The American Idol Top 10 will perform beloved songs from the Disney catalog this week for a chance to advance to the Top 7. The episode once again is LIVE COAST-TO-COAST. That means the show will air simultaneously across ET/CT/MT/PT time zones. VOTING begins at 8 pm ET and ends after the last comercial break. At the end of the show, host Ryan Seacrest will announce the 7 singers moving on to the next round.
Go to ABC.com or the American Idol app to vote. Fans can also text their votes. Voting rules and text numbers at the link below:
American Idol 2022: How To Vote For Your Favorite Contestants
The contestants visit Disneyland in Anaheim California, where Dancing with the Stars judge Derek Hough mentored their upcoming performances. The show released song spoilers earlier this week:
American Idol 2022 Spoilers: Top 10 Disney Night Songs Revealed!
After hanging out at Disney with their families, the Top 10 will sing in front of the judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan.
American Idol 2022: Top 10 Contestant Rankings, Poll Results
American Idol 2022: Full Season 20 Schedule (Updated 4/22)
Antics and a pointy pose!
The show opens with a bit on the Sleeping Beauty mirror. Poor Katy isn’t the smartest, prettiest or most talented. Obviously, Ryan is the man behind the mirror.
Next, it’s a special performance of We Don’t Talk About Bruno from the movie Encanto, featuring the Top 10 contestants. AND AT THE END THERE IS POINTING IT’S THE RETURN OF THE POINTY POSE WICH I LOVE. THANK YOU SO MUCH TOP 10.
The judges emerge with Lionel and Luke wheeling out Katy who is dressed in a “Little Mermaid” outfit. They have her on a box cart, which is actually pretty funny. No standing ovations for Katy tonight. The antics continue for Katy, as she falls backward in her chair. A regular Lucille Ball, that one.
Lady K
“How Far I’ll Go” from Moana – The judges saved Lady K last week after she ended up in the bottom 2. Derek helps her flagging confidence, assuring the singer that she deserves to be here. After ending up in the Bottom 2 last week, Lady K is losing confidence. Derek assures her that she deserves to be here. Lady delivers a pretty version of the song. But her secret sauce is soul and jazz. I wish she had gone back to that singing style. This week, it’s another pageant style performance. Also, she’s a little off pitch on the high notes. I’m not sure this performance can keep her in the competition. She’s very emotional as she end the performance.
Lionel admires her growth and says she looks and acts like a star. Katy compares her to Vanessa Williams. “That was a stunning vocal,” she says. Luke is so happy that the judges saved her last week.
Noah Thompson
“You’ve Got a Friend in Me” from Toy Story – He’s never been to a Disney park in his life. And surprise, Noah has a big reunion with his baby son. “I was not expecting that!” He’s dedicating his song to his bud Arthur who persuaded him to audition. Oh look! Arthur shows up at his mentoring session with Derek. It’s a fun, jaunty performance, but nothing special. Noah is best when he sings Americana tinged ballads, full of emotion and authenticity. This performance is a total throwaway. Lucky for him, he’s got people and will probably be safe no matter what.
Katy calls it her favorite performance of his. Hm. “You reinvented that.” REALLY? “Some of your best vocals,” she says. No. Luke liked his vocal choices. “Tons of promise in the future for you.” Lionel calls it the perfect song choice, and he loved the attitude Noah brought to the performance.
Emyrson Flora
“Carried Me with You” from Onward – Emyrson shares how she met Skylar Laine who finished in fifth place on season 11 at Disney World years ago. She thinks Derek is the perfect mentor for her. He helps her with body language and to “hold her focus more.” The song isn’t as well known as some of the other classics, but it’s a lovely performance, It could play on the radio. Additionally, the song is a departure from her usual pop fare. Her vibrato is gorgeous, especially on the last lines.
Luke loved her little “bounce thing.” She’s having fun! True. Her performances have been deadly serious so far. Lionel says that stage presence comes with experience. “Enjoy this ride,” he says. “You’ve come so far,” says Katy. “You’re voice sounds spectacular.”
Derek Hough is in the audience tonight. He calls the contestants “Amazing.” He plugs his Las Vegas residency at the Venetian.
HunterGirl
“I See the Light” from Tangled – “You are so pretty!” Hunter says after meeing Derek. She picks a song from her sister’s favorite movie, Tangled. Oh. Hunter might have a little crush on Derek. Speaking of her little sister, she surprised Hunter at Disneyland. On stage, Hunter is surrounded by strings. I expected a more countryfied arrangement, although there is a mournful slide guitar playing in the background. Her tone is beautiful and simple. No fancy notes, just lovely phrasing evoking emotion. A modulation in the middle of the song allows her to show off her upper register.
Lionel gushes, “That’s your whole career right there.” Katy says, “The magic is real. You have never sounded better…you pushed that vocal. This is your Cinderella moment.” Luke notes she is a country girl that can express beauty and elegance. He can imagine her on Awards shows. Ryan introduces Hunter’s grandparents in the audience.
While he had a moment, Luke sends out prayers to the Judd family after Naomi’s death on Saturday. RIP Naomi. Mental health is no joke.
Jay Copeland
“Remember Me” from Coco – We see Jay’s big reunion with his mom. He’s pretty excited! He also considered the song “Eye to Eye.” He tried that out for Derek, but eventually settled on “Remember Me.” He made the smart choice. The ballad he sang last week was a success. Choosing to sing another keeps the momentum going. The performance isn’t as transcendent as “Lilac Wine” but it is lovely and emotion-laden. His control on the last note was beautiful and impressive.
Katy loved the way he used the stage. “You are just controlling.” Luke called the performance and choices classic and timeless. The judges love his falsetto. Lionel feels that Jay solidified his star status. “That was levels you showed us tonight,” said Lionel.
Leah Marlene
“When She Loved Me” from Toy Story 2 – Leah’s dad surprises her. “We never did Disney things growing up.” Heh. He seems as wacky as she is. She considers playing piano to start it off. She’s more comfortable on guitar, so she’s a little nervous. But in the end, she decides against that idea. A piano player is on stage with her. Better for her to concentrate on those beautiful vocals. Geez. I’VE GOT SOMETHING IN MY EYE OH NO. I’M NOT CRYING YOU ARE. This is another vocal tour de force from Leah. AMAZING. Her phrasing and choices are impeccable. No kidding, I’m welling up, and I RARELY DO THAT.
Luke calls her a great and amazing singer, “You always tell the story perfectly.” Lionel says, “You knocked it out of the park.” Katy calls her growth beautiful. “I’m so proud of you.”
Nicolina Bozzo
Poor Unfortunate Souls” from The Little Mermaid – She and her family have never been to a Disney park. It’s very exciting for them all. Derek gave her advice on how to deliver the DRAMA. She’s looking for a balance between the theatrical and the pop modern world, she says. It’s the first Disney villain song ever sung on Disney Night. The verses are breathy. She’s not leaning into the Evil too much until the second half of the song. She seems to struggle with finding that balance she talked about with Derek, until the second half. Something switches in her brain, and she finally lets it rip near the end.
Katy is very scared, hiding behind her desk. Lionel declares it the BEST DISNEY NIGHT EVAH. “You stole the show,” says Katy. “That’s how you do show business.” She calls it the best performance of the night. Hm. Luke says “great job.” She pulled her punches a initially, but props for choosing a bold and risky song.
Mike Parker
“You’ll Be in My Heart” from Tarzan – His mom is battling Leukemia and he will dedicate the song to her. Derek advises Mike not to be afraid of emotion. The singer is overjoyed when his mother surprises him at the park. He’s shifted into a more soulful sound this week, rather than country. He’s having pitch problems. It’s an ordinary performance until the key changes and he really goes for it. It’s an old school R&B treatment of the song. However, it feels like a misstep. Mike just hasn’t figured out who he is as an artist.
Katy notes the big key change. “We could feel every moment of that.” Luke says, ‘You navigated that amazingly.” Lionel says calls him a “superstar.” His brothers are in the audience.
Christian Guardino
“Circle of Life” from The Lion King – Christian sings for Derek wearing a very goofy hat! Michael Buble calls in to give the singer a boost, calling his rendition “beautiful.” Christian becomes emotional as his mom expresses her pride. The singer has the obligatory gospel backgrounds. But it and the band are SO LOUD. Christian is shouting the song. The yelling is distracting. A little more nuance would have made the song better. But the crowd is going wild.
Luke says “You nailed it. You sang it perfectly.” Lionel says, “You were standing totally in your light, shining bright.” Katy thinks its his best performance yet, “You did confidence.”
Fritz Hager
“Go the Distance” from Hercules – He loves Star Wars and got a hug from Chewbacca. He becomes emotional sharing about leaning on his family. Derek is all in on Fritz’s performance. “FRITZ I AM YOUR MENTOR” he jokes. Fritz has a very very good chance to win it all. He comes on stage and delivers EFFORTLESSLY every time. It’s not his vocal prowess, but his relatability and accessibility. He’s an open book without even trying. He and Leah Marlene could very well end up the Top 2 and I would not be mad AT ALL about that.
Lionel calls him the show’s “surprise package.” Katy says, “AMERICA MUST VOTE NOW. Whatever happens, you got exactly what you came for.” Luke says, “You always just nail it. You understand the dynamics. You aren’t surprising me any more. You deserve to be here.”
RESULTS
The first person in the Top 7 is…Leah Marlene! Also in the Top 7 is Jay, who looks very very VERY surprised. Next is Noah. Also safe tonight is…Fritz! The next person voted through is HunterGirl. Nicolina is next. Christian rounds out the Top 7. No big surprises tonight.
Top 7
Leah Marlene
Jay Copeland
Noah Thompson
Fritz Hager
HunterGirl
Nicolina Bozzo
Christian Guardino
Eliminated
Emyrson Flora
Mike Parker
Lady K
