Final Three Perform -

Battle to Make the Finale
by Phil Shiltz
& Amy Cortese

This is actually on on-going Idol Blog for the May 16th and May 17th shows. As of today (5-17),we have the following posts below:

• Recap of last week’s Elimination Results Show and Presentation of the Final Three.
• Wednesday News — Spoilers — Nine Songs we WILL hear.
• Comments and Grades on Wednesday’s Performance Show.
• Programming details for tonight’s Results Show and time changes for next week are now included as updated information in Wednesday’s post.
• Complete list of dates and venues for the 45 day American Idol Live Summer Tour.
• Idol Favorite Gets Eliminated — We have a fantastic finale coming next week

Hollie Eliminated–We Present Final Three

Hollie Cavanaugh’s journey as a contestant on Ameican Idol has ended, but she has been making the rounds giving interviews on most of TV’s major talk shows. Expect to see Hollie and all the other eliminated Top 10 contestants next week and on the Idol Summer Tour.

Jessica Sanchez, Joshua Ledet, and Phillip Phillips form this season’s Final 3. All three went home this past weekend for parades, celebrations, mini-concerts, and out-pourings of love and support from their hometown fans.

Jessica Sanchez, age 16, went home to Chula Vista, California.

Joshua Ledet, age 20, went home to Westlake, Louisiana.

Phillip Phillips, age 21, went home to Leesburg, Georgia.

Now they are back in the Hollywood mansion that American Idols call home, and they are preparing to do battle in hopes of claiming one of the two spots in American Idol’s (Season 11) Finale. Song selection and performance will be critical in a competition that is truly “too close to call”. Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez, and Randy Jackson will get their heads together and agree on one selection for each of our Final 3. In-house mentor Jimmie Iovine will select a second. The Idols will each select a third.

I have had the same favorite since the Top 13 was announced back on March 1. He still has a chance. Is your favorite still in the competition? If you were a fan of Elise, Colton, Skylar, or Hollie — you may want to consider switching you allegience to one of these three. Each one of them needs more votes the night of May 16 than they have ever received before — just in order to survive and make the finale.

I will reveal on Wednesday afternoon the songs that are in this week’s playlist and make educated guesses as to which three songs each of our Idols will perform.

We welcome your comments and suggestions to make these last three American Idol Articles truly memorable. Yes, Amy Cortese and I will be collaborating on posts for Performance and Results Shows this week and next.  (Look for an Adam Lambert performance on Thursday night.) We will also be doing a Recap Article that will ask you whether any of the contestants from Season 11 deserve to be included in the Top 25 American Idols of all time. So, start thinking about comparing Joshua to Fantasia. Skylar to Kelly Pickler, Phillip to David Cook, and Jessica to Pia Toscano or Jennifer Hudson. The comparisons, the selections, and the rankings are up to you.

This blog is totally interactive. So you can make an original comment or comment on someone else’s thoughts. Isn’t the Internet a wonderful thing?

Wednesday Breaking News–

(Nine Songs You WILL Hear)

Post with Wednesday Breaking News:

American Idol has leaked a spoiler with the nine songs that have been cleared for tonight’s performances. Each one of the Final 3 contestants will perform three songs — a singer’s choice, a judges’ choice, and a choice from in-house mentor Jimmie Iovine. (There may be surprise, unlisted group numbers.) We will have to wait until showtime to officially find out who sings what. But, you can use our “comments” function to make your own educated guesses or comment on someone else’s thoughts.

Here are nine of the songs you will hear tonight:
“Imagine” – John Lennon
“My All” – Mariah Carey
“No More Drama” – Mary J. Blige
“We’ve Got Tonight” – Bob Seger
“I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing” – Aerosmith
“Beggin’” – Madcon
“I’ll Be There” – Jackson 5
“Disease” – Matchbox 20
“I’d Rather Go Blind” – Etta James

Let me make one comment/prediction before you start providing us with your thoughts:
“Beggin” is a song in Act II of the Broadway musical about the “Four Seasons” — “Jersey Boys”. In my opinion, whoever sings this song, will be eliminated. If Jimmie or the Judges assign this song to a contestant — they want him to go home and are throwing him under the bus.

I think you will be seeing Phillip sing “Beggin”, “Disease”, and “We’ve Got Tonight”. (Goodbye, Phillip)
Joshua is perfect for “I’ll Be There”, and Jessica should cover “No More Drama”. Rumours are that Jessica may have a sore throat, so the other four songs may depend upon her health and ability to do a decent job. Joshua will do whatever Jessica can’t.

I am sure that we will see glimpses of how the hometown visits went over the weekend. Do not think that American Idol will give any details or images that might indicate that one of the Idols has more support than the others. (Doing that could affect the voting.) AI has total control over what images and information they show. No one knew last year that Scottie’s homecoming crowd was vastly superior to that of the others. Expect the same lack of information this year.

Let’s hope all three singers do a good  job on all of their songs. Who do you think will sing what?

Wednesday’s Performance Show

The Final Three are vastly different style-wise, but each has enormous talent. At this point in the competition, there is no way to determine who is the best. It comes down to a matter of personal preference. You have yours. I have mine. America will decide. But, in case you are interested, here is what I thought of each performance.

Joshua was a little more restrained than normal. I like him better when he is not “over the top”.

• Judges had him sing “I’d Rather Go Blind” — Etta James — a good throw-back performance
• Joshua chose to sing “Imagine” — John Lennon — a special moment for Joshua and for America
• Jimmie Iovine picked “No More Drama” — Mary J Blige — back to “over the top” for me
• I gave Joshua an A- for his first song, A for second, and A- for the third.  Average of A-

This is actually on on-going Idol Blog for the May 9th and May 10th shows. As of today (5-11), we have the following posts below:

• Tuesday News — mostly a summary of last week –why Skylar went home instead of Jessica.
• Breaking News — no guest mentor this week — bad news for Hollie, especially.
• Wednesday News — song listings for the week — guesses as to who sings what.
• Wednesday Night’s Performance Show — Phil’s comments and grades.
• Thursday Results Show — we find out who will not be continuing in the competition.
• Friday News — we present American Idol (Season 11) Top 3.

Tuesday American Idol News:

American Idol won’t have a country winner this year: Mississippi girl Skylar Laine was eliminated Thursday (probably, in part, because she didn’t connect with the anti-war sentiment of “Fortunate Son” and, in part, because she abandoned her country base with “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me”).

Everyone thought I was crazy when I picked Hollie Cavanagh to make the Final Five (way back on March 4). But there she was — belting out “River Deep, Mountain High” to open the show last Wednesday, and then bringing the goods again on “Bleeding Love.” It was clearly the best night so far for the spunky blonde who has been on the brink of elimination several times. Guest mentor “Little Steven” Van Zandt finally got through to her two weeks ago, when he told her to eliminate the “show biz” and just depend on her vocals. Since then, Hollie has a more confident stage presence to go along with a vocal prowess that has never been in doubt. Her resurgence brings even more suspense to a competition that appears to be anybody’s ballgame at this point. But, Hollie’s best performance episode of the season wasn’t enough to keep her out of the Bottom Two, indicating that her weeks are numbered.

Jessica Sanchez was also in my Final Five back in March, but I never expected either of them to actually win. If you have ever been a grocery stocker, you realize that Hollie and Jessica have both remained on the shelf well past their use-by-dates. I think one of them will be eliminated from the competition this week, and the remaining three Idols will be going back to their respective hometowns for gi-normous parades. Look for lots of media coverage in Leesburg, Georgia (Phillip) — in Westlake, Louisiana (Joshua) — and the same in either McKinney, Texas (Hollie) or San Diego (Jessica). The girl with the added momentum of a hometown parade could crack the final two, but I doubt it.

Phillip Phillips and Joshua Ledet were also in my March 4 Final Five ( I missed on Elise Testone). Phillip had his worst performance night of the season last week, but he was never in any real danger: He and Joshua will both be going back to connect with their small-town, Southern roots. Each of the remaining Final Four has the vocal ability to win it all. With only three performance shows left, survival will depend on how the voting audience relates to each singer, their song choices, and their performances.

This will be the most critical week yet on Idol, and those who follow the advice they have been given by Jimmie will have a huge advantage. The theme this week is “California Dreamin”, so each Idol will select a song originally sung by an artist or group from California. To honor the dreamin’ part of the theme, each will select a song that they wish they had written. There will also be two, producer-selected duets.

Breaking News from Staff:

Security at AI is tight this week about the mentor and about song selections. As soon as I have any of that info, I will post it here. That information and all future updates will be posted in blue like this one.
Amy Cortese and I will both be providing comments and grades after Wednesday night’s Performance Show.
I will have my reaction to Thursday’s elimination results within an hour after the end of the telecast.
Have an amazing time until we chat again.

Wednesday American Idol News:

No guest mentor this week.

But, 10 Songs have been cleared for tonight’s performances.  

American Idol 2012 Top 4 – California Dreamin ’ (Songs by California Artists / Groups):

• “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” – Creedence C. R.  (probably Phillip)
• “Steal Away” – Etta James  (probably Joshua) 
• “You Raise Me Up” – Josh Groban  (Hollie or Jessica ?)
• “Faithfully” – Journey  (Hollie or Jessica)

American Idol 2012 Top 4 – “Songs You Wish You Had Written”:

• “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going” – Jennifer Holliday  (Jessica or Hollie ?)
• “I Can’t Make You Love Me” – Bonnie Raitt  (Phillip or Jessica ?)
• “Volcano” – Damien Rice  (Hollie or Phillip ?)
• “It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World” – James Brown  (gotta be Joshua)

American Idol 2012 Top 4 – Duets:

• “This Love” – Maroon 5  (probably Hollie and Phillip)
• “Eternal Flame” – The Bangles  (probably Jessica and Joshua)

I don’t think the produces want to revisit a Joshua/Phillip duet.

I will post my comments immediately after the telecast ends — Amy likes to rewatch.

Be prepared to vote heavily for your favorite.

Wednesday Performance Show

I just watched the Performance Show live with a few friends, and I think I will let Amy Cortese give out the final grades because two performers showed sides of their talent I have never seen before. If you have recorded the show, please watch it or re-watch it before I cloud your opinion with my personal views.

In a surprise performance, we got all four Idols singing “Waiting for a Girl Like You” by Foreigner. (Actually, I think Phillip’s mic may have been muted.) The group performance was very good, but the two duets were much better. Jessica Sanchez sang most of the lead vocals and Hollie Cavanaugh sang the lower range harmonies on the Bangles hit “Eternal Flame”. The duet was extremely good, but I wish that the gals had shared leads and harmonies. The duet of Joshua Ledet and Phillip Phillips was a perfect pairing of vocals and style. Their rendition of the Maroon 5 hit “This Love” was perfection. All three of the group numbers came after the  ”California Dreamin’ portion of the show, and were the highlight of the show to that point.

Our four Idols started off the show with strong (but not outstanding) vocals that I graded B+ for Joshua, A- for Hollie and Jessica, and an A for my favorite Phillip.

Phillip sang “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” by Creedence Clearwater Revival. The judges and I all thought it was sensational. In my mind, Phillip won round one.

Hollie sang “Faithfully” by Journey. It was solid, and enhanced her “dark horse” aspirations.

Joshua put a gospel spin on “You Raise Me Up” by Josh Groban. It really worked, and I liked it.

Then Jessica Sanchez closed out the California portion of the show with the Etta james classic “Steal Away”. The vocals were fine, but again the choice was too mature for a 16 year old.

During the last half of the show, the separation between the three favorites and the next girl out became apparent to me. I rated the “Songs I Wish I Had Written” portion of the show as solid A’s for Phillip, Joshua, and Jessica — and an A to Hollie as a parting gift.

Hollie Cavanaugh may have had the most poignant moment this year as she summed up her current fan-ranking by singing “I Can’t Make You Love Me”. I love Bonnie Raitt, and this is one of my favorite Bonnie Raitt songs. I have been pulling for “dark horse” Hollie to make a strong run at the three favorites. I gave her an A for effort tonight, but she isn’t in the same stratosphere with Jessica, Joshua, or Phillip (let alone Bonnie Raitt). Great effort young lady. You couldn’t quite make America love you, but we like you a whole  lot. You will have a very good pop career.

But, back to the real competition. Phillip Phillips’ vocal stylings were absolutely haunting as he completely outshown Damien Rice’s hit single “Volcano”. It was low — it was smoldering — it was a taste of what we can expect from the highly successful recording artist that Phillip Phillips will become. I loved it and thought I had just seen the performance of the night.

Actually, Hollie’s heart-breaking moment was next. She reminded me of those second and third-place finishers in the Boston Marathon — talented and valiant beyond belief — but not quite good enough to ever be the absolute best. Her pop career would benefit from making Top 3, but I don’t see that happening.

Joshua Ledet came next,  doing “Its a Man’s Man’s Man’s World”. While he didn’t actually make us forget the phenominal talent of James Brown, he came close. And, he is only 20. I would pay money to see Jessica, Joshua, and Phillip perform LIVE. Afterward, it would still be the Phillip Phillip’s CD I would purchase. He is not necessarily better than the other two, but I prefer his quirky Phillip Phillip’s style.

And then came Jessica Sanchez. Whoever choreographed her performance deserves an Emmy (I bet it was Adam Shankman — he may be best known as a judge and choreographer on SYTYCD, but he is also a talented film producer and director). Jessica stood alone in the middle of the stage and didn’t move from that spot as she literally poured her heart out singing “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going.” I don’t know who Jennifer Holliday is, and I don’t care. I do know that I could never send Jessica Sanchez home this week. She put her heart and soul out there for everyone to see. This was the moment that Jessica Sanchez finally won me over as a fan. She still is not my favorite, but this race is still too close for me to call.

Amy Cortese — you have my proxy this week. There are three that are too close for me to separate. If you force me to select the Idol most likely to join Hollie in the Bottom 2 — I would reluctantly choose Joshua.

Thursday A.I. 2012 News:

Tonight on American Idol we find out which of our Idols did enough for America to send them on to the Top 3 and to their hometown parades and celebrations.

Unfortunately, one of the final four will be going home without the celebration. 

• Will it be Hollie Cavanagh disappointing fans in McKinney, Texas? 
• Joshua Ledet not needing to summon up the courage to fly home to Westlake, Louisiana? 
• Phillip Phillips not able to show up for a parade and the Prom in Leesburg, Georgia? or 
• Jessica Sanchez letting down the entire U.S. Navy and the city of San Diego? 

We will find out tonight which three Idols WILL receive out-pourings of love and support from their hometown fans.

David Cook (A. I. Season 7 winner)  is set to perform “The Last Song I’ll Write For You”.

Idol Judge Jennifer Lopez debuted her newest single earlier this season. Since then, she has practiced her moves, memorized the lyrics, and lost enough booty to fit in the dress she wanted to wear originally. It will be “deja vu” all over again when J Lo entertains us with “Dance Again.”

Check back immediately after Thursday’s Results telecast ends for a complete recap of the show. My assumption is that we will be seeing crocodile tears streaming from Hollie Cavanaugh’s baby blues. If it is not Hollie, then we will have a surprise elimination that will rival that of Fantasia. I will post those results before Midnight. I hope you are able to see videos next week of  YOUR favorite’s homecoming celebration.

Thursday A.I. 2012 Results Send Three Home

Jessica Sanchez will be going home to Chula Vista, California.

Joshua Ledet will be going home to Westlake, Louisiana.

Phillip Phillips will be going home to Leesburg, Georgia.

Their hometown fans will be honoring them for making this season’s top 3. There will be parades, celebrations, and enthusiastic out-pourings of love and support.

But there is no joy in McKinney, Texas tonight. The little blond with the big voice is coming home after being eliminated from this season’s competition. But the sadness will be short-lived. Hollie’s baby blue eyes and endearing smile will grace many CD covers in years to come. She has proved that she has the vocals to become a relevant recording artist in today’s market. The right producers choosing the right songs could well transform Hollie Cavanaugh into a multiple Grammy winner.  Yes, she’s that good!

We Present Season Eleven’s Top 3:

• Jessica Sanchez–  born August 4, 1995 — from Chula Vista, California
• Joshua Ledet — born April 9, 1992 — from Westlake, Louisiana
• Phillip Phillips — born September 20, 1990 — from Leesburg, Georgia

I have had the same favorite since the Top 13 was announced back on March 1. Is your favorite still in the competition? If you were a fan of Elise, Colton, Skylar, or Hollie — you may want to consider switching you allegience to one of these three. Each one of them needs more votes the night of May 16 than they have ever received before — just in order to survive and make the finals.

This last section will be repeated as the first segment of next week’s blog.

Top 5 Perform
One WILL Go Home!
We Present Idol’s Top 4
by Phil Shiltz
& Amy Cortese

Monday American Idol News: We reached a point two weeks ago where there wasn’t a really bad singer to boot off. But, someone must leave each week; so we lost Colton and Elise. I will miss them both. Each of the remaining Top 5 has the vocal ability to win it all. With only four performance shows left, survival will depend on how the voting audience relates to each singer, to their song choices, and to their performances.

Please don’t allow the judges to decide who you should vote for. Listen to valid critiques, but tune out “goosies”, standing ovations, outright pleas, and attempts to throw someone “under the bus”.
Vote for YOUR favorite singer, song, or performance — and vote often. Keep your favorite in the race.
There are some awesome song choices and some questionable ones to choose from. What do you think?
Who is your favorite? What song choices would energize you and what choices would energize their personal voting base?
Check back Thursday for comments on Wednesday’s Performance Show.
Check back Friday for details of Thursday’s Results Show.
We will post updates and comments whenever they seem appropriate.
Until then, we hope your days are amazing.

Tuesday American Idol News: Our Top 5 received advice this week from Jimmie Iovine and from guest mentor Steven Van Zandt, Bruce Springsteen’s guitarist from the E Street Band. “Little Steven” is an accomplished songwriter, arranger, record producer, and one of the best of all previous Idol mentors. (You may recognize him as the deadly mob consigliere and strip club owner Silvio Dante from the Sopranos.)

This will be an interesting week on Idol, and those who follow the advice they have been given by Jimmie and Steven will have a huge advantage. The theme this week is music from the 60′s British music invasion. To honor that theme, the Idols will choose one song from a current British group or artist and another song from the 60′s (I think British or not). There will also be two group performances, one duet and a trio.

 

PERFORMANCE LIST – 1960′s songs

• Hollie Cavanagh – “River Deep Mountain High” by Ike and Tina Turner
• Phillip Phillips – “The Letter” by The Box Tops
• Skylar Laine – “Fortunate Son” by Creedance Clearwater Revival
• Jessica Sanchez – “Proud Mary” by Ike and Tina Turner
• Joshua Ledet – “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” by Temptations

 

ROUND TWO – British pop songs

• Hollie Cavanagh – “Bleeding Love” by Leona Lewis
• Phillip Phillips – “Time of the Season” by The Zombies
• Skylar Laine – “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me” by Dusty Springfield
• Jessica Sanchez – “You Are So Beautiful” by Joe Cocker
• Joshua Ledet – “To Love Somebody” by The Bee Gees

 

Breaking News from Staff:

I immediately see two horrible song selections (both originally sung by Tina Turner): Tina Turner and “Proud Mary” is much too mature to be handled effectively by a 16 year old like Jessica.  And, “River Deep, Mountain High” has a reputation as the “kiss of death” since it was the song Pia Toscano sang before she was eliminated. Check back for future updates, which will be posted in blue like this one.

Amy Cortese and Phil Shiltz will both be providing comments and grades on Thursday before the show.

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Top 5 Performance Show
Round One is “60′s Hits”
Round Two is “British pop songs” 

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As for the performances:
Hollie Cavanagh  Final Grade A
“River Deep Mountain High” by Ike and Tina Turner.  This was the song Pia Toscano sang before she was eliminated, and I thought it would be the “kiss of death” for whoever sang it. But Little Steven gave Hollie advice that saved her: “Get rid of the show biz. Sing like you don’t care what they think.” Hollie did exactly that, wailed her own version, and could be on the way to one of the biggest comebacks in Idol history. No one has improved as much as Hollie. All three judges loved it; I loved it; I gave her an A (my top grade for round 1). She hit all the notes and her stage presence was right up there with the bet. Very good job and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Will it be enough to save her this week? I gave her an A+.	“Bleeding Love” by Leona Lewis.  While Hollie wailed out a victory in round 1, she showed a more tender and intimate side here with a beautiful ballad that I felt she was singing to her one special person. She was totally believable and gave her Dark Horse chances an extra boost. I gave her a A-. She was really on tonight, this was her best. It was sweet and tender mixed in with some power and emotion. I rated her as an A.
Phil Phillips  Final Grade B+
“The Letter” by The Box Tops.  I agreed with Jimmie Iovine that Phillip never came close to hitting the melody. But I also agreed with Little Steven and with Steven Tyler that it didn’t really matter. I really like Phillip Phillips, and I think he has the most unique sound in the competition. His fanbase ranges the gamut from the teeny-boppers to the cougars, and it will be surprising when he is eliminated. Like J Lo, I find Phillip compelling, so I was compelled to give him a B+. This song was not so great and his blues-y vibe was there. It was a lot of fun. I rated him as aB.	“Time of the Season” by The Zombies.  Phillip sang this song as straight as any song this season. It was as relaxed a performance as I have seen from Phillip. As a Phillip fan, I loved it and gave him an A-. Wow, he finally sang the melody in a song, and he was more relaxed and subdued. I realy liked it and gave him an A.
Skylar Laine  Final Grade B+
“Fortunate Son” by Creedance Clearwater Revival.  Neither Jimmie nor Little Steven was impressed with the rehearsal and thought the song wouldn’t get her anything. I saw lots of energy and determination in the live performance, but she never connected to the essence of the song. Because I know others disagree, I gave her the benefit of the doubt and a grade of B-. Her performance was spunky and energetic and just plain good. She doesn’t even need American Idol at this point. She gets a B+ from me.	“You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me” by Dusty Springfield.  This was the second time this season that Skylar abandoned her twangy country-rocker caricature, and again she performed it well. Hopefully, it won’t cost her votes from her country baseI was tempted to give her an A, but settled on A-. It was powerful and sweet. I still gave her an A.
Jessica Sanchez  Final Grade B
“Proud Mary” by Ike and Tina Turner.  Jimmie and Little Steven both tried to talk her out of doing this song, with no effect. It wasn’t quite as bad as I thought it would be, and I thought it deserved a little more than okay, so I gave it a grade of B-. I think Jessica’s song choices tonight were questionable. I wasn’t jumping up and down or anything, but it was OK. I rated her as a C+.	“You Are So Beautiful” by Joe Cocker.  Jessica ignored the advice of Jimmie and Little Steven. They advised her that the song required a lounge-like rendition to succeed. The implication was that her great vocals alone wouldn’t be enough. I would have agreed until I heard her sing. Her vocals are so pure and elegant that they may be enough to carry her to the finals. That one note in the middle was a full and pure octave above the melody, but right on pitch. It still is sometimes difficult to make out the words clearly because of the vibrato. Another A-. She’s a great singer, and I did enjoy her singing more. I just found her a bit snoozy. I rated her as a B+.
Joshua Ledet  Final Grade B+
“Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” by Temptations.  I grew out of R&B as my musical tastes matured, so this was far from my favorite. Joshua has a really good voice, and I enjoy listening until he goes into overdrive with the screaming. This was solid and predictable, but not especially note-worthy. Grade is B- at best. So it was nice that he kept this one simple while still displaying his amazing voice. I rated him as an A-.	“To Love Somebody” by The Bee Gees.  Joshua was ready to do a Vegas-lounge impression of Tom Jones until Jimmie stopped him cold with “That would be a bad idea.” He and Little Steven gave him the sheet music to a Bee Gees song he had never heard before. He came back 15 minutes later with a rendition that blew Little Steven away. “That was one of the greatest performances I have ever heard.” He must have improved that incredible first attempt as the week progressed. He came out to close Wednesday night’s show with a LIVE version that was perfect until he started to do his normal over-singing. The judges gave him his 13th standing ovation of the season. Randy said he was one of the best two Idols ever (I assume second only to Fantasia). J Lo went a step further and said he was one of the Top 50 of all time and warns Jimmie Iovine not to do anything with Joshua that would mess him up. “That would’ve been a hit record right there,” Steven tells him. “That’s how good you are.” I was not quite as impressed as the judges. I graded the first part of his performance A+, the second screamy-part a B+, for an average grade of A and a win for round two. He started the song out tender and smooth and then started screaming it . I rated him as aB+.
Now it’s time for some predictions. And as always, these are not my personal opinions on who I think should go home. They’re simply how I think America’s votes might play out. That’s all. I thought Hollie won round 1, with Phillip’s unique style beating out mediocre performances by everyone else. Phillip Phillips and Joshua Ledet tackled “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” as their duet. I will never get that three minutes of my life back. The first part was utterly dreadful, and the second was merely dreary. The judges were kind to the performance only as a matter of respect for the immense talents of the Righteous Brothers. That left Jessica Sanchez, Hollie Cavanagh, and Skylar Laine to perform as a trio with “Higher and Higher” by the iconic Jackie Wilson who was the consummate performer. As a whole, the girls were surprisingly good. But midway, it reminded me of what a polite cat fight would look like. Three powerful female voices with incredible range were attempting to show the world who was best. Hollie won hands (and claws) down. Overall, I would grade Hollie the winner with an A-, Joshua second with a B+, Phillip also with a B+, and Skylar and Jessica bringing up the rear with a B each. Regardless of tonight’s performances, Phillip will be safe. Bottom 3 is wide open, and Hollie will go home because of the fan bases for the other singers that power vote.

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Idol Top 5 Becomes Top 4
Thursday Results Show
Someone’s Idol Journey Ended Tonight 

We are down to the Top 5, and one of them WILL be going home. Who will survive tonight’s elimination?

To celebrate “60′s British Invasion” week on American Idol, our Top 5 each sang a current favorite with a British influence and a song from the 60′s. The Results Show also has guest performances from Carrie Underwood and from the band Coldplay.

But tonight is not about guest performances. Ryan gets right to the important stuff and calls Joshua to the front. After Wednesday’s performances and the judges comments, everyone knew that Joshua would be safe. Ryan just confirms the obvious.

Ryan cuts the tension by introducing the band Coldplay singing one of their lastest — “Paradise”. It is not a song or CD that you would ever find on my iPad. Our current Idols seem relieved to see that recording careers are possible for them even if they don’t make this year’s finals.

 

But back to the business at hand. Ryan calls Hollie and Phillip to the front. A look back at last night’s performances shows that Hollie has become a real Dark Horse candidate to make the finals. All three judges loved her performances and Jimmie Iovine agrees.

Jimmie is in an agreeable mood and confirms that Phillip never came close to the melody in his first song. Although the second song was better, Jimmie believes that Phillip will not be able to coast into the finals. He reveals that Phillips’ health is enough to cause almost anyone else to quit. Not unexpectedly, Ryan reveals that Phillip is safe and that Hollie is in the Bottom 2. With only Jessica and Skylar remaining to learn their fate, it seems obvious that one of the gals will be going home.

It has been five years since Carrie Underwood became that season’s American Idol. She has matured and has nurtured her talent. Carrie performs the title tract from her newest album “Blown Away”. The remaining Idols are given a look at what kind of performance America expects from their stars. Fame may well come to each of them, but there is lots of hard work still ahead.

 

Ryan Seacrest orchestrates us back to the tension, as he calls Jessica and Skylar to the front. After viewing Skylar’s two performances, Jimmie Iovine says that Skylar is a born performer but may be in trouble this week. He points out that she never seemed to connect with the serious message behind “Fortunate Son” and that her second song had too much Vegas and Broadway and not enough Rock or Country.

Jimmie says that Jessica is technically the best singer in the competition, but she chooses songs that are too mature for her age and image. He feels he let her down when he didn’t back up Little Steven when Steven tried to talk her out of signing Tina Turner’s “Proud Mary”. Her attire and dancing during that performance was a travesty and could easily have torpedoed her chances. Luckily she redeemed herself with a beautiful rendition of “You Are So Beautiful”. Both Jessica and Skylar have large, enthusiastic fan bases. Which group voted the most? Ryan reveals that Jessica is safe, and Skylar is in the Bottom 2.

Coldplay’s “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall” won’t appear on my iPad any time soon either.

 

Hollie, and Skylar form this week’s Bottom 2. After the break, Ryan reveals that Hollie is safe. Skylar received the fewest votes. America has spoken, and America won’t have a country winner this year.

But Skylar’s country career has just begun. She wanted to win, she fought bravely, she sang her heart out, and she remained spunky to the end as she sang her farewell song. She swallowed her disappointment and placed a huge grin on her face as she belted out Miranda Lambert’s “Gunpowder and Lead.” Had she stayed true to her country soul and performed this well on Wednesday, her Idol journey would not be over. Instead, as the song reaffirms: “I’m going home, gonna load my shotgun . . .”

   

Hollie, Jessica, Joshua, and Phillip are still safely in Idol’s Top 5 for this season and each of them will continue their quest to fulfill the dream of becoming THE next American Idol.

What do you think of American Idol Top 4? Did your favorite(s) make it? Can “Dark Horse” Hollie survive another week at the bottom? Which of our Top 4 Idols will make song choices next week that allow them to maximize their strong vocals and performances? Who can garner the votes needed to advance? And, the real question is: “Who is YOUR favorite?”

This week’s Comment from Amy Cortese: Cannot believe that Skylar went home before the gospel screaming Joshua and the piano lounge act Jessica. I would buy Skylar’s and Philip’s CD and a concert ticket but never in a million years would I waste a dime on Joshua or Jessica. It is obvious who J Lo is rooting for —  she says it all in her comments. Never anything really good for Philips or Hollie. Her attention is strictly on Joshua and Jessica. At least Randy had the guts last night to say that Jessica’s performance was ho hum at best. Right away, did you hear J Lo interrupt Randy? Her comment “whatever” was insulting. She should have been fired and I hope she does get fired.

Top 6 Perform
One WILL Go Home!
We Present Idol’s Top 5
by Phil Shiltz
& Amy Cortese

Monday American Idol News: One thing should be immediately obvious after the drama of the past two weeks. We have reached a point in this season’s American Idol when we must expect the unexpected. Each of the Top 6 Idols has proven that they have the vocal ability to win it all. But. as we near the finals, it will become more and more apparent that this is not merely a singing competition. Previous Idol winners owe their success as much to the demographic composition and voting habits of the viewing audience as they do to the strength of their own vocals.
Each of the remaining Top 6 Idols has some unique strengths and some concerns. Those who plan to advance must keep everyone in their current fan base, and then add some more votes. The easiest place to add votes is from those who followed the most recent departure (currently Colton Dixon). It would appear that Phillip Phillips should benefit most from Colton’s departure because Phillip will probably gain young teen girls who liked Colton. Joshua could pick up some of Colton’s Christian supporters. Colton’s rock-n-roll base is totally up for grabs.
Song choices and performances are now critical. This week, each Idol must choose a song that has been performed by the group “Queen” and another song by an artist of their choice. The song choices and performance orders are as follows:
Jessica Sanchez will lead it off with Queen’s “Radio Ga Ga”.
Phillip Phillips will perform “We Are the Champions”.
Elise Testone will perform “Someone to Love”.
(A quick note: the first 3 to perform last week made up the Bottom 3. Is performance order another way AI producers are trying to influence the vote? Maybe?)
Hollie Cavanaugh will sing “Love of My Life”.
Joshua Ledet chose “The Show Must Go On”.
Skylar Laine will perform “The Miracle”.

For their personal choice:
Jessica Sanchex chose Beyonce’s “Listen”.
Phillip Phillips chose Daughtry’s “It’s Not Over”.
Elise Testone chose Ana Johnsson’s “We Are”.
Hollie Cavanagh chose Elton John’s “Candle in the Wind”.
Joshua Ledet chose Bill Withers’ iconic “Lean On Me”.
Skylar Laine will close out the show performing Lady Antebellum’s “As You Turn Away”.

Who is your favorite? Did they choose songs that will energize their personal voting base? Will they attract some of Colton’s fans? I like the choices of my two favorites.
If anyone is interested, I may tell you the real reason Colton Dixon went home. One hint: Parents still have an influence in some families.
Check back for comments on Wednesday’s Performance Show, for those revealed to be Bottom 3 and the most recently eliminated after Thursday’s Results Show, and for updates and comments whenever they seem appropriate. Until then, we hope your days are amazing.

Tuesday American Idol News: The source that we used to provide the performance order and song choices for Wednesday’s Performance Show has erased that information from their website. Usually that would indicate that a portion of that info MAY be incorrect. We believe that the original post is accurate, and for that reason we are leaving it.

If that information is correct, the following are the telephone numbers to use for voting:

Jessica Sanchez 866 436-5701
Skylar Laine: 866 436-5702
Joshua Ledet: 866 436-5703
Elise Testone: 866 436-5704
Phillip Phillips: 866 436-5705
Hollie Cavanagh: 866 436-5706

Note: Katy Perry will be performing her latest hit “Part of Me” on Thursday’s Results Show.

Note: In a telephone interview, Colton Dixon confirmed his belief that his choice of a Lady GaGa song alienated his devout Christian fan base and contributed to his surprise departure last week. His seeming indifference to criticism from the judges was another factor in one of the closest elimination races in recent Idol history. Sources state that less than 240 votes out of 53 million cast sent Colton home instead of Hollie Cavanaugh.

One additional note: Queen’s iconic “Another One Bites the Dust” will provide background music for any potential nightmares haunting our Top 6. Someone WILL go home. It may surprise you to know that EVERY Idol who received the fewest number of votes in the past five weeks performed in the first three spots. Jessica was saved but Erika, Heejun, DeAndre, and now Colton performed in one of the first three spots that week and were sent home. So if Jessica, Phillip, or Elise is a favorite of yours — they may be in additional danger and CRITICALLY need your votes to advance. I believe that these will be the correct numbers to use, and I will post immediately Wednesday night if I find otherwise.

Keep your favorite in the competition: Vote, vote often, and urge followers of your favorite to do the same. Talk to you Wednesday. I will be commenting and rating the “Queen” performances, and Amy Cortese will be commenting and rating each of the second performances.

Breaking News from Staff:

Check back for future updates, which will be posted in blue like this one.

Top 6 Performance Show
Songs from “Queen” & “Personal Favorite”
The Top 6 performed some of Queen’s greatest hits, including “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “The Show Must Go On,” and “Fat Bottomed Girls.

Did your favorite perform well enough to be safe this week?
Let’s take a look at what happened on Wednesday’s “Performance Night”.
Jessica Sanchez Final Grade (B)

“Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen.
There’s a number of reasons why no one should have chosen this song. One being, it’s untouchable. Freddie Mercury should be the only person ever allowed to sing this song. Secondly, it’s not a song that can be edited down to fit the American Idol performance clock. The song came off very choppy. Not at all a good song choice for her. That’s what I think, and rated her as a (C+). Sorry, rabid Jessica fans.
Phil rated her as a (B+).

“Dance With My Father” by Luther Vandross.
Jessica has finally gotten to that place where she’s connecting with the audience. And that was my one problem with her before. So now that she’s getting past that, I’m starting to get her a little more. This was a great vocal and showed great emotion, and rated her as an (A).
Phil rated her as a (B-).

Skylar Laine Final Grade (A-)

“The Show Must Go On” by Queen.
Her song choice and performance were the best of the six during the Queen portion of the night. I never really thought she should sing it, but she proved me wrong. She delivered it with great power and poise and she told a story with it. I give her an (A-).
Phil rated her as a (B-).

“Tattoos on this Town” by Jason Aldean.
I have no idea what this song is but I kind of liked it. Skylar is such a performer. She never misses a beat. She brought out the power again with performance (A). I think she might be rivaling Elise for most under appreciated contestant.
Phil rated her as a (B).

Joshua Ledet Final Grade (B)

“Crazy Little Thing Called Love” by Queen.
This was not a good song choice for him. Queen has so many songs, that he could sing. The real problem ended up being that he tried to make song bigger than it was. I personally thought it was a “Boring” performance and rated it as a (B-).
Phil rated him as a (B+).

“Ready For Love” by India Arie.
Again, a song I don’t know. I know a song called “Ready For Love,” but surely that wasn’t just some way altered version of it, was it? I thought it was a better performance and rated it as a (B-).
Phil rated him as a (B).

Elise Testone Final Grade (B)

“I Want It All” by Queen.
A Queen song I love, but not the right one for her. It had the rock edge she needed, but it didn’t have the popularity edge she needed. She needs to do songs everyone knows and this isn’t’ one of Queen’s better-known songs. She doesn’t have the freedom to just pick a great song and sing it, and rated her as a (B-).
Phil rated her as an (A).

“Bold as Love” by Jimi Hendrix.
What away to shoot yourself in the foot. I agree completely with Steven tonight. Elise said she knew and love the song. I don’t think so. She did a great job with the song, but as I said before, she doesn’t have the freedom of choosing just any song. It has to be the right song for her again. I was not personally impressed by her performance and gave her a (C).
Phil rated her as a (B).

Phil Phillips Final Grade (B+)

“Fat Bottomed Girls” by Queen.
A couple of seasons ago, this song sent Bucky Covington home. I don’t think that will happen to Phillip, but I don’t think it helped him any. I’m a Phillip fan and I thought this one just came off kind of weird. I rated this performance a (B-).
Phil rated him as an (A-).

“The Stone” by Dave Matthews Band.
Another not-so-known song choice. What’s going on tonight? I don’t think song choice matters as much with Phillip. I’m pretty sure at this point he’s the front-runner and probably has very little to worry about. I was impressed by his performance and rated him as an (A).
Phil rated him as a (B).

Hollie Cavanagh Final Grade (B+)

“Save Me” by Queen.
This one confused me. I thought the vocal was great but the performance was boring. And that’s not a boring song. I guess it was all how Hollie delivered it. I rated her performance (B-).
Phil rated her as a (B).

“The Climb” by Miley Cyrus.
Finally, a smart song choice. I hate the song and the original singer, but Hollie’s is probably the best version I’ve ever heard of that song. And it’s a young and well-know song. At least well-known by a large percent of the people who actually vote for American Idol. And on top of that, the vocal was top-notch. I rated her performance as an (A).
Phil rated her as an (A-).

Now it’s time for some predictions. And as always, these are not my personal opinions on who I think should go home. They’re simply how I think America’s votes might play out.
That’s all.

100 Percent Safe: Phillip Phillips

Most Likely Safe: Jessica Sanchez, Skylar Laine

Possible Bottom Three: Elise Testone, Joshua Ledet, Hollie Cavanagh

Probably Going Home: Elise Testone

My Thinking: After last week’s elimination of Colton Dixon, anything is possible, so I’m not going to put a lot of trust in my own predictions. But anyway, I think Elise is definitely going home this time. Her song choices were all wrong. I think that’s a safe bet. As for the the other two in the bottom (or will there only be a bottom 2 since we’re down to the Top 6?), it’s hard to say. Hollie did well tonight, but she probably isn’t going to be one of the highest vote-getters. And I THINK Jessica is still riding the wave of her near-elimination two weeks ago. So that leaves Joshua. I think Skylar’s popularity has risen so she should be safe. But like I said, anything is possible.

Idol ‘Top 6′ becomes ‘Top 5′
Thursday Results Show
“Another One Bites the Dust”
We are down to the Top 6, and one of them WILL be going home. Who will survive tonight’s elimination?

To celebrate “Queen” week on American Idol, we have a newly-formed rock group assembled by legendary Queen drummer Roger Taylor on the show tonight. “Queen Extravaganza” will soon begin a world-wide tour performing all the Queen classics. Tonight they do a rousing rendition of “Someone to Love”, and are joined at the end by Taylor and occasional Queen guitarist Brian May. This is one of the better guest performances on AI.

But tonight is not about guest performances. After the break, Ryan gets right to the important stuff and calls Jessica and Elise to the front. The three stools of misery sit waiting at stage right. A look back at their Wednesday night performances starts what will become a recurring theme — wrong song choices. While the judges had acted favorably to Jessica’s attempt to cover Freddie Mercury’s vocals on “Bohemian Rhapsody”, Jimmie Iovine is not so kind. He calls her choice a “mistake”. But he does agree with them that her performance of Luther Vandross’ “Dance with My Father” made up for it and was magnificent.

I really liked Elise’s take on Queen’s “I Want It All”. The judges had been largely complimentary also, but Jimmie Iovine brought Elise and her fans back to reality. Jimmie thought the Queen song didn’t have a WOW factor and came off as “clubby”. And she didn’t have enough time on the Idol stage to do Jimi Hendrix and “Bold as Love” any justice. Jimmie thought two wrong song choices would do her in. As usual, Jimmie was right. Ryan reveals that Jessica is safe, and Elise returns again to one of the stools reserved for the Bottom 3. How long can Elise tempt fate?

Ryan cuts the tension by introducing one of AI’s past favorites — Season 10 Idol Stefano (Legano) — who belts out his debut single “I’m On a Roll”. Our current Idols seem relieved to see that recording careers are possible for them even if they don’t make this year’s finals.

But back to the business at hand. Ryan calls Hollie and Joshua to the front. A look back at last night’s performances shows what a quick learner Hollie is. J Lo had given her some tough love after Hollie sang Queen’s “Save Me”, telling her that she needs to enjoy her own performance if she expects an audience to enjoy it. Then, Hollie came out looking much more comfortable singing Miley Cyrus’ song “The Climb”. Jimmie Iovine agrees that her vocals and performances were very strong but thinks they may have been too late to keep her in the competition.

Jimmie agrees with the judges that Joshua’s performances were very impressive. His newly-found ability to add personal interpretation to his songs makes Joshua a strong contender this year. Not unexpectedly, Ryan reveals that Joshua is safe and that Hollie and Elise are, once again, in the Bottom 3. With only Phillip and Skylar remaining to learn their fate, it seems obvious that either Elise or Hollie will be going home.

Katy Perry, one of the world’s biggest pop stars, performs her new military-themed single “Part of Me”. The remaining Idols are given a look at what kind of performance America expects from their stars. Fame may well come to each of them, but there is lots of hard work still ahead.

Ryan Seacrest orchestrates us back to the tension, as he calls Phillip and Skylar to the front. After viewing Skylar’s two performances, Jimmie Iovine disagrees with the judge’s rave reviews from last night and indicates that Skylar may be in trouble this week. He calls her Queen choice a “mistake” and her performance “competent” at best. He calls her second song a “mistake” and “self-indulgent”.

Jimmie attributed Phillip Phillips “less-than-exciting” performances to be primarily a health issue. Nevertheless, Phillip may have left a door open for someone to take his expected place in the finals. Both Phillip and Sklar have large, enthusiastic fan bases. Which group voted the most? Ryan reveals that Phillip is safe, and Skylar is in the Bottom 3.

Elise, Hollie, and Skylar form this week’s Bottom 3. Ryan reveals that Skylar is safe. Then he reveals that Hollie is also safe. It was Elise that received the fewest votes. America has spoken, and Elise Testone is going home.

Hollie Cavanaugh, Jessica Sanchez, Joshua Ledet, Phillip Phillips, and Skylar Laine are still safely in Idol’s Top 5 for this season and each of them will continue their quest to fulfill the dream of becoming THE next American Idol.

What do you think of American Idol Top 5? Did your favorite(s) make it? I, for one, was sad to see Elise leave the competition. What do you think of this week’s Bottom 3? Remember that America selects their “Favorite” and not necessarily the Idol with the best or strongest voice. Which of our Top 5 Idols will make song choices that allow them to maximize their strong vocals and performances? Who can garner the votes needed to advance? And, the real question is: “Who is YOUR favorite?”

This week’s Comment from Amy Cortese: Jennifer Lopez needs to be let go. She obviously only likes one style of singing. She tells one person to be themselves but tell Phillip not to be himself? She tells someone to get emotionally involved in the song and then tells Hollie she can’t get emotionally involved and to stop thinking about it? She tell many of them that they should show more restraint when singing but praises (almost drools over) Joshua when he screams for an entire song.

Our American Idol’s Blogsite has ALL the latest news.

Top 7 Perform, Again
One WILL Go Home!
We Present Idol’s Top 6
by Phil Shiltz
& Amy Cortese

Latest Comment about Thursday Results Shows — Then and Now — by Phil Shiltz Last week’s results show generated lots of controversy, especially about whose votes are really important in the end. There seem to have been more instances of bias among the judges (Steven, J Lo, and Randy) than I can ever remember from years past. The judges used their “Save” last week, as we predicted they would. Saving Jessica Sanchez was the right thing to do. But it was overkill for the judges to rush to the stage, for them to tell America that we had it wrong, and then for Randy Jackson to proclaim that Jessica was the “Best” this year and probably the best ever. I was very irritated until I remembered a lesson and quote from Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”:

 

“Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
To the last syllable of recorded time,
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.” 

This is part of Macbeth’s famous soliloquy from Act 5, Scene 5 of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. The actions last week from the judges showed a tremendous lack of judgement, but ultimately changed nothing. Mentors should mentor, judges SHOULD merely judge, and America should and will decide.

This week we had the same Top 7 perform for America’s votes. Truthfully, there is really one, huge difference. This week, there is no “Save”, and the person with the fewest number of votes WILL go home.

Look here for the results of that vote very soon after it is announced. I will comment about performances from Kris Allen and LMFAO early on Friday morning, and will post some comments about how Ryan Seacrest dramatized the process this week.

Then, later on Friday, Amy Cortese will add her “no-holds-barred” comments and summarize all the events of the past week.

Look for the Bottom 3 and the name of the person going home to be posted here by Thursday, Midnight.

Tuesday’s News Showcase by Phil Shiltz: Before I tell you about the TV schedule for Wednesday and Thursday nights’ shows, I want to make two comments. First — I want to thank all of you for the interest you have shown in our series of “American Idol” (AI) articles. We were at first surprised at the number of people who quickly figured out that it was possible to use our “Archives Link” to view next week’s article while it was still in the “production” phase. Thank you for your ingenuity, your comments, and your willingness to share our comments with others.

Secondly — There has been a lot of controversy about the manner in which the “Judges’ Save” was used last week. Few have any problem that it was used or that it was used to save Jessica Sanchez. Our own Amy Cortese may have summed it up best in last week’s AI Article when she said: “The judges were way out of line with their behavior (when they went on and on) about how America had it wrong and how (Jessica) was the top one.” I will take Amy’s comment one step further: For Randy Jackson to imply that America “must” vote for the best is outrageous. As Americans, we have the right to base our votes on whatever criteria we choose: voice, looks, personality, marketability, performance, whatever. Many of us make our choices based on whether we believe CDs by a specific Idol would sell, and whether we would buy them. America spoke last week and will speak again this week. The only difference is that this week the contestant with the fewest votes WILL go home. I hope it’s not my favorite or yours. Regardless, as ALWAYS, America will vote, and America’s vote will be “Right” once again.

Next week, on Wednesday, April 18 at 8/7c, the same Top Seven – Colton Dixon, Elise Testone, Hollie Cavanagh, Jessica Sanchez, Joshua Ledet, Phillip Phillips, Skylar Laine, – will return to the Idol stage to perform for America’s votes. AI Producers refer to this week’s theme as “Now and Then”. Each of our Idols will be performing two songs — a ‘Billboard’ #1 hit from 2000-2012 — and an older, soul song from a previous decade of their choice. Our Idols retain the right to change either song up if they should choose to do so. I don’t think we will be seeing Phillip or Skyler doing a “soul” version, even if it was originally a soul song. Once again, our Amy Cortese will comment and rate the performances. Those ratings will be available to our readership on Thursday by using “Archives”.

Tune in the following night, Thursday, April 19 at 8/7c, to the live results show to find out which Top Seven finalist is sent home. In addition, LMFAO will perform their smash hit, “Sorry For Party Rocking” and Season 8 winner Kris Allen will perform his hit single “The Vision of Love”. I will be posting comments and the results of Thursday’s show late that night or very early Friday morning.

Look for showcase American Idol news as soon as interesting information becomes available. Until then, thanks again. Have an amazing day.

Breaking News from Staff:

Check back for future updates, which will be posted in blue like this one.

 

Top 7 Performance Show, Again
Songs from “Now & Then” 

The Top 7 finalists embarked on a “new beginning” Wednesday night, with each contestant singing two songs from “Now & Then”: a #1 hit from 2001 to the present and a soul song from back in the day.      Did your favorite perform well enough to be safe this week? Let’s take a look at what happened on Wednesday’s “Performance Night”.
Hollie Cavanagh  Final Grade (B+)
“Rolling in the Deep” by Adele. Hollie has had a really rough past couple of weeks, but she started this one off with a bang. I thought her performance of “Rolling in the Deep” was the best version of that song that I’ve ever heard. I was realy impressed, and rated her performance (A-).	“Son of a Preacher Man” by Dusty Springfield. She delivered another powerful performance with her second song, but it still wasn’t as good as the first (B+).
Colton Dixon  Final Grade (B)
“Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga. I fully expected to hate this performance. I wanted to hate it. But I actually kind of liked it. I thought it was one of his best and rated his “Bad Romance” as an (A).	“September” by Earth Wind and Fire. I’m all for making a song your own and changing things up, but this one was kind of a travesty. His version was completely unrecognizable at all. (C).
Elise Testone  Final Grade (B)
“No One” by Alicia Keys. When Elise is good, she’s REALLY good. I actually felt emotional with this performance. She sings with such passion and soul. And JLo is right about her smile. It lights up the stage, and rated her as an (A-).	“Lets Get it On” by Marvin Gaye. This was an interesting song choice for Elise. I was not personally impressed by her performance and gave her a(C).
Phil Phillips  Final Grade (B+)
“U Got it Bad” by Usher. Phillip did his thing. It was totally fine and Phillip Phillips. I’d listen to him on the radio. I want him to do something diferent and mix things up some. I rated this performance a (B-).	“Midnight Hour” by Wilson Pickett. He dropped the guitar and seemed to have move fun on stage. That was good to see, and I thought it was much better than the first round. I was impressed by his performance and rated him as an (A).
Jessica Sanchez  Final Grade (B)
“Fallin’” by Alicia Keys. It was good. She’s a great vocalist and while she had more of a connection the previous two weeks, I felt that connection lacking again. That’s what I think, and was not personally impressed by her performance and rated her as a(C+). Sorry, rabid Jessica fans.	“Try a Little Tenderness” by Otis Redding. Overall, it was little better than the first performance, but again she just didn’t seem to be having a good time. and rated her as a (B+).
Skylar Laine  Final Grade (A-)
“Born This Way” by Lady Gaga. I thought Skylar’s country version of this song was fantastic, I give her an (A+).	“Heard it Through the Grapevine” by Marvin Gaye She brought out the power again with performance (B+). I think she might be rivaling Elise for most under appreciated contestant.
Joshua Ledet  Final Grade (C+)
“I Believe” by Fantasia. He performed as well as he always. It got a little screechy as usually, but overall it was a good vocal. I personally thought it was a “Boring” performance and rated it as a (B-).	“A Change is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke I was terribly bored with this performance and rated it as a(C+).
Randy Jackson saying “Jessica is one of the best singers in America” I think is a slap in the face to all of the other contestants. While it is a singing competition, you still have to think about the sell-ability of whoever is going to win American Idol. Mentors should mentor and Judges should judge appropriately and not base it on favoritism. What do you think? Do you believe that your favorite did well? So who’s going to be safe this week? This is going to a tough week for predictions. 100 Percent Safe: Phillip Phillips, Jessica Sanchez Most Likely Safe: Skylar Laine, Colton Dixon Possibly the Bottom 3: Elise Testone, Joshua Ledet, Hollie Cavanagh Possibly Going Home: Hollie

 

Idol ‘Top 7′ becomes ‘Top 6′
Thursday Results Show
An Idol Favorite Goes Home 

Party rockers LMFAO and ‘Idol’ alum Kris Allen appeared on Thursday’s results show (April 19). LMFAO got the crowd pumped up with their hit “Sorry for Party Rocking,” while the Season 8 winner sang his new single, “The Vision of Love” from his forthcoming album, “Thank You Camellia.”

But the drama for the night was provided by the announcement that American had voted and put Hollie Cavanaugh, Elise Testone, and Colton Dixon in the Bottom 3. Ryan Seacrest announced that Elise was safe, that Hollie was safe and that Colton Dixon would be going home.

Check the “Sense and non-Sense” Archives daily, starting Sunday, as we construct our AI article for next week. That article will occupy the sixth spot in April 29′s newsletter. The dreams of the Top 6 (Elise Testone, Hollie Cavanaugh, Jessica Sanchez, Joshua Ledet, Phillip Phillips, and Skylar Laine) are still alive. We will follow them next week as each pursues his dream of becoming the next American Idol.

 

  

  

What do you think of tonight’s American Idol results? Did America get it right? Remember that America selects their “Favorite” and not necessarily the Idol with the best or strongest voice. So, the real question is: “Who is YOUR favorite?”

This week’s Comment from Amy Cortese: I am sad to think so many of the younger voters think the judges have to be listened to. It’s not fair for the Judges to order people to cast for their choices. I am sure the other contestants felt very bad when the judges made it look like no one else was good enough to vote for. So now Colton is gone. You took his votes and put them where told. Come on people, vote for your choice. I don’t doubt Jessica will be good as she ages, give her time. I personally don’t feel Hollie or Elise have enough talent to carry it although they are good. Skylar can sing anything they have given her, any genre, and she makes it fun. Philip needs to step up if hes gonna stay. Joshua needs to be in stage shows, he has that kind of voice, and with practice will be a very good solo artist on Broadway. So please all of you stop, look, and listen, watch and then judge. Is this a person you could sit and watch in an hour show? Do they bring entertainment? Do you feel their presence? If they don’t sparkle and move you and do all of this, then vote for who does. The judges don’t know everything.

Monday American Idol News:We have reached a point in this season’s American Idol when we should expect the unexpected. Each of the Top 6 have proven that they have the vocal ability to win it all. Each has some additional strengths and some drawbacks. Those who advance must keep everyone in their fan base, and then add some more votes. It appears that Phillip Phillips will benefit most from Colton Dixon’s departure because he will probably gain young teen girls who liked Colton. Joshua could pick up some of Colton’s Christian supporters. Colton’s rock n roll base is totally up for grabs.
Song choices and performances are now critical. This week, each Idol must choose a song that has been performed by the group “Queen” and another song by an artist of their choice. The song choices and performance orders are as follows:
Jessica Sanchez will lead it off with Queen’s “Radio Ga Ga”.
Phillip Phillips will perform “We Are the Champions”.
Elise Testone will perform “Someone to Love”.
(A quick note: the first 3 to perform last week made up the Bottom 3. Is performance order another way AI producers are trying to influence the vote? Maybe?)
Hollie Cavanaugh will sing “Love of My Life”.
Joshua Ledet chose “The Show Must Go On”.
Skylar laine will perform “The Miracle”.
For their personal choice:
Jessica Sanchex chose Beyonce’s “Listen”.
Phillip Phillips chose Daughtry’s “It’s Not Over”.
Elise Testone chose Ana Johnsson’s “We Are”.
Hollie Cavanagh chose Elton John’s “Candle in the Wind”.
Joshua Ledet chose Bill Withers’ iconic “Lean On Me”.
Skylar Laine will close out the show performing Lady Antebellum’s “As You Turn Away”.
Who is your favorite? Did they choose wisely? I like the choices of my two favorites.

If anyone is interested, I may tell you the real reason Colton Dixon went home. One hint: Parents still have an influence in some families.

Our American Idol’s Blogsite has ALL the latest news.

One Finalist Gets Saved
for one more week
We Present Idol’s Top 7 Again
by Phil Shiltz
& Amy Cortese

The NEWS: Hopefully you were intrigued by this week’s title: “One Finalist Gets Saved”. At least that was the intent and I will explain my thinking behind who and why. But first, a programming note or two. This week should show the type of artist each of the Final 7 wants to become. Each Idol will be able to choose a favorite from any of the songs and artists of the “2010′s”. Sengalese American R&B recording artist Akon will act as mentor and help steer our Idols to relevant and correct song choices.

Now let me explain the title: I have been a huge supporter of Colton Dixon, Jessica Sanchez, and Phillip Phillips since before the Top 13 was announced, and each has advanced week by week with relative ease. Now that we are down to the Top 7, no one is totally safe. Two of my original Top 3 contestants may be in jeopardy of assuming a spot in this week’s Bottom 3. Colton is probably still safe, but I am not sure about Jessica or Phillip. Neither is really in danger of going home this week because Steven, J Lo, and Randy still have that Judges’ Save. This is the week I expect them to use it. If so, “No One Goes Home” because “One Finalist Gets Saved.”

But I do want to take a few moments and talk about Phillip Phillips. He and Elise Testone are currently 1-2 in my heart of hearts. Elise could win, but probably won’t-and that’s okay. Phillip could and (in my mind) should win, but needs to show some adaptability to survive to the end.

Early in the process, I picked Phillip as the “one to beat” because he was the total package wrapped in a humble personality and a shy grin. As my friend Amy (better known as “White Angel”) has said: [expect] “young and old to be crushing on this new heart throb in jeans and flip-flops . . . [With his] boyish smile and handsome good looks, he is no doubt going to be a front runner.” More importantly for me, he has seemed willing to put the music first. In that respect, he has not disappointed so far.

But now may be the time to change that formula. Mentor Jimmie Iovine said as much, but I think Phillip misinterpreted the message Jimmie was trying to deliver. Jimmie actually said: “It is very difficult to push yourself when everyone is telling you that you’re so great. Right now, what Phillip needs is to be pushed so that he can go out and be the best version of himself that he can be. If he stands still, there is a very big possibility that other contestants will come and pass him. And that would be a real shame.”

I feel the same way because other contestants have listened to good advice, have improved their packaging and image (Colton’s new hairdo, Joshua’s tight jackets), have shown versatility (Hollie singing country, Elise singing Led Zeppelin), and have stepped out of their comfort zone to shine (Skylar doing “Wind Beneath My Wings”). Jessica and Phillip have survived doing the same thing every week.

I assume that Jimmie was trying to encourage Phillip to choose a better-known song and melody, change up the look, or abandon hiding behind the guitar. I especially agree about a more popular song choice.

The only part of Jimmie’s comment that Phillip seemed to hear was the only part he responded to (and he misinterpreted “standing still” to mean “physically standing in one spot”). Phillip’s actual response: “I am not trying to walk around stage and touch people’s hands and stuff. That’s just not me . . . I’m not trying to be someone else. I am just trying to play music.”

I hope that someone took the time to explain Jimmie’s intended recommendations, and I hope that does influence Phillip’s song choice. If it does, and if Phillip can relax a bit and better connect with the audience, then Phillip can keep the boyish look and the acoustic guitar and sail into the finals.

Every member of the Top 7 has enormous talent and a commited fan base. As other Idols fall, it will be someone showing willingness and ability to venture from their comfort zone that will pick up the additional votes needed to win it all. No one can be counted out yet. Each of us have our favorites. Vote and lobby for your favorite. I just lobbied for mine.

Look for our comments about Wednesday’s Performance show early on Thursday, our comments on Thursday’s Results show early on Friday, and other updates and comments as they seem appropriate. Talk to you soon. Until then, have an amazing week.

Breaking News from Staff:

Check back for future updates, which will be posted in blue like this one.

Top 7 Performance Show
Songs from 2010, 2011, and 2012
It is time for each of the remaining Idols to show America the type of artist they want to become. With the ability of our favorites to choose any song by any artist in the past few years, we should get a better idea of those who can really become relevant and successful recording artists. This seems to be the year of really good and really BIG voices with Jessica, Joshua, and others. But the biggest and best voice is not necessarily America’s choice as THE Idol. Have you made your choice yet, or narrowed it down to a few?

Sudanese-American R&B artist Akon served as this week’s guest mentors, and he and Idol mentor Jimmie Iovine tried to spur the remaining Idols to pick songs that allowed them to be the best that they can possibly be. Jimmie in particular let Colton and Phillip know they were in direct competition for the same voting base, and that only one could survive.

Steven, J Lo, and Randy were looking for those willing to step up their game and compete. As Randy is now fond of saying: the judges want to know: “Who’s gotta have it?”

Did your favorite perform well enough to be safe this week?
Let’s take a look at what happened on Wednesday’s “Performance Night”.
Skylar Laine – “Didn’t Know How Much I Loved You” by Kellie Pickler
Jimmie Iovine and Akon seemed pleased with Skylar’s song choice and her approach to her selection. Both stated that she was “believable as an artist” and could have a #1 song with something similar. I was not personally impressed by her performance and rated her as a (B). Randy thought she was “crazy hot and crazy good” because she picked exactly the kind of music she should do. J Lo was lukewarm like me but felt that her pitch was right on. Steven summarized her performance with another “Tylerism” when he said: “crows may crow, but the hens deliver the goods”. That sounds to me like Steven Tyler is looking for one of the ladies to win. I still can’t envision that being Skyler Laine.

Colton Dixon – “Love the Way You Lie” by Skylar Grey
As I stated already, Jimmie made sure that Colton knew he was competing against everyone, but especially against Phillip for that all-important male heart-throb vote. I believe that Colton took that advice to heart and gave it his all. I liked it, but I still give him an overall rating of (C). The judges were more generous with their praise than I was. Randy actually mouthed a “Wow” to Jennifer and stated that he loved Colton’s interpretation. Steven said he had a rare talent, and J Lo noted that he was a real artist who had made the song his own. I still believe that for Colton to win, he must show us more.

Elise Testone and Phillip Phillips – “Somebody That I Used to Know” by Gotye
This duet spotlighted the vocal range and talent of Elise Testone, but Phillip Phillips was solid also. Randy agreed that Elise stood out because she “sang the mess out of it”. Steven thought they nailed it, and J Lo loved the feel of the song and the overall effect of the duet. Look for a duet by Phillip and Elise to be one of the highlights of the Idol summer tour.

Jessica Sanchez – “Stuttering” by Jazmine Sullivan
Jimmie and Akon were both impressed by Jessica’s strong vocals and her ability to move an audience. Akon noted that he had told Jimmie before the original 24 finalists had been selected that Jessica would be the “one” to watch. I thought she did well and I rated her performance as a solid (B+). The judges love her and loved this performance.

Randy thought she had raised the bar for the night and the season. J Lo thought it was beautiful and looks forward to Jessica doing something on Idol that has never been seen before. Steven, too, stated that she slays it every time. I am still looking for more before I put her ahead of Phillip or Elise.

Joshua Ledet – “Runaway Baby” by Bruno Mars
Jimmie and Akon seemed to be impressed how Joshua had been able to take his small town, gospel roots and translate everything into becoming an artist with a solid urban feel. Part of that credit needs to go to Tommy Hilfiger and Joshua creating a very signature, cool urban look with the tight, fitted jackets and color coordination. I am not a big Joshua fan, but it was one of the better overall performances of the night and I rated him as a solid (B+). Steven commented on his ability to sell a song, J Lo was impressed by his voice control, and Randy stated that his total performance showed that Joshua is one who “really wants it”.

Skylar Laine and Colton Dixon – “Don’t You Wanna Stay” by Kelly Clarkson and Jason Aldean
The producers and the media seem determined to recreate last year’s country chemistry. But Colton and Skylar are not as appealing to each other or appealing as a potential couple as were Scotty and Lauren. I agreed with Randy’s evaluation that the duet was okay at best. J Lo was correct in stating that the intricate harmonies were good. But Steven vastly over-stated it when he said that they had “made love on stage.” My expert in these matters (White Angel) told me that they had said they were not dating a total of 42 times Wednesday night. Enough already!

Hollie Cavanagh – “Perfect” by Pink
Jimmie thought that Hollie would win the last-note-of-the-night award. I thought it was her best performance of the season and one of the best of the night. I gave her a solid (B+), but the judges threw her under with bus with faint praise. J Lo did say she was beautiful and sang perfectly. Randy did say that she had improved, but Steven made a point to say that Hollie was “far from perfect”. The studio audience seemed to agree with me that she deserved far more praise than she got. The ultimate evaluation will be revealed in tonight’s “Results Show”

Phillip Phillips – “Give a Little More” by Maroon 5
I think Jimmie Iovine is as much a Phillip Phillips fan as I am, but we both have been disappointed in Phillip’s song and arrangement choices. Jimmie did make it a point to tell him that he needed to make choices designed to show that he is great, and not just different. Phiilip promised to change it up, but then went and did what he has done every week. He teased us with greatness, and delivered far less. A performance that would have been an (A) several weeks ago, now deserves nothing more than (B-). J Lo got it about right when she said it was underwhelming and not exciting. Randy was pleased that he chose a song with a stronger melody. Steven seemed to be more impressed by his rebel image than strong vocals by referring to him as a modern-day Steve McQueen or Johnny Cash. That image will not be enough for Phillip Phillips to win Season 11. Time is running out on one of my favorites.

Hollie Cavanagh, Joshua Ledet and Jessica Sanchez – “What Doesn’t Kill You
I did not believe that this combination would work, but it worked very well. Joshua was the glue that held strong vocals by Hollie and Jessica together. Three very strong voices merged together to create a surprisingly good collaboration. Well done.

Elise Testone – “You and I” by Lady Gaga
As we have seen in recent weeks, the producers seem to hold the best potential performance of the night for last. (Probably in an attempt to hold the audience.) They got it right again this week as Elise Testone received the only (solid A) rating from me. Elise actually wanted to start the song with her on drums, but Jimmie convinced her to concentrate on the vocals. The advice was great, and although Elise did start behind the piano, the vocals were definitely center stage. And they were great. It was a confident, relaxed, and impressive night for Elise Testone. It was a night that puts Elise in strong consideration for season finals. Steven called it simple genius, J Lo labelled her as a “closer”, and Randy exclaimed that “Elise is back” !

Elise Testone took on a current icon in Lady Gaga and gave the stellar performance of the night. Or, at least, that’s the way I saw it.

What do you think? Do you believe that your favorite did well?
So who’s going to be safe this week? I still believe this is the week we see the Judge’s Save used. Everyone could be safe and no one goes home. Or possibly your favorite or mine will be gone.
We will find out on Thursday, when the results are revealed!

Idol Top 7
Thursday Results Show
Someone COULD Go Home
Expect tonite’s show to be different from any American Idol Results Show you have EVER seen. No one is safe. Each one of the Idols is in jeopardy of being in the Bottom 3. Any one of them could be the one with the fewest votes. That Idol will be in danger of going home, and must “Sing for Their Life”. Just remember that there is a “Judges’ Save” still available. Steven, J Lo, and Randy must all agree that the person in danger is worthy of using this season’s only Save.
Otherwise, that person will go home. (Even if that person is your favorite or mine.)

To start the show, the Top 7 performed a song that was so awful I will not mention it any further other than to say it was “Raise Your Glass” by Pink.

Getting right to the important stuff, Ryan called Hollie and Jessica to the front. The three stools of misery are nowhere to be seen. Ryan starts two different groups by sending Hollie to the right, starting one group. He then sends Jessica to the left, starting another group. But, is the group on the right, the right group to be in if you want to be safe? Or is the left group the right group? Be prepared to be confused.

Ryan cuts the tension by introducing James Durbin and his band. James rocks the house with “Higher than Heaven”, a single from his band’s most recent CD — “Memories of a Beautiful Disaster”.

But back to the tension and the confusion. Ryan calls Phillip and Elise to the front. He promptly sends Phillip to join Hollie’s group and Elise to join Jessica’s group. All of us experts are now positive that we know which group is safe and which group has the first two in the Bottom 3. Some of us are right and some of us aren’t.

Grammy winner, Oscar winner, and former American Idol winner Jennifer Hudson takes the stage. She performs her “Think Like a Man” single with Ne-Yo and Rick Ross.

Back to the tension, as Ryan calls Colton and Joshua to the front. Now everyone is really confused as Joshua is sent to join Jessica and Elise. Colton is sent to join Hollie and Phillip. I doubt if any of us expected Colton and Phillip to be in the same group as Hollie. Skylar has yet to join either group. Even I was quickly able to figure out that Skylar must be safe. Ryan tried to get her to pick one of the groups to join. Skylar wasn’t having any of that “Sophie’s Choice” stuff. So Ryan had to lead Skylar to the “Safe” group.

Was the “Safe” group Hollie, Phillip, and Colton — or was the “Safe” group Jessica, Elise, and Joshua?

Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! We have an official Bottom 3. Everyone in my house got it wrong. Jessica, Elise, and Joshua (three of the strongest vocals in the competition) form this week’s Bottom 3. Ryan reveals that Joshua is safe. Then he reveals that Elise is also safe. It was Jessica that received the fewest votes. America has spoken, and Jessica is forced to “Sing for Her Life”. Fortunately, most of us noticed Steven telling everyone that the Judge’s Save would be used regardless of whether it was for Jessica, Elise, or Joshua.

After her performance, the judges decided to use their one save of the season on them, so nobody goes home this week.

The band started to play, and a dumb-struck Jessica started to sing. She was quickly stopped as Steven, J Lo, and Randy rushed the stage to save her the embarrassment. Randy announced that they had unanimously voted to use their only Judge’s Save to rescue Jessica from danger. Jessica finished her song with the other six surrounding her in support.

No one announced it officially, but my assumption is that we do the Top 7 Performance and Results Shows over again, with one Idol going home. And you think this week was tension filled!

Colton, Elise, Hollie, Jessica, Joshua, Phillip, and Skylar are still safely in Idol’s Top 7 for this season and each of them will continue their quest to fulfill the dream of becoming THE next American Idol.

What do you think of tonight’s American Idol results? Did America get it right? Remember that America selects their “Favorite” and not necessarily the Idol with the best or strongest voice. So, the real question is: “Who is YOUR favorite?”

This week’s Comment from Amy Cortese: Well, first of all, I have said all along that Jessica has a nice voice and I like her. But the judges were way out of line Thursday night with their behavior. That’s fine if they want to save her, but to go on and on about how America has it wrong and that she is the top one. I know they are the “pros” and I like them. But really Jennifer, Steven & Randy, who bought your albums, CDs and went to your concerts? That’s right. “America.” So the big question is? Did we have it wrong? As much as people like Jessica, or whoever else their favorites are, one important thing to remember is – will their CDs sell? I like her but probably wouldn’t buy any of her CDs. To me Josh is a Gospel singer, which is fine, but not my type of music.

To the judges, remember this show is called ‘AMERICAN IDOL’ not Jennifer, Steven or Randy’s Idol. Let America vote for their Idol and be done with it. This week the producers have a lot of damage control to fix or the ratings will drop even more.

P.S. This show is not called ” The voice.” America is looking for an Idol!

Our American Idol’s Blogsite has ALL the latest news.

One Finalist Goes Home
We Present Idol’s Top 7
by Amy Cortese
& Phil Shiltz

NEWS: It’s ’80s Week on “American Idol” so, naturally, the show’s three judges have come dressed like it’s finals week at Clown School. Steven Tyler is dressed in skinny white pants on which have been painted even skinnier legs. Jennifer Lopez is dressed in tinsel. Randy’s in a red polka dot shirt white tie and black jacket – he needs bigger shoes, though, and tears painted under one eye. If they don’t start tumbling, or riding bareback we’ll be disappointed.

Show host Ryan Seacrest, meanwhile, is wearing his newest-member-of-the-NBC-family suit. He’s just come from Rockefeller Center where, this morning, he informed Matt Lauer he’s been groomed to replace him eventually.

This week each Idolette will be asked what they miss most while in Los Angeles, shacking up at Foreclosure Plaza Hollywood, and working seven days a week learning songs, shilling for “Idol,” and selling Ford cars.

Who better to mentor the Idolettes during ’80s week than No Doubt’s singer Gwen Stefani and drummer Tony Kanal.

Breaking News from Staff:

Check back for future updates, which will be posted in blue like this one.

Top 8 Performance Show
Totally ’80s!
It was a “totally ’80s” night on Wednesday as American Idol’s Top 8 brought us back to the era of stone-washed jeans and neon tube tops with songs from Whitney Houston, Cyndi Lauper, Genesis, Foreigner, and more. No Doubt’s Gwen Stefani and Tony Kanal served as guest mentors, and Randy wanted to know: “Who’s gotta have it?” In the end, he advised America to vote for the contestant who “could really win this.” Did your favorite performer have an awesome enough night to be safe this week?

Deandre Brackensick – “I Like It” by Debarge
He kicked off the night, and Gwen coached him to “be more confident” as opposed to looking “really worried the whole time.” He took the advice, and the judges loved it.

“It was totally captivating, I forgot where I was,” Steven said. “You took your voice and you’ve owned it.” “That was exceptional.” Jennifer said, “I like it . . . I like it a lot! That was really great, baby I felt like you were super-comfortable up there. You took what they told you to heart, even the way you moved your hair this time.” And Randy added that lead singer El DeBarge would be proud: “He’s somewhere saying, ‘Oh my God, this kid has arrived!’ You used more of your natural voice, not just all falsetto. Continue to do that, it was perfect. You could be a newer 2012 version of DeBarge.”

Elise Testone – “I Want to Know What Love Is” by Foreigner
She tried to follow up her success last week with Foreigner’s #1 smash.

“Your voice is sick,” Gwen said. Tony added, “We both had goosebumps.” Gwen went on to predict that song “could be a magic moment” for Elise. Well, not quite.

“I love your style, I love your voice . . . [but] I’m not sure if that song was the right song for you tonight,” Steven said. Jennifer agreed. “You have a powerhouse voice. It wasn’t totally right every single moment, but you still sounded beautiful to me, and I felt your emotion,” she said. Randy wasn’t as generous, saying, “For me, you never quite hit the pitch right. It was pitchy the whole song until the very end. It was not your greatest performance. It was just out of tune everywhere for me.”

Colton Dixon and Skylar Laine – “Island in the Stream” by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton
The first duet of the night. The judges were impressed. “I enjoyed that!” Randy exclaimed. Ryan even noted the “chemistry” between Colton and Skylar, but Skylar denied the Twitter speculation that they are dating!

Phillip Phillips – “That’s All” by Genesis
After that, Philip played with his brother-in-law from back home on guitars. Tony suggested that Phillip drop the guitar on the bridge in order to have a “more intimate moment with the song.” Gwen predicted that he’d be “in the top of the tops” with the “sexy” performance.

After Phillip performed for the judges, Steven told him how he’s a huge fan. “I love your individuality,” he said. “You love being who you are, and that’s making you great every time I hear you.” Jennifer didn’t think Phillip was in his “comfort zone” in the beginning, but she told him that “toward the end you picked it up and you were the Phillip we love.” Randy was also impressed, saying, “I thought it was a great song choice for you. Big props to Tony for the note about not playing guitar on bridge — brilliant.”

Deandre Brackensick and Hollie Cavanagh – “I’m So Excited” by The Pointer Sisters
Steven said he loved seeing Hollie “let go” and “get so excited!”

Joshua Ledet – “If You Don’t Know Me By Now” by Simply Red
Randy said he was waiting for a “powerhouse” performance. “Who’s gotta have it?” he wondered.

“Obviously he has incredible vocal gymnastics — sometimes I think it can be too much,” Gwen said. Resident mentor Jimmy Iovine agreed. “It needs to be simpler when it comes back into the hook.”

In the end, Joshua earned a standing ovation. “We asked for a powerhouse performance, and that’s what we got. It was spectacular,” Jennifer said. “How can someone sing like you at your age?” Steven asked. “What a perfect, beautiful song. It wasn’t too much over-the-top, but it was over the top,” he added. “It’s very rare that I want to stand up from beginning to end — that’s how good that was,” Randy chimed in. “I think we found someone tonight who’s gotta have it!”

Jessica Sanchez – “How Will I Know” by Whitney Houston
She admitted that not long ago she was singing to boxes in her bedroom. She chose to perform Whitney Houston’s song.

“Your voice is ridiculous, but the way you move your body . . . try to do things more unique than typical lounge-singer moves,” Gwen advised, adding, “She’s gonna nail it.” The judges agreed that she did.

“That’s two powerhouse vocals in a row!” Jennifer said. “Your choices are so natural to you, your vocals just make everything go away for me. I’m listening to you, I can’t even believe it’s coming out of that little body!” Randy agreed that 16-year-old Jessica did an “amazing job” filling Whitney’s shoes. “I can’t believe that maturity in you. Ryan, she’s gotta have it, too!”

Elise Testone and Phillip Philips – “Stop Dragging My Heart Around” by Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty
The judges really enjoyed it. “Elise, welcome back!” Randy said. “That was hot!”

Hollie Cavanagh – “Flashdance” by Irene Cara
She chose to sing the classic ’80s hit “What a Feeling” from the movie “Flashdance,” and Gwen advised her to sing it “tough” rather than “sad.” Jimmy urged her to bring “nothing but feeling” to the song. The judges, however, didn’t think that she quite pulled it off.

“You always arrive, your songs are always great at the end . . . [you were] a little slow getting there this time, and your pitch was all over the place,” Steven said. Jennifer agreed. “Some of the notes were a little musical-like, it didn’t feel like the pop song that it is. With the movement, it felt like you don’t let go. Stop thinking, get up there, and feel it,” she suggested. “Your voice is amazing, couple of pitchy kinda moments . . . I think it happens when you’re thinking, not just living it,” Randy said.

Jessica Sanchez and Joshua Ledet – “I Knew You Were Waiting For Me” by Aretha Franklin and George Michael
This was the final duet of the night, and received a standing ovation.

“Two of the greatest singers to ever hit this competition!” Randy raved. “This is one of the greatest performances I’ve seen on this show — they definitely gotta have it.” Jennifer also was impressed, saying, “It’s a dream pairing. I’m looking there thinking, ‘Final, maybe?’”

Colton Dixon – “Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper
Steven said that his voice was so good, “you could do a record right now.” Jennifer said it was “amazing,” and Randy said Colton, Phillip, and Joshua all managed to make their songs their own. “That breakdown with the drums was sick, you’re so current. Steven’s right, you’re ready to go.”

Skylar Laine – “Wind Beneath My Wings” by Bette Midler
Skylar planned to climb her way out of the bottom three from last week and Gwen said her voice was “like ice cream . . . it could be a really ‘wow’ moment for her this week.” She was right: Skylar earned a standing ovation from the judges.

“Wow, Skylar, wow, wow!” Randy said. “The song started, it was beautiful, and I was like, ‘OK, she needs a performance this week.’ I think this is your best performance on the show to date. Congrats. I think this girl wants it, too!” Jennifer added, “You said to America – I don’t know if they knew I could sing that way — ‘Do not count me out!’ You just told them you can sing with the best of everybody who’s here.” Steven agreed, saying, “It was the best song you could have picked for your voice and the end of the night — and the beginning of a great career.”

So who’s going to be safe this week? Randy advised America to vote for the contestant who “could really win this,” noting that it was a great night for Skylar, DeAndre, Phillip, Joshua, Jessica, and Colton. Did your favorite have an “awesome” enough ’80s night? You’ll find out on Thursday, when the results are revealed!

Idol Top 8
Results Show will send someone home
When it was time for the results, which were given in the order of Wednesday night’s ’80s duets. Ryan called Joshua Ledet (who wasn’t feeling well) and Jessica Sanchez to center stage

After a nationwide vote, Ryan revealed that they were both safe! Next, U.K. pop sensation The Wanted performed their #1 hit, “Glad You Came.”
Ryan called Skylar Laine and Colton Dixon to center stage. Then Ryan asked Skylar and Colton to hang tight while he called Hollie and DeAndre to center stage.

After a nationwide vote, America agreed with Jimmy. DeAndre was in the bottom three. As Ryan put it, time after time, America has loved Colton — he was safe. Then he announced that Hollie was also in the bottom three, while Skylar was safe.

Then Ryan called Elise and Phillip to center stage.

After a nationwide vote, Elise joined Hollie and DeAndre in the bottom three.

Ryan quickly sent Hollie back to the couches, followed by Elise, leaving DeAndre to sing for his life.
DeAndre reprised his performance of Stevie Wonder’s “Master Blaster (Jammin’),” but the judges decided to not use their one save of the season on him, despite Jennifer’s best efforts.

At this point in the competition, it’s really a loss to let anyone go, but if I had to pick someone to let go this week, it would have to have been DeAndre. All in all, I’m pretty happy with the choice this week.

Colton, Elise, Hollie, Jessica, Joshua, Phillip, and Skylar are safely in Idol’s Top 7 for this season and each of them will continue their quest to fulfill the dream of becoming THE next American Idol.

Comment from Editor Phil Shiltz: I have been a huge supporter of Colton Dixon, Jessica Sanchez, and Phillip Phillips since before the Top 13 was announced, and each has advanced week by week with relative ease. Now that we are down to the Top 7, no one is totally safe. One of my favorite contestants in particular may be in jeopardy of assuming a spot in this week’s Bottom 3. For a fuller explanation of why Phillip may be in danger of elimination, please refer to my comments at the end of this article.

Our American Idol’s Blogsite has ALL the latest news.

One Finalist Goes Home
We Present Idol’s Top 8
by Amy Cortese
& Phil Shiltz

NEWS: Former ‘American Idol’ James Durbin Lightens Up After releasing his debut album four months ago to little success, former season 10 “American Idol” singer James Durbin decided to change up his look and dyed his hair bleach blonde.

The 23-year-old newlywed showed off his new locks at a wrestling event in Miami on Thursday night.

Breaking News from Staff: Gwen Stefani and Tony Kanal (the group “No Doubt”) will mentor the Top 8 for Eighties Week.
Who will decide to take on Prince and “Purple Rain”? Who will be in the Bottom 3? The one who nails a performance of Purple Rain will not be going home. I hope it is Joshua for Q #1. And the Bottom 3 is entirely up in the air. If you have a favorite — VOTE.

Check back for future updates, which will be posted in blue like this one.

 

Top 9 Performance Show 

The Top 9 contestants took the stage Wednesday night, singing songs by their own personal idols.

Colton Dixon — “Everything” by Lifehouse
Colton Dixon was up first, and guest mentor Stevie Nicks said that she totally related to his decision not to mess with his hair last week. Colton sang Lifehouse’s “Everything” and Jimmy thought he had a “real shot” at making his prediction from last week come true: that Colton would be “the third dark horse.” He was right: the judges loved it.

“You are a dream come true for a judge on Idol,” Steven raved. “You sing a song like it should be sung, with perfect pitch, and you got that star quality which just puts you right over the top.” Jennifer agreed, saying, “What a way to start the show! I was moved. You sang it beautifully with so much emotion but still with composure and control.” Randy added that Colton has the “believability” factor. “I feel your heart and passion in everything you do,” Randy told Colton. “I think I could be looking at a contender for the title!”

Skylar Laine – “Gunpowder and Lead” by Miranda Lambert
Skylar Laine performed next, singing her idol Miranda Lambert’s “Gunpowder and Lead.” Stevie coached her to remember that she’s “telling a story,” and she pulled it off.

“This is what I like about the Skylar part of the show: unbridled, can’t-keep-it-in-the-can energy — that’s what you bring,” Jennifer said. Steven called the performance “beautiful,” and Randy loved it, admiring how Skylar showed her range at the end. “You are a powerhouse singer,” he said.

Colton Dixon, Elise Testone, and Phillip Phillips – “Landslide”, “Edge of 17?, and “Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow” – Stevie Nicks medley
In the first trio performance of the night, sang three of Stevie Nicks’ songs, and Steven said that they “nailed ‘em.”

Heejun Han – “A Song For You” by Donnie Hathaway
This week, he chose to sing “A Song for You” by Donny Hathaway, and Stevie called it “beautiful . . . it was effortless.” Jimmy was also impressed, saying, “In rehearsal we got a Hee-new-jun. He came in with a spanking-new attitude. He’s a sensitive guy — a lot of times people put up a front. I think he was doing that.” Stevie added, “I think in his heart he doesn’t want to be hurt if he doesn’t win.” In the end, Heejun received a standing ovation from the judges.

“Hee-man, you did it, you turned it around!” Steven said. “I think someone like you is such a natural — you don’t even know how good you sing, so that’s why you weren’t taking it so seriously. But just now you let that song sing you.” Jennifer added, “You don’t make it this far by mistake. He is here because we know he can sing that way.” And Randy pointed out that while “a couple of notes weren’t perfect, that Heejun we selected came back to us tonight.”

Hollie Cavanagh – “Jesus Take the Wheel” by Carrie Underwood
Hollie Cavanagh chose to sing Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” and Stevie wanted more emotion from her. “My mom just died two months ago. I want to hear your heart come out of you. If you don’t, it’s not gonna transfer,” she said.

The judges were mixed on Hollie’s performance. “It’s always interesting taking on those songs from Idol winners,” Randy said. “I think you did a really good job. I don’t think it was perfect. There were a coupla pitchy moments.” Jennifer disagreed with Randy, telling Hollie, “To me, that was one of your best.” Jennifer added, “It was the first time I really felt like she connected with the song.” Steven was more in line with Randy, saying, “I heard emotion, I just wished you sang a different song. It was just OK for me too. I didn’t hear the full range of your voice in that song.”

Deandre Brackensick – “Sometimes I Cry’ by Eric Benet
DeAndre was also recovering from a rough week last week, and Stevie joked that she once had his haircut (it was a perm). DeAndre sang Eric Benet’s “Sometimes I Cry,” and Stevie urged him to slow it down. He wound up getting a standing ovation.

“One hundred percent passion, that’s what your voice was made to do,” Steven said. “That was beautiful. The passion it took to do those runs, you gave Prince a run for his money.” Jennifer agreed, saying, “To me, you have one of the most special voices in the competition, hands down.” Randy declared, “Heejun’s back. Guess who else is back: DeAndre!”

Jessica Sanchez – “Sweet Dreams” by Beyonce
Jessica Sanchez sang Beyonce’s “Sweet Dreams.” Stevie said that she liked the way Jessica slowed it down into a ballad. So did Jennifer.

“It was a really, really beautiful rendition of it,” Jennifer said. “You left us wanting more — in a good way.” Steven told Jessica, “You did it again tonight! I like how you held it back a little bit. You still got some more great in you. It was delicious, it was beauty.” Randy admired Jessica’s innate talent, saying, “You are one of the best singers I’ve heard in many years. I love the resolve not to go there with the big notes every week. This girl wants it too, she wants it!”

Deandre Brackensick, Heejun Han, and Joshua Ledet – “Lady in my Life”, “Rock With You”, and “PYT” – Michael Jackson medley
The next trio sang three Michael Jackson songs. Jennifer said that their performance was “perfect,” but she joked that it was a good thing they aren’t contestants on “So You Think You Can Dance.”

Phillip Phillips – “Still Rainin’” by Jonny Lang
Phillip Phillips sang Jonny Lang’s “Still Rainin,’” and Stevie had some kind words. “I think he’s going to be very famous — he has a certain magic.” She told Phillip, “Had you been Lindsay’s and my friend in 1975, Fleetwood would have said, ‘I want all three of you to join Fleetwood Mac.’” And one more thing about Phillip: “He’s gorgeous,” she said.

Phillip wound up getting a standing ovation from the judges. Jennifer told him, “When you sing, you always are saying you want the music to come first. I feel that when you’re performing. Amazing, great performance.” Steven said that he felt the same way: “Every song you sing you own, and it’s in your body and soul.” Randy agreed, saying that Jonny Lang would be proud. “I love you, I love the artist you are, your individuality,” Randy told Phillip. “You got big things in front of you.”

Joshua Ledet – “Without You” by Mariah Carey
Joshua followed with Mariah Carey’s version of “Without You,” which Jimmy described as “one of the most challenging five songs in popular music.” Nevertheless, he earned another one of the standing ovations from the judges Wednesday night.

Randy said Mariah would be proud, telling Joshua, “Dude, I love your voice. I think that was flawless. It was emotional for you; that’s what the audience feels — brilliant.” Steven said that Joshua pushed himself so far he had an “emotional breakdown.” And Jennifer called him an “an absolute angel from heaven. That voice is just God-sent.”

Hollie Cavanagh, Skylar Laine, and Jessica Sanchez – “Like a Prayer”, “Borderline”, “Express Yourself” – Madonna medley
Then the final trio, performed a medley of Madonna songs. Randy called their performance “very fun.”

Elise Testone – “Whole Lotta Love” by Led Zeppelin
Finally, it was time for the last performance of the night: Elise singing Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love.” Jimmy thought that she “murdered it,” and Stevie was surprised, “because it’s not easy to sing Led Zeppelin.” She even said that she felt a kindred spirit with Elise. “If I needed a singer, I’d hire her in a second,” she said.

Elise wound up getting the last standing ovation of the night.”I didn’t want to get up — you made me!” Jennifer said. “That was some real rock star stuff, it was crazy.” Steven was also impressed. “I wasn’t sure you were gonna pull that off, because nobody could pull that off,” he told Elise. “You made Robert Plant proud.” And Randy called it “the hardest song in the world to sing,” adding, “Dude, you did an amazing job. Congrats!”

In the end, the judges couldn’t name even one contestant who’s in danger, because, as Randy put it, “They were all so good.” Steven called it “a magical mystery tour of over-the-top talent and emotion,” and Jennifer said that she “couldn’t sit in her chair,” describing the evening as “one of the best nights ever.”

 

Idol Top 9
Results Show will send someone home 

They just moved into the Hollywood Hills mansion, but one contestant is already moving out.

  

After Steven Tyler announced that Aerosmith is going on tour, Ryan called Elise Testone, Phillip Phillips, and Hollie Cavanagh to center stage to hear the results of America’s vote.
After a nationwide vote, Ryan announced that Hollie was in the bottom three, and Phillip and Elise were safe.

  

The contestants relaxed while Nicki Minaj gave a colorful performance of her song “Starships” (she wants to come back as a guest judge!), and then it was time for Colton Dixon, Joshua Ledet, and Heejun Han to take center stage.

After a nationwide vote, Colton and Joshua were safe, but Heejun was in the bottom three.

Next up, we heard from last year’s Idol, Scotty McCreery, who has since become the youngest male performer to have a debut album at #1 on the Billboard Hot 200 chart. Scotty sang his new single, “Water Tower Town,” and Jimmy presented him with an honorary plaque for his platinum album.

  

Finally, Ryan called Skylar Laine, DeAndre Brackensick, and Jessica Sanchez to center stage.

After a nationwide vote, Jessica and DeAndre were safe, but Skylar joined Hollie and Heejun in the bottom three. 

  

Ryan called the Bottom 3 to the front: Hollie, Heejun, and Skylar. Skylar was quickly sent to safety, followed by Hollie, and Heejun was the last man standing.

Heejun sang for his life, reprising his performance of “A Song for You,” but the judges chose to not use their one save of the season on him.

“Heejun, you knew this was coming yourself,” Steven told him. “You took it up a couple of notches, unfortunately, we’re gonna have to let you go.” As Ryan put it, Heejun’s “spirit” will be missed.

Colton, DeAndre, Elise, Hollie, Jessica, Joshua, Phillip, and Skylar are safely in Idol’s Top 8 for this season and each of them will continue their quest to fulfill the dream of becoming THE next American Idol.

   

   

Here is how I see it:
1. Colton He has the most marketability.
2. Elise always finishes in the top three.
3. Jessica Strong ballards not much else.
4. Joshua very powerful and emotional.
5. Phillip limited range will hurt him.
6. DeAndre Can Prince have a new career?
7. Skylar Strong and confident if you like country music.
8. Hollie Her nervousness causes her to concentrate on everything but the notes, so she is very pitchy

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One Finalist Goes Home
We Present Idol’s Top 9
by Phil Shiltz

NEWS: Tune in Thursday, March 22 at 8/7c to the live results show and find out which Top 10 finalist is sent home. In addition, Lana Del Rey will take the stage and perform her latest hit “Video Games”. Del Rey actually performed on the ‘American Idol‘ stage last week, only we didn’t see it. That’s because she pre-taped her performance due to scheduling conflicts which prevented her from signing live. This reason may or may not be true. (Del Rey has been raked over burning hot coals for a poor ‘SNL’ performance. There is speculation that she lacks confidence in her live abilities). She sang her song ‘Video Games’ twice. Wearing a white dress and Converse sneakers, the singer was accompanied by a 16-piece orchestra and a piano. The ending was high drama, with rose petals falling on the singer. This may or may not be the performance we see.

Season 10 Idol finalist, Haley Reinhart will return to perform her new single “Free.” This smokey-voiced and sexy singer won over Idol viewers with her unique, standout performances and jazzy vocal style. The piano-driven track, which Haley describes as “an empowering break-up song,” is the lead-off single from Haley’s eagerly awaited debut album, Listen Up!, which will be released by Interscope Records on May 22.

Friday’s Breaking News: The Top 10 is now officially the Top 9 after this past Thursday’s Results Show. All the details of that show are in the last third of this article. And we already have news about the Top 9 Performance Show. The theme for Wednesday will be “Songs from Your Own Idols”. All the Idols should be more comfortable doing songs they are familiar with, sung by artists they admire.

It is safe to say that Colton will do something from his new BFF Daughtry or something by Lifehouse. Jessica will do something from one of today’s divas (Adele, Mariah, Celine). Hollie will be tempted to do the same, but I would much rather see her tackle a Carrie Underwood song and take some of the steam out of Skylar’s country base. Skylar is smart enough to stay away from being compared to Reba; so look for something by Melissa Lambert or Garth Brooks. Someone has to do Led Zeppelin, and I imagine it will be Phil Squared. But wouldn’t Elise shake things up by doing Zeppelin or Etta James? Joshua could easily cover Smokey Robinson or the New Orleans phone book. No one really cares what DeAndre does– he’s going home regardless.

Then there’s Heejun, who just wants to have fun. (Cindy Lauper, anyone?) Heejun could just as easily do his Gallagher impression, smash watermelons, and still avoid elimination. But I fully expect a Heejun/ Madonna version of “Like a Virgin”.

What do you think?

Check back for future updates, which will be posted in blue like this one.

Top 10 Performance Show
Contestants took the stage March 21, 2012, for Wednesday’s performance night. They performed songs from Billy Joel’s songbook in hopes of earning America’s votes. What songs by Billy Joel were and should have been chosen? Why weren’t Jimmie Iovine and guest mentor Diddy able to get the Idols to listen to ALL their advice? Sometimes the mentors were right. Phillip didn’t get rid of the guitar as Jimmie suggested. And he didn’t get rid of the gray outfits as Tommy Hilfiger suggested. He put the music first, and it was the right decision. I think some of the kids are beginning to find out who they are. And, for most, it is incredible.

Here’s what we would have recommended:
Phillip Phillips — “She’s Always A Woman”
Jessica Sanchez — “Honesty” (actually sung by Hollie, but not very well)
Heejun Han — “Laura”
Elise Testone — “You’re My Home”
Deandre Brackensick — “New York State of Mind” (Erika sang it real good)
Colton Dixon — “Uptown Girl”
Erika Van PeltErika Van Pelt — “The River of Dreams”
Skylar Laine — “The Stranger”
Joshua Ledet to — “You May Be Right”
Hollie Cavanagh — “Piano Man” (It would have been criminal to take this song away from Colton — Diddy, J Lo, and I would buy Colton’s version tonite)

What do you think your favorite contestant(s) should have sung from the Billy Joel songbook?

Deandre Brackensick — “Only the Good Die Young” – ( Bye, DeAndre)

Erika Van Pelt — “New York State of Mind” — (Pat Benatar look)

Joshua Ledet — “She’s Got a Way” – (Joshua has a way of making it his)

Skylar Laine — “Shameless” — (Skylar rocked her twangy version)

Elise Testone — “Vienna” — (Awesome, awesome, awesome)

Phillip Phillips — “Movin’ Out” — (Phillip puts the music first)

Hollie Cavanaugh — “Honesty” — (Honestly, this was not her best)

Heejun Han — “My Life” — ( Heejun gave up — please send him home)

Jessica Sanchez — “Everybody Has a Dream” — ( Jessica is living hers)

Colton Dixon –”Piano Man” — (Download this one – tonite)

If America puts Elise in the bottom again, I will be amazed.

Monday Update: We told you Friday about that super pink dress that J Lo wore on Thursday’s Results Show. Now we can officially reveal that it was a neon pink Michael Kors dress with a thigh-high slit. As if the dress and J Lo wasn’t enough, she completed the glamorous look with black platform heals and oversized hoop earrings. We have some really talented potential stars in Idol’s Top 9, but on Thursday night, no one could compete with the star power of Jennifer Lopez in her prime.

Idol Top 10
Results Show will send someone home
Thursday’s Results Program started with the Top 10 Idols performing as a group. They gave a lively rendition of Billy Joel’s doo-wop classic “The Longest Time”. J Lo rocked the judge’s panel tonight in a gorgeous, super-pink, clingy dress with a long slit. Perfect.

After the break Ryan Secrest called Hollie, Skylar, and Elise to the front. He revealed that Hollie was safe, and then Skylar. Elise had been in the bottom 3 the last two weeks, but she was not there tonight. Ryan told Hollie, Skylar, and Elise that each of them would be leaving Hollywood and taking up residence in their own private master suite in a Hollywood Hills Mansion. This is one of the great perks of becoming part of Idol’s Top 9. More importantly, each survives to sing again for another week.

Young Pop singer Lana Del Ray sang her latest single “Video Games”. She showed the same lack of confidence in her ability to perform live as she had shown previously on “Saturday Night Live”. The audience in the Nokia Theater gave her polite applause anyway.

The Top 10 Idols were joined onstage by a man in black. It was Aerosmith’s lead guitarist Joe Perry, who led the Idols and the audience in singing “Happy Birthday” to Steven Tyler. Tyler will turn 64 this coming Monday.

After the next break Ryan called DeAndre, Joshua, and Jessica to the front. He revealed that Jessica and then Joshua were safely in the Top 9. DeAndre is in danger of going home. After still yet another break, Season 10 Finalist Haley Reinhart returned to sing her latest single “Free.” She looked even better than she did last season, but there wasn’t any noticeable improvement in her performance.

Ryan called Colton, Erika, Heejun, and Phillip to the front. It was quickly revealed that Colton and then Phillip were safely in the Top 9. Erika and Heejun were in danger of going home.

Ryan called the Bottom 3 to the front: DeAndre, Erika, and Heejun. He quickly revealed that DeAndre had made Top 9, and then Heejun was safe for another week also.

Erika Van Pelt, Idol’s favorite female DJ, was forced to sing for her life. Erika was pretty sure that the new haircut, makeover, and sing-for-her-life performance would not be enough to save her, but she gave it a galliant try.

Erika should not have been the first of Idol’s Top 10 to go home. Steven, J Lo, and Randy had one Judge’s Save to use, but they declined to use it. Erika Van Pelt is going home.

Colton, DeAndre, Elise, Heejun, Hollie, Jessica, Joshua, Phillip, and Skylar are safely in Idol’s Top 9 for this season and will be taking up residence in the Idol’s Hollywood Hills mansion. More importantly, as Idol’s Top 9, each of them will continue their quest to fulfill the dream of becoming THE next American Idol.

What do you think of tonight’s results on American Idol 2012? Are you as disappointed as I am that Erika has gone home?

Have you picked a Fab 5? Mine are Colton, Phillip, Jessica, Elise, and either Hollie or Joshua.

How about a Bottom 3 or most likely to be eliminated next? DeAndre and Heejun could easily find themselves in danger on both counts. Who should and who will join them on the Bottom 3 stools?

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One Finalist Goes Home
We Present Idol’s Top 10
Each to Participate in 2012 Idol Tour
by Phil Shiltz

NEWS: Jermaine Jones, at 6 feet 8 and a half inches tall, has been dubbed on the show as “The Gentle Giant” due to his height. On March 13, Jermaine was disqualified from the show due to a hidden criminal past. Arrested at least twice in the past year, he provided false names to the police. Four (or more) active arrest warrants exist. The “Gentle Giant” decided to dodge the warrants and the authorities by hiding on Season 11 of American Idol in front of millions of fans. In my mind, I think of Jermaine as the “Mental Midget”. Along with many Idol faithful, we at “Our Idol Blogsite” wish Jermaine well in the future, and hope he receives the support and advice he needs to pursue a music career.

And so, with Jeremey and now Jermaine eliminated, we have eleven of the Top 13 competing to become part of Idol’s Top 10 and to qualify for a position on 2012′s Idol Summer Tour.

Top 11 Performance Show
Idol producer’s chose a favorite theme for this week’s performance and elimination shows: “Songs from the year you were born”. That sounds like an easy task with all genres open, thousands of artists, and tens of thousands of songs. It proved not to be the case. Each of the Idols selected and performed two or three of their own choices in front of record producer and mentor Jimmie Iovine and musical artist and guest mentor will.i.am . The mentors made comments and suggestions on these and possible other choices, often with little effect. That process resulted in a performance show with lots of remakes, and possibly the worst week of song choices in the history of Idol . Yes, there were some very good (maybe even great performances) to vote upon. This competition is going to be fierce. Your three finalists will be limited to artists having the complete package: vocal talent, stage presence, a unique sound, a targeted audience, and a star-quality image. The talent and the potentials are there. This should be an exciting journey for these young contestants and for us as we root for our favorites.

These are the Top 11, their final song choices, and the artist who performed the song that year:

Phillip (1990) — chose to sing a Black Crowes version of the Otis Redding classic “Hard to Handle”. Phillip overcame a week of medical problems and a poor song choice by taking a song, making it his own, and showing America why he is already a star. Expect Phillip to use his good looks and his vocal stylings to continue to impress. An Adam Lambert moment may be in the future, so stick around until the end.

Jessica (1995) — chose Vickie Sue Robinson take on Gloria Estefan’s “Turn the Beat Around”. One of the judges has coined the phrase “Swaggernaut” for Jessica because she has a polished stage presence and an amazing vocal ability that is other-worldly. She may not have excelled this week, but someone is going to have to get ahead of Jessica if they want to become THE next American Idol.

Heejun (1989) — Richard Marx and “Right Here Waiting”. I am still not a fan, and I was tired of his lame schtick the first time I saw it. I think voters are supporting him in hopes that he makes the Top 10 and the Summer Tour. Maybe next week, when he has already made the Tour, we can eliminate him and get on with choosing those Idols with the potential of having relevant and lasting recording careers.

Elise (1983) — Tina Turner take on Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together” Elise corrected her demeanor, her attitude, and her confidence problems from last week. That allowed her voice and talent to take center stage. America may take a week or so to realize that the new and improved Elise is not a mirage. I am already a believer, and Elise goes right to my Fab Five.

DeAndre (1994) — either Lionel Richie/ Diana Ross or Mariah Carey/Luther Vandross “Endless Love”. If DeAndre had decided which version he was going to do and then stick to the original melody, this could have been good. Instead, it was all over the place and the judges did their best to have America put DeAndre in the Bottom 3. DeAndre needs a strong voter turnout to survive this week and in the near future.

Shannon (1995) — Mariah Carey/ Boys II Men “One Sweet Day”. This rich, pampered, and delusional young lady should have learned her lesson last week. She has the image and a nice voice, but she does not have the vocal pyrotechnics to take on divas like Whitney, Celine, Mariah, or Adele. I think America may deliver a reality check this week, and I fully expect Shannon to be going home.

Colton (1991) — chose White Lion and “Broken Heart”. There is a reason nobody knows this song; it’s not any good. Colton did well by making it his own, but he will have to make better song choices in the future. Singing a song people have already heard gives you a chorus that acts as an anchor-something to build your performance around. Colton’s fanbase and past performances should keep him safe for several weeks more.

Erika (1985) — Bryan Adams “Heaven” — This was reasonably good, but Erika badly needs a make over and needs to determine and play to her targeted audience. I think a Pat Benatar song and styling would capture a lot of votes for Erika Van Pelt. She has the potential to steal the pop/country audience away from Skylar, but she must do it soon or American will vote her off.

Skylar (1994) — Bonnie Raitt “Love Sneakin’ Up On You” — This would have been a solid performance if you were at a Honkey Tonk Karaoke bar. A solid country fan base will only tolerate her nasal twang until they find another Idol artist giving them an alternative. If you are a fan, vote hard and hope that she improves. This may be an edgier version of Lauren Alaina, but it will never be another Carrie Underwood.

Joshua (1992) — Percy Sledge “When a Man Loves a Woman”. I actually feel unworthy to comment on this performance; other than to say it was the best of the evening, and a break out moment for Joshua’s Idol hopes. “Real deal”, “Complete Package”, “In it to Win It”? You pick what America should be looking for, and I think Joshua has it. He is and has been in my Fab Five since Hollywood Week. R & B, Gospel, Hip Hop, and Pop genres will appreciate the vocal talents of Joshua Ledet for many years.

Hollie (1993) — Jennifer Rush or Celine Dione version of “The Power of Love”. She was great until she barely failed to reach that last performance note. Blame that last note on nerves. She was able to hide that mistake and others with a vibratto that makes everything sound beautiful. She dressed too old for her age. Musical mentors and producers will help her with her already strong vocals and with age appropriate song choices. Tommy Hilfiger has now agreed to mentor and advise the Top 10 on image. Expect a real transformation that puts Hollie in contention for Final 3.

On these performances alone, I would put Jessica in the bottom three with Heejun and Skyler – and with Heejun going home. Each has a solid fanbase that will vote hard and prevent that from happening. DeAndre DeAndre was thrown under the bus by the judges. He, Elise, Erika, and Shannon are in danger of forming the Bottom 3.

Who did you like?
Who should go home?
The Idol producers definitely faked me out this week when Ryan Seacrest said after Wednesday’s Performance Show “The singer with the least amount of votes ‘might be’ at risk of going home.” I jumped to the conclusion that Jermaine’s disqualification would count as this week’s only elimination. It seemed logical that this week’s lowest vote-getter would be pitted against next week’s lowest, with the judges deciding which one would go home. Instead, this was a standard elimination night.

Ryan called out Phillip, Skylar, Elise, and Joshua. All had solid performances on Wednesday, but America surprisingly put Elise in the Bottom 3.

Phillip, Skylar, and Joshua were relieved to hear they will be on the Summer Tour.

Then Colton, Shannon, DeAndre, and Jessica came forward. Each worried because the judges had criticized their song choice or performance. Shannon was Bottom 3.

Colton, DeAndre, and Jessica joined the group going on the Summer Tour.

Finally we come to Heejun, Erika, and Hollie. Erika takes a Bottom 3 stool.

Heejun and Hollie are safe and going on Idol’s 2012 Summer Tour.
Bottom 3:

Elise Testone – Judges are upset until Ryan reveals that Elise is safe

Shannon Magrane

Erika Van Pelt – Ryan reveals Erika is also safe

Elise and Erika make Top 10 and the Summer Tour.

Shannon was forced to sing for her life in hopes that Randy, J Lo, and Steven Tyler would use this season’s only Judges Save rather than let Shannon go home. Her performance of “One Sweet Day” showed improvement, but it was not good enough to prevent her from going home. Jeremy, Jermaine, and now Shannon are out of the competition.

Those remaining in Idol’s Season 11 competition have made it into the Top 10.

More importantly, each will participate in the American Idol Summer Tour and will continue their quest to fulfill the dream of becoming THE next American Idol.

The following singers are safe and make up your American Idol 2012 Top 10:

What do you think of tonight’s results on American Idol 2012?

Have you picked a Fab 5? Mine are Phillip, Jessica, Hollie, Joshua, and either Colton or Elise.

How about a Bottom 3 or most likely to be eliminated next? DeAndre and Erika should give Heejun some competition for that dubious honor.

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