The Buzz with CCX - Season 22 Episode 10

[ScarletDevilCCX]

Despite what this topic series would suggest, I'm really not all that frequent a drinker, so tonight I've got Yards Brewing Company's Winter Lager, "Long Jawns", since I didn't go through my last six-pack during football season. We've got three hours tonight, and "Home" is playing as Ryan makes his intro...oh, right, it's just because last week was in Hawaii, so this is the first show at their usual home. Katy's dress makes her look like a dust bunny--she says that Luke compared her to the inside of a car wash. We've got "superstar producers", including "Idol's own" Lauren Spencer-Smith. Well, at least she made it to the voting phase. We'll be starting with the Monday group for some reason, and the first to make it into the Top 20 is Jack Blocker. My initial instinct is "oh no" before remembering he was actually decent last week and there were some real stinkers. He sings Jim Croce's "You Don't Mess Around with Jim", and he almost completely avoided the weird faces. 71! I still don't think he's talented enough to go deep, but he did well. Second to take the stage tonight is Mia Matthews. She's singing Lainey Wilson's "Wildflowers and Wild Horses", and speaking of contestants who had shaky Hollywood rounds but have rounded into form, wow Mia! 82.

 

Mackenzie Sol made it through, too. I'm pretty sure he was one of the ones who I thought bombed last week. He sings Lady Gaga's "I'll Never Love Again". It's...not awful, but not great. 46. Go back to the comedy videos, dude. Roman Collins is up fourth, and wow. He had a diabetic coma when he was 3 and the doctors said that if he woke up at all, there'd be a 97% chance he'd be braindead. That is definitely a good backstory for a gospel singer. He sings "Never Would Have Made It" by Marvin Sapp. It's maybe a bit overblown, but I'm sure it plays right to his audience. 69. Lionel tells him that God has a plan for him, and yeah, that much is obvious.

 

Kennedy Reid is up fifth. She's singing "Love Can Build A Bridge" by the Judds. Extremely underwhelming, transitioning into bad. 32. We go to commercial break, and when we come back we'll have one of our guest stars, some platinum recording artist I've never heard of called Teddy Swims.

 

After the guest star, Ajii is the sixth to make it through. He sings "Like a Stone" by Audioslave. It's not as good as last week, but still not bad. 70, I think?

 

Jennifer Jeffries is the seventh to make it. She sings Matt Maeson's "Grave Digger". 73. Emmy Russell is up eighth, and she's singing an original called "Want You". 87. Ryan's moved to tears by the lyrics. Katy says she can still sense the lack of confidence and wants more of the big notes that she knows Emmy can produce.

 

Triston Harper also has an original called "H-O-P-E", which stands for "Hold On, Pain Ends". Remember, he's only 15 and he's somehow already the most country of country singers imaginable. 97. I really think he's one of the best singers this season has. He's the first one that I immediately start texting in votes, only to be reminded that voting doesn't even open until the show ends. I'm not used to that from the ABC era!

 

Ellie Marie, KBlocks, and Odell Bunton Jr. are the last three remaining from the Monday group, and it's Odell who makes it through. I don't think he did well last week, but he was a Platinum Ticket winner. He sings "The Door" by Teddy Swims, and he redeems himself from last week. 88.

 

Second half now. Kayko is the first one through; here's hoping he can rebound because he was one of my faves in the pre-voting rounds but I thought he didn't do well on a strong night. He's written humdreds of songs, and he sings song #485, "OVER YOU". ...Good enough. 83.

 

Jordan Anthony also makes it through. I feel like he was the other one I thought wasn't good last week? But I did pick him as a favorite in the auditions. He's singing "when the party's over" by Billie Eilish. It's,,,very blah. 51.

 

Quintavious is third into the second half, and he's singing "Hollow" by Tori Kelly. It's...too much for me, I'd say. I'm not really sure how to describe it. It wasn't bad, and it had good energy, and yet it just kind of...went straight through me. 66. Up fourth is Kaibrienne "KB" Wilkins. She talks about how much of a tomboy she was growing up, following her siblings. She's singing "girl i am now" by...Kaibrienne. Oh, that's why Ryan introduced her differently! She's gone from abbreviating her first name to using it as a mononym. But...she's completely choking. This is an original song; it shouldn't be this easy to tell that she's freaking up, but she's really freaking up, having trouble getting the words out. Yes, there's also a lot of emotion coming out, but this is... It's sad. Because her voice just now was beautiful. I loved her singing. But she really messed it up. Lionel saved it for her, remembering his own similar moment, stopping and starting at a show at Madison Square Garden. For the integrity of the ratings, I give it a 40. But it's a 40 that I'm voting for.

 

Another guest, I think his name was Paul Russell. I don't think I'd vote for him if he were one of the contestants though he's certainly not bad. Nya is the next one to make the Top 20. She dedicates Ray Charles' "Georgia On My Mind" to her late father, who passed when she was 16. Good. A little shouty maybe? But pretty good. 78.

 

Jayna Elise is also into the Top 20. I'm already losing focus so I missed the song choice, but it's a 103 and it's rare that I give out a rating over 100 without first giving out a 100 flat and then getting it topped, but she was that amazing. Abi Carter's grandmother passed away in between the Hawaii week and now, and she's singing My Chemical Romance's "Welcome To The Black Parade", which I recently realized really is a very poignant song, moved me to tears just the other day. Of course, that quality of the lyrics is far more evident with the arrangement she came up with, full-fledged power ballad. There's the 100 flat to justify the 103. Lauren Spencer-Smith's performance will be after the next break.

 

Lauren sings "Fingers Crossed". Will Moseley is the next contestant to make it to the Top 20. He's the first member of his family to graduate from college (Biology, Georgia Southern). He said he'd take one year off to chase music and if it didn't work, he'd get a real job. He thinks it's looking good for year two. "Makin Me Look Good Again" by Drake someone-or-another. I'd also say it's looking good for Year 2. 95.

 

McKenna Faith Breinholt also made it into the Top 20. Zach Williams and Dolly Parton did a reaction video to her audition. She's singing Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now". It's good. 80. The last three waiting are Blake Proehl, Hailey Mia, and Julia Gagnon...wait, no, Blake was definitely one I thought was bad last week; Jordan must have done okay! And Julia was also one I didn't vote for; she was decent, but in such a strong field, I couldn't give her my vote. Go Hailey! If she makes it, then all nine of the ones I voted for last week will have been among the ten who made it.

 

Julia made it through. She was a Platinum Ticket winner, so unsurprising.  She sings...I have no idea. It's a 102 though, even with her being so overcome with emotion that she struggles to get the final word of the song out. The crowd is chanting her name.