Thursday, March 5, 2009

Wild things!

How we rate tonight's wildcard contestants:

1. Megan Corkrey
We NEED Megan in the Top 12. Her unique jazzy lounge voice is a breath of fresh air on the show. Her Group two audition was fantastic ... if only she can overcome her awkward swaying dance (or as Ryan called it, "the corkscrew"). Her Utah audition (her home state) impressed judges when she showed off her jazzy voice with "Can't help loving that man of mine." During her back story, we learned Megan is a 23-year old single mom with a toddler and tattoos ranging over an entire arm. Megan hasn't gotten a lot of TV time, but we think fans will come to love her. (From Group 2)

2. Ricky Braddy
Besides being deemed one of Paula's favorites early on, we didn't know much about Ricky going into the Group One auditions. But his Group One performance was fantastic, perhaps one of the best male vocals so far. Since then he was garnered a very large fan base (his fan club is called "The Braddy Bunch"). If he can "cool" up his look and give another strong performance, he has a good chance of moving to the Top 12. (From Group 1)

3. Anoop Desai
Anoop is best known among Michael fans as the contestant Michael beat by 20,000 votes. Anoop went into the Group One auditions as an early favorite but his performance fell flat, disappointing many. In any normal American Idol competition, we'd be waving foam fingers up for Anoop. This guy is just simply stellar. But this isn't any normal competition and we're sort of saving ourselves for someone, so we'll just say that he's definitely one to watch. Anoop attends University of North Carolina where he is a member of the a capella group UNC Clef Hangers. During his audition, he sang Boys II Men "Thank You," like someone else we know, showing very good taste. (From Group 1)

4. Jasmine Murray
Jasmine is another one of Idol's junior singers - only 16 years old. She sang "Big Girls Don't Cry" during her Jacksonville audition, and made an impression on the judges from the start. Simon said she was "cute, commercial, and a very very good singer." But we didn't like her song choice in her last performance. But this model-esque contestant is quite marketable (and knows how to work a camera). (From Group 2)

5. Matt Giraud
When Matt Giraud performed "Georgia" on his keyboard during Hollywood week, we all sort of blinked and said, "Where did he come from?" However, his Group 2 audition left us confused (another bad song choice). After his initial "I don't wanna be" audition (the same song our Michael Sarver sang to grab his Top 12 spot), Simon said Giraud didn't seem to have enough confidence. But Simon also compared him to Elliot Yamin, who finished 3rd in Season 6. And like Elliot, Matt's already hit the record store shelves. He previously released two albums - one in 2003, one in 2006. (From Group 2)

6. Tatiana Del Torror
Anyone who has watched so much as one episode of Idol this season knows exactly who Tatiana is. Outside of Idol, she is a self-proclaimed singer, model and actress. She's also the drama factor of Season 8 .. except when she turns into her humble (yet creepy) alterego. She'll need to stick to the crazies if she wants to entertain us and earn the judges nod to the Top 12. She's proven she's got the pipes, but can she provide must-watch TV? Idol producers are hoping so. (From Group 1)

7. Von Smith
Von first gained success singing on YouTube, where Rosie O'Donnell spotted him and had him sing on "The View." In his first audition for Idol, we wowed judges with his incredible range as he sang "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." (It gave us chills) But he had a tougher time in Hollywood, where Simon called his audition "indulgent nonsense." And while more humble in his Group 3 performance, it was awkward for us. With a unique style and a large online fanbase before starting, Von is going to be hard to beat this year ... if he can sing consistently. (From Group 3)

8. Jesse Langseth
Jesse's wildcard berth is a little of a surprise for us. Her performances have been quite forgettable. That said, she does have a good voice if she can up the energy level. She'd have to really give the performance of her life to make it into the Top 12, but climbing to the top may not have been that hard for Jesse to begin with. Her brother is multiple Grammy winning guitar player Johnny Lang. (From Group 2)

2 comments:

  1. I don't like Jesse for the show because she's got a famous brother and bad hair. Her performances are dull and she has an attitude that she thinks she's better than everyone else.
    Tatiana will make the show fun because she's crazy!! I hope she gets through!

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  2. They'll pick at least two girls since only three of the top 9 are female. I'm guessing Megan and Tatiana.

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