‘American Idol’ Recap: La’Porsha, Mackenzie Bourg, Trent Harmon & Dalton Rapattoni Compete, Sia Performs

American Idol announced its final four Thursday night, where each of the finalists sang a classic rock number followed by a Sia track.

The top five singers – La’Porsha Renae, MacKenzie Bourg, Trent Harmon, Dalton Rapattoni, and Sonika Vaid all showed up on the Idol stage last night before it was revealed that Sonika had received the least amount of votes from America and would be going home.

American Idol Recap: Sia Performs

La’Porsha’s choice for a classic rock song was Bon Jovi’s “Wanted Dead or Alive.” Though mentor Scott Borchetta wasn’t so sure it was the right choice for her, La’Porsha proved her doubters wrong with her powerful take on the familiar tune. Having sung Sia’s “Diamonds” to much acclaim earlier this season, it was no surprise when La’Porsha delivered a rousing rendition of “Elastic Heart.” The judges found little fault with either of her performances in the final four.

MacKenzie sang “I Want You to Want Me” by “Cheap Trick” for his classic rock number, and, as could be expected, slowed and stripped it down to something a bit more in his wheelhouse. The judges were not fans of the overly saccharine interpretation of the rock song. MacKenzie struggled equally with “Titanium,” despite Sia’s efforts to push him out of his comfort zone. The typically electric number felt a bit dull in MacKenzie’s hands – but he did hit the high note.

Trent was singing to win Thursday, and started of his pair of winning performances with “Sharp Dressed Man” by ZZ Top. His vocal tricks were fully on display without being distracting, and showed he might be the best singer out of the group. And, for his next song, Trent sang “Chandelier.” Though the song is emotional enough at its usual tempo, Trent slowed it down, making his silky falsetto even more affecting.

Dalton decided to take a risk by completely stripping down The Beach Boys’ “God Only Knows,” singing with only a piano in the background. The judges appreciated the rawness of the performance, and Dalton’s commitment to it. The judges were likewise impressed with Dalton’s second choice of lesser known Sia song “Birds Set Free.” And, as with his first performance, Dalton relied more on his ability to convey the meaning of a song rather than his vocals.

Thursday night on Idol also featured performances by previous winners David Cook and Katherine McPhee, as well as guest mentor Sia, who sang her new single “Cheap Thrills.”

American Idol returns next Thursday on Fox at 8/7c.