Hollie takes 4th Place On American Idol

California Dreaming starts off the results show which is almost like part two of the Finale itself, with the standard this being so high. I still feel Phillip is uncomfortable in these group affairs and both and he and Joshua sound out of place in these harmony affairs. It's not his bag. The girls, however, were spot on and reproduced Mama Cass and Michelle Phillips nicely.

Phillip is first up and Jimmy reckons that he's found his niche at last. the saxophone did it for him, much as for me. You get the impression that he'll be safe - first up, I'd expect him to be in the bottom two but Ryan plays around and we have to wait.

Hollie next for the Jimmy judgement and I expect him to be honest and predict that she's the one to go. He did but we still have to wait. It all sounds very much like she's going to take 4th place. Anything else would be a shock. We've had several so far, two of which she won - a third time would be a bit much to ask.

David Cook interrupts proceedings with his latest number - a good, well-written rock track that I wondered how Phillip might have delivered in comparison. Not as well. David's voice and bearing were what won over the voters that year and Phillip simply doesn't match that.

Joshua gets the honest review and also has to wait. Jessica gets similar treatment. Nice to hear that even Jimmy genuinely can't predict the winner, although I think he was referring to the J v J contest there behind the scenes, including H and P out of fairness in public.

Just one thought does go through my head during the ads: where does Jessica's support actually lie and how much is it with people who vote? Hollie's supporters really could be the mad diallers, just as I would expect Phillip's females who weren't put off by his pretty girlfriend last week. Either could, possibly, knock Jessica into 4th place. It has happened before. Only Phillip has never been at risk so I guess we have to assume that he's made it through again? Then it's between the two girls and just who has brought out the most votes rather than who performed best on the night. If Hollie kept hers on board whilst Jessica's much older-style image appealed to a different audience and left hers behind who were wanting a youngster singing a ballad or pop song then that shock may yet come.

Jennifer had the benefit of a backing track and was able to concentrate on a cool set of moves with some ugly-looking blokes on the stage. A good, commercial track but I was wondering just what Joshua would have made of the lyrics. Then you had to wonder what Hollie and Jessica, both 'under age' in the States, were thinking or, for that matter, the stricter members of the viewing public. Jennifer essentially showed the difference between the ages and it would really only be Phillip who would be 'allowed' to appreciate the words and moves!

Jessica is the first announced as in the Top 3. Next is Joshua. So, it is between Phillip and Hollie. Frustratingly we have to wait through another ad break.

It's Philip who makes the Finale. Farewell Hollie - a good run and very creditable 4th place in an outstanding AI2012.

It's A Man's Man's, Joshua's World

This should be some show. The two rounds are California Dreaming featuring tracks with some relationship to the East Coast city and Music I Wish I'd Written, a nice idea where the four remaining contestants attempt to do tracks that have inspired them most.

  

Phillip

Have You Ever Seen the Rain
Another CCR track - they're popular this year. the crowd really do love this guy and, obviously, the voting crowd too, despite Jimmy Iovine's reasonable comments last week.

This is a great song but the growl approach that Phillip seems to adopt every time now I am beginning to find a bit annoying and not like the Fogerty original which did work. However, a very cool-looking grirl with a saxophone topped off this performance and turned it from bland to quite enjoyable. I still can't rate this guy that highly but this won't have done him any harm so it's still for the others to beat him.

Hollie

Forever Yours, Faithfully
I think that ws the title of the Journey song. Not one I knew well but that is a super song and well-suited to both this stage of the competition and her style. It seemed a little low for her - the word faithfully at the end of several stanzas being almost lost - but she pulled through and raised her game really nicely at the end. I genuinely loved that song and wish her well but still can't be sure just what support she has. With luck she'll have captured more of Skylar's fans than Jessica will have done so the omens are good. The thing about Hollie, though, is that somehow you just can't be sure. Star quality is emerging now and she is being dressed and styled really well but Jessica and Joshua have a big start on her - a lot to make up, so much depends on what Jessica does. Much as I'd like to see both in the Finale, I feel Phillip's fan club will just launch him i there whatever he does. Joshua is a certainty so there's only room for one of the girls.

Joshua

You Raise Me Up
I was expecting this to be a remarkable performance. It seemed just right for him, anthem-like and lots of choir and church stuff. But, no, this was full of odd notes, tin in the voice and inappropriate squawks and efforts to make it come across better. I thought that was actually pretty poor. Maybe he's nervous. Maybe that squawking and chewing of the words he does is beginning to tire. If he had simply delivered the goods that would have been fine. Trying too hard. He won't have won over extra votes there.

Jessica

Steal Away
Strange jazz blues number that she seems to enjoy doing. Lots of range in there, from growling to the high notes but I didn't actually like it much. Odd notes here and there to my ears too but maybe I just didn't know the track well enough. All credit to her for not going down the predictable and commercial route but I do feel that maybe she might need to.

Hollie won that round by quite a clear margin in my book. I know I've been backing her all the way but that is genuinely the performance by the person who I feel, from those tracks, at least, most suits being an American Idol in 2012.

Phillips & Joshua

This Love
The Maron 5 number really suited them both. Excellent. As Steven said, whoever picked that (Nigel) did a brilliant job. Particularly, Joshua was relaxed and didn't chew up the words. Interesting to note that Phillip has yet to adopt any designer clothes whilst the other three are looking increasingly impressive.

Hollie & Jessica

Eternal Flame
Not bad. I preferred The Bangles. Jessica tried to 'win' on some notes and, notably, on the last note, hung on just that little bit longer, maybe trying to make up for being given just the low notes throughout which did rather give Hollie the better audience pleasers.

All four then sing-a-long with I've Been Waiting which suited none of them that well. Jessica possibly came over best that time, but not a great deal in it. Basically, all eneded up pretty even after those three joint efforts. Now, back to their individual efforts to kick one of the others out of that imminent Finale.

Phillip

Missed the title but that was the type of song that this guy should be doing as an artist. It worked, mainly as it wasn't unnatural or forced and mercifully free of the facial contortions. Best performance from him so far. That could see him through if the screaming crowd doesn't.

Hollie

I Can't Make You Love Me
Very impressive performance. Not easy for her to get the emotion across and just not the 'moment' she needed. After all the praise that Phillip got, and we know Joshua will get and that Jessica will somehow force out of the judges with a far better choice of track, those comments from the judges will have hurt. She has left herself very vulnerable which is a shame as I think she genuinely did try and she did show that she can sing so well and the notes and how she presented everything were otherwise faultless.

Joshua

It's A Man's Man's World
And every compliment he got for that was deserved indeed. That was excellent. Absolutely perfect for him, that should not only take him through very safely but that remarkable song and the way he presented it, with far less chewing at last, could well be remembered for long enough for voters to be inspired enough to vote for him and give him the title.

Jessica

I'm Telling You

Wow! That was powerful and full of all the emotion that she needed to show for a second 'moment'. A remarkable performance and, in some ways, it was better than Joshua's in so far as this was a far more difficult one and she put so much in to it. Amazing. Well done. No-one, not even Hollie's fans, would be sad to see Hollie defeated by these two.

All that remains to be seen, with Joshua and Jessica surely sure-fire certainties for the Finale, is just how strong Phillip's votes really are in comparison to Hollie's. On every 'non-idol' criteria, Phillip wins that battle. As someone with potential to make the big time and succeed as a major artist, it would be Hollie but even she loses out at this stage to the two Js.

American Idol: the one with Coldplay, Carrie and wind and Phillip's fans send Skylar home

Well we knew Joshua was going to be safe and Ryan gets that out of the way pretty smartly.

Coldplay follow with the first of two performances. Paradise was decidedly dodgy  but at least it confirmed that they were singing live, possibly one of the first for a while. I expected him to say "Sorry" at the end as not only was Chris struggling to hit the notes but his band seemed to be playing in different time zones. If he doesn't make up for that then Gwyneth will give him hell when he gets home.

Hollie Kavenagh -Photo from americanidol.com

Hollie and Phillip are brought centre stage. Now, as Jimmy so lucidly put it, and almost anyone other than a mad Phillip fan would agree, Phillip deserved to go after those lazy and uninspiring performances and, certainly out of the two, it was Hollie who had been the star. What happens? Exactly the opposite! Phillip must have some fan base. Oh dear.

Jessica Sanchez

Carrie Underwood does a track about Oklahoma wind and looks stunning in an expensive white dress that gets nicely blown away from time to time and that brings a few appreciative whistles from the men in the audience. (Strange that they don't do that when Rhianna, Lady Gaga or Christina perform with far more exposed.) This is one expensive show tonight. I kept looking at Carrie, not just because of the dress but also thinking how well Hollie could have performed the same track.

Next up are the remaining pair, Skylar and Jessica. Now that's a difficult choice in some ways. On replay, Skylar sounded the more accomplished, albeit not at her best and Jessica seemed just a little desperate to impress with her first number but still superbly presenting the second. America has shown its uncertainty about Jessica a couple of weeks ago and I was expecting the same to happen again but, no, it was indeed Skylar who joined Hollie in the bottom two.

Coldplay again. That was better. Chris obviously had a word with the boys backstage.

Dim the lights ... it's Skylar who finsihes fifth.

Sopranos Star On American Idol. And then there was Joshua.

So now it's down to Hollie, Jessica, Joshua, Phillip and Skylar. One of these will be American Idol 2012. To help voters cut one more from that list they see them perform tracks from the 60s and BritPop! Now, that's a great combination.

Then we get told that Steven Van Zandt, an East Coast guy, friend of The Boss and Sopranos star is helping Jimmy Iovine do the mentoring bit. Ah! That'll be for the 60s bit, I guess.

Hollie

River Deep, Mountain High
Jimmy was absolutely right again in saying that it is all about her attitude, how she comes across to the audience and this time she really seems to have taken notice and had a brilliant time with this very difficult song. No faults and one great start to the show. She let go and it showed - and it worked so well. This was a potential star performing at last, not just a talented contestant in a reality TV show. Ryan notices and remarks that "Something's going on for you" with a hint about her next song too which is interesting. For probably the first time she gets genuinely good reviews from all the judges too and this has certainly set the bar high for the other four tonight.

If she can do this well with only bare understanding of the lyrics then what will she be able to do once life and loves have had an impact?

Phillip

The Letter
I always feel that this guy is chewing the lyrics and this he did in spades this time. The Box Tops' version was a simple song, just a few notes and over in an instant. He mashed it all up and turned it inside out and lost the melody completely. Just a lot of noise. He's good at what he does in a jazz way but I can't see any real reason for him still challenging the other four now. Ryan pointing out Phillip's very attractive girlfriend in the audience might have lost a bunch of girl fan votes too, although, with only Joshua to compete with for them, that weird smile might just get him enough to survive, against all odds.

Skylar

Fortunate Son
A great song that should get her lots of votes from across the board. Nice. She put a lot into it and you could tell it was not something she knew too well. More of a 'performance' than we've had from her of late. frantic and a bit breathless but enjoyable enough for all that.

Now we see a duet  between Phillip and Joshua. You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling sounds like it ought to be a good number for both of them. But, oh dear, this is not an easy song by any stretch of the imagination. Joshua carries Phillip from as soon as he comes in, an inspired performance by one and very poor by the other.

Jessica

Proud Mary
Another Creedence Clearwater Revival track. Not what I would have suggested she try. Neil Diamond comes to mind as better. However, she was on good raunchy and range form and, as always, she had great rhythm and excellent notes. She looked quite a deal older than her 16 years but not as attractive as Hollie and this didn't match either of her two female rivals.

Joshua

Ain't Too Proud To Beg
It sould like it should be a good track for this guy. And it sure was. I felt we were watching the winner this time. Boosted by his earlier rescue of the duet, this was assured and excellent. Faultless and Steven calls him one of the top 2 vocalists of all time. That'll please him. I'm still not sure, though, whether he'll get his fair share of the votes as deserved, with the background support in the audience noticeably dimmer than for Phillip.

In the second round, it's tracks from British acts.

Hollie

Hollie goes first again and gives us her version of a recent hit for one of X Factor's best finds, Leona Lewis's Bleeding Love. This might well have been a number Jessica could have scored heavily with - Hollie gives a different approach to Leona but actually, and this is quite surprising, actually more credible. Now that is interesting. all we need now is a track that we can totally identify her with, or with her. I think it needs to be an anthem. I hope she'll get a chance next week if the three girl vote split goes her way. This was a good performance again and she is looking the best of the three girls at the moment, well on her way to a final that I would have not expected her to make a few weeks ago. Her voice is strong and very clear, and accurate. Add that extra bit of passion and believability that has been absent to date and this is one dark horse.

Phillip

Phillips's second number is the Zombie's Time Of The Season. This has not been covered to my knowledge, which is an indication of how it is quite a unique track and not something you'd expect to here on American Idol. It kind of suited him. For a change he did just cover a number. He gets huge adulation again from the crowd but this is very forgettable and I just don't see why he is still around other than the fact that he is the sole white male. he may have his talents in a slightly peculiar and jazz-like way but others who have been ejected from this process to date would have been far better at this stage of the competition in my view.

Jessica, Skylar and Hollie do the Jackie Wilson number Higher and Higher. Jessica seems desperate and a bit over-competitive. Skylar is the natural performer, at ease but not very inspiring this time. Hollie seems the winner of the three for this track, in charge and reliable, although, to be honest, this was not a memorable moment on the show.

Skylar

You Don't Have To Say You Love Me
A good choice. Whilst she is no Dusty Springfrield, I can see her country fans liking this soulful and honest rendition that might have been one of the best of the night. However, she missed a lot of notes and went off track quite badly, really spoiling it for anyone listening at the end. From very cool to worryingly off in one track. This might cost her a lot.

Jessica

You're So Beautiful
Again, this could be her 'moment' or another one. A brilliant choice. Beautiful start and continuing to a lovely performance that, whilst not as magical as her earlier round YouTube record breaker had been, this was very good and really ought to have bought her ticket for the Top 4.

Joshua

To Love Somebody
Now this is one of my all time favourite tracks. What will he do with it? It's beauty for me is its simplicity. Joshua didn't destroy it as he might have done at all. In fact, he kept it remarkably restrained whilst letting go near the end but this time letting go in a controlled and very impressive way. It was pretty damn good and that just has to be not only the performance of the night but may be enough to see him through to the final, never mind the Top 4.

The judges were well over the top with comments from Jennifer gushing out that he was the best singer for over 50 years sounding slightly ridiculous. No, very ridiculous and, actually, that won't have helped his chances. He will be getting a record deal, that's for sure and there were plenty of hints from Jimmy and Steven that they'll be doing something with him (as well as being instructed very clearly by Jennifer to choose the right tracks for him to ensure he does stay!)

I think we could have been watching a winner here. We know one of the five will win and, despite Jessica's appeal, I believe Joshua and Hollie won this evening. Phillip ought to be the one going home but a less than popular Jessica or off-form Skylar may lose out to his big fan base. It'll be a close call as even Joshua may not have the volume of votes that his remarkable performances tonight might justify. And Hollie has been in the bottom two or three rather more often than any of the others. All have a reason to be vulnerable.

Queen Rules In America

The Queen certainly rule in America this week at least. With a carefully selected band of singers and guitarists doing a good job of Somebody To Love that track went down well enough, despite the audience not seeming particularly vocal in the join-in section!) but the real buzz happened when Brian and Roger appeared and set the place on fire once again.

Ryan brings Jessica and Elise out and, as you could have guessed, Elise is in the bottom three once more. No surprises there really and my feeling is that it really is the last time she'll be appearing in the bottom three - but not for the reason she'd prefer.

Stefano reappears next. Following Queen, even part of Queen, was never going to be easy. No shiny suit either. A good track that Olly Murs could have a hit with. He seems to have two voices - one that stands out, the higher, sharper one that cuts through the backing track and a pretty much unnoticeable one that let him down. Still, nice to see him again.

Hollie and Joshua. Now we all know the judges would just instantly send Hollie to the bottom three anyway and they must have had some effect on the voters. Joshua's second track was pretty good and the switch between the dance track he did before broadened his appeal. For all that, I wouldn't want to call between these two as I do think Hollie is building her fans, albeit a bit late. Hollie is the one that joins Elise.

Katy Perry comes on in aggressive mood looking like a 90s Ukraine entry in the Eurovision Song Contest. The song has to be a Russell Brand put down. For most of it she's lost in dry ice anyway, her record playing in the background. Another hit, no doubt, but she might at least have tried a bit harder to appear to be singing it. For some reason she was surrounded by alternative versions of herself, all with black knee pads and at the end the ice turned green and I expected some military band to come on as some guy was barking orders in the background. Odd.

OK, back and it's between Skylar and Phillip. Surely no argument here - it has to be Skylar that is safe out of those two. Big surprise again this week! Skylar is the one in 4th place! I wasn't expecting that. Phillip sure must have all the girl's votes now and that must have saved him in not exactly a stunning week for him. As if to quell the storm that was brewing amongst the audience and judges, Ryan almost immediately says that Skylar is safe and that leaves Hollie and Elise.

Elise reaches the end of her road and goes out with her wonderful Led Zep number. I can see that as a single. If Robert Plant wasn't tied up with Alison Krauss he might even have joined her. So now we have the Final Five. Skylar coming 4th after such a good performance and showing consistent strength for a few weeks now really does mean that it is anyone's guess now.

The Show Must Go On (and so do the judges)

It's Queen week and there's Brian May, grey hair seemingly ablaze beneath the lights with Roger Taylor, looking rather big and out of place with the tiny idols remaining in the Top 6. They answer some silly questions and still look uncomfortable but that may have been because no-one understood their excellent accents.

The group song was a pretty predictable mix of extracts from some of their hits and it was so noticeable how Elise led the way almost entirely. It suited her too. Brian was smiling throughout, probably thinking about the large fee he'd be getting for not a great deal of hard work. With the bright white light behind him in some shots his huge mass of hair looked extraordinary. I do hope that's a style that doesn't take on.

They finished with We Are The Champions which really didn't work at all well. It was so dull, like a Sunday morning on a cold day in a small church in the country. At no point do I recall hearing either Jessica or Hollie who were together on one mike.

Jessica

Bohemian Rhapsody
Cameras go to black and white as they associate with the original visuals for this, even putting her face in a similar three-repeat in the background. Not many would dare take this song on! I think she made a good job of that with nice vocals on the gentler side which suited her so much better than when she tries to rock. The rock bit did work but she did look nervous and even seemed to be trying to remember what to do rather than being natural. She's starting to fade a bit and show some weakness.

Skylar

The Show Must Go On
Excellent performance. I can't fault that and she really is shaping up to win this. That put Jessica in the shade as she was on pitch and it was believable too. Well done. Not as difficult a track as Jessica's but still not easy. She is showing a lot of strength and composure whereas her competition looks vulnerable.

Joshua

Crazy Little Thing Called Love
I didn't like this at all and not sure he coped that well with this track. He just belted it out whereas it does need light and shade. Not good. Energetic, but not very marketable. So why the SO from the judges??! They're out of line on this, they really are. They must get a totally different sound down there from what we get through a couple of speakers. Jennifer says it all when she announces that he's her 'favourite'. Hmmm.

Elise

I Want It All
I like the way she's on it from the very start. Of everyone in the T6 she should be the one this week was made for but, apart from the chorus, this is not the best of songs to make an impression with. The verse is almost instantly forgettable and doesn't allow for anything special to happen either. She did a good, confident job but it wasn't as spectacular as you'd expect from Elise, singing Queen, in the Top Six stage. She got good reviews but obviously not their 'favourite' and she could be disappointed.

Phillip

Fat Bottomed Girls
He sounded great. It was a good choice for his voice. It's a song where you can mangle the words and it still works. He does look odd - a complete opposite to the stylish and slick Freddie Merucry person. Phillips does have personality, a smile and the voice that people seem to like. Just not my idea of an American Idol.

Hollie

Save Me
She gets the first pimp spot and needs to be good, having been almost unnoticed in the group song. This was a nice song. Not the usual anthem and not actually a track I remembered at all. She chose well - or Jimmy did. This is what she does well - a powerful, simple song that matches her range and didn't require her to dance around or do something she doesn't look right doing. Nice. It may not have set the world alight but that shouldn't have done her any harm and keep in in the running. just. Well, it would, had the so biased panel supported her a bit more. they're so critical of her and I really am beginning to think that they don't want her on the show any longer and can't wait for her to go. Everyone else is regarded as some sort of hero with comments like 'amazing' 'don't know what to say' blah blah blah. Hollie gets a long long rant from Jennifer. That's it.

For the second round they get to pick their own tracks.

Jessica

Dance With My Father Again
Finally, she gets her look right - nice dress and overall styling that suits her. This was a really good performance. A heartfely song that she delivers back on top form once more. It was an excellent time to do it too as she'd been looking quite vulnerable of late, never really matching her incredible Whitney moment of what is now a long time ago. She should now be safe after that and that's what I am sure she'll be doing on CDs later in the year, whatever happens in the competition.

Skylar

Tattoos On This Town
I think that's the title of of good ol' country number which she is totally at home with. This was a good performance, comfortable and assured. She's a professional and you feel that she's totally reliable. Not spectacular but a good night for her and she must be on her way now to the final.

Joshua

Running For love
No idea what this song is actually called but it could have been written for him. The judges are on their feet again. This time it may have been deserved. It was a nice track and he produced a very soulful, accurate and controlled sound with none of the annoying shouting. Nice job. If he does more like that then he'll be hard to stop, especially with Jennifer and Randy voting for him so obviously. This could be one of the few times that I have heard this guy do something really really well, though, and a great choice.

Elise

Bold as love
A Hendrix number, apparently. It's difficult to know what to make of this. She is certainly very, very good and absolutely in her element but where on earth this will fit with potential voters to keep her in the competition I'm not so sure. Randy does the rant this time, going on and on and losing her votes with each sigh. The fact is that she sang tremendously, as well as Joshua before her and interpreted a difficult track well. People just won't recognise it though.

Phillip

?? Bold As love
Another track I don't know. Boy, is this lot choosing some unique tracks this year. In a way, that's quite a stand out from previous Series and a good thing. Phillip has always been a bit whacky, odd, occasionally weird and downright ridiculous when forced to do the sing-a-long or set tracks. In the preview of what others think about each other the girls were amusingly honest about how odd his expressions can be when singing and in regard to his leg movements that make Olly Murs seem positively static! This time he went to an extreme but a nice extreme. This what what Phillip Phillips is meant to do and he managed to avoid the weird movements as well. It was an odd number that no-one will know and he was accompanied by a two beautiful girls, one on a fiddle or violin and another on a brass instrument. the violinist was superb and the camera seemed to stay on her almost the whole time! I didn't mind that and doubt whether Phillip would have been that bothered either. He's not someone you want to watch.

Now, will the judges give him the same treatment as they gave Elise? Steven was good, calling him 'Off the wall' accurately and, later, admiring him for being true to what he wants to do rather than digging for votes. Randy got it right too. He was doing what Phillip does. So why didn't they just say that to Elise? So unfair. And Jennifer says she is worried that he might not now make the final. Oh boy. So we all know who she doesn't want in the final, don't we.

Hollie

The Climb
She sure did make the most of the closing slot of the night with this! It's a very familiar song, having been used as the final song in X Factor too with Joe McElderry winning with it a while ago. It's one of those well-written numbers that are great for closing big shows with that lots of people who watch this type of show love. Hollie performed it marvellously, better than the original. And, good grief, the judges are standing up! Unbelievable. Maybe they were told to after Jennifer's rant and unfair comments. So, an excellent song choice and very well delivered. It's not my favourite at all but it could be just what she needs to survive. At times I really could see her with some star quality shining tonight and, whilst Skylar wins the night, Hollie came second. I just hope the voters agree.

This is a difficult week to call now. Hollie could have been the vulnerable one (again) but she may just have done enough to grow her fan base to be a challenger and is certainly looking like someone who could make a late run for the final.

Jessica seemed good at the time but, on second listening, she has quite a tinny sound and isn't actually singing as well now as she seemed to be at the start. I know the judges and even Jimmy go on about how brilliant she is but I do wonder what support she has and whether her efforts this week will have increased it significantly. I would say she is now more likely to go than Hollie.

Elise has always been struggling, last week being an exception. I don't think her supporters are that solid, not the people who will phone and phone again to keep her in. They'll respect her but not always vote for her. Her songs weren't great this week and she is the one I would have predicted would go on first consideration.

Phillip's strange second song makes me think twice, though. He must have a strong female backing and is the only white male left too so may survive for that reason alone. He's the one that I'm inclined to think could go, though, on second consideration.

Joshua may get huge props from the judges and Jennifer's own band of voting fans will keep his numbers up. He's an almost guaranteed finalist but shouldn't be. He ought to go but I don't think he will.

Looking back like this, therefore, surprisingly in some ways, it is Skylar and Hollie who managed to hit all the right buttons this week and they may well be the two that are quite safe, Skylar definitely so.

American Idol Top 8 Review Pt 2

I fear this could be the one where Hollie goes out. But that is just a feeling I started watching this week's results show with. Let's see...

It all gets under way with an ad for Jennifer's new single - the video being a sort of feint attempt at emulating a bit of Gaga crossed with Madonna. Almost instantly, forgettable, unlike Gaga and Madonna.

The Wanted followed. The audience wanted 1D but this was another UK group so that's almost the same for many of them. They sang I'm Glad You Came which could have been a Eurovision entry had some older guy not nabbed the job already.

Jessica and a worryingly ill Joshua get sent to safety quickly, as they rightly should be. Then Skylar and Colton are brought up. Now they should also both be safe but, if that were the case it would imply that only one of the remaining four would be safe! Fortunately, to avoid giving the game away just like that, Ryan brings out Deandre and Hollie.

Jimmy Iovine gives his views, always spot-on and thankfully someone to counter the crazy views of the judges when necessary. He says that DeAndre mat well be fighting with Hollie as to who'll be packing tonight and that's been my opinion too. He's certainly on the right tracks as, eventually, it is indeed Holllie and Deandre that are the first two at risk.

That leaves Elise and Phillip. They'll probably be joined by Elise yet again, although it ought to be Phillip but, again, it's Phillip who has been getting all the praise and, apart from last week's amazing performance, Elise gets universal disinterest from the judges for no reason I can discern. Something must have gone down at some point that we don't know about.

Before we learn which we get to meet the cute and wonderful Kellie Pickler. She shows us that coming 6th (Season 5) needn't be so bad. I love her personality and you couldn't help but smile when she appeared. We're not too bothered about what she actually sings.

Yes, it is, inded, Elise again who joins the bottom three. So which of DeAndre or Hollie did the voters place bottom? My prediction is proven quite wrong as Hollie is declared safe! That was quite a surprise - I really had expected her to be up against DeAndre. And between Elise and DeAndre it is Elise who survives. Great. Glad she's safe as I really do believe both she and Hollie have a lot more to offer. If they don't perform well next week though then they may as well both go home as they're unlikely to get much support from the judges while Phillip and Joshua are around.

DeAndre then gives a pretty reasonable performance with his reggae number that does suit him and, without the falsetto nonsense, I wondered whether he might not have earned himself a save. Throughout the series Jennifer and Randy have been making him out to be amazing and a whole load of other superlatives so this might be the time when they decide to act. It appears that Jennifer voted for him to stay but Steven and Randy did not so his demise was not to be dragged into next week.

All in all a good result in my view. From here on it could be fascinating as I don't see Phillip actually doing much different, Elise and Hollie have an opportunity to do something remarkable (again, in Elise's case and, hopefully, for the first time in Hollie's). If Skylar picks a poor song and Joshua gets annoying then they may be vulnerable with Phillip. Only Jessica and Colton seem relatively untouchable just at this point.

The Top 8 Perform on American Idol Pt 1

It's Eighties Week. Key tracks we all recognise, big numbers and, probably, some unfortunate song choices too along the way, with so many ballads and American Idol-type tracks to choose from.

DeAndre
I Like It
Well no, I don't much - I'm getting tired of the falsetto so it was some relief to hear him being a bit more natural and not forcing things so much for a while. Soom enough, though, he was back up there in 70s Bee Gee land but without that special quality Barry and his brothers exhibited.

This was certainly his best performance, though, and much more in his comfort zone than we've seen in the last few weeks. He's no Idol winner this Season but neither an obvious candidate to go home in 8th position either.

Elise
I Want To Know What Love Is
Quite a number this. Everyone knows it and she did a good job, bringing a touch of her own style too on the way. Somehow, though, it didn't quite give her that magic moment that we all expected, never quite going anywhere. The judges weren't impressed but then they've been hard on her since the start, apart from last week. Her previous experience helps a lot as she has presence on the stage and knows how to peform and that is a major thing in her favour. I've often thought of her as that dark horse that might cause trouble for Colton, Jessica or even Hollie should their stars fade. Tonight she fell back a bit too and, recalling the poor votes for previous excellent performances, she may have reason to worry.

Colton & Skylar
Islands in The Stream
Very average. I expected Skylar to steal all our votes with tghis which should have suited her perfectly. Colton, who should have been uncomfortable, actually matched her for most of the time. There was also an absence of chemistry between them, something that this song so deserves. Towards the end Skylar did seem to warm up and start to give it what we'd expected from the start but it still wasn't that memorable.

Phillip
It's A Shame, That's All
Uninspiring. He put a lot into it but it came across as a bit desperate and poorly produced, messy. He sings with enthusiasm and likes what he does, clearly enjoys himself but he needs to add some polish if it is really going to work for him. Sometimes I feel as if he is well out of his depth and we've yet to have that special performance from him in this Season.

Hollie & DeAndre
I'm So Excited
Nice mixture with these two emulating The Pointer Sisters well. Hollie was spot-on with the tone and matched the song well - in black leather trousers she looked so much better too. Good performance for both of them.

Joshua
If You Don't know Me By Now
My goodness, the size of his family! But back to the song. This suited him well and the first half was excellent but then he started his tinny shouting and running and playing around with notes and it became painful. It wasn't worth the adulation that the judges gave. He's good, in parts, but really needs to control those extra bits he feels obliged to put in every number.

Jessica
How Will I Know
From the start she had it. A great performance again. That was brilliant and she was clearly enjoying that and totally natural. She looked great in another chic outfit too. She has to be there at the end.

Phillip & Elise
Stop Dragging My Heart around
Now that's better - both far more in their element. A bit noisy in places, this track needs more shade than they gave it, tending to be competing with each other and the band at times but not at all bad.

Hollie
What A Feeling
This is a super song and after a nervous start when she seemed to be thinking before she did anything she did get into it well. She was technically accurate but that kinda spoilt it. It's a track about success against the odds and, much as I have supported this girl, it maybe wasn't a good choice for her. She did move around and she did put some effort in to add the right tone but it didn't have that crucial passion that the song is so well known for. In a way, because of the huge association with the dancer in the film that it comes from it may even have been better if she'd delivered it more gently and still. The judges were very harsh indeed and that could mean bad news for this talented girl tonight. They really could have, at least, said something good about the parts she did do well.

Joshua & Jessica
I'm Right Here Waiting
This was an excellent duet and both performed brilliantly. It can be a tough job matching Joshua when he winds up and starts playing with the notes but Jessica rose to the occasion and was not to be beaten. In a sense, that is the sort of thing you'd expect to see in a final. All credit to both of them.

Colton
Time After Time
A superb version of the Cyndi Lauper clasic. Whilst putting his own style into this expertly he also kepttrue to the emotions and rhythm of the song that are so important. It worked really well and could have been the best performance of the night.

Skylar
The Wind Beneath My Wings
She did what Hollie should have done by presenting an anthem-like song and slowing it right down, showing how she can do passion and not just the country fun rock. Towards the end she let go but stayed in control, hitting all the important notes that counted well. A good job that should see her safely through this week

Hollie, DeAndre and Phillip should be the ones in trouble this week, the other five being virtually untouchable after their superb performances. Of the three, if the judges are to be believed then it will be farewell to Hollie. I hope not as she has so much more to give but I have a feeling she won't get the chance and will be this year's No.8.

Up Town Planking In Pittsburgh

Auditions Part Two. Pittsburgh. We get told it's AI's first visit to this town where Ryan tells us they have their own language. Cue some folk going yousall. Obviously they've never been to Scotland. Or maybe they have. I'm sure the good folk of Pittsburgh must have been delighted that their next entry in the AI Charts was a complete prat called Heejan Han (name nowcorrected, sorry) who doesn't come from Pittsburgh or Scotland for that matter but Korea. With some strange arm wobbling that seemed to induce the same effect in the judges (was that North Korea?) the guy with the big face then takes us all by surprise by not being as bad as we thought he would be. Having said that Hee bo was no Subo but, inexplicably, he gets through to the Hollywood round. Why???

The next guy is Reed Grimm. He doesn't come from Pittsburgh either, but Wisconsin, and sounds like what an illustration to one of his great uncle's tales might sound like, should illustrations have audio. Oh dear, he gets through too. We might have guessed - as there was the video of him as a two year old playing.

Then two more zoom through before I get a chance to figure out who they are.

Photo from You Tube

As if the show hadn't already got slightly silly - there had also been two mentions of gazillions for a pretty average-sounding guy - we get some girl doing planking. Luckily she wasn't the one doing the singing but it was still a bizarre sight of her laying flat out in front of Samantha Novacek. Now this girl can sing well. She desperately needs some advice on what to wear but then that seems to be the case for many of the hopefuls in this town. Surely Pittsburgh isn't that far from the shops that they only shop once a decade?

Reinforcing, possibly forever, the image Pittsburgh is getting for bad clothes and strange names is Creighton Fraker (shown on TV as Fwaker, the w possibly being a subconcious thing what with all that planking and getting Samantha's dress off). Crikey looks and sounds a bit bonkers but then so have quite a few so far and it hasn't done them any harm. Eventually, after being persuaded to sing something we might vaguely recognise instead of a self-penned ditty a duck would be embarrassed to have written, he puts in a decent track and we see someone worth paying attention to. "Let's big this thing down." suggests Randy, whatever that meant. And we get another gazillion which is definitely well OTT but he's through anyway.



And now, for something completely different. Eben Frankowicz. Yes, OK, not that different as he does have a strange name and it's difficult to imagine his school chums yelling "Hey Eben!!" across the school yard but what is different is that he looks normal. A cute kid with helicopter parents. Sings Ain't No Sunshine brilliantly. If AI11 goes down the neat choirboy route then he'll be in the live shows. My first potential winner.

Next up is Travis Orlando, back from last year. "Who remembers Travis?" asks Jennifer. Silence. "I do." she continues. That says it all. Obviously a Hollywood rounder. He didn't need the big and quite sad story to get through but it might have the useful effect of the whole of Pittsburgh now out hunting down his mum. He sang OK but isn't a sure-fire guy to get that much further, for all the emotional stuff.

Another 8 or 9 fly by. No idea who they are.

Shane Bruce. A good ol' coal miner and coal miner's son. He says the sort of things that you can imagine his parents saying at the dinner table. He wants "a stable life". You might be tempted to wonder why he's auditioning for something that would give him almost precisely the opposite but there's probably a cliché his mum would come out with to explain. We see, unusually, a video of the guy performing underground - it's not the underground bit that's unusual; I don't recall seeing many videos of contestants singing recently before their audition being shown. We get plenty later but not on the auditions show. Anyway, he sounds pretty good in that so when he struggles a bit with some notes on the ill-advised choice of Hallelujah you hope they'll give him another track like they did for many others. He had started off with the odd question about whether they knew the song from a film which may not have helped his cause. And when, obviously annoyed with himself for not performing at his best, he appears to have more or less given up and comes out with another of dad's abbreviated comments along the lines of 'gave it my best shot only got one chance' which might also have been followed by 'shall I go now or wait for you to judge that?', you shout at the TV "Shut up! You were OK. Sing something else." Too late. He looks like he's given up and the judges almost don't have any choice, despite his being far better than many others they had let through. So we watch him drift off with his clichés, expecting Randy or Steve to come chasing after him like Simon would have asked someone to do had SYCO been producing the show. Sad.

Hallie Day was working as a waitress in a cocktail bar. Until she met Idol. We get a lot of this girl's back story so it looks like we're going to get something special. She's also the last on tonight so that's another hint as they like to leave us with something good to remember till next week. It seems she joined a band and went to New York a while back but didn't make a great deal. Somewhere along the line she got really low and this girl sure shouldn't need to pretend the emotions when the time comes to perform. I was pretty underwhelmed by I Will Survive but that's mainly because I hate the song after it's been done to karaoke death ever since someone brought karaoke over here and even before that, especially by annoying, usually fat and unattractive women that you might prefer that they didn't. I was totally agreeing with Steven Tyler who wanted another song. "Why?" ask the other two. "I like watching you when you sing." he announces. Classic. I would like her to have blown us away with something else but then that may have reduced her odds with the bookmakers. She is another potential winner - but still a long shot. I'm just guessing but the Debbie Harry looks and obvious talent and passion ought to mean good things for her.

38 get through from Pittsburgh. That's 80 so far. another 220 to go. One of whom is Hollie Cavenagh. This was her in April 2011. Wow.