American Idol continued Hollywood Week Thursday night with, as judge Jennifer Lopez put it, "the infamous Group Round."
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Hollywood Week began with 190 hopefuls participating in the initial "Lines of 10 Round." At the end of the round, 108 contestants remained.
Jennifer and her fellow judges Harry Connick Jr. and Keith Urban advised the singers to split up into groups of three or four to prepare a song for Group Round. The judges were going to be looking for leaders, followers and standout performers.
American Idol's Season 14 mentor, Scott Borchetta, made an appearance and helped the groups rehearse.
The Group Round immediately kicked off with drama. Shelbie Z, a 23-year-old hair dresser from Sumiton, AL, told her group she'd be right back, but because their dynamic wasn't solid, she never returned and joined another group -- leaving two girls "high and dry." La'Porsha, however, later sacrificed her awesome group to join the two girls who needed another member in order to continue on in the competition.
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Meanwhile, Miranda "Poh" Scott, a 17-year-old student from Baltimore, MD, was nowhere to be found. Her father later spoke to a contestant on the phone and revealed the process was too overwhelming for her, so she decided to quit. Poh was one of Keith's favorites, so her loss was unfortunate.
The first three groups were shown taking the stage and advancing to the next round of Hollywood Week in their entirety. The successful singers were Kory Wheeler, a 27-year-old barista from Nashville, TN; Jenna Renae, a 23-year-old musician from Williamson, NY; Jordan Sasser, a 27-year-old worship leader from Raleigh, NC; Kelsie Watts, a 24-year-old waitress from Lubbock, TX; Jenn Blosil, a 23-year-old in child care from Brooklyn, NY; Bri Ray, an 18-year-old student from Orem, UT; Lynnzee Fraye, a 21-year-old bartender from Simi Valley, CA; and Sara Sturm, an 18-year-old student and hostess from Centreville, VA.
Idol's judges then made a habit of picking the best artists out of each group to survive the cut. Some standouts were Amelia Eisenhauer, a 16-year-old student from Nashville, TN; Tristan McIntosh, a 15-year-old student from Nashville, TN; Lee Jean, a 16-year-old student from Bluffton, SC; Avalon Young, a 21-year-old server from San Diego, CA; and Jeneve Rose Mitchell, a 15-year-old student from Crawford, CO.
One group which included Chynna Sherrod, a 17-year-old student from Bridgeport, CT, and Terrian, a 19-year-old student from Memphis, TN, actually brought Jennifer to tears on the judging panel. Jennifer said they reminded her of why she's going to miss American Idol so much. She found it a joy to watch undiscovered talent blossom over the last few years.
Viewers are probably wondering what happened to Trent Harmon, a 25-year-old waiter from Amory, MS. The poor guy was diagnosed with Mono in the moments leading up to his "Lines of 10" audition. Although he was shakey and suffering from exhaustion and a fever, Trent nailed his vocal. As to not infect any other contestants with illness, Trent sang alone for the Group Round and the judges were blown away. Trent didn't expect to make it through, so he was thrilled.
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In Shelbie Z's group, three of the four girls survived the cut: Shelbie Z; Michelle Marie, a 16-year-old student from Daytona Beach, FL; and Ashley Lusk, a 16-year-old student from Eureka; MO. Sadly their group member Lindsey Carrier, a 20-year-old student from Temecula, CA, was sent home.
Singers who shined in the group round include Mackenzie Bourg, a 23-year-old musician from Lafayette, LA; Joy Dove, a 21-year-old youth development specialist from Natchitoches, LA; Lindita, a 26-year-old personal trainer from Kosovo; Dana Ordway, a 24-year-old sales associate from Palm Coast, FL; Gianna Isabella, a 15-year-old student from Jackson, NJ; and Jessica Paige, a 27-year-old musician from Kansas City, MO.
More successful singers who were featured in last night's broadcast include CJ Johnson, a 28-year-old musician from Memphis, TN; Jess Kellner, a 24-year-old hairstylist from Austin, TX; Jessica Baker, a 26-year-old hairstylist from Charlotte, NC; Laurel Wright, a 20-year-old musician from Maryville, TN; Marshall Cunningham, a 22-year-old musician from Nashville, TN; Thomas Muglia, a 17-year-old student from Gilbert, AZ; and Thomas Stringfellow, a 17-year-old student from Bentonville, AR.
Five additional groups were advanced to the next round in their entirety. One of the best performances of the day belonged to Manny Torres, a 20-year-old worship leader from Flushing, MI; Malie Delgado, a 21-year-old radio personality from Anchorage, AK; and Christian Eason, a 21-year-old cheerleading coach from Philadelphia, PA. Jennifer pointed out Manny, especially, really delivered an incredible performance.
The rest of the hopefuls who celebrated moving on in the competition with their entire group are Dalton Rapattoni, a 19-year-old vocal coach from Dallas TX; Anatalia Villaranda, a 15-year-old student from Temecula, CA; Kassy Levels, a 19-year-old musician from Dallas, TX; Sonika Vaid, a 20-year-old student from Martha's Vineyard, MA; and La'Porsha Renae, a 22-year-old call representative from McComb, MS.
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Stephany Negrete, a 21-year-old student from San Diego, CA, was also a member of a group who passed with flying colors in addition to Andrew Nazarbekian, a 20-year-old student from Moscow, Russia; Marcio Donaldson, a 26-year-old server from Compton, CA; Jon Klaasen, a 17-year-old student from Greenwood, IN; Kylle Thomasson, a 22-year-old busker from Stockton, CA; Kacye Haynes, a 23-year-old musician from Talladega, AL; Tonie Starr, a 27-year-old receptionist from Mansfield, TX; and Marlena Johnson, a 24-year-old assistant manager from New Bedford, MA.
Contestants who were eliminated include Elvie Shane, a 27-year-old audio technician from Caneyville, KY, Ashley Lilinoe, a 20-year-old musician from Kane'ohe, HI; Cameron Richard, a 15-year-old student from Raceland, LA; Daniel Farmer, Eliz Camacho, a 24-year-old singer, actress and model from Fayetteville, NC; Joe Dahman, a 24-year-old coach from Harrisonville, MO; and Alesana Tolai, a 21-year-old grocery store clerk from San Francisco, CA.
The following artists were also sadly sent packing: Olivia Thai, a 26-year-old music teacher from San Gabriel, CA; Zach Joseph, a 26-year-old construction worker from Hickory Hills, IL; Joey Hendricks, a 19-year-old deli worker from Goodyear, AZ; Bryson Dunn, a 19-year-old student from Deer Park, TX; Drew Angus, a 26-year-old event coordinator from Westport, CT; and John Arthur Greene, a 27-year-old Broadway actor from Raleigh, NC.
American Idol continues Season 15's Hollywood Week next Wednesday and Thursday night on Fox.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski