by Gabrielle Abrams

 

Tonight on American Idol, the contestants sang music both from now and the 1960s and Sheryl Crow was brought on to mentor them.

 

James Durbin - "Closer to the Edge"

It could be because of the television recording, and I believe that it actually could have been, but the song sounded a little off. But the judges loved it. James hits the high notes so well and this song was great for him. Randy said that James is showing where he wants to go with his music. And I like the direction he is heading.

 

Jacob Lusk - "No Air"

This was a good song for Jacob to sing because it showed a little different side of him. He was busting out some questionable moves. Jennifer said he needs to pick more songs in the direction he wants to go. Randy differed, saying that the song was a little corny. He called him the "Church Kid."

 

Lauren Alaina - "Flat on the Floor"

She remains a strong singer and gets better each week. She stuck true to her interest, the country song aspect, which she is quite strong in. She knows how to work the crowd and certainly brought it tonight. It was fun and energetic and great to watch! Randy agrees that this is the right direction for her.

 

Scotty McCreery - "Gone"

He began by walking through the audience and started crooning right away. He is definitely using the stage a lot more now and moves a lot. He owns the stage and has certainly become a true performer as this show goes on. He was intense and entertaining. The judges loved and praised him, pointing out the new things he did and the fact that it was like a concert.

 

Haley Reinhart - "You and I"

This song is an unreleased Lady Gaga song so I have nothing to really compare the way she performs it. It wasn't the best performance of the night, since everyone did a song that people know. This wasn't the strongest song Haley could have done at this point in the competition. She should have picked a song that was popular and one that showed off her voice better.

 

James Durbin - "Without You"

This song was very emotional for James. It really touched him and you could see that throughout the performance though he kept his composure until the end. He put himself in the song and was really able to connect with it. Jennifer said he was amazing.

 

Jacob Lusk - "Love Hurts"

He started off in the falso, then dropping lower. This is the song that we all love Jacob for. He was eccentric and involved and made the song gorgeous. This is the Jacob we like and like to hear sing. This made up for his first song of the night.

 

Lauren Alaina - "Unchained Melody"

It was really great to hear Lauren sing a slow song that really focused on her range. She really showed what she can do with her voice and the variety of ways she can make her voice go. It was beyond her years and really showed us what she can do.

 

Scotty McCreery - "Always On My Mind"

He took it a lot slower and made a nice smooth song. This really showed the well roundedness of Scotty between this song and the last. He had a beautiful performance this time round and showed what a steady performer he is.

 

Haley Reinhart - "The House of the Rising Sun"

She picked a better known song for her second performance. She brings out the usual growl to the song in her own way. She definitely put her own spin on the song and made it her own. The judges gave her a standing ovation. Randy said she slayed it and it was the best performance.

 

 

Tune in tomorrow, Thursday, to American Idol at 8/7c on FOX to see which contestants make it to the Top 4.

 

(Image courtesy of FOX)