Idol’s Sanchez Continues to Slay the Competition

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

It looks like there’s no stopping Jessica Sanchez…

Once again, the petite 16-year-old part-Mexican American Idol finalist with the gigantic voice showed her maturity and sheer talent during last night’s songs-from-2010-and-beyond-themed show.

During her rehearsal of the song she’d tackle this week—Jazmine Sullivan’s “Stuttering”—music executive/producer and mentor Jimmy Iovine couldn’t help but marvel at Sanchez’s singing chops.

“That voice can move anything,” declared Iovine of the pint-sized singer who has already wowed America with her interpretations of songs like Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You”, Beyonce’s “Sweet Dreams” and Billy Joel’s “Everybody Has a Dream.” “She’s got soul, power, finesse. She is unbelievable with that voice!”

Meanwhile, guest judge Akon commented on Sanchez’s maturing, telling her “You’ve got so much control for that age!”

And, when it came time to take the stage, Sanchez didn’t disappoint…

Sitting atop a piano in a shimmering metallic dress, black leggings and black knee-high boots, the San Diego native delivered a moving interpretation of Sullivan’s rare track.

“That was superb, I mean that was like at the highest degree,” decreed AI judge Randy Jackson. “You did an amazing job!”

Meanwhile, Jennifer Lopez gushed about how beautifully Sanchez performed the song and encouraged her to take the American Idol audience and viewers at home on a journey every week.

“You have an amazing opportunity to take this audience… on a ride” said Lopez. “Take us on the ride every week; you can show us something we’ve never seen!”

Later, Sanchez returned to the stage wearing a shoulderless white blouse and pants with pink piping to perform an energetic rendition of Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger” as a trio with fellow finalists Joshua Ledet and Hollie Cavanagh.

Sanchez Delivers Yet Another Standout Whitney Cover…

Posted on April 5, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

It’s quite rare for an American Idol finalist to perform one Whitney Houston song masterfully, let alone two. But that’s exactly what Jessica Sanchez has done this season…

During last night ’80s Night-themed performance show, the 16-year-old part-Mexican singer mastered her second Whitney song.

The pint-sized singer, who hails from San Diego, proved she isn’t only a balladeer by covering Houston’s uptempo “How Will I Know.” And, once again Sanchez—rocking an ‘80s-inspired cropped jacket, side ponytail and skinny jeans—nailed her performance and garnered an A-plus from the judges for her effortlessly pitch-perfect effort.

During rehearsals, guest mentor Gwen Stefani called Jessica’s voice “shockingly good” and added “it’s crazy how young she is.” Following her performance, judge Jennifer Lopez concurred.

“You’re such a little girl, but there’s, like, this woman up there at the same time,” mused Lopez.

In addition to singing solo, Sanchez joined voices with fellow finalist Joshua Ledet to perform Aretha Franklin and George Michael‘s “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me).” And, the perfectly paired duo didn’t disappoint; they out-grooved the rest of their competitors.

“This is one of the greatest performances I’ve ever seen on the show,” Randy Jackson declared, uttering his latest catchphrase: “They’ve gotta have it!”

Sanchez Shines Bright on Beyonce’s “Sweet Dreams”

Posted on March 29, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

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.”

McCreery Returning to American Idol Stage

Posted on March 23, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Call it “the return of the champion”… Scotty McCreery is heading back to the American Idol stage…

The 18-year-old part-Puerto Rican country singer—the winner of Idol season 10—will return to Fox’s hit singing competition next week to perform his latest single “Water Tower Town.”

Since winning American Idol, McCreery has gone on to become one of country music’s rising stars. His debut album was certified platinum earlier this year, and he was named New Artist of the Year at the American Country Awards last December.

In addition to McCreery, Nicki Minaj will appear on next week’s episode to perform her latest chart-busting single “Starships.”

Meanwhile, the nine remaining contestants, DeAndre Brackensick, Hollie Cavanagh, Colton Dixon, Heejun Han, Skylar Laine, Joshua Ledet, Phillip Phillips, Elise Testone and the lone Hispanic singer left in the competition Jessica Sanchez—who had another “defining moment” during this week’s Billy Joel-themed performances—will be required to tackle songs by their own idols.

Sanchez Has a “Defining Moment” on American Idol

Posted on March 22, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

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.”

Sanchez Covers Whitney’s “I Will Always Love You”

Posted on March 7, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

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.

Hispanically Yours

Celebrating the Latino Influence

Tag Archives: Jessica Sanchez