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KENNEDY REID POSITIVE: Set identity, looked comfortable on stage   NEGATIVE: Not as vocally strong as other contestants   LEAST FAVORITE PERFORMANCE: SOMETHIN BAD The main problem with this performance is the song itself. It’s something that’s more fit for a country karaoke bar than a singing competition. It doesn’t do anything to showcase someone’s vocal abilities. Kennedy’s showing was just that: something one can see in a country karaoke bar. The vocals weren’t up to par and while she looked like she had fun, the stage movement wasn’t the best. She may have gotten away with the poor song choice if it were a victory performance. However, it was especially ill-advised at that point although to be fair it is unknown if the contestants have just one song in that situation.   FAVORITE PERFORMANCE: FANCY On the other hand, this was a great song choice for Kennedy. It allowed her to show off her vocal abilities and command the stage. She did a great job of progressing through the song without overdoing it. There were a few parts where it was hard to understand her, but other than that it still was a great vocal. If I had to pick my favorite part about the performance, however, it would be Lionel shockingly putting his hand on Jelly Roll’s shoulder at the “no, no, no, no, no” section. Fancy was a fun performance and the one I enjoyed the most from her.   OVERALL: One thing Kennedy had going for her was she knew who she was an artist. She portrayed herself as a pop-country singer, make no mistake about it. She reminded me of a vocally stronger and more worldly Kellie Pickler. With that said, she wasn’t as vocally sound as most of the other contestants. Plus, while I don’t think she would’ve been a Wild Card pick regardless, her final song choice did her no favors. Nonetheless, she wasn’t a bad contestant and someone I enjoyed at times.   -----   MACKENZIE SOL POSITIVE: Nice tone, comfortable on stage   NEGATIVE: Inconsistent, tried to do too much in his performances   LEAST FAVORITE PERFORMANCE: I'LL NEVER LOVE AGAIN Here is a prime example of Mackenzie doing too much. First, there was the classic start at the piano before standing up after about a third or halfway through the performance. Next, there was the all-over-the-place arrangement after the piano intro. Finally, the arrangement wasn’t the only sporadic thing. He tried to fit as many things in his voice as he could, and the result was an incohesive mess. This was a problem with “Jealous”; however, everything was exacerbated with this number.   FAVORITE PERFORMANCE: FALSE ALARMS This was his best pure vocal. Other than the falsetto attempt towards the end, he minimized the bells and whistles that plagued him in his previous two performances. It appeared as if him not being voted into the Top 10 was the kick in the pants telling him he needed to take this opportunity more seriously. There weren’t too many bad notes, and it looked like he connected to the song well enough. Nevertheless, it was too little, too late for him, but at least he could hold his head up knowing he went out on his strongest performance.   OVERALL: Mackenzie had a few things going for him. He had a pleasant enough tone when he didn’t push his voice too hard. In addition, his stage presence wasn’t a huge issue. Lastly, he wasn’t afraid to take chances with his arrangements and vocal styling. Unfortunately, the last point proved to be his downfall. There’s nothing wrong with taking a few liberties here and there; however, they need to have some semblance of structure or assurance they will go over well. It just wasn’t the case for him. Nonetheless, he had some things to work with should he continue to pursue music. If not, there’s always the comedy skits.

Posting the noms in 5 mins!

serious tho imagine a world where Jade gets Nik's or Fatima's makeover

OK, this clip of him singing in front of his Nana was cute. The "BLAAAKKEEE" and his little laughter at the end got a chuckle out of me.   Yes! Welcome to the dark side!   Pretty much agree about Ajii.   Understandable about Jennifer. It didn't seem like her style would be popular amongst the primary voting demographic.     Pretty much in agreement with Jennifer regarding her technical problems and tone.   It's not so much me disliking Higher as it is preferring his other performances over it.