Finalists Compete - Recap

James Durbin, Haley Reinhart, Lauren Alaina, Scotty McCreery and Jacob Lusk are reaching for the Finale in three weeks and they kick off with Ryan saying that this is the final spot and they want to know who is in it to win it. Tonight is “Now and Then” as the theme. Sheryl Crow is the guest mentor with Jimmy Iovine as they get the singers ready.

First round and James Durbin decides on “Closer to the edge” by 30 Seconds to Mars. He gets to sing a little bit with Cheryl and they are happy with what he can bring. He comes out on stage and he plays the crowd and shows off his high vocals. Steven says that he kicked that song’s butt and says that he is ready. Jennifer says that she can tell that James wants it. Randy says that he is showing them where James could be in his recording and says that James is in it to win it. Ryan says that he brought the “Full Monty” on the song.

Next up is Jacob Lusk and he is going to sing “No Air” by Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown. Jimmy likes the idea of a duet song if he can pull it off. He comes out and sings it, but falls a little flat. Jennifer says that there is no doubt that he has the showmanship, but she is struggling with what kind of artist Jacob is. Randy says that he is one of the greatest singers, but says that duet songs are not his way and says that it was a little sharp. Steven says that they are waiting for Jacob to find the niche that is him, but says that he did a great job.

Lauren Alaina is next and she is going to be singing “Flat on the Floor” by Carrie Underwood. She gets some pointers and Cheryl tells her to just stand still during the song. Lauren comes out and shows her attitude in the song. Randy says that is the direction for her and says that he loved it and says that she is in it too. Steven says that she is pushing it up and it was great. Jennifer says that she has to do that every week to make it to the top.

Next is Scotty McCreery and he is going to sing “Gone” by John Mongometry. Cheryl says that she likes Scotty’s voice in it. He comes out and he shows his personality in the song and has a lot of fun on stage. Steven says that up to now, he has been a Puritan and says that he danced with the devil and it showed a whole different side. Jennifer says that he owned the stage and says that it is some American Idol stuff. Randy says that they felt that they were at a Scotty concert and says that he is in it to win it too.

Haley Reinhart is up and she is singing “You and I”, and unreleased song from Lady GaGa that Jimmy suggested. She comes out on stage and sings it the best she can, but falls short of the judges favor. Jennifer says that she loved the way she sounded at the end, but doesn’t think that it was the best advice to sing the song. Randy says that he is not sure if it was the best song for her and says that it is risky to come out with songs that people don’t know. Steven says that she is one perfect song away from being America’s Idol.

Round two kicks off with James singing “Without You”. During rehearsals, James finds it hard to control himself from breaking down. He comes out and sings it without breaking and shows his emotion. Randy says that it is a mark of a true performer and it was emotionally perfect and that is what the audience really feels. Steven says that it was a beautiful song and says that his emotions were incredible. Jennifer says that everyone knows he can sing and says that he is a true artist and is serious about winning this.

Jacob is up and he is singing “Love Hurts”. He is unsure about the rock song, but after hearing Cheryl singing it a little bit, he loves it. He comes out and shows his high vocals like James and it’s good. Steven says that he felt it again and it was a beautiful thing. Jennifer says that he brings out the tricks and brought it home. Randy says that he redeemed himself on this and says that it was a great job. Jacob is put in a happier mood after that.

Lauren is up and she is singing “Unchained Melody”. Jimmy tells her to make it her own. She comes out and shows that she has a tender side to her voice as well. Jennifer says that was a beautiful song sung by her. Randy says that she has proved that she can sing like a bird and calls it a tender moment. Steven says that she is right there and could listen to her all night. She is all smiles after that and Ryan compliments her outfit.

Scotty comes out and sings “Always on My Mind”. After taking the advice from Jimmy to simply sing the way Scotty sings, he does a great job. He comes out and he shows off that deep voice everyone loves. Jennifer says that he shows them that he is a well rounded artist and says that it was so beautiful. Randy says that he is happy to see the tender moments and people are seeing him in the future. Steven says that he has been taking them for a ride and says that it was a beautiful rendition of the song.

Closing the show is Haley Reinhart with “The House of the Rising Sun”. She comes out Achepella and then starts to show her soul and belts out the song. It is amazing and the judges give her a standing ovation and are blown away. Randy says that he loves that every week everyone is slaying it. Haley gets the best song of the night. Steven says that she sold everyone tonight. Jennifer says that song has never been sung like that and it was amazing. The singers have sung and now it is up to America to put the best of the Top 5 through to get down to 4 contestants!

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