American Idol Top 5 Performance Recap: Let The Viewers Take Control
American Idol XIII Top 5 performance recap for April 30, 2014: The viewers pick songs for the Idols to sing.
Jason Mraz is this week's mentor.
Jena Irene, Alex Preston, Jessica Meuse, Caleb Johnson and Sam Woolf will sing two songs tonight with one studio recording on iTunes. Remember, you can vote as soon as the the show starts.
In the beginning of April, Ryan Seacrest asked the viewers to tweet song suggestions for the Idols and tonight is the culmination of that. What songs do the fans want to hear? The result is interesting!
(I will be multi-tasking so please be patient as I fill up the recap and live blog. Please discuss the show in the comments below just like old times and interact with our BuzzDial!)
The Recap:
Performance Show Notes
Zooey Deschanel opens the show with "This Is American Idol!"
Austin Mahone is also in the audience tonight.
https://twitter.com/AustinMahone/status/461652184967311360
https://twitter.com/AmericanIdol/status/461657743296712704
https://twitter.com/RyanSeacrest/status/461661662177554433
Group Performance:
Jena, Alex and Sam sing "Best Day of My Life" - Could this be the final three? This is a good song for the summer tour!
There is a surprise from Ariana Grande.
https://twitter.com/ArianaGrande/status/461668826925383681
Ariana Grande delivers Sam Woolf's mic! YES! I LOVE IT!
Group Performance:
Jessica and Caleb sing "Beast of Burden" by the Rolling Stones. This was so good!
Performances
| Contestant | Voting Number |
|---|---|
| Jena Irene | 1-855-4-IDOL-08 |
| #5 - "My Body" by Young the Giant. Download MP3. Watch Video.
Jena wore a Waldo outfit. She was thinking of singing this song even if before it was America's choice for her. Keith Urban: You are a lean in performer. Jennifer Lopez: Believe it or not those little things that are just your own are what's going to define you as an artist. Harry Connick Jr: I like watching you have fun. #7 - "Valerie" by Amy Winehouse. Watch Video. This was interesting. So nice to see American Idol superstar Allison Iraheta doing backup! Keith Urban: Your vocals are killer. Jennifer Lopez: That wasn't your best one. Harry Connick Jr: He asked what Jena wants to be known as and she said: "Jena" |
|
| Alex Preston | 1-855-4-IDOL-09 |
| #1 - "Sweater Weather" by The Neighborhood. Watch Video.
Jason Mraz says Alex is indeed The Troubadour. He and Randy Jackson gave him notes about his feet -- and it worked. Keith Urban: It was cool to see you and Jason together. You have a strong stylistic thing. Jennifer Lopez: Your face is like ... beaming and so excited to be there. Harry Connick Jr: You are one of the big boys too. A+ for remembering all the words. #6 - "Say Something" by A Great Big World. Download MP3. Watch Video. This was very good. I hope it becomes a hit on iTunes. Harry Connick Jr: You were struggling with the emotion and not give into it. |
|
| Caleb Johnson | 1-855-4-IDOL-13 |
| #2 - "I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing" by Aerosmith. Download MP3. Watch Video.
Jason calls Caleb the "underdog" rocker. "He has an iconic sound that all his own." OMG, this started out so rough! How disappointing. Keith Urban: That was a great song for you. Jennifer Lopez: That was a challenging song for you. You took it more to a ballad. Harry Connick Jr: Every week you show as that you have this powerful voice. You really need to preach to the people in this room. #10 - "Still of the Night" by Whitesnake. Watch Video. This was a better song choice than the Aerosmith one. Caleb closes out the show in style. JLo and Keith were rocking out like it was a rock concert. (Harry couldn't care less, LOL) Keith Urban: That was killer. Jennifer Lopez: That's what we call bringing down the house. Harry Connick Jr: You can't sing that song any better than that. |
|
| Jessica Meuse | 1-855-4-IDOL-10 |
| #3 - "Human" by Christina Perri. Watch Video.
Jason says that Jessica is just country cool. Jason toured with Christina. He gave Jessica guitar tips. She tried, but I still did not feel any emotion from her. Great vocals though. Keith Urban: That's a really good song for you. Jennifer Lopez: When you tap into the emotion of the song, something happens. Harry Connick Jr: A lot goes into it (performing). It's obvious that you really listen. I'm really proud of you. #9 - "Summertime Sadness" by Lana Del Rey. Download MP3. Watch Video. I love this song so much! Risky song choice by Jessica. Jessica showing us her leg tattoo! Keith Urban: I love that song. Jennifer Lopez: It felt like it was going to go somewhere. It left me a tiny bit cold performance wise. Harry Connick Jr: That's a perfect song for you. |
|
| Sam Woolf | 1-855-4-IDOL-12 |
| #4 - "Sing" by Ed Sheeran. Watch Video. Great song choice from Sam!
Ariana Grande delivered Sam's mic before his performance! Yes! Sam and Ariana forever! Jason says that Sam should just let go. "Get funky for America," says Sam. Keith Urban: That's a tough song. Jennifer Lopez: I like seeing you relaxed. Harry Connick Jr: You did something that was totally different. #8 - "How to Save a Life" by The Fray. Download MP3. Watch Video. I love this performance! Go Sam! Vote! Vote! Vote! Keith Urban: As the song opened up, you started to own the song. Jennifer Lopez: It was shaky in the beginning. When you hit the sweet spot something magical happens. Harry Connick Jr: A perfect song choice for you. There still a dynamic issue. | |
Score Card
So who's going home on Thursday? Who's your favorite? Take the poll!
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