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Sanchez’s Latest “Beautiful” Night on “American Idol”

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Talk about a proud moment for American Idol finalist Jessica Sanchez…

During last night’s two-hour episode, the 16-year-old half-Mexican singer delivered two knockout performances and shined bright during her “girl power” trio with fellow female finalists Hollie Cavanagh and Skylar Laine.

Jessica Sanchez

During the first hour, which was dedicated to songs of the ‘60s, Sanchez tackled living legend Tina Turner’s trademark rendition of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Proud Mary.”

Guest mentor Steve Van Zandt—the guitarist for Bruce Springsteen‘s E Street Band and ex-Sopranos actor—initially tried to dissuade Sanchez from performing the song, but she ultimately won him over.

Dressed to the nines in a heavily chained body-hugging white dress and a pair of sky-high heels, the petite San Diego native delivered a spot-on vocal performance, complete with growls and a massive high note at the end. Sanchez even channeled some of Turner’s on-stage effervescence by shimmying and shaking across the stage.

“You’re so grown up there; it’s crazy! I always forget you’re 16 years old,” said Idol judge Jennifer Lopez. “You brought it out there. You were a little bit of Tina, a little bit of Beyonce, a little bit of I don’t know what up there!”

Sanchez later took the stage with Cavanagh and Laine to perform a lively rendition of Jackie Wilson‘s “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher,” which proved to be a much better performance than Phillip Phillips and Joshua Ledet’s take on the Righteous Brothers‘ “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’.”

But it was Sanchez’s final performance, as part of the show’s British pop theme, which seriously set her apart from the competition. It was her latest American Idol “moment,” following her previous performances of Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” and Beyonce’s “Sweet Dreams.”

Dressed in an intricate black and white dress and sprawled on the stage next to several LED candles, Sanchez delivered an earnest and emotional rendition of Joe Cocker‘s “You Are So Beautiful,” which she later admitted was sung with her mother in mind.

“You once again showed America just how beautiful your voice is… and what a great singer you are,” declared Idol judge Steven Tyler. “You’re gonna be No. 1 girl.”

Idol’s Sanchez Continues to Slay the Competition

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It looks like there’s no stopping Jessica Sanchez…

Once again, the petite 16-year-old part-Mexican American Idol finalist with the gigantic voice showed her maturity and sheer talent during last night’s songs-from-2010-and-beyond-themed show.

Jessica Sanchez

During her rehearsal of the song she’d tackle this week—Jazmine Sullivan’s “Stuttering”—music executive/producer and mentor Jimmy Iovine couldn’t help but marvel at Sanchez’s singing chops.

“That voice can move anything,” declared Iovine of the pint-sized singer who has already wowed America with her interpretations of songs like Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You”, Beyonce’s “Sweet Dreams” and Billy Joel’s “Everybody Has a Dream.”  “She’s got soul, power, finesse. She is unbelievable with that voice!”

Meanwhile, guest judge Akon commented on Sanchez’s maturing, telling her “You’ve got so much control for that age!”

And, when it came time to take the stage, Sanchez didn’t disappoint…

Sitting atop a piano in a shimmering metallic dress, black leggings and black knee-high boots, the San Diego native delivered a moving interpretation of Sullivan’s rare track.

“That was superb, I mean that was like at the highest degree,” decreed AI judge Randy Jackson. “You did an amazing job!”

Meanwhile, Jennifer Lopez gushed about how beautifully Sanchez performed the song and encouraged her to take the American Idol audience and viewers at home on a journey every week.

“You have an amazing opportunity to take this audience… on a ride” said Lopez. “Take us on the ride every week; you can show us something we’ve never seen!”

Later, Sanchez returned to the stage wearing a shoulderless white blouse and pants with pink piping to  perform an energetic rendition of Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger” as a trio with fellow finalists Joshua Ledet and Hollie Cavanagh.

Sanchez Shines Bright on Beyonce’s “Sweet Dreams”

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After demonstrating her vocal prowess on Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You,” it’s no surprise that Jessica Sanchez has successfully taken on Beyonce.

Jessica Sanchez

Looking all Sasha Fierce with her slicked-back hair, statement necklace and silver and black mini-dress complete with long train, the 16-year-old part-Mexican American Idol finalist showed America why she’s considered a frontrunner by performing a slowed-down version of Beyonce’s hit “Sweet Dreams.”

And Idol’s judges couldn’t help but applaud Sanchez’s reimagining of the song, which included a harptastic intro.

“It was really, really beautiful,” gushed Jennifer Lopez, who complimented Sanchez for holding back when she could’ve easily belted her signature high notes. “You left us wanting more!” Steven Tyler called it “delicious” and “beautiful,” while Randy Jackson talked about the 16-year-old’s impressive maturity, saying “You just innately have this unbelievable talent.”

Moments later, Sanchez returned to the stage to perform a Madonna medley with fellow finalists Hollie Cavanagh and Skylar Laine. Wearing a white tuxedo with black piping and black top, Jessica kicked off the performance with “Like a Prayer” and assisted the ladies on their renditions of “Borderline” and “Express Yourself.”

McCreery Returning to American Idol Stage

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Call it “the return of the champion”… Scotty McCreery is heading back to the American Idol stage…

The 18-year-old part-Puerto Rican country singer—the winner of Idol season 10—will return to Fox’s hit singing competition next week to perform his latest single “Water Tower Town.”

Scotty McCreery

Since winning American Idol, McCreery has gone on to become one of country music’s rising stars. His debut album was certified platinum earlier this year, and he was named New Artist of the Year at the American Country Awards last December.

In addition to McCreery, Nicki Minaj will appear on next week’s episode to perform her latest chart-busting single “Starships.”

Meanwhile, the nine remaining contestants, DeAndre Brackensick, Hollie Cavanagh, Colton Dixon, Heejun Han, Skylar Laine, Joshua Ledet, Phillip Phillips, Elise Testone and the lone Hispanic singer left in the competition Jessica Sanchez—who had another “defining moment” during this week’s Billy Joel-themed performances—will be required to tackle songs by their own idols.