‘American Idol 22’ episode 17 recap: Who was eliminated on ‘Disney Night’? [Live Blog]

Denton Davidson
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Tonight on “American Idol,” multiplatinum country star Kane Brown serves as guest mentor for the Top 5, who perform beloved classics on fan-favorite “Disney Night.” After America’s live vote, host Ryan Seacrest announces the Top 3 finalists.

Below, follow with our live blog for “American Idol 22” Episode 17 airing Sunday, May 12 (8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. ET).

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8:00 p.m. — Previously on “American Idol”! The Top 7 performed two songs — a dance number and an Adele favorite. America voted live for the Top 5, and McKenna Faith Breinholt and Julia Gagnon were eliminated. Who will go home tonight? And who will advance to the Season 22 finale?

8:05 p.m. — This fan-favorite night kicks off with Lionel, Luke, Katy…and even Ryan singing “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” from “Toy Story4.” Of course that was pre-recorded, so next Ryan comes out live on stage to introduce the judges. What will Katy be dressed as tonight? She’s Cinderella!

8:12 p.m. — The first performance of the night is Abi Carter singing “Part of Your World” from “The Little Mermaid.” What a perfect song choice. She sounds just like a Disney princess belting out this classic. Luke says Abi embodied the character and pulled him into the moment. Lionel says her voice is custom-made for the Disney songbook. Katy says it’s been incredible watching Abi grow and her “wish is coming true.”

8:22 p.m. — Triston Harper is up next singing “Almost There” from “The Princess and the Frog.” He looks like a star in his shimmering new suit and I like the Southern twang he gives this song. This kid is full of charisma. Lionel says Triston is so comfortable on stage that he makes them comfortable. Katy says, “You’re more than almost there, you’re there.” Luke adds, “You’re just a charmer. It was like watching Frank Sinatra up there.” That’s quite a comparison!

8:30 p.m. — Emmy Russell is next singing “The Climb” from “Hannah Montana: The Movie.” This is probably the biggest song she’s tackled, so I appreciate the fact she’s fighting and taking it up a notch. Her tone is perfect for country radio, so even if she doesn’t win this competition she’s got a lot of potential. Katy says the song is “so true” for Emmy and “her miracle is on the way.” Luke says there were notes in the song that Emmy wouldn’t have even attempted at the beginning of this competition. Lionel says her voice is instantly identifiable — and she’s a stylist.

8:42 p.m. — Jack Blocker continues the competition with “Nobody’s Fool” from “Cars 2.” He’s really leaning into the country vibe in how he’s dressed and singing tonight. At this point it’s almost like “Country Idol,” with everyone but Abi going that route. I think Jack has a cool vibe and he’s typically one of my favorites, but this is one of the most lackluster song choices he could have made. Luke says Jack has the swagger of Fred Astaire. He’s full of comparisons tonight. Lionel says his new stage name is “Jack Swagger.” Katy adds, “How about ‘Jack Attack’?” She also says, if Jack wins this thing it would be a real Cinderella story.

8:48 p.m. — Will Moseley is closing out the first hour with “The Ballad of the Lonesome Cowboy” from “Toy Story 4.” I’m not thrilled about this song choice. He’s just crooning along while he sits on a stool. At one point he gets lost in the arrangement and forgets the words. It’s awkward to witness, but he finds his place again — even though the vocals never match up to his previous performances. Lionel says, “In country, the cracking is believable.” Katy thought it was soulful. Luke disagrees with me and thinks this was a great song choice.

9:10 p.m. — Following a special performance of “Dig a Little Deeper” from “The Princess and the Frog” by Jenifer Lewis and Terence Blanchard, Emmy returns for her second song. She sings “Carried Me With You” from “Onward.” It’s an uptempo country tune that allows Emmy to relax a little and let loose. Katy says that was the voice she wants to hear coming out of Emmy “time and time again.” Luke tells her to be proud of what she’s done in this competition because the sky is the limit. Lionel says, “You blew us away tonight.”

9:20 p.m. — Triston is next with “Life is a Highway” from “Cars.” It’s a fun song, but it’s not even an original Disney tune (Tom Cochrane recorded it originally in 1991). Despite my boycott of this actually being a Disney song, he put on a good show and pushed his vocals. I’m a fan. Luke says, “Life is a highway, and you’re gonna be on a highway in a tour bus soon.” Lionel loved watching Triston’s mom “dance up a storm” throughout the performance. Katy calls it one of his best vocals so far.

9:32 p.m. — Abi returns for her second performance with “The Chain” from “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.” Again, I suppose this is technically a Disney song, but they know what we want. Where’s “Aladdin”? “Beauty and the Beast?” I guess I’m showing my age. Regardless of my personal feelings about song choice, Abi’s confidence is unmatched and she’s clearly ready for the big time. Lionel compliments the stage presence and says, “Way to strike a pose.” Katy says Abi is “owning it” and is heading for superstardom. Luke also noticed Abi’s confidence and calls her transformation this season “unbelievable.”

9:43 p.m. — Jack is back, this time singing “Space Oddity” from “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.” He’s got the best set design, and although I wasn’t thinking about this song for “Disney Night,” I can’t think of a better artist for Jack to cover than David Bowie. This is a great rendition. Katy says he keeps on surprising everyone and “nobody goes to the bathroom” when Jack performs. Luke calls it an interesting song choice and he loved Jack’s approach. Lionel says, “If you think your mother’s proud of you now, wait until that career blossoms.”

9:52 p.m. — Finishing off the night is Will with a performance of “Born to Be Wild” from “D3: The Mighty Ducks.” This is the Will I’m used to seeing on that stage. A perfect song choice for the husky-voiced country-rocker. That was a fun way to close out the night! Luke says it was the perfect song for his voice. Lionel calls it “incredible.” Katy says it was the best Will has ever sounded.

10:00 p.m. — Dim the lights! In no particular order, Ryan announces the three contestants advancing to next week’s finale: Will, Abi and Jack. That means we say goodbye to Emmy and Triston.

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