The evening started with a beautiful phrase appearing onscreen – "Every superstar begins with a dream" – and then, for some reason, we heard Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata."
But that's not what you want to know: The season's first live results show reduced 24 singers to a top 10 picked by viewers, plus what turned out to be three "wild" saves by the judges.
The American Idol top 10? Keep reading to find out.
They are:
Scotty McCreery, Jacob Lusk, Casey Abrams, Paul McDonald, James Durbin, Lauren Alaina, Pia Toscano, Karen Rodriguez, Thia Megia and Haley Reinhart.
It took the first 70 minutes of the two-hour show to reach that list. Then the judges asked six singers to perform again, and from those they rescued three:
Ashton Jones, Stefano Langone and Naima Adedapo.
Now that we have their names out of the way, we can flashback to the songs that saved them:
Ashton was the first "wild" performer, and strutted defiantly while she sang "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going." "I still LOVE the attitude," said Randy Jackson.
Stefano sang – well, over-sang, but given the pressure it's understandable – "I Need You Now." Jennifer Lopez was seen saying, "Yes," very enthusiastically. Steven Tyler said, intriguingly, "You gilded the lily of your own passion."
And Naima performed the standard "For All We Know" with unfaltering drive, breaking down into sobs at the end – as Tyler was seen giving Jennifer a tiny nudge with his elbow.
The others who sang for their life, and lost, were Kendra Chantelle, Jovany Barreto and Robbie Rosen.
They exited with: Ta-Tynisa Wilson, Lauren Turner – I'm sorriest to see her go – Rachel Zevita (who looked absolutely miserable), Julia Zorrilla, Brett Loewenstern, Tim Halperin, Jordan Dorsey and Clint Jun Gamboa. I record their names for Idol posterity.
All in all, this is a good top 13, with an unusual range of style. I'm rooting for Thia.
While the judges were arbitrating, we were treated to Lopez's new video, "On the Floor," which had a catchy chorus and a nice visual motif of Lopez in silver dancing in front of a gold wall.
But that's not what you want to know: The season's first live results show reduced 24 singers to a top 10 picked by viewers, plus what turned out to be three "wild" saves by the judges.
The American Idol top 10? Keep reading to find out.
They are:
Scotty McCreery, Jacob Lusk, Casey Abrams, Paul McDonald, James Durbin, Lauren Alaina, Pia Toscano, Karen Rodriguez, Thia Megia and Haley Reinhart.
It took the first 70 minutes of the two-hour show to reach that list. Then the judges asked six singers to perform again, and from those they rescued three:
Ashton Jones, Stefano Langone and Naima Adedapo.
Now that we have their names out of the way, we can flashback to the songs that saved them:
Ashton was the first "wild" performer, and strutted defiantly while she sang "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going." "I still LOVE the attitude," said Randy Jackson.
Stefano sang – well, over-sang, but given the pressure it's understandable – "I Need You Now." Jennifer Lopez was seen saying, "Yes," very enthusiastically. Steven Tyler said, intriguingly, "You gilded the lily of your own passion."
And Naima performed the standard "For All We Know" with unfaltering drive, breaking down into sobs at the end – as Tyler was seen giving Jennifer a tiny nudge with his elbow.
The others who sang for their life, and lost, were Kendra Chantelle, Jovany Barreto and Robbie Rosen.
They exited with: Ta-Tynisa Wilson, Lauren Turner – I'm sorriest to see her go – Rachel Zevita (who looked absolutely miserable), Julia Zorrilla, Brett Loewenstern, Tim Halperin, Jordan Dorsey and Clint Jun Gamboa. I record their names for Idol posterity.
All in all, this is a good top 13, with an unusual range of style. I'm rooting for Thia.
While the judges were arbitrating, we were treated to Lopez's new video, "On the Floor," which had a catchy chorus and a nice visual motif of Lopez in silver dancing in front of a gold wall.