ai season 8!
So, this year is probably the first year I've kept up with all the American Idol auditions. For some reason, I was under the impression that they were gonna show less bad auditions and focus more on the good ones. I guess I can say I noticed a small difference, but there were still a lot of weirdos. Anyway, now that all the auditions have aired, I thought I'd make a list of the singers who stood out to me.
5. Arianna Afsar - 16 - San Diego, CA
When they first brought Arianna up, I thought I wasn't going to like her based on her back story. Apparently, Arianna visited a retirement home of some sort and thought it was so sad how lonely the old folks were, so she started an "Adopt a Grandfriend" program (she even went on to dub them "senes"). I guess to normal people, this seems like a nice gesture, but for some reason I thought it seemed kind of demeaning for the old people. I mean, it's bad enough that they're in these homes having to be cared for, but to have some young kids pity and come visit them like ultra charity cases...I don't know. Maybe that's the stupid prideful person in me, but whatever. That, compounded with her perkiness and naivete...I was annoyed before she even opened her mouth. But when she sang, I found myself slowly and subconsciously fawning over her. Her tone was unique and she seemed really comfortable. By the end of her rendition of "Put Your Records On," I thought she was absolutely precious. Anyone that can change my mind that quickly deserves a spot on my list.
Prediction: Unfortunately, I don't think she'll make it past Hollywood Week. Her voice, while infectious, is just not strong enough to compete with the other contestants and her personality, while sweet, is borderline snoozeworthy for TV. It'll work for her in high school talent shows and the local circuit, but on AI, she'd quickly be overshadowed by the vocal powerhouses and bolder personalities. I'm hoping that she hasn't shown her full potential yet and that she breaks out the big guns next week to prove me wrong. My suggestion to her if she doesn't make it -- pick up a guitar and start writing some songs because the female singer-songwriter world is hot right now and she'd fit right in if she had the creativity.
4. Brent Keith Smith - 28 - Blanchester, OH
Simon criticized his song choice of Bad Company's "Can't Get Enough of Your Love," but I honestly think it was the perfect choice. Yeah, it started out a little shallow, but by the time the chorus got around and he started belting it out, you got a complete picture of this guy's potential. AI lists his occupation as "traveling musician" which shows. He seems to have a lot of experience and professionalism. He's very aware of the limitations of his range, was pitch perfect, and worked the strengths of his skills. Apparently, though, he was on Nashville Star already.
Prediction: He's got a lot of talent and a very marketable look. The personality seems a little bland for now, so I hope to see a little more in Hollywood Week. If he plays guitar, that'll probably help his case out a lot. While I'm interested in seeing him touch some other genres, he would probably work out pretty well in the country market. I'm a little surprised he didn't get picked up after Nashville Star. I doubt he'd win AI either, but hopefully it'll get him the exposure he needs for a deal.
3. Anoop Desai - 21 - Chapel Hill, NC
I absolutely cannot get over this guy. Maybe it's because he reminds me of this dude I went to high school with...I don't know. Even though I've watched his audition so many times, his voice coming out of that body never ceases to surprise me. Out of all the unexpected auditions I've seen over the years, this one ranks pretty high up there. He has kind of an old school 90s R&B vibe to him (not too soulful, not too pop), which makes his song choice of Boyz II Men's "Thank You" one of the most fitting of the season. He's got a rich, clear tone to his voice and a decent vocal range. The performance factor of his audition was not too shabby either. Hopefully he can represent for the Indians and make up for the atrocity that was Sanjaya.
Prediction: While I think he's probably a lot less geeky than he looks, he's definitely got to work on the appearance. And while he seems to be pretty confident in himself, he's a little too subdued. I'm not saying he has to be over the top outrageous and loud, but I don't think he can work the quiet, laid back persona in his favor. If he works on his presence and changes up the clothes (maybe get a haircut, too), then I think he has the potential to make it out of Hollywood Week and do pretty well with the public voting. As far as actually marketing him as an artist to the public, though, I can't really picture where he'd fit in.
2. Danny Gokey - 28 - Milwaukee, WI
I might be a little swayed because of his story (his wife recently passed away from heart problems), but he is easily my favorite male contestant so far. I'm a sucker for white guys with soul and the church singer in him definitely shows. I also like that his voice has a little rasp in it. I'm unsure about how far his range spans. He did hit some falsetto, but I want to hear him belt out a nice long note.
Prediction: I have a pretty strong feeling he'll make it to the Top 36. He reminds me a lot of Elliot Yamin from season 5 and things seemed to work out well for him (placing 3rd). I think his voice will work in a lot of different genres, so I don't think he'll have a problem with the theme weeks. My only concern would be ballads. If he picks too conservative of a ballad with a voice as raw as his, it might clash to his disadvantage.
1. Megan Corkrey - 23 - Sandy, UT
First, I just want to say, I love that she's a font designer. I don't know ehy, but it just seems like such an appropriately cool occupation for her to have. Second, I love love LOVE her voice. It's old school jazzy yet she still manages to keep it modern (in a way not like Amy Winehouse). Like the judges said, she's different, memorable, and beautiful. And, lastly, I love that she has a tattoo sleeve. I always find it neat when cute, unassuming girls have tattoos, especially big ones.
Prediction: If she can manage to make good enough song choices, I think the judges will pass her through to the Top 36 easily just based on the fact that she's so different. She might have some problems when they work in groups, though, and I'm not sure how well the general public will take to her. I'm interested to see how she handles songs out of her genre, because that will probably be her ultimate downfall when the public starts to vote. Even though she's genius at what she does, if she doesn't show the versatility, she won't last long. I hope no matter what happens to her, she finds her place in the music world and we'll get to hear more of her in the future.
Other notables: T.K. Hash, Joanna Pacitti, John Twiford (even though they only showed him for like 3 seconds), Jessica Furney, Michael Sarver, Anne Marie Boskovich (her rendition of Kara's song was better than her audition), Alexis Grace, Michael Castro (I think he's better than his brother and it's hilarious that he just decided to try out on a whim), Lil Rounds, and Deanna Brown
I also want to mention that Kansas City takes the cake for best audition city this year.
BONUS! I just found this video of Anoop and his chorus. It's equal parts hilarious and cute.
5. Arianna Afsar - 16 - San Diego, CA
When they first brought Arianna up, I thought I wasn't going to like her based on her back story. Apparently, Arianna visited a retirement home of some sort and thought it was so sad how lonely the old folks were, so she started an "Adopt a Grandfriend" program (she even went on to dub them "senes"). I guess to normal people, this seems like a nice gesture, but for some reason I thought it seemed kind of demeaning for the old people. I mean, it's bad enough that they're in these homes having to be cared for, but to have some young kids pity and come visit them like ultra charity cases...I don't know. Maybe that's the stupid prideful person in me, but whatever. That, compounded with her perkiness and naivete...I was annoyed before she even opened her mouth. But when she sang, I found myself slowly and subconsciously fawning over her. Her tone was unique and she seemed really comfortable. By the end of her rendition of "Put Your Records On," I thought she was absolutely precious. Anyone that can change my mind that quickly deserves a spot on my list.
Prediction: Unfortunately, I don't think she'll make it past Hollywood Week. Her voice, while infectious, is just not strong enough to compete with the other contestants and her personality, while sweet, is borderline snoozeworthy for TV. It'll work for her in high school talent shows and the local circuit, but on AI, she'd quickly be overshadowed by the vocal powerhouses and bolder personalities. I'm hoping that she hasn't shown her full potential yet and that she breaks out the big guns next week to prove me wrong. My suggestion to her if she doesn't make it -- pick up a guitar and start writing some songs because the female singer-songwriter world is hot right now and she'd fit right in if she had the creativity.
4. Brent Keith Smith - 28 - Blanchester, OH
Simon criticized his song choice of Bad Company's "Can't Get Enough of Your Love," but I honestly think it was the perfect choice. Yeah, it started out a little shallow, but by the time the chorus got around and he started belting it out, you got a complete picture of this guy's potential. AI lists his occupation as "traveling musician" which shows. He seems to have a lot of experience and professionalism. He's very aware of the limitations of his range, was pitch perfect, and worked the strengths of his skills. Apparently, though, he was on Nashville Star already.
Prediction: He's got a lot of talent and a very marketable look. The personality seems a little bland for now, so I hope to see a little more in Hollywood Week. If he plays guitar, that'll probably help his case out a lot. While I'm interested in seeing him touch some other genres, he would probably work out pretty well in the country market. I'm a little surprised he didn't get picked up after Nashville Star. I doubt he'd win AI either, but hopefully it'll get him the exposure he needs for a deal.
3. Anoop Desai - 21 - Chapel Hill, NC
I absolutely cannot get over this guy. Maybe it's because he reminds me of this dude I went to high school with...I don't know. Even though I've watched his audition so many times, his voice coming out of that body never ceases to surprise me. Out of all the unexpected auditions I've seen over the years, this one ranks pretty high up there. He has kind of an old school 90s R&B vibe to him (not too soulful, not too pop), which makes his song choice of Boyz II Men's "Thank You" one of the most fitting of the season. He's got a rich, clear tone to his voice and a decent vocal range. The performance factor of his audition was not too shabby either. Hopefully he can represent for the Indians and make up for the atrocity that was Sanjaya.
Prediction: While I think he's probably a lot less geeky than he looks, he's definitely got to work on the appearance. And while he seems to be pretty confident in himself, he's a little too subdued. I'm not saying he has to be over the top outrageous and loud, but I don't think he can work the quiet, laid back persona in his favor. If he works on his presence and changes up the clothes (maybe get a haircut, too), then I think he has the potential to make it out of Hollywood Week and do pretty well with the public voting. As far as actually marketing him as an artist to the public, though, I can't really picture where he'd fit in.
2. Danny Gokey - 28 - Milwaukee, WI
I might be a little swayed because of his story (his wife recently passed away from heart problems), but he is easily my favorite male contestant so far. I'm a sucker for white guys with soul and the church singer in him definitely shows. I also like that his voice has a little rasp in it. I'm unsure about how far his range spans. He did hit some falsetto, but I want to hear him belt out a nice long note.
Prediction: I have a pretty strong feeling he'll make it to the Top 36. He reminds me a lot of Elliot Yamin from season 5 and things seemed to work out well for him (placing 3rd). I think his voice will work in a lot of different genres, so I don't think he'll have a problem with the theme weeks. My only concern would be ballads. If he picks too conservative of a ballad with a voice as raw as his, it might clash to his disadvantage.
1. Megan Corkrey - 23 - Sandy, UT
First, I just want to say, I love that she's a font designer. I don't know ehy, but it just seems like such an appropriately cool occupation for her to have. Second, I love love LOVE her voice. It's old school jazzy yet she still manages to keep it modern (in a way not like Amy Winehouse). Like the judges said, she's different, memorable, and beautiful. And, lastly, I love that she has a tattoo sleeve. I always find it neat when cute, unassuming girls have tattoos, especially big ones.
Prediction: If she can manage to make good enough song choices, I think the judges will pass her through to the Top 36 easily just based on the fact that she's so different. She might have some problems when they work in groups, though, and I'm not sure how well the general public will take to her. I'm interested to see how she handles songs out of her genre, because that will probably be her ultimate downfall when the public starts to vote. Even though she's genius at what she does, if she doesn't show the versatility, she won't last long. I hope no matter what happens to her, she finds her place in the music world and we'll get to hear more of her in the future.
Other notables: T.K. Hash, Joanna Pacitti, John Twiford (even though they only showed him for like 3 seconds), Jessica Furney, Michael Sarver, Anne Marie Boskovich (her rendition of Kara's song was better than her audition), Alexis Grace, Michael Castro (I think he's better than his brother and it's hilarious that he just decided to try out on a whim), Lil Rounds, and Deanna Brown
I also want to mention that Kansas City takes the cake for best audition city this year.
BONUS! I just found this video of Anoop and his chorus. It's equal parts hilarious and cute.
Click to view