After serenading the audience with her beautiful and eerie rendition of Beyonce's "Sweet Dreams" last week, half-Mexican and half-Filipino "American Idol" contestant Jessica Sanchez came back just as strong last night with a soulful and upbeat performance of Whitney Houston's 1985 song "How Will I Know."
In one of her more up-tempo performances, the 16-year-old California-native looked confident and self-assured on stage, and showed more personality than ever before. While she usually just stands in place and showcases her amazing vocals, last night Jessica really worked the stage and seemed to genuinely be enjoying herself. But what really sold Jessica's performance were the runs in her voice which recalled the late great Whitney Houston.
"You're such a little girl, but there's a woman up there at the same time," judge Jennifer Lopez said of Jessica's performance. "Your vocals just make everything go away for me. I listen to you and I can't believe those vocals are coming out of that little body." Randy Jackson agreed with Lopez: "You did an amazing job ... I can't believe the maturity in you."
This isn't the first time the San Diego high school student has taken on a Whitney song. In early March, Jessica tackled Whitney's biggest hit, "I Will Always Love You" and earned rave reviews from the judges. "Jessica, you may be the one. You just made 40 million people cry," judge Steven Tyler said at the time.
What did you think of Jessica's performance? Did she nail Whitney's "How Will I Know?" Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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