American Idol’s Top 11 Create Motown Magic

People.com
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It was a night of Motown – music that, in the words of Steven Tyler, inspires “the rhythm of the kiss” – and also one of the most important nights of the season: The top 10 that will be announced Thursday go out on the American Idol tour.

The performance caliber was pretty high – the word “pitchy” was not heard all evening.

Jacob Lusk, who’s always quivery with soul and gospel, sang “You’re All I Need to Get By” – and prompted Steven to walk up from the judges’ table and hug him. Then his grandmother hugged him – Jacob’s, not Steven’s – and Ryan Seacrest invited everyone in the front row to do the same. Jacob held back this time – about time, actually – and he still had enough trills and licks to deliver a big performance without going over the top. Randy was so excited he came close to spontaneously combusting.

In the recording booth, Casey was instructed to rein it in, too, and he certainly tried to on “Heard It Through the Grapevine” – with the difference that he sounded reined it. The rhythm was almost a march. But our three judges were happy: Steven called him the “perfect entertainer.” Randy and Jennifer Lopez praised him as a true original. “You can only do you, and that you is great,” Randy said.

Wouldn’t you have cried tears of joy if your grade-school teachers had told you that?

Thia, saying she wanted to showcase her up-tempo side, finally clicked with a pop song on “Heat Wave.” She threw in the most charming little “ooooooo.” “It was great to see you let loose,” Jennifer said. “I need you to dig even deeper.” Steven’s take: “Just great. I’m good with it.”