Sunday was what host Ryan Seacrest called "the most magical night of the year" on American Idol Season 22, as the top five sang two songs each from Disney films. And when I found out that maverick singer-songwriter Jack Blocker was covering the almighty and untouchable David Bowie, I thought maybe he was doing something from Jim Henson's Labyrinth. But, no, Jack was taking on one of the most Bowie songs that ever Bowie'd: "Space Oddity," from the Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny soundtrack. (Seemingly every song ever has been in some Disney movie, so the contestants played it a little fast and loose with this week's theme.)
"Space Oddity" was a brave and bold choice — Bowie and his estate have been notoriously choosy when it comes to clearing songs, and the only time Bowie was covered on a live Idol show (as opposed to during the auditions, like Julia Davos's "Life on Mars" this season) was when "WGWGs" David Cook, Kris Allen, Lee DeWyze, Phillip Phillips, and Nick Fradiani performed a tribute medley on the Fox farewell finale in 2016. But that obviously wasn't a competitive episode; those guys were already crowned champions who didn't need any votes.
So, Jack's performance had the potential to backfire spectacularly and have Bowie fans crying blasphemy and sacrilege — but if he pulled it off, there was potential for magic, and not just the Disney kind.
And... he pulled it off.
Jack was so respectful, standing still and stately with his Chris Isaak crooner suit and six-string, never trying to be flashy or wacky. He just let his most-peculiar storyteller's voice, quiet smolder, and steely gaze convey the story of a lost, drifting cosmonaut. The performance ended too early for me, honestly — I was ready for Jack's to start jackhammer-strumming that acoustic guitar, I was so caught up in the moment and in his spell.
Judge Katy Perry, all glammed up as ultimate Disney princess Cinderella, looked thrilled by Jack's cover of glam-rock's prince, giving him a standing ovation as she marveled, "That was a trip. Surprise is the best form of attack, and you just kept on surprising all of us. I don't think anyone is going to the bathroom during your performance. No one is getting up to get a sandwich. Everyone is glued to the television, because you bring that exciting feeling, that lifeforce energy." Luke Bryan, who along with Lionel Richie was also on his feet, told Jack, "I really loved your approach on that. Whatever you're doing, you're able to capture it in your character." And Lionel declared: "Ground control to Jack Blocker! You have liftoff, my friend. And I think you're actually enjoying this ride."
This star looked very different today, indeed. I now predict Jack is going to win Season 22, and I think he deserves to win. If he'd been around in Season 15, he would have been right at home singing next to David, Kris, Lee, Phillip, and Nick on that finale.
And so, that meant that American Idol wasn't the Happiest Place on Earth Sunday for country singers Triston Harper and Emmy Russell, who — surprisingly, given this show's country-skewing voting history — both went home. But it was probably their time to go. While Emmy did shockingly well with former Disney starlet Miley Cyrus's big, belting power ballad "The Climb" (I think Emmy even shocked herself) and "Carried Me With You" from Onward, with just one week to go before the finale, she still couldn't silence those intrusive thoughts and believe she deserved to be here — even after beating out so many other arguably technically superior singers to make it this far. She simply was not ready for prime time, let alone ready to be the next American Idol, and when Luke critiqued her second performance, his usual weekly pep talk sounded more like a goodbye, as he advised Emmy: "Start holding your shoulders back and being proud of what you've done in this competition and what you're going to do for the rest of your life. The sky's gonna be the limit."
Triston seemed relaxed and like a natural on his first song, the old-timey New Orleans jamboree "Almost There" from The Princess and the Frog, unlike some of his past cringey, gyration-heavy performances. He didn't have to try too hard to, as guest mentor Kane Brown put it, "use his adorableness to win all the ladies over." Lionel even called Triston "Mr. Entertainment himself." Triston tried to amp up the entertainment factor even more for the Cars hit "Life Is a Highway," but I'd wish, after a vignette showing him having a touching, teary Mother's Day conversation with the mom who's sacrificed so much for him, that he'd done something more weighty and somber. That might have made the difference in what was probably a close vote. But Triston is only 15, and he needs a few more years to grow. The judges predicted he'd one day be on a highway — on his own concert tour.
So, that brings us to the rest of the Disney performance by the final three, who'll be mentored next week by Jon Bon Jovi. I'm not sure how qualified Jon is to be a mentor, because I still haven't forgotten how he didn't "get" Blake Lewis's beatboxed "You Give Love a Bad Name" cover in Season 6, which of course went down in Idol history as one of the series' most iconic and game-changing performances. But I digress. Here's how the rest of Disney Night went:
Abi Carter
This self-described Disney fanatic started with "Part of Your World" from The Little Mermaid (adorably dedicated to her little sister Ariel, sitting in the Idol studio audience for the first time this season). And she was little a baby Adele Dazeem, singing with such purity and clarity and total commitment to the character. It was obvious that Abi grew up watching and rewatching this much-loved movie. And the moment when she elegantly and effortless caught a piece of falling confetti was a little bit of genuine Disney magic. Luke said this performance "really put me in the moment," Lionel said Abi's voice was "custom-tailored for the Disney songbook," and Katy told Abi, "A dream is a wish your heart makes, and your dream is coming true." I did miss Abi's rock edge here, but I figured she'd bring it back for her second performance.
...And I was right! Next, Abi did Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain" (I don't consider that a Disney hit either, but it was on the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 soundtrack, so OK then). Abi was really feeling this, locked into what Luke called "diva mode" and what Abi called her "alter ego." She was rocking a Grande ponytail and some made-for-walkin' Nancy Sinatra boots, interacting with the band and audience, staring down the camera lens to connect with the audience at home, and just wailing up a storm. I wouldn't be surprised if Stevie Nicks wrote one of her famous Instagram essays about this, the way Stevie did after she first saw Alejandro Aranda perform on Idol.
Jack Blocker
"Jack's got the swagger about him that I don't think he knows yet," said Kane. Oh, I think Jack knows, and I think he's always known — it was just the judges who didn't see it. But this guy is nobody's fool, and when he crooned Brad Paisley's "Nobody's Fool" from Cars 2 for his first performance, he was in full old-school Opry mode, sort of equal parts Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley — a sexy rockabilly nerd. Jack is a rock star, but he's just endearingly, relatably awkward and goofy enough to not alienate viewers. "You got that swag. It's just fun to see you free with all that. That is not what we thought you were earlier in the competition," Luke admitted. "If you win this thing, this is going to be a real Cinderella story," the once-doubting Katy told Jack.
Will Moseley
Will said Toy Story 4's "The Ballad of Lonesome Cowboy" was different from anything he'd ever done before, even though it's a Chris Stapleton song, and he's practically become a Stapleton impersonator this season. But Kane coached him to sing this one more soulfully, and while I'd hardly call this a massive departure for Will, he did stretch himself vocally... until he completely missed his line when he temporarily left his stool (was he supposed to do that?) and had to pause while the band caught up with him. Oops. He handled the flub with grace and kept on trucking, but this was a big mistake to make at such a crucial, late stage in the game. The judges claimed that no one even noticed, but I did, and a lot of viewers probably did too.
However, Big Mo rocked it up for the show's closing performance, doing "Born to Be Wild" from D3: The Mighty Ducks. This was probably one of the bigger chances he'd taken, and I appreciated it, since he really was starting to plateau. Steppenwolf suited his country-outlaw style well, and it got him working the stage in a way he refused to (or was afraid to) on last week's Dance Night. Will was a country-rock star here, and if he was ever at risk of going home tonight, this performance is what saved him.
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