Last week, I wasn’t sure if the Atlanta auditions were subpar because the talent wasn’t as strong or because the episode was only one hour. Well, another one-hour episode aired again this week and the same thing happened: it was just a’ight. So either that proves the auditions should have been two hours the entire time or maybe producers decided to stick Atlanta and Omaha into shorter timeslots because they knew there weren’t that many good singers to feature.
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It’s unfortunate that the auditions came to a close in Omaha because I’m not all that excited by what we saw/heard. At least the judges will be able to whittle away the mediocre contestants in Hollywood.
But that’s not to say nobody stood out. Alyssa Siebken delivered a pretty entertaining audition with Waka Flocka Flame’s “No Hands.” She infused her personality into the song and the performance, and I had fun watching her.
More viewers probably remember C.J. Jones’ audition because Harry Connick, Jr. literally stood by him when he sang “Stand By Me” (another hilarious HCJ moment!). But C.J. actually does have a really good (and interesting) voice. I wonder, though, if he can handle taking on multiple genres. But that’s for another day.
Paula Hunt has both the story and the voice in her favor. I don’t have much else to say. She does have one of the better auditions, but can she distinguish herself in the future as we get to hear more from her?
Now, there’s a predicament I have to bring up with Andrina Brogden. I don’t think she gave one of the better auditions either tonight or for the audition rounds as a whole. And that might be partly the judges’ fault. “Halo” is a fantastic Beyonce song, and she sang sort of softly the entire time, but that’s only because she sang the part of “Halo” that didn’t allow her voice to truly shine. If Jennifer Lopez hadn’t cut her off, she would’ve been able to sing the chorus and really belt it out. If that happened, then I might have pegged her as one of the best auditions of the night — it’s unfortunate, really. They cut her off way too soon.
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“Skyscraper” is a personal favorite of mine, so I was glad to hear Casey McQuillen perform the Demi Lovato hit during her audition. She’s my runner-up of the night; I don’t think there’s anything you can fault her on. If I had to point out any weaknesses or possible trouble spots going forward, it’s that I wonder if she’ll stand out once Hollywood Week comes and she’s going up against other amazing and talented performers.
The One Singer to Watch: Tessa Kate
I find myself fascinated with Tessa Kate — she has one of the most unique and intriguing voices out of anybody from the auditions. It has a very Dolly Parton-esque sound to it. She’s not really modern country, but more of a throwback that I really like. Who knows how she’ll fare going forward, but for now, she had the best audition of the night and is my one singer to watch from Omaha.
What did you think of the final night of auditions? Was Omaha a bit of a letdown? Who stood out amongst all the mediocrity?
American Idol airs Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8pm on FOX.
(Image and videos courtesy of FOX)
Staff Writer, BuddyTV
Jeff Dodge, a graduate of Western Washington University, has been a TV news editor for many years and has had the chance to interview multiple reality show stars, including Randy Jackson, Nick Cannon, Heidi Klum, Mel B and John Cena.
