‘American Idol’ Recap: Disney Night Gets Magical As America Votes For The Top 7

‘American Idol’ Recap: Disney Night Gets Magical As America Votes For The Top 7

‘American Idol’ is back for episode 15 and the top 10 are ready to give it their all by singing Disney movie anthems in the hopes of impressing viewers and getting a spot in the top 7. Check out our recap of the exciting night here!

It’s Disney night for American Idol! That means the top 10 contestants are back on stage to perform some of the most popular and loved songs from classic Disney films! From The Lion King to Pocahontas, we’re ready to reminisce about our favorites through the power of songs and the talent of the contestants before three have to be sent home by the end of the night. We’re following along with the show live right here!

The show opens quite appropriately with judge Katy Perry wearing a Cinderella dress and singing “Wish Upon A Star” as as she walks beside the contestants. Host Ryan Seacrest excitingly starts things off by introducing the live audience in the studio and at home to the judges. Katy returns this time dressed as Disney character Snow White and she walks out with fellow judges Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan. Talented singer Idina Menzel,who is known as the voice of Elsa in the Disney favorite Frozen, acts as mentor to the contestants to help prepare them for their big Disney night before the performers take the stage.

Maddie Poppe is up first on the magical night and she sings “Bare Necessities” from The Jungle Book. Katy is loving the performance as she dances and sings along while Maddie smiles and plays her ukulele. Lionel thinks she’s coming of age right before his eyes and Katy tells Maddie in her best Snow White voice that she did a great job. Luke thinks her voice is timeless and congratulates the young and talented singer.

Jurnee takes the stage next and after spending a fun-filled day at Disneyland with her mom, she’s ready to perform her best. She sings “How Far I’ll Go” from Moana and looks like she’s enjoying herself as she belts out the lyrics with smooth vocals and a lot of feeling. Katy tells her she seems very connected and vulnerable, which is a strength. Luke advises her to not let the fact that she wasn’t voted through by the public last week to get to her because she’s great and needs to keep believing and striving, Lionel couldn’t agree more and could tell she was singing from her heart. Ryan briefly mentions that it’s been a difficult week for Jurnee since her wife just got deployed to go to a dangerous place. He wishes her well and Jurnee walks off stage thanking everyone.

Cade Foehner is next and he brings his own unique rock sound to the classic song “Kiss the Girl” from The Little Mermaid. His swoon-worthy vocals and laid back vibe definitely brings a smile to the judges’ faces. Luke commends him for showing them another side and thinks he can bring the rock n’ roll genre back. Lionel tells him he brought instant identity to the table and he loves what he’s doing. Katy felt like the only person in the room and compares his song to a Cadillac. Ryan sparks up some friendly drama when he asks Cade if he had anyone in mind when he was singing his Disney song. “Possibly,” he embarrassingly answers before Ryan asks him who it is and hints that it’s someone backstage in the lounge. The camera then shows fellow contestant Gabby Barrett, who has been rumored to be dating Cade, covering her face and laughing. Katy hilariously pretends to be mad and keeps asking why she didn’t win his heart instead.

Ada Vox is ready to take on her performance next. She sings the popular song “Circle of Life” from The Lion King. Her powerful vocals and starry-eyed presence adds magic to the atmosphere and Katy and Lionel give her a standing ovation when the performance ends. Lionel tells her she is so special to the show and Katy thinks she really embodied her persona. Luke agrees and thinks she did a good job.

Michelle Sussett gets a sweet surprise when her aunt comes to see her in the days before her performance and she’s thrilled. She goes on to sing “Remember Me” from Coco with a mix of her Venezuelan roots and some serious sensual style. Katy thinks she’s such a star and will never forget her no matter what happens. Luke tells her she nailed it perfectly and is truly a singer. Lionel thinks her true identity just came through and he loves that she’s owning who she is.

Gabby is next and her Disney song is “Colors of the Wind” from Pocahontas. She sings with a lot of passion and emotion during her performance and smiles big when she finishes. Luke tells her she has all of the tools to win the competition and Lionel says she has star quality. Katy thinks she already has the country twang down but she showed she also has pop stardom in her tonight as well.

After an incredible first time at Disneyland, Michael J. Woodard performs next. His song of choice is the timeless “Beauty and the Beast” and he inspires the audience to sway their hands in unison as he starts singing the lyrics with a croon before it turns into a serious belt with a huge vocal range. All three judges give him a standing ovation before Lionel takes the moment to tell him he loves him. Katy also expresses her love and compares his vocals to Michael Jackson and Frank Ocean. Luke simply says, “Be you” and Michael expresses his gratitude.

Before the amazing performances continue, the judges talk with each other about an experience Luke had a concert in Australia that involved a “shoey” which is when someone pours their drink into their show and drinks out of it. Katy then takes it upon herself to do exactly that with her own high heel shoe and the water she has under the table hilariously shocking everyone.

Caleb Lee Hutchinson performs “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” from Toy Story and brings his country charm along with him. He gets through the song, which he says he’s singing for his dog, Hershey, with a friendliness wrapped in incredible charisma while playing his acoustic guitar. Katy tells him Randy Newman would be so proud and his performance was friendly. Luke thinks it was the perfect song choice for him and Lionel tells him his voice and his smile is all he needs. Before he walks off stage Ryan brings up an adorable photo of Hershey watching Caleb singing the song on television and Caleb can’t help but smile and point out that he’s a chunky boy “just like his dad!”

Catie Turner has a blast with her mom on a Disneyland roller coaster before taking the stage to sing her Disney song. She brings her strong vocals to the song “Once Upon a Dream” from Sleeping Beauty. Her gorgeous dress and sparkling confidence makes her performance a memorable one. Lionel tells her she’s just taken them on a magical journey and Katy thinks she went from a girl to a woman during her performance. Luke comments about how she sings from a part of her soul that just flows out of her and it’s inspiring.

Dennis Lorenzo is the last performer of Disney night and after his daughter, who he hasn’t seen for two years, surprises him in the days before the live show, he’s brought to tears. He spends time with her and has a lot of hope for his performance. As he takes the stage, he sings “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” from The Lion King and his vocals bring deep emotion to the room. Luke tells him he had a home run with his performance and Lionel loves the way he steps it up as a dad. Katy jokingly eats an apple just like her character Snow White and tells Dennis she’s stress eating and hopes it makes the end result easier.

It’s time for three people to be sent home based on America’s live votes. As the numbers get tallied up, the top 10 contestants have a lot of hope and a lot of nerves. After a lot of tight votes, the first person to go on to the top seven is Caleb followed by Gabby. Michael gets a spot next and Cade joins him. The fifth person in the top seven is Maddie followed by Catie. The final person in the top seven is Jurnee which means Michelle, Dennis and Ada sadly have to go home.