American Idol judges Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr. automatically advanced four contestants into the Top 10, forcing the remaining 10 hopefuls to duke it out with performances for America's vote.
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During Wednesday night's one-hour broadcast on Fox, the Idol judges revealed they had unanimously decided to put four contestants through to the Top 10. The decision had to be unanimous and ultimately allowed those four artists to relax last night while the rest of the Top 14 sang for home viewer votes in the hope of earning one of the six spots left in the Top 10.
The four contestants whom the judges personally selected for the Top 10 were Trent Harmon, a 25-year-old waiter from Amory, MS; Dalton Rapattoni, a 19-year-old vocal coach from Dallas TX; Olivia Rox, a 16-year-old student from Agoura Hills, CA; and La'Porsha Renae, a 22-year-old call representative from McComb, MS.
Manny Torres, Gianna Isabella, Thomas Stringfellow, Tristan McIntosh, Avalon Young, Jenn Blosil, Lee Jean, Sonika Vaid, Jeneve Rose Mitchell, and Mackenzie Bourg then sang live on television.
The six artists who received the most votes will be revealed during Thursday night's two-hour American Idol broadcast. The Top 10 will then take the stage and perform.
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Last night, Torres sang "Master Blaster" and Urban pointed out it wasn't the right song for him although he has a fighter spirit.
Isabella performed "I Put A Spell On You" and Lopez was surprised by her "sassiness" and how she's coming into her own. Lopez said it's the beginning of an amazing artist and she would've been her No. 5 choice for the Top 10. Lopez told the audience Isabella deserves a spot in the Top 10 because she has incredible potential and room for growth.
Stringfellow sang "Story Of My Life." While Connick said the artist is very talented and it was a good song choice, the judge suggested he gets rid of a "bad habit" in which Stringfellow cracks his voice at the end of notes. Connick called it "annoying."
McIntosh took the stage with "What Hurts The Most" and Urban dubbed it a "beautiful song choice" for her voice. The judges saw a new side to her and Lopez gushed it was better than ever.
Young sang "Yo (Excuse Me Miss)" and Lopez explained it was "smooth like butter" and an overall great performance.
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Blosil performed "True Colors" and Connick was taken aback. He told the contestant she sang it so well and it was a "flawless lyric delivery." In Connick's eyes, Blosil had certainly bounced back from a subpar performance last week.
Jean sang "Make It Rain" and Urban complimented his own "unique and chill" style, just like he's casually walking on a beach. However, Jean's nerves showed a little bit.
Vaid took the stage with "I Surrender" and Lopez got on her feet for the aspiring singer. Lopez admitted Vaid had given her face "goosies," which was a real first, and the way her voice sits in the music is "out of this world."
Mitchell performed a stripped-down version of "Ring Of Fire." Connick explained that while Mitchell is "compelling and interesting," she's also "polarizing" and it wasn't her best performance. Urban quickly suggested the artist needs to "let go" more when she sings because she's so different from everyone else and that's a great thing.
And last but not least, Bourg sang "Roses" and the judges agreed he did a great job -- both singing and playing the tune. They thought it almost sounded like an original song.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski