American Idol's Top 7 Revealed: Who Made Magic On Disney Night?
American Idol dialed up the corporate synergy on Sunday night, with its Top 10 performing beloved songs from Disney films.
But let's be honest: Before the singing even began, the evening's buzziest performance came from Katy Perry, whose Little Mermaid costume was so restricting, she had to be wheeled down to the judges' dais in an actual hand truck. Only to eventually topple over while seated!
The remaining 10 singers tried their Disney-est to outshine Perry's theatrics, though, as they put their own spins on classic numbers. (Christian Guardino, for one, brought fireworks of the literal and figurative variety to The Lion King's "Circle of Life.")
Still, three singers were sent home without a happily ever after at the end of the broadcast, revealing Season 20's Top 7. Read on for a complete breakdown of Sunday's performances and results — with official videos from each performance to be added when they become available — then drop a comment with your thoughts on the night's events.
ELIMINATED: Lady K
Following her performance of Moana's "How Far I'll Go," Lady K described herself as "overwhelmed" during the song, which might explain the numerous pauses she took while singing (in turn skipping a handful of lyrics).
Luke Bryan called the performance "validating" of why he and Perry saved Lady K last week, but there was unfortunately no second chance for her this time: She was eliminated at the end of the episode.
SAFE: Noah Thompson
In one of the evening's more predictable moves, Thompson performed Toy Story's "You've Got a Friend in Me," which Perry (somewhat mystifyingly) called a reinvention of the Randy Newman hit. But hey, whatever you'd call it, it worked: Thompson's in the Top 7.
ELIMINATED: Emyrson Flora
Flora chose a lesser-known ditty — Onward's "Carried Me With You" — for her performance, trading in her typically moody vibe for something more upbeat and smiley. But the obscure song selection seemed to work against her this time, and Flora later got the boot.
SAFE: Huntergirl
Though Huntergirl has been an Idol frontrunner since her audition, Sunday's performance of "I See the Light" (from Tangled) proved to be another breakout moment for the country singer. All three judges were blown away by her tenderness and elegance, as were voters at home, who gave her a spot in the Top 7.
ELIMINATED: Mike Parker
Parker made the emotional song choice of Tarzan's "You'll Be in My Heart," dedicated to his mother who is currently battling leukemia. Vocally, the performance could probably be summed up by Perry's reaction: "Mike Parker with the key change! And all of that stuff at the end! Who are you? Who are you becoming?" (She meant it positively... we assume.)
But his performance didn't resonate with viewers, and Parker was among Disney Night's three ousted contestants.
SAFE: Nicolina
Nicolina went full villain for her time on the Idol stage, bringing the theatrics with The Little Mermaid's "Poor Unfortunate Souls."
"That was so good, it was scary!" Perry said while crouching behind the dais, never missing a chance to remind us that she was dressed as Ariel. But viewers appeared to agree with Perry's assessment, sending Nicolina into the Top 7.
SAFE: Leah Marlene
Marlene selected Toy Story 2's "When She Loved Me," giving herself Casey Bishop's massive shoes to fill from this time last year. But after deciding not to gamble on playing the piano herself, Marlene delivered a lovely, steady vocal at the microphone, earning herself a Top 7 spot in the process.
SAFE: Jay
Jay was torn between A Goofy Movie's "I 2 I" or Coco's "Remember Me," ultimately settling on the latter tune. Bryan noted that Jay has now given "timeless" performances for two consecutive weeks, and Perry appreciated how he used the entire stage — including the catwalk to the dais — to his advantage. When all was said and done, Jay had nabbed a place in the Top 7.
SAFE: Christian Guardino
Though "Circle of Life" has unofficially belonged to Jennifer Hudson since Idol's third season, Guardino brought his own vocal pyrotechnics (plus actual pyrotechnics) to the Lion King opener. Perry and Bryan, both initially concerned that Guardino would overdo such a big song, were especially pleased with his on-point pitch — and America was, too, handing Guardino the Top 7's final vacancy.
SAFE: Fritz Hager
Hager closed the show with Hercules' "Go the Distance," which, with lyrics like "Where the crowds would cheer, when they see my face," encapsulated his Idol journey perfectly. And he'll indeed continue going the distance in Season 20, having secured a spot in the Top 7.