She’s the last female finalist standing… But could Jessica Sanchez be the last contestant standing on American Idol? That’s the bold prediction made by Steven Tyler.
In the first round, which consisted of songs selected by the judges, Sanchez performed Mariah Carey’s “My All.” Jennifer Lopez chose the ballad, which she called one of her favorites, for its tenderness. And, the pint-sized singer with the big voice—dressed in an elegant navy blue mermaid dress, with her hair swept to one side—killed it, as la Lopez predicted.
“That was absolutely beautiful; perfectly the right song for you,” decalred judge Randy Jackson. “I think it’s one of the best times a Mariah song has been performed on TV.”
Meanwhile, Lopez said Sanchez sang the challenging song “so beautifully,” while Tyler predicted she’d be the last one standing at the end.
“When you sing, you make people hang on every night,” professed the Aerosmith front man.
In the second round, which consisted of songs chosen by the contestants, Sanchez took the biggest risk of the night by performing Aerosmith’s massive hit “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.”
Dressed in a brown jumper with a chunky turquoise and diamond necklace, Sanchez flawlessly performed the Diane Warren-penned song from the film Armageddon and got a standing ovation from the man who originally recorded the song back in 1998.
“You just took a great song and made it greater,” exclaimed Tyler. “Beautiful!”
Hearing Tyler’s critique, Lopez told Sanchez, “You do not know what a big deal that is!” and commented on the finalist’s colossal finish.
“That note at the end. Oh wow! Sent everyone into the heavens,” said Lopez.
In the final round, which consisted of songs chosen by the show’smentor Jimmy Iovine, Sanchez performed “I’ll Be There” by the Jackson 5. It’s a song Iovine believed would appeal to older audiences while allowing Sanchez to maintain her youth.
Dressed in a red blazer with sequined pockets, black pants and chunky ankle boots, delivered a Michael Jackson-esque rendition of the song that received mixed reviews.
“Perfect song, perfect voice,” said Tyler. “You nailed it!”
But while Lopez complimented the “perfect tone” in Sanchez’s voice, Jackson deemed the performance good, but not great.
“There was never a ‘moment’ moment,” said Jackson.
The American Idol finale may be two weeks away… But that didn’t stop Jessica Sanchez from coasting to the finish line. Instead, the pint-sized phenom performed like a champion.
During Wednesday’s night two-hour episode, the 16-year-old half-Mexican singer seemed to be taking the motto “go big or go home” to heart by performing the iconic music of two divas: Etta James and Jennifer Holliday.
For her first performance—dedicated to songs from artists or bands from California or tracks about The Golden State—Sanchez performed a rousing rendition of Etta James’ “Steal Away.” Sitting atop a piano and dressed in a black and white top and pants with blue accessories, including a pair of sparkling earrings, Sanchez growled and rasped her way through the songs like a seasoned pro.
“You just nailed that,” declared Idol judge Steven Tyler, while Randy Jackson proclaimed, “Your vocals are ridiculous.” Meanwhile, Jennifer Lopez complimented Sanchez on her grownup growl.
“It was in full effect tonight, by the way,” said la Lopez. “That was crazy, crazy, crazy some of the things you did in there.”
Later, Sanchez returned to the Idol stage to perform The Bangles’ “Eternal Flame” with fellow finalist Hollie Cavanagh, looking angelicwhile swinging on white fabric.
“You both have sweetness and you both have power,” said Lopez after Sanchez and Cavanagh duet, which received a standing ovation from the audience. “And I think showed up both of those things in that song.”
Then Sanchez and Cavanagh joined the other finalists, Joshua Ledet and Phillip Phillips, to perform Foreigner’s “Waiting fora Girl like You.”
But it was Sanchez’s last performance, as part of the “Songs I Wish I Wrote” theme, which proved to be the night’s most impressive.
Dressed in a color-block dress with a single sleeve, Sanchez tackled a monster song, Jennifer Holliday’s “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going,” a song that helped former American Idol finalist Jennifer Hudson win an Academy Award. From the get-go, Sanchez wowed the audience with her mesmerizing rendition of the emotional tune that she’s been singing since she was 7—and earned a much-deserved standing ovation from the judges.
“With a performance like that… there’s just nothing to say,” confessed Lopez, who called Sanchez’s performance a “real moment.” “Your vocal ability, it’s not something that you see all the time.”
Meanwhile, Jackson complimented Sanchez on taking such a big risk.
“This is one of the hardest songs in the world to sing… It’s been sung like crazy on this stage,” explained Jackson. “And, you know what, you got up there and you just slayed it!”
The 16-year-old part-Mexican singer—who was saved by her Idol judges after receiving the lowest number of votes last week, despite her season-long status as the show’s frontrunner—was more than ready to turn the beat around with her incredible talent.
During her first at-bat, Sanchez—dressed in a billowy white jumpsuit cinched with a red belt, statement necklace, turquoise heels and tousled hair—performed a rousing rendition of Alicia Key’s “Fallin’” that received a long round of applause from the audience.
Following her performance, Randy Jackson called Sanchez’s talent “otherworldly,” while Steven Tyler talked about Sanchez’s impassioned “anger” in the song.
“To take your voice and throw it in there like you lost at love, and damn it you’re gonna do something about it. And that’s what that sounded like. That was the passion you released,” declared Tyler. “And everybody in America knows you can sing, as if they didn’t know it before.”
Meanwhile, Jennifer Lopez complimented Sanchez on her ability to juggle while performing.
“The way with play with songs, the way you play with it, it’s just like you’re juggling balls in the air. It’s crazy, it’s insane,” professed Lopez. “And, I’m so glad that you’re still here with us. I’m glad we had a save and I’m glad we used it on you. You did a great!”
In the second round, Sanchez stepped up her game during her sassy rendition of Otis Redding‘s “Try a Little Tenderness.” Dressed in baggy purple pants and a black jacket, Sanchez showed a lot of energy throughout the performance, giving an urgent feeling performance with a lot of heart.
“I like the fact that you’re stepping out, I really appreciate that the most ‘cause God knows I know you can sing,” said Tyler. “It’s all about stepping out and winning these people’s hearts.”
In what could be considered a shock heard ‘round the nation, American Idol finalist Jessica Sanchez was thisclose to being eliminated on last night’s results show.
The 16-year-old part-Mexican singer, long considered “the one to beat” earned the lowest amount of votes after this week’s performance show, causing jaws to drop and drawing boos from the stunned studio audience.
While Sanchez’s fellow finalists were left in shock and awe, Sanchez began singing in a last-ditch effort to snag the judges’ save.
But before the San Diego-native could finish her rendition of Deborah Cox’s “Nobody’s Supposed to Be Here,” Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson rushed the stage and took the microphone out of Sanchez’s hand.
Moments later, Jackson implored America to think before they vote.
“We are saving Jessica without any doubt. For myself, Steven and Jennifer, this girl is one of the best singers in America. Please everybody … vote for the best!”
It was the first time the judges had rushed to join an Idol hopeful on stage, following the use of their special “save” privilege, according to Ryan Seacrest.
When asked if she expected to be the lowest-vote-getting finalist of the night, Sanchez diplomatically replied: “No, not at all. I don’t expect anything. I just do what I do. Whatever happens, happens. I just want people to know I’ve been working hard my whole life.”
But Sanchez wasn’t the only frontrunner to end up in the unexpected bottom three. : Fellow one-to-watch Joshua Ledet, whose high-octane performance had wowed the judges the night before, was also in the bottom three.
“Everybody did a good job last night but that shouldn’t be the bottom three,” said Idol mentor Jimmy Iovine, sitting in the crowd.
After demonstrating her vocal prowess on Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You,” it’s no surprise that Jessica Sanchez has successfully taken on Beyonce.
Looking all Sasha Fierce with her slicked-back hair, statement necklace and silver and black mini-dress complete with long train, the 16-year-old part-Mexican American Idol finalist showed America why she’s considered a frontrunner by performing a slowed-down version of Beyonce’s hit “Sweet Dreams.”
And Idol’s judges couldn’t help but applaud Sanchez’s reimagining of the song, which included a harptastic intro.
“It was really, really beautiful,” gushed Jennifer Lopez, who complimented Sanchez for holding back when she could’ve easily belted her signature high notes. “You left us wanting more!” Steven Tyler called it “delicious” and “beautiful,” while Randy Jackson talked about the 16-year-old’s impressive maturity, saying “You just innately have this unbelievable talent.”
Moments later, Sanchez returned to the stage to perform a Madonna medley with fellow finalists Hollie Cavanagh and Skylar Laine. Wearing a white tuxedo with black piping and black top, Jessica kicked off the performance with “Like a Prayer” and assisted the ladies on their renditions of “Borderline” and “Express Yourself.”
Everybody has a dream… And, American Idol finalist Jessica Sanchez continues making an impression in her quest to make her singing dreams a reality.
During Wednesday night’s episode of Fox’s hit singing competition, which featured the finalists singing the music of Billy Joel, the 16-year-old San Diego-native continued to shine above the rest of her competitors with her performance of Joel’s little known “Everybody Has a Dream.”
In the video of her rehearsals leading up to her performance, this week’s mentor P. Diddy said he didn’t believe Sanchez’s delivery of the song. But once he got her to “respect the song,” he admitted that Sanchez really does have all the makings of a superstar.
She then went on to give the most controlled yet soaring vocal of the night. And, she earned a well-deserved standing ovation from the judges and the audience.
“You are flawless and perfect, excellent mentoring, that was perfection,” Randy Jackson commented. Steven Tyler said, “When God was giving out vocal chords, you were so at the beginning of the line,” while Jennifer Lopez called it “a defining moment” for her. Jackson then added, “You have a moment every time you step on that stage. That was professional.”
It may only be the first week of the finals on American Idol, but Latweena singing sensation Jessica Sanchez has already cemented her status as one of this season’s frontrunners.
In a “go big or go home” moment, the 16-year-old San Diego-native gave the night’s most pitch perfect performance on Wednesday’s show, covering Whitney Houston’s version of “I Will Always Love You.”
Dressed in a asymmetrical floor length dress in royal blue, Sanchez’s fluttered her fingers ever so gently on her handheld microphone while unleashing her power and vibrato on her cover of Houston’s iconic hit.
In the end, Sanchez received a standing ovation from the judges and the audience alike.
Jessica “just made 40 million people cry,” said judge Steven Tyler.
“Not only are you one of the best singers tonight — I think you’re one of the best singers in the whole competition!” announced Randy Jackson.
