The top 5 ladies proved that Idol is not lacking anything without a Y chromosome, taking on songs from the year they were born and diva hits. The judges gave more standing ovations than they have all season, in a night that gave us a glimpse of some future divas in the making.
Hopefully America was able to focus on the contestants, despite judge Nicki Minaj’s low-cut dress that was really just asking for a wardrobe malfunction. Between the cleavage and the inexplicable fake British accent, it was clear Nicki wanted to make sure she stood out on a night in which fellow judge (and true diva) Mariah Carey was sure to get a lot of attention.
Songs from the year they were born
Candice Glover
Candice tackled former Idol judge Paula Abdul’s 1989 hit “Straight Up,” but gave it her special Candice treatment, turning it into a funkier slow jam. The judges commended her for consistently making great song choices, and then making the songs her own. Randy also commented on how much more comfortable she has become onstage, that her performances seem comfortable and not forced.
Janelle Arthur
Janelle sang Vince Gill’s “When I Call Your Name,” a 1989 song that used to make her stop crying when she was little. Most of the judges loved that she returned to her country roots, and performed with her guitar again, since she seems more comfortable with it. They praised her honest, genuine rendition of the song. However, Keith disagreed with his fellow judges, and felt she was trying too hard.
Kree Harrison
Kree sang The Black Crowes’ “She Talks To Angels” from 1990, and as Nicki would say, she put her own “Kreedom” on it. Yet another song that was perfect for her voice, the judges once again praised the naturalness of her performances. They were split on the performance, some feeling she seemed too uncomfortable with the camera, others completely disagreeing.
Angie Miller
Angie dedicated her performance of The Pretenders’ 1994 hit “I’ll Stand By You” to her hometown of Boston. It was a very appropriate tribute, and the emotion of the situation helped inform her performance. The judges unsurprisingly praised her for returning to the piano, as that’s all they’ve said to her over the past weeks, but overall, they felt it was a good, heartfelt performance.
Amber Holcomb
Amber made a bold choice of singing Mariah’s own 1994 cover of Badfinger’s “Without You.” She admitted to being nervous to sing it in front of Mariah, and the nerves showed in her performance. A sub-par Amber performance is still a great performance, but Nicki felt like she was holding back and struggling a little, particularly in the lower notes, which were testing her range. But Randy gave her a lot of credit for taking on that huge song, and doing so in front of Mariah.
Divas
Candice Glover
In another brave choice, Candice took on TWO divas with the Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston hit “When You Believe.” Luckily, if anyone in this competition has two divas’ worth of talent, it’s Candice. She earned a standing “o” from everyone, Keith even fanning her with his notepad. Mariah said she was very proud of Candice, and that she had made herself, and the late great Whitney Houston, very proud.
Janelle Arthur
Janelle took on the original country diva, performing Dolly Parton’s “Dumb Blonde.” The song obviously struck a chord with her, because she had a lot of fun onstage, injecting a lot of sass into her performance. The judges were less than thrilled with her performance, particularly the song choice, and Nicki point blank told her that she’s in danger of going home.
Kree Harrison
Kree took on another big diva with Celine Dion’s “Have You Ever Been In Love,” and though it got away from her a bit in the beginning, she still did the Canadian diva proud. The judges all gave her a standing “o,” and once again praised her versatility. Nicki had the epiphany that she is not just a country artist, she is a worldly and iconic performer.
Angie Miller
Angie stepped away from the piano once again to sing Beyonce’s “Halo,” and did the diva proud. In a huge, powerful performance, she honored the original while making it her own. She brought the passion, while resisting the urge to over-act, the way she has in past performances. The judges had nothing but praise for her, saying she’ll definitely be in the top 3, and that she is, of course, “in it to win it.”
Amber Holcomb
Amber closed out the show with Barbra Streisand’s “What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life,” and she owned that stage like the true classy diva that she is. The judges couldn’t say enough good things about the performance, noting that it was the most difficult song of the season, and yet she she still managed to do a beautiful job with it. They all pleaded with America to vote for her this week, to keep her out of the bottom two.
Tune in to the results tonight at 8/7c on Fox.
Who do you think had the most diva-worthy performance? Which girl do you think will be going home?