I had choir rehearsal this week, so I had the unfortunate pleasure of coming in just as LMFAO was performing.  Who gave these fools a deal?  I think I’d rather see the cheesy group number and corny Ford commercial.  My ears! My eyes!  Make it stop!

Josh and Skylar are safely on the couch.

I see that Hollie and Elyse are in the bottom. Just what I wanted.

Ryan calls Phillip, Colton, and Jessica.

They replay the comments from last night.  Jimmy says Jessica is singing songs that are too old for her. He apologizes because he missed that as her mentor, and he needs to steer her toward songs more appropriate for her age.  He says Colton singing Bad Romance was totally wrong. He says Phillip chooses the best song for himself, and that he should be in the finale.

Jessica is safe. As she should be.

Phillip is safe. Colton is in the bottom. I don’t disagree, but I NEVER thought America would agree with me. WOW!

Elyse is safe. Good, good.

Colton is going home!!!  WOW!   Though it SHOULD have been Hollie or Elyse, Colton had a bad night last night. Not a good thing at this stage of the competition.

Oh well, he’s going on tour this summer where he’ll make more money than me. I don’t feel sorry for him.

NOW…Elyse and Holly should go in the next 2 weeks. I don’t care what order it is!

Ryan opens the show by acknowledging the death of Dick Clark.

Contestants come out. They will each be singing two songs: One from 2000 to now, and a soul song from back in the day.

Hollie is up first. Her first song is “Rolling In The Deep”.  Jimmy asks her what happens between rehearsal and the stage. She’s loose in rehearsal, but robotic on stage. She explains that she gets really nervous.  Jimmy gives her tips to overcome her overthinking.  As usual, technically she’s good. Not many people can sing this song, although they think they can. I learned that from my X-factor audition. She’s less robotic, so she must have taken Jimmy’s tips.

Steven told her she finally did what America wanted her to do, and that it was perfect. Jennifer concurs.  Randy says it wasn’t perfect but near it. What he loved was that , for the first time ever, he felt something from her.

Colton is up. Ryan talks about how Colton came to the audition with his sister. He didn’t intend to audition. But he’s on the stage and she’s in the audience.  He is singing “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga. Jimmy gives him small tips so that he’ll have a moment like he did last week. And….I’m bored. I don’t buy Colton as a rock star.

Randy tells him it wasn’t his greatest performance, but he loved it.  Jennifer says it was really good  Steven says…something. But he basically says it was good. Colton tells Ryan he’s sticking to the “Colton” style for Round 2, and that the Gaga song is out of the box for him, but he had a blast.

Ryan asked the judges if they’re going to score the show with Round 1 vs. Round 2. They say it’s pretty much impossible not to compare the performances.

Elyse. Jimmy says she has a vacation home in the Bottom 3. Jimmy says other contestants are riding waves of fans, and that she gets a clean slate every week. He doesn’t think she has a massive fan base, which he doesn’t understand. Says she’s judged week to week, and she can’t afford to slip at all. She sings “No One” by Alicia Keys.  Good choice. She sounds good. She’s not trying to do too much. Just sings the song well with a few of her signature  runs.  I like it.

Jennifer says she loved it and she got goosies. Steven say how much he loves her, but he was wishing for a better chorus, but it was still great. Randy says she sang the song great, and that he loved that she stayed with the melody, instead of putting her spin on it.

Phillip is singing “You Got It Bad” by Usher.  I’m surprised.  Jimmy says he was nervous about it, but that this is a new voice for Phillip.  He says if Phillip can do what he did t rehearsal, he can pick up new fans. It’s interesting, and different for him. I’m sure it will go over America’s head.  I like it.

Judges give a standing O. Crowd loves it. Steven says it was great. Jennifer says it was sexy. Randy says that this year, we have a TRUE ARTIST on the stage. Every time he comes up, he tries to be himself and also be original.

Jessica. We have to relive last week with her in the bottom. Jimmy says even if she sang Yankee Doodle Dandy, she doesn’t deserve to be in the bottom. She is singing “Fallin” by Alicia Keys. Jimmy tells her to feel the music and have fun. He says she has to have a BIG moment. She starts off well. The run at the beginning is no joke.  Please. Keep the teenyboppers off the phones, America.  She should be in the final. PERIOD.

Steven says it was passionate. Jennifer says she’s glad they saved her and she did a great job. Randy says he hopes America shows up and supports her and that her talent is otherwordly.

Skylar is next. She is singing “Born This Way” by Lady Gaga.  Jimmy says he was glad she wasn’t in the bottom, and that she has to have attitude. He tells her that in between the Gaga version and the country version is a no man’s land, and she doesn’t want to be there.  He gives her advice on where to start the song. She does well, as usual. She gives the suggested attitude.  Good performance.  I’m just tired of the twang. I know she can’t help it though.

Jennifer loved it. Steven loved it, and that she’s giving the other girls a run for their money. Randy says she’s a rockin’ country girl, and that she’s beyond ready.

Joshua is up! He’s singing “I Believe” by Fantasia.  She’s HIS idol.  Jimmy asks him why was he in the bottom.  Josh says America voted for who they wanted. Jimmy says he has to sing his butt off. Jimmy, Joshua DOES sing his butt off every week. It’s not his fault America is tone deaf.  I think he got into the song and forgot the arrangement the end. It would be good if they DIDN’T mention that.

Randy tells him he’s one of the most gifted singers on the show, and that he loved that he restrained himself on this song.  Jennifer says he leaves it all on the stage every single time, and it’s amazing to watch.  Steven says this song was a stepping stone to him winning the whole thing, and that he could sing the phone book.

Hollie is up again. She likes to play soccer. There is a clip of the Liverpool Football Club wishing her good luck. The Ryan says that the theme tonight is based off of Soul Train. We see a tribute to Don Cornelius and the show. Don Cornelius’s son is in the audience.

Hollie sings “Son Of A Preacher Man” by Dusty Springfield. She must be feeling a little less nervous. She’s very loose…for Hollie.  Pretty good.

Randy says it was even better than Round 1. Jennifer agrees and that she’s showing a new composure.  Steven says she can push it even more.

Colton sings “September” by Earth, Wind, Fire. Umm. I don’t know about this.  I don’t want to hear it “Coltonized”. I don’t like it. It won’t matter, because the teenyboppers will vote for him anyway.  I’d say this was his worst night in the competition. Not to say he can’t sing, but I didn’t like either performance tonight.

Steven says he loves him, but his voice is more powerful than that song. Jennifer agrees. She says he sounded good, but it wasn’t the right song. Randy agrees.

Elyse sings “Let’s Get It On” by Marvin Gaye. Again, I don’t like it.  I hate it, actually.

Jennifer says she always sounds good and it’s hard to critique her, but she doesn’t show enough emotion…..and the song needed that. She says that America needs to see that the songs mean something to her, and that may be why America is not connecting with her.  Elyse makes the number one Idol mistake: She talks back. Not disrespectfully, but still.  Steven says she needs to take it up a notch.  Randy agrees, and says the song choice wasn’t right for her voice, and that she oversang it.

Phillip does “In The Midnight Hour” by Wilson Pickett. I think it’s a good choice for him. I love how Phillip really gets into the song. He seems shy until he starts singing, then he gets this mischievous look on his face and gives you a great performance.  He doesn’t play the guitar this time. I think he looks awkward when he doesn’t play it, like he doesn’t know what to do with his body.  I like this performance though.

Randy says he takes his time with the song, and he takes his time, and he loves it.  Jennifer says he has feeling and soul, and it’s great.  Steven says he’s brilliantly awkward, and that it was beautiful. Brilliantly awkward is the EXACT phrase to describe him.

Kris Allen is in the audience and he’ll be performing tomorrow.

Jessica is singing “Try A Little Tenderness” by Otis Redding.  Of course she sounds good, but I think this song has way more passion than Jessica is capable of feeling.

Steven loves it, and likes that she’s stepping out of her comfort zone. Jennifer says with this song we got a little more of her alter ego. Blah.  Randy says that she was great and that the emotion needs to show.

Skylar does “Heard It Through The Grapevine” by Marvin Gaye, though I think she bases it on Aretha’s version. Skylar is good, but again, I’m tired of the twang. I don’t like my soul countrified.  That doesn’t mean that people shouldn’t vote for her. The girl is definitely a country star.

Randy likes it.  Jennifer says the girls in the audience relate to her and she’s doing a great job.  Steven agrees.

Josh is last. On the Soul part of the night. Good move, Idol. They don’t want him to go home.  He’s singing ” A Change Is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke.  OH YEAH.  PERFECT. Josh is really maturing every week. He’s learned to hold back until just the right moment.

Standing O.  Steven applauds his restraint. Jennifer does too, and pleads with America NOT to send him home.  Randy says it was a perfect song for him. Loves that he took his time and then let go. Uses the word STELLAR.

Can’t pick a bottom three. I have a bottom TWO:  Hollie and Elyse.  Based on tonight, Elyse should go home. Based on the entire season, Hollie should go. I won’t be mad at either.

James Durbin and Jennifer Hudson/Ne-Yo are performing.

Obligatory group number.  Raise Your Glass by Pink. Who’s bright idea was this?  HATED IT!

And…the Ford commercial.  *zips lips*

Kellie Pickler, Jazmine Sullivan and Skylar Grey tweeted about Skylar, Jessica, and Colton singing their songs last night.  Then Ryan shows regular mail. Colton gets a prom invite from Wichita, Kansas.  Colton says it’s a strong maybe.  Hollie got an invitation to a spring formal from Mississippi.  Elyse gets handcrafted feather earrings, and one for Steven, from North Carolina.

Hollie and Jessica are called up. Jimmy says it’s a case of two, very good technical singers.  He says Hollie has learned habits that makes her stiff, while Jessica has learned from soul singers and makes it effortless.  Ryan tells Hollie to start a group on the right side of the stage, Jessica on the left.

Commercial break. UGH!

James Durbin performs a song from his debut album. I remember him wanting to be a rocker when he was on, and sure enough, he comes out rockin’. I also remember him being a little weird, and again, he doesn’t disappoint.  Can’t wait til it’s over.

Next up: Phillip and Elyse.  Jimmy believes Phillip will be in the bottom three. He thinks Elyse was good, but not good enough to pull herself out of the bottom.

Phillip is asked to join Hollie.  Elyse joins Jessica.

Jennifer Hudson and Ne-Yo perform. Ryan points out that Jennifer is the only Idol alumni to win a Grammy AND an Oscar.  Ha! And she didn’t even win her season. That was the season that I disagreed with Simon every week, because she was my fave from the very start and he dogged her EVERY week.   I don’t want Jennifer to lose any more weight!

Colton and Joshua are up.  Jimmy says they both did well. Says Joshua nailed it, and that it fit him like a glove.  He says he’s in on BOTH of them.

Josh joins Jessica and Elyse.  So I KNOW they bet not be the people going home.  Colton joins Hollie and Phillip.

Skylar is left.  Jimmy says that Skylar could get left behind this week, although she was SO good. He says the bottom should be Phillip, Elyse and Hollie. Which, if you remember, is what I said.

Skylar is safe. Ryan does the corny, “pick the group you think you belong with”, and Skylar refuses.  Ryan puts her with Hollie, Phillip, Colton and Skylar.

WHAT??  Josh, Jessica and Elyse are in the bottom??? I HATE AMERICA RIGHT NOW.  Ryan asks Jimmy his opinion, and he says that shouldn’t be the bottom three. Randy says this is a ridiculous bottom three, and America got it wrong. Steven says they WILL use the save tonight.

Josh is SAFE!  WHEW!

Jessica is the one who has to sing for her life..and who WILL get the save tonight. Cuz that’s bogus.

She begins to sing “Nobody’s Supposed To Be Here” by Deborah Cox. The judges don’t even let her get the first verse out. They walk up on the stage. Jennifer says “Gimme that mic! Go sit down, you’re not going anywhere!”  Randy says “We are saving Jessica, without any doubt! This girl is one of the best singers in America!  America please! This is about finding the best!”  GO RANDY!!!

Jessica begins the song again, without interruption. I love this song, and of course, she sings it well.  I will say, the girl has nerves of steel. I would have been a basket case.

Man..ya’ll…please vote and keep the teenyboppers away from the phones!

The show opens with Tommy helping the contestant choose outfits. He tells them that their image should carry over into real life.  Bout time we see Tommy. He needs to be on every week.

The theme is music from 2010 to present.  The mentor is Akon.

Skylar:  Didn’t You Know How Much I Love You by Kellie Pickler.  Jimmy and Akon approve it. She says she wants to play the guitar with it. Jimmy tells her that if the guitar holds back her performance, she shouldn’t play it.  She does.  Before she sang, they showed her hometown: Brandon, Mississippi. The funniest part about that clip was her grandfather telling her he wants his guitar back!

Anyhoo, she sings, judges love it. Playing guitar didn’t hold her back at all. It was classic Skylar.

Colton: He’s from Murfreesboro, Tennessee. They’ve got his name on pretty much every business in the city. He’s singing Love The Way You Lie by Skylar Grey. Jimmy and Akon want him to challenge himself. Jimmy tells him that it’s pretty much between him and Phillip, and he needs to stand out.  Akon tells him that he can do things that he doesn’t even know he can do.  Jimmy gives him advice on the arrangement.

He’s playing the piano tonight, with violins backing him up.  He sounds good, but I’m bored. When it comes down to him and Phillip, he wins out because of his likability. They both have pretty much settled into what they’re comfortable doing.  Jennifer tells him that he has done many artists, but that he makes each one his own. Steven tells him that he could release that song right now, with no overdubs, and that Colton hasn’t reached his “top” yet, and that’s a good thing.  Randy likes that his performance was subtle, loved his interpretation. Randy says he’s an artist right now.  Ryan talks with Colton about how this wasn’t his first song choice. Colton says he was going to do a big rock song, but Jimmy and Akon steered him in another direction.

Elyse and Phillip are doing another duet. Somebody That I Used To Know by Gotye. Phillip says it’s a different kind of song for him, but they’re doing it because Elyse wanted it. I actually like him better than her on this song.  They sound good. They should seriously consider recording together.

The judges love it, but I think they have to love the duets.

Jessica is singing Stuttering by Jasmine Sullivan.  She’s from San Diego.  She has a HUGE family. Her mom says seeing her on the American Idol stage is surreal. Jimmy says her voice could move anyone. Akon loves her voice.  Jimmy says before the final 13, Akon told Jimmy that Jessica was the one. “Feed her a couple hamburgers and she’s the one!”  Jimmy says with the right song there’s no stopping her. Akon says she’s going to be a legend one day.

This is exactly the right kind of song for her. Slow to mid-tempo, soulful.  oh..she does a little scatting at the end.  Best of the night so far. Randy compliments the arrangement, and says she upped her game tonight. Superb to the highest degree. Jennifer says it was beautiful and that she’d like to see her do some “Joshua-type” performances as far as how impactful and emotional they are. Steven says that each time she sings, he forgets where he is, and she slays it every time. He points out that she and Jennifer have on the same shoes.

Joshua is singing  Runaway Baby by Bruno Mars. He turned 20 on Monday, April 9th.  They show Fantasia on the screen wishing him a happy birthday. HE LOVES IT!  He’s from Westlake, Louisiana. Of course he’s everywhere. They have TeamJosh shirts, flags…it’s crazy. I need one of those shirts in my life! I can’t wait to see what he does with the song, because I love Bruno Mars.  Jimmy tries to find a way to make the song more dynamic. He loves that Josh is quiet and that he listens. He asks Akon if, as an urban artist, does he feel connected with Josh. Akon says he does, and that Joshua’s voice can pierce hearts. Jimmy says one thing you find in greatness humility…and Josh has it.

This is different for Josh: an uptempo song and he dances a bit and engages the audience. He shows he can do more than a soulful ballad, and makes it look easy.  Ya’ll know what I say:  I LOVE IT!  HE is the best of the night so far! Oh..and I must go to Itunes and order it. I’m building my own Josh collection on my Ipod.

The judges give the first standing O of the night! Steven says he can sell any song.  Jennifer says his style of performance is dynamic, full of energy, not just the vocals. Randy says it was unbelievable, his look is great, he has everything going right now. He says Joshua has “got to have it”. I tried to ignore this cheesy phrase last week, but I guess they won’t let me. Randy invites Josh’s dad up to give him a hug. Dad’s a preacher. Of course he is, that’s why Josh sounds like an old deacon.

Colton and Skylar duet. Don’t You Wanna Stay by Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson. They play up the fact that it’s a love song, which of course, prompts denials of dating by both of them. Sounds good. Boring. I was gonna say the judges loved it…but Randy says it was just OK for him.

We go to McKinney, Texas, where Hollie is from.  A woman who owns a fudge shop made “Hollie-pops”. Hollie is originally from England, and they’re supporting her too. She’s singing Perfect by Pink. Jimmy says the only thing she’s missing is a certain type of experience. Exactly.  Akon tells her not to think about what people are saying or thinking, just own it.

She sounds good, not off-key like the past few weeks.  I’ll even go as far as to say she has a bit more feeling than before. But not enough, she’s still so technical. Pink sings this song with so much passion, and Hollie doesn’t have it.

Jennifer says she looks beautiful and sang beautifully.  Steven says it wasn’t perfect tonight for him, but she looks good. Randy says it wasn’t perfect, but a lot better than last week, and that it was missing a little bit of feeling.

Leesburg, Georgia. That’s where Phillip is from.  He’s got signs, t-shirts. The family owns a pawn shop and people are trying to buy all his stuff.  He’s singing Get A Little More by Maroon 5. Phillip says he’s trying to do something different. Jimmy says not to be different for the sake of being different, but be different to be GREAT. Jimmy tells him that it’s between him and Colton, and that Colton has the females right now. He asks Phillip if he really wants to win!

I like Phillip better than last week. This is a little different. I do want him to stop wearing gray and brown!  I actually like Phillip better than Colton, but that’s because I’m not a teenage girl.Anyway, it was good, but just a little boring.  Steven loves the way he has evolved. Says he looks like Steve McQueen/Johnny Cash. Jennifer agrees, but says it was a bit underwhelming. Says she has seen this performance before.  Randy agrees. Says it was good, but not wow.  I don’t think Phillip really cares.

Hollie, Jessica, Josh perform together, as Hollie lost her duet partner last week.  Stronger by Kellie Clarkson. Josh and Hollie are best friends. Jessica says it’s strange and she’s a third wheel with them. Josh doesn’t have a lot to do in this song, but sounds good. He and Hollie may be best friends, but musically, his chemistry is with Jessica. They should have let them sing together and gave Hollie a break. Not that she sounded bad, but with the two of them on stage, she might as well have not been there.

Judges love it. Randy says Josh was the best out of the three.

Elyse sings You and I by Lady Gaga. She says that they got their first day off on Easter and she went to see Jeff Who Lives At Home with Jason Segel. She says she wonders if he watches her. And of course, he does, and send a video of himself saying he’s a big fan.  Elyse is from Kinnelon, NJ. One of her friends has made a video on “How to vote for Elyse Testone”. Just like the others, her hometown is very supportive.

She wants to start the song by singing and playing the drums. Akon says she was on a road to destruction. She says she feels like something needs to happen. Akon says what needs to happen is that she needs to kill it! Jimmy says she shouldn’t be in the bottom three if she performs like she did in rehearsal. Akon says everything hinges on this performance.

She does start by playing the piano. She sounds good. Nothing overly exciting about it. Randy says Elyse is back, and that her vocals were dope. Jennifer agrees. Steven says she took a song that was effortless and made it genius.

The judges say that it’s good to see them performing current songs. Ryan asks how do you vote now, for tonight’s performance, or the their whole run. Jennifer says people will vote for their favorite, and the contestants need to focus on having a great performance every week to MAKE people want to vote. Ryan asks who they’re most worried about. They punk out and don’t name anyone. They encourage people to vote for their favorite, and stress how important it is at this stage of the competition to VOTE.

It’s hard to pick  a bottom three. I’m gonna go with Phillip, Hollie, and Elyse, with Hollie going home.

Alright, I already know there will be a corny Ford video, so I won’t even complain about it tonight. Before the show starts, I’ll remind you who I chose to be in the bottom three:

Hollie, Elyse, and Deandre – with Hollie going home.  I usually get 2 out of the three right, but American surprises me on who they send home.

Ryan stops to check on Josh because he’s not feeling well. Light-headed and achy. Sound like the flu. My boy better rest up this week!

Ryan says that  a group called The Wanted will be performing tonight. Never heard of’em.  Also, Kellie Pickler from Season 5 is performing too. I never minded Kellie, she just seemed a few fries short of a Happy Meal.

Then Ryan makes me ill. Jennifer’s new video is debuting now. I really don’t wanna see her flirting with her boy toy to music.  BORING.

Next is the Ford video. NEXT.

They play a video from a preschool teacher in Vietnam. His students are holding up letters that say “GOOD LUCK JOSHUA”.  Cute!

Results will be up by the duets they performed last night. Joshua and Jessica are first.  Jimmy says that when Josh started the show, he was over-affected, but that he’s hitting his sweet spot now, and at the right time in the competition. Jimmy says that Jessica needed a more powerful vocal. He says the competition is between Jessica and Josh, and Josh won last night because he chose a better song.  Ryan asked Jessica how she thinks she did. She says OK…and Josh is great.

Josh is safe.  Jessica is safe. DUH!

The Wanted perform. They’re pretty much Britain’s version of the Backstreet Boys. I think the song is called, “I’m Glad You Came”. I have heard this before.  It’s just aight for me, dawg.

Next, Ryan calls Skylar and Colton. Jimmy says he is so happy that she didn’t sing 9 to 5. SO AM I. He says if she continues this, she could win the whole thing. I don’t think that’s gonna happen.  Jimmy says Colton did good, not great, and not as good as Joshua or Skylar. Ryan asks Skylar asked if she thought, before this week, that she was being overlooked as a power singer.  She says yes, and that country doesn’t lend itself to power songs. She knows she has to sing different things whether she wants to or not.

Ryan then calls up Hollie and Deandre.  Jimmy says Hollie’s problem is that she approaches this as a high school performance, and it wasn’t a good high school performance. He says she sang “What A Feeling”, and we were asking “Where’s the feeling?”.  He says that she was in the bottom last week, will be this week, and could be fighting Deandre for who will go home.  Jimmy disagrees with the judges about Deandre. He says he is not great and needs to grow and was the weakest of the boys last night and could be going home unless Jennifer saves him. The judges stand by their positive feedback of Deandre.

Deandre is in the bottom.  His sister is boohooing.

Colton is safe.

Hollie is in the bottom. Skylar is safe. (That’s 2 outta three, ya’ll!)

Kellie Pickler performs her song “Where’s Tammy Wynette?”.  She’s not bad. I just think Skylar has me sick of country twang, and Kellie’s is worse than Skylar’s. I want her to go away.

Ryan calls up Phillip and Elyse. Jimmy says about Phillip: Yeah be yourself, but there are three versions: Great Good and Bad. He says that Phillip was just good. He needs to be pushed so that he becomes great and that this was his worst performance. About Elyse, he says: This WAS the right song for Elyse. She sang it incredibly in all rehearsals, but hit the stage and choked. And that could take her from the top right to the bottom. Ryan asks her how she feels about that and she’s talking about how the more she feels the song the harder it is to stay in the lines, or something blah blah blah. Phillip says he’s not gonna go shake the audience’s hands, cuz that’s not him.

Elyse is in the bottom. Phillip is safe.

What did I tell you???

Ryan sends Hollie back to safety. Which is bogus.  Cuz she should going home.  Ryan asks the judges if America got the final two, Elyse and Deandre, right. They say no. 1 right and 1 wrong.  And I know they mean Deandre is wrong, because based on last night, if Hollie isn’t going home, Elyse should be gone.

Deandre is going home. I know they will not save him. I’m sad to see him go this week, but it looks like America is operating on a one week delay. HeeJun is the prime example of that.

Deandre has to sing for his life and he sings “MasterBlaster”. Not even gonna work.

Jennifer says he’s an amazing performer, but she only gets one vote, and they’re not gonna save him.

I’m gonna miss looking at him, that’s for sure!

Hello from my bed. It’s 5:15 a.m.  I fell asleep early yesterday and completely missed Idol.  But never fear. The trusty DVR took care of that for me and now I’m up and ready to talk about folk.

Today’s mentor, or I should say, mentors are Gwen Stefani and Tony Kanal from No Doubt. The contestants will be doing guy/girl duets as well as sharing what they miss from home.

Deandre: Misses driving. Just got his license before AI, so he hasn’t had a lot of time to do it.  Of COURSE, he’s singing “I Like It” by Debarge.  It’s a logical song choice for him. I just wish he’d sing something with no falsetto for a change.  Gwen tells him that he look worried all the time when he sings, and that he should look more confident, even if he doesn’t feel it Jimmy co-signs. Deandre says that he does get nervous, but that after every performance, he feels great about himself, and just needs to show it. Jimmy says that he has to get over his nerves or he won’t pull it off, AND…that he’ll be in the bottom three.

He starts off sitting in the audience, and makes his way up the stage.  Forget what I said about falsetto, he doesn’t use it too much. He uses his natural voice more, which I didn’t expect.  He doesn’t seem nervous at all.  He even engages the audience. I notice he’s a little flat when he does use the falsetto. But other than that, I actually like this performance!  He MIGHT be in the bottom if some of the others don’t do well, but he doesn’t deserve it.

Elyse: Misses her band in Charleston, S.C. She says they used to “rock it out”. She is singing “I Wanna Know What Love Is” by Foreigner.  Gwen says her voice is “sick”, and says that Elyse is one of her favorite contestants. Gwen also says that this could be a magic moment for Elyse. It’s kind of boring. Elyse can sing, no doubt. But I’m not feeling the magic. She’s got backup singers and everything for the big chorus at the end. She’s good, but magic? No.

Steven says he loves her voice, but he’s not sure if that was the right song choice for her.  Randy says it’s  tough song to sing, and that she never quite hit the pitch right, and it was not her greatest performance. He says it was out of tune everywhere.  Of course Ryan is giving her a chance to make excuses for the song choice. I say her performance greatly helped Deandre, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see her in the bottom.

First duet:  Colton and Skylar sing “Islands In The Stream” by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton.  Colton has dyed his hair completely blonde. They sound good. Of course this song is right up Skylar’s alley.  Skylar reminds me of a baby Reba McIntyre.  The judges love it. Ryan insinuates that the chemistry was believable. They say they are just good friends.

Phillip: Misses jamming with his brother. Says his brother has taught him a lot and made him a better musician. Phillip is doing “That’s All” by Genesis. Gwen says you could see he wasn’t quite ready, but he will be. She says he’ll be in the top this week. Tony give him advice to not play the guitar at a certain point in the song. He has his brother on stage playing with him. I just love his and his whole laid-back vibe. I do notice that at some points he’s flat.  He does take Tony’s advice, and it makes the song better. It’s not his best, but it’s still good.

The judges love it.  Ryan interviews his brother, who says he’s proud of him.

Second Duet:  Hollie and Deandre sing “I’m So Excited” by The Pointer Sisters.  Boring.  Out of all the 80′s songs, they couldn’t find an actual duet? Steven says it was good and glad that Hollie let go a little bit. Jennifer agrees and says she needs to do more of it, and that Deandre looked right at home. Randy loves it. NEXT.

The judges say that Deandre is standing out so far tonight.

Josh: Misses his family.  He is the youngest and gets away with everything.  He’s singing “If You Don’t Know Me By Now” by Simply Red.  Gwen says he is a vocal powerhouse, but that the gymnastics can be too much sometimes. They work with him and the arrangement, tell him to save the big stuff for the bridge, and Jimmy says he stays.  Ya’ll already know: Before he opens his mouth, I’m sold.  He sounds like an old deacon…and I LOVE that sound.  I do notice that he is just SINGING, not doing the vocal tricks. Sounds great. But then he gives us what we’ve been waiting for!  Hold up…I gotta go on Itunes and download this one.

The judges are standing and clapping. First ovation of the night. They pretty much say it’s perfect. Randy said he wanted to stand up from beginning to end, and that it was a very mature performance.  Ryan said he took control of the song and owned it. Since when does Ryan critique? LOL

Jessica: Says she was just a normal teenager, but not that she misses anything.  She’s singing “How Will I know” by Whitney.  Gwen says her voice is amazing, but that she needs to have better body movement.  She says her alter ego, “BB Chez” will be performing tonight.  Of course, she sounds good. I hate the arrangement, as usual.  I don’t know if it’s just me, but she sounds flat at times, like the song is making her tired. It’s not an easy song to sing. But we all know she’s not going anywhere.

Jennifer loves it.  Steven loves it. Randy loves it. Of course, he has to let us know that he worked with Whitney on that song. She can do no wrong.

Third Duet: Phillip and Elyse sing “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” by Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks. Now, this is a good pairing.  Phillip looks a little out of place without his guitar, but they sound great! They could release that RAHT NAH!

Judges love it! So do I.

Hollie: Misses her family, friends, and puppy. She is singing “What A Feeling” by Irene Cara.  Jimmy says that when he initially heard the song, he thought it was corny, and that he passed on the Flashdance soundtrack. Gwen tells her to bring a tough edge to the song.  Tony says prepare, and then freefall into the performance.  Jimmy says Hollie is very technical, and she has to FEEL. I agree. She has a great voice, but always seems mechanical. As usual, she sounds good. She moves around the stage, sings to the judges, dances a little, which is more than we’ve ever seen from her, but she still wasn’t feeling it.  Some parts were “pitchy”.

Steven says she got there at the end, but it was a slow start. Jennifer says that she needs to let go. Stop thinking and FEEL. Randy echoes Jennifer.  I say she’s in the bottom.

Final duet:  Jessica and Joshua.  Aretha and George Michael. “I Knew You Were Waiting For Me”. Man, I don’t even have to listen to know that this is good. They look AWESOME. They must have spent this week’s fashion budget on just the two of them.  16 and 19 years old….wow.  If one of these two doesn’t win, something is WRONG. They are PERFECT. I wonder if they’re selling this one on Itunes??

Another standing O.  Randy tells us that he worked on this song too. He says that this is one of the greatest performances he’s seen on the show.  Jennifer says this could be the final and it was amazing. Stephen says it defies judging.

Colton: Misses working in the family business: Face Painting. He’s singing “Time after Time” by Cyndi Lauper. Gwen had doubts before he sang it, but says he was great. She sings harmony with him, and he wished he could have asked her to sing it with him live. Jimmy says he picked the right song, and there’s no way he’s out. I agree. Colton is just good.  Period.  He makes the song sound completely new. I actually like this arrangement.

Stephen says he nailed it and he could do a record right now.  Jennifer says it was amazing. Randy says that Colton, Phillip and Joshua all made the songs their own, and that he loves waiting to see what Colton is going to do. Colton says he totally ripped off another band for the arrangement. All I know is I liked it!

Skylar: Misses her friends, family and food. Her four wheeler and guns.  She says the producers told her that the mentor was Shalimar and then she walks in to Gwen Stefani.   She started with “9 to 5″ and I’m thinking NO MORE COUNTRY!! But she isn’t singing it. She is singing “Wind Beneath My Wings” by Bette Midler. I see what they’re doing. She was in the bottom last week, so they make her last this week so she’ll be memorable and not end up there this week. They don’t want her to go home. They’d rather Deandre went, which is why he was first. I don’t think it’s going to work.  Anyway, she sings well.  VERY well.

Another Standing O.  Randy says WOW.  He says it’s her best performance on the show to date.  Jennifer says she just told America, Do NOT count me out! Stephen said it was the best song she could have chosen, and it’s the beginning of a great career. Skylar said she wanted to show America something they really hadn’t seen. She certainly did that.

My bottom three this week would be: Hollie, Elyse, and Deandre.  With Hollie going home.  I don’t think Deandre should be in the bottom for his performance, but there are fewer contestants now, and the rest of them were better than him.

Randy says people should vote for who they think can really win this. Jennifer says vote for the FULL PACKAGE, and there are a bunch of them up there. Stephen says vote whoever makes you feel good and who gives the whole package.

Whew!  What did you think of tonight’s show?