Idol 91 - Gina Glocksen

91. Gina Glocksen

Season 6, 9th Place

Yes, it's Gina. The "rocker" of season 6 - notice the quotation marks. Haha.

I've always wanted to like Gina, but for some odd reason I just can't. I don't know. When she auditioned back in Season 5, she, to me, appeared to be trapped in indecision throughout her Idol journey whether to be a singer or a rocker. Heck, she auditioned with Power of Love, which was about as far away from rock as she could get, and she continued this path in Hollywood, so it wasn't terribly surprising to me when she got cut.

Now, when she went back in Season 6, and sang Black Velvet for her audition and Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman in Hollywood, I had mild hopes for her. There were no rocker guys, so perhaps she would play the "rocker" role. These hopes were promptly dashed when she sang a mediocre version of All By Myself. She said it was to show a different side, but the judges had heard her sing Celine Dion before.

I think it was evidence of an identity crisis. To me, the first impression is very important, and she blew it. Her Alone wasn't much better because even though it was a pop/rock, it showed that her upper range wasn't very good. Her belting the notes were painful to listen to.

Then came Call Me When You're Sober. The judges and viewers seemed to like it for the most part, but not me. Amy Lee of Evanescence is known for singing her rock songs and keeping them melodic. Gina, unfortunately, just screamed most of the song and once again, it wasn't any good. Plus, she tried too hard to look the part of a rocker to make up for the lack of a rock edge or a unique tone to her voice.

She was somewhat better in the finals - well, after Paint It Black, which she butchered. I'll Stand By You was definitely her best performance during the competition. I think this song was a great middle ground between the "rocker Gina" and the "big voiced Gina." It didn't lean heavy either way, therefore it fit her perfectly. Too bad Carrie Underwood had to go and show her up about three weeks later. Hahaha.

Then she performed Smile and found it to be a good vocal performance. She showcased her lower range beautifully, controlled it well, and she felt the song. Frankly, this performance made it look like Gina was gaining some momentum to possibly make a dark horse run, only to be shut down the next night with the mediocrity that was Haley Scarnato and Sanjaya Malakar. Haha.

Oh, how I love how Season 6 worked!

Favorite performance(s): Well, I wish I could be unpredictable and say something like Alone or Paint it Black was my favorite, but I'd be lying. Anyway, it's I'll Stand By You, obviously.

I'll Stand By You

#90 -TMTH