Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Slater Nalley performs on the first day of Hollywood Week on American Idol. (ABC Photo)

American Idol kicked off Hollywood Week Monday night with 144 contestants.

By the end of the first day, the judges planned to eliminate more than half that number. In fact, just 62 advanced.

Advancing were all 10 singers who made my Top 10 below. Also Gabby Simone, Sonny Tennet, MKY, Nina Daig, Grayson Torrence, Lashon, Isaiah Moore, John Foster and Josh King.

Those eliminated included Landynn Kennedy, Carsen Webb, Sam Sparks, Insite, Sophia Humbert, Freddy McClendon, Pat Johnson and Lola Bonfiglio.

See also …
The gals — Who advanced and who didn’t
The guys — Who advanced and who didn’t

Meanwhile, here are my picks for tonight’s Top 10 performances.

1. Slater Nalley, 17, Atlanta, Ga., “Foolish Pride” (an original): He’s singing a song he wrote when he was 15. This guy could win Idol. He’s got a great country-ish voice, and performed that original with tons of dynamics.And he’s only 17! He’s the type of contestants Idol fans will love.

2. Amanda Barise, 26, Manhatten, N.Y., “All I Could Do Was Cry” by Etta James: She introduced herself by saying she wants to prove an underdog can win. But the time she finished a sensation performance, Luke proclaimed that she’s not an underdog. That was one heck of a vocal performance. Let’s just say vocal firepower is not a problem for Amanda.

3. Thunderstorm Artis, 28, Hawaii, “My Last Dying Breath” (original): He’s a former finalist from The Voice and this is his first appearance on Idol since the post-Oscars special. He auditioned with an original and is delivering another here. That was excellent. Carrie calls him “an artist.”

4. Mattie Pruitt, 15, Engleville, Tenn., “Cold” by Chris Stapleton: She’s the youngest contestant and feels a little overwhelmed because she “hasn’t done much” with her music at this point. With that soul in her voice and that bit of rasp, she sounds older than 15. And the frills she adds are so tasteful. Superb.

5. Drew Ryn, 28, Chino Valley, Ariz., “Black Friday” by Tom Odell: She starred on the X Factor at age 14, 14 years ago! She’s clearly matured as an artist. This performance was a superb blend of emotion and power.

6. Breanna Nix, 25, Denton, Tx., “You Say” by Lauren Daigle: I was worried about how nervous she seemed when the song started. But she hit the chorus, her voice soared and she wound up opening Hollywood Week with a standout performance.

7. Crews Wright, 17, Samson, Ala., “Goodbye Time” by Conway Twitty: He’s got a great deep, country voice and a big personality to go with it. My guess is he’s performed that song a few times before. I could see he doing very well on Idol. Luke called it “great.”

8. Baylee Littrell, 22, Atlanta, Ga., “Hey, Jesus,” (an original): He wrote this song when he lost his grandma about three years ago. He said the song helped him find faith again after her passing. Baylee needs to learn to keep his eyes open when delivering a heartfelt song like this. But that was a heartfelt performance.

9. Jamar Roberts, 26, Meridian, Mississippi, “Her Heart” by Anthony Hamilton: He’s the physical education teacher and he was surprised when Landynn Kennedy, another contestant, performed the same song. No problem, Jamar delivered a heartfelt, touching version that brought the judges to their feet.

10. Victor Solomon, 26, Peoria, Ill., “Grandma’s Hands” by Bill Withers: He’s another former finalist from The Voice. And he knows his way around a stage. More importantly, he delivered a powerful vocal with lots of confidence.

American Idol platinum ticket recipients Filo, Kolbi Jordan and Canaan James Smith got to sit out the first day in Hollywood on American Idol. (ABC Photo)