“American Idol” delivered a fiery episode Sunday night, which saw the top 12 take on songs from artists in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Mentored by Adam Lambert, the contestants raised the bar by giving stellar performances for judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie. Fans voted during the broadcast, which aired live coast-to-coast, for their favorites, and host Ryan Seacrest revealed who made the top 10 at the end of the episode.
Here are the highlights for the contestants from Mississippi:
Colin Stough
Colin Stough, an 18-year-old HVAC technician, rocked out to “Midnight Rider” by The Allman Brothers Bands.
The judges loved his performance and encouraged him to let go more when he’s on stage.
“This song is, like, probably written by someone who’s committed a crime,” Perry said. “I loved it for you… I wanted you to just kind of attack it with that feeling, but you sounded great as always.”
“You do what the music and your vibe tell you to do,” Bryan said. “Work on really getting comfortable.”
Richie encouraged Stough to get more “nasty.”
“There’s something about when you just let it go,” he said. “That’s a nasty song, it’s a nasty group, and you’ve just got to get nasty if you want to sing it.”
Zachariah Smith
Zachariah Smith, a 20-year-old grill cook, crushed “Don’t Bring Me Down” by Electric Light Orchestra, bringing the high energy he’s become known for on “Idol.”
“You brought the party to the stage,” Richie said.
Perry complimented his authenticity, saying “You’re just Zachariah, and there’s no one else like you.”
Bryan seemed exhausted after all the stellar performances.
“I need a drink,” he said. “I need to chill out. I feel like I’ve been in a two hour treadmill stair-climbing session. They are killing it.”
Who went home?
With over 22 million votes counted, Lucy Love and Nutsa did not make the top 10.
