The time has come. The top 17 contestants performing in the live shows have been chosen. Did the judges make the right choices in their picks? Overall, I would have to say yes. Most of my favorites were chosen, however there are a few that I wouldn’t have picked.
Simon’s Picks – The Girls
Drew Ryniewicz, the 14-year-old from Chino Valley, Arizona, definitely belongs in the live shows. She won me over the very first time I heard her sing and she has not disappointed me since.
Melanie Amaro is 19 years old and lives in Sunrise, Florida. Simon didn’t pick her to begin with for the live shows and soon realized his mistake. I was glad when he went to her home and asked her to be in the live shows because she is an amazing singer.
Rachel Crow is the 13-year-old cutie from Boulder, Colorado and oh, how she can sing. You wouldn’t think that such a little girl would have such a huge voice and such incredible talent. I’ve liked her from the beginning.
Simone Battle is 22 years old and resides in Los Angeles, California. I wasn’t too impressed with her at the beginning, but I enjoyed her last performance. She is full of self promotion, which makes her a bit off putting.
Tiah Tolliver is 20 years old and lives in Bremerton, Washington. Simon fought to put her through at the first auditions and it has paid off big time for her. She is a very good singer; however she doesn’t really stand out for me.
Paula’s Picks – The Groups
The Brewer Boys are 14 and 17-year-old brothers from Temecula, California. I love these guys. The definitely deserve to be in the live shows as they sing perfectly together and seem to be nice young men.
Intensity is a group of 12 to 17 year olds. They originally auditioned as solo performers but were put in a group together. Their group performance was good, there just seemed to be too many of them (which is not their fault) and it was just a little too much for me.
Lakoda Rayne consists of four girls ranging in age from 17 to 22 years old. They are another group of solo artists put together by the show as a group. They blew me away with their performance and these girls belong in the top picks.
The Stereo Hogzz are four guys from Houston, Texas and they are 24 and 25 years old. I like this group too. They are fun to watch and their voices sound great together. I think they deserve a spot in the live shows as well.
Nicole’s Picks – Over 30’s
Dexter Haygood is 49 years old and from Memphis, Tennessee. Even though his last performance wasn’t as good as I wanted it to be, I’m glad he was chosen. He is really a good singer and just needs to be himself.
Josh Krajcik is 30 years old and he lives in Columbus, Ohio. He has been one of my top favorites since his very first audition on the show. His voice is amazing and I love to hear him sing. I believe that he will go far in the competition.
Leroy Bell is a 60-year-old contestant from Seattle, Washington. He is another favorite of mine and I could listen to him sing all day. Being the oldest contestant doesn’t hurt him one bit. He has a voice that is unbelievable and sexy.
Stacy Francis is 42 years old from Brooklyn, New York. She is a great singer but will have to get herself together if she wants a chance at winning this competition. She is very emotional and this may be her downfall if she can’t handle the pressure.
L.A. Reid’s Picks – The Boys
Brian Bradley, known as Astro, is 15 years old from Brooklyn, New York. He is a rapper deluxe. It is incredible that he raps so well at such a young age. I worry about him surviving the live shows, because the voters may not be into rappers.
Chris Rene is 28 years old from Santa Cruz, California. He is another contestant that I have liked from day one. He is a great singer and very entertaining to watch. He seems to be very focused on what he wants and determined to get it.
Marcus Canty is 20 years old and lives in Bowie, Maryland. I have liked him from the start too. He has a great voice and a great stage presence. I am rooting for him and I hope he goes far in the competition.
Phillip Lomax is 22 years old and lives in Seattle, Washington. He is the crooner of the bunch and although I am not really into that type of music, his voice is so good that I am enjoying everything that he sings.