12. Cecil Ray and Jimmie Allen- Jimmie tried his best, and got Cecil to come out of his shell a LITTLE bit. Still not enough though, and I don’t think Cecil stands a chance at advancing. But I’m glad he went out on this performance and not his treacherous solo.
11. Alana and Brian McKnight- Brian is SUCH an amazing duet partner, bringing so much soul to his vocals. Unfortunately for him, his two duet partners weren’t really stepping up to his level. I spent the whole time watching Brian, and didn’t pay much attention to Alana’s vocal. This similar thing happened with her solo, where I just didn’t think Alana stood out much. She’s great, but not a star.
10. Cassandra Coleman and Ryan Tedder- Is it just me or did Ryan Tedder try to ousting literally all of his partners? I thought these celebrities were there to boost their contestants up, not try to overshadow them. I did think this was a better vocal from Cassandra than her solo, but even then, I did sense a bit of shakiness in the vocals. Not the worst duet of the day, but still underwhelming given her potential going into this round.
9. Deshawn Goncalves and Ryan Tedder- Again, I feel like Ryan Tedder was just trying too hard to upstage Deshawn, almost like he was in the Voice battle rounds. I felt like Deshawn had the potential to really amaze, but didn’t get the chance to. This just wasn’t the song for him, and while both him and Ryan sounded good individually, I don’t think it necessarily came together.
8. Andrea Valles and Brian McKnight- I liked this duet a bit more than her solo. Even then, I still think Brian was the much stronger of the pair. They definitely had a really good chemistry and vibe going, but of all the powerhouse duets tonight, I still don’t think this stood out nearly as much as the others. Brian is great though, and while I’m not predicting Andrea or Alana to make it, I think Brian should be commended for being an AWESOME duet partner.
7. Alyssa Wray and Katharine McPhee- I liked their duet, but given how strong their solo was, I don’t think this duet was as memorable. Alyssa is a star, and I think Katharine was a great powerhouse duet partner, but ultimately, not the duet I’ll remember most of this night.
6. Wyatt Pike and Ben Rector- I love Ben Rector, so this pairing excited me. Wyatt seemed like a natural up there, even without a guitar. They were vibing, having a great time, and I had a great time watching them.
5. Anilee List and Joss Stone- I do think this was a match made in heaven. The beginning of the song was fine, but a tad underwhelming. It was the end, where both women got to just RIP on those vocals and runs and riffs…that was so much fun. I love watching people who CAN excel with runs and riffs, and Anilee proved that she could hold her own with the best in this duet. Not as good as her solo, and not the best duet of the night, but I think this was enough to get people to notice Anilee again. Why they didn’t show her much in Hollywood night is a damn mystery.
4. Graham DeFranco and Ben Rector- Wowza. Graham really impressed me with this duet. It was sweet, sincere, heartfelt, and full of warmth. This could very well send him into the top 16 if we’re ignoring his disappointing solo.
3. Alanis Sophia and Jimmie Allen- This was a stellar duet to kick the night off. “Shallow” is a great song, and they made it a FANTASTIC one. Jimmie himself sounded so good on this, but Alanis was also holding her own, void of any pitch problems like her solo song. This solidified her spot in the top 8 for this group.
2. Grace Kinstler and Joss Stone- Joss gave Grace the BEST advice. Wait for those runs and riffs. Make the audience wait for them. I think this advice will last with Grace all season. Once Grace finally let loose, it felt EARNED. This is a dynamite duet and really ended the show off strong. Grace could very well win, and I wouldn’t be disappointed. She did excellent. Joss also amazing.
1. Willie Spence and Katharine McPhee- My favorite duet, maybe ever. This was excellent. Stardom through and through. One of the rare magical moments we see on Idol nowadays. If Alyssa won the solo round, Willie won the duet rounds heads and toes above everyone else.
Lots of amazing duets. I think the duets, in all, were stronger than the solos (with the exception of maybe Alyssa and Deshawn specifically). Determining who will advance to the top 16 will be tough because I think there are at least 9 people who stand a chance. The three I am immediately cutting are Cecil Ray, Alana, and Andrea Valles. All three did a good job, but just didn’t stand out amongst the entire group of contestants. As for who DEFINITELY makes it, I think there are four sure-fire contenders: Willie, Grace, Alyssa, and Deshawn. Those four have been some of the bigger contestants all season. I think, after the duets, I can confidently predict Alanis as well. This leaves Anilee, Cassandra, Graham, and Wyatt for the last three spots. I think Cassandra and Wyatt have the better two stories, but Anilee had the best vocals of those four. Graham is interesting because he had a bad solo and an excellent duet. Is that duet enough? Ultimately, I think Graham will just miss the cut, but it’ll be close.
PREDICTIONS:
Going Home- Cecil Ray, Alana, Andrea Valles, and Graham DeFranco
Going Into the Top 16- Willie Spence, Grace Kinstler, Alyssa Wray, Deshawn Goncalves, Alanis Sophia, Cassandra Coleman, Wyatt Pike, and Anilee List
GROUP ONE DUETS: