Once more performing in the Cirque du Soleil Love Theater at the Mirage in Las Vegas, “American Idol’s” Season 12 Top 20 were competing for viewer votes for the first time this season, starting with the girls.
- Zoanette Johnson, just as she’d worn a very tribal look for her performance of a “Lion King” song, went for an updated ’80s look for her version of the Tina Turner tune, “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” wearing a silk button-down shirt, buttoned all the way up, with a chunky black choker necklace, a bolero jacket with a carnival-style red and burgundy stripe, black short shorts over black tights, and a long, reddish ringlet wig. She bounced around the stage just like the song’s original singer, but she had a number of pitchy moments. Keith Urban told her, “If we were giving an award for the most free-spirited girl, you would be it, hands down. Nicki Minaj told her that she loves her and that she always tells her the truth, but “that wasn’t it.” Randy Jackson noted the pitch problems and told her, “It was definitely not your best.” Mariah Carey called her “a special person” and said she was touched by her story of struggle (coming from Liberia as a child). She acknowledged the performance wasn’t her best but told Zoanette, “Be wild, be free.”
- Breanna Steer looked very current in a chocolate, rust and cream distressed animal-print mini-dress with three-quarter sleeves and a wide orange waist band, paired with heels. Her long, dark blonde hair had some additional highlights and was styled straight. Her performance of Beyonce’s “Flaws and All” was equally contemporary and sounded fresh, as if it could be on the radio today. It was both controlled and soaring, which was a nice trick! But it probably wasn’t the most memorable performance of the night, since it was subdued. Keith liked the performance but cautioned her not to be Beyonce but to “be Breanna.” Nicki disagreed and said, “This was the absolute wrong song for you.” She felt that Breanna felt like she was straining. She warned her not to get comfortable, that based just on that performance, she might not go through. Randy thought the song choice was “cool” but also safe and that there weren’t enough moments in it. Still, he liked the tenderness. Mariah liked the song because, lyrically, it was very real. She said that such a low-key song might be good for a concert but might not work when compared to a lot of other great singers.
- Aubrey Cleland got a sit-down with Ryan before performing. She said that she felt she needed to show her personality and her love for what she’s doing. She wore a simple outfit of a sequined miniskirt paired with a sleeveless matching white top with a peplum, a very contemporary, fashion-forward look that complimented her cafe-au-lait complexion and her dark, straight hair, which she wore swept over her right shoulder. Her performance of “Big Girls Don’t Cry” by Fergie started weaker, with her seemingly having trouble with the melody. She threw in a few extra runs during the bridge and ended strong. Keith told her she looked fantastic and that he heard her personality in the song but felt the melody restricted her. He also praised her vibrato. Nicki told her she looked amazing and praised her humility. Randy said she had a little bit of a “Rihanna vibe,” which I could actually hear in the vibrato. He found there was something “very current” and “very infectious” about her. Mariah also praised her outfit and liked that she’d shown versatility and spirit. “You so obviously have multi-platinum potential,” she said.
- Janelle Arthur sat on a stool to sing “If I Can Dream” by Elvis Presley, wearing a very understated outfit of a black sleeveless loose-fitting fringed top with dark blue jeans, her hair in a retro-80s sort of half-up do, with some strands near the front pulled back loosely to the back of her head. She looked a bit more put together than last week’s casual cowgirl look. Her performance was equally understated, but the simple ballad won her some standing ovations from the guys listening in the audience. Her tone was reminiscent of classic country artists from a bygone era. Keith said he liked that she has a classic country voice and blends it with modern runs. Nicki said, “That’s my girl. You’re back.” She called her “a little marshmallow that I want to eat.” She called it the best vocal of the night so far, and said she wants some country producers to get a hold of her, because she predicted “the sky’s the limit for you.” Randy encouraged her to continue to just being herself. He liked the “old throwback thing” in her voice and thought she should do a traditional country record like Patsy Cline. Mariah said that “you did what you came to be” and “you did a good job.”
- Tenna Torres looked more current than for her last performance, when she looked a bit dated and about 10 years older. This time, she wore a bright orange sleeveless mini-dress with black accents, a wrap-around-style bra (that had black spots in the nipple area, which was a bit distracting), and black skirt, her hair swept over to the side, with large beaded earrings. Her rendition of Faith Hill’s “Lost Lyrics” included plenty of extra high notes and runs and was stronger at the end than at the beginning. The embellishment still is a little too much; she needs to learn restraint. Keith liked the song choice and cautioned her to be careful not to let the camera pull her off her emotion. Nicki told her that she looked really pretty and complimented both her hair and “your boobs, too.” (Probably because the dress called attention to them.) About her singing, Nicki said she didn’t know if her personality jumps out but “I really love hearing you sing.” Randy loved that she made the song her own and liked the restraint. He agreed with Keith about how she’d changed her performance when the camera swept across. Mariah told her she looked gorgeous, and she loved the song choice.
- Angie Miller, accompanying herself on the piano, wore a simple black sleeveless dress, with a dark amber pendant and with her curly chestnut hair down on her shoulders. Her performance of Colton Dixon’s “Never Gone” started slow but reached some vocal heights later in the song and got her a lot of standing ovations. Of course, I have a soft spot in my heart for her, because she resembles my middle-school BFF. Keith sang a couple bars of the Rolling Stones song “Angie” to her before commenting that when she’s at the piano, she’s at her best. He called her a true artist. Nicki said, “The trumpets should sound when you walk in the room, little girl.” She said she couldn’t wait to hear her album and that she doesn’t stray “too far from what you are.” Randy said, “Yo, America, a star is born on that stage right there.” He predicted “she’s going places.” Mariah thought the song was a great choice and said she’s blown away by what Angie can do.
- Amber Holcomb was dressed in a mismatched sort of outfit, with a loose, flowing blue-and-white-striped sundress that had an asymmetrical hem: shorter in the front than in the back, paired with a heavy-looking caramel-colored leather jacket just a shade lighter than her skin. She picked an old standard, Whitney Houston’s “I Believe in You and Me,” and while the electric piano came straight out of the ’80s, her sensitive, controlled delivery made for a fresh sound. Keith found it a perfect sound and thought there were too many runs but thought he’d be hearing much more of her. Nicki said she was going to call her “Ber” from now on. She thought it was a “quadrillion badillion madillion…” then didn’t complete the thought. She loved the runs and felt that she’d performed a difficult song effortlessly. Randy predicated Amber was “in it to win it” (yawn). He said he was proud of her. Mariah said that Amber is one of her favorites and hopes that America puts her through.
- Kree Harrison wore an outfit that was wrong for her curvy body type, with a blousy rust shirt ending just above her hips and tight black pants, though it was a step up from the super casual look she’d worn the week before. As then, viewers were probably not thinking about her clothing, because her smoky delivery of “Stronger” by Faith Hill was warm and captivating, soaring up towards a strong last note, demonstrating her vocal range. Keith said “the first two letters in ‘Idol’ are ‘I do’ and I do love to hear you sing.” He complimented her range. He compared her to Trisha Yearwood and Carrie Underwood. Nicki joked, “You already know that you’re my wife.” She added that her sexiness level went up again. “What did you do?” Kree answered, without a beat, “I’m just trying to do my wife proud.” Nicki continued, saying that her voice is always soothing and smooth, and she declared herself obsessed. Randy couldn’t help himself, repeating his “in it to win it” line. He felt that it was “country and then some, because you could probably really sing anything.” Mariah asked, “How could you top that?” She said that every time we hear Kree sing, she gives the audience a “true performance.” She said she hopes she continue to own it “no matter what happens.”
- Adriana Latonio was dressed like a diva, in a floor-length halter dress that was burgundy with black sequins, paired with long silver chain earrings, her front locks parted at the side and pulled loosely behind her head. She sang a torch song, “Stand Up for Love” By Destiny’s Child, and often sounded like her voice was a bit pinched. It felt very pageanty. Keith said he was a little nervous about the song choice, because it wasn’t the best for her. He felt that it took too long to show off her powerful voice. Nicki told her she looked pretty “in your little ballgown,” and said that “after Angie, Amber and Kree, I would suggest that you work a little bit and come back next year.” She felt the song was too big for her and called it pageanty. Randy said she needed to come in and slay it, “and that did not happen.” Mariah didn’t want to say the song was “too big” but did agree it was the wrong choice.
- Candice Glover stuck to a similar look as the week before: with studs accenting a black jacket, over a black sequined top and black leggings. The monotone outfit was very flattering and had a sort of hip-hop diva feel. Her soulful performance of John Legend’s “Ordinary People,” which was embellished just the right amount with runs that made sense to the emotion of the song, showed that she’s a real star. As she performed, she showed the performance skills of a real pro like Queen Latifah, whom she resembles somewhat. Randy and Mariah gave her a standing ovation. Keith told her it was beautiful and gushed that “the level of singers tonight is crazy; it’s through the roof.” He liked that she made everything current. Nicki just saluted her and said, “That’s it. That’s my comment.” Randy said, “That was ridiculous, because you sang notes that people don’t even understand.” He said that he’s learning from listening to her. America’s got their work cut out for them,” he said, hinting that “we might need a wild card.” Mariah thanked her for “sharing your gift with us.” She said the performance gave her goosebumps.
- Tonight, the Top 10 guys will perform for viewer votes, with the results on Thursday.
