By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed Tuesday, May 12, 2015
"American Idol" opened for the first time with results and Jax was the one cut almost immediately. She missed out by a mere 0.4 percent. That's how close it was between her and the unsaid second place finisher.
We all knew it could have gone any which way. All three finalists clearly had followings. Someone, unfortunately, had to lose out. I'm bummed. I really wanted Jax to win simply because she was the most intriguing of the three finalists. Oh, well. I guess WGWG will reign again!
I found Jax to be an exceptional artist from her very first audition, that Beatles cover of "I Want To Hold Your Hand." She didn't always hit the mark but she was constantly exploring and seeking new ways to interpret songs. Her biggest misses (Taylor Swift?) were usually when she tried to ape the artist. I still believe she has a passable shot at finding a place in the pop world, even finishing third season 14.
Nick vs. Clark is not a terrible final. They are both WGWG but distinctly different. Nick is pure pop-rock, a bit of a Kris Allen/Chris Daughtry hybrid with a lesser adventuresome streak. Clark is all about soul, oddly songs that Taylor Hicks had done at least three times.
At this stage, the judges' comments are not all that useful, I fathom.
But based on the coronation songs, it's clear that Nick is the favorite among the producers and Scott Borchetta. It's a no brainer. He's far more marketable and his song was far better.
I'm going to call it now: Nick for the win.
Audition cities for season 15: Philadelphia, Savannah, Denver, Little Rock and San Francisco. The bus tour includes Seattle, Providence, Baltimore, San Diego, Athens, GA, Tuscon, Ariz.; Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Sante Fe, N.M., Oxford, Miss. and Tulsa, Ok. Dates are here.
CONTESTANT FAVS
Clark Beckham ("Georgia on My Mind" Ray Charles) - This is definitely one of his best. He sings it like he's done it 1,000 times before. Because he has. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Judges emoted positively, of course. "You're singing to win," J. Lo said. "You're always stretching and pushing," HCJ said.
Grade: A/A-minus
Nick Fradiani ("Bright Lights" Matchbox 20) - Blecch. He chose a bland Matchbox 20 song as his favorite? I guess he wants to be the next Rob Thomas so this makes sense. He does it with verve and confidence. He's almost forcing me to like the song.
Grade: A-minus
SIMON FULLER'S PICKS
Clark ("Ain't No Sunshine" Bill Withers) - Very controlled, very nuanced acoustic performance. I have to say he matched season 8 winner Kris Allen. HCJ said he's an inward performer and "it was great."
Grade: A
Nick ("I Won't Give Up" Jason Mraz) - Impassioned and electric.
Grade: A
CORONATION SONGS
Clark ("Champion") - It feels a bit color by numbers as a song but he did a fine job with it.
Grade: B-plus/A-minus
Nick ("Beautiful Life") - He says it's like fun. meets Goo Goo Dolls meets him. It worked very well for him, far better than Clark. As HCJ said it was "tailor made" for him.
Grade: A-minus
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