'American Idol': A Soultacular Motown Theme Week for the Top 11

When I first heard it was going to be the songs from Motown on "American Idol" Wednesday night (March 23) I wasn't too thrilled. Usually Motown songs have been overdone in the audition phases, so I didn't want to hear the same old, same old formula this show is notorious for at times. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised and entertained by all the finalists.

Not since Season 8's Michael Jackson Week had all the elements come together. The song choices were interesting as well as some of the stage antics. In some way it took me back to hearing these great songs on the radio growing up too. Normally when there is this many finalists at this point in the competition I usually focus on the excellent and not so good performances. I will mention all of them, because they had something to bring for the Motown Theme Week.

My Favorite Performances of the Night

These five finalists stood out as the best for me based on their songs choices, stage presence and confidence.

Jacob Lusk - One of my all-time favorite Motown songs from the legendary duo of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. I'm glad he chose "You're All I Need To Get By, because of the verse that goes a note higher each time until it reaches the crucial part in the song. He has the vocal capabilities to tackle this challenging song from those extraordinary artists. What a great moment to see Steven Tyler go up and give Jacob a hug. The hug line initiated by Ryan was adorable too.

Pia Toscano - As always she was consistent with her Stevie Wonder song choice "All in Love is Fair." Her performance was spot on as Pia wore a stunning black dress with a very low cut back. Ryan had her show it off for the audience facing the stage while the ones in the seats behind had an excellent view. There was nothing wrong with her vocals though I mentioned this last week in my review she needs to work the stage with an up-tempo song. Naturally all the judges finally stated she needs to change it up from after three great ballads. Whatever the theme is next week I can't wait to see what Pia will bring to her performance.

Paul McDonald - With his guitar in hand he took on a different persona. What a difference a week makes from that other disastrous performance. I agree with the judges when they said he has a unique voice that would make him stand out on the radio and be distinct. I absolutely loved his version of "The Tracks of My Tears" by Smokey Robinson. In my opinion it was better than Adam Lambert's from Season 8 when they had the same Motown Theme Week. You can't help getting caught up in Paul's infectious smile and quirky mannerisms. He is definitely one of their seasoned performers.

Naima Adedapo - Without question this was the most entertaining and unique performance ever on "American Idol." Let me say first and foremost I loved the African dancing she did towards the end. That was absolutely brilliant and highly appropriate since her Motown song was "Dancing in the Streets" by Martha & The Vandellas. Naima was in rare form with her strong vocals, high energy and artistic endeavors, including getting the African drummers to accompany her dance. It was brilliant from start to finish.

James Durbin - If Naima's performance was the perfect showstopper Durbin followed successfully behind in closing out this theme with "Living For the City." That is one of my all-time favorite songs by Stevie Wonder. I thought his stage presence was incredible, the intensity he had in his voice when singing about the frustrations of daily life were excellent and the crowd being on their feet during and after his performance was absolutely amazing.

Other Noted Performances

Casey Abrams - Of all the times I've heard the Motown classic "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye during the city auditions alone, and had a dollar each time, I'd be rich. Casey was the first performer of the night and literally made this song his own. It was unlike anything I had heard before from this overdone song on Idol. I agree with J Lo when she stated there is no one to compare Casey to on the radio. However, to me he is a throwback from the late '60s to the mid '70s artist. He was born in the wrong era.

Scotty McCreery - I worried how he would do during this challenging theme. He actually surprised me with his rendition of "For Once In My Life" by Stevie Wonder. The judges said he sounded like Glen Campbell who had a knack for taking a song from any genre and making it country. Unfortunately his annoying hand gestures and goofy faces throughout the song were distracting from an otherwise excellent performance. Another thing I need to address is his constant contorted posture. He seems to favor one side with his microphone. It's almost to the point I'm getting neck cramps from watching him.

Haley Reinhart - At least this was her best performance thus far. Her rendition of Smokey Robinson's "You've Really Got A Hold On Me" was decent if not a bit too growling. It was uncomfortable to watch her bend over to hit certain notes. My issue is she has the look of one type of person, yet she acts like some completely out of character. All I can say she's an enigma.

The Weaker But Good Performers

Thia Megia - Thankfully she did something up tempo with her song choice of "Heat Wave" by Martha and The Vandellas. It started out really good then she seemed to forget the lyrics by quickly turning around to look at the band. I'm surprised the judges didn't mention it. I think singing ballads are her only niche.

Lauren Alaina - You may want to get out of the kitchen when it gets too hot, because as you rise in popularity with your singing career people will continue to write bad things about you. That's the life of a celebrity. She chose "You Keep Me Hanging On" by The Supremes, because it meshed with her issues on dealing with the bad press. Just like Thia she started off very nicely. Then by the second half Lauren decided to get cute and cheesy with the song. If you listen to the original recording there is nothing cute and coy about the song. It is sung with anger and betrayal.

Stefano Langone - Last but not least his song choice was the most current of the other Motown releases. Stefano sang "Hello" by Lionel Richie in a very different arrangement that wasn't to my liking. Of course vocally he was fine, but he kept closing his eyes too much. Here was a prime example of over-thinking. You could tell when he realized he closed his eyes again. Stefano needs to work more on connecting emotionally to his songs and the audience before anything else.

SOURCES:

American Idol - Official Site for Videos, Photos and Community, American Idol.com

Jim Cantiello, "'American Idol' Recap: The Top 11 Find A Little Soul", MTV.com