Jackson teen Gianna Isabella impressed the judges yet again in the new, duets round
Of the twelve "American Idol" hopefuls who performed solo Wednesday, and again Thursday in a nostalgic duet round, five were eliminated.
Jackson teen Gianna Isabella Petrone was not one of them.
After a fun rendition of Nick Fradiani's "Beautiful Life," with the season 14 winner himself, Gianna proved enough to judges Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr. to survive another week.
But she wasn't the strongest singer of the night. That honor went to contestants singing alongside seasons 2 and 3 winners Ruben Studdard and Fantasia Barrino, respectively. Season 10 winner and runner-up Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina also retook the stage, as did season 13 winner Caleb Johnson.
Let's discuss how everyone did, and who survived the cuts.
The other half of the remaining "Idol" field will go through the same schedule next week -- two nights of singing, five of 12 will be cut.
THE BREAKDOWN
Videos of all performances coming Friday morning
Gianna Isabella and Nick Fradiani singing "Beautiful Life" by Nick Fradiani
There were some great harmonies and belts in this, and some not-so-good ones, too. Jackson teen Gianna seemed uncomfortable with the song, but gave it her best shot, and took on some hefty runs at the end. Keith thought it was good, J-Lo said it was the perfect song, and Harry said he's still trying to figure Gianna out.
Emily Brooke and Lauren Alaina singing "Flat on the Floor" by Carrie Underwood
Well, season 10 runner-up Lauren was fantastic. Emily was forgettable, but at least she wasn't as brutal as Wednesday's performance. Harry thought the song was too loud for Emily, and Keith thought it wasn't her lane.
Thomas Stringfellow and Nick Fradiani singing "Man in the Mirror" by Michael Jackson
This was fun. Nick was smart to allow Thomas some room to command the stage and their vocal styles played well off each another. Thomas didn't seem overwhelmed and turned in a nice vocal. Though Keith thought he struggled, J-Lo didn't like it, and Harry threw this performance away.
Stephany Negrete and Ruben Studdard singing "Superstar" by The Carpenters
Ruben is still so great, and was silky smooth on this song, which was clearly right in his wheelhouse. Stephany was overshadowed, and didn't do enough to separate herself. J-Lo liked their voices together, Harry said it was strong.
Sonika Vaid and Caleb Johnson singing "Skyfall" by Adele
This was an unfair pairing and an unfair song for Sonika, whose voice is beautiful, but not nearly booming enough to pull off a monster ballad -- which Caleb had already done two years ago to great success. It was just too much song for her. Harry enjoyed it, and called Sonika "adorable," Keith said they were great together. Really?
Jenna Renae and Scotty McCreery singing "See You Tonight" by Scotty McCreery
This was fine. Not great, not bad. Just fine. Scotty was solid, of course -- it's his song. Jenna played off him well, and was all smiles. Her uber-exuberance, while sweet, comes off a little unprofessional, though. Keith said her voice was lovely, J-Lo said she did the best she could.
La'Porsha Renae and Fantasia Barrino singing "Summertime" by Ella Fitzgerald
While it might have been a tad overdone with all the runs La'Porsha still sang the ever-lovin' out of the song, and held her own with Fantasia, whose rendition of "Summertime" in season 3 was among the best "Idol" performances ever. Keith gave a standing ovation and J-Lo said it was "amazing." Harry said she killed it.
Mackenzie Bourg and Lauren Alaina singing "I Hope You Dance" by Leeann Womack
Great choice for Lauren, who slayed this rendition, but the arrangement completely handcuffed Mackenzie. It felt as though he was giving her the whole stage, and fell by the wayside. Not good. "I love what you do with songs," Keith said. J-Lo said he held his own.
Avalon Young and Ruben Studdard singing "Flying Without Wings" by Ruben Studdard
This was a little out of Avalon's comfort zone, but she sang it beautifully, and complimented Ruben. Great tone from both, and a warm, engaging performance. J-Lo said it was "incredible," Harry called her "incredibly likable." Keith called her "so real."
James VIII and Caleb Johnson singing "Gimme Shelter" by The Rolling Stones
James seemed much more comfortable with a singing partner, but Caleb still blew him away on this one. Sorry man. Harry thought he hung with him well, J-Lo enjoyed watching them together.
Jeneve Rose Mitchell and Scotty McCreery singing "Gone" by Montgomery Gentry
Too much theatrics, not enough substance from Jeneve on this one. Scotty kept his cool, but she was all over the place. Her solo performance was much stronger. Keith called it "bizarre." Harry agreed, and J-Lo called her "special."
Jordan Sasser and Fantasia Barrino singing "I Believe" by Fantasia Barrino
For Jordan, a youth leader at his church, this felt like a spiritual performance, and showcased his voice in a non-Celine Dion way. The dude can really blow. J-Lo said he did a good job, Keith thought he overdid it.
WHO'S IN THE TOP 14
La'Porsha Renae
Mackenzie Bourg
Avalon Young
Sonika Vaid
Gianna Isabella
Thomas Stringfellow
Jeneve Rose Mitchell
WHO WENT HOME
Emily Brooke
James VIII
Jenna Renae
Stephany Negrete
Jordan Sasser
NOTES
- I'd say the judges got it right regarding the eliminations. For talent's sake, I probably wouldn't have kept Jeneve, but they love how quirky she is. Sorry to see Jordan go. He was a show-off, but he had a ton of skill.
Bobby Olivier may be reached at bolivier@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BobbyOlivier. Find NJ.com on Facebook.