American Idol: Top 12 Guys (OK, Top 13)

Tonight the Top 12 guys perform, and we also find out who the judges reinstated, making it the Top 13. After tonight’s voting, only the Top 5 will stay. The judges will each get one wildcard vote Thursday night to bring it to the Top 13 between the guys and girls. New home, new set. Let’s begin!

Reed Grimm hails from Wisconsin, and his town is known for its cheese curd. He is the manny for his 2 nieces. He chose Maroon 5′s Moves Like Jagger. It should be noted that he stuck to the original lyrics and had to be bleeped. His jazzy version of the song and drum playing pleased Randy, who appreciated the scatting and drumming. J-Lo and Steven liked what he did with the song. He made the song his own, and that’s what matters in the end, I suppose.

Adam Brock is from outside of Pittsburgh, PA, and considers himself a Jack of All Trades. This Cordon Bleu chef has dubbed himself “White Chocolate”, and says there’s a large black woman trapped inside of him. He performed Aretha Franklin’s Think, and appeared to be very comfortable on the stage. J-Lo loved his big finish, Randy loved his throwback vibe, and Steven said he set the bar high. The large black woman did not emerge that often.

Deandre Brackensick is from Los Angeles, and is still in high school. He showed his falsetto in Earth, Wind and Fire’s Reasons. He’s adorable and a master of hairography, but I found his lyrics a bit hard to understand when his falsetto was in use. Randy thought he had a commercial sound, J-Lo kept yelling his name and thought his voice was perfect during the whole range, and Steven felt the song showed off his voice.

Colton Dixon is from Tennessee, and confesses to having to use a lot of hair product to get his look. He sang Paramore’s Decode, leaving the piano to work the stage, and then ended by jumping back on top of the piano. Steven saw true talent, and thought he was relevant, as did J-Lo. Randy thought it was about time the show had its own indy/alt rocker. The performance was definitely a departure from the Idol formula, and that’s a GOOD thing. Doesn’t hurt that he’s good-looking, too.

Jeremy Rosado is from Florida, and has become the cheerleader of the group. He sang Gravity by Sara Bareilles, and showed how smooth his voice is. Shots of Steven and J-Lo melting as he sang, and Steven complimented his song choice. J-Lo dubbed him “Jer-Bear,” and said he was blessed with his beautiful voice. Randy was impressed with his tender moments as well as with his big booming moments. This kid is really a nice guy.

Steven will be Steven, and busted J-Lo on her Oscar night “nip slip.” We got to see his. She denied any such thing.

Aaron Marcellus is from Atlanta, GA, but moved to New York to pursue his dream. His Never Can Say Goodbye by The Jackson 5 had a pitchy start, but once he started working the stage, he straightened it out. The judges gave him a standing ovation. Steven told him he had raised the bar for himself. J-Lo reminded him that she had championed him, and said he could sing anything, and Randy liked not only his vocals, but also how he worked the stage.

Chase Likens, from West Virginia, has horses and dogs. He is the only country singer amongst the guys, and sang Storm Warning by Hunter Hayes. Steven remarked on his Brendan Fraser look. J-Lo also liked his movie star looks, and thought he sounded great as he showed America who he was as an artist. Randy also commented on his looks, as well as his range and skills.

The lovefest continued with Creighton Fraker, who moved to NY from South Dakota. The quirky street performer sang Cyndi Lauper’s True Colors. Great song choice, as it displayed his beautiful tone. J-Lo cried, and appreciated his dynamics. Steven thought it was stupendous, and complimented his phrasing and unique spin to the song. Randy also said he could definitely sing.

Phillip Phillips is from Georgia, and not only wants to sing, but to make great music. He sang In The Air Tonight by Phil Collins, and completely changed the melody and tempo, making the song his own.  I wasn’t sure what to call it, until Randy nailed it by saying Phillip reminded him of Dave Matthews. That’s it! Randy wasn’t sure about his reharm of the melody, but said he was his biggest fan. Steven liked the song as well as Phillip’s crazy kind of voice, and J-Lo felt compelled to repeat his name a few times. She also said the judges had been talking about him since the road, like they did last year with Lauren and Scotty.

Eben Franckewitz, from Cincinnati, OH, took on Adele’s Set Fire to the Rain. Brave choice, but at the tender age of 15, this song was just too old for him. He had a few pitchy moments, which Steven also commented on, and suggested he listen to some blues records. J-Lo thought he was adorable and a great performer, and Randy liked his confidence and thought he nailed the song at the end.

Heejun Han, resident funny man from New York, says his mom loves to sing and dance, but isn’t very good at either one. I love this guy! He also wants to show that Asians can do more than just get high SAT scores. Did I mention that I love this guy? He sang Angels by Robbie Williams, but none of the judges felt that the song choice did his voice justice. It’s a shame, because he really does have a beautiful voice. He picked the song because he believes in its message.

Joshua Ledet, a Louisiana native, misses the food from home. Apparently fans have named him “Mantasia.” He showed amazing control and passion in his performance of Jennifer Hudson’s You Pulled Me Through, and got a standing ovation from the judges. Steven said the world has been waiting to hear his voice, J-Lo said he was insanely talented, and Randy said that this is what singing is about.

And who was brought back? None other than New Jersey’s gentle giant, Jermaine Jones. I really thought it would be Johnny Keyser.  Dance With My Father by Luther Vandross showed off his baritone better than anything else we’ve heard him sing, and Steven thanked him for proving why he was asked to come back.  The judges gave him a standing ovation;  J-Lo praised his special voice and spirit, and Randy called him different and unique.

We’ll find out on Thursday who America voted for. Will it be based on voice? Looks? Musical style? Personality? Being adorable? This is a really diverse group of performers, and it’s anyone’s guess who the voters will go for. AND it will be interesting to see who the judges save.

My preferences? Based on everything we’ve seen, not just on tonight, I’d have to say Heejun, Reed, Colton, Creighton, and Joshua, with a save going to Phillip. I really like Jeremy, too. This will be interesting.