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- Twelve American finalists (six men and six women) compete in a singing contest.
- Qualified dancers from ballroom and ballet to salsa, jive and hip-hop all compete to be named the best.
- In this American version of the hit UK show, Simon Cowell and his fellow judges search for a singer who has the "X factor".
- Her voice has touched hearts around the world. Tonight, CBS presents the Grammy-winning superstar in her first network television special ever.
- Song choices: David Hernandez -- "In the Midnight Hour" Chikezie Eze -- "I Love You More Today Than Yesterday" David Cook -- "Happy Together" Jason Yeager -- "Moon River" Robbie Carrico -- "One" David Archuleta -- "Shop Around" Danny Noriega -- "Jailhouse Rock" Luke Menard -- "Everybody's Talkin'" Colton Berry -- "Suspicious Minds" Garrett Haley -- "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" Jason Castro -- "What a Day For a Daydream" Michael Johns -- "Light My Fire"
- "American Idol" - Top Nine Performance Show - April 6, 2011 Ryan tells us that Gwen Stefani styled the contestants and will.i.am helped coach them. Theme: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame In the audience: Christian Slater; Todd Rundgren Video Package: We get a history on the Hall narrated by Hall of Famer himself Steven Tyler. Contestant: Jacob Lusk Song: "Man in the Mirror," Michael Jackson, which he switched from "Let's Get it On," Marvin Gaye. He claims if he's in the bottom three it won't be because he sang the song badly but because people weren't ready to look in the mirror. Performance: It's gentle and straightforward with a couple of pitchy moments at the beginning. He does a little back and forth with a back-up singer who looks like Siedah Garrett. He takes it a little higher on the chorus but never gets really get crazy on it. Steven: Calls Garrett back out for a curtain call as the co-writer of the song. Says each time he sings he brings another piece of himself to the party and calls it beautiful. Twice. JLo: Says he makes everybody know that if you believe in yourself you can do anything. Calls it perfect on every emotional level. Randy: Loves that he switched songs over his moral convictions and the deeper message of the song and he's also proud that there were "Jacob moments" all over it and calls it hot. Contestant: Haley Reinhart Song: "Piece of My Heart," Janis Joplin. She says the judges have been throwing the name around all season. Will says she sounds like an artist not a singer but he wants her to feel something when she looks in the camera, to look at it as if it were he boyfriend that messed up her head. Performance: She's doing that rough up thing on her voice that sounds like it hurts. It sounds fine but feels affected but she hits a great, gritty last note. JLo: Says they're off to a strong start and she's showing people that she's a contender. Randy: Says what she did was what they wanted not so much Janis specifically but to get bluesy and gritty. Steven: Couldn't find nothing wrong with that. Says Janis gave the voice to rock and roll back in '68 and Haley did it again tonight. Contestant: Casey Abrams Song: "Have You Ever Seen the Rain," Credence Clearwater Revival. He was going to sing "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic" by the Police but Jimmy didn't like it. Performance: He plays his upright bass and does a fun, swinging, laid-back almost tropical version with charm and grit. Randy: Says he made CCR proud and that he's making the upright bass cool and calls it revolutionary. Steven: Thinks he should put some wheels on it and ride it around town. He calls him a true musician and he brings something every time. JLo: Says that's exactly where he belongs and she's paying top dollar to be in the front row. Contestant: Lauren Alaina Song: "(You Make Me Feel Like a) Natural Woman," Aretha Franklin. Jimmy and Will love that she's combining country and soul and tell her to be in the moment. Performance: It's all fine and good if a little stiff until the final third when she lets loose a little. Again she sounds fine but I'm not sure she's really "feeling" what it feels like to be made to feel like a natural woman. Steven: Says he loves her and says she came in a little girl and tonight she became natural woman. JLo: Agrees with the crowd that she's amazing. Randy: Says she picked one of the most difficult songs and he wasn't jumping up and down but she did a good job. Contestant: James Durbin Song:"While My Guitar Gently Weeps," The Beatles. He wants to do something unexpected and slow it down. Will respects the danger of it but says he has to make sure his energy is high as the other people who are doing rock songs. Performance: Seated with slanted mood lighting over his face he takes it slow and easy, hitting a few rough pitch patches. It's very Lambert-lite. He throws a big scream on the end that doesn't fit the song at all. He didn't butcher it but it was kind of boring. JLo: She liked to see that other side that makes the rock and roll thing work, she likes that he's vulnerable to share with them. Randy: Really loved seeing the real true emotional side of him, he liked that he wanted to take a chance. Steven: Loved that he gently wept as well and called it a proud moment for him as well. (He notes, oddly, "Not only did the Beatles write great songs but George Harrison did as well." Um, yeah, George Harrison was a Beatle.) Contestant: Scotty McCreery Song: "That's Alright Mama," Elvis Presley. Will tells him to combine country and rock as if this is some kind of news when an Elvis song. Scotty says he's going to switch it up this week. Performance: Ack, that weird microphone to the right thing is back. He sounds great, walks around a bit, scats, and gets a bit gritty. He's having fun which is nice to see. They then let a bunch of girls run onstage and hug him, screaming. Randy: Says Scotty is in it to win it. Says anybody who thinks he's a one-trick pony is wrong, liked that he was having fun. Steven: He thought he was all hat and no cattle but Scotty made it cool and he hopes Scotty brings that kind of music back into vogue. JLo: Also loves that he was having fun, being funny, and bringing a little flavor to it. Contestant: Pia Toscano Song: "River Deep, Mountain High," Tina Turner. Will and Jimmy worry about Pia being compared to Tina and want her to turn on her personality and wow people. She says she can't wait to show that other side of her. Performance: She sounds great, is rocking a cute ponytail, a bizarre polka dot jumper. Honestly, it feels like a ballad peformance in an uptempo wrapper since she's not really moving too much. (That could be the shoes). But she sounds terrific and the song has momentum of its own. Steven: Calls her a murderer because she killed it. Says there's a million guys in a million bars having a million drinks over her. JLo: Calls it amazing and calls her special, and wants her now to study great performances so she can become more amazing as a performer. Randy: Says she showed that she could definitely do the uptempo thing and now she does need to work on the performance. Contestant: Stefano Langone Song:"When a Man Loves a Woman," Percy Sledge. Will gives him some tips on performance and building anticipation. Ryan Tedder tells he can own the song or be owned by it. Stefano thinks it's going to be a big week for him. Performance: He starts seated and a feathery falsetto. For the first time he seems more connected to the words as opposed to just the notes. He has a couple of nice quick runs and has a decent sense of dynamics. This may be his best performance. JLo: She says she knew he had it in him and calls it beautiful and that she loved it and says she felt it had another layer of emotion. Randy: Wasn't jumping up and down because the start was a little jerky. Steven: Like the old-timey part in the beginning and liked that he played with it, liked the passion and thought he nailed it. Contestant:Paul McDonald Song:"Folsom Prison Blues," Johnny Cash. Jimmy tells him to sing it like he's out of his mind. He vows to sing it like he's crazy. Performance: He seems less crazy but just really really cheerful even when he's talking about wanting to stay in prison. It's a good, strong vocal though and he's very engaged and energetic yelling at the crowd to make some noise. Randy: Has three words: "I loved it." Steven: Also loved it. JLo: Thought it was a perfect way to end the show. Right in his lane. Bottom Three Prediction: Haley, Jacob, Stefano
- 'American Idol" - Semifinalist Girls Perform- Feb. 29, 2012 Contestant: Chelsea Sorrell She's from a two-stoplight town in North Carolina.. She fishes and hunts. We meet her mama. Song:"Cowboy Casanova," Carrie Underwood Performance: She's cute and sparkly and pretty polished.Not specutacular but well done. Randy: Welcomes her and says she can definitely sing but wasn't sure it was the best song choice in order to separate herself out. JLo: Is a huge fan from the beginning and she felt the song made her sound nasally which wasn't something she'd heard before. She wants her to loosen up. Steven: Tells her to watch her phrasing and timing but that she sang good. Contestant:Erika Van Pelt She takes us home to Rhode Island and meet her mom and her sister. Song: "What About Love," Heart Performance: She's straightened her hair and it looks great. Great song choice and she sounds good, not showing off a ton of range but good power and presence. Steven: Thinks it was beautiful and magical and thinks her confidence breathes wings into the song. JLo: Likes watching her be comfortable and thinks she can let loose even more. Randy: Also loved her confidence and called it an Adele vibe. Contestant: Jen Hirsh We go with her to her apartment in Agoura Hills, CA and meet her dog Sadie and her boyfriend Jason and see her family's vineyard. Song: "One and Only," Adele Performance: It's a piano ballad and she builds in confidence and strength. She's got great control of her notes as well. The song is kind of limp but she hits some big notes well near the end. Jlo: Liked that she let loose and the feeling of the song. Steven: Also likes her confidence and thinks she has what it takes. Randy: Has loved her since day one and her runs and she's one of greatest singers in the competition this year. Randy admits that they were a little lenient on the guys last night after watching the show back. Contestant: Brielle Von Hugel She says she's a typical teen from Staten Island. We see her school and her cheer squad. Song: "Dock of the Bay," Otis Redding Performance: She starts out sitting on the edge of the stage serenading the boys. It seems pitched a little low for her throughout the first verse. She takes it up on the second and it's a bit jarring and shrill. She can obviously sing there's just something odd about the performance. It's a weird song choice too. Steven: Loved it and thinks she has a great sense of the blues. JLo: Loves she's a true performer and eats up the stage. Randy: He thought it was too low in the beginning but liked when she hit the sweet spot in the middle. He was surprised by her swagger. Contestant: Hallie Day We go with Hallie to Baltimore and her waitressing job and meet her husband and his family in New Hampshire. Song: "Feelin' Good," (many people, notably) Nina Simone Performance: She looks lovely and starts off slow and jazzy and sultry. She gets into it as the tempo picks up and hits a confident last note. JLo: Thougt it had some beautiful moments and thought she looked like a star. Steven: Thinks she's beautiful and loves her old-timey voice...like Adele. Randy: Asks what she wants to do? She says she wants to sing soul music. He brings up Lana Del Ray and Adele and wonders where she fits with her big amazing voice. Contestant:Skylar Lane We got mudding with her in Mississippi and meet her BFF and she loves living in a small town. We revisit her struggling family store. Song: "Stay With Me," The Faces Performance: She brings the twang. She's wearing a cute sparkly dress and seems confident but she's pushing too hard on that growly voice thing for my taste. She really gets into it in an authentic way though which is refreshing. The last big note is a little rough but she commits Randy: Loves that she's a rocking performing country girl. Like Reba mixed with Kelly Clarkson and Tina Turner adds JLo. JLo: She loves her energy and twang and that it was all brand new. Steven: Says she was on fire and a pistol and made Galveston proud. Contestant:Baylie Brown We visit the horse in her barn and see the high school where she was a cheerleader. We meet her grandpa who wants to fatten her up. Song: "Amazed," Lonestar Performance: She starts off very wobbly pitch-wise. It doesn't improve a whole lot until she gets to belting part of the chorus and even then it's not, um, amazing. This is her worst performance by far. She's smiling through it but she seems like she knows she's struggling. It sounds like her nerves may be pinching her voice. Steven: Doesn't like the song choice and didn't think it was her best performance but he thinks she's pretty. JLo: Agrees that it could've been better and she didn't have control but she's beautiful. Randy: Thought it was good but not great, kind of shaky and never in control. Contestant:Hollie Cavanagh She takes us to her home in Texas and meet her supportive family and cute dog. Song: "Reflection," Christina Aguilera Performance: It starts off oddly, maybe pitched a little too low and Hollie swallowing the ends of her phrases and seeming very serious for such a young girl. As usual, the belting chorus sounds stronger and gets better as she goes along and her face is very expressive.She's got a great, big voice. Steven: Thought she was perfect and beautiful and hits the notes just right. JLo: Thinks she can win it. Agrees with Steven that she should let her hair down. Randy: Says she's one of their favorites and agrees she could've let go more. He says it wasn't all perfect but the parts that were genius were brilliant. Contestant:Haley Johnson She's from Oregon. We meet her cat. We see the rain in Oregon and the coffee shop she used to work at as a barista. We see her doing crazy gymnastic flips. Song: 'Sweet Dreams," Eurythmics Performance: She has a pretty alto at the beginning and then slides up to higher notes. She seems to be going for an unbridled a Florence + the Machine vibe but it's a little shouty and there are several big pitch problems.It's vocaly flailing but she's definitely committed and has good stage presence. JLo: Hopes America could hear all the special things she could do with her voice but she didn't love the song choice. Steven: Says it wasn't perfect and she pulled it through and the money shots were spot on. Randy: Says it was a bit of a nightmare instead of a dream. (Yay, a real criticism.) He says she wasn't spot on and he was a little dizzy. Contestant: Shannon Magrane Ryan tries to bait Shannon's dad into fighting Steven over his audition comment. Then we go home with Shannon to her home in Tampa and check her out playing volleyball and doing homework. Song: "Go Light Your World," Kathy Troccoli Performance: She's wearing a beautiful white gown but has a kind of beauty pageant about her. The song starts slow, low, and shaky. There are both good and shaky parts, the song-- a big generic contemporary Christian anthem-- is pretty terrible. She's adorable and impassioned though. Randy: Says she came out swinging and thinks she's got a lot of promise. He's a fan. JLo: Can't believe how much passion she sings with at 16. She got goosies. Steven: He says his reality check bounced and she took it to another leve. Contestant:Jessica Sanchez She sits with Ryan and talks about how her vocal cords were inflamed and that she's nervous. Then we see her video trip home to San Diego. She goes to the mall. (She's 16). Song: "Love You I Do," Jennifer Hudson (from "Dreamgirls") Performance:Again it starts out low and a little shaky but gets better as the notes ascend and get more powerful. For someone worried about her vocal cords she seems very confident and does a lot of what is probably ill-advised growling. She ends on a big, strong money note and earns a standing O from the judges. Randy: He believes she can really sing, regardless of whatever's going on with her doctor. JLo: Loves her swag, attitude, and moves and the punctuation of her body on the ends of her phrases. Steven: Says she has exceptional timing and her pitch is perfect. Contestant:Elise Testone We go home with her to Charleston, SC.She loves it. We also see her visit her parents in New Jersey. Song: "One and Only," Adele Performance: Yes, this is the song Jen Hirsh sang. Elise sings it at the piano and is immediately much stronger and brings a lot more soul and heft to the song. Jen was good. Elise was great. Steven: Says she blew out of the water. JLo: Was impressed by her unique tone and thinks she may be the best singer on the show. Randy: He hopes America gets her and she's a force to be reckoned with. My guess for who's getting the boot: Shannon, Baylie, Haley, Chelsea, Brielle, and Jen, and that Jen will be brought back as a wild card.