Somebody has to go home this time.
The judges used their save last week, so it’s up to “American Idol” voters now. Tonight’s results show will bring Season 11 down to six.
In a “Now and Then” theme Wednesday night, each contestant sang two solos, a No. 1 hit from 2000 or later and a “soul song from back in the day,” as Ryan Seacrest described it.
Kinnelon native Elise Testone chose “No One” by Alicia Keys and Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On.”
“Elise has a vacation home in the bottom 3, she seems to be there all the time,” Jimmy Iovine said. “I think she’s being judged completely week to week. If she’s great, she stays. If she’s less than great, she goes. She can’t afford to slip at all.”
After her first performance, Steven Tyler told her, “You sang your little tushy off tonight. It was delish. It was great.”
Unfortunately she slipped on her second song of the night. Jennifer Lopez told her she needed to be more vulnerable and show more emotion and Testone said she’d never been told that before. There was a bit of a back-and-forth but Lopez wasn’t alone in her criticism. Even Tyler’s comments were lukewarm.
Earlier in the show, Testone had actually shown a bit of emotion. The 28-year-old did add feeling to “No One” then fought to hold back tears after performing “No One” when Ryan Seacrest asked about an emotional rehearsal earlier in the day and she said she wasn’t feeling well and that her dog was very sick back in South Carolina and might not make it. Testone had tweeted about Leon, her dog, when she found out he was sick on Monday.
While Testone was inconsistent, other competitors stepped up to the moment.
Hollie Cavanagh went into the night on a string of disappointing performances that had many viewers wondering how she was getting the votes to keep her in the competition. Cavanagh chose Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” and it seemed like setting herself up for disaster. But Cavanagh finally conquered her nerves and broke out with a great performance.
That is not good news for Testone, who – if precedent continues – needs other people to fall a bit along with her to have a great performance to get the votes needed to keep her in the competition. There is no more safety net. With the judges save used last week on a night when Joshua Ledet and Jessica Sanchez joined Testone in the Bottom 3.
Ledet had the biggest night with two great performances — “Waiting On You” by Fantasia and Sam Cooke’s “It’s Been a Long Time Coming.” Both got standing ovations from the judges.
Tyler called Ledet’s first performance another step toward him winning it all. Of course, only if the voters agree.
“Please, America, don’t send this boy home,” Jennifer Lopez said after Ledet sang his second song of the night.
Phillip Phillips got the evening’s only other judges’ standing ovation with his rendition of Usher’s “You Got It Bad.” Later he did “Wait Til The Midnight Hour,” which Tyler called “brilliantly awkward.”
Skylar Laine’s country version of Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” was also a big hit with the audience and judges. She also did “Heard It Through the Grapevine” and, I have to say, she is good but she’s starting to make every song sound the same. I am not a country fan and I don’t want to hear any more good songs turned country. Of course, there are a lot of country fans out there and obviously – considering past results – “Idol” fans like country. Laine could sneak in and find herself in the final.
Sanchez was strong once again and the judges and Iovine said she had to find a way to connect to the audience and voters, something they felt she did better Wednesday night.
Colton Dixon, a favorite of young girls everywhere, had an up-and-down night, but it’s unlikely to affect his stronghold on the show.
The show started with Seacrest talking about the late Dick Clark.
“Without Dick, a show like this would not exist,” Seacrest said. “He will be missed greatly.”