The Voice Top 12 Eliminations -- Put Me Out Of My Misery

Well America, we're off to a rough start. This is not how I expected the first week of eliminations to go down at all. At the end of tonight's results show the Top 11 were revealed and one team was down a valuable member. Here's how the hour played out. 

Gwen Stefani couldn't stay away long as she took the stage to perform "Misery," which is apparently about getting over an old lover and growing closer to a new one....pat yourself on the back, Blake. The cowboy himself took the stage with his team for a rousing(?) rendition of "I Love a Rainy Night." While the tune is by Eddie Rabbit, for all we know Blake and Gwen both love rainy nights and this is somehow a dedication to her too. Adam also joined his team on stage for "If You Want Me To Stay" which overall was quite strange. Let's just find out who's leaving... 

Results! The first contestant sent to safety was Adam and he was quickly followed by Allison. Brian and Daniel were announced next, and Shalyah, Paxton and Laith joined them at the 28 minute mark. Finally Hannah, Nick and Mary made it through to the Top 11, leaving Emily and Owen to perform for the Stupid Twitter Save. Emily's face just about broke my heart and I was livid to see her facing elimination. 

Emily chose Willie Nelson's "Blue Eyes Crying In the Rain" as her "save me" song and the performance was absolutely beautiful. Owen went with "Lego House" by Ed Sheeran and while this performance was definitely better than last night's, I think Emily should have had the upper hand here. In the end though Owen got the damn Stupid Twitter Save and we said goodbye to someone who should have been in the competition many weeks to come. Ridiculous. 

So Team Pharrell is down to two while the other coaches have been able to hold onto all of their remaining artists. Next week we'll see these hopefuls take the stage again and I'll still be scratching my head when we do. Will Owen bounce back from this stint in the bottom 2? Will Pharrell's other contestants return with a vengeance? We'll find out when the Top 11 square off next week. Til then!

The Voice Top 12 Perform -- Give Me Your All

Welcome to the first 2016 season of The Voice! I'm still having trouble coming to terms with the end of American Idol, but this new adventure on The Voice is sure providing a great distraction. After many preliminary rounds, the Top 12 have been chosen and will take the stage tonight to represent their respective teams. Will any one coach dominate from the get go? Let's find out. 

Artist: Mary Sarah

Team: Blake

Song: "So Small" by Carrie Underwood

Up to bat first tonight is Team Blake's sole female contestant. Mary Sarah is also the last female country singer left standing in the competition, and she's all about putting her own spin on this popular Carrie Underwood tune. Oh and by "spin" I mean this is pretty much a karaoke version. The girl definitely has some pipes though and the song clearly means something to her. I'd say this is a solid start to the show but I hope people still remember the performance two hours from now. 

Coaches Say: Welcome back Xtina! I've missed you so. I'm sure the poor soul in wardrobe that manages your boobs missed you too. Anyway, Xtina tells Mary she looks pretty and then shatters my brain by saying she's not familiar with the song. Pharrell congratulates Mary on her performance and Blake says he got completely wrapped up in the message of the song. 

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Artist: Laith Al-Saadi

Team: Adam

Song: "Born Under a Bad Sign" by Albert King

I'm going to go ahead and follow Xtina's lead here and say I'm not familiar with this song. It's not a tune that I would immediately run out and download post Laith's performance either, but this guy sure is entertaining. He's drowned out by the band at times, and I'm not always sure he's enunciating, but he's unique and I enjoy him. 

Coaches Say: Blake doesn't know much about the blues but thinks Laith's performance has to be as good as it gets. Pharrell says Laith is "the real thing" and makes sure to point out how amazing his guitar solo was tonight. Adam loves what Laith represents and calls him refreshing. 

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Artist: Daniel Passino 

Team: Pharrell

Song: "Human Nature" by Michael Jackson

Pharrell's comeback kid is having some doubts but his coach uses some tough love to make him believe in himself. Daniel channels his inner Michael for this performance and if he had doubts, they are not showing at all tonight. His falsetto is on point and he definitely keeps the audience engaged. Daniel doesn't come close to touching MJ with his performance, but all things considered I think this went very, very well. 

Coaches Say: Adam thinks Daniel turns into a different person when he gets on stage and calls the performance smooth. Xtina says the performance was awesome and she loves his look tonight. Pharrell thinks Daniel willed himself to give this performance and he's proud of his contestant. 

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Artist: Emily Keener

Team: Pharrell

Song: "Lilac Wine" by Jeff Buckley

I'm just mesmerized by Emily. This is another song that I'm not familiar with, but when Emily commands "listen to me" in the lyrics mid-song, I feel like she had everyone's full attention already. Her voice is haunting and she is completely emotionally invested in everything she's doing. I feel pain for her when the song ends because she had me hook, line, and sinker. 

Coaches Say: Emily gets a standing ovation from all four coaches and I'm thrilled for her. Adam has been wanting that song on the show and says she was perfect. Xtina knew Emily was capable of tapping into magic and says she did a stellar job. Pharrell tells Emily she is a beautiful vocalist and calls the performance amazing. 

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Artist: Nick Hagelin 

Team: Xtina

Song: "Mine Would Be You" by Blake Shelton

Niiiiiice. Normally I think it's awkward to use a fellow coaches' song in the competition but this one is an exception only because Nick dedicates this song to his wife. He misses her a ton and even writes her a poem each night they are apart. Nick plays the piano through the first chorus and then takes center stage to finish the ballad. He puts his heart and soul into the performance but I can't say he made himself stand out vocally at all. How sweet was that dedication though?

Coaches Say: Pharrell says, like, this is like, a whole new thing and I scratch my head a little. Blake thinks Nick did a great job and Xtina tells Nick he is a pleasure to work with and compliments his charisma. 

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Artist: Adam Wakefield

Team: Blake

Song: "Soulshine" by the Allman Brothers Band

This song is about hope and it has a very special place in Adam's heart. "Soulshine" reminds him of singing with his brother, who has passed away, and Adam channels all of those feelings into this performance. This gospel-y rendition is something I could listen to many times over and I think it will be making an appearance on my iPod in the very near future. Adam may have just edged ahead of Emily tonight. 

Coaches Say: The men stand but Xtina keeps her seat. Pharrell says "we're taking people to church on television and setting them free!" and Adam (Levine) thinks Adam (Wakefield) is far beyond the real deal. Blake says his contestant is going to be around for a long time. While I would like that to be true....I feel like we hear this from Blake about 80% of the contestants each season. 

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Artist: Brian Bautista 

Team: Xtina

Song: "Kiss From a Rose" by Seal

Does anyone know what the hell this song means? I had always assumed it was meant to be a distraction from how unfortunate Batman Forever was. Like, the movie ends and before you can say "what the hell was that?," you are instead thinking "what the hell is this song?" Anywho, Xtina is looking for Brian to lay his heart out there tonight and...I'm not sure that he does that. Brian does to a solid karaoke version of "Kiss From a Rose" but that's really all that comes out of the performance.  

Coaches Say: Pharrell thinks there is a deal for Brian on the other end of this show. Xtina says every girl needs to buy this song and be lulled to sleep by Brian. She means this in a good way of course, but my guess is many viewers thought the performance was snoozy. 

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Artist: Owen Danoff

Team: Adam

Song: "7 Years" by Lukas Graham

Owen ditches the bass this week and relies on his vocals to be the main event. Now, I love this song. Love it. Mainly because it sort of takes you on this journey through time....which in Owen's version is cut up because there's no chance he can fit the whole song into his allotted slot. He tries to make up for this when he gets to "Soon I'll be 60 years old" by putting on an anguish face, but overall I don't think this performance accomplished what Owen hoped it would.  

Coaches Say: Pharrell thinks Owen is quite the vocalist and calls him a great storyteller. Adam tells Owen he busted out of his shell tonight and it warmed his heart. 

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Artist: Allison Porter

Team: Xtina

Song: "Stone Cold" by Demi Lovato

Allison makes this whole singing thing look easy. Her delivery of this song gives me the chills and I can't even begin to think about typing until the performance ends. This is the best of the night for me so far. Amazing. 

Coaches Say: Standing ovation from everyone. Adam says every year there is one person that epitomizes what the show is about and that's Allison this year. Blake asks Allison if she's bored with being so great. Xtina can't wait for the Allison album (whoa there) and tells Allison she's amazing. 

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Artist: Paxton Ingram

Team: Blake

Song: "Hands To Myself" by Selena Gomez

I mean, I could but why would I want to? I'm not ashamed to say I jam out to this song in my car frequently. Windows down. Don't care. I'm going to have to stick to the original version of "Hands To Myself" though because I'm not digging Paxton's take on the song. Not at all. 

Coaches Say: Pharrell says there were "a lot of interesting parts to the performance." Yup, we'll go with that. Blake says Paxton is going to be around for a while. See what I mean?

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Artist: Hannah Huston

Team: Pharrell

Song: "Something's Got a Hold on Me" by Etta James

Hannah loooooooves Etta James and Pharrell looooooves Hannah, so here we are. Have you heard Xtina sing this? I'm not even talking about Burlesque. I'm talking about any other time she's performed this song live (yes - three different links there). Aside from Etta being the queen of this song, it's also hard for me to imagine anyone covering it but Xtina. That being said, Hannah opens this performance like a badass and keeps that going the entire time. I mean...damn. She shut me up in a hurry. 

Coaches Say: Adam calls what Hannah just did "alien soul," which is a term I am now in love with. Blake says Hannah's song choices are always unexpected (in a good way) and he's a huge fan. Pharrell tells Hannah she "has mountain ranges of notes" which is still not as good as alien soul in my opinion.  

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Artist: Shaylah Fearing 

Team: Adam

Song: "Up To the Mountain" by Patty Griffin

I am of course going to direct you to Kelly Clarkson's Idol Gives Back performance of this song. You knew that was coming. In the pre-performance video package Adam reminds us that Shaylah is a young girl taking on this big, meaningful song. Shaylah then earns major, major points with me by quoting lyrics from KC's "Stronger." Would I have loved this performance anyway though? Absolutely. The kid kills it and 100% earned the closing spot tonight. 

Coaches Say: Xtina tells Shaylah she is a fearless singer, saying "I feel your heart when you sing." Pharrell agrees and loves that his spirits were lifted. Adam is so impressed by his contestant and says she blows his mind. 

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Tomorrow night we will say goodbye to one contestant as the coaches' power is taken away and the remaining artists fall prey to the Stupid Twitter Save. Will Owen's last minute burst of energy carry him through to next week? Will people like Paxton's version of "Hands To Myself" even though the performance couldn't be over soon enough in this living room? Will "Kiss From a Rose" be Brian's kiss off? We'll find out tomorrow during the often very painful results show. Til then!

American Idol Finale Part 2: A Moment Like This

Well my friends, American Idol is over. After 15 seasons of the singing competition show that was a launchpad for many other singing competition shows, Trent Harmon is the final winner. The second part to the finale featured sooooo many familiar faces and overall was a very fitting sendoff. Here are some highlights.

Fancy meeting you here. 

The show had me in tears within the first three minutes as the stage filled with American Idol contestants from throughout the 15 seasons singing "One Voice." Thank goodness the producers knew to immediately throw in the comic relief as Brian Dunkleman joined Ryan on stage! He even had a few lines! The rest of the show was amazing. We were saved from the normal and often awkward duets and trios with the Top 12 or Top 24 from the current season. Instead, the rest of these two hours was 100% a trip down memory lane with collaborations of many former contestants and some stellar judges moments as well. 

Medley 1

Kara DioGuardi took the stage to sing Pink's "Sober" with Jordin Sparks and Tamyra Gray, and Colton Dixon sang "Through All of It" while accompanying himself on the piano. But wait...Jordin wasn't done strutting her stuff. She returned with JUSTIN GUARINI to sing her hit "No Air" and that's pretty much what I was experiencing at that point. Kimberly Locke popped up on stage with Jordin next to sing "Eighth Wold Wonder" and they were joined by Allison Iraheta!!! Squee! It just kept getting better and better. Tamyra, Jordin, Justin and Allison busted out Little Big Town's "Girl Crush," and then the ladies of this segment rounded out the medley with Meghan Trainor's "No." It was amazeballs. Sudennly Pia Toscano came out of nowhere and killed "All By Myself" before the commercial break. I mean, where the hell has she been? I've missed that voice so!

YES

Kelly Clarkson, the original American Idol herself, was featured with a pre-taped performance since she might pop out a kid at any moment and could not travel to the live finale. You can tell she wanted to groove a little bit more to her tunes but the whole 8+ months pregnant thing slowed her down a bit. She belted a medley of her hits featuring "Miss Independent," "Breakaway," "Since U Been Gone," "Because of You," "Walk Away," "My Life Would Suck Without You," "Stronger," "Invincible," and....wait for it..."A Moment Like This." Yup. KC finished out her performance with her original coronation song and my goosies had goosies. There may have been some ugly crying on my end as well. Maybe. 

Medley 2

I did not recognize Bo Bice at all without his Jesus hair. Wow! He collaborated with Caleb Johnson, Constantine Maroulis and James Durbin for a double threat of "Vehicle" and "Hard To Handle." The group was joined soon after by Chris Daughtry to sing with his song "Torches," and they finished out their segment with "Tobacco Road" and more headbanging than JLo could handle. This performance didn't pack the same punch as the first medley did for me...but maybe that's just because I didn't need to see so much of James Durbin's tongue or his attempts at being a contortionist. 

YES AGAIN

Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood took the stage together to sing "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" and for real - is it hot in here? I hope Carrie has those legs insured. No one should have legs that perfect. Ever. Carrie came back again later with her song "Something In the Water" and she was fantastic. She sounds just as good now as she ever did and if you've never seen her live, you're missing out on something special. 

Medley 3

Diana DeGarmo, Skylar Laine, and Kree Harrison kicked off a country medley with T-Swift's "You Belong With Me," and they were joined by Bucky Covington, Ace Young, and round 2 of Constantine with "Storm Warning." Lauren Alaina and Kelly Pickler strutted on stage next with The Band Perry's "Done" and I was sitting there wondering where the hell Janelle Arthur was. She kicked this song's ass during her season. Scotty (turn the lights down low) McCreery popped up next with "Papa Loves Mama" and the group closed out their portion of the night with Little Big Town's "Pavement Ends." I will say that I greatly enjoyed the choreography here. 

Judges

Harry chose New Orleans youngster Marley Fletcher as his duet partner to sing "What a Wonderful World" as footage of "Idol Gives Back" played in the background. When was the last time that charity event was mentioned? Well, anyway, the performance was lovely. Later JLo shook what her mama gave her...a lot...singing "Ain't Your Mama" and "Let's Get Loud," which is my fave. Her Vegas show must be killer. So. Much. Booty. Randy, Paula, and SIMON also made an appearance after a montage of some of their best moments. As they received a standing ovation, Harry got his phone out and took pictures immediately. Me too! That's right. I take pictures of my TV with my phone and I'm not ashamed to admit it. 

Medley 4

Casey James and Katherine McPhee opened the next medley with "Need You Now," and Carly Smithson (love her) took the stage next with "Here You Come Again." And THEN Clay Aiken joined the group belting "Annie's Song" effortlessly. Not to be outdone, Amber Holcomb and a very sweaty Ruben Studdard crooned "Here, There, and Everywhere" which seriously had to describe the perspiration happening on stage at that moment. Get the man his towel already! Jessica Sanchez showed up at the end and had me "woo!"ing from my couch with her rendition of "The Prayer." Unbelievable. 

Medley 5

Jennifer Hudson, LaToya London, and Fantasia took us to church with their collaboration and I had the Steven Tyler stank face on throughout this performance. From the mesmerizing a capella opening of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" all the way through J-Hud's "Remember the Music," these ladies were absolutely flawless. Brandon Rogers, Danny Gokey, George Huff, Elliot Yamin, and my boyfriend Clark Beckham were featured next with "Ain't Too Proud To Beg," complete with choreography that Clark was totes not comfortable with, and the Fantasia came back to sing "Ugly" with sooo much passion. 

LaToya joined Taylor Hicks, sans soul patrol, for a rousing rendition of "I Knew You Were Waiting For Me" and then Joshua Ledet reminded me how much I didn't miss him with his ridiculously over the top performance of "It's a Man's, Man's, Man's World." Melinda Doolittle brought the smile right back to my face though as she and Candice Glover closed the medley (backed by this season's Idol eliminees) with "Joy to the World." Sure, the song choice was strange. Very strange. But I've been missing that infectious Doolittle smile for too long now and I don't care. 

Medley 6

The final medley of the night was a tribute to David Bowie. Phillip Phillips (P squared!), David Cook, Lee DeWyze, Nick Fradiani and Kris Allen joined forces and delivered a very entertaining combo of "Starman," "Rebel, Rebel" and "The Jean Genie." Lady Gaga has nothing to worry about - her Grammy's tribute was still epic. 

Results!

As La'Porsha and Trent stood nervously on stage I was doing a whispered "La-porsh-a, La-porsh-a" chant just as the audience had done during her final performances. Alas, Trent took home the title though I can't say the dude was not a fierce competitor. Here's hoping La'Porsha gets something out of finishing second because I would love to turn on my radio and hear her in the very near future. For these last moments though I silently watched Trent sing "Falling" as the confetti rained down, and I hit the pause button and took a breath before I allowed Ryan to sign off one last time. 

Thanks for the memories, American Idol. That first summer I was still in college and had a 3 hour statistics class in the evenings Idol aired. When the professor let us take a break mid-class, I would always rush home to see what Kelly Clarkson had in store for us that week and not return to the class (I got a B which isn't too shabby all things considered). Cut to a decade later when I met her twice, when her music had helped define certain moments in my adult life, and when I thought I might try my hand at this blog thing. I'm an avid concert goer and I've had the pleasure of seeing so many of these American Idol contestants live at this point. I cried when J-Hud won her Oscar, rejoiced when Constantine received his Tony nomination, and danced like there's no tomorrow when Paula told me to. Sure the show probably ended when it needed to, but I'm going to miss it for sure and will always remain grateful for all it has given me. 

American Idol Finale Part 1: I Choose To Be Happy

This is it! These are the final two episodes of American Idol. I'll say I'm definitely having a wide variety of emotions tonight but goodness knows I'll be a mess tomorrow. Part 1 of the finale is only an hour as the Top 2 contestants duke it out to be the Idol bookend to Kelly Clarkson. Like last week all of the remaining contestants will perform in Round 1 (the would be winner's single) before the elimination is announced. That's kinda cruel isn't it? "That was a great song! Would have been a great single! But you're already eliminated." Anyway, the Final 2 will then move on to the next two rounds, Simon Fuller's choice and the contestants' choice respectively. Who's going to win the night? Let's find out. 

ROUND 1

Contestant: Trent Harmon

Song:  "Falling"

Trent seems to be on an adrenaline rush tonight and he sells this song like his career depends on it (which it does of course). While this tune suits Trent very well....this is one of the strangest coronation songs I've heard on the show. And why does Keith already know the words? Did he sneak in to rehearsals? Do the judges get early access to the iTunes downloads? Either way, Trent did kick off the show with a bang and I'm hoping the rest of the hour is as high energy as these few minutes.

Judges Say: No judging this round. I'm guessing because sometimes the judges don't like the coronation songs and aren't shy about saying so. 

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Contestant: Dalton Rappatoni

Song:  "Strike a Match"

So the lyrics to this song sound way more like a confetti grabber, but it's not really doing Dalton any favors vocally. The first verse is wayyy too low and he's trying like hell to make up for that in the chorus...but it's also evident that he has to try like hell to save this performance. I can't completely blame the song, but I do wish he'd been given something a little more Dalton-y.

Judges Say: Nadda. 

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Contestant: La'Porsha Renae

Song:  "Battles"

Out of the three songs, this is probably the best in terms of an "I won!" vibe combined with being radio ready. Additionally, whoever wrote the song might as well have asked La'Porsha her life story and then immediately broke out the pen, which made it very easy for her to sell. Trent my girl have tied in Round 1, but will they both make it to Round 2?

Judges Say: These guys are dyyyyyying to say something.  

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When Round 1 ends, we say a tearful goodbye to Dalton. Congrats, kid, on making it this far. I know the judges kept telling you that it's not about competing with power vocals, but when the other two contestants are La'Porsha and Trent....it's all about competing with power vocals. 

ROUND 2

Contestant: Trent Harmon

Song:  "If You Don't Know Me By Now" by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes

Interesting song choice, Mr. Fuller. Depending on the person singing this song it has the potential to be rather boring. However, Trent's rendition is dynamic and fantastic. I was initially concerned that Simon Fuller was doing Mr. Missisippi a disservice with this song choice...but instead he gave Trent a chance to show off his falsetto, his passion, and his showmanship all at the same time. Well done. 

Judges Say: Keith loves the song and loves that Trent is going up against La'Porsha in the finale (don't we all?). He thinks it's going to be the closest race in American Idol history. JLo is all aglow tonight and agrees there is quite the battle tonight. Harry congratulates Simon on an incredible song choice. 

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Contestant: La'Porsha Renae

Song:  "A House Is Not a Home" by Dionne Warwick

Oh man. Remember when Tamyra Gray sang this in Season 1? Remember all the feels from those three and a half minutes? That performance was always a standout for me, but dayyyum La'Porsha owned this song tonight. She has a calmness about her for most of this performance, but we still get the payoff at the end with the big notes and the big heart to go with it. I think La'Porsha just belted out a Round 2 win. I don't care where the chair is or who's sitting in it. 

Judges Say: JLo says this is one of her top 5 songs and calls La'Porsha's rendition beautiful. Harry compliments La'Porsha on never overdoing it in her performances so the meaning of the lyrics does not get lost along the way. He was moved by her performance. Keith says he needs a cigarette because the performance was smoldering. Ha! 

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ROUND 3

Contestant: Trent Harmon

Song:  "Chandelier" by Sia

Yes. Yes. And yes. This was such a smart song choice for Trent because it was hands down his best performance and solidified the "you should be in the finale" chatter we were starting to hear. Was it possible for Trent to improve on his previous performance? It sure was - this rendition is even BETTER. Trent is in it to win it! Side note: is Randy showing up tomorrow? 

Judges Say: The audience is going crazy! Harry tells Trent he should be very proud of himself and says the performance was very strong. Keith compliments Trent's vocal transitions and JLo tells Trent he deserves to win. Okay Jenny. Chill out. There's still one performance left. 

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Contestant: La'Porsha Renae

Song:  "Diamonds" by Rihanna

I'm guessing La'Porsha couldn't go through another night of "No More Drama," which I would have looooved to see/hear again. Choosing "Diamonds" instead can't possibly hurt her chances to win tomorrow though...this performance is flawless. If Trent's falsetto hadn't been so crazy good a few minutes ago, I'd give Round 3 to La'Porsha without a second thought. I'm going to go with a tie instead (total cop out, I know). 

Judges Say: The audience continues to go nuts and we're hearing "La-Porsh-a, La-porsh-a" chants. It's awesome and La'Porsha is very moved by the moment. Keith says she did a beautiful job and JLo can't wait to go to a La'Porsha concert someday. Harry tells La'Porsha she's incredible and asks who she was singing to in that performance. She, of course, says her baby girl and tears continue to flow. 

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And with that, the final performances of the actual competition are over. It's in America's hands now. As a complete surprise to no one, I'm rooting for La'Porsha. The fact that Kelly Clarkson tweeted that she is also voting for La'Porsha and has never voted for any contestant ever has no weight in my decision. At all. I think La'Porsha is just freaking amazing and I want her to be the final victor and hopefully an Idol winner we hear a lot more from. I will say this though - Trent sure peaked at just the right time. He's been putting up quite a fight and it's entirely possible that tomorrow's confetti will fall on him, though I hope that's not the case. Who will win? Who will perform with who tomorrow? How many former Idol contestants will there really be? What will the surprises be? And really, what kind of fashion statement will JLo be making in her last Idol appearance? We only have a short time til we all say our goodbyes. Til then!

American Idol Top 4 (Then 3): Bitter Sweet Thing

Tonight the Top 3 will be revealed on American Idol as we have just one week left before the series finale! There will be three rounds this evening and remaining four contestants each have a chance to sing during Round 1 before the big elimination reveal. Who will make it through? Who will excel tonight? Who will bestow goosies on the viewers? Let's find out.

ROUND 1 - Contestant's Choice

Contestant: MacKenzie Bourg

Song: "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen

MacKenzie chooses this song as his hometown dedication and his visit home was very touching. Seeing him step into the ICU hospital room that held him for quite some time was an emotional way to start the night for sure. And now my thoughts on his performance...

For the love of God, please stop with this song. Stop. No more covers of "Hallelujah." What MacKenzie does here is very lovely. It is. But we have to cram in almost a dozen performances tonight so he barely gets to sing two (not connected) verses of a song that is truly a story. He sounds better and looks more confident than he has in a while, but I'm just over the song choice. 

Judges Say: Keith calls the performance superb and JLo believes MacKenzie picked a song that played to his strengths. Harry says MacKenzie has come "full circle" with that performance. 

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Contestant: Dalton Rappatoni

Song: "Calling You" by Blue October

I love that Dalton's first stop on his hometown visit is his grandma's hair salon...so she can do his hair. That combined with his family reunion and his tearful "this was the best day of my life" moment in the limo almost did me in. But on the flip side, Dalton smiles SO much during his performance of "Calling You" and I'm relieved that we're getting "Happy Dalton" at least for a little while tonight. I don't know if I could have handled another sitting down, droopy, sulky performance right out of the gate this evening. Overall he has great energy and I like the arrangement. I can't always hear Dalton though and I'm not sure if that's due to his mic or the band just being super awesome. 

Judges Say: JLo feels like Dalton is finally embracing that he belongs on the American Idol stage and Harry likes the way Dalton thinks about the words to the songs he chooses. Keith thinks Dalton was completely in the zone for that performance. 

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Contestant: Trent Harmon

Song: "Tennessee Whiskey" by George Jones/David Allen Coe/Chris Stapleton

Trent's arrival at his high school was priceless as he saw the crowds of people and said "I don't have that many Facebook friends." He really had a ton of fans hanging on his every move during his visit. Trent's "Tennessee Whiskey" song choice was perfect. He delivers a smooth and subtle version of the song while still showing off his vocals. And that a capella portion in the middle? Goosies. 

Judges Say: Keith gives Trent a standing ovation. Harry compliments Trent on his song choice as well as how unique he made a song that has been around for so long. Keith agrees and calls the performance a bullseye. JLo tells Trent he is hitting his stride at just the right time. 

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Contestant: La'Porsha Renae

Song: "Glory" by John Legend and Common

The tears started for La'Porsha pretty quickly during her trip home and by the time she visits the women's shelter she had lived in, I'm done for. And the song choice? Good God. If you missed the John Legend/Common performance of "Glory" on the Oscars last year, please go watch it because it is unforgettable. La'Porsha absolutely does this song justice though and she too goes for a more subtle delivery. Like MacKenzie, I think this would have been even better if she'd had another 30 seconds or another minute to tell more of the story, but still....goosies, chills, and anything else related. Round 1 goes to La'Porsha. 

Judges Say: Keith stands for La'Porsha as well and says he doesn't even feel like he should critique her anymore. JLo loves that La'Porsha chose a song that inspires people and Harry says the performance was critique-proof. 

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At the end of Round 1 we say goodbye to MacKenzie and we watch his Idol journey as "Roses" plays in the background. Good luck buddy. There have been a number of 4th place finishers that have gone on to do pretty well for themselves.  You certainly have the potential to do the same. 

ROUND 2 - Scott Borchetta's Choice

Contestant: Dalton Rappatoni

Song: "Dancing In the Dark" by Bruce Springsteen

When the performance starts, I'm worried that Dalton's sloooooowed down approach to this classic is going to come back to bite him....and then the song becomes "Dancing In the Dark" on crack. I love it. I'm worried JLo might actually injure herself with all of the chair bouncing and head banging. I haven't enjoyed Dalton this much in a while. 

Judges Say: JLo is apparently okay. She tells Dalton he did a great job and thinks he made the song fresh and new. Harry says the arrangement was smart and Keith thinks Dalton made himself stand out with that performance.  

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Contestant: La'Porsha Renae

Song: "Stay With Me" by Lorraine Ellison

This is an interesting choice but I guess Scott knows what he's doing? La'Porsha sings the hell out of this song, but she admits it wasn't a song that she totally connected with. I was kind of sensing that during the performance and wish she had 'sold it' a bit more. We're at a point in the competition where you're sometimes at the mercy of the judges, producers, mentors, etc. in terms of song choice and I feel like sometimes you just have to throw yourself into it. 

Judges Say: Harry calls La'Porsha out not believing in what she was singing but Keith and JLo say she killed it anyway. 

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Contestant: Trent Harmon

Song: "Drink You Away" by Justin Timberlake

This is the first time JT has allowed an Idol contestant to cover a song and this one is a doozy. I'm not always sure what Trent is up to with his guitar, but otherwise I'm totally on board with everything he is doing in this performance. He slays this song and easily takes Round 2. 

Judges Say: JLo gives a standing ovation. Keith asks what the guitar was for and JLo says Trent was "singing to win." I would have been even better if she had gone with the throwback "in it to win it!" Harry gives a shout out to the background singers and the band and then tells Trent he did a fantastic job. 

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ROUND 3 - Judges Choice

Contestant: Dalton Rappatoni

Song: "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Tears for Fears 

Really? This is the song that's supposed to help Dalton become the next American Idol? Rayvon put us through a cover of this tune last year and it was only slightly more boring than this one. I think the judges did Dalton a disservice here. 

Judges Say: JLo asks if Dalton lowered the key because she felt like he should have been singing in the higher key. Harry liked how Dalton "re-harmonized" the chords but he says this was not his strongest performance. Keith thinks Dalton could have nailed the song if he had kept it in the original key. 

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Contestant: La'Porsha Renae

Song: "Hello" by Adele

Normally I make some sort of over-dramatic groan when I hear a song choice that ends with "by Adele." The woman can't be touched. However, when I heard that the judges chose "Hello" for La'Porsha, my reaction was a "hellll yeah!" I mean, Adele still can't be touched...ever...but this performance is still pretty fantastic. She had me at hello?

Judges Say: Harry had been holding La'Porsha's daughter during the performance and is all smiles when hands her back to her mama. Keith says the performance was beautiful and JLo loved that La'Porsha had to stretch her vocals for this song. 

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Contestant: Trent Harmon

Song: "Waiting Game" by Parson James

I'll be the first to raise my hand and say I don't know this song. However, Trent's gorgeous falsetto makes this a song I want to hear many, many times. I'd say he and La'Porsha tied for Round 3, though it's entirely possible that he may have had the best night of the Top 3. 

Judges Say: Keith says the song was tailor made for Trent and JLo has goosies. Harry says it's an honor to critique someone with such extraordinary talent. 

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Keith also took the stage tonight to treat us to "Wasted Time" and I never ever get tired of watching those muscles him play that guitar. Here's hoping we hear more from him and the other judges next week along with the many returning former Idol contestants who are set to take part in the series finale. It's going to be quite a reunion! Will the final 2 include a Trent/La'Porsha show down? Will Dalton pull an upset and take one of those spots? Could he win it all? Will there be more tears than goosies? More goosies than tears? We only have a short time til the final episode airs and all will be revealed. Til then!