I was amazed by last night’s performances! It was a fantastic mix of fun and emotional pieces. The added plus was guest judge Christina Applegate because as a dancer and fan of the show, she can actually form opinions and give substantial feedback (I can still remember when Carmen Electra judged last season and it was facepalm-inducing and hilarious – she literally had nothing to say for some performances). Anyway, the competition has been whittled down to the final four: Tiffany, Eliana, Cyrus, and Chehon. Here are some of the songs that piqued my interest last night:

Alex Clare, ‘Too Close’

British singer Alex Clare has a unique style in which his strong, soulful voice is set to music that’s a mix of electronic, rock, and/or reggae. The reason for his sound is probably due to producer/DJ Diplo. You may recognize the song from the Internet Explorer commercials on TV. Check out “Up All Night,” which walks on the reggae-influenced side of things.

Used in: Sonia Tayeh’s jazz routine with contestant Cole and Melanie (season 8 all-star)

Curtis & Reinhard, ‘No Nothing’ ft. Blaire

So Curtis & Reinhard is made up of two separate acts: Clinton Curtis, a singer based in NYC, and The Blaire Reinhard Band, a band repping the great state of NJ. Blaire, the lead singer of The Blaire Reinhard Band, is the one providing the vocals in this song. Now that that’s sorted out, “No Nothing” has a mellow, bluesy rock sound to it and provided a great soundtrack to Ray Leeper’s piece. You can buy and download Curtis & Reinhard’s song here.

Used in: Ray Leeper’s lyrical jazz with contestant Witney and Marko (season 8 all-star)

Sophie Milnan, ‘Eli Eli (A Walk to Caesarea)’

This song began as a poem by Hanna Szenes, a woman regarded as the national heroine of Israel. The melody was created by David Zahavi and has since been performed many times by other artists. It’s a moving piece, which was definitely suitable for the emotional contemporary piece Tyce set out to do.

Used in: Tyce Diorio’s contemporary routine with contestant Chehon and Kathryn (season 6 all-star)