You have not known what you are.
You have slumbered upon yourself all your life.
Your eyes have been as much as closed most of the time.
What you have done is already in mockeries.

The mockeries are not you.
Underneath them
And within them,
I see you lurk...


-Walt Whitman



18.2.11

hell week's finest


As promised the Hollywood Week Group Round had lived to its expectations- Full of drama and unexpected cuts. And just like that, the journey ends for some of my early favorites which includes Paris Tassin, Emily Ann Reed, Adrienne Beasley, Janelle Arthur, Rob Bolin, and Chelsea Oaks.

Some stars fall down, but some just keep on shining brightly.

THIA MEGIA, 15. I luuuurrve her. Period.

LAUREN ALAINA, 15. Her powerful voice and how she plays with it is just truly engaging. She sounds like Kelly Clarkson or perhaps Adele. Definitely a front-runner.

As grueling as the Hell Week can be, it's also my favorite part of the competition for it showcases stunning solo performances and puts a spotlight on promising talents that weren't featured on the previous episodes.

ASHTON JONES, 24. The song choice is pretty generic but her voice stood on it's on. Very powerful.

KENDRA CHANTELLE, 22. There is a jazzy tone in her voice that is just lovely to listen to.

SOPHIA SHORAI, 28. Her voice and hair remind me of Haley from Paramore! :P

JACOB LUSK, 23. He has great vocal range and technique. My only concern is his facial expressions. They're very distracting.

Another cool thing about the solo performances is that the contestants are given the opportunity to play their instruments, and clearly those who have this kind of talent have the edge among the lot. It's really amazing to see them within their elements, rendering their artistry to be significantly exponentiated.

JULIE ZORILLA, 20. A beautiful girl that plays the piano. I've seen her before--The perfect girl in my dreams. :)

CALEB HAWLEY, 25. Another guy with a guitar and messy hair. It's the first time I really saw him perform and I say he's a natural artist. I'm putting a tab on this one.

COLTON DIXON, 19. Hmm. Let's see... He plays the keys, with popular-sounding voice (in the tune of David Cook's What About Now?), young, and not bad to look at. Stardom is written all over this guy.

BRETT LOEWENSTERN, 16. He just keep on proving that he belongs in this competition. I love the tone of his singing voice.

ROBBIE ROSEN, 16. This guy is bursting with soul and seeing him perform within his element, well, it's just stellar. I love his rendition of my all-time favorite song Gravity by Sara Bareilles.

CASEY ABRAMS, 19. I think anyone who can make playing the baho de arco cool is an automatic standout. I love this guy!

JOHN WAYNE SCHULZ, 23. His unassuming behavior and country voice makes him very likable. He gave a passive performance that was calming and very easy to listen to. Kind of reminds me that good music comes from a place of truth--no need for runs or complicated shifts in notes. Two thumbs up for his song choice, the classic Landslide by Fleetwood Mac.

Next week the remaining contestants will proceed on a special round. They will take on the songs by The Beatles. Eventually, cuts will be made and the Top 24 will finally be revealed...




2 comments:

Unknown said...

Thia Megia. HANDS DOWN! Casey's a favorite too. The crazy blonde guy (what was his name again) was entertaining to look at.

I'm watching for Lauren, Kendra, John Wayne and Brett.

But among all of 'em, definitely Thia, Casey and Lauren. Coz I love em singers who plays with songs, give their signature quirks, sell it and ROCK IT!

Robbie said...

I agree na nakakalungkot na na-eliminate sina Emily and Adrienne.

I wish they'd pick John Wayne over that Scotty guy who sings the same song over and over again. I also dont like Chris Medina... average at best.

I did NOT like Robbie Rosen's Gravity. Too many runs.