The Idolized Top Nine

As we head into this week we mourn the loss of Erika Van Pelt. A bit of surprise for me; I didn't think they had done that badly. But I can't really disagree or get outraged by this decision.

As we roll into this week, the our future idols will be performing the songs of their idols. Stevie Nicks, an idol in her own right, will be there to mentor.

Also occurring this week, trio-ets! A medley of songs to be sung by the nine contestants in groups of three.

To the stage...

Colton: You want to talk about a man made for rock, Colton is your man. Seriously, a very good performance from him performing "Everything" from Lifehouse. That man puts every piece of emotion into his song. I'm telling you, he is a threat. As much as I love Joshua, Colton is a threat.

Skylar: This theme is really going to give the guys and gals to really spread their wings, and Skylar did that tonight. Going with her idol Miranda Lambert's "Gunpowder & Lead", she rocked the house. While Colton set the bar, Skylar set the tone. She got the audience excited. Again, she is a threat. I'm hoping for a female idol for the first time since Jordan Sparks, and she can do it.

Trio 1: Elise, Colton, and Phillip trotted out as the first trio and sang a mix of Stevie Nicks/Fleetwood Mac hits. They were great. "Landslide", "Edge of Seventeen (Just Like the White Winged Dove)", and "Don't Stop" were the songs they took on and they performed them great. Good job.

Heejun: Coming out after a pretty vocally disastrous performance last week, Heejun went to what he was good at. Performing "A Song For You" from his mentor Donny Hathaway, he got back to that soul and emotion that made him lovable during the top 24. Still not his best, but compared to last week, a mile better.

Hollie: Performing the emotional "Jesus Take the Wheel" from former American Idol (and her idol) Carrie Underwood, she did alright. She had a bit too many spots where she wasn't on the mark. At times, I could here the best in her and at times I couldn't. A weak one for me.

DeAndre: Another shinning example of weeks like this, DeAndre. Going with "Sometimes I Cry" from his idol Eric Benet, this was excellent. He hit all the notes and put some good emotion into it. Very good. Nice to see him roar back after a few lackluster weeks.

Jessica: Her idol is Beyonce (and I am a fan as well). Going with an oft forgotten song from I Am...Sasha Fierce "Sweet Dreams" she slowed it down as Beyonce did when she performed this song on tour. I was happy to hear this because while this song contains some meaningful lyrics, it was a bit fast. You could really tell Jessica is a Beyonce fan because she got this song down pat. Very good performance. Certainly one where she walks through the door.

Trio 2: I don't think I could ask for a better trio than Joshua, DeAndre, and Heejun. They performed some great Michael Jackson hits. "The Lady in My Life", "Rock With You", and "P.Y.T" were the songs of choice and they sung them. A perfect group of songs for a perfect combination. Great.

Phillip: After receiving possibly the best compliment ever from Stevie Nicks, Phillip performed "Still Rainin" from his idol Jonny Lang. He rocked it out and some good fun with the song. Another great performance. Like Jennifer said "It's like we're standing up too much."

Joshua: Going with "Without You" from his idol Mariah Carey, he sang that song (and better than this woman).He knows exactly how to put emotion into his songs. Just when I thought the bar had been set and reset, here comes Joshua to reset it even higher. Excellent. Just excellent. Best of the Night.

Trio 3: Before the last song of the night we're subjected to one more medley from Hollie, Skylar, and Jessica. This time we hear the hits of Madonna. "Like A Prayer", "Borderline" and "Express Yourself" were the songs of choice and I'd consider this one to be the weakest of the bunch. While it was fun to see these three singers take on Madonna (especially Skylar) it is so hard to replicate the sound of Madonna. You don't really hear about great covers of Madonna. Not bad, and although I said it was the weakest I certainly think it was on par for the night.

Elise: Her idol...Led Zepplin. Surprised? I was, sort of. She's going with "Whole Lotta Love", but that was after Elise and Stevie performed a duet of "Dreams" during rehearsal. Onto this song, did Elise put an exclamation point on this evening or what!? Very good performance from here. Who taught her how to raise Janis Joplin from the dead? Everyone thinks she made Robert Plant proud and you know what? I think she did. She rocked it out.

America has a tough job ahead. This was an amazing night for everyone, really.

Bottom 3: Heejun, Hollie, DeAndre
Eliminated: Hollie

Very tough choices to make so go out and vote.

J, out.

*And yes, I have the same bottom three as last week. I just think they didn't fully redeem themselves from last week.

The Top-op-op-op-op 10 (You 'Oughta Know By Know....)

After a dramatic Top 11, we've lost Shannon. I thought she did well last week but she had a ways to go after Whitney week and she just couldn't make it.

As we roll into this week, the Top 10 now must take on the Candy Man's 2nd cousin twice removed, the Piano Man. Billy Joel has had quite a nice range of work, so it will be very interesting how some of the Top 10 will tackle his songs. Diddy is there to offer guidance with Tommy Hilfiger giving out fashion tips.

And now....
DeAndre: Going with the "Only the Good Die Young", I could clearly see how uncomfortable he was. He was uncomfortable during the rehearsal segment and he was uncomfortable here. That being said, he did alright. A nice upbeat song to start the show, but not a general "wow-er" in my eyes.

Erika: Going with one of the 8,392,120 anthems of the Big Apple, "New York State of Mind", she came out with a radical new look from last week and didn't do badly with the song. I think she could've carried it better as there were awkward moments all throughout the song. It would switch from American Idol to Lounge Club.

Joshua: The best of last week is back with "She's Got a Way." He was admittedly nervous as he had never heard the song, but he put that all aside to deliver another great performance. While I don't think he'll be getting any e-mails from Billy Joel like he did from Percy Sledge, but he certainly did well. I could tell he didn't exactly feel it and I hope that he feels more confident next week (yes, I'm that confident).

Skylar: Giving "Shameless" the country treatment. It was really good. Not her best, but really good. She started down low in the beginning and as Randy caught on to it made her a bit flat, but once she came up, she was off and running. I honestly think she could win by making every song sound country, She's that good.

Elise: Going with rarely heard "Vienna", she did great. Absolutely excellent. It was a beautiful song and her voice fit it the best. Best of the Night.

Phillip: Well if you're clever, you should've noticed my reference in the title. That's because Phillip sang the song upon which that title was based "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)." He takes the crown of most original tonight. A great slowed rendition of that song. Very well done.

Hollie: She's going with a magnificent Billy Joel ballad "Honesty." She wasn't terrible, but not great. She seemed to be forcing the song at points and as Steven said "over-thinking" the song. An alright performance, that puts her on the chopping block.

Heejun: Wow. Just wow. You want the definition of surprise, Heejun embodied that. He starts off in a suit and tie singing another slow song. Then he stops. Tells the piano player he's going too slow, breaks into "My Life", and rips off the suit jacket and shirt to reveal a t-shirt. He then proceeds to give a very lively and fun performance. The general energy he put out with this song helped make up for the shaky vocals. Like last week he had a problem controlling the song, only this time due to his high activity around the stage. Certainly not the best of the night, but the most fun.

Jessica: Going with "Everybody Has a Dream", I must say Mentors WIN. When Jessica went into rehearse with them she was pushing this song too hard. And after Diddy was done with her she pulled back and what we got was something excellent. Between her and Elise "Best of the Night" might just be split.

Colton: He went with the often covered "Piano Man." and he left it understated. Not at the level of the original and not overstated. It was smooth, sedated, and fitted his voice very well. Great cover on an excellent arrangement.

So now here's where it gets hard. Time to vote and this won't be easy.

My Bottom 3: DeAndre, Heejun, Hollie
Going Home: Hollie

Frankly a different number of people can be in the bottom 3, but these were the weakest in my opinion. If you don't think so, make sure you get out and vote.

J out.

The Unexpected Top 11?

We go into this week with one less player. As voted off last Thursday, Jeremy wouldn't be joining us this week. His performance last week wasn't his best and he's always been on the fence, so this wasn't a huge shocker.

What was a huge shocker is that we lost ANOTHER competitor BEFORE the show began. Jermaine Jones was disqualified earlier this week. What for? Well, apparently he chose not to disclose a criminal past to the producers and the producers don't take crap very well. He apparently posted about it on Twitter earlier before it was deleted. A very unfortunate situation; he had plenty of potential. More on the situation will be explained during the show.

In any case, as we head into this week it is the always reliable "Year of Birth" theme. The perfect opportunity for the contestants to perform any song they feel like, as I'm expecting heading into this, a lot of the performances will just be covers of older songs.

And Away We Go....

Phillip: Very well performance. Especially after coming off of surgery stemming from kidney problems. He certainly rocked out "Hard to Handle". It fit him well.

Jessica: She decided to go with "Turn the Beat Around" she wasn't bad. Not her best. The song was way too fast for her. She said she had a hard time finding a song, but she could've picked much better.

Heejun: He actually performed a song written and released in his year of birth going with "Right Here Waiting". He had a hard time keeping together for me. It seemed like that any moment he could unfurl into terrible. He thankfully kept it in.

Elise: Now reverting back to cover song mode, she went with a classic, Al Green's love standard "Let's Stay Together." Very good performance. And who can argue with a duet with the President?

DeAndre: He was going to go with "Can You Feel the Love Tonight", but Will.i.am and Jimmy didn't feel it. So he went to a love duet, "Endless Love." I don't think he was going to do well with either song. The judges said he couldn't feel the song, and they weren't completely wrong. Something was just off. Not the worst of the night, but room was definitely there for improvement.

Shannon: Not a bad job at all, certainly a huge improvement of last week. She took on the monster mega hit of 1995/6 "One Sweet Day" and while it's hard to match Mariah and Boys II Men, she certainly didn't disappoint in my mind.

Colton: Great song choice for him doing "Broken Heart." Yeah, a lot of people might not remember it, but still I thought it fit him like a glove (despite what Steven says). Very well done. Colton is slowly but surely becoming one to watch out for.

Erika: Going with "Heaven", she didn't do badly. It was alright for me. Sometimes she was very good, but for the most part he fell flat. Not flat tonally, but just flat. I thought she sounded better in rehearsal.

BREAK
Jermaine Jones did not disclose two arrests that he incurred in 2011, as well as the fact that he had four outstanding warrants out for him. The producers were already hurt that he did not disclose the prior acts to them and that they would've helped him though those had he done so. At that point it didn't seem like things were going to end badly. Then the producers told him that they can't allow someone who is currently wanted to be on the show. And with that statement, they sent him packing. Really unfortunate because the producers had noted that his performance set for this week was one of his best (slightly debatable). Very unfortunate situation; that his stupidity, blinded from himself by age, cost him a great shot to get into not only the Top 10, but perhaps Top 6. A lesson to be learned indeed.
BREAK

Skylar: She's back from her phenomenal performance last week going with "Love Sneakin' Up on You" and as per usual, she rocked it. Another great performance. Not as good as last week, but I'm ready to vault her to best of the night anyway.

*Apparently, Jermaine's pre-show elimination left the show a bit short on time. Ryan, Joshua, and the girls come back from break and go over the fine art of eating craw fish. Okay....*

Joshua: So...I just gave Skylar the best of the night....well....I'M TAKING IT BACK. This was AMAZING. GREAT performance. The BEST so far this season at anytime. Singing "When A Man Loves A Woman" he tore....it...a...part. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. And HE was in the bottom three last week? Surely America this won you over. I better not see him AT ALL close to the bottom 3.

Hollie: "The Power of Love" closes us out tonight and she was pretty good. She had a tough act to follow, but she held her own very well. In all, she performed up to expectations.

In all this was another good night. Usually these Top 7-13 shows are good because of the variety and tonight proved that. Very sad to see Jermaine go and with the producers not willing to make the competition this week become useless someone still has to go. Who will that be? I don't know. I do know that it better not be Joshua.

Go vote.

J out.

American Idol: The Divided Top 13

Tonight, the Top 13 go out for the first time this season and they have a pretty TOUGH time ahead of them. They guys had to sing the songs of Stevie Wonder, while the girls had to take on...the late Whitney Houston.

Now, this is a problem with me. Simon hated when contestants would sing Whitney songs because they are so hard to sing. So this to me just puts the girls on the track to fail. I hope that isn't true but my hopes aren't high for any of them, even the good ones.

There is also one other slight problem with this program. For this week (and this week only) the show is reverting to Top 24 mode and having the girls and guys voted for separately. You can already color me not a fan of this. So it will go Thursday, they will get the bottom girl and the bottom guy and have the judges make the decision of which will go. Yeah...okay.

Let's Get to the Festivities:
Joshua: He had pretty good control as he sang "I Wish". He was very into it. I felt his excitement as he sang it. A very enjoyable performance for me; he really set the tone right for the night.

Elise: She was spotty at points with "I'm Your Baby Tonight" and you could tell where she lost it. I don't think she would've sung well no matter what song she sang, whether it was this one or her original choice "Greatest Love of All."

Jermaine: He was alright with "Knocks Me Off My Feet". I like his voice, but this performance was a little bit off at points. However, just the overall tone of his voice made up for that.

Erika: Singing "I Believe in You and Me", she was once again, my favorite crutch word, "alright." Her starting in that low register didn't have me wanting more. Not the worst performance, but again she had trouble controlling herself during the latter parts of the song.

Colton: Very, very good singing "Lately." He just sang it and I felt it. He certainly reached the bar that Joshua set. Very good performance. I have no idea what Randy was talking about.

Shannon: Taking on the fabulous "I Have Nothing", Shannon stumbled...badly...in the middle of the song. Very noticeable. Outside of that stumble, she was pretty alright with the song. Just don't deviate. You deviate (and you're nervous), and you're destined to fail.

DeAndre: He sang one of my absolute favorites "Master Blaster (Jammin')", so I was hoping he wouldn't do this song wrong. In all, he was underwhelming for me. I think he could've done more. Make no mistake, I don't think he was bad. I just think for what I was expecting, this song could've been blown out of the water.

Skylar: Excellent. Excellent. Best of the Night. Hands Down. She took "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" and made it a country ballad for her voice. Damn near perfect. Whitney is very hard to do and she stepped up to the challenge well.

Heejun: He came out of left field with "All in Love is Fair." That was one of the last songs I expected someone to do tonight. He was very good as well. Great arrangement and his voice fit it very well. Very good selection of song by him.

Hollie: She decided to take on "All the Man I Need" and well she did well with it. Her voice was powerful enough to tackle it, which is surprising considering how small she is. Good job.

Jeremy: He sang "Ribbon in the Sky" and it wasn't that bad. He was weak at points and towards to the end I could see his nervousness peaking out. There was one problem with this song. That being that this song really needs to be sung in full because there is such a difference from the beginning and the end. And the way Idol's truncated song structuring works for time makes is seem...odd. In all though, he was alright.

Jessica: She performed "I Will Always Love You." This is it. Someone had to do it. The grandaddy of all Whitney songs. The one which you can never compete with (except for the originator of said song Dolly Parton). She did great by Idol standards. Another surprising standout from a night I thought would be rough for the girls. She is definitely going to be one to compete with as well as the weeks roll on.

Phillip: He decided to rock out "Superstition" this go around. And well...this arrangement worked partly for him. He was breaking into yelling a bit too much for my tastes. Still this was another fine example of changing an arrangement for your voice. Once again, alright.

In all, this was a pretty alright show. I, of course, was a fan of all the songs seeing as they're some of my favorite artists. Very surprising show since my expectations were low for them reaching my high expectations.

And what was with Ryan not introducing the contestant and song? It felt weird to go straight into the song.

Get out and vote.

J, out.