the Golden Ticket, and Austin celebrates with his family.
KAITLYN JACKSON, 15, is up next!
-Kaitlyn talks about opening for Mark Wills at a county fair, and explains that her grandfather had a heart attack in the grand stands during her performance. She gets teary-eyed recalling that while they saved her grandpa that day, he died before he could hear the original song she wrote for him.
-It's an original song called "Another Angel," and it's a beautiful number that sounds like a hit waiting to happen. Seriously, it's the kind of schmaltzy country ballad that could sell a million downloads. And her voice is great, to match.
-Harry says he thinks her grandfather did hear the song, and that he's watching over her now. Keith is excited about the potential she's already showing as a songwriter at 15. And J-Lo is charmed by Kaitlyn's whole package. The decision is a no-brainer.
KAITLYN JACKSON is going to Hollywood!
-Kaitlyn can't believe she's going to Hollywood, and I have no idea why she wouldn't expect she'd get through. But eh, I guess the teenage thing to do is doubt yourself?
KEITH LONDON, 21, is up next!
-Keith talks about all the odd jobs he does back home in Hazleton, PA (PENNSYLVANIA, REPRESENT!), and adds that student loan debt has virtually crippled him financially. Amen there, brother. That said, I'm not sure my immediate solution would be to go on American Idol, but then, I'm not nearly as talented as this guy.
-Seriously, while his cover of Katy Perry's "Roar" is hardly recognizable, his tone is remarkable. Even though he flubs the beginning, it's still one of the best auditions so far. WGWG Takeover!
-J-Lo loved it, and says his version made her love the song more. Harry just thought it was okay, saying that he's not a good enough singer. But Keith (Urban) and J-Lo are united in their agreement, and it's enough to get Keith (London) to the next round.
KEITH LONDON is going to Hollywood!
-Keith celebrates by getting the Hell out of Dodge, but not before accepting the enthusiastic applause of the holding room crowd.
SAM ATHERTON, 23, is up next!
-Sam is convinced he's going to win this, saying he's been playing guitar for ten years, although he has trouble naming what he actually likes most about guitar playing. He adds that he has written a ton of songs, and hopes to wow the judges with them.
-He comes in with his guitar, and Keith jokes that Sam must be a drummer, prompting Sam to completely miss the joke and get defensive, saying it's obvious he plays guitar. Sam wants to sing three songs, but he barely gets through his first (an original song called "Love Doesn't Last Forever") before the judges stop him and send him on his way.
-Sam begins laughing hysterically on his way out, revealing that he's possibly clinically insane, and might come back and shoot up the place someday. He says he has perfect pitch and is more musically talented than Keith, J-Lo or "Tony Connick, Jr." Dude, this man is insufferable. SO glad he isn't going through.
-From here, we get some silliness with the judges before Seacrest throws to an audition clip in which we vote on Twitter whether we think the auditioner will make it through to Hollywood. Her audition will air after the break, but from the looks of her performance of "House of the Rising Sun," she seems like a sure-thing.
-Back from break, and the girl makes it through, because of course she did.SHANON WILSON, 24, is up next!
-Shanon is a linebacker, giving us an amusing segment in which Ryan Seacrest tries to be a linebacker and fails spectacularly.
-Shanon has an INSANE vocal range. Seriously, he does about three-quarters of his performance in falsetto, absolutely slaying it and driving J-Lo crazy. While the falsetto got to be a bit much towards the end, that was one of the more impressive auditions of the night.
SHANON WILSON is going to Hollywood!
-He could be one to watch, I think.
STEPHANIE PETRONELLI, 22, is up next!
-Stephanie is a cheerleader who shows up in her uniform. She looks like a cross between Britney Spears and Sierra Deaton, but with a bit of a husky voice.
-She sings "Paris" by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, and I actually really like this. It's nowhere near perfect, but I think there's raw potential there.
-Harry, however, doesn't think so, saying she's not a good enough singer. J-Lo disagrees, prompting Harry to adopt a joke voice, saying he will slap Jennifer on national television if he has to, to which J-Lo says "That will never happen!"
-J-Lo votes yes while Harry votes no, leaving the deciding vote with Keith, who is on the fence. However, he admits that if he's on the fence, then it must be a yes.
STEPHANIE PETRONELLI is going to Hollywood!
-She celebrates while we get another video package of what's to come, including J-Lo's "first goosies of the season". Ugh.
-Back from break with a mariachi guitarist who strums his guitar after every statement, leading into an amusing segment where Harry tells J-Lo she looks good (dramatic strum!) then tells her she looks bad (more dramatic strum!). I'm doing a terrible job communicating it, but trust me, it was funny. These judges have great chemistry.
DURANN CREE, 17, is up next!
-Durann is stoked to be in front of the judges, and says that her mom smelled Keith as he walked by, and he smells amazing. J-Lo, however, claims that she was the one with the pleasant smell. Um, sure?
-Durann sings "Cupid's Got A Shotgun" by Carrie Underwood, and it's okay, I suppose. J-Lo likes it well enough, but Harry doesn't feel her voice is strong enough, comparing her to someone who was named Most Likely To Be A Singer in her high school yearbook.
-She doesn't get through, and her rejection leads to a montage of contestants, half of which make it through to Hollywood, and half of which get sent home.
-Seacrest explains "The Chamber," basically the last stop before a contestant auditions. They can take a few extra moments to prepare, until the green light goes off, signalling the start of their audition.
SAVION WRIGHT, 21, is up next!
-Savion was diagnosed with ADHD as a kid, and his mother feels his guitar saved his life. Savion has wanted to audition for eight years, but never felt he was creative enough. Not until now, at least. Savion tells Harry that he's a big fan, and Harry jokes that he's not actually Harry Connick, Jr. "I'm Chris Isaak," he says, to the laughter of the production staff.
-He sings an original song, and the only thing better than his vocal is his guitar playing skills. Seriously, a great audition from a guy who seems like a genuinely good egg. So impressed by this.
-The judges joke by pretending the audition sucked, nearly giving poor Savion a heart attack, before revealing that they're kidding. It's a yes from each of them.
SAVION WRIGHT is going to Hollywood!
-Savion is in tears as J-Lo comes over to embrace him. Savion brings in his mother, who is one of J-Lo's biggest fans. Such a sweet little moment, and I really think Savion could go far. Dude has serious potential.
-And we're back from break with more auditions...
TERRICA CURY, 20, talks about how much her biological mom and her godmother mean to her. She sings "I Who Have Nothing" and kills it. The judges put her through.
JUSTIN FIRA, 24, sings "This Love" and is similarly impressive. The judges send him to Hollywood.
SHELBY COMEY, 15, talks about her farm life before launching into her song, and I have absolutely no idea what the hell she was singing because her annunciation is awful. But the judges give her three yeses anyway, which is just as well, since she actually does have nice tone. In an amusing moment, Seacrest lifts Shelby's father in celebration...and then drops him! But Shelby's dad is in good spirits, and the two high five.
MADELYN PATTERSON, 22, has a beautiful audition, although her reliance on runs sends Harry into yet another rant about how they aren't necessary, despite how easily impressed his colleagues are by those vocal tricks. I hope this doesn't become a season-long complaint from Harry, because it's going to get old really fast. That said, he's spot-on about how J-Lo very clearly reacts more positively to vocal runs.
ALL FOUR SINGERS are headed to Hollywood!
-After the break, it's another montage of Golden Ticket recipients that I wish had gotten full auditions.
VIVIANA VILLALON sings "Love Somebody" on her ukulele, while SAVANNAH YOUNG sings "Toxic" on her guitar. BEN BOONE gives J-Lo her first goosies of the season, and ALL THREE SINGERS ARE GOING TO HOLLYWOOD!
-We then focus on how so many of the singers are auditioning with guitars, and how it's intimidating some contestants. But not our next contestant...
MALCOLM ALLEN, 21, is up next!
-Malcolm wants to learn how to play the acoustic guitar like everybody else, but he doesn't know how. So he goes into his audition and plays "air guitar," making the sounds himself. And it's REALLY impressive.
-He sings "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder, and it's one of my favorite auditions of the night. J-Lo asks him what this audition means to him, and Malcolm says that music is everything. He says he would marry music if he could. He even has a tattoo that reads "I Am Music."
-Harry thinks Malcolm is the best singer of the day, and J-Lo and Keith are equally impressed. Their decision is an obvious one.
MALCOLM ALLEN is going to Hollywood!
-I like Malcolm. He's talented and confident, but not in an off-putting way. He's actually quite likable, and has a great sense of humor. I hope he goes far.
ROLANDO GUERRERO, 21, is up next!
-Roland completely loses his mind and collapses into a puddle of tears at getting to meet J-Lo. Man, people really like her. I don't get it, but this is still really sweet.
-Unfortunately, Roland isn't good at all. He sings J-Lo's "Hold It, Don't Drop It," and it's an atonal mess. The judges send him on his way, and he's mostly okay with it, since he got to meet J-Lo, after all.
-We then get a montage of people struggling to remember who the hell the third judge is, since apparently nobody has heard of Harry Connick, Jr., which is just ridiculous. It's RIDICULOUS, I say! But our next contestant has no such problems...
MUNFARID ZAIDI, 19, is up next!
-Munfarid reveals that he reads Harry's Wikipedia page every night before he goes to bed, and Harry rejoices that someone actually knows who he is. Harry rushes over and gives him a big hug, and Keith says he'd like to see Munfarid audition while Harry is cradling him. And so Harry makes a wager, saying that if Munfarid can blow them away on the first song, he'll cradle him like a baby on the second song.
-Munfarid sings "Crazy For You" by Adele, and it's a fantastic vocal that succeeds in blowing the judges away. And so Harry follows through on his promise and picks up Munfarid, cradling him in his arms as Munfarid sings "No One" by Alicia Keys, which sends Keith and J-Lo into fits of pure, ecstatic joy that has me really excited for the chemistry of this judging panel, as this looks to be a much, MUCH more fun season than last year.
-Obviously, Munfarid gets three yeses.
MUNFARID ZAIDI is going to Hollywood!
-Seacrest asks why Harry was cradling him, and Munfarid says, "Because I love him." I like this kid.
-During the auditions, Harry receives word that his new album has topped the charts in three countries, ending tonight's auditions on a celebratory note, as Seacrest announces that a total of 46 singers received Golden Tickets.
So what did you think of the auditions? Is the winner in tonight's lineup? Did the judges make any mistakes? Sound off in the comments!