Summary "American Idol" - Sudden Death Rounds - Feb. 20, 2013

Ryan tells us we're about to witness an "Idol" first. Ten of the twenty female contestants will sing tonight for a live audience at the Mirage hotel in Las Vegas and face instant elimination, leaving five for the top ten and America's vote. Another ten boys tomorrow and then again next Tuesday and Wednesday.

The judges talk about how tough it's going to be. Jimmy Iovine will be the tiebreaker if there's a split decision on the panel.

First up is Jenny Beth Willis who is 17, a junior in high school from Owensville, KY. She goes the cowgirl route complete with boots and full skirt to sing Trisha Yearwood's "Heaven, Heartache, and the Power of Love." It's okay in the main, some good bits, a little shaky, and a strong ending. Keith has mixed feelings about the song but loved the effortless confidence she performs with. Nicki liked her voice but she didn't feel she came alive until the very end. Randy thought it was a little jerky and not in sync rhythmically with the band. Mariah felt it was a nice performance but felt she could be more dynamic during the verses. It's actually, for "Idol," amazing critiques.

Next up is Tenna Torres the girl from New York City who went to Camp Mariah as a young girl. She's 28 and considers herself an underdog. She sings "Incompatible" by Natasha Bedingfield. It's a ballad. She starts off a little low and a bit shaky but never loses confidence and climbs her way up towards the chorus with more power and has a nice sense of dynamics. Keith thought it was a beautiful song and thought she had control of it mostly and the diversity of her voice. Nicki also thinks she has good control and chose a great song and has good tone and tells her to lose the hair. (It looks like a wig, and Nicki says it's aging her.) Randy says this is how you do it and the true start of the night. Mariah says it was all her and gave every bit of her emotion.

Next up is Adriana she is 17 and from Anchorage, Alaska. We see a little bit of her hometown. She sings "Ain't No Way" by Aretha Franklin, a sultry/sad torch song. She is young but also has good control. The song itself is in a little danger of limpness but she does a good job and ends on a strong note. Keith loved it and he thinks that NOW the night has started. Nicki asks her height and when she tells her five feet, she says she's tiny but powerful and poised and ready. Randy says she's born to do it and a real pro. Mariah says it was a big song and she's proud she made it work.

Next up is Brandy Hotard. She's 26 and is a psych nurse from Louisiana. She promises sass and personality. She sings "Anymore" by Travis Tritt, it's another ballad and she struggles with pitch in a few places, it's not a very dynamic performance. Keith likes that she did that song and thinks her voice is good but felt that it was emotionally disconnected at points. Nicki says Keith is in her head and took the words out of her mouth. Nicki says it was a pagaent delivery of the song and she needed to be more realistic and believable. Randy agrees and also feels the performance didn't tell him who she is. Mariah says she wasn't bothered by the occasional disconnection but has seen her more emotionally connected and wonders if it was nerves. She also says she looks great.

Next up is Shubha Vedula. She is a 17-year-old high school senior. She wants to be seen as unique. She plays the piano to accompany herself on "Born This Way" by Lady Gaga. She starts off low and slow. Then she grabs the microphone and stands up and the band kicks in and she starts getting more animated. She sounds alright, great in places, but there is a sense of "acting" like a rock star in the busy-ness of her stage moves, lots of pointing and pumping to the beat and overdoing the melisma at the end. Keith notes that the crowd loved it but thought she crammed a lot into the performance and it was confusing because there were so many things going on but despite all the stuff her voice came powering through. Nicki agrees that there was too much going on. But she feels like it's a mash-up of Xtina and Psy and it's almost comical. Randy agrees on the one hand and says at 17 she has unbelievable talent but there were way too many runs and is impressed with her potential. Mariah agrees with Randy and says she would've preferred if she stayed at the piano as well because it was less forced.

Next up is Kamaria Owsley. She's from Oakland, CA and has sung backgrounds for Diddy, Ledisi and others. She sings "Mr. Know-it-All" by Kelly Clarkson. She looks great but she only has a passing acquaintance with the song's pitch. It is very rough and weak at the beginning. Keith things it wasn't a great song because she can really sing but that song didn't have an emotional connection for her and he doesn't like unnecessary theatrical performance. Nicki thinks she looks nicely styled and she didn't hear the throaty thing she was doing before and it didn't work. Randy thought it was bad from the beginning and thought the pitch was all over the place and her worst performance so far. Mariah thought she might've been struggling to hear herself. She thinks she's adorable and vivacious and thinks she's marketable. She also thinks it was a bad song choice and thinks she can do better.

Next up is Kree Harrison. She's a demo singer from Nashville. She sings "Up To the Mountain" by Patty Griffin. It's a gospel-tinged ballad. She's very impassioned and clearly loves the song. She hits some good money notes. Keith and Nicki stand for her. Keith thinks she's a natural born singer. He loves to watch and listen. Nicki says the other girls should be afraid of her and she says there is a mystery to her and she makes love to the song. And she thinks she's sexy. Randy agrees she's natural born and calls it effortless. Mariah says she thinks its' beautiful to watch her get lost in the song.

Next up is Angela Miller an 18-year-old from Beverly, Massachusetts. She started watching Idol in Season 2 and knew she'd be on it. She sings "Nobody's Perfect" by Jessie J, another dramatic piano ballad. She owns it from beginning to end. She's a little awkward moving about but sounds and looks great. Keith thinks she's a huge talent. Nicki says nothing will compare to her last performance of her original song and tells her not to force anything and to rest in that. Randy says she's one of his favorites and America is watching the building of a superstar. He loves that she gets inside the song. Mariah feels like her potential is limitless. Mariah also says she loved the original because she had her "clothed in goosebumps and bathed in tears."

Next up is Isabelle. She's a 22-year-old former fat kid from Georgia. She wants to empower young women. She sings 'God Bless the Child" by lotsa people but well known by Billie Holiday. She does a jazzy rendition. Lots of it is good, there are a few big clunkers but she commits and ends strong. Keith says her performance is the key to the side of every car of the guys who didn't ask her out. Nicki is proud of her and says she's shining. Randy loves that she's an inspiration and is talented and thought it was a bit old-fashioned and pagaent-y. Mariah agrees on the arrangement but says her vocal and heart shine through.

Next up is Amber Holcomb who is an 18-year-old Texan who got cut in Las Vegas last year. She says she's more confident this year. She sings the standard "My Funny Valentine." This is a deceptively difficult song to sing and she's handling it like a pro. She is dynamite. One of the night's very best performances by far. Randy, Keith, and Mariah stand for her. Keith says she makes it hard on everyone else by making it look so effortless. Nicki calls the vocal A+++ and hopes her shine comes out more on live TV. Randy says she has to believe and the vocal was amazing and that she didn't oversing. Mariah says she thinks she knows how good she was, so good she wanted to smack her.

Time for the cuts.

Five cut: Jenny Beth, Brandy, Isabelle, Kamaria, Shubha

Five who made it to the top ten: Tenna, Kree, Angela, Amber, Adriana

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