IDOL WATCH: Top 12 Perform Songs from Birth Years!

In tonight's episode of American Idol, the top 12 got to take a stab at one of the most popular themes in the history of the show- song's from the year they were born. And this episode marked the very first live performance episode (no fake outs this time)!

Ashton Jones, was the first to leave the Idol mansion last week, and the remaining contestants brought their best tonight in the hopes of avoiding the same fate. Randy recently commented: "You want them to be good every time but you know the reality is that every week somebody's got to go now, we're looking for that number 1, we're trying to find the grand dada, the ultimate, the ultimate. We're looking for that."

The show opened with an ‘Idol Gives Back'-ish message from the judges, in which they announced that proceeds from the sales of tonight's singles will benefit earthquake relief in Japan. Tomorrow night viewers will be able to donate via text message during the results show. Gotta love that.

Naima Adedapo (1984) kicked of the performances of the evening with Tina Turner's "What's Love Got to Do with It." She brought her usual spunky flare to the song, incorporating a more modern sounding rhythm. Vocally, it was all over the place. Her outfit- also all over the place. JLO called her out for being consistently pitchy, and Randy agreed.

Next up was Paul McDonald (1984), who busted out "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" by Elton John. Though he had some trouble hitting the high notes because of a cold, he gallivanted around the stage is his typical awkward but lovable way, keeping me interested in his performance. Randy appreciated that he made it his own, and Steven said he defined ‘a cool dude in a loose mood.'

Thia Megia (1995), born more than a decade later, chose "Colors of the Wind" from Disney's Pocahontas (originally sung by Broadway's Judy Kuhn). Being a child of 90's and thus a connoisseur of Disney movies, I was quick to pick up on an early slip up on the lyrics. I wanted to love it, but couldn't help feeling bored. Randy told her that she needs to switch it up next week and stay away from ballads. JLo was confused by the ‘nervous' quality to her vibrato.

Delivering a powerful version of Bon Jovi's "I'll Be There for You" was powerhouse James Durbin (1989). I'll admit that I've been rather skeptical of his talent in the past, but these past two weeks I've been thoroughly impressed by his performances. Steven asked him to watch out for sounding too ‘poppy,' and commented that he had ‘a rich vein of inner crazy' after James implied that he wanted to sing Aerosmith with him at the finale. Randy gave him props for making the song his own, and in a tasteful way.

Haley Reinhart (1990) sang "I'm Your Baby Tonight" by Whitney Houston. Though she picked up momentum by the song's chorus, the beginning was a vocal train-wreck, and her ending was equally horrifying as she managed to smear her vibrant, red lipstick all over her face. JLo asked her to be more natural on the stage, and Randy told her to figure out who she is as an artist.

Stefano Langone (1989) chose Simply Red's "If You Don't Know Me By Now," and belted out the emotional ballad with ease. Steven was wowed by his phrasing, JLo thought that he could win the competition with that song, and Randy proclaimed it the best performance of the night.

Upholding her perfect reputation was Pia Toscano (1988) who sang Whitney Houston's "Where Do Broken Hearts Go." Rocking a crushed satin, white jumpsuit, it was great to hear her sing something upbeat. Belting G's like they were nothing, this girl is consistently incredible. The judges unanimously praised her vocal abilities.

Scotty McCreery (1993) chose to sing Travis Tritt's "Can I Trust You with My Heart." Including his signature gorgeous low notes, he even threw in some high ones this time, making this maybe his best performance yet. JLo loved that he took chances and pulled out all the stops. Randy and Steven echoed her thoughts.

Karen Rodriguez (1989) sang Taylor Dayne's "Love Will Lead You Back." Though she was certainly better than last week, I'm still not on board. JLo praised her for attacking the song, and told her to avoid exposing her weaknesses. Steven told her that he likes when she gets all ‘ethnic-y.'

My mind was blown when I learned that Casey Abrams (1991) was as young as he is. Singing the first Nirvana song of Idol history, he chose to take risk with "Smells Like Teen Spirit," and it was well worth it. While I was terrified of his eerie version of the song, the judges ate it up. Randy appreciated his fearlessness, and Steven liked that he took such a big risk.

Lauren Alaina (1994), sang Melissa Etheridge's "I'm the Only One" and quickly recovered from last week's slump. Though she sang a few messy riffs, her performance was otherwise spot on. JLo applauded her for making it her own, and Randy and Steven told her that she sang better than ever despite having the flu.

Closing the night was Jacob Lusk (1987) with one of my personal favorites "Alone" by Heart. Stepping a little bit out of his comfort zone, he brought crazy intensity and some fierce movements to the song. Randy thought his performance was genius, and JLo commended him for putting everything he had into his performance.

Don't forget to check in with BroadwayWorld's IDOL WATCH tomorrow night to find out who's song failed to impress voters! American Idol airs Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8pm on Fox. Vote for your favorite contestants at Americanidol.com!

Miss the Top 13 sing last week? Click here for a full recap!

Emmy Award-winning AMERICAN IDOL is created and executive produced by Simon Fuller, Founder, 19 Entertainment, a division of CKX, Inc.; and executive-produced by Cecile Frot-Coutaz, CEO, FremantleMedia North America, Inc.; Ken Warwick, Executive Producer, FremantleMedia North America, Inc.; and Nigel Lythgoe, President, Big Red 2 Entertainment.

Among the many American Idol finalists and winners to appear on the Broadway stage are Fantasia, Justin Guarini ,Jordin Sparks,Diana DeGarmo, Ace Young, Tamyra Gray, Constantine Maroulis, Frenchie Davis, Clay Aiken and Taylor Hicks.

Visit americanidol.com for exclusive videos, interviews and photos, as well as special behind-the-scenes information and all of your AMERICAN IDOL news.

Photo CRedit: Michael Becker