I almost died - together with a friend - when I learned that she was eliminated on the show. Seriously. Haha. The story later..
Anyway, I wasn't very impressed with Ayla after her first audition. I thought she could sing, but like Simon said, it all seemed so rehearsed and robotic. You see, I like the vocals to sound very natural and Ayla was the epitome of a schooled artist.
But for some weird reason, she impressed me during the Top 24 night. Her performance of Christina Aguilera's hit Reflection, though predictable, was pretty good and she clearly connected herself to the song. I thought she nailed it. I was usually on the fence with her but she proved me wrong that week. The next week, she tackled a Celine Dion song and didn't exactly know what to expect. But, again, she pulled it off quite nicely. Now, this was the time that I actually saw her as a possible dark horse in the competition and I realized that she's possibly in the top half of the girls that season. She did have a nice tone and she can control her voice really well.
Then, Unwritten happened and I suddenly wasn't sure of her chance. To me, the performance was extremely underrated but the judges didn't respond to it positively. Sure, she's not like Katharine McPhee in terms of originality, and she may not have the energy Paris Bennett has. But Ayla's voice is a breath of fresh air, and her riffs stand out to me. I also think her falsetto is not rivaled by any of the other girls.
However, at that point, I knew Ayla was competing for the Final spot in the Top 12. I think Paris Bennett, Lisa Tucker, Katharine McPhee, Mandisa and Kellie Pickler are sure bets in the Finals. So, it might very well be down to Ayla and Melissa McGhee for the last spot. True enough, it happened just like that. Ayla eliminated just before the Top 12. Ugh. She was robbed! I mean, I definitely think she earned a place in the Top 12 over Melissa McGhee or Kellie Pickler - maybe even Mandisa. But really, I was so devastated when she got the boot that I almost died literally - you know, I was driving when my friend gave me the news. Haha. All the work, all the effort she had displayed only to be eliminated. I do have a bone to pick with that. But a lot of factors came into play when it comes to voting. It was just bad timing for everything. Oh well.
Favorite performance(s): I like Celine Dion, so I get nervous when someone tries to sing one of her songs, but Ayla did her justice. She displayed such a beautiful upper register and great control. She sang it very passionately too. Definitely one of my favorite performances of the semifinals in Season 5, which says a lot.
I Want You To Need Me
#48 - Finalist on Star Search
0 comments:
Post a Comment