American Idol: Week 3 Preview

The top 10 contestants on "American Idol" will pay homage to 50 years of Motown this week, which will give the soulful singers plenty of material to choose from -- like Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, and Rick James to name a few. The singers also got a Miracle this week with Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member and Grammy Award winner Smokey Robinson lending a helping hand.

The purpose of the various themes each week is designed to test the singers, expand their horizons, and attempt to make them a more rounded performer musically; otherwise it would become very boring and monotonous listening to the same thing each week. Past seasons have seen singers who sounded the same no matter what the theme was; such singers were eliminated early on in the season. The themes provide a much needed variety to the show.

The Idol hopefuls got an extra day this week since the show will air on Wednesday instead of Tuesday and the results on Thursday where Smokey Robinson will perform (President Barack Obama is speaking on Tuesday), but will give them one less day the following week. The returning "American Idol" this week is season two winner Ruben Stoddard who will perform his newest single "Together". This season "American Idol" plans on bringing back an Idol alum each week to perform on the results show.

This season, besides having one of the strongest group of performers to date, also has a new twist - the save rule. In seasons past, there have been those who felt some of the strong performers were voted off too early, for whatever reason, the save rule gives the judges the opportunity to save an artist once from being let go too soon. Each singer can be saved only once in the season and only until the top five when there will be no further save opportunities. So far the judges have not saved anyone; but judges were considering a save for last week's elimination Alexis Grace. Simon Cowell told Alexis that whether or not she would be saved depended upon her performance of her song. Grace's performance did not improve from the previous night. Grace's song choice during Grand Ole Opry week was "Joline" by Dolly Parton. If a singer is saved one week then at some point two singers must be eliminated in a following week in order to maintain the proper program schedule for the season.