When 'Idol' gets down to the top six, each week is a shocker. With so few contestants left, it is nearly impossible to predict who will head home each week and, at this point in the competition, it really feels as though it's anyone's game. Tonight featured a slew of performances and was the first real reminder of how close we are to finding a winner of 'American Idol' season nine.
Tonight, 'Idol' saw the return of Shania Twain, who joined the audition process in Chicago, as the contestants sang from her vast catalog of songs. Twain is primarily a country artist, which resulted in a marked change for some of the contestants. The majority of the themes thus far have fit nicely into the pop genre and, while Twain's songs are definitely pop, the country influence allowed us to see the versatility of the performers as they tackled a new challenge.
The Top 10 American Idol finalists - Aaron Kelly, Andrew Garcia, Casey James, Crystal Bowersox, Didi Benami, Katie Stevens, Lee DeWyze, Michael Lynche, Siobhan Magnus, and Tim Urban - will hit the road this summer on the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2010.
Tonight, 'American Idol' presented a special episode, benefitting 'Idol Gives Back,' the historic Emmy Award-winning television event and music celebration, that has raised more than $140 million to benefit charities around the world and across the United States. Tonight, 'Idol' saluted a number of charities, including Feeding America, Save the Children, the United Nations Foundation, the Elton John Aids Foundation, and Idol Aid.
The top seven contestants of 'American Idol' kicked off the week with a set of inspirational songs led by the incomparable Alicia Keys. Keys was brought in due to her talent as well as her charity involvement, specifically working with families suffering from HIV and AIDS, as the show celebrates 'Idol Gives Back' this week. Some of the performances were perfect for the theme, while other lacked inspiration and felt as though they could have been performed any other week. As the competition heats up, the contestants will have to give standout performances weekly, and some of them failed to grow this week, while others had fantastic showings.
Music superstar Alicia Keys mentors the top 7 on AMERICAN IDOL Tuesday, April 20 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.
Tonight, 'Idol' saluted one of the greatest performers of all time, Elvis Presley. Tonight separated out the true performers, as Elvis is the epitome of stage presence. Thankfully, many of the performers were able to live up to his legacy and give great performances. Last season's runner up, Adam Lambert, was aptly chosen to coach this week and, out of all the coaches so far, seemed to have the most constructive criticisms for the contestants. He was almost always spot on with his suggestions and really helped up the ante for tonight's performances.
Tonight, the 'Idol' contestants were given the task of taking on the rather extensive Lennon/McCartney songbook. Given the sheer number of tunes to select from and the vast differences in types of songs, it would seem each contestant should have been able to find a song that would suit both their voice and personality. Many of the contestants, thankfully, did so, giving one of the best shows so far this year. As the competition heats up, it's interesting to see the bar set to a new level each week , although, each week it also becomes all the more clear who doesn't belong.
Finalist Didi Benami was eliminated tonight on AMERICAN IDOL after she received the fewest of America's votes. On Tuesday's performance show, the Top 10 performed R&B/Soul songs, and Benami, 23, from Knoxville, TN, sang 'What Becomes of the Broken Hearted.' In addition, this week's mentor, Usher, performed 'OMG' with Will.i.am, Diddy and Dirty Money had the audience on its feet with 'Hello, Good Morning' and Ruben Studdard sang his latest hit, 'Don't Make ‘Em Like U No More.' On Tuesday, April 6 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed), the Top 9 finalists -Crystal Bowersox, Lee DeWyze, Andrew Garcia, Casey James, Aaron Kelly, Michael Lynche, Siobhan Magnus, Katie Stevens and Tim Urban - will perform selections from the legendary songbook of John Lennon and Paul McCartney.
On Wednesday, March 31, AMERICAN IDOL welcomed guest appearances by superstars Usher, Diddy, wil.i.am, and IDOL seaseon 2 winner Reuben Studdard. Check out the pictures below - including photos from Tuesday's performance show.
It was R&B night tonight on "Idol," a theme that benefited some singers over others, but it was actually a night of overall solid performances from the contestants. It is the first week where there hasn't really been a shockingly bad performance by any of the contestants and it featured a number of really excellent showings, including several comeback performances by performers who had a tough time in recent weeks. R&B/pop superstar Usher coached the contestants, giving spot on criticism to the group. It was clear Usher knew what he was talking about and he was the perfect choice to mentor this week.
'American Idol' featured the teen sensation Miley Cryus as the contestant's coach on their songs for this week. Cyrus was surprisingly helpful in her comments to the top 11 and it was clear she had done her homework, knowing each person's strengths and weaknesses. Several singers gave strong performances this week, while the weaker contestants missed the mark again. The theme was back to number one Billboard hits and, even though it seems like it should be easy to make a good song choice out of the thousands of possibilities, it was still a struggle for many of the singers.
Miley Cyrus will appear as a guest mentor on AMERICAN IDOL and help the Top 11 finalists - Didi Benami, Crystal Bowersox, Lee Dewyze, Andrew Garcia, Casey James, Aaron Kelly, Michael Lynche, Siobhan Magnus, Paige Miles, Katie Stevens and Tim Urban - prepare for their performances on a Billboard No.1 Hits-themed show airing Tuesday, March 23 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX.
It is now down to 11 'American Idol' hopefuls as another contestant, Lacey Brown, was eliminated during the results show that aired last night, Wednesday, March 17th. American Idol season 7 winner David Cook made an appearance and sang the Rolling Stones hit 'Jumpin' Jack Flash' and guest performer Ke$sha took to the stage to sing her hit 'Blah Blah Blah'.
'Idol' has finally reached the top 12 contestants of season nine, where they make the jump from a small, intimate stage to the full audience at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles. This is where the eventual 'Idol' winner will be crowned and it presents a new set of challenges to the singers, who now have a fill a much larger space with their talent. Luckily, many of the contestants were able to step up immediately, as the performances tonight were, in general, very strong. It was an excellent showing and proved why each of the contestants has earned their way into the top 12.
Pop sensations Ke$ha and Orianthi will take the stage on this week's live AMERICAN IDOL results show Wednesday, March 17 (9:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX.
Pop sensations Ke$ha and Orianthi will take the stage on this week's live AMERICAN IDOL results show Wednesday, March 17 (9:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX.
A night with a number of surprises rounded out the final separation of the guys and girls, as America found out the twelve contestants that will make up the finals of "American Idol." Each of the contestants sent home this evening had standout performance within the past three weeks and many contestants who did make it through were shocked at their fate.
"Idol" tonight saw the last separation between the men and women, with the top eight gentlemen performing before learning to the top twelve. The guys gave a solid show, showing versatility and an ability to adapt songs to their personal styles. It seems that, tonight, the guys as a group gave an overall better performance than the women did last night, in a surprisingly strong showing.
The top 16 contestants of FOX's 'American Idol' pose for the camera as they get ready to move ahead to next week's showdown.
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