The American Idol Top 7 of Gabby Samone, Mattie Pruitt, John Foster, Breanna Nix, Jamal Roberts, Slater Nalley and Thunderstorm Artis (ABC Photo)
The American Idol Top 7 will perform Disney songs tonight with hopes of making the Top 5 tomorrow night to sing more songs from Disney.
Of course, tomorrow night they’ll also be closing in on a spot in the Season 23 finals.
Fans will be able to vote once again via text, the Idol app or the Idol website. Be sure to cast those votes before the final commercial break.
Idol Chatter will be posting song-by-song grades after the show.
See also …
Ranking the Top 7 on American Idol
Check out who had the most popular performances last week
American Idol trouncing The Voice in Monday night ratings battle
Song by song grades for the Top 8
Top performances last week
Top performance from two weeks ago
DISNEY ROUND
Gabby Samone, 22, Baltimore, Md.: “How Far I’ll Go” from Moana — Mentor Lin-Manuel Miranda said the song is challenging because it’s both wordy and rangy. I could have done without the flowers in Gabby’s hair. Otherwise, she managed this just fine. And delivered three big more-than-fine glory notes near the end. A rousing way to begin the night. Grade: B+
Jamal Roberts, 26, Meridian, Miss.: “Go the Distance” from Hercules — This song choice is sorta the opposite of Josh King singing “Home” last week, right? Not that I think there’s any danger of Jamal going home. Why? Check out the ending of that performance. My only wish is that the arrangement had been stripped back a bit to make Jamal’s vocal stand out even more. The judges rewarded him with a standing ovation anyway. Grade: A–
Breanna Nix, 25, Denton, Texas: “Reflection” from Mulan — Breanna said she picked the song because she relates it to her Idol journey. She didn’t think she’d make it past the judges, now she’s in the Top 7. Wow, that was a wonderful, wonderful vocal from Breanna. Do that again, young woman, and you’ll be in the Top 5 too. She sings with so much power, and makes it seem effortless. Grade: A
John Foster, 18, Addis, La.: “Almost There” from The Princess and the Frog — Will Moseley, last year’s runner-up, is also a country artist and said Disney Night was one of the most challenging for him. Let’s see how John navigates it. He says he’s never delivered a Disney song for any audience. He starts talking rather than singing, easing into the number. And he eases his way right through it, to the crowd’s delight. Dang, does his voice cut through. Grade: B.
Slater Nalley, 17, Atlanta, Ga.: “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” from The Lion King — The opening got flubbed a bit and I’m not sure Slater followed the game plan, which called for a soft opening to make his booming, expressive vocals more impressive near the end of the song. My least favorite of the Disney performances so far. I have to wonder if Slater might be in danger tonight. Grade: B–
Mattie Pruitt, 16, Engleville, Tenn.: “Remember Me” from Coco — I didn’t love the song choice. But it did remind us that Mattie has more going for her than a distinct voice with an impressive rasp. This young lady has great range too. I would have liked to have seen the song delivered with a bit more emotion. And I’m not sure the performance moved the needle for Mattie, who would appear to be the singer most in danger of going home tonight. Grade: B
Thunderstorm Artis, 29, Nashville, Tenn.: “Colors of the Wind” from Pocahontas — Another pro performance from Thunderstorm. Loved the advice he got from Lin-Manuel Miranda about keeping his wonderful smile in check until the lyrics in the song called for it. Again, I wish the arrangement was more stripped back so we could better appreciate the nuance in Thunderstorm’s performance. Disney Night did not trip up the guy I think should be the show’s front-runner. Grade: B+
MOTHER’S DAY ROUND
Breanna Nix, 25, Denton, Texas: “Like My Mother Does” by Lauren Alaina — Breanna goes country on a song that’s sure to be a real crowd-pleaser. From start to finish, I liked her Disney vocal better. But Breanna pulled this one out with a great extended glory note near the end, followed by a really emotional finish. Well done. Grade: B+
Gabby Samone, 22, Baltimore, Md.: “Home” from The Wiz — Okay, I’m going to call this performance a mixed bag. Vocally impressive? Oh, yeah. Gabby’s vocals can his the stratosphere. With power. But big voices aren’t carrying the day on Idol this year. See Kolbi, Canaan or Filo as examples. And I’m not sure that song choice is going to be a crowd pleaser. Grade: B
Slater Nalley, 17, Atlanta, Ga.: “Don’t Think Twice it’s Alright” by Bob Dylan — Slater needed to bounce back after what I thought was the weakest of the Disney round performances. This one was better. At one point, he played harmonica and guitar at the same time. That can’t be easy. I would still like Slater to be more a little more selective about when to belt. I think the belting would be more effective if he did. Grade: B
Jamal Roberts, 26, Meridian, Miss.: “A Change is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke — Jamal says this was his step mother’s favorite song. She died unexpectedly during Covid. Oh, my. That opening line. Fabulous. And Jamal continued to deliver passion and vocals until the final notes. Carrie didn’t mince word. That performance, she said, if proof why Jamal should continue on the show. Grade: A
Mattie Pruitt, 16, Engleville, Tenn.: ‘Those Kind of Women” by Lauren Alaina — Two Lauren Alaina songs this round? Breanna’s worked much better for her than this did for Mattie. In fact, I think this song choice was misfire and probably ended Mattie’s chances of surviving tonight’s cut. Not one of her better performances. By the way, Idol’s makeover team has done a great job of disguising the fact that Mattie just turned 16. Playing up her youth might have been a more strategic move. Grade: C+
Thunderstorm Artis, 29, Nashville, Tenn.: “Out of the Blue” (an original) — Hooray! Another Thunderstorm original. He says this is a song he wrote about meeting his wife, Faith. He wasn’t looking for love at the time. “She came into my life out of the blue,” he explains. It’s another great original from Thunderstorm. I just love the joy he brings to his performances. Says Lionel: “You’re about to turn your thunderstorm into a tornado.” By the way, for those who loved it, Thunderstorm released that song last August. Grade: B+
John Foster, 18, Addis, La.: “Believe” by Brooks & Dunn — John says his mother always urged him to believe in himself, which is why he chose to sing this song. He’s delivering another solid country vocal. And he just seems so comfortable and self-assured on stage for someone who’s only 18. I’m pretty sure he has nothing to worry about when the results come in. Grade: A–
The artists advancing to the Top 5: Slater Nalley, Breanna Nix, John Foster, Jamal Roberts, Thunderstorm Artis
Eliminated: Gabby Samone and Mattie Pruitt
American Idol Breanna Nix Gabby Samone Jamal Roberts John Foster Mattie Pruitt Slater Nalley Thunderstorm Artis
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May 10, 2025 -
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