"American Idol" continues to switch things up this season, airing it's first ever "sudden death" round this week.
10 semi-finalist girls performed solo in front of a studio audience, with only five advancing to the live voting rounds.
For the most part, judges Keith Urban, Nicki Minaj, Randy Jackson and Mariah Carey sent through the right contestants -- including one we've literally never heard a single peep from before tonight. One choice however, left me in shock. Here are the five girls moving on:
1. Adriana Latonio
Seriously, where have they been hiding this girl? This was the first we saw or heard of the 17-year-old Alaskan all season. She nailed her version of Aretha Franklin's "Ain't No Way," save for a slightly flat final note -- but what a note to end on! Adriana may come from a small state, but she'll gain a huge following tonight, and not just from the Filipino community.
2. Kree Harrison
Kree separated herself from all the other country singers (and frankly, everyone else) with a mature, beautiful performance to "Up to the Mountain." She didn't need a sequined skirt or sparkly eyeshadow to shine. She's truly a woman among all the girls this season.
3. Angela Miller
Angela's been a frontrunner all season long, so it should come as no surprise that she made it through. While her performance to Jessie J's "Nobody's Perfect" was a notch down from her original song during Hollywood Week (which the judges gushed over again this week), it was still great. She also took the biggest fashion risk of the evening.
4. Amber Holcomb
Like Adriana, Amber got barely any screentime this season. But after just a few measures into her soulful, flirty rendition of "My Funny Valentine," I knew she was advancing. To me, this was the best vocal of the evening. And unlike Shubba Vedula, all the vocal gymnastics paid off. I hope Amber learns when to back off of them in the live show (something Jessica Sanchez learned to do) because her voice is really, really special.
5. Tenna Torres
I love to root for a veteran, but I'm shocked 28-year-old Tenna Torres made it through. On first viewing, I thought she oversang her performance to Natasha Bedingfield's "Soulmate," though the vocal definitely sounded better on repeat viewings. Still, I think Isabelle (she dropped her last during Hollywood week) was better. Perhaps the judges felt there were too many country-type singers (there are at least two more in the other group of 10) and wanted a different sound.
Do you agree with the judges' picks? Share your thoughts in the comments below:
