And here it is: The American Idol Season 13 premiere we’ve been anxiously awaiting.
Or at least the premiere Idol execs hope we’ve been anxiously awaiting.
Harry Connick Jr. holds auditioner Munfarid Zandi. I assume we’ll find out why during tonight’s episode. (FOX Photo)
Tonight, the show unveils its new fun-loving, harmonious trio of judges in an episode put together by producers who are also brand new.
My reaction: Bring on the singers.
Because having researched some of the singers whose names have shown up on spoiler sites, I’m more excited by the new talent Idol appears to have rounded up for Season 13 than by anyone named Keith, Harry or Jennifer.
Several of this year’s contestants have already released music. After a year without guitars, Idol seems to be going out of its way to welcome guitar-wielding singer-songwriter types.
And there are lots and lots of brand new faces, as opposed to Season 12, when the cast was liberally peppered with singers advancing past the Hollywood round for the second or third year.
Season 13 is under way.
Marrialle Sellars: She lands in the audition room before we even get any sort of intro, with her guitar. And she launches into a fine version of Bruno Mars’ “Grenade.” Jennifer says she’s surprised by Marrialle and that she’ll be a nightmare for the other contestants. And she gets a unanimous pass to Hollywood.
Troy Durden during his audition on American Idol. (FOX Photo)
Troy Durden: He says he gets standing ovations when he sings, shows up in the audition room proclaiming his love for twerking, then launches into “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” He shows off nice range. Then the judges ask him to sing the song while twerking. Being a good sport, Troy goes right along. And he, too, receives a unanimous golden ticket as the judges proclaim “it’s a long shot, but it just might twerk.” Idol’s blue bar says he’s a 29-year-old club singer.
Sam Woolf: He’s 17 and from Brandenton, Fla. He says he lived with his mom, then had to move in with his dad who struggled with depression. He’s now living with his grandparents. He sings “Lego House,” again while playing guitar. Harry loves his pitch. Jennifer said his performance opened up “like a flower.” And he’s off to Hollywood as well. Harry predicts his daughters will go crazy over Sam.
Now, we’re going to get quick clips of some singers. Ethan Thompson, 23, a student from Whitefish, Mont. (who looks a heck of a lot like Phillip Phillips), Lindsey Pedicone, 18, a student from Kennett Square, Pa.; and Jillian Jensen, 20, of Rochester, Mass., all make it to Hollywood.
Lindsey says she’s wanted to be on Idol forever. Jillian says she feels at home when she’s playing guitar on stage. And, yes, you might remember Jillian from Season 2 of The X Factor when she made it to the judges’ mansion before being eliminated.
Taylor Hildack: She’s 19, is going to community college with hopes of transferring to a more prestigious music school. She sings “Before He Cheats.” No guitar this time. Jennifer likes her performance. Keith and Harry aren’t as enamored by the vocals. Jennifer votes yes, Harry votes no, leaving the verdict up to Keith. He sends Taylor home, not to Hollywood.
Stephanie Hanvey: She’s 16, from Howell, N.J., is a huge fan of J-Lo, who she says is a great role model. Idol identifies her as a lifeguard. She’s going to audition with “Money, Money, Money” and has a really nice tone to her voice. Harry loves her composure at age 16. Keith says she has a really nice performance style. Harry and Keith both say her vocals need a little work. And Stephanie also gets a unanimous vote to advance to Hollywood. And that verdict reduces Stephanie to tears.
Morgan Deplitch during her audition on Wednesday’s episode of American Idol. (FOX Photo)
Morgan Deplitch: She’s 15, from Somerset, Mass., and also enters the audition room singing the praises of Jennifer. For a song, she’ll be covering Grace Potter’s “Paris Oooh La La.” She’s got a big, soulful voice. But she needs work on her breath control, something Jennifer quickly points out. Harry suggests she sing something more appropriate than a song about shaving someone smooth. Nevertheless, he and the other judges all vote “yes,” launching Morgan to Hollywood.
James Earl: He enters the audition room saying he wants to be like R. Kelly, Luther Vandross and Michael Jackson. He’s going to sing one of his own songs. James is 22, and identified by Idol as a burger flipper from Norwich, Conn. And James starts singing in a high voice, then does a very odd key switch midway through the song, then takes his voice up high again. And James is not Hollywood bound. He leaves the audition room saying the judges didn’t like his razzle dazzle.
The judges invited Austin Pecario’s “stage mom” into the audition room. Austin advanced anyway. (FOX Photo)
Austin Pecario: He’s 17 and a student from Warren, N.J.., and has a big-time stage mom who he’s happy to report will be left behind if he heads to Hollywood because he’ll soon turn 18. The judges invite his mom into the audition room. He summons her, saying she’ll either cry or pee, whichever comes first. Fortunately, she cries. He sings “Titanium” as his mom sways back and forth with nervousness. Jennifer likes the performance. Keith does too, complimenting the interesting mix in his voice. And Harry predicts his mom will be spending lots of time around stages.
Kaitlyn Jackson: She’s a 15-year-old student from Norwich, N.Y., who decides to sing a song she wrote in honor of her grandfather, right before he died of cardiac failure. The song is called “Another Angel.” Keith loves the fact that she could write a song like that at such a young age. Harry says she’s a 100 percent yes. And, she’s another unanimous yes for the judges.
Keith London: He’s 21, from Hazleton, Pa., and is identified as a handyman by Idol. He’s going to sing Katy Perry’s “Roar” on acoustic guitar. He has an early stumble, but then launches into a pretty unique version of the song. Jennifer says she likes the song, but likes it more after hearing Keith’s version. Keith says he’ll remember London because of his unique look and unique version of the song. Harry isn’t as impressed, but Keith makes it to Hollywood on a 2-1 vote.
Sam Atherton: He shows up offering to sing three songs. The judges suggest he pick one for starters. So he opts for an original that’s … well, pretty darn bad. He leaves the audition room convinced the judges made a mistake because he has more talent that all three celebrity judges combined.
Shanon Wilson was one of the most impressive singers to audition for American Idol in Boston. (FOX Photo)
Shanon Wilson: He’s a 24-year-old student from Houston, Texas, auditioning in Boston. He auditions with “I Want You.” And midway through the song, his voice soars to the stratosphere. The judges don’t even vote. Jennifer just holds up one of Idol’s new little gold tickets and presents it to Shanon.
Stephanie Petronelli: She shows up dressed in her cheerleader’s outfit, and sings Grace Potter’s “Paris Ooh La La.” Harry compliments Stephanie on her abdomen, but fears all of her voice is coming from her neck up. He says he isn’t feeling her “vocally.” Jennifer says Stephanie has more soul than she expected. Keith says he’s on the fence, but sides with Jennifer. Three more cheerleaders rush into the room to congratulate Stephanie, prompting Harry to wonder why in the world he said no.
And now we’re off to Austin
Durann Cree: She’s a 17-year-old student from Austin and will audition with Carrie Underwood’s “Cupid’s Got a Shotgun.” She has a nice tone. She gets a yes from Jennifer, who says she still needs a lot of work. Harry says no, and so does Keith. And Durann leaves with a tear in her eye.
Savion Wright: This guy says he’s been wanting to do Idol for eight years, but didn’t feel creative enough. He suffers from attention deficit disorder and says music is his medicine. The 21-year-old student from Jasper decides to show off the creativity he’s developed by singing an original, perhaps called “The Dark Side of Me” or “Both Sides of Me.” Whichever it is, it’s really good. Harry predicts the other competitors will be intimidated by him. Jennifer says “there’s a real performer there.” And Savion is off to Hollywood by a unanimous vote.
Madelyn Patterson: She’s a 22-year-old hairdresser from Jackson, Ga., according to Idol. She’ll sing “Up to the Mountain.” And she immediately shows off a big voice, but really nice control of it. Jennifer’s response: “Don’t sing another word.” Then gives Madelyn a double yes. Keith has also voted yes. Madelyn is in such a rush to get her golden ticket, she misses out on advice from Harry.
Terrica Curry, 20, a rec center staffer from North Little Rock, Ark.; Justin Fira, 24, a valet from Corpus Christi, Texas; Isabelle Gallegos, 17, a student from Cedar Hill, Texas; and Shelby Comey, 15, of Mason Texas, also made it to Hollywood. The judges compared Shelby to a young Miranda Lambert. We caught only quick glimpses of their auditions.
And now we know why Harry was holding Munfarid Zaidi. He’s a huge fan of Harry’s. And he can sing. (FOX Photo)
We also get glimpses of Viviana Villalon, a 19-year-old student from Mission, Texas; Savannah Young, a 17-year-old lifeguard from Odessa, Texas; and Ben Boone, 22, a student from Pineville, La., all of whom also get golden tickets. Viviana sings while playing her ukulele, hoping that would set her apart. Jennifer says Ben might have given her her first goosebumps of Season 13. But the most impressive vocals might have come from Malcolm Allen, a 21-year-old deli grocer from Wrightsville, Ariz. All he uses as an instrument is an air guitar. But wow, very nice version of “Superstition.”
Rolando Guerrero: The 21-year-old service/host from Bastrop, Texas, is in tears of joy over meeting Jennifer Lopez. And he decides to audition with a Jennifer Lopez song, which he isn’t performing very well. Both Keith and Harry turn down Rolando, but he leaves pleased that he got to hug Jennifer Lopez.
Munfarid Zaidi: He’s 19, a student from Sugarland, Texas, by way of Pakistan. And after tons of Jennifer fans tonight, he shows up saying he reads Harry’s Wikipedia page every night before he goes to sleep. He’s going to sing Adele’s “Crazy for You.” Harry has promised to hold him like a baby while he sings a second song if he does well with the first. And it’s really good. So Harry holds him like a baby while he sings something about “holding someone close.”
And that’s a wrap on episode one of Season 13. I’ll post more on some of the standout contestants as soon as possible.
From the two cities, Ryan reports 46 singers are heading to Hollywood. Tomorrow night we get night two from Austin and the San Francisco auditions.
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