So this judges song contest allowed Katy and Luke to save one of Tristen and Lady K, making up the top 10. Did they make the right choice? Find out from my rankings below.
11. Lady K- Lady K was my favorite after auditions, but by now, I’ve definitely accepted the fact that Lady K has been off her A-game since the live shows have begun. She has such a great vocal quality, but the pitch problems are really showing more and more with each performance. She also has breath control problems because some syllables and words are fully left out or omitted in the grand scheme of things. I am rooting for her, but I do think this performance showcased only the weakest aspects of Lady K’s recent performances. Cool to see her try something different, but it didn’t pay off. And between her and Tristen, I definitely think he deserved to stay.
10. Nicolina- After having such a great reemergence last episode, I think this was a HUGE step back for Nicolina. It’s a shame because I love her story and her talent, but this song seemed to overwhelm even her powerhouse voice. She was clearly stepping outside her comfort zone, which I appreciate, but it was all around pretty messy, pitchy, and a tad too safe in the arrangement itself.
9. Mike Parker- I didn’t like this one from Mike. It was pretty pitchy throughout and the song itself just didn’t seem like it allowed for too much room to make show-stopping moments. He’s definitely comfortable up on stage, but in a song like this, he was almost too comfortable to where it made the song a bit boring by the end. Maybe the judges song contest didn’t work out as well as they had hoped? Eh, we’ll see. Let’s rank the rest.
8. Emyrson Flora- Emyrson’s vocal was hauntingly stunning on the verses. But the same problem happened again this time, where her beltier chorus ended up being a bit pitchy. Just a tad, not to the extent of the performances I’ve already mentioned. But there’s also part of me that thinks this may have been too obvious of a song choice to where I wish she had pushed herself a bit more. Billie Eilish just seemed to be a given, which made me a tad less impressed overall. But that’s just me.
7. Noah Thompson- I was definitely impressed that Noah was able to learn this song that he hadn’t heard and make it sound as good as it was. His voice sounded GREAT. But the rendition was so goddamn boring. Whoever his particular arrangers are need to find a way to make Noah more interesting. Noah can also take some initiative, but I really think the producers can do a better job setting him up for success. And then there’s Katy, who had a little meltdown because of the John Mayer thing, which was funny, but I did fell bad for Noah who didn’t seem to understand the issue. All I could do was chuckle and shrug.
6. Christian Guardino- Christian did that thing again where he put on this much deeper fake voice to hit the lower notes. I hope that doesn’t become a habit because it doesn’t serve him well. His chorus was once again solid as ever, but I do think going forward, he should start in the sweet spot and not try to stoop any lower, showcasing what he does best. This was still a solid vocal all gripes aside.
5. HunterGirl- This wasn’t anything extraordinary, but HunterGirl still knows how to please a crowd no matter the scenario. This was clean, simple, well sung and everything it needed to be. Going forward, she’ll need home runs, but this was a base hit and that’s good enough.
4. Tristen Gressett- If this is how Tristen goes out, it was definitely a high note to end on. He murdered this performance, even if once again, the vocals weren’t ALWAYS there. But here’s the thing, if it’s between Tristen and Noah, sure Noah has the better voice, but I’d much rather watch Tristen and pay for a ticket to HIS show. He left it all out there, and I’m genuinely shocked at the judges’ pick, despite being a Lady K fan.
3. Leah Marlene- Leah is terrific, and delivered another stunning vocal. Didn’t love the chord progression change in the arrangement, but at the end of the day, this is a vocal competition, and in that fact, she slayed.
2. Fritz Hager- Fritz took THE most popular song of its kind, and still made it his own. It was stunning. I think Fritz is the most consistent of any contestant this season, really emerging as a star by the week. He may be the frontrunner at this point, if not Leah.
1. Jay Copeland- Jay not only gave the most stunning performance of the night, but perhaps of the entire SEASON. This is the Jay I’ve waited for. Classy, refined, impressive in his technique, and most importantly, restrained. I freakin’ loved it. This was stunning through and through, and that final run absolutely floored me. Some of the best singing of a single performance idol has seen in years.
Jay made everyone else look small in comparison, and while there are three eliminations next time, I can’t imagine Jay being one of them. I definitely think the other wild card Mike will go, only because he has been more of a judge favorite than an audience one. Lady K almost got eliminated tonight, so I think she’ll be one of the three who goes next time. And then as for the rest, I just have to think about who may have the LEAST support behind them. I think Fritz and Leah are the two frontrunners, then Nicolina, Christian, and HunterGirl have gotten SO much judges hype. That leaves Noah and Emyrson, and between the two, I think Noah has the country voters supporting him. Emyrson, while a dark horse, also sometimes seems to fade into the background too much to where I don’t know if she’s standing out as much as the others.
PREDICTIONS:
Going Into Top 7- Leah Marlene, Fritz Hager, Jay Copeland, Nicolina, Christian Guardino, HunterGirl, and Noah Thompson
Going Home- Mike Parker, Lady K, and Emyrson Flora
So this judges song contest allowed Katy and Luke to save one of Tristen and Lady K, making up the top 10. Did they make the right choice? Find out from my rankings below.