‘American Idol’ is back for a live night full of magical music as the Top 7 compete with songs from the legendary Prince and tracks that came out in their birth years. Check out our recap of the exciting episode here!
American Idol is all set to make another night of music memories as the remaining seven contestants compete to try and make their way into the Top 5 by episode’s end. With this episode’s theme being Prince songs and birth year songs (the contestants will sing two songs each), it’s sure to feature an eclectic set of selections from the talented hopefuls. Let’s follow along with host Ryan Seacrest and entertaining judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan as we witness more thrilling performances during our recap here!
Tonight the contestants are coached by none other than Nick Jonas and they’re ready to show us what they’ve learned. The night starts with a look back at Prince’s amazing career as the hopefuls get ready to sing some of his biggest hits. Jurnee kicks things off with the very popular song “Kiss” and she’s definitely working it! Her vocals sound so smooth as she sings and struts her stuff on stage in purple (Prince’s iconic color) thigh-high boots. Drummer Sheila E, who regularly performed with Prince, is helping everyone out with their Prince songs tonight and she’s killing it in the Jurnee performance. After the memorable moment, Katy says she likes how Jurnee moved around during the song and Luke likes the song choice.
Gabby Barrett is next and she’s the first up for a birth year song. She was born in 2000 and sings “I Hope You Dance” by Lee Ann Womack, which was a big hit that year. She belts out the lyrics with confidence and a lot of emotion. Katy tells her she previously thought she’s seen a few Gabbys but tonight she realizes there’s only one Gabby. Lionel tells her there was nothing wrong with her performance and thinks she’s fantastic.
Michael J. Woodard brings us back to Prince’s music next and sings “I Would Die 4 U” with a lot of enthusiasm and strong vocals. The judges give him a standing ovation. Luke tells him they see him growing and advises him not to be scared to dance and cut loose. Lionel thinks he owned the song and tells him the sky’s the limit if he works on relaxing. Katy thinks the lyrics explained his story and she tells him she’s living for him.
Cade Foehner is the oldest remaining contestant born in 1996 and he sings Jewel‘s “Who Will Save Your Soul” for his birth year song. He puts a totally different spin on the classic tune and makes it all his own with a true rock sound. Lionel tells him he keeps pushing the envelope with every performance and he’s very proud of him for his rendition of the song. Katy jokes that she thinks her mom, who is in the audience, is on her phone voting for him because she’s obsessed with him. Luke lets him know he always finds his zone even if the songs he sings are out of his wheelhouse.
Catie Turner has a serious fan girl moment when she meets Nick for her coaching but she somehow manages to get through the session. She then takes the stage to sing her birth year song: “Oops!… I Did It Again” by Britney Spears from 2000. Her performance is full of spunk and has a jazzy vibe…
