It’s the American Idol 2013 Top 5 and it’s all girls! Tonight the girls are taking on songs by divas and songs from their birth years.
It looks like it’s going to be kind of a ballad-y night, but there might be a few up-tempo moments, so stay with us! I’ll be recapping the performances live, so be sure to join in the conversation below.
American Idol 2013 Top 5 Performances
Round One: Year of Birth
Candice Glover, Straight Up. Wow, I never thought one could actually enjoy a Paula Abdul song, but this creative version of the song actually worked. It was smooth and cool and I love the scatting and the bongos. It was sweet overall. I’m sure we’ll hear that it was someone else’s arrangement, but regardless, it was a great way to start the night. Grade: A
Janelle Arthur, When I Call You Name. Round one for Janelle isn’t going so well. She needs two really huge songs that people know. And this song is not a good idea. She should’ve chosen a rock song from her birth year and put a country spin on. The vocals were fine, but as a whole, it was kind of boring. Grade: B-
Kree Harrison, She Talks To Angels. I love Kree. I think Kree is incredibly talented. But for the first time, I found her to be boring. I don’t think the song choice was right. She still sounds amazing and gets an A for vocals, but as far as entertainment… eh. Grade: B
Angie Miller, I’ll Stand By You. Finally, she’s back at the piano. I don’t really love the key she was singing the song, but it was pretty solid. There are a few moments where she really could’ve blown it up with power but she missed the mark. Grade: B+
Amber Holcomb, Without You. This is sort of cheating, because it’s not really Mariah’s song originally, but I’ll let that slide. It’s a great song with a lot of power and I don’t think Amber was able to match it. But the judges love her regardless and are still pushing for her to come out on top. I’m way impressed that Nicki FINALLY spoke the truth about Amber. Maybe I’m trying to compare her to Harry Nilsson or Mariah Carey, but I was just eh. It was OK, but that’s just it. Grade: B+
Round Two: Diva
Candice Glover, When You Believe. Candice’s vocals were PERFECT. Not. One. Single. Thing. Wrong. Perfection. I never realized how boring this song was, but I’m picky. But Candice poured her whole self into it. It was emotional and spot on. Candice is fantastic. Grade: A+
Janelle Arthur, Dumb Blonde. Again, not a great song choice. I think it’s a great song, but she needed to do a familiar Dolly song. She’s going to go home tomorrow night because of her song choices. She sounded good and I liked the energy, but yeah, she’s toast. Grade: B
Kree Harrison, Have You Ever Been In Love. Ugh. Well, Kree is two for two with boring me. And it breaks my heart. I’ve NEVER heard this song in my life, nor do I want to hear it ever again. I’m so disappointed in her. Grade: B-
Angie Miller, Halo. I don’t know why anyone EVER sings this song on a competition show. It’s in such a weird key that it never sounds like it’s being performed properly. The chorus was great, but the rest was eh. It’s Halo. And that ending was kind of annoying. Grade: B+
Amber Holcomb, What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life? Wow. What a BORING night filled with sleepy, blah songs. I think Amber’s vocal is pretty good for Amber, but this is way boring. Maybe I just don’t get Amber. What am I missing? Grade: C+
Did anyone else notice how coherent Mariah was? And that Nicki and Mariah were actually speaking? Oh, and that Nicki actually gave Mariah the respect she deserves? You think all the interaction and chit-chat had anything to do with Executive Producer Nigel Lythgoe’s recent interview where he said the judges didn’t have chemistry? Hmmmm.