‘American Idol’ recap: Tristan McIntosh departs ahead of the top 5

“Where is everybody?” Ryan Seacrest wondered while gazing at the remaining final “American Idol” contestants scattered sparsely on risers on the side of the stage. The host’s momentary confusion – whether or not genuine – was understandable. The singers have been sent home at a rapid clip this season, with two eliminated each week of late, until only a handful are left.

This week, the “Idol” spigot was adjusted and only one singer, 15-year-old Tristan McIntosh, was sent packing, reducing the top six to the top five. Because she was sent home midway, McIntosh was the only competing vocalist to perform just once during the two-hour show, which also included two memorable performances by former “Idol” contestant Adam Lambert and one forgettable one by Jussie Smollett & Yazz.

COMPLETE COVERAGE: Saying farewell to the competition show that changed television

The evening’s proceedings worked as follows: One by one, the singers who had been saved outright by America’s votes would be called forward to perform songs that, we were told, America had selected for them, until only two singers –- McIntosh and Sonika Vaid, who had been saved by the judges last week -- remained. Those two singers then each performed whichever they preferred of the two songs they had prepared, in hopes of winning the final “judges save” of the season, after which Harry Connick Jr., Jennifer Lopez and Keith Urban were allowed to choose one to keep around.

The retained singer would compete with the other members of the top five, singing another song, this one apparently not chosen by America, in an attempt to earn enough audience votes to move forward next week.

In theory, one imagines, the songs America assigned the singers were supposed to help the contestants stretch in new ways, to hit new heights. But in many cases this season, they revealed the limits of the contestants’ talents. That was disappointing. But several singers took the opportunity to compensate during their second song, and Lopez was brought to tears twice during the show. Someone probably knows if that’s a record.

Here’s how the performances went down:

Trent Harmon jumped and jerked his way through One Republic’s “Counting Stars,” a song that was clearly not right for him, making his trademark strange faces at an all-too-rapid clip. (What’s the deal, America?) Urban said it seemed like Harmon wasn’t “quite sure” what was going on during the performance. “I don’t think that song and you personality-wise came together enough for me,” he told Harmon.

Dalton Rapattoni’s take on Linkin Park’s “Numb” seemed to complement his signature eyeliner, yet earned mixed reviews from the judges. Lopez thought the performance had lacked “oomph” and said he’d “skated through the song a little bit.” Urban suggested the performance wasn’t fully “Daltonized.” But Connick felt Rapattoni had “poured [his] guts” into the lyrics” and said he had really liked it.

La’Porsha Renae fully seized the moment, as always, and brought her usual style, emotion and vocal power to India.Arie’s “Ready for Love,” a song she maybe hadn’t selected, but clearly could have. Connick called it “pleading,” “mournful” and “phenomenal.” Urban said he’d forgotten to judge and had just enjoyed it “as a human being,” labeling it “beautiful.” Lopez admired Renae’s “earth mother” vibe. But Seacrest may have been the most enthusiastic “Idol”-staff listener, telling Renae her performance had made him “want to hug” her. Awww, Ryan.

MacKenzie Bourg reinvented Cat Stevens’ “Wild World” -- which was actually kind of an interesting choice, America -- and collected kudos from the judges. At least, I think Urban meant it as a compliment when he said Bourg was “a bit like cake batter: Even when it’s not cooked, it’s still really good.” Lopez was clearer, telling Bourg she had “thoroughly enjoyed every second” of his performance. Connick liked “the tempo” and thought Bourg’s version was so “great” that he could record and release it.

That left McIntosh and Vaid as the bottom two.

McIntosh sat at the piano and performed Martina McBride’s “Independence Day,” starting off shaky, but gaining strength as she went along. Lopez observed, not incorrectly, that McIntosh seemed to be giving “the same performance over and over.” Connick said she needed to “grow and live and get a little bit older.” And Urban said that while the teenage vocalist sang “beautifully” and was “extremely photogenic,” she had to advance to the “next level” of her “artistry.” Clearly, McIntosh’s goose was cooked.

Vaid performed Demi Lovato’s version of “Let It Go,” because, she explained, she herself was trying to learn to let go. It was one of her strongest performances on the show to date, vocally and physically confident and convincing. The wind-machine effects, which Urban made a point of admiring, didn’t hurt either. Connick called the performance “very strong.” Urban thought it had “come alive.” And Lopez noted that Vaid was starting to come “out of [her] shell” and reveal herself to be “very fierce” and a “fighter.”

Not surprisingly, the judges picked Vaid to advance, and it was on to the second songs:

Rapattoni, who we learned suffers from bipolar disorder, sang Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence,” leaving Urban “spellbound by the lyrics.” Lopez said Rapattoni had given us a “piece of [his] soul.” Connick compared him to a “graffiti artist” spraying all over a song to make it his own and urged America to vote for their favorites.

Bourg, who had, as a teen, apparently nearly died from a virus that caused his heart to begin to fail, turned Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” inside out. Lopez called it the “most special version” of the song she’d heard – “confident” and riveting. Connick thought it was “terrific.” And Urban issued a convoluted compliment involving the movie “Bolt” that meant he was a “big fan” of Bourg.

Harmon’s take on Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man” felt like a return to himself and his roots (not to mention his old hat). Connick said Harmon’s Southern “essence” had come out in the song, as it always did, and added something “extra.” Urban admired the “soul” and “gospel” inflections Harmon had brought to the song. And Lopez had a teary moment about why she loved and would miss “Idol,” saying she’d been lucky to have had a “front seat” to the perfect song sung by the perfect singer at the perfect time. “Thank you for giving me one of those moments,” she said.

Having given her best effort and used up her better song option earlier in the show, Vaid slipped a bit with Zedd’s “Clarity,” showing some of her former onstage awkwardness. Lopez told her she needed to find a balance between “being grounded in the song” and being “exciting for the audience.” Connick weirdly said he’d never met her except for during the audition. And Urban urged her to “just be raw, be real, be you.”

Speaking of real and raw and her very own self, Renae brought the house down and Urban and Lopez to their feet with her intensely dramatic performance of Mary J. Blige’s “No More Drama.” Lopez was again left weeping – as was Renae herself – and even Connick seemed to look on with red-eyed concern. “It takes a lot to overcome those things in your life, baby,” Lopez said of the single mom’s struggles. “We’ve all been through stuff like that,” she said, calling Renae “an inspiration,” her performance perfectly calibrated and “powerful,” and thanking her “for that moment.”

It’s hard to see, at this point, how Renae doesn’t take this thing. Even if the voters don’t ultimately select her as the final official recipient of the “Idol” crown, she’s definitely going to come away a winner.

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