Summary "American Idol" - Final Sudden Death Round- Men - Feb. 28, 2013

The final 10 men face the judges. Five will stay, five will go.

First up is Mathenee Treco a 26-year-old choreographer from the Bahamas. He made it all the way to Vegas last year. He sings "A Little Less Conversation" by Elvis Presley. It's fun and uptempo and unsurprisingly he moves well. He has some breath control issues which lead to a couple of pitch problems but in the main he does well. Keith thinks he's got huge range and power and he likes that he wants to entertain but says he needs to pay attention to make a connection. Nicki thought he was doing stuff to please he judges and it was cheesy and karaoke. Randy thinks he's very good but was surprised at the song choice and thought it wasn't good. Mariah has always dug him as a real person and she also felt a little disconnect, she also didn't know the song.

Next up is Gurpreet Singh Sarin aka the Turbanator. He's 22 years old and from Maryland. He's a Sikh. His family is also musical. He sings "Nothing Ever Hurt Like You" by James Morrison, it's a an old-school style soul jam. He's got a fun presence and seems very sweet but his voice just isn't spectacular. Keith likes his voice but he liked him better with the acoustic guitar and didn't love the song choice. Nicki says he seemed very intimate coming into the competition and he drew them in at first but he took a risk tonight and it didn't work. Randy says a bunch of nothing and he says it was terrible. Mariah was disappointed that they didn't hear his softer voice and his more organic style.

Next up is Vincent Powell who is a 29-year-old worship leader from Austin, TX. He's sung back up for Whitney Houston, LeToya Luckett, and Scarface. He does a slow jam, "Cause I Love You" by Lenny Williams. He is astonishingly good. A soul singer born with insane range, power, and control. Keith, Randy, and Mariah stand. Keith loved it. Nicki says he was sexy, old-fashioned and she could picture older women throwing panties at him. Randy says the show started right here and he's the real deal. Mariah says: Finally.

Next up is Nick Boddington who is a 27-year-old bartender from New York. He's been performing his whole life. He sings "Say Something," by James Morrison, a midtempo pop soul number. He sings well but the whole thing is very mild and adult contemporary. It feels very light after Vincent. Keith loves his timbre and thinks he sang beautifully but he didn't feel a connection. Nicki loves the warmth in his voice and it doesn't try too hard. She didn't dislike it but says it wasn't his best. Randy didn't think it was the right song and it wasn't his best but he knows he's up to it and he needs a moment. Mariah thinks he's very consistent but agrees it didn't feel superconnected.

Next up is Josh Holiday a 24-year-old from a cow farm in Texas and now he lives in Nashville working on a country music career. He accompanies himself on piano and sings "Better With You," an original. It's a piano ballad that gets a little tempo at the bridge and stands. It's a lovely melody but he has some breath control issues in the falsetto, which is good but he loses himself a little moving around. Keith thinks he's a great singer but wanted more passion. Nicki wanted him to stay on piano and not gotten up and tried to "please" them. Randy thinks it was a risk to do an original but he thought the song was good but he wasn't wowed by it. Mariah loves that he's a singer-songwriter and she was impressed by the audience response. She agrees it would've been nice if he stayed at the piano.

Next up is David Oliver Willis who is a 22-year-old worship leader from Florida. His adoptive parents are doctors and are older folks. He accompanies himself on guitar and sings a sort of country-soul version of "Fever" that is jaunty and funky. He has a very engaging stage presence and sounds solid. He really likes him but didn't think it was the best showcase for his voice but he thought it was really good. Nicki feels like he was playing his new guitar at Christmas. Randy likes his bluesy vibe and he felt like the song choice wasn't good enough for his voice and he's intrigued by this side of him. Mariah felt like it was enjoyable but knows he can do more vocally. Next up is Bryant Tadeo is a 24-year-old department store worker from Hawaii. He sings "New York State of Mind" by Billy Joel. He does a little too much gesturing with his hands but he sounds good. Keith thinks it was great but isn't sure how it played at home. He thought it was a good song choice. Nicki loved the falsetto note at the end but didn't like anything else. Randy loved the beginning but was waiting for it to go somewhere at the end and it didn't. But he thinks he has a beautiful voice. Mariah thinks he sounded professional and he has a lovely tonality and thought he got a little lost and she thinks he has raw talent.

Next up is Burnell Taylor who has lost 40 pounds since the auditions. He is a 19-year-old from New Orleans. His home was demolished in Katrina. He says performing has always been easy for him. He sings "This Time" by John Legend which is perfect for his voice, which has a nice rasp and effortless quality. He also does a ton of busy hand gestures. Keith congratulates him on losing weight and says he really liked the performance and felt it was very original and he was very connected to it. Nicki says right now she would pay to hear him sing. She is also inspired by his story. Randy is proud of him, says it wasn't his best performance but liked that he put his spin on it. Mariah thinks it was fantastic and has been rooting for him. Next up is Lazaro Arbos the young man with the painful stutter which disappears when he sings. He works at an ice cream shop because he doesn't have to talk there. He sings "Tonight I Wanna Cry" by Keith Urban. He seems very nervous at the start and his lower register is shaky and his voice feels very tight. He has some nice moments as the song ascends but his nerves seem to be getting the better of him. (He's also sweating pretty profusely.) He gets a nice ovation though. Keith thanks him for singing his song. He thinks he's a good singer. Ironically, he feels like it was a bad song choice for him and he kept falling behind it. Nicki loves that he always gives himself and he played it safe but it was stuff they like. Randy said every time he hit the chorus he hit the sweet spot in his voice and was able to relax in that since he knew he was nervous. Mariah knows that he knows the flaws of the performance but loved his performance and says she knows it's not easy.

Next up is Cortez Shaw he's a 22-year-old Texan with a hard-scrabble background. He sings "Titanium" by David Guetta featuring Sia. One of the female backing vocalists is doing a lovely harmony vocal. He does a nice job, showing up power, range, and professionalism. Keith loves that song and loved his performance but he does say there were a couple of spots that were rough but when he hit the big notes right it was total redemption. Nicki thought the performance was sexy and she liked him a lot. Randy was surprised by his range and says it was pitchy at points but agrees the big notes were impressive and he thinks he's very current. Mariah has loved him from the beginning and loved that song and says of course it can't be perfect in this environment and she thought he made great choices.



The five going home:David Oliver Willis, Bryant Tadeo, Mathenee Treco, Josh Holiday, Gurprett Singh Sarin

The five going through:Vincent Powell, Lazaro Arbos, Cortez Shaw, Burnell Taylor, Nick Boddington

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