American Idol 2018 brought us more talent and a lot of emotion on night two of the show’s big return. This version of the show is going deeper into the lives of those auditioning, and we got to witness that tonight.
Let’s take a look at the auditions from night two, including one that I’m going to call an early contender. So be on the lookout for that one in the recap below. (If you missed Sunday night’s auditions, also be sure to check those out).
Mara Justine,15, Galloway, NJ. The first audition of the night gave us her version of “Love on the Brain” by Rhianna. That was a silly song choice for a goofy 15-year-old, but her voice is right up there with anyone else who has auditioned for Idol. Expect some great things from this one, starting with her trip to Hollywood. That was a sold A audition.
Andrew Weaver, 16. He was a bit nervous but had a nice voice. Griffin Tucker, 15. Where did that voice come from? That voice is such an older man’s voice. Crazy. Christina Jones, 18. I’m not sure why she was grouped in a little medley because her voice was great and there’s a lot of emotion in her voice. They all got tickets to Hollywood and rightly so.
William Casanova, 26, Washington, DC. He was as smooth as he told us he was going to be. And I was surprised. I thought he was going toe all talk. But his audition was silky smooth. I’d give this audition a sold A also. And he gets his pass to Hollywood.
Michelle Susset, 22, Miami, FL. I’m not sure what song she was singing or if I liked the audition, but i could understand why some people would. She came to perform, that’s all I’ll say. I’d give the audition a C- but she worked her way into a golden ticket from the judges.
Misha Gontar, 26, Marengo, Illinois. Well that was a weird audition. I mean the song was terrible, but he’s not a horrible performer. I’d give him a C+ for the audition. He does not get a ticket to Holllywood.
Brandon Diaz, 21, Ashburn, VA. He’s got the air, the guitar and the falsetto. But I didn’t find anything that special with the audition. I’d give it a B+ but I was just bored. But the judges liked what the saw and heard because he got a golden ticket and is off to Hollywood.
Trevor Holmes, 27, Thousand Oaks, CA. The judges said it best: Trevor is a dreamboat. And he can actually sing. I think there will be several similar guys competing for one spot, though, and whether or not he’s the best one is yet to be seen. I think it’s an A- audition. He gets a ticket to Hollywood.
Laine Hardy, 17, Livingston, LA. This kid has a unique sound. He’s clearly a natural and I think he might be one of my favorites so far. I’m giving that audition an A+ and I’m glad the judges agreed with me. He’s off to Hollywood.
Autumn Woods, 27, Katy, Texas. Wait, what? I thought we weren’t getting bad auditions this go around? That was awful. F- audition. And no ticket to Hollywood.
Gabbii Jones, 20, St. Louis, MO. Her version of Ariana Grande’s “Dangerous Woman” was a bit nervous, but she’s got some talent. I think if she was more comfortable she would have slayed it. I’d give this one a B- but I think she could really pull out some intense performances. She gets three yeses and is headed off to Hollywood.
Cameron Theodos, 25, Shereveport, LA. This guy wasn’t the best vocalist, but he has so much soul and energy. I think he’d be a great frontman for a band, but maybe not exactly Idol quality. But I liked it and would give him a B for the audition. The judges, though a little reluctant, gave him his ticket to Hollywood. I’m happy. I want to see more from him.
Thaddeus Johnson, 25, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. We’ve seen Thaddeus before. He made it to Hollywood week several seasons ago and now he’s back again. He lost a lot of weight and his condense seems to have increased. I loved his story, but I didn’t love his audition. I hate to say that but I didn’t. I’d give that audition about a B. But the judges liked him and he got his ticket to Hollywood.
Rissa Watson, 17, Apache, Oklahoma. She took on an Adele song, but she put a country spin on it and it was fantastic. She was born to sing and I’m glad she decided to follow her dreams instead of just take over her family’s furniture store. I loved the audition and give it A+ easily. The judges liked her, too, so it was an easy ticket to Hollywood.
Garrett Jacobs, 17, Bossier City, LA. He pulled out the guitar, the white smile, and an American Idol staple “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World.” Garrett is filled with soul and is a natural at this. Like Luke said, he’s raw and gritty and could really take his talent somewhere. And he’s going to take it all the way to the main Idol stage and possibly win the whole thing. You heard it here first. Check back in a couple months to see if I was right or wrong.
David Francisco, 25, Nashville, TN. Wow, what a story this guy has. And what an incredible heart. And he can sing. He is a pure musician. I’m touched. Ill admit it. This was all just such a beautiful audition. A+++. And thankfully he gets his pass to Hollywood.
What did you think of the second round of auditions? Who were your favorites?