The Buzz with CCX - Season 22 Episode 2

[ScarletDevilCCX]

Well this season is not getting off to a start within the gimmick. No drink tonight because I never drink when I have work the next day--I'm too hangover-prone, especially since I already have a headache (commonly happens when a zit develops on my forehead...yes, I'm somehow simultaneously both a teenager and a fifty-something while actually being halfway between those ages). We start off in Santa Barbara, Katy's hometown, and our first contestant of the night is singing a Katy Perry song, "Rise". Hailey Mia, 16, from Clifton, NJ. She's amazing and the judges agree; Katy gets chills "even in the places [she's had] Botoxed." It's three yeses. Next, we go to Tuskegee, where 17-year-old farm hand Dawson Slade is already a father. He's singing "I Hope You Dance" by Lee Ann Womack. I think he's one of those "using a middle name as a last name" types because he's got the initials "DSM" on his hat. He's pretty good, but the judges feel that he's not quite there yet--too calm and safe. I agree. Lionel says no. Katy makes Luke go next, and...we go to commercial.

 

Luke says he's hearing tons of songwriter vibes, but he's not hearing screaming artist vibes--or was that "streaming" artist vibes. He wants Dawson to sing another song. "Somebody Else Will" by Justin Moore. I don't think it was good, but Katy seems impressed and gives him a yes, and Luke puts him through. Dawson's mom comes in with his baby, and the judges are stunned at how much she looks like Katy. Next is Nya, originally Kenyan, lives in Florida, but now a Broadway performer. She's singing "Wait a Minute!" by Willow Smith. It's good. Luke compliments her on being a Broadway performer that actually sounds like a singer instead of a Broadway actress. Katy, of course, has to do Katy things. And then says there's "no de-Nya-ing" her talent. It's three yeses.

 

Our next contestant is ColeScott Rubin, 27, from Portland, OR, a circus musician. He comes in on a unicycle, carrying a standing bass (or is it a cello?), and sings an original song about his girl and also peanut butter. He's...a character. Katy says "It's a no for Idol but a yes for life!" Well said, Katy. He's not a bad singer, but he's a schtick, not a serious artist. He's good at what he does though. Speaking of peanuts, we're heading to Leesburg again and Luke's giving a tour. Roman Collins, 24, from Long Beach, CA, is up next. He's a worship leader, he cleans cars, he basically does everything. He's singing "Livin' for the City" by Stevie Wonder. He's trying too hard. The judges like him, though, and he gets three yeses.

 

I think we've got montage. "Johnny Majestic", obviously a stage name, straight out of the eighties. Derrick Gobourne Jr., 24, from Sarasota, FL, who can dance but can't sing. Shriya Jaya, 16, is a double black belt in karate, but she's not quite there in singing. And now we've got our next actual contestant. Noah Peters, 24, "The Singing Barber", the only barber in Benton, TN. Went viral on TikTok covering Luke's "Country Girl". I missed what he's singing for his audition, but he's good. He also says he's been a barber for 10 years...he started at 14? And they ask him if he'd be more comfortable singing while cutting hair. In comes last year's third-place finisher, Colin Stough, and together they sing "Broken Halos" by Chris Stapleton. Noah's going to Hollywood. ...You know, I'm realizing that the last few seasons have barely stuck with me the way previous seasons did. I think it's because I'm a numbers guy and WNTS stopped covering this show after the pandemic season.

 

Emmy Russell, 24, is a singer-songwriter from Nashville, TN. The judges tell her she's too quiet. Before we see her, we see her mother telling her that "your meemaw would be proud of you", and in the audition room, she mentions that she hasn't sung out much recently, but she used to sing a bunch on the road with her meemaw who was a country singer. Katy asks her who her grandma was, and...talk about burying the lede. Her meemaw is Loretta Lynn. Emmy's singing an original, "Skinny", about eating disorders. Katy continues to try to get Emmy to be more confident. She says Emmy's an A+ songwriter, just like her grandma. Lionel says that everyone's got their issues, and hers is big shoes, and she should put those shoes back in the closet because they're not your size. They put her through.

 

Okay, changed my mind. NoCa Boozy Iced Tea (I'm going to have to bring a bottled water up to bed, I'm sure.) Ziggy is from the Netherlands, though he's too flamboyant to just be European. He's 22 and he finished 7th on Dutch Idol. He says people back home call him "a cotton candy who can't do anything". He sings "Million Reasons" by Lady Gaga, and he's damn good. Though he apparently hits a note he didn't mean to and breathlessly apologizes mid-song without actually stopping. And apparently he had a rough life; he didn't even really know his mom, a drug addict, and his father passed away last year. He raised himself. And now the judges will raise him up. Three yeses. He's going through. Full name "Ziggy Krassenberg". I'm not even going to try to write down his hometown.

 

Back to Tuskegee. Justice Murphy, 21, from Four City, AR, a student at Alabama State. She's singing "Summertime" which she attributes to Fantasia...granted, she's only 21 so Fantasia singing that song on Idol probably happened when Justice was an infant. She's got power and she moves her hands a lot while singing...wasn't that also something Fantasia did? ...Nope, I checked the Season 3 CSAB, no mention of "bird mating dances". Must've been a different contestant they mocked. Well, Justice goes through. ...Wait, there's been some changes to WNTS since I last went there a few years ago! In addition to the "reprise" indicator, there's a "coronation" indicator for OWS. ...Yeah, last May they said they'd try to scrape up everything from seasons 19-21.

 

Kaibrienne "KB" Jenkins (?), 20, from Hennefer, UT, has Hashimoto's, a painful disease that can cause violent mood swings. Singing was an outlet. Her father filmed her singing on their long drives, and son they had over 1M followers. She's got power in her voice. She goes through. ...Sorry, seeing that WNTS is catching up has me distracted.

 

Jon Lindsey, 29, has his brother playing guitar, and he's singing "Shout" by the Isley Brothers. It's a no from me. The judges are having fun but I don't think they'll put him through. Which is the start of a stretch of "support group", people coming in in twos. Abby Blake, 25, is originally from MN but she lives in Nashville. She's got her friend Sam playing piano for her, and she's singing Pink's "What About Us". Too tough a song; she doesn't have it. The judges disagree with me, and say it was so perfect...no, wait, Katy gives the same critique that my mom did, that she's cutting the lines too short. It's a no from Katy but both the guys say yes so she's through. And then they pressure Sam into singing as well; he sings in a band called Kayko. Sam Kelly-Cohen, singing a song by his band called "Time of Your Life". Whoa. Now he belongs in Hollywood. And they put him through. He's amazed. Luke says "we Sam-bushed him". Meanwhile, Mom's in schadenfreude, having just learned via Facebook that the store where she last worked in retail--and got fired by a manager with a grudge--has burned to the ground.

 

Abi Carter, 21, from Indio, CA, is singing "What Was I Made For?" by Billie Eilish. She's got an amazing voice. So amazing that she managed to get the ending spot with, I think, no sob story? We don't have enough time for a sob story, I don't think. ...Yeah, no sob story, just a Platinum Ticket. Well deserved.