‘American Idol’ Recap: The Judges Use Their Only Save Of The Season For 1 Deserving Artist
The top 20 artists are dwindled down to just 11 on the May 3 episode of ‘American Idol,’ and the remaining singers give another round of epic at-home performances that impress the judges.
The May 3 episode of American Idol begins with host Ryan Seacrest announcing the first contestant from the top 20 who will be moving on to the top 10: Louis Knight! Louis gives another solid performance, singing “In My Place” by Coldplay, while also jamming out on the piano. Luke Bryan admits he wasn’t “completely blown away,” but the judges all agree that it was a great song choice and that Louis did a good job. The next person to be called safe is Julia Gargano, who sings “New York State of Mind” by Billy Joel. Since she’s from New York, it’s the perfect tune to represent her city during these difficult times. The judges give Julia a standing ovation, and Katy Perry even gets on her knees to bow down.
The third artist in the top 10 is Jovin Webb. Jovin performs “Voodoo” by Allen Stone, which is the perfect representation of his New Orleans roots. The judges are impressed, and Luke even lets Jovin know that it was his best performance of the season so far. The next singer to be called safe is Grace Leer, who almost didn’t even make the top 20! This week, Grace sings “Somewhere Over The Rainbow,” which is a song she’s been singing since she performed in talent shows as a child. It’s a stunning rendition of the song, and the judges love the powerful, bold performance, which is different from what viewers have seen from Grace so far.
Up next is Jonny West. Jonny sings “Faithfully” by Journey, while also playing piano. The performance leaves the judges in awe, and Lionel Richie praises Jonny for coming out of his shell and transforming from the “shy guy” to the “sexy guy.” Just five spots are left in the top ten, and the next contestant moving on is Sophia James. Sophia sings “In My Room” by the Beach Boys…from her actual room! The judges compliment Sophia for the performance, and assure her that she has a career in music, no matter what happens.
The seventh member of the top 10 is Arthur Gunn, who sings “Take Me Home Country Roads.” However, he puts his own unique, reggae spin on the song, and it works in his favor. In addition to praising Arthur’s vocals, the judges also applaud him for connecting more with the cameras this week. Up next is Just Sam, who gets super emotional after learning she’s in the top 10. Sam performs Bill Withers’ “Grandma’s Hands” as a dedication to her grandmother. As always, the judges are impressed by Sam’s range, and they also point out how much she’s grown.
Next, Dillon James sings a stunning rendition of “Yesterday” by The Beatles, while also playing his acoustic guitar. Katy and Luke give him some constructive criticism regarding the bet way to perform under the confines of being at home, but overall, the judges are impressed with Dillon’s artistry, as always. The final artist in the top 10 is Francisco Martin. Francisco sings James Arthur’s “Falling Like The Stars.” Katy is brought to tears by the performance and praises Francisco’s believability, and the other judges agree that he really brings out the emotion in every song.
The judges have ONE save that they can use this season — tonight is the ONLY night it can be used, although the judges can choose not to. However, they opt to do so, and pick Makayla Phillips as the recipient. Makayla closes out the show with a gorgeous performance of “The House That Built Me” by Miranda Lambert. Now, the fate of these ten artists is in America’s hands. Only seven will move on during next week’s Mother’s Day episode of American Idol on May 10 — so get those votes in!