by Gabrielle Abrams

 

This week, American Idol brings back their very common theme of Motown. The idols all have to sing a Motown song of their choice tonight and bring down the house with it. The competition is only getting hotter and more difficult each week. Tonight's audience was full of celebrities from Gordon Ramsey to Otis Williams and also included Steven Tyler's own daughter Liv Tyler.

 

Casey Abrams - "I Heard it Through the Grapevine"

Casey was definitely working the audience tonight as he was walking around singing to everyone. He managed to contain his growl that he so commonly portrays and made it more into a note that he could sing. This was a great sign because it shows that he is listening to what the judges tell him. He is always fun to watch. Steven Tyler told him that he was a "perfect entertainer." He is a "specific type" that the judges and audience just love.

 

Thia Megia - "Heatwave"

She looked adorable tonight in a pink and black dress that was perfect for her age. She showed us a different side of her with an upbeat song. This was a big chance that she took, since she seems to feel safe with ballads, but she did it just fine. It looked like she was having a lot of fun up there on the stage and the audience should have been having just as much fun.

 

Jacob Lusk - "You're All I Need to Get By"

It's always exciting to see Jacob get up on that stage because you know that it will be an amazing performance and tonight was no let down. He stayed in his lower range tonight but jumped up to his high notes here and there. He ended on an amazing note. Steven Tyler even got up and hugged him after his performance along with many audience members that Ryan invited onstage.

 

Lauren Alaina - "You Keep Me Hanging On"

The zebra stripped dress was a bit distracting throughout the performance. The song was fun and upbeat. She threw a little speaking part in the middle that seemed a bit forced and unnatural. She did have the attitude perfect while singing the song!

 

Stefano Langone - "Hello"

He sang the whole song beautifully and hit most of the notes right on, but there was something missing from the performance. He doesn't seem to connect to the song or the audience and that might be the missing factor. In the video before the performance he was told to keep his eyes open to make more of a connection, but it made it very obvious that he didn't listen to that note. He is a fantastic singer, but as the judges said, just needs to get connected to what he is singing.

Haley Reinhart - "You Got a Hold On Me"

She didn't seem to have a good hold on the song at the beginning. The backup singers were overpowering her. But she did manage to pick it up towards the middle. She can do some remarkable things with her voice that makes her stand out in the competition a bit. She hit the last note just right which is a great thing to do in the competition, got to end on a good note. Jennifer said she had the most soul on the girls side.

 

Scotty McCreery - "For Once in my Life"

Scotty still surprises me when he sings, that deep beautiful voice still catches me off guard. Tonight he made the song his and created a great version for the night. He is great to watch onscreen because Scotty knows how to work the camera and audience. He has that grin that will warm anyone's heart and those blue eyes are beautiful to look at. Randy told him that his deep notes are "young lady killer notes."

 

Pia Toscano - "All in Love is Fair"

She was a bit shaky at the beginning but soared at the end. The song was beautiful and Pia always has such a beautiful voice. She hits those high notes flawlessly and without hesitation. But she does the same thing every week. Each week she stands in place and sings a beautiful ballad. Randy wants her to do an upbeat tempo next week and Jennifer wants her to move around more.

 

Paul McDonald - "The Tracks of my Tears"

Paul tends to contain his quirky dancing when he is playing his guitar on stage. But he does know how to play well. It is really hard not to smile while watching him, there is just something about him that puts anyone in a good mood. He was chill and relaxed throughout his song and sang in his husky unique voice.

 

Naimi Adedapo - "Dancing in the Streets"

It is always fun waiting for her to come onstage just to see what outfit she is wearing this night. It is always something unique and new. She used her strong deep voice tonight to rock out to a popular Motown song. She took a dance break in the middle and had a unique dance to drum beats. Her last note wasn't as strong as it could have been, though the dance definitely made her stand out.

 

James Durbin - "Living for the City"

He kept to his rock roots which really suits him well. This was certainly an exciting performance and a great one to end the night with. James can hit those high notes so perfectly and he went for it tonight. He is great to watch because he uses the whole stage, throws in some dance moves and goes all out. He left Jennifer speechless, which she said is hard to do.

 

 

Tune in tonight at 8/7c to American Idol on FOX to see which contestants make it to the Top 10. 

 

(Image courtesy of FOX)