March 20 marked The Beatles night on "American Idol" 2013, as the top nine were charged with choosing and performing songs by the legendary British band. It proved a great evening for Oliver Springs, Tenn. native Janelle Arthur, who closed out the show with a countrified version of "I Will" that earned high praise from all four panelists.
Arthur looked akin to a Greek goddess, dressed in a long, neutral dress that featured accents at the waist and neckline, when she hit the "Idol" stage to perform. She gently warbled her way through the tune, and very successfully transformed it into a could-be country hit.
Keith Urban thought she'd done her hometown proud. He called her "pure" and "true," and found the performance "really, really beautiful, baby." Nicki Minaj said Arthur looked like "a beautiful swan princess" and followed up the compliment with more extensive praise, summed up best with the line "you are great, little girl. You are... everything." Randy Jackson declared "I think Janelle's back tonight" and called it one of the night's best performances as he appreciated the "subtleties" of her delivery. Finally, Mariah Carey called her "sweet and gorgeous" and praised her "beautiful and elegant" performance.
Whether or not Arthur's stepped up effort will be enough to keep her around for another week remains to be seen. She found herself in sixth place following the March 13 vote, trailing all four of the other girls in the mix. Lazaro Arbos received the harshest criticism of all during the top nine show, but his fourth place finish during the initial vote suggests that his fan base may keep him around longer, so any of the contestants may be vulnerable to elimination.
To see which finalist is ousted next, watch the "American Idol" 2013 top nine results show on March 21.
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