American Idol

Week 12

Syesha Mercado

Syesha Mercado
Frank Micelotta / FOX / Getty
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Proud Mary

Syesha dons a Tina Turner dress, minus the fringe, for a song that even she admits has been covered "over a hundred times before." The vocal's all right, but the stage moves aren't; she does sort of a half-hearted Tina impersonation, down to the hair-flipping move — although I suppose the lame impression only hurts her with people who've actually seen Tina Turner's act. Still, she falls back on the classic "I was having fun with it" defense in her interview, so I suspect she's not totally happy with the performance either.

— by James Poniewozik

Mercado's second song: A Change Is Gonna Come

Next: Jason Castro >>

Top Three Tuesday

The last three contestants get three tunes each to show their stuff as the contest heats up

The Final Four

One of the remaining four contestants flubs their lyrics during songs from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

5 To Go

Paula Abdul gets confused after Idol changes the format and makes the judges give their verdict at the end of each round

6 To Go

Andrew Lloyd Webber offers his compositions and direction to the singers this week. Who turns out to be the Broadway star?

7 to Go

It's Mariah Carey week. With advice from the diva songstress herself, do the contestants manage to impress the judges?

8 to Go

Tonight's theme brings a selection of "inspirational" songs—but what exactly does that mean to the contestants?

9 To Go

Idol contestants duke it out singing Dolly Parton's hits. Which of the remaining nine put a convincing spin on the country diva's famous tunes?

The Top 10

It's songs from the year contestants were born — basically, the '80s. Will a third stab at the decade be the charm?

The Top 11

This evening brings back more selections from the Beatles. With a second chance, do the contestants make better song choices this week?

The Top 12

The competition is on with the opening of the Lennon/McCartney songbook. Which contestant takes the risks with these classic songs?

8 Women Left

Phil Collins. Journey. American Idol returns to the decade it should have been born in—the 80s—and sees several strong female performances

8 Men Left

It's 80s night, which means—yikes—Wham!, as well as a surprisingly good Lionel Richie cover. So who survives?

The Final 10 Women

Some rocked out and others had their diva moments, but few of the female singers stood out enough to make a big impression during '70s week

The Final 10 Men

We're down to just 10 men, all competing for the chance to lose to whichever woman ends up winning American Idol. Can anyone pull out a strong performance, let alone win this thing?

The 12 Female Finalists

A dozen female finalists try to separate themselves from the pack in the first week of American Idol season 7. Can any of them break out?

The 12 Male Finalists

Season 7 begins in earnest with 12 male finalists that run the gamut from "forgettable" to "karaoke." Still, at least one early favorite has emerged

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