Idol Chatter & Voice Views

American Idol has found a talented cast for Season 14.

It’s also decided to keep viewers guessing in terms of its Season 14 format.

Apparently, one contestant will be eliminated tonight and the remaining 11 singers will perform.

So, I’ll be doling out a new set of song by song grades.

1. Rayvon Owen: He’s the first contestant to make it to the Top 11. He’ll sing Ellie Goulding’s “Burn.” Idol’s new mentor says Rayvon has to step it up to stay in the competition. Rayvon shows off his falsetto early in this performance, but I’m not a big fan of the vocal he’s delivering. To this point in the competition, this might be my least favorite Rayvon performance. He did show off great range and delivered a nice ending. Let’s see what the judges say. Keith liked the song choice. Keith calls it his best performance. Jennifer thought it was “really, really great.” Harry calls it one of his stronger performances, too. Grade: B–

2. Maddie Walker: She was one of the singers I thought might be in trouble tonight. Then again, she’s the only country singer on the show, and country singers do very well on these singing shows. Scott thinks she’s a future “country siren.” She’ll perform Jason Aldean’s “She’s Country,” hoping to show off her rocket edge. Maddie is delivering more attitude with this performance. But I’m not sure she has the vocal pipes to pull this off convincingly. She kicked up the vocal performance a couple of notches for the second half of the song. Jennifer calls it a great job and how she was “sassy and sweet at the same time.” Harry wants her to switch up her songs more. Keith liked the song choice and called the performance really good. Grade: B

3. Joey Cook: Hey, America must like quirky. Thrilled to hear it. Scott calls her “uniquely cool and a real artist.” She’ll tackle Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy.” No ukulele and no squeezebox, but she has someone playing a bass behind her. With her hair a light shade of blue, she launches into a unique version of the song. But she seems more composed, and less surprised to have advanced tonight. Joey delivers a solid vocal and has the fans chanting her name. Harry gives her an A+ on the arrangement and her vocal. He calls it phenomenal. Keith says she’s “so artist” and says she pulled people in. Jennifer liked it too, calling it a smart song choice. Grade: B+

4. Clark Beckham: No way he was going home after last night’s performance. Scott calls him a vocal powerhouse and says his biggest challenge is “whether the rest of him can catch up with it.” Clark is going to perform The Doobie Brothers’ “Takin’ It to the Streets.” He’s playing piano while performing. Gals are going to love this guy. But on a night where the theme is “Let’s Get the Party Started,” I’m not sure I would have tied myself to the piano. Still, Clark turned in another solid performance, though not nearly as good as a night ago. Keith says he wants to be more inspired by Clark. Jennifer says she loves when Clark is behind the piano. Harry says it wasn’t his favorite Clark performance, but still thought it was solid. Grade: B

5. Jax: Another singer who excelled last night. Scott likes her charisma and says she has everything it takes. She’s going to tackle Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space.” Not sure this song choice was a good one for Jax. She’s not changing the song up, at least not so far. Like the way she’s interacting with the crowd. And she adds more of an edge as the song progresses. Interesting performance. And from the reaction, you can tell she’s a fan favorite. Jennifer isn’t sure that was the right song choice either. Harry thought it sounded too much like Taylor’s version. Keith also thought the song held her back. Grade: C

6. Qaasim Middleton: Scott calls him one of the “coolest cats we’ve got” with “huge artist potential.” He’ll tackle Paul McCartney & the Wings’ “Jet.” Tonight, he’s going to play guitar. OK, if he’s just going to stand behind that mike and sing, this might have been a mistake, because he’s going to prove what Scott just said: that he’s not the strongest singer on the show. Yikes, this really isn’t very good. He pours all his energy into the ending, but it can’t salvage that performance. Harry thinks Qaasim is letting “crazy energy” get in his way. Keith thought his guitar helped his singing. Jennifer says he makes every song a party. Grade: D+

7. Adanna Duru: Hmm, I had her potentially marked for elimination because she needed a save to make it to tonight’s show. Scott calls her dark and edgy. She’s going to sing Bruno Mars’ “Runaway Baby.” She’s delivering a high energy performance. Of course, it is party night. Adanna looks really comfortable on stage doesn’t she? Not sure this is a perfect vocal, but she certainly captured the mood of the night. Keith says “that’s why we saved you.” Jennifer liked the fact that she stayed more in control of the performance. Harry calls it one of her better performances. Grade: B+

8. Tyanna Jones: Scott likes the fact that she keeps improving every week and “has wisdom beyond her years.” She’s going to sing Janelle Monae’s “Tightrope.” Hard to believe this gal is only 16. She certainly performs like she’s much more experienced. And she owned that performance from the word go, adding a big ending and got two of the judges — Keith and Jennifer — to their feet. The crowd is going wild, too. Jennifer says she sparkles on camera and calls it “beautifully complete.” Harry says if he was a judge in the Olympics, she would have gotten a 10. Keith likes her spirit and her performance. Grade: A–

9. Daniel Seavey: Oh, no. That means someone much more deserving of a spot in the Top 11 is going to get eliminated tonight. Scott says he knows he can charm the socks off you. Tonight, he’s going to take on Pharrell Williams’ “Happy.” And he’s playing guitar. Really. This is marginally better than last night. But Daniel just does not have the vocal chops to go head to head with this year’s Top 12 or Top 11. He’s clearly happy and excited about the performance. Harry called it his strongest performance. Keith says he thinks we’re going to hear him again next week because he’s so likable. Jennifer says it’s tough not to root for Daniel. Grade: D

10. Quentin Alexander: I feared he would be eliminated after needing a save to make it to tonight’s show. He’s going to party with Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep.” He says it’s a party song back in New Orleans and he wants to share that with the Hollywood crowd. Honestly, I’m not loving this vocal by Quentin. I was hoping for something really, really special. He delivered OK, not special. Keith loved the different arrangement of the song. Jennifer likes the “cool flavor” he brings to the show. Harry thought it was a shallow interpretation of the song. He wanted to see Quentin get deeper in the song. Grade: B–

11. Nick Fradiani: Scott calls Nick a “pop hunk” who’s played in bands his entire life. He calls him a “big-time contender.” He’s going to sing Avicii’s “Wake Me Up.” Really solid opening. That’s as good as Nick has sounded. Hey, Nick just turned in a very solid performance. Much, much better than he did last night. Very nicely done. Jennifer thought it was a great song choice. Harry called it a solid performance, but he’s looking for more emotion. Keith also thought it was pretty good. Grade: B

12. Sarina-Joi Crowe (for the save): OK, Sarina-Joi is in her fourth season of competing on American Idol, and now she has to hope the judges are willing to use their save on the first week of the finals, which isn’t at all likely. She’s going to sing Demi Lovato’s “Neon Lights.” Shame to see Sarina-Joi in this position while Danny Seavey sits in a seat of safety. Sarina-Joi is doing OK, but this is not a performance that screams “you must save me.” Especially since Sarina-Joi didn’t exactly nail those big notes at the end. Goodbye, Sarina-Joi. Grade: C+