American Idol sudden death: boys take stage

Kai Magsanoc

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.

The second day of 'sudden death' sees the boys competing for spots in the top 20

WHO STAYS? WHO GOES? It's up to the AI judges. Image from the American Idol Facebook page

MANILA, Philippines – It’s time for “sudden death” in American Idol season 12, the semi-final phase where the 40 finalists from the show’s Hollywood week are trimmed down to 20.

On February 20 (February 21 Manila time), 10 girls competed for 5 spots in the top 20. Filipino-American Adriana Latino made the cut along with Tenna Torres, Kree Harrison, Angela Miller, and Amber Holcomb.

READ: Fil-Am Adriana Latonio makes it to AI top 20

On February 21 (February 22 Manila time), it was the boys’ turn. Charlie Askew, Chris Watson, Curtis Finch Jr, Devin Velez, Elijah Liu, Jimmy Smith, Johnny Keyser, Joshua “Josh” Jada Davila, Kevin Harris, and Paul Jolley performed for judges Randy Jackson, Mariah Carey, Keith Urban, and Nicki Minaj

It was again held at the Cirque du Soleil Beatles LOVE Theatre, The Mirage, Las Vegas.

Cast of characters

As with any AI season, certain aspirants stood out not because of their singing talent but because of their personalities; sometimes even their looks.

Boy-next-door Johnny Keyser, a looker with blue eyes and blonde hair, made judges Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey swoon. 

“You came out really, really relaxed. You look real sexy tonight. Do you have a girlfriend?” asked Minaj when it was her turn to critique Keyser’s performance. “No, I do not,” Keyser replied, elliciting cheers from the ladies in the audience.

“Kudos to you for being freshly, nicely groomed. You don’t have the greatest vocal in the world, but you have a sparkle in your eye,” said Minaj. “The girls are gonna love you.”

Joshua “Josh” Jada Davila, meanwhile, channeled his inner Adele, performing his rendition of “Rumor Has It.” Wearing heels and makeup a la Boy George (Google “Culture Club”), Jada’s showmanship outdid his vocal performance. 

“If we gave an award for best performance, it would definitely be you,” said judge Randy Jackson. “But you should be thinking about the vocal as well because this is a vocal competition. I felt no originality. I felt like I’ve seen every move 20 million times.” There were protests from Minaj that Jackson ignored.

Next five

The 5 boys who are joining the top 20 are:

  • Charlie Askew
  • Curtis Finch Jr.
  • Paul Jolley
  • Elijah Liu (Minaj told him, “I wanna have your babies!”)
  • Devin Velez

The next “sudden death” shows are on February 27 (February 28 Manila time) featuring the remaining girls and February 28 (March 1 Manila time) featuring the remaining boys.

Two Filipino-Americans will be competing: Bridget “Jett” Hermano and Bryant Tadeo. – Rappler.com

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