'American Idol' Season 14 Recap & Review: Shi Scott and Three Other Ladies Head Home While the Top Eight Perform

The American Idol crew was in Detroit for the final night this episode to see which eight young ladies would be moving on in the competition. Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr. were treated to another batch of Motown tunes tonight, March 5. We'll have to wait until next week's return to Hollywood to see what the contestants will be singing.

One of the girls asked Aretha Franklin in a pre-taped segment if she ever misspelled "respect" while performing. Please don't ask questions like that. You're not doing Idol any favors. Or maybe you are. Either way, it's a poor question to ask THE QUEEN OF SOUL.

Fans of Shi Scott, Shannon Berthiaume, Lovey James and Katherine Winston were disappointed to see their favorites exit the competition. Scott deserved one more round. It was about time for everyone else.

Here are the top eight ladies ranked worst to best:

8. Alexis Gomez tried "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" by The Four Tops. Eh. She squeaked in at the end of the show. The performance was inconsistent. It could be the end for her next week.

7. Idol didn't make you wait long to hear Tyanna Jones. She chose "Rockin' Robin" by The Jackson 5 and while she had a spectacular performance, the song was a safe choice. She could have killed a soul ballad (perhaps by Franklin). Jones finished the pop tune strong. "What can't you sing?" Connick joked. Valid question.

6. Maddie Walker showed up with a stunning rendition of another Jackson 5 song, "I'll Be There." She added some twang to the Motown staple, but it was subtle enough that it didn't overwhelm listeners. She sang her heart out but looked a little stiff (it was no easy task to follow Lott and Jones, but she shined finally). She needs to ditch those nerves though.

5. Jax took a risk with her version of Marvin Gaye's "Ain't No Mountain High Enough." The jazzy rendition of the track was awesome. She made the song her own. However, it was a questionable arrangement from the standpoint that "Ain't No Mountain" is such a well-known tune. J.Lo agreed. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Connick called it "dull." That's going a little too far. She's a fan favorite though.

4. Adanna Duru's "Hello" by Lionel Richie was a wonderful choice for her vocals (J.Lo disagreed). It sounded like she's sang the tune a few times before. Duru channeled her inner Whitney Houston during the whole thing. Urban was the only judge who enjoyed it completely. She'll tighten things up if she makes it through.

3. Loren Lott executed a fun performance with "I Wanna Be Where You Are" by Michael Jackson. She's so talented and she's only going to get better as the competition goes on. Lott was so happy afterward, and America feels her genuine excitement. Connick argued that Lott's showing raised an already high bar. Agreed.

2. Sarina-Joi Crowe took on a Miracles song, "You've Really Got a Hold on Me." The performance consisted of just her and a bluesy guitar. She needs to concentrate on not trying to over sing her tunes. Crowe got a little pitchy at times. "You're probably the best singer here," J.Lo said.

1. Joey Cook made a wise choice with "Shop Around" by The Miracles. Rather than choosing a well-known tune to make it her own, she chose one the average Idol fan might not know and made it her own. Again, she wins for the most unique performance of the night. Her vocals were superb. Cook seemed like she wasn't confident in her ability to make it this far. Regardless of what happens, she just may be on her way to some sort of recording contract.

Tags

Jennifer Lopez, Harry Connick Jr., Keith Urban