Mackenzie Bourg, Avalon Young and La'Porsha Renae blow the judges away on Wednesday night with their solo performances.
- Feb 11, 2016
AceShowbiz - As the competition continues on "American Idol" final season, half of the Top 24 performed for a live audience on Wednesday night, February 10. They performed solo before singing duet with former "Idol" contestants on Thursday. Judges will evaluate both performances to decide who make the cut for the next round.
Taking the stage first was Stephany Negrete. She sang Jessie J's "Mamma Knows Best" which showed her bold voice. Keith Urban advised her to loosen up more, while Harry Connick Jr. and Jennifer Lopez said she needed to connect with the song.
Mackenzie Bourg delivered a cover of A Great Big World's "Say Something" and he once again showed his artistry. The judges had nothing but praise as J.Lo said his performance was very natural and she loved it.
Jeneve Rose played the harp while singing "Angel" by Sarah McLachlan, giving J.Lo "goosies." Harry, on the other hand, thought the harp was unnecessary because it distracted her from connecting with the lyrics.
Jenna Renae was up next, singing "My Church" by Maren Morris. It was a great song choice for her, but the judges still wanted to see more sides of her singing.
James VIII delivered a rendition of Kanye West's "Love Lockdown" with a fun arrangement. While it was an interesting performance, it failed to impress the judges. Keith said it wasn't compelling enough.
Sonika Vaid turned things around with her performance of "Safe and Sound" by Taylor Swift and The Civil Wars. It was great technically and Harry loved that she poured her emotion into the performance.
Gianna Isabella's rendition of "I Put a Spell On You" by Nina Simone also impressed the judges. She looked confident as she showed how she's able to work the stage. Harry wanted her to challenge herself to "find as much meat in there as you can."
Emily Brooke sang Cassadee Pope's "I Am Invincible" but it was a little low for her and J.Lo pointed this out. Harry added, "You have to sell those lyrics and make us feel what you're feeling...maybe this was an off night for you."
Avalon Young sang "Love Yourself" by Justin Bieber and it was one of the best performances of the night. "You had the audience in the palm of your hand the second you opened your mouth," J.Lo said, but warned her not to get self-conscious.
Jordan Sasser covered Celine Dion's "All By Myself". While Keith praised his voice, he said Jordan didn't put his heart into the song. The judges agreed that it was a bit too theatrical and he didn't need it.
Thomas Stringfellow delivered an acoustic cover of Radiohead's "Creep" and it was a right decision as the song sounded more sweet and hopeful. "I love what you do, and you play with your voice in a way I haven't heard before," J.Lo said. Harry also gushed, "I thought that was tremendous!"
La'Porsha Renae ended the show with her performance of "Proud Mary" by Tina Turner. J.Lo said she envied her powerful voice and Harry had nothing to criticize. "I would feel foolish to critique that in any shape or form!" he said.
