American Idol song spoilers via an exclusive from TV Line
Jena Irene
Country: Carrie Underwood’s “So Small”
Rock: Heart’s “Barracuda” – Download at iTunes
Alex Preston
Country: Willie Nelson’s “Always on My Mind”
Rock: Neon Trees’ “Animal” – D0wnload at iTunes
Caleb Johnson
Country: Carrie Underwood’s “Undo It”
Rock: The Black Crowes’ “Sting Me” – Download at iTunes
C.J. Harris
Country: Zac Brown Band’s “Whatever It Is”
Rock: The Guess Who’s “American Woman” – Download at iTunes
Jessica Meuse
Country: Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” – Download at iTunes
Rock: Jefferson Airplane’s “Somebody to Love”
Sam Woolf
Country: Shania Twain’s “You’re Still the One” – Download at iTunes
Rock: Imagine Dragons’ “It’s Time”
Performance order via Idol Insider
- Jena Irene – Barracuda by Heart
- CJ Harris – American Woman by Guess Who
- Sam Woolf – It’s Time by Imagine Dragons
- Alex Preston – Animal by Neon Trees
- Caleb Johnson – Sting Me by Black Crows
- Jessica Meuse – Somebody to Love by Jefferson Airplane
- Sam Woolf – You’re Still the One by Shania Twain
- Caleb Johnson – Undo It by Carrie Underwood
- Alex Preston – Always On My Mind by Willie Nelson
- Jena Irene – So Small by Carrie Underwood
- CJ Harris – Whatever It Is by Zac Brown Band
- Jessica Meuse – Jolene by Dolly Parton
UPDATE: It looks like the contestants recorded only ONE iTunes studio recording this week.
TWO Carrie Underwood songs in the country picks! I wouldn’t have imagined Jena picking a song so schmaltzy, but she’s got the pipes for it. “Barracuda” is right in her wheelhouse. Ditto, “Jolene” for Jessica Meuse, but she’s got to connect to make it work. I didn’t even think of The Black Crowes for Caleb. That’s pretty much a no brainer. His choice of a Carrie Underwood song for the country theme is…interesting. Alex could do a beautiful job on “Always on My Mind” but I’m not quite feeling “Animal.” The point of a rock theme should be to sing rock songs in a rock style. Can Alex and Sam pull that off? Or will they be allowed to re-arrange rock songs to fit their singer/songwriter style?