Review: American Idol Top 10

Tonight was a celebration of Motown. Attending tonight's show, Barry Gordy and Smokey Robinson. Barry Gordy is the founder of Motown Records. Ryan said; Barry Gordy's influence on music brought healing to America, through music." I think one fact is universal. Motown changed the face of music.

Contestants traveled to Detroit Michigan and toured Motown Records, or Hitsville USA as it's been named, aptlyI might add. Hittsville gave us "The Temptations, The Jackson Five, Diana Ross and Smokey Robinson and Stevie Wonder, just to name a few. The idols took a tour of the recording studio, admiring the history that adorned the walls.

Tonight, our ten contestants were challenged tonight to sing classics from Motown. Mentoring this week was Smokey Robinson, an original Motown artist. Smokey gave a little advice to the contestants, but not as much as I had expected. He didn't say much in the way of criticism which was surprising, but perhaps it's because he didn't have any? He genuinely liked them all and their song choices.

Matt Giraud sang;"Let's Get It On"by MarvinGaye. Tonight he played the piano to this sexy iconic ballad. Matt started the song great, only missing one or two notes. His vocals were tender and I loved his rendition of the song. His performance left me feeling good. He was sexy and real. 5+ Stars

Randy said; Great tone and strong falsetto. Kara liked it. She said; "you came out of his shell, but I wish you had pushed your vocals more." Paula said; "sexy cool vibe. Your runs are tasteful, classy and respectful of the melody. Great job." Simon said, "Brilliant choice of song, your voice suited this song and this is the kind of music you should be doing."

Kris Allen sang;"How sweet it is by Marvin Gaye"Kris graced us with his guitar. He looked cute and his vocals were very strong. He seemed relaxed on stage and very confident. The last note was spot on and provided a great ending. 5 stars

Kara said; "you sang the song with artistry. You changed it up and did everything right." Paula said; "she sees his comfort level and infectious personality. Brilliant and I'm proud of you." Simon said; "you have to start believing in yourself. To be a star you've got to be conceited." Randy said; "It's all good."

Scott McIntyre sang; "You Can't Hurry Love" by Diana Ross.

On the baby grand piano, Scott gave us a contemporary version, according to Smokey. His vocals were weak, but better than last week. Up tempo number with backup singers did bring him to life, more so than any previous week. Audience seemed to like it. I'm not a fan of his voice, sorry Scott. 3.5 stars

Paula said, "She loved the cord changes in the beginning." Simon said; "It wasn't a great version of the song. Didn't sound right, completely the wrong song for you. A bit cheap. I think you're better than that as an artist." Randy agreed with Simon "Hotel kind of performance. You're a better singer than that. It was just very average." Kara said, "I thought you brought tempo tonight. You took liberties with the melody but didn't execution them, it was not perfect and it should be with classic songs."

Megan Joy sang;Stevie Wonder's "For Once In My Life" With a full band behind her, she looked great as usual. Her vocals were off and she sang the lyrics too fast. Also, she sounded nervous. Again, she tried to move with the song, but it would appear she has no rhythm. Her voice verged on lousy. Not a good night for Megan and I am very disappointed because she has such an original voice. 3 Stars

Randy called it a train wreck. "It was too rushed and hectic. I didn't feel it." Kara said; "Hit bad notes all over the place, the song took her over, the song dominated you, not the other way around." Paula said; "your stunning beauty takes my breath away. The camera loves you." She agrees, "Not the right song for you." Confusing and uncomfortable." Simon said; "you look good, but it was horrible. Whoever is advising you is giving you bad advice. Bad arrangement. I think you could be in serious trouble after tonight." Ouch Simon!

Anoop Desia sang; "Ooh Baby Baby" by Smokey and the Miracles. This is a classic ballad and Anoop sang sweet and soft, with flecks of sensuality. Falsetto was nearly flawless. It was soulful and sultry for sure. 5 stars

Kara said; "Overall, you did a pretty good job. You have a skill set. I want you to push it more and be more creative." Paula said; "I want to see more confidence. You're doing a good job." Simon said; "Great vocals, but you looked like you were sleeping. A little like someone singing in a musical. You need showmanship. You've had two good weeks." Randy said; "Next week, give me that energy with great vocals. Pitchy here and there, bring it on, get the party on Anoop." Don't you just love Randy?

Michael Sarver sang; "Ain't Too Proud To Beg" by The Temptations.Sounded good in the beginning, but I could hear the struggle in his voice. He belted it out the way Smokey suggested, so overall it was a good performance, with a couple missed notes. This big song may have been too big for our big lug. 3.5 Stars

Paula said; "it felt Las Vegas loungie to me. You need to be dominating that song. Some of the A notes, he was always reaching." Simon said; "I couldn't wait for it to end. You were screaming and shouting the song. You have no chance of winning it based on that vocal."Randy said; "the song was too big for him. It was a little bit corny, wrong song choice." Kara said; "We're looking for an artist and you're not that yet."

Lil Rounds sang; "Heat Wave" by Patti Lupone.She looked amazing with a cute 60's style, reminiscent of Tina Turner. Some notes were dull, and I felt she tried too hard. It was unemotional at times. Her inexperience showed. The end was better than the beginning and overall it was okay. 4 stars

Randy said; "the front of the song was torture for me. Not the right kind of song. It was not my best performance, for me for you." Kara said; "you were the diva tonight, but it wasn't the right song. We need more for you, it was screaming at parts." Paula said; "I disagree with these two. You owned that song." Simon said; "you did an authentic tribute to Motown. Sounded too fast and you could have had a moment tonight, but you didn't. We all know you can sing."

Adam Lambert sang; "The Tracks Of My Tears" by Smokey Robinson. Adam sang unplugged tonight. Wow, he looked beautiful, like a young Elvis Presley. His suit was clean cut and his usual wild hair tamed and slicked back. He hit all the high notes. It was a soft and tender performance. His voice is perfect. Falsetto was perfect. It was a flawless performance. Last note was incredible. Adam received a standing ovation by Smokey and the audience. 5+ Stars

Kara said; "One of the best performances of the night." Paula said; "you have the instinct for the element of surprise. Handsome and classy. You are exciting. You are it." Simon; "The best performance of the night. You tonight have emerged as a star." Randy said; "You sang such tender moments and used everything in your arsenal. Unbelievably hot."

Danny Gokey sang; "Get Ready" by The Temptations. Great showmanship, cute dance moves. Very good vocals, on key and exciting. Energetic on stage and soulful as is his usual. He had fun and threw in a couple moves with the backup dancers. It was a very good performance, one of the best of the night. 5 Stars

Paula said; "you give us a great performance every week." Simon said; "He disagreed and thought it was terrible." Randy said; "good energy and feeling." Kara said; "good, not great. Still a huge Danny fan."

Allison Iraheta sang; "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" by The Temptations. She looked good. I wasn't crazy about the chains on her dress but her hair looked great and her vocals were super strong. Allison has a huge voice. She sings with such ease, like it's so easy for her. Last note was bold, on key and rocking. Really great. 5+ stars

Randy said; "Blazing hot!" Kara said; "Amazing, like you've been singing for four hundred years." Paula said; "You look fantastic, kept your rocker edge. You are awesome, belong in the competition." Simon said; "You are a survivor. That was one of the best performances you've done."

Top 2

Allison Ireheta and Adam Lambert are this week's top 2 performers. Allison didn't do well last week, but this week she must have felt more comfortable with the genre. She rocked that song and sang like a rock star. Sure of herself and strong in voice, Allison is one to be reckoned with in this competition. Adam showed us a tender side this week. His unplugged version of the song was pure emotion. He changed up his usual rocker style and gave us a throwback to the early days of Motown. It seems that Adam really can sing anything...

This was a great show and so much fun to watch. All the contestants gave it their all, some hit them, some didn't, but you just never know what to expect from week to week. Just when I think I've got a favorite, another contestant surprises me. Stay tuned for next week's top 9, I'll be watching and hopefully, you'll check back and read my review!