The Ladies of American Idol

On Feb. 29 the American Idol judges admitted that they did not direct any negative comments towards the guys the night before.  One of the judges, the global icon Jennifer Lopez said that they were too soft on the guys; however, the girls weren’t too lucky that night as the harsh comments rolled in.

The first girl to perform was Chelsea. The judges didn’t quite agree with the song she had chosen to sing and had expected her to pick a song that could have proven what a great singer she really is.

The second performance by Erika did not go to well either. Steven Tyler liked the way she hit her notes and the confidence she exposed on stage, but Jennifer Lopez felt that she was holding back a little with the song. Meanwhile, Randy Jackson wasn’t too sure if she did as well as he had expect her to. A few minutes later, Erika said that J-Lo’s comment definitely concerned her.

These girls weren’t the only ones to hear bitter comments coming from the judges.  After Baylie Brown performed the judges told her that they didn’t approve the song she chose. Just like in Erika’s case, the judges thought she could have done a better job. The only positive comment she heard from the judges was that she is a very beautiful young woman, which will not be enough to keep her in the competition.

Once again, Haley Johnson’s performance left the judges thinking the song she selected was not the best choice. “It was kind of pitchy and I thought it was a nightmare instead of a sweet dream,” said Randy Jackson.

Despite these negative comments, there were some girls who received only good comments about their performances.  Jen Hirsh had a loud applause and cheers from the audience. “I thought it was beautiful, you went for the high notes,” were a few of J-Lo’s words. “You got what it takes,” added Steven Tyler.  “I think you’re one of the greatest singers in the competition this year,” ended Randy Jackson.

Brielle Von Hugel also had a great performance.  “You did it!” said Steven Tyler. “You’re a true performer, that was amazing,” added Jennifer. “I didn’t know you had all that swagger, that surprised me,” said Randy Jackson.

J-Lo told Hallie Day that she looked like a star! “Your voice is old timey and beautiful,” said Steven Tyler. “You got the voice!” said Randy.

Meanwhile, Skylar Laine, the “rocky country girl” as Randy named her, proved to America she is a natural performer. “That was so good!” exclaimed J-Lo. “I love your energy and you did a great performance,” she continued. “You did a great job,” said Steven Tyler.

Another one of the girls, Hollie Cavanagh, was told by Steven that she is one of his favorites this season. “She is going to be one of our forerunners,” said J-Lo. Randy also added that she is still one of his favorites.

The rest of the girls that performed that night (Shannon Magraine, Elise Testone, and Jessica Sanchez) left the audience inspired by their brilliant voices.

The judges loved all three girls but Jessica Sanchez, who was overcoming swollen vocals, stood out and performed like a true diva. 

The following day the 33 million vote results came in for the guys and girls. The girls that made it to the top ten were Jessica, Hollie, Shannon, Skylar, and Elise.

The judges were given the opportunity to choose five contestants to sing for a chance to be in the last three spots remaining.  Three of the girls chosen to sing were Brielle, Jen, and Erika. Erika ended up in one of the last three spots left in the Top 13 finalists line up.  

On March 8, the first elimination of American Idol took place and luckily Elise Testone, who was in danger of leaving the competition, was saved by the judges.  Jeremy, who stood next to her was the first contestant to get eliminated. For more information and to watch video recaps of the recent shows check out Americanidol.com.