James Durbin Takes Fans on a Journey
James Durbin opened and closed American Idol last night.
The aspiring rock star kicked off the final four performance show with a rendition of one of the most popular songs of all-time: Journey's "Don't Stop Believing." He did so with a full band and was showered with praise afterward, with Randy saying: "That was the highest degree of difficulty - and you did it!"
Durbin then waited awhile and took the stage to conclude the evening's performances.
This time, with an assist from mentor Lady GaGa, he went with "Love Potion No. 9," ending up holding the final note for ages while standing in the audience.
"I wasn't sure about that song for you... but you just told me that I was absolutely wrong," Jennifer gushed about a cover you can watch below.
Jacob Lusk on American Idol Elimination: My Bad...
I messed up.
So Jacob Lusk says about his final performance on American Idol, a rendition of "No Air" that got the soulful singer eliminated from season 10 this week.
"I take full responsibility for my choices," Lusk tells TV Guide in an elimination interview, opening up about his experience on the show and the cover that resulted in him going home.
A few more excerpts are below...
On feeling the pressure: I was getting a little tired, probably. And really trying to do different things, do something that really wasn't my thing. This wasn't the time to do that. I didn't really have the greatest performance on Wednesday, and that's why I was sent home.
Jennifer Lopez Gets "On the Floor" on American Idol
American Idol didn't look far for a big-name musical guest last night. Jennifer Lopez just had to get out from behind the judges' table and get "On the Floor"!
Rapper Pitbull joined her, working through the audience before J. Lo took the stagae wearing a silvery two-piece outfit with lots of fringe and lots of sparkle.
After she shattered a couple of dance cages with her shoes, she worked the stage with her dancers. Watch her performance below and see how she did:
Following Jennifer's performance, Jacob Lusk was eliminated, leaving only Scotty, James, Haley and Lauren to vie for the 10th American Idol crown.
American Idol Results: Did Jacob Lusk Escape?
Well? Who among American Idol's final five is no longer with us?
Did the singer a lot of us expected to get the axe actually get it? Or did the voters make fools of us once again and send Jacob Lusk to the final four?
As we saw it, Jacob would end up in the bottom two. With whom, we had no idea, but if he got out of this jam, we would've been quite surprised.
So did he?
He did end up in the bottom two, alongside Lauren Alaina. Follow the jump to see which of those two singers left American Idol this evening ...
How's Jacob Lusk Supposed to Breathe With No Air?
Jacob Lusk believes he can American Idol, but feels like the underdog.
His version of Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown's "No Air," during which he sang both parts, proved why many feel tonight will be the end of his run on the show.
The melody forced him to stay so high that he had trouble getting enough breath support and maintaining his pitch. You could say he had not enough air ...
For his second number, Lusk chose "Love Hurts," which he began tenderly, in his falsetto range, backed by a harp and strings. Luther Vandross would be proud.
If Jacob's voted off tonight, he went out on a strong note with this:
Lauren Alaina Channels Carrie Underwood on Idol
Not unlike how Haley Reinhart sang Lady Gaga, Lauren Alaina picked an atypical song from a current powerhouse chart-topper last night on American Idol.
With Carrie Underwood's "Flat on the Floor," Lauren sounded more energized than she has in weeks. For all intents and purposes, she channeled Carrie well.
"Lauren, that is the direction for you!" Randy says. "This direction I agree with 100 percent.. I thought it was amazing." The "sky's the limit," Steven added:
Her throwback to yesteryear was "Unchained Melody." It's her parents' song, she says, and Sheryl Crow notes that the song requires a lot of maturity.
It does, but Lauren Alaina was ready. No wonder she's made it to the top five - and we have to imagine the top four after this evening's results show.
Watch her sing the Righteous Brothers classic below ...
Scotty McCreery is Always On Your Mind
Sheryl Crow can't wait for Scotty McCreery to move to Nashville.
Will he do so as the next American Idol? Last night probably didn't cost him any votes, thanks to solid renditions of country songs past and present.
While he couldn't quite do justice to Montgomery Gentry's "Gone" with his voice, he made up for it with a spirited stage performance. See it below:
Scotty McCreery then took on the Elvis Presley/Willie Nelson hit "Always on My Mind" for his second song of the night, and was much better vocally.
Check it out after the jump and see if you agree:
Haley Reinhart Goes Gaga on American Idol
Haley Reinhart has never been regarded as a serious contender, but she's made it all the way to the top five, and served notice last night that she's no fluke.
With a great effort on "House of the Rising Sun," then a go-for-broke cover of an unreleased Lady Gaga track, Haley proved she belongs on American Idol.
"House of the Rising Sun" was clearly right in Haley's wheelhouse, and was head and shoulders above anyone else's old school covers last night. Watch:
As for Lady Gaga's "You and I," which Gaga does at her shows, and which required Haley getting permission directly from Gaga, it was a risky call.
While the judges weren't all moved by the song itself, it's perfectly suited to her style and her distinctive sound, and she took it to the house!
It's the kind of performance that makes Haley Reinhart stand out and really make her mark as a contender. Watch it here and see if you agree:
James Durbin: In It To Win It On American Idol
James Durbin, along with Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina, is "in it to win it."
So sayeth Randy Jackson in an apparent attempt to get Haley Reinhart and Jacob Lusk voted out. Did James live up to the judge's high praise on Wednesday?
Mostly. The Idol hopefuls picked songs both new and old, getting advice from Sheryl Crow. James began with Thirty Seconds to Mars' "Closer to the Edge":
Jimmy Iovine says James' voice fits better with this kind of material than it does with the '80s hard rock he likes so much, but that's somewhat debatable.
It was almost impossible to hear the band at first, though once the sound was more balanced, James did sound pretty good. Same with his next number.
Follow the jump to see the rocker's take on the 1970 Harry Nilsson hit "Without You," a song with lyrics that make him cry as he thinks of his family ...
American Idol Top Five: Who Was the Best?
Well? Who looked great and who's in danger after American Idol tonight?
After seeing Jacob, Haley, Scotty, Lauren and James leave it all on the stage again this week, did the cream rise to the top? Who will make the final four?
Will Jacob make it through another week? Will Casey fans flock to Haley as he hopes? Can anyone stop James? Are the girls both dark horses? Talk to us.
We'll post their performances on THG soon, but for now, leave a comment with your thoughts below and vote for who YOU think was the best on Idol:
Who was the best among the American Idol top five?
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