The top 8 belt out songs from the 1980s this week, during which Joshua Ledet gets a standing ovation for his perfect rendition of Simply Red's 'If You Don't Know Me by Now'.
- Apr 5, 2012
AceShowbiz - The remaining eight finalists of "American Idol" delivered their take on the 1980s on Wednesday, April 4. Joining Jimmy Iovine as the mentor this week were No Doubt's Gwen Stefani and Tony Kanal.
DeAndre Brackensick was the lucky number one, singing "I Like It" by Debarge. He started it out by sitting among the audience before making his way onto the stage. Jennifer Lopez said, "I like it. I like it a lot! It was all very natural." Steven Tyler called it "totally captivating," while Randy Jackson appreciated that it wasn't too much falsetto.
Elise Testone decided to cover "I Want to Know What Love Is" by Foreigner after initially choosing "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen. While Gwen and Tony had goosebumps listening to her during rehearsal, she failed to repeat it on the live show. Steven said he loves her voice, but he didn't think that was the right song for her. Randy gave a more harsh comment, "Technically, you never quite got the pitch...you are much better than this...it was out of tune everywhere for me."
Phillip Phillips was up next with a cover of Genesis' "That's All". He brought his brother on the stage to play the guitar. J.Lo thought Phillip got a slow start, but then "you brought it home." Randy, meanwhile, commented it was a great song choice for him.
Joshua Ledet earned a standing ovation with his rendition of "If You Don't Know Me by Now" by Simply Red. J.Lo called it a powerhouse performance, while Randy enthused, "It's very rare I want to stand up from beginning to end."
Jessica Sanchez opted to perform another number from Whitney Houston, this time belting out "How Will I Know". J.Lo gushed, "Well, that's two powerhouse vocals in a row," as Randy loved the maturity in her.
"What a Feeling" by Irene Cara was Hollie Cavanagh's choice. She got mixed reviews with Steven noting it was pitchy, but she managed to deliver the end well. J.Lo said she is listening to everything people say and she needs to just let it go, and Randy agreed.
Colton Dixon did "Time After Time" by Cyndi Lauper. Steven gushed, "You could do a record right now." J.Lo also liked it, especially the fact that he was in sync with the band. As for Randy, he praised him for making the song his own.
Skylar Laine wrapped up the show with her take on Bette Midler's "Wind Beneath My Wings". Randy thought it was her best performance to date. J.Lo said the song would remind America not to count her out, and Steven added, "That's the best song you could have picked for your voice and the end of the night."
In addition to the solo performances, the top 8 were paired for a duet. Colton and Skylar belted out "Islands in the Stream" by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton, Hollie and DeAndre teamed up to sing The Pointer Sisters' "I'm So Excited", Phillip and Elise performed "Stop Dragging My Heart Around" by Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks, while Joshua and Jessica pulled out a rocking version of Aretha Franklin and George Michael's "I Knew You Were Waiting for Me".
