Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Jordan McCullough performs for the judges on American Idol. (ABC Photo)

With just two audition episodes remaining, American Idol introduced viewers to lots and lots of talented singers Monday night.

The show aired full auditions for more than a dozen singers and also showed us snippets of auditions for several other golden ticket recipients, including rockers Noah Orion, Isaiah Moro and Brett Carlisle, singer-songwriter Jackie Bluebird and Alabamans Kutter Bradley and Kayla Finch.

Here’s Idol Chatter’s recap, with picks for the best of the night.

As always, following the links will take you to a profile of the singers, complete with information about music they’ve already released.

BEST OF THE NIGHT

Jordan McCullough, 27, Murfreesboro, Tenn., “Goodness of God” by CeCe Winan: He immediately demonstrated a wonderful tone and nice range. His runs were very good too, if a bit overdone. He earned a standing ovation from the judges. Carrie said he gave her chills. Luke was impressed by his big voice. Lionel praised his stage presence.

RUNNERS-UP

Lanii, 19, Phoenix, Ariz., “Tell Me You Love Me” by Demi Lovato: She says she’s insecure about her vocals, but her dad believes in her. She should believe to, because she turned in an excellent audition with a voice full of character and emotion. Carrie calls her voice “incredible” and called her audition “awesome.” Luke Bryan loved her authenticity. Lionel Richie called her performance “uplifting.”

Kiera Howell, 16, Geneva, Ala., “Don’t Tread on Me” by We the Kingdom: Hey, for her age, she’s got a mature delivery and, in spite of what she says, looks perfectly comfortable auditioning. She held one of those notes forever. Carrie Underwood loved the versatility in her voice. Luke Bryan loves her energy. Lionel Richie loves that positive energy too. Very impressive for someone so young.

ALSO MADE THE SHOW:

Roelle, 25, Puerto Rico, “Maybe” by Sienna Spiro: Wow, this young woman has one heck of a voice. And a bit of grit in it. Really professional level audition. Carrie Underwood loved her vocals. Lionel Richie appreciated the way she navigated a difficult song and made it all her own. Luke Bryan said the judges have heard several renditions of the song and Roelle was the first to deliver it that well. Roelle moved from Puerto Rico to California to pursue singing and now lives in Death Valley. In a nice gesture, Idol brought her mother from Puerto Rico to witness the audition. They hadn’t seen one another for six months.

Nyla Martin, 17, “AIn’t No Way” by Aretha Franklin: Wow, talk about a big voice. Most impressively though, was the way she built the dramatics in that audition. Carrie Underwood can’t believe she’s just 17 with that big voice. Luke was equally impressed. Lionel Richie wants her to dial back the vocals even a bit more, but gave her the third yes to advance.

Trew the Star, 24, Montgomery, Ala., “Nothing Can Change This Love” by Sam Cooke: He says his first memory of music was watching Idol. And he delivers a splendid cover of this song. Carrie Underwood loved his voice and his delivery even more. Luke Bryan said the audition gave him full body chills for the first time in three days. Lionel Richie was so impressed he reward Trew with a hug.

Julianne Post, 21, Farmerville, La., “Long Live the Lost Boys” (an original): Love this woman’s original sound and her music. She has two great singles out. Lionel Richie loves her uniqueness. Carrie Underwood, however, votes no, uncertain how she will fit on the show. Luke Bryan breaks that tie by voting to see Julianne through to Hollywood. Lionel calls her “the misfit” but says he’s a big fan of “it doesn’t fit” and pledged to buy the first copy of her song.

Christian Brown, 22, Franklin, Ken., “Wildest Dreams” by Marty Brown (his dad): Christian showed up in the audition room with his dad Marty, who released three country albums in the 1990s. And he delivered a fine rendition of his father’s song. Luke Bryan says he has the potential to do well. Carrie Underwood said she was surprised by his range. Christian sailed through the three yes votes.

Vincent Fondale, 26, Cleavland, “The Sound of Giving Up” (an original from his band Recess): Vincent demonstrates a big voice and a passionate style. Carrie Underwood said he has a beautiful voice. Luke Bryan wasn’t quite as excited and voted “no.”Lionel Richie was also very impressed by Vincent’s vocals.

Miyoko, 24, Bila Tserkva, Ukraine, “Unravel” from Tokyo Ghoul: She is a very bubbly anime singer who’s still learning English. This had all the earmarks of a joke audition, but Miyoko demonstrated lots of personality and a big voice. Luke Bryan said he loves her energy and calls her “a star.” He pushes hard for Miyoko to make the show. And convinced Lionel to join him in advancing Miyoko. She advanced by a 2-1 vote. She left determined to get Carrie Underwood on board.

Livy, 22, Shinnston, W.Va., “Love Wins” by Carrie Underwood: A server at Texas Roadhouse, Livy has went viral singing at her job. Her opening on this Carrie Underwood song is very impressive. She demonstrates a big voice. Lionel Richie calls her a sweetheart. All the judges encourage her to dial back the vocals just a bit and focus on emotion. She certainly has a big personality.

Madison Moon, 21, Orlando, Fla., “Creep” by Radiohead: Nice song choice, performed very well by Madison, who has a pretty unique vocal style. She also sang a bit of “30 Seconds to Mars.” Luke Bryan said she’s one of the best voices the judges have heard. Lionel Richie got goose bumps this time. Carrie Underwood predicted she’d be Top 30 at least.

Philmon Lee, 25, LeGrange, Ga., “When a Man Loves a Woman” by Michael Bolton: There’s a lot of character in Philmon’s voice. and he delivers it with plenty of emotion. Carrie Underwood called his performance surprising because he entered the room so “chill.” Luke Bryan says he looks like he was born to sing and called his audition “pretty dang exciting.”

Lanii listens to the feedback from the judges following her performance on American Idol. (ABC Photo)