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.

The Top 6 Decided on American Idol

We start with a reminder of the crazy results last week that resulted in Jessica being 'saved' by the judges and there was quite a serious, quite non Idol-like introduction video of the top 7.

Hollie

Rolling In The Deep
At last!! A great performance and she's looking so much better. She sounded perfectly in tune, right from the start and it was nice to see her smiling and getting the song across so well. "Hollie, very well done." said Randy. She does know this song very well indeed, having been doing it for years so was totally at ease and what a difference that made. Now she is a contender again - well, unless the others also up their game as effectively. She must have been very heartened at the support that put her above Jessie, Elise and Joshua last week.

Colton

A Bad Romance
Pretty good. That should be popular. a bit thrashy and not sure it was an ideal interpretation. His fans should like it though and should keep him safe.

Elise

No-one
She performs so well, every time. Totally reliable but, as Jimmy says, she has to do this without a huge fan base. This was a nice job again but not a big one and they make her a vulnerable for no other reason I can think of.

Phillip

My least favourite so far. He sang an old Usher song. Quite good and in his own style, clearly. I guess it will appeal to a sector like no-one else in the Top 7 will. Not my choice at all but it seemed to go down well and he's always getting good votes!

Jessica

In and Out of Love
Another complex song. Again, with a possibly quite limited audience appeal so she's taking a big risk. A remarkable performance. Accurate and with style although I felt she'd lost the passion this time. I don't know. I really don't know. As it ended I was thinking that she has talent for sure, in abundance, but is she making life too difficult for her potential voters? She gets big, big props from Randy. Will that make a difference?

Skylar

Born This Way
Lady Gaga does country style? Really didn't like the start of this. But Skylar is very confident now, probably much buoyed by the realisation that Jessica isn't the favourite and now everyone has a chance of winning. She has as good as any, especially with the country voters out there on her side. Although this really wasn't very good, too loud and quite scratchy, I have a feeling she is the dark horse and will reach the final 3.

Joshua

He came and screeched quite a bit and went leaving no impression on me at all. I do hope he picks something less desperate next time or he'll be on his way home.

Now, Round two, as the seven have a second song - selected from 'soul music'. Hmmm. That won't suit everyone.

Hollie

Son of a Preacher Man
Boosted by Liverpool FC's wonderful personal support she looks so much better and, with another good choice, she is making her mark once again this week. She certainly belted it out well but I'm not convinced it will keep her out of the bottom three, lacking a little light and shade as this song requires.

Colton

He does an Earth Wing & Fire track. It was pitchy. It may have been called Dancing In September. Good in places but not that great a reception. It was not his best performance so he's taking a chance there. Maybe Gaga will have saved him though.

Elise

Let's Get It On
This was ideal for her although I'm not sure at all about the voters. This was a stand-out performance and she growled and moved through this well. Definitely not the one who should go tonight but I still don't know how she'll go down.

Phillip

In The Midnight Hour
This was a good one for him. This is right in his bag and should make up for the first round mess. I still find him tiring to listen to, though - it's all the same. Very natural performance, all credit for that. That worked.

Jessica

Try a Little Tenderness
Styled and looking more mature. I thought this would suit her and she put everything into it but it didn't work - tenderness? No way. It was also all over far too quickly. She seemed to be quite unnatural tonight and even missed a note or two. That was not great. Popular? I don't know. She should go back to the emotional stuff or cheery younger music.

Skylar

 I Heard It Through The Grapevine
This could work well. It did. For my money, Skylar beat Jessica this week. Quite natural and enjoying herself out there on the stage. I didn't like her version much but do respect what she does. She'll be safe.

Joshua

A Change Is Gonna Come
A classic for Joshua. He mangled the words at one point but otherwise this was really well presented and he controlled himself so much better than has been the case before. When he did let go it was worth waiting for and this was extremely well-received. That ought to save him too. Inspired choice.

---

Part two: the Results!

Dancing In The Street - it's a credit to the talent of this series that 6 of the 7 made a very respectable job of the song. If this had been the sole Finale decider then Skylar, Joshua and Hollie would be there, with Elise just missing out. Phil and Colton seemed to be right out their comfort zone but coped well. Jessica was virtually non-existent. Odd.

Ryan brings Hollie and Joshua centre stage. Out of these two, after Joshua's last performance he's the one most likely to be safe and that is, indeed, the case, Hollie being in the bottom three.

Kris Allen, Season 8 winner, appears with a mediocre song that won't trouble the UK charts. Colton can take some comfort there as the two share a similar sound and, of the two, it is Colton that should sell most.

Skylar and Elise next. You kinda know that it'll be Elise who is in the bottom three. It is.

Phillip, Colton, Jessica. One more to be added to the bottom three. I feel it ought to be Jessica but no, it's Colton, the voters seeming to have remembered to vote for Jessica after all and Phillip's fans must be more numerous than I'd realised as it is Colton who joins the bottom three for the first time.

So it's between Hollie, Elise and Colton. Surely it's Elise who will finish at No 7? No, in fact she's the first saved. Now between Hollie and Colton any other week  Hollie would have already had her bags packed and the re-run team would have the video of the time on Idol ready to go. They would have to put it away though, as, another shock this week - it's Colton whose run has ended. He goes with a super performance of a track that was arguably the best part of tonight's results show. Hollie survives again and, with Elise still there, and Jessica's talents and support not necessarily insuperable any more, she must stand a chance of reaching making that Finale prediction actually feasible.

American Idol Voters Disagree with Randy About "The Best Singer In America"

The show starts with what I had really hoped they'd abandoned - the sing-a-long spot. Especially for a Pink track this was ridiculous and Jessica was right out of it. Not a good sign for the one we've started to think might win this thing. Elise, excellent yet again, might just as well have sung it alone with only Hollie, interestingly, providing anything strong by way of support. Odd.

Hollie & Jessica: surely it has to be Jessica that's the safe one out of these two? Or this is a night of surprises? One with a rather average performance. One with a little known track. One natural. One lacking some emotion.  Ryan doesn't tell us just yet. Damn.

James Durbin turned up and screamed quite a lot, looking better fed and healthier than in the old days and sporting a blonde hairstyle reminiscent of the Sex Pistols. I guess it was a track of his new album. It sort of came and went.

Plug for alumni sorted, Ryan brings out Phillip & Elise. Hmmm. One who hasn't been popular but performed well. One who seems to have been popular in the past but who didn't. Elise should stay out of the bottom three but that would still be a surprise as if she is in the 'staying group' that implies that she was in the top three. Phillip joining Hollie makes sense - they're both vulnerable tonight.

Another alumni spot with a record to promote - Jennifer Hudson, who many think should have won in Series whatever, with Ne-Yo who, even with chunky shoes was strangely towered over by what I'd always thought to be a pretty normal-height Jennifer in 8 inch stilettos. Men really will have to start wearing these or maybe Elton John 70s boots or women will be much more aware of the extent of their hair loss.

So Skylar, Joshua and Colton remain. They might have been the Top 3 in my reckoning of how the voters might decide (but not my preference). Colton and Joshua to be split. Hmmm again. Both ought to be safe so this will be interesting. Skylar will probably be sent direct to the safe seat. So... I suppose as neither Joshua nor Colton are going home it doesn't matter too much. Joshua goes to the group I expected to be safe. Very interesting.

I was right about Skylar. My guess is that it's the Hollie, Phillip and Colton group that's the bottom three. Wrong!! Now that is a big surprise. The bottom one is Jessica. Even before she starts Steven had said that they'll be using their save - for any of the three. She does start but sounds terrible. Then I thought it was her parents walking on stage but it was the three judges and Jennifer was clearly angry, demanding the microphone and making it clear that they would not even need to listen. Probably just as well as that performance was not going to win her any extra fans. Good to see a bit of chaos on the normally over-produced show. Randy announced that America should be voting for the best, referring to Jessica as 'the best singer in the whole of America'. He may regret that, however well-intended the remark.

Ryan did a great job coping with the comings and goings but shouldn't have asked Jessica to sing to close the programme. This is now getting very interesting. It is now anybody's race and my money's moving to Skylar. Well some of it. I hope Hollie will really make the most of what she must regard as a second second chance too!

American Idol: The Top 7 Pt 1

In all the previous series, and X Factor too, there has been at least a couple of clear also rans, contestants who really shouldn't still be there, often who shouldn't even have been included in the Top 24 in the first place. This year, I cannot say that there is any contestant who shouldn't be in this Top 7. Each, in their own way, has shown something that could make them American Idol Series 11 Winner. The clear leaders change a little each week, Jessica consistently being one, Colton and Joshua also being on the board most weeks. None of the others can be totally discounted, though, and any could make a late run - one starry performance lifting them to join the three mentioned.

So it is difficult to judge and you do have to bear in mind just how much support they may have already established and how vulnerable that may be if any week brings something less than they'd hoped for. This week we're taken to each of their home towns where you get the impression that the whole ruddy place will be voting en bloc for their boy or girl. They won't, but the bigger areas will have an influence and the biggest fan clubs that can be sure to get out their vote might make the significant difference at this stage between who comes 6th and who comes 7th.

Skylar
First off is this country rock girl who takes what I thought must be a big chance with a Kellie Pickler number, Don't You Know How Much I Love You. Now I hadn't heard this before and, however much I adore The Pickler, this was not a great big huge hit and, outside a particular genre of listeners, she's been more well known as that delightful personality from Series 6 (and I need to check that!). This was a brilliant choice, though, and a great, very commercial song which worked so well. I have a suspicion, too, that this could have sold far more than the original had it been released and then I might well have heard about it. Skylar had plenty of passion, is totally credible as a performer on stage and, as with everyone this week, the time to worry about bad notes or not knowing a song seems to have passed. A very good performance indeed and, in my view, this puts Skylar very much in that top group that I can imagine in the final.

Colton
He also comes out with a track I don't know and one I guess that not that many watching will know either. Love The Way You Lie is a powerful, emotional and very difficult to reproduce song. In many ways this was Colton in that zone with which he seems most comfortable. It's not a place that I can imagine hordes of fans following him into but he certainly does have a huge female fan club and this will also have earned him a good amount of respect amongst the men with cool taste. Not mainstream and there were places where I felt that the song got the better of him as it was that difficult to interpret and perform but all due respect to the guy for a non-commercial or typical Idol attempt.

Elise & Phillip
They did the Gotye Somebody that was recently Number 1 here in the UK and, I think, has just started doing the rounds there. the audience loved it. Elise was absolutely superb, making Phillip seem like a walk-on part for the act but, in a sense, the track is written that way and it's how the song works. A truly exceptional voice, look or stance would be necessary to match the female input which he got about 70% of but Elise was just brilliant. That will not have done her chances any harm at all. In fact, it may have made all the difference.

Jessica
This girl is quite exceptional. I would have expected her to play it safe for a couple of weeks with big popular and recognisable numbers that will be played over and again on YouTube and maintain her as the most downloaded of them all. Stuttering was almost completely unknown to most of the audience and wasn't even the one that I thought it was going to be. It was really well sung - a very tough song as Randy Jackson confirmed. She really did impress the judges who have been pretty demanding of her to date so must have done something right for them at last. Quiet what the audience made of it I'm not sure as their initial reaction was lukewarm but then you could almost sense the fans kicking in and the cries and applause duly came. She is the one who is the big find in this series and with her cute looks, amazing voice and control of someone way more mature, she simply has to make the final. Whether she'll get the votes she needs from this week's performance shouldn't be in doubt but I do harbour a small reservation that her base may not be as big as some others. I'm pretty sure she's one that would, in any event, be saved, however, although I can't imagine that being necessary.

Joshua
Runaway Baby is a Bruno Mars number, yet again not as well known as one might have expected someone to choose. It was great for him, though, fast and fun and giving him a comparatively easy ride through to lots of applause and credits. Bearing in mind that this boy is steeped in the church and seems to have spent his whole life in a choir and under the big thumb of a church family, the lyrics seemed way out of either his comprehension or, at least, what his bible friends would approve of! Perhaps the producers didn't really appreciate what they meant either. It shouldn't matter - Josh seems pretty well supported. Although quite why Ryan brought Joshua's odd-looking father onto the stage I have no idea. Is he going to call up everyone's dad?

Colton & Skylar
Don't You Want To Stay  is a better know country song and the performance was a credit to both of them. Skylar is having a great night, coming across really well in this duet, putting Colton pretty much in the shade and is increasingly developing a real star quality that could well attract a lot of very useful supporters and, crucially, country votes.

Hollie
The stylist have done a superb job this week and made this girl look lovely rather than a little ordinary as has been the case for a while. She took on the Pink track, Perfect which, for the first time in the solo performances so far, is something that everyone should recognise. Now Pink is quite an act to follow and Hollie did really well with just one thing missing. Emotion. She's good, very good, but you just don't quite get the feeling that she herself feels the words that she's sending us. The notes are strong - I don't agree with the judges that she was pitchy - she is a very reliable reproducer of songs but I want more than that. Because her competition is so very strong the comparisons with Skylar, Jessica and Elise may not be in her favour. They could be but she needs that special moment that hasn't happened yet. Jimmy - you need to work harder on her!! The judges seemed very harsh - again - and I do wonder why they don't support her more, their favouritism towards Joshua, for instance, being almost embarrassing.

Phillip
Got A Little More by Maron 5 is another uncommon one and this one did leave me wondering just what this chap is doing here. He has always 'performed' well and you can tell that he loves his music and strumming away on that guitar but the tracks he chooses can only appeal to quite a small section of the record-buying public. Whereas Colton gets the cool vote, Phillip gets the off-beat, maybe some jazz and a collection of other minor passion votes. This did nothing for me at all. 'Underwhelming' was Jennifer's very apt description and, unusually, all three judges were less than enthralled with this. Having said that, he does seem to have accumulated a big fan club amongst the girls and they do tend to vote. The weakest act tonight but I don't see him going somehow for all that. Illogical? Maybe. But this is American Idol. (And Chris, the one-trick-pony, was a runner-up on X Factor USA.)

Joshua, Hollie & Jessica
This was a super performance of Stronger by Kelly Clarkson, American Idol's Series 1 Winner. Joshua was in the middle and did a good solid job, nice tone and rhythm. Hollie matched this well and blended in exactly as she should, strong voice, excellent notes and enjoyable to watch. On their own they'd have been great. Jessica seems to be doing a solo part and, interestingly, using this as an opportunity to show just who's best, not just competing with Hollie but probably with Joshua too! She was absolutely brilliant! Maybe a little too much pushing herself into our attention span but you have to admire her. She was the star, despite the other two being great. Every note was just a little clearer, louder and she moved a lot more and really did give it her all. This was, for the first time, Jessica determined to show us that she is the one. Not Hollie, and not even Joshua. If there is going to be a Hollie V Jessica battle then this was her indication that she'll win. Probably sooner rather than later.

Elise
She certainly knows what tracks to pick. So far her choices have been inspired. It could be simply because she has a good 10 years more experience than the younger girls. They may seem to be more 'today' but Elise has the market for the older voters. She just needs more of them as previous votes haven't been going her way as often as they might have been expected to on the quality of her brilliant performances week after week. Her choice this week was Lady Gaga's You And I. She not only had the artist herself to compete with in people's minds, that number being fresh in most minds still, but she was also treading on the much revered Haley Reinhart part of the stage where that same number was wonderfully performed last year.

I can't deny the passion that Elise puts into her performances and the notes, voice, style, looks and everything were great. But it didn't grab me as Haley's had done. There was something missing. I can't think what it could be but I felt a bit disappointed. I might have expected too much. Again, like so many of the others, she is good, very good but there is a big question over her voting popularity and, for some reason I can't explain, I don't see her as an American Idol or even a finalist. She deserves to be on all her consistently remarkable performances so far but I'm still not sure I know who Elise is. I hope I'm wrong, though, as I'm sure she'll put her heart and soul into whatever she's asked to do and would be more interesting to watch than Phillip, Hollie if she doesn't let go of some self control and even Joshua who I would think could be a little boring for more than 3 minutes.

So, quite a night! Skylar, I predict, will easily top the poll and be 100% safe. Joshua will sleep soundly too, as will Jessica and Colton with sufficient fans now to battle any likely nightmares. Hollie, Phillip and Elise are the ones who will be worrying. Hollie will worry the most, after a second week of unhelpful judges' remarks. Elise will wonder what she can do to appeal to voters and may conclude that she can do nothing more. Phillip is probably amazed to be there anyway and my guess is that he isn't that bothered any more. His fan base ought to be enough to protect him so it'll be between Hollie and Elise. If it were a normal competition I'd expect to say farewell to Hollie but, as she could still turn it around and even win, it may be Elise this time. My own preference would be to see Phillip go but I wouldn't risk any money on that bet!

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.

American Idol Top 9 Review: The One With Stevie Nicks

With the introductory tune Changes playing, I had expected a series of photos of how Tommy Hafliger had rebranded everyone but was pleasantly surprised to see one of my own idols, Stevie Nicks, sitting with Jimmy Iovine and providing mentoring this week. That sort of boosts one's hopes for performances this week too.

Colton
This was a nice production of a Lighthouse number, You're Everything , which may not be one that many know. Moody, a slow start, this suited the Colton style exactly, right through to the end where he was on his knees in some sort of plea. His voice and general demeanour suit this type of track. I'm not sure he looks right laughing or running around. This should appeal to his fans in a big, big way. He is definitely a contender now for the prize and a good start to the show. The only thing that bothered me slightly was his reference to it being a 'worship song' which it may be but I'm not so sure it needed to be emphasised. There's something not quite right in my mind when contestants make a big thing of their particular faith on stage and there's been a lot of that in this Series. If they're good, they're good and I don't really want to know what part God may or may not have played in their backing band.

Skylar
I'm not too sure what the title of this crazy track was but it might have been Crazy Yet and was originally sung by Miranda Lambert, we're informed, who isn't Adam's sister. This was real country rock with plenty of style and words along the lines of some woman grabbing a shotgun and blasting her errant husband. Nice. Skylar was clearly in her element with this cheerful wordy stuff and obviously knew the track really well. The enthusiastic audience certainly seemed to appreciate her effort. With little competition in the country stakes, the voters may too. "OTT" said Steven Tyler. He was right, there. Whilst I totally approve of the idea of contestants singing what they really love, from their own idols' repertoires, there is always the risk of their then trying too hard and being over familiar with the track, thus losing some of its finer nuances. Having said that, there were no finer nuances in this one to lose anyway!

Heejun
He says he ahs a new 'game plan'. I'm not sure Stevie actually 'got' Heejun but she was very polite. His track was This Is Your Song. He did a serious version, no messing around, with the husky voice prominent. I don't know what to make of this. To me it was way out opf tune and he also was trying too hard to compete and only emphasising his shortcomings as a result. Who would buy this? For some reason known only to them, the judges give him a standing ovation. seriously? Nice enough voice but very limited range and certianly not marketable. Heejun could be markrtable as an act but not a singing or dancing act.

Hollie
Appearing a nice simple white dress, it was a relief that Tommy or the make-up team hadn't turned this young girl into something completely different. Taking on Carrie Underwood's Jesus Take The Wheel, though, was not a good move. Brave, but not a good idea. I'm a fan of this girl but this didn't do much for me - the production was wrong and tended to overpower her. She sensibly avoided doing the big notes this week and tried to deliver it in her way but would have done better with just a harp or guitar for accompaniment. I felt it was off market too but perhaps that was a clever move to cash in on a few of Skylar's votes with this one. She may need them.

Deandre
Sometimes brought the falsetto back big time but give me the Stylistics any day of the week over this. He puts so much technique into his delivery that the whole song gets spoilt but he did seem to make a good impression on the audience again. Strangely, I can see him selling records in big numbers but not getting the votes rolling in on this type of programme. A standing ovation for him too?! So much not deserved. Nor was Jennifer's call for people to vote for him. That was out of order and, frankly, bonkers.

Jessica
Sweet Dreams was brilliant. Another fabulous performance. Flawless and very, very impressive from start to finish. She clearly has edged ahead of Hollie now and, depending on how the other girls do tonight, may be on the verge of establishing herself as the female in the final. She looked good too, again, not outrageously made up or decorated. A real star. So why no standing ovation for her?! Weird.

Phillip
Look Out My Window was one chunky rock track which he loved doing and, like the others, clearly knew well. This was Phillip at his best and a good night for him - if the voters do actually like this sort of performance. Stevie even says that, had he been around when she and Lindsey Buckingham were playing, he might have had an invitation to join Fleetwood Mac with them! That will have made his evening if nothing else did! I don't know how well he's going to progress in this competition as he is so different and with a particular style of his own that I can't see being readily adapted to what must be coming along in subsequent weeks. For now, though, he's safe enough. He also gets a standing ovation. That's becoming a habit and Jessica must be wondering what they've got against her.

Joshua
Taking on Nilsson's Without You is quite a task. It's one of those tracks that either works or doesn't. (Annoyingly, he refers to Mariah Carey's Without You but never mind). I don't like the way he adds Uh to each s in a line but, allowing for that fault which I'm sure someone will fix before long, this was an excellent performance. He took it to a different place than anyone would have expected and opened the door to a market place for him and, I should think, a clear run through to the next week. Another standing ovation. At this rate Jessica and Hollie must be getting mad.

Hollie, Jessica and Skylar did an interesting sequence of Madonna tracks. There had been a couple of others previously in the show but, to be honest, we could have done without them, only Colton really showing any talent of note. Here, though, we had a fascinating direct comparison of the three girls. Jessica was natural, spot on vocally and comfortable on stage. Hollie was good, a little nervous for a moment but then very much the reliable performer and nice to see her performing well in a faster track which actually suited her too. Skylar was by far the most accomplished performer on the stage but her notes weren't all that they should be. Great personality but, of the three, she'd be the one to go first (if the country vote were not so vast, that is!)

Elise closes the show with Whole Lotta Love. Amazing! That must be one of the best covers of that track I've heard. Perfect in every aspect - delivery, the way she looked, and she totally rocked. You could see that this was something she was familiar with and loved doing. If she is in the bottom three after that then you do have to wonder what on Earth the American voters want from this show. My guess is that Elise may still struggle to be popular with this show's audience but I am confident she may be the first to get a decent contract from someone.

Haley Reinhart Returns as #American Idol Loses Another Girl

The results show is always a combination of the sublime and the ridiculous. Colton looks really strangely out of place doing the Let's All Dance bit with Phillip plain uncomfortable trying to smile and dance at the same time without a guitar. Let's just hope, for the sake of the Top 10 gigs' audiences that someone looks again at this and ensures they don't attempt the awful For The Longest Time again.

If American Idol were a competition for a group of ten boys and girls to do sing-a-long numbers then they'd have given the show over to InTENsity or 1 Direction and 6 random fans.

Anyway, back to the results. First up are Hollie, Skylar and Elise. Each could be vulnerable for different reasons. Elise, arguably, had the greatest performance of these three by a long way last night and, for a moment, with Hollie and Skylar breathing huge sighs of relief, Elise looks like the first in the bottom three. But Ryan's playing games again and she's (deservedly) safe as well! That was a surprise.

Elizabeth Woolridge Grant performs next. You'll know her as Lana Del Rey, a winsome girl who has become a star overnight. Video Games has been played almost non-stop on UK stations so I'd like to have heard something else from the much acclaimed album but this was pretty cool. I can imagine Colton doing that. Hmm - an idea for the final, maybe.

Then we have an embarrassing Happy 64th Birthday for Steven Tyler, with his guitarist buddy Joe Perry doing a few notes and, Lord help us, the boys and girls still standing being obliged to do the dreadful Happy Birthday To You when what they really want to do is get on and find out which three of them are not connecting with voting land.

Deandre, Josh and Jessica are picked out next. Jessica is the obvious safe one and I wonder whether the other two head to the bottom three but Josh must have just escaped this week, leaving Deandre looking worried.

Haley Reinhart returns. Now she is the sublime. Free is her new single from a well-received album. She looks and sounds fabulous but needs better written tracks if she's going to make it here in the UK. Nice to see her again, though, one of the real stars to come out of America Idol.

Erika, Heejun, Phillip and Colton are next in line. Predictably, Colton is safe. Phillip is lucky too, leaving Erika and Heejun to join Deandre as this week's bottom three.

Now Deandre should be the one to go out of these three, second Heejun with Erika by far the superior artist. But that's not the way the voters saw it - well, they had Heejun second but it was Erika who faced having to sing again. You had to feel sorry for her, in the bottom two again, having done exactly what everyone told her and singing brilliantly. She performed well again with I Believe and the crowd was all for the judges saving her. But they didn't. I guess they took the view that, despite all the compliments, all the effort she'd made, despite all that the public still didn't get what she was about. So, frankly, what chance does she have of surviving much longer? Yes, we'd all probably rather listen to Erika than some of the other also-rans who'll be gone soon enough but she'll not have made the final. So, a bit sadly, we say farewell to Erika Van Pelt.

The Piano Man Follows Jessica's Dream

Deandre gets to start the show and this week it's all Billy Joel songs. Who's Billy Joel? someone posted on Twitter a few minutes ago. He's the guy who sang We Didn't Start The Fire which I doubt if any of the Idols will try! Quite an unusual choice of collection for them all to have to perform something from.

Deandre
Only The Good Die Young
Out of his comfort zone or what! Maybe what. OK, he is pretty reliable and gets the notes right but you felt that he was doing this and prancing around because someone had told him to. It all seemed most unnatural. a bit too bouncy and I'm not so sure BJ would have approved of the pop format. the audience do seem to have loved it, however, giving him a great reception. For all know, though, they were simply relieved to have got an idol on stage singing instead of whatever stuff they had to put up with before the show starts.

Erika
New York State Of Mind
What a fabulous change of image as Tommy Hifliger has clearly used his talents on transforming her really effectively. This song was ideal for her range and personality. Very well done. Not so sure the voters will be leaping up and down about it but she certainly showed Deandre what a quality, classy performance was all about. She's not going to win this competition but that performance warranted her place here in the Top 10.

Joshua
She's Got A Way
Interestingly, he had to look for the title on some papers when he was asked by Jimmy Iovine what he was going to be singing. So someone just told him that he was doing this and he agrees without hearing it? Weird. You'd think they'd get some say, bearing in mind all the previous occasions when we've heard of people rejecting the songs they've been assigned in the past. Anyway, he did a reasonable job of a track he didn't know and that shows some talent. Whether he'll get bundles of support from the voters, I don't know. He's someone the judges would save anyway so he's safe whatever happens.

Skylar
Shameless
I wasn't convinced by this performance at all. She's been doing well so far and getting the audience on board but this didn't work. She seemed to be attacking us with it and there was a hint of desperation. As the sole representative of country music land voters I have a feeling she'll survive but she may need to up her game considerably from here on. This was not a memorable performance and, unlike the transformations created for Erika and, to a lesser extent Joshua, by the wardrobe king and team, her strange quilted dress emphasised some lumps rather than minimised their impression visually. Not a good look and where were the matching boots we were promised? They might have made all the difference. She really did look as if she was hoping she could have picked another track and the judges weren't exactly full of praise either. As I said, she would be highly vulnerable if there were another country girl in the Top 10.

Elise
Vienna
Will they get her? Not a track many will know at all? Ignoring the fashion gurus, she went for a long maroon dress and not the recommended bell bottoms. She's so very talented and produced what many BJ fans will think was a classic version of this, with an amazingly skilled control of some very difficult notes at the end. This girl is very cool. Maybe too cool for Idol, that's the only problem. She seems a bit out of place here but this year the place is full of those who could be regarded as a little off beat (in a nice way) so perhaps that cancels out any negative. She gets huge compliments. If the voters do, indeed, get her then she must survive.

Phillip
I'm Moving Out
Get rid of the guitar. Don't wear the grey, instructed Tommy Hifliger, reasonably enough as Phil does seem to hide behind the instrument and fade a bit into the background. So on he comes, with a guitar and wearing grey in abundance! What he did, though, was a great interpretation of BJ's words. He's quite a unique fellow with his raspy voice, defensive gestures and bendy dancing. He gets huge compliments again from the judges, especially Randy and Steve. Will America vote for this though? However good he may be, I can't fit him in to a category that'll be popular enough to win this year.


Hollie
Honesty
This was not a winning performance at all. She has been superb so far but this week she let herself down. As the judges so rightly said, she was thinking about what the next line or note was all the way through and you could see in her eyes that she knew it wasn't her at her best by a long way. The makeover guys had been saying that she needed to look young but they achieved the opposite effect. 16 year old Hollie could easily have passed for twenty something! The clothes were great and made her legs seem almost unnaturally long. Hopefully she'll keep the clothes but concentrate next week on choosing a track that she either actually knows or, at least, likes. That's assuming she survives, of course. On the way things have gone so far, she could be in the bottom three and may be vulnerable if the Holliepops haven't got their act together and dialled like crazy as they'll have to this week.

Heejun
My Life
I'm beginning to really like this guy. Not for his singing which is pretty rubbish but he has this great dead pan attitude and really confuses all those experts and mentors. PDiddy asked whether he was an actor, a con man and even hilariously wondered out loud whether he was Asian or maybe black!! Brilliant. Tommy put him in a very smart suit which was whipped off in a moment after coming on stage and he sang a great track that actually meant something for him too. Good words. A remarkable performance. Entertaining.

Steve was wary, though, and surprisingly serious. "Heeman," he started, "Heeman..." You expected a laugh but he continued with "... the music business will kick your ass!" It was a fair comment. But try telling that to Jedward.

Jessica
Everyone Has A Dream
After trying a bit too hard last week, it was good to see Jessica listening and totally taking all the good advice her mentors and judges had given. This song could have been written for her and she's learned how much difference it makes to look straight into the camera and feel what she's singing, not just sing the words but mean them. We got that this week. This was, as Randy agreed, a flawless performance, easily the best from the young ones this week and eclipsing the older ones too so far.

This was another stand out performance and, if it were not for Colton, a second week in which she achieved the performance of the night. Second place tonight, though, will see her safely through and if she continues to accept good advice as to dress and delivery then she will be there in the final for sure. All that remains is to see just how far she can take us with her over the next few weeks to make her dream come true.

Colton
Piano Man
After Jimmy's comments at the outset we expected something special. We got something special. That was another of the best ever performances on American Idol. A perfect track for this genuine artist. This was Colton's week.

So who's going home? Well, not home now, just back to the second row seats for the next few weeks. Deandre, surely, is the most vulnerable. I'm struggling to predict who'll join him, though. Heejun should, really should, but that bit of entertainment is appealing. the question is: are there enough wacky votes in America? They don't normally back the oddballs but I'll say he makes it through this week - just. Joshua wasn't at all memorable and could be the second lowest tonight. The third - either Erika or Elise would be the first choice on the basis of previous weeks' votes, neither being popular despite some pretty good performances. They both did make huge efforts this week to do well, though and the one I'll pick is surprising, even disappointing to me personally. That's Hollie. Jessica totally smashed her in competing for the youngsters votes and genuinely looked The Star tonight, with Hollie looking quite uninspiring in comparison. It's between Hollie and Skylar. Skylar was simply not on good form but I do believe she has a good solid backing that will be loyal enough to see her through to next week.

Hollie may well benefit from the knock that putting her in the bottom three might bring and will come back fighting and wow us again. Joshua won't go either - I can imagine him being saved if necessary. So I say farewell, Deandre, hair and all.

Meet the Top 10

This is one of the key nights in the Season when we learn who has made it, not just to the Live Shows but more lucratively for them, to the tour that the top ten contestants will feature in. For some it can mean almost as much as winning, giving them a chance to promote themselves across the States and, of course, some get better and better as they go. Not all though, and audiences will still have to put up with some duds. This year they'll have several excellent people to watch for sure with Jessica, Holllie and Joshua guaranteed to get through. They'll probably also have Skylar, representing the sole country interest this year and Colton is likely to be the modern element on tour, which will do his future no harm at all.

Tommy Haflinger will be advising contestants on image, suggesting the look that's best for them. That'll be good news for all of them, although, to be fair the team haven't done a bad job so far. He gives props to Adam Lambert who really did seem to get it right.

The judges have a 'save' option that they can exercise just once between this week and week 5. This can maybe put right a single wrong when they think the voters get it wrong and someone who might have gone doesn't.

We learn that Percy Sledge is still alive and kicking and using e-mail. He sent one to Joshua congratulating him on his performance which that guy will treasure for sure.

Despite getting rave reviews from Jimmy Iovine, Elise is the first declared not safe. She must wonder what an earth she can do after such a good performance this week and looking really good too. You wonder whether voters are getting confused between her and Erica, not that Erica was at all bad but, of the two, it's Erica I'd expect to have trouble connecting with voters.

Shannon is next in the unsafe area, unsurprisingly after a less than inspiring performance of what she really should have excelled at.

Skylar and Jessica are the first two girls on tour. Joshua, Phillip, Colton and Deandre the first four boys. We're left with Heejun, who must be feeling vulnerable but may just sneak through on his undoubted popular appeal, and Hollie who must, surely be a certainty, and Erica.

Nice to see Daughtry back - a good example of how those sent home before a final do still do well and,especially in his case, last and succeed.

Heejun really does seem to have won some fans out there in voting land as, despite a pretty poor performance again, he joins the Top 10. It will be fun watching him but when he starts taking places that others deserve then it'll be time to go. So that left, Erica in the bottom three. That's fair as she wasn't great either.

Elise, Shannon are left as Elise, thankfully, is declared safe and justice is done quickly, leaving the two girls not, as the picture below shows, looking terribly happy and, if Erica does stay, Tommy Haflinger's image and dress advice will be most welcome!

Shannon is the one who received the least votes this week. Whilst she wasn't good, that's still quite surprising. She gets to sing one last time to try and impress the judges enough to convince them to save her but it's not a great performance, gaining mostly sympathetic applause rather than the instant appreciation they give to someone they love.

So that's it. She goes. For a 16 year old, however, she takes it with remarkable grace and that is much to her credit.

Joshua wins the Hospital Radio round - songs from the year they were born

Choosing songs from the year they were born never struck me as a particularly cool idea. I mean, there must be thousands so they may just as well choose any song and there's probably someone who did it that year. Oh well, some executive had the idea so that's what we get. Better than force feeding the remaining Idol contestants something out of their comfort zone, I suppose, although some of the choices made weren't great for all that.

Phillip starts off with Hard To Handle which seemed a lot more ancient than 1990 vintage. Not the best of tracks and he took it on a bit of a cruise which I mean as a compliment. He is very relaxed and just sings and performs well every time. This was good but boring.

Jessica does 1995 and chooses Turn The Beat Around from Gloria Estefan's collection. An interesting choice which didn't seem that bright first time round but, in the recap at the end of the show I got it and think she did far better than on first hearing. She seemed to be trying hard to impress which was hardly necessary following her amazing performance last week. All credit to her, though, for not sitting back and going with the flow. 'She's ready for prime time' says Jennifer, thinking she was off mic. 'Nice pants', said Steven.

Heejun did Right Here Waiting which is about as good as it gets for him in terms of suitable tracks. Unfortunately, there were far too many bum notes and they showed in this song. It may sound easy to sing but it isn't. He is one really popular guy and has super one-liners and responses that may well see him with his own show - as long as he's not expected to sing. That popularity may just keep him around but he'll need to keep out of the bottom two and that could be a tall order tonight.

Elise's track was Let's Stay Together. Hers was a nice version and suited her well. She ended with a jazz-like run of a kind that hinted at where her true talents actually lie. She is back and will survive tonight. Randy picked up on the run at the end too.

Deandre brought us Endless Love from 1994. If the only version you've ever heard is that duet - you know the Lionel Richie and Diana Ross one - then that's still the one you'll remember as this was no improvement or much different. Whilst this guy could sing both parts easily and normally can be relied upon to hit all the right notes in the right places, slowing things down led to quite a lot of mistakes and this was a disappointing and decidedly forgettable performance. Wrong song. Wrong moves. Wrong notes. He needs someone a lot worse tonight or will be in trouble.

Shannon tried to do Mariah Carey. She made a good start and had well-designed clothes that brought her immense height back in perspective. She seemed to know what she was up against after Jessica and no doubt with Hollie to come and tried to add something but tried too hard. She's best just doing the song and not trying so hard. She is more an anthem singer at sports events and, whilst she may survive tonight, just, she won't be around a great deal longer.

Colton brought us something from 1991 called Broken Heart that no-one had ever heard of. He ditched the usual band and made it into a rock performance in his own style. Johnny Iovine reckoned he would 'slam-dunk it like Vladimir' which may just go down as one of the best quotes from the Season (after some of Heejun's one-liners and Steven's stream of references to pretty girls.) Colton is good, very good. You sort of worry still that he'll go wrong but so far so very good. The first memorable act tonight and that'll see him nicely through.

Erica did a Bryan Adams number from 1985. Well suited to her voice and rock edge that she excels in. This was OK but not 'exceuted' as Will.I.Am had insisted it needed to be. So it was neither one thing nor the other but, looking ten times better than in her own fat blue or yellow dresses of earlier shows, she beat Shannon tonight.

We then see the producers interview Jermaine. It appears that he has 4 outstanding warrants (which doesn't say a great deal for their police) and that's simply against the rules. So he gets disqualified or, as one of them puts it quaintly: 'We'll have to let you go.' I think the reason they treat him so gently is that, had he performed as he did in the clip we see from rehearsals, he would have been the act everyone remembered and certainly wouldn't have been going home for another week. It sounded like an amazing show-stopper.

Skylar does 1994 with a country rock number I didn't recognise at all. She stayed well in her element which seemed safe and sound but with such a forgettable song she didn't do herself any favours. She doesn't make mistakes, though, and is a naturally talented girl with a lively and infectious personality which always comes across on screen. She deserves to stay as I see her doing a great song - eventually.

Joshua
When A Man Loves A Woman has to be one cool song for him to do. Just right. The performance of the night so far. Percy Sledge was the star for me with this track but he said he was doing the Michael Bolton version. Quite frankly that was pretty rubbish and Joshua almost out-Percied the Sledge tonight! remarkable and outstanding performance that should reconfirm his place in the final three. He also gets the only Standing Ovation from the judges.

Hollie takes us back to 1993, apparently Celine Dion, but it was Jennifer Rush whose song it really was: The Power Of Love. She has been totally reliable and really quite impressive so far and last week Jessica stole what should have been her night. This week Joshua has done it to her, but only just as this was a truly powerful and so accurate a performance from the little girl. Looking prettier each week with help from the excellent make-up team who just need to add some spray tan and perhaps add some body to her hair to finish things off nicely. This is one of The anthems. It's a bit slow which can mean it's risky as it'll show up bum notes but there simply weren't any. Excellent.