This week on American Idol (Season 12, Week 14), the top 5 ladies sang two songs each: one from the year they were born, and one by a famous diva. Read Kidzworld’s recap of the “Top 5 Performances,” which aired on April 17th, 2013 to discover what you missed.
Candice Glover
The show opened with Candice singing a song from 1989, the year of her birth. It was "Straight Up" by Paula Abdul, one of American Idol's original judges. The judges loved how she let it flow yet kept so much control during the song. In her second performance, she honored Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston by singing their powerful duet "When You Believe." Randy admitted it was the best vocal performance of the night and even Mariah said that Candice did Whitney justice.
Janelle Arthur
Also born in 1989, Janelle sang "When I Call Your Name" by Vince Gill, which was the only thing that could put her to sleep as a little girl. Her performance received mixed reviews from the judges, some calling her angelic, while Keith didn't feel the emotion required for this particular song. Her second performance was "Dumb Blond" by Dolly Parton. The judges thought it was a fun song, though at this stage of the competition she needs to pick powerhouse songs. Of all the Dolly Parton songs to choose from, that wasn't the wisest choice.
Kree Harrison
Kree, born in 1990, made an unusual song choice this week when she sang "She Talks To Angels" by the Black Crowes. But this performance, mixed with her Celine Dion diva song choice in the second round proved that, even though she's a country singer at heart, she can sing absolutely anything in any genre.
Angie Miller
Angie sang her first performance - "I'll Stand By You" by The Pretenders from 1994 - on the piano, and earned the first standing ovation of the night, which was a little generous. A large part of that could have been to do with her dedication to Boston before she began. For her second song, she chose Beyonce's "Halo," which she nailed! It was a surprisingly great performance and Keith said that she should definitely make the top 3.
Amber Holcomb
Amber began by singing a Mariah Carey song from the year she was born, which wasn't as powerful as it could have been. It seems like her powerhouse voice is more suited for a Whitney Houston song. Instead of choosing the late Whitney as her diva inspiration, she surprised us by going with "What Are You Doing The Rest of Your Life" by Barbara Streisand. Voters, if you don't know this song, please believe us when we say that it was flawless!
Elimination
So the Top 5 dwindled to 4 on Thursday night with a surprising bottom 2. Kree, who usually hovers in the top 2, joined Janelle in the bottom. But based on this week's performances, the right contestant - Janelle - was sent home.
Have Your Say
Who do you think should have been eliminated? Tell us in our comment section below!
