It was Disney night on American Idol this week, and the show kicked off the first live coast-to-coast voting of the season. Judge Katy Perry put on her best Ursula costume to watch the Top 10 perform songs from Disney movies.
The contestants got to visit Disneyland and meet with mentor Rebel Wilson before performing. Voting was open in all time zones for the entire episode until the last commercial break.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BrYTkgDKMk
The show ended with two contestants going home, leaving us with a Top 8 going into next week’s show. The judges will be able to save one contestant this season, but chose not to use it this week. Check out all of the night’s performances and find out who went home below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRhSp8MQvRw
Uché
Uché’s mom and sister surprised him at Disneyland after last week’s save from Lionel Richie. He chose to sing “I 2 I” from A Goofy Movie, which Rebel Wilson called an “obscure” choice. Although the judges were unsure about the song, they said it didn’t matter because of his amazing energy. To top it all off, Goofy himself showed up after the performance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzbynqmCEyI
Laci Kaye Booth
Laci’s favorite Disney Princess is Rapunzel, so she chose to sing “I See the Light” from Tangled. Her mom shared how proud she is before the performance. Luke Bryan said she can make any song hers, and said he felt like he was at a real concert. Lionel called it a “perfect song” for her.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XV58Toc6X8
Alejandro Aranda
Alejandro admitted to Rebel that he didn’t actually know the lyrics to his song, “Remember Me” from Coco. He chose to give the track his own unique arrangement on acoustic guitar. Lionel said he embodies “true artistry,” and encouraged viewers to vote. Katy played on the song title by saying she’ll always remember him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ehlU1tUk2E
Alyssa Raghu
Katy’s pick from last week got to hang out with her little sisters at Disneyland before her performance of “Colors of the Wind” from Pocahontas. Katy said she wanted to steal her voice like Ursula. Luke praised her for fighting for her place after almost getting eliminated.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dviz9RLaBLY
Wade Cota
Wade chose to sing “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” from Toy Story. His sister joined him in Disneyland and said he’s been her American Idol since day one. Luke said it was a “glimpse into the future” of what he could be as an artist. Lionel called him a “star” with an instantly recognizable voice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ChQCjVr8RM
Dimitrius Graham
Dimitrius got to spend time with his mom at Disneyland, calling her “my hero.” He chose to sing “You’ll Be in My Heart” from Tarzan, and Rebel advised him to emote more. Dimitrius broke down at the end of the performance, and Katy ran to give him a hug. She said he has “an incredible instrument of a voice.” Meanwhile, Luke gloated about saving him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTZPy97FbCY
Walker Burroughs
Walker chose to sing “When She Loved Me” from Toy Story 2. Rebel advised him to connect the song to himself emotionally. Katy said it was “so impressive,” pointing out how quiet the audience was as he sang. Lionel said it was “as close to a perfect performance as I could ever think of.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0Be2kcV7e8
Madison VanDenburg
Madison chose to sing “How Far I’ll Go” from Moana. She said she felt “super confident” after working with Rebel. “Can you just try to make it look difficult, please?” Luke said after the performance, adding that she “surpassed” everyone else who has covered that song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5hYr99Jjqc
Laine Hardy
Laine chose to sing “Oo-De-Lally” from Robin Hood, which he said his father loves. He put a cool rock ‘n’ roll twist on the tune, and Lionel said he found his “wheelhouse.” Katy reiterated her belief that he could win the whole show, and Luke agreed with her.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqXLNLSdHj4
Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon
Jeremiah’s sister surprised him at Disneyland, which marked the first time one of his family members has visited him during the show. He sang “Candle on the Water” from Pete’s Dragon. Katy said it’s a “pleasure” to watch him sing, and Luke called him a “pro.” Lionel said he’s “owning” his talent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pe8ylGwrJU
Who Made It Into The Top 8?
Interestingly, the last three artists to learn their fate were the judges’ picks from last week — Dimitrius Graham, Alyssa Raghu, and Uché. Alyssa was chosen to go into the Top 8, and the judges chose not to use their save. That means Dimitrius and Uché were sent home.
Words by:
Jill O'Rourke Jill O’Rourke is a contributor at Talent Recap, writing news stories and recaps for shows like ‘AGT,’ ‘The Voice,’ and ‘American Idol.’ She graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in English and Film Studies, and has been writing about pop culture since 2012, with previous bylines at Crushable and A Plus. Jill spends her free time binge-watching sitcoms and daydreaming about life as a hobbit