American Idol‘s Top 12 is officially set. The dirty dozen of Season 23 were revealed during Sunday’s live “Rock & Roll Hall of Fame” episode, which welcomed the legendary James Taylor as a guest mentor.
Before the results were revealed, this season’s remaining 14 contestants — Filo, Mattie Pruitt, John Foster, Desmond Roberts, Jamal Roberts, Amanda Barise, Canaan James Hill, Josh King, Thunderstorm Artis, Gabby Samone, Breanna Nix, Kolbi Jordan, Ché and Slater Nalley — each got one more chance to perform for America’s votes. The 12 singers selected tonight will go on to recreate memorable performances from seasons past on Monday (ABC, 8/7c).
Speaking of iconic callbacks, the whole thing kicked off with an explosive performance of Heart’s “Alone” by judge Carrie Underwood, who famously crushed the rock ballad during her own Idol season back in 2005. (Not for nothing, but she’s really been feeding us. By the end of the finale, she’ll probably have performed more times as a judge than Katy Perry did in her seven seasons combined.)
Read on for a breakdown of how the remaining Idol hopefuls fared on Sunday, including which 12 are still in the running to win Season 23. Then drop a comment with your thoughts: Are your favorites safe, or did you have to say goodbye to any tonight?
Image Credit: ABC screenshot- The Beatles may have gotten the on-screen credit for “With a Little Help From My Friends,” but Filo undoubtedly performed the Joe Cocker version on stage tonight. Actually, make that the Filo version, because I’m pretty sure no previous recording has this riddled with runs. And I mean that in the best way possible. Filo really went for it this time, leaving nothing on the floor — and nothing to critique. It was a strong start to the evening, and a high bar set for everyone else.
- Andy’s Grade: “A-“
Image Credit: ABC screenshot- James was afraid that 16-year-old Mattie might be too much of a girl and not enough of a woman (?!) for Janis Joplin’s “Piece of My Heart,” but she proved him wrong big-time. If you closed your eyes, that wasn’t a teenager singing on that stage tonight. The rasp, the growl, the power — she was a true force of nature tonight with full control of her instrument. At this point, the judges just want her to “sass it up,” but am I crazy for thinking she’s already serving the perfect amount of attitude? I’d hate for them to forcibly mold her into something she’s not.
- Andy’s Grade: “A”
Image Credit: ABC screenshot- There was never a doubt in my mind that this country king had the vocal chops to perform Elvis Presley’s “Jailhouse Rock.” He could have done this in his sleep. But when John said he wanted to shake things up (literally), I got nervous. We’ve all seen choreography go south on this show. Sometimes very south. Fortunately, John managed to “go big or go home” without veering into cringe territory. And I second (third?) the judges’ praise of that chilling low moment. John has always been a great vocalist, but now he’s also blossoming into an exciting performer.
- Andy’s Grade: “A”
Image Credit: ABC screenshot- Performing a song by one of the judges is always a gamble, but considering The Commodores’ “Jesus is Love” was the first song Desmond’s dad taught him how to sing, a tribute was in order. And what a tribute it was, starting soft and sweet before growing into a rousing, gospel experience. And that final run? Sir, I’m a puddle. Desmond even got high praise from the man himself: “I don’t mind you singing the song,” Lionel said, “but you found some octaves I didn’t sing!” That said, the judges told him to consider editing himself, spacing out his dynamic moments to increase their effectiveness, and I don’t disagree. (Oh, and no more winking.)
- Andy’s Grade: “A-“
Image Credit: ABC screenshot- Jamal wanted to give his daughters something to shout about, so what better selection than The Isley Brothers’ “Shout, Pts. 1 & 2”? (Also, am I the only one who didn’t know this song was divided into two parts? Either way, they both slap.) Anyway, this song fit Jamal’s voice like a glove — a glove which he then used to slap us in the face with his boundless, explosive energy. And while it wasn’t technically part of the performance, I loved the visual of Ryan Seacrest walking on stage carrying Jamal’s adorable in his arms.
- Andy’s Grade: “A-“
Image Credit: ABC screenshot- No offense to babies’ butts everywhere, but the next time I need to compliment something on its smoothness, I’m saying it’s “smoother than Amanda Barise’s vocals,” because her performance of Michael Jackson’s “I Can’t Help It” was absolute out-of-this-world perfection. All hail the scatting queen! I could have listened to her navigate those notes all night. And Lionel kept his bit going by telling Amanda that “Michael couldn’t sing like that either.”
- Somehow (shockingly!), it wasn’t good enough for America, which chose not to keep Amanda around in the Top 10. A mistake? You bet!
- Andy’s Grade: “A”
Image Credit: ABC screenshot- This season’s resident minister kept the spirit of Easter alive with Aretha Franklin’s “Mary, Don’t You Weep,” once again showcasing everything that makes Canaan an absolute dynamo of a performer. Every note, every scream and every gesture felt spiritual. His soul fully left his body during that final run, and I’m pretty sure mine did too? That said, I’m getting a little tired of complimenting Canaan for doing the exact same (very good!) thing every week, and I’m glad the judges challenged him to step outside his comfort zone next time.
- Andy’s Grade: “A”
Image Credit: ABC screenshot- Josh doing Billy Joel’s “For the Longest Time” had to have been one of the least surprising decisions of the entire season, but that only means I knew he’d kill it. And he did, more or less. Even though I appreciated Josh stepping away from the piano, I still felt like this was only a step above his usual lounge schtick. He’s one of the contestants who already knows who he is musically, so he needs to really start bringing it if he wants to stand out from the pack.
- Andy’s Grade: “A-“
Image Credit: ABC screenshot- Thunderstorm really is in a league of his own, which he reminded us tonight with a totally unique take on James Taylor’s “Fire and Rain.” Yes, the very same James Taylor who was mentoring the contestants this week! Not only did James give his personal stamp of approval ahead of the performance, but he appeared genuinely touched by Thunderstorm’s respect for his artistry and legacy. This was another beautiful, one-of-a-kind performance from a true artist.
- Andy’s Grade: “A”
Image Credit: ABC screenshot- If there’s one contestant I’d want to hear a Whitney Houston song from, it’s Gabby, so I was really excited to hear her take on “Saving All My Love For You.” And it was just as I expected. Vocals? Stunning. Notes? Insane. Attitude? Take-no-prisoners. She’s absolutely where she’s meant to be.
- Andy’s Grade: “A”
Image Credit: ABC screenshot- Breanna has kept her daughter at the front of her mind all season long, so it’s only fitting that she should perform Journey’s “Open Arms,” a song that reminds her of her own mother. And what a powerful tribute it was, even if she did let her nerves get the better of her towards the end. It wasn’t terrible, but it was far from her best.
- Andy’s Grade: “B”
Image Credit: ABC screenshot- A regular Season 23 showstopper, Kolbi once again commanded the stage with Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s “You’re All I Need to Get By,” effortlessly knocking it out of the park. The high notes were jaw-dropping, the low notes were chilling, and everything in between was perfection. I second what Luke said. “Sensory overload” was the best way to describe the total package Kolbi brought tonight.
- Andy’s Grade: “A”
Image Credit: ABC screenshot- James Brown’s “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World” has already been done a number of times this season, but that didn’t stop Ché from bringing it to the stage again tonight. Not only did he have to make it different from what we’d seen and heard before, but he also had to do it better. He definitely put his own Ché-like spin on it, but I wouldn’t necessarily say he outdid Amanda Barise‘s incredible audition.
- Andy’s Grade: “A-“
Image Credit: ABC screenshot- The final performance of the night came from Slater, who sounded more like a younger version of this week’s mentor than any of his fellow contestants. It made me wish Slater had chosen a James Taylor song to sing this week, but his solid delivery on Elton John’s “Your Song” was nothing to sneeze at. Beyond giving us multiple layers of growly perfection, there was a gentle ease to Slater’s overall presentation that I really enjoyed. You don’t always have to bring down the house to put on a memorable show, which he proved here.
- Andy’s Grade: “A”
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