‘American Idol XIV’ review: Did Hollywood Anderson, Jax, Maddie Walker, Rayvon Owen make top 24?

Tonight, the final judgment began on “American Idol XIV.” 48 singers entered the fray here at the House of Blues, with only half of them getting a chance to actually sing during the next round of the competition. Some of these decisions were smart, some of them made us celebrate, and then a few made us boo. There was also one choice made that was completely cruel, and seemingly due to something totally superficial.

We’re going to focus here mostly on the singers who are for sure advancing to the top 24. The rest of them will be announced on the new episode tomorrow night episode.

Michael Simeon – He’s a great singer, but can we stop with the whole “winning over the ladies” narrative? Believe it not, but there is something to be said for someone who is just artistic and interesting, and not just a piece of eye candy.

Loren Lott – We did not really feel like she had the cleanest road to the top 24 by any means, but her performances near the end of Hollywood Week more or less got her precisely what she was hoping for. Now, the name of the game is consistency.

Adam Ezegelian – Here’s the funny thing: Adam was spoiled as a part of the top 24 from the moment you saw his shadow in the premiere. Nobody else has that hair! He is basically this show’s rocker, but he may be humble enough to keep himself from going crazy.

Lovey James – Lovey could be popular. She may only be 17, but she’s got a ton of stage presence and a pretty good voice. Little Mix’s “Wings” is not something that you can go on stage and sing without energy.

Adanna Duru – We’re getting a decent vibe from her; while her Hollywood Week performances were shaky, she came back with something that was reasonably strong here. This is the sort of singer who feel just needs confidence, and then she could go a very long way.

Maddie Walker – Well, isn’t this crazy? She had an “unplanned” sing-off against Rachel Hallack, and the crazier thing here is that the only reason Maddie got a chance to compete against her is because they liked the way she walked up to them.

Clark Beckham – One of the favorites right now. Super talented, super soulful, and capable of probably performing an even greater ranger of songs than we have seen so far.

Daniel Seavey – He really does feel like a kid, even if he is eligible to compete at 15. We’re not sure that he’s ready, but regardless, he’ll probably get a billion votes as the token “cute little kid.”

Tyanna Jones – She reminds us a lot of Rachel Crow from “The X Factor.” A ton of energy, a very good voice, but also still a very raw quality. We’re not sure how she will handle adversity just yet, but we understand the pick.

Rayvon Owen – He’s very soulful. Right now, he’s up there with Clark on our list of favorites.

Shannon Berthiaume – We’re a little concerned still about whether or not she is completely ready for the stage given her lack of experience, but she has that raspy, Pat Benatar sort of voice that is missing from everyone else.

Jax – Was their ever any doubt? So creative, and a born performer. Easily our favorite of the ladies.

Hollywood Anderson – While we had a “to be continued” here, we’re starting to think that Hollywood is not going to stay in Hollywood for the live shows. As magical as that audition is, he’s struggled almost ever since. He may just be one of those guys who is brilliant performing his own music, but this is a show dependent on covers.

What did you think about this episode? Share below, and head over here to get some further news worth singing about via our CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: Fox.)