American Idol’s Top 3 Revealed Live on Disney Night! Are the Right Singers Going to the Finale?
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American Idol sent its own Fab Five to the most magical place on Earth this week for inspiration ahead of the most highly anticipated event of the season — which also happened to be the last live show before a winner is crowned.
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We’re talking about Disney Night, a time-honored tradition in which the show’s contestants get to crack open Mickey Mouse’s iconic songbook and perform timeless standards like “Part of Your World” from The Little Mermaid, “Almost There” from Princess and the Frog… and a handful of classic rock songs that just happen to be featured in movies like Guardians of the Galaxy and Indiana Jones. (Does anyone else feel like this setlist was seriously lacking in pixie dust? Miley Cyrus’ “The Climb” is more of a Disney classic than most of the other songs we heard tonight.)
Neither Luke Bryan nor Lionel Richie dressed up for Disney Night (shocker!), so Katy Perry got gussied up enough for the whole panel, taking the stage dressed as Cinderella right after her stepsisters have ripped her mouse-sewn dress to tatters. But that wouldn’t have been enough, certainly not on Katy’s last-ever Disney night; before taking her seat, she transformed into Cindy’s full-blown ball gown.
Read on for a complete breakdown of Sunday’s results, including which three singers are heading to next week’s Season 22 finale, and which two contestants had their Idol journeys cut short right before the finish line. When you’re done, drop a comment with your thoughts on the Top 3 and vote for the person you want to win.
SAFE: Abi Carter
Abi kicked — or should we say flipped — off the night with the mermaid empowerment anthem “Part of Your World,” a song you can tell she’s been singing all her life. The vocals were big, as were the theatrics, but it all worked in a very Disney way. It was also a fun blend of the original arrangement and the updated live-action version. Abi gave us the best of both worlds, as they say, and what could be more appropriate for a song from The Little Mermaid?
TVLINE’S GRADE: “A”
Abi was feeling the Fleetwood Mac fantasy with her second Disney Night song, “The Chain,” as heard on the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 soundtrack. It was a far bolder choice than “Part of Your World,” and it really allowed for her to let loose and show us what she’s capable of. The voice, the confidence, the presence — it was solid. And like Katy, we couldn’t help but think back to the Abi we met during auditions. The growth!
TVLINE’S GRADE: “A”
ELIMINATED: Triston Harper
First of all, can we take a minute to appreciate “Almost There” as one of the few (if not the only) Disney princess songs that actually stresses the importance of working to make your dreams come true, as opposed to simply wishing on a star? OK, minute over. Now let’s take another minute to appreciate Triston’s easy, breezy take on this Princess and the Frog jam. He’s always been a jaw-dropper in this competition, so now we’re just enjoying watching him having fun up there. In some ways, it feels like he already won the competition — this week’s performances were just gravy.
TVLINE’S GRADE: “A”
Of all the non-Disney songs included in this year’s Disney Night, “Life Is a Highway” got the biggest eye roll from us. (Maybe we’ve watched SNL’s “Rocket Dog” sketch one too many times?) But we’ll be darned if Triston’s charming performance didn’t change our minds about this overplayed tune, if even temporarily. And did we imagine that, or did Lionel totally hit on Triston’s mom? Either way, a good time was had by all.
ELIMINATED: Emmy Russell
Emmy once again did a duet with her nerves this week, delivering a lackluster performance of “The Climb” from Hannah Montana: The Movie. We’re not sure what “animal” guest mentor Kane Brown saw in Emmy during their rehearsals, but it was nowhere to be seen when she took the stage. Luke Brown applauded her for attempting notes she wouldn’t have even approached earlier in the competition, but he didn’t say that she nailed them.
TVLINE’S GRADE: “B”
Like night and day, Emmy returned to the stage for her second Disney Night song with a confidence unlike anything we’ve seen yet. Her performance of Brandi Carlile’s “Carried Me With You” (From Onward? If you say so!) was an absolute delight. Fun, sweet, and vocally safe, it was a good time. More importantly, she actually looked like she was enjoying herself.
TVLINE’S GRADE: “A-“
SAFE: Jack Blocker
Jack Swagger? Jack Attack? Whatever you want to call him, this absolute gentleman charmed the pants off America tonight with his soulful take on “Nobody’s Fool” from Cars 2, another timeless Disney tune. He was fully in his country bag with this one, delivering a polished, professional performance — and working in some serious moves throughout.
TVLINE’S GRADE: “A”
Jack’s masterful handling of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” was so undeniable, we can’t even be mad about it being chosen for Disney Night. The riffs, the runs, the energy — to borrow an overused phrase from the judges, he really made this his own, which is no easy feat when you’re doing Bowie. Extra points for the glittery jacket.
TVLINE’S GRADE: “A+”
SAFE: Will Moseley
Toy Story 4‘s “The Ballad of the Lonesome Cowboy” certainly wasn’t the most exciting song Will could have chosen for his first Disney number — nor was his decision to spent most of the performance sitting on a stool in the middle of the stage — but it was definitely in his wheelhouse. The judges kept talking about Will’s “little fumble,” but we barely even noticed.
TVLINE’S GRADE: “A-“
Closing out Disney Night with *checks note* Steppenwolf’s “Born to Be Wild” from *checks notes again* D3: The Mighty Ducks? It’s not a choice we would have made, but we also have nothing negative to say about Will’s expectedly solid performance. It fit his voice perfectly, and he nailed it without breaking a sweat.
TVLINE’S GRADE: “A”
Now that we know which three singers are competing in the finale, vote for the one you’d like to see standing when the confetti falls:
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