On the May 10 episode of American Idol, the TOP 7 is revealed, and each remaining artist gets to sing two songs to earn viewer votes: One Disney song, and one song dedicated to the mother figures in their lives for Mother’s Day. Arthur Gunn is the first contestant to be called safe. For his first performance, he sings “Kiss The Girl” from The Little Mermaid, and as always, he puts his own spin on it. The judges love his style and praise his ability to transform from a quiet guy into a “potential superstar singer”
Next, Just Sam makes the top 7, and shows off a gorgeous, glammed-up new look for her stunning performance of “A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes” from Cinderella. Lionel Richie proclaims that Sam is “a star,” and the judges agree that she’s certainly deserving of the top 7. The next singer to get into the top 7 is Jonny West, who sings “Almost There” from The Princess & The Frog. Once again, he shows off his piano skills to go with the vocals, and the judges gush over how “effortless” he once again made the performance look.
Also in the top 7 is Louis Knight. Louis performs The Lion King classic, “Can You Feel The Love Tonight,” and Katy Perry jokes that “Niall Horan better watch out” — because Louis is coming. She also predicts that Louis will be a “massive star” one day. Julia Gargano is the next artist to be called safe. She sings a stunning rendition of the title track from Beauty and the Beast, and although the judges note that it was a little “low” for her range, they make sure to let her know that the performance “was amazing.”
Francisco Martin also makes the top 7. For his Disney performance, he belts out “You’ll Be In My Heart” from Tarzan, while also playing guitar. The judges applaud Francisco for letting go and relaxing during his performance, as they point out that he seems to exude a newfound confidence. Plus, of course, his voice is top-notch as always. The last artist to make the top 7 is Dillon James. He sings “Our Town” from Cars. Katy praises Dillon for taking the advice he was given last week and applying it to this performance, Luke Bryan calls the performance “great from top to bottom.”
Following all seven performances, season 17 American Idol winner, Laine Hardy, returns to the show to close out the Disney segment with an incredible rendition of “Life Is A Highway” from Cars. He sings from his front porch with his acoustic guitar, and reminds viewers why he was named the winner of the show one year ago!
For their next performances, the contestants choose a song to dedicate to the special mother figures in their lives. Arthur performs Bon Iver’s “Hey Ma” for his mom. The song is right in his wheelhouse, and the simple performance truly showcases his unique vocals. Just Sam returns next, and she gets emotional while talking about how important her grandmother is to her. Sam performs a gorgeous rendition of Christina Aguilera’s “I Turn To You” in honor of her grandma, and the judges shower her with praise for how much she’s overcome in life, as well as how much she’s grown on the show.
Next, Jonny returns with a performance of “Amazing Grace,” dedicated to his mom. He puts his own spin on the song by adding some of his own lyrics to honor his mother’s connection to her faith. Jonny’s mom is brought to tears as she watches the performance, and Katy declares that she believe Jonny is the winner of the competition. Next, Louis is back with a performance for his mom. He performs her “all-time favorite song,” “You’ve Got A Friend.” It’s a simple, but stunning, performance, and Katy tears up while letting him know that it was one of his “best performances, hands down.”
Julia is up next, and she sings Adele’s “Sweetest Devotion,” with her mom by her side. It’s an extremely powerful performance, and once again, Katy cries. Luke applauds Julia for “owning it” and giving a “bada**” performance for her mom. Next, Francisco dedicates “River” by Leon Bridges to his mom, and thanks her for standing by him during his toughest times. “From the first note, I would go buy that performance right now, Luke declares, and Lionel and Katy agree that it’s a standout performance.
Finally, Dillon returns, and he gets emotional while thanking his mom for “saving [his] life.” He honors her by singing “Hang On, Hang On” by Amos Lee, and it ends the show on a perfect note. The judges praise Dillon’s mother for helping him get to where he is today, and applaud Dillon for giving such a great performance about something that’s very emotional for him. On May 17, the top 7 will be dwindled down to FIVE artists, who will get to sing in the finale. One will be named the winner by the end of the episode.