Thursday, May 14, 2015

American Idol 14 Wrap-Up: 25 Best Performances

To the obligatory count: 6 months. 30 episodes. 153 live performances. 3 unjustly eliminated finalist. 1 annoying Harry Connick Jr. 1 Daniel Seavey. 1 season left. That's right, another season in the history books and like old tradition I compiled a list of the most memorable live performances up to the Finale.

Season 14 had a lot of potential to be best season EVER, but terrible format sucked the life out of these kids. That said, they were still able to deliver some awesome performances, which made this a little hard to rank. But yes, I did my very best!

Anyway, just like many other lists or countdowns, this one is extremely biased. It's based on personal preferences. There will probably be some performances that are nowhere to be found on your list that may be as high as 10 or something on here - actually I guarantee it. But please respond maturely, flames don't make me particularly happy.

SEASON 9 Best Performances 
SEASON 10 Best Performances
SEASON 11 Best Performances
SEASON 12 Best Performances
SEASON 13 Best Performances

Honorable Mentions!

Uptown Funk
Qaasim Middleton
Top 24

Wings
Tyanna Jones
Top 12

My Immortal
Jax
Top 3

Only The Good Die Young
Nick Fradiani
Top 6

Boyfriend
Clark Beckham
Top 5

 Here are the TOP 25 Best Live Performances of Season 14:

25. Tightrope
Tyanna Jones

Week: Top 11
Theme: Party Songs

Tyanna is everything Majesty Rose wanted to be last season and more. This girl is a powerful performer and she commanded that stage with Tightrope and looked great doing it. Her vocals were almost flawless, the pitch was on point, and the control was impeccable. She just gets the job done.

24. Love You I Do
Adanna Duru

Week: Top 11 Redux
Theme: Songs from the Cinema

Adanna's growth arc was real, people! The beginning started a little iffy for me, but then everything fell into place and my love for her exploded! Love You I Do was one of Adanna's best vocal performances to date, if not the best, and though she wasn't completely believable yet as a powerhouse diva vocalist like Sarina-Joi, it was smart to try to fill that void this season. She looked very comfortable working that stage and not looking fake doing so and she's gorgeous.

23. You Give Love A Bad Name
Jax

Week: Top 9
Theme: 1980s

The arrangement left me confused as I felt like Jax did too much with it again. That said, her take on You Give Love A Bad Name was still pretty solid. I thought the magic of this number was at the beginning when her vocals were very restrained and nuanced, but then it kind of limped in the middle, until the lilt in her voice got back at the end. It was uneven, but solid nonetheless.

22. Earned It
Clark Beckham

Week: Top 3
Theme: Judges' Song Choice

YES! The pure soul and passion that he puts forth in this performance floored me. It was dramatic, intense, and played to all his strengths. Earned It was a great song choice and really allowed him to wail that it created an incredibly cool moment for Clark. Not sure if it did cement him back as the one to beat going into the season finale, but it did give him a fighting chance.

21. Always On My Mind
Rayvon Owen

Week: Top 6
Theme: American Classics

One of the things I loved about him was his ability to drive himself forward. He pushed himself even harder this week, and delivered an almost flawless vocal on Always On My Mind. The purity in his vocals was just impressive. This was an astounding example of how great a ballad can sound when it's prepared with thought and had a real emotional weight.

20. Back Home
Nick Fradiani

Week: Top 3
Theme: Hometown Choice

This was when Nick Fradiani started to peak. Back Home was enthusiastic and full of vibrant energy. Other than the slightly rough start, his vocals were mostly on point, and he proved, yet again, with this performance how radio ready he sounds. He looked comfortable on stage, there's a quiet confidence to the number, and it did sound like a song written for him. Good stuff.


19. You Really Got A Hold On Me
Sarina-Joi Crowe

Week: Top 16
Theme: Motown

I asked myself that night, "What was up with Harry and intonations?" Sarina-Joi had no problems with her intonation as her pitch were, for the most part, spot on. There's not much more I can say about Sarina-Joi Crowe. She's clearly the best vocalist this season and she doesn't show any signs of faltering or slowing down. If anything, she's actually getting better as the weeks go on and that's a really ominous sign for the rest of the contestants. She has strategy and there's no stopping her.

18. Believe
Rayvon Owen

Week: Top 4
Theme: Soul Songs

This was a very impressive showing from a contestant I had pretty much left for dead. Rayvon sang Justin Bieber's song Believe and he sang it with such conviction and passion that I have to applaud him. No, his vocals weren't perfect as it began to crack towards the end - likely from emotions? - but this guy wants to go down swinging and he plans on landing a few more punches before his body hits the floor.

17. Every Breath You Take
Clark Beckham

Week: Top 9
Theme: 1980s

This was one of the more strong moments for Clark and I was floored by how consistent he's been at the start of the competition. His vocals were strong, honest, and it was fantastic to see a stripped down performance as opposed to a lot of bells and whistles. He was vulnerable and the arrangement was just beautiful. At that point, I thought Clark was like a snowball rolling down a hill and the other contestants were just harmless twigs in his way.

16. Beautiful Disaster
Jax

Week: Top 8
Theme: Kelly Clarkson

Her voice sounded like butter through each verse, and the subtle quirks she added created a performance that was miles better than some of her previous ones. Jax has been getting more and more control over her instrument, and it's fascinating to watch. The arrangement was gorgeous, her tone was unique, and this was possibly one of her best lyrical interpretations on the show.

15. In The Air Tonight
Quentin Alexander

Week: Top 9
Theme: 1980s

Quentin delivered an interesting take on a song with such dramatic flair! I was hoping the structure of the song would have allowed the song to build up more, but I was still incredibly fascinated. It's moody, visceral, and possibly one of Quentin's strongest vocal performances this season. Good job

14. Make It Rain
Clark Beckham

Week: Top 7
Theme: Billboard Hits

There's just something inherently soulful about watching Clark stand by a microphone with his guitar and lay it all out. Make It Rain wasn't a clear departure from anything we've heard from him, but it was perfectly orchestrated and he sang the hell out of the tune. He's a very talented vocalist and his control over his voice was absolutely unreal.

13. What Hurts The Most
Nick Fradiani

Week: Top 4
Theme: Soul Songs

What a wonderful surprise! This was practically sung almost to perfection and it was powerful and there's intensity to his delivery. After the performance was over I was breathless. If Nick continued to build up steam and catch a few lucky breaks, I really felt like he could finish very strong even outlasting the perennial frontrunner Clark Beckham.


12. Miss Independent
Joey Cook

Week: Top 8
Theme: Kelly Clarkson

This was a fantastic comeback after the mess that was Girls Just Wanna Have Fun the week prior. That was fun and all, but she put the quirk too thick that it came off like a joke. Miss Independent, on the other hand, was like the sister of Fancy. It was a stellar vocal performance paired with intricate phrasing and undeniable connection with the song. I'm not sure what Harry was whining about, but I digress.

11. It's A Man's Man's World
Clark Beckham

Week: Top 12
Theme: Audition Songs

True, Clark needed to do something more younger than our grandpa's grandpa, but what's there to complain when I get this? This was an outstanding vocal performance and the best he's ever sounded since The House of Blues round as this showcased his insane vocal instrument. Yes, I'm talking about his range. And yet, even with all of that strength, his runs were still full of subtle choices, and his tone effortlessly unique. Oh, and can I throw also the fact that he's looking better than ever.

10. I Put A Spell On You
Quentin Alexander

Week: Top 24
Theme: Open

Such a nice surprise. Was it pitch perfect? Not at all. There were moments when it got away from him, but there was something undeniably magnetic about this performance. His vocals were intense and authentic and the wild eyes towards the camera was strange and yet, I was unable to look away. His voice reverberates on stage and there's a haunting quality that's really impressive. I honestly didn't think he had it in him.


09. Mad World
Joey Cook

Week: Top 11 Redux
Theme: Songs from the Cinema

With strings of fantastic performances since the live shows, Joey was bursting onto the scene as a powerhouse in this competition. There were interesting choices thrown in her version of Mad World, and the performance aspect was well thought out. She was very focused and very connected and her vocals were sublime. It showed the emergence of a new credible competitor. The way I see it Clark, Jax, Tyanna, Quentin have all shown that they have what it takes to win American Idol. Joey has now nudged herself onto the ring of contention. We have a five way race now.

08. Beautiful Life
Nick Fradiani

Week: Finale
Theme: Winner's Single

Like Home did for Phillip Phillips back in Season 11, Nick was lucky to sing a less drivel and more commercially accessible material. To me, Beautiful Life was the more contemporary and relevant tune. Nick used this upbeat anthem to take control of every inch of that stage and beam at the audience. When his voice soared, it soared high, and we saw that he was having an epic amount of fun up there. It was certainly a strong finish on a night where last impression was important.


07. Since U Been Gone
Rayvon Owen

Week: Top 8
Theme: Kelly Clarkson

Not going to lie, I had some serious doubt that this will be good as the end result of his Hollywood week performance of the same song was rough. Bu then, he came out and sang a really beautiful rendition of Since U Been Gone and this string-driven arrangement made me sit up and take notice. He was caressing each sentence and each phrase tenderly. He allowed himself the vulnerability to back off a note or two, allow a few vocal cracks, and create an honesty that some of his performances often lack. This was really good.

06. Stay
Tyanna Jones

Week: Top 7
Theme: Billboard Hits

Not going to lie, I was a little iffy with her tackling another ballad, but she absolutely nailed this performance. She's got a beautiful clarity to her upper register that soared during moments of this tune and there was an emotional quality to the performance that made it stand out in comparison to some of the other competitors. She's got a sadness to her. It's evident. She connected to this song in a way I've never seen her before and it was beautiful. Sensitive. Precise. Heartfelt.

05. The Trouble With Love Is
Clark Beckham

Week: Top 8
Theme: Kelly Clarkson

This was one of the best vocal performances during that night and I loved seeing him expand out of his comfort zone, and he's certainly in a comfortable groove in the competition. The performance was pretty riveting especially when he opened up towards the end, and I could just feel the passion and intensity with his delivery.

04. Mama Knows Best
Sarina-Joi Crowe

Week: Top 24
Theme: Open

It was the first night of live shows and Sarina-Joi was just one of the few competitors that week to enter that arena ready to do battle. Mama Know Best was another strong vocal moment for Sarina and I'm always impressed by her ability to toe the line between doing to much and doing too little. I have no more words. Simply fantastic.

03. White Flag
Jax

Week: Top 5
Theme: Arena Anthems

Clean. Simple. Honest. This was one of Jax's finest moments on the show and this was all about showing us that she's a star. I've heard this song sung a few times already, but no one has ever captured the pure and haunting feeling like Jax. The connection to the lyrics, the phrasing, the interpretation were all spot on. I was completely and utterly and pleasantly taken aback. Perfect point in the competition to catch fire.

02. Sunday Morning
Clark Beckham

Week: Top 11 Redux
Theme: Songs from the Cinema

This was the week I proclaimed Clark as the next American Idol! Sunday Morning was not only a perfect song choice for Clark, but the tender, stripped down version of the tune was matched perfectly with the visuals of him sitting on a stool with his guitar. I love contestants who take risks. I find them daring and inventive and often the sole reason why I think this show has lasted as long as it has. Clark took the song that could have just been a throwaway performance, and turned it into something important. The subtle changes, the nuances, and the interesting tone were made all the more powerful by the amazing dynamic of his voice. It was vulnerable and passionate and the strength of it was compelling.

01. Fancy
Joey Cook

Week: Top 11
Theme: Party Songs

This was an outstanding version of Fancy and while she looked kind of cooky, she delivered a controlled, nuanced, lovely performance. She leaned pretty heavily on her creativity and musicality, took a huge leap, was in no way playing the safe card, and hit a home run. The vocals were incredibly strong and the performance was exactly what she needed to do to stand out. Bravo. It was everything I wanted this season and therefore gets the award for the best performance of the season.


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