‘American Idol’ top 6 results recap: are we experienced?
Hollie Cavanagh escaped elimination tonight. CREDIT: Michael Becker/FOX
Loading ...After two surprise eliminations, the woman who was near the bottom five times before finally found herself out completely on “Idol” tonight: Elise Testone.
The oldest contestant remaining at age 28, the New Jersey native and South Carolina resident clearly knows her own voice and understands what she likes. I enjoyed her when she channeled Stevie Nicks.
But experience also meant she didn’t particularly enjoy the judging process, questioning them at times and making faces at other times. I also found her stage presence a bit remote, her vocal stylings a bit mechanical, like she wanted to show off without entertaining us.
Last night, she did an adequate job with her Queen song, then did a self-indulgent Jimi Hendrix tune that felt more fussy than inspirational. Others were equally self indulgent (notably Phillip Phillips and Joshua Ledet) and they got away with it.
The past two lowest vote getters, Jessica Sanchez (saved) and Colton Dixon (not), made me question who would be in the bottom three. I didn’t even pick Elise. Instead, I chose Phillip, Joshua and Hollie Cavanagh, who was indeed in the bottom two and has been in the bottom three frequently.
Skylar Laine, who has been in the bottom three once before, had the third fewest votes – or fourth most. (Ryan Seacrest noted there were 58 million votes logged, ten million more than the top 6 a year ago, despite the 25% drop in ratings, which he didn’t mention.)
I didn’t get the impression there was a lot of shock or awe when she departed. But she was classy as she sang some Led Zeppelin and gave all the judges acknowledgment. The other five survivors didn’t seem all that upset, did they?
Here were Jimmy Iovine’s thoughts. He was much more into Joshua than I was and much less so with Skylar.
Jessica: “Jessica singing Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ was a plain old mistake. Then to add to it, the three faces of Jessica. It actually scared me. That was less Queen and more Stephen King. But ‘Dance With My Father” by Luther Vandross was magnificent… she sang it with brilliantly. She understood her words and her audience. Clever plus real talent, that’s double the vote.”
Elise: “She picked the wrong Queen song. A monotone stadium anthem. It comes off clubby. It didn’t move me. I didn’t want to see it again. Elise chose Jimi Hendrix ‘Bold as Love.’ To me, that’s double down on bad choice for the night. It was a musical piece with a very integrated soulful blues vocal. One without the other, it falls apart. That’s what we got. She’s a great singer who made bad choices.”
Hollie: “I wonder if Hollie choosing ‘Save Me’ by Queen was a subconscious plea to the public. [I thought that, too!] She did a very good job. This was a hard one. Freddy Mercury is tough. He is so unique… she tripped up at the very end… Hollie singing ‘The Climb’ was a good choice. She caught the emotion in that song. I hope it’s not too little too late.”
Joshua: “I was really impressed with Joshua last night with ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love.’ That Gary U.S. Bonds feel with Sam Cooke singing a Queen song showed he can interpret. He can cross over to pop. Then he switches over to ‘Ready for Love.’ Emotional, restrained and just moved us all to where we wanted us. He showed with those two songs, delivering with that type of intelligence, he could make the finals.”
Skylar: “I think Skylar did a very very competent job on ‘The Show Must Go On.’ She sang it more like a pop song… Now on her second song, ‘Tattoos on this Town’ was a little self indulgent… If you are going to do a song for one town, it has to be a strong enough song to appeal to the entire country. I don’t think that song cut the mustard.”
Phillip: “Ryan isn’t the only one not feeling well this week. Phillip is really having a rough time. It’s starting to show. With him not feeling well, he’s not able to pull off that character in ‘Fat Bottomed Girls.’ Watch Jack Black and Casey do it last year, they exploded that song when they did it. I don’t think we got that tonight. It was missing something… his second song was Dave Matthews ‘The Stone.’ … I’m very curious what the audience feels about this. What he did left an opening for someone other than Phillip to be in the final.”
- The “Idols Live” tour comes to Gwinnett Arena August 5. Tickets go on sale May 11 at 10 a.m. I’ll provide more details later.
- Harvey Levin of TMZ trained the top 6 about the media. They teased Philip Phillips about his aw-shucks nice guy routine, saying he should own it when J. Lo calls him sexy. “One name; Casper Smart,” one of the TMZ dudes said, noting J. Lo’s much younger beau. “Thank you man,” Phillips said. They then teased Skylar about her “relationship” with Colton. She insisted that they are just friends. Then Joshua’s nickname “Mantasia” gets teased because there’s a strip club in New York named that.
They then get busted for being slobs and Hollie eating cereal in the bathroom. Elise wonders how to not look so mad when she’s not smiling without being fake. They had no solution for that. Jessica admitted to 200 YouTube videos. Then they mock Harvey for his bad dancing in a YouTube video, causing former dancer Nigel Lythgoe to get in the act.
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By Rodney Ho, Radio & TV Talk
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467 comments Add your comment
Pitchy
April 27th, 2012
4:27 pm
And for the record, Addison is a S K A N K!
Jenny
April 27th, 2012
4:28 pm
or too “much”, that is.
Mercedes S.
April 27th, 2012
4:30 pm
Reading all this Grey matter… maybe I should have stuck with the show after all. Got bored with the on/off again hook ups and stopped watching two seasons back. Same with “House”… preview for coming episode looks really good.
Pitchy
April 27th, 2012
4:32 pm
The finale of House is going to be a doosey, that is if I haven’t missed it????
Mercedes S.
April 27th, 2012
4:32 pm
Think I saw Grey’s departed mom on the first episode of “Veep”, btw.
Jenny
April 27th, 2012
4:33 pm
Pitchy – PP is killing me. Can there just be one episode where I don’t have to cry?
And what the HECK was up with Amelia’s baby having such an awful, macabre defect. Is that even possible? I like Amelia and they are making me mad with her. Let the poor girl have some happiness.
Well, you don’t have to worry about Addison being a S-word any more… she clearly will only be able to focus on the baby! I’m not sure I like that… I prefer drama-Addison. Though you are right, she was getting a little over the top with her man-juggling. (and Jake is not even cute. He’s nice but he looks like a little elf.)
Charlotte King, however, is the best character on TV. Bar NONE. Especially after the scenes with Mason’s mom.
Jenny
April 27th, 2012
4:34 pm
Oh, Mercedes, Grey’s is good again. It did go through a slump for a while but it is BACK. Has been for a while now. Start watching! I can catch you up if need be!
Rickster
April 27th, 2012
4:34 pm
PP? Phillip Phillips?
Jenny
April 27th, 2012
4:35 pm
Haha Rickster, I thought of that after I posted. No, Phillip Phillips doesn’t make me cry. Just Private Practice.
Rickster
April 27th, 2012
4:40 pm
Sorry, I got confused. This is an Idol-related blog after all.
And what happened to all the fashion advice from Tommy Hilfiger?
Jenny
April 27th, 2012
4:43 pm
Well, see, PP was my way of connecting it to Idol.
And let’s see… umm… well, I can’t think of any other ways to connect it. So that will have to do.
Pitchy
April 27th, 2012
4:43 pm
“He’s nice but he looks like a little elf.) ” – That is funny! I do see your point.
I’m glad Addison has the baby and her role can now be softened up, because she was way over the top for any woman on table who wasn’t getting $$ on the side.
Every time they showed the sonogram I tried to get a good look. Not sure what’s wrong with that baby, but it already looks like a middle schooler. I too want her to have some happiness.
Again I agree, Charlotte is the best, even though the show originally focused around Addison. When she was raped, that was when the spotlight shifted to her. And PP has surpassed Grey’s in my opinion.
Rickster
April 27th, 2012
4:45 pm
Addison actually became one of my favorite characters on Grey’s. Don’t like what California’s done to her.
And Kate Walsh is just a very striking, attractive woman; not just “for her age” but for any age.
Pitchy
April 27th, 2012
4:47 pm
I thought this was a radio and tv blog
Pitchy
April 27th, 2012
4:48 pm
And now, Rickster himself is posting re: PP (lol).
Sam-A
April 27th, 2012
4:49 pm
Good weekend all. See ya Monday.
Pitchy
April 27th, 2012
4:50 pm
You too, Sam-A.
Rickster
April 27th, 2012
4:52 pm
JTesla
April 27th, 2012
4:55 pm
I thought this was a “talk only about what JTesla sanctions” blog, and I didn’t sanction no medical drama discussion. In fact, I still want to talk about Jennifer Lopez’s outfit from the performance night and by “outfit” I mean what was under her outfit causing it to bulge out so much in the back.
Or maybe that’s just how I view things
Harriett
April 27th, 2012
4:56 pm
Have a good weekend everyone. One day I get to talk and Grey’s, which I don’t know a thing about. Maybe next week I will have something to contribute.
Jenny
April 27th, 2012
4:56 pm
Oh my gosh, Pitchy, did you miss it? The baby does not have a brain.
That is why Amelia completely shut down.
I don’t even know how that’s possible. How is it growing? She asked Jake if it was her fault… if it was the drugs before she got clean… and he said absolutely not. It was just a horrible spin of the genetic wheel.
Pitchy
April 27th, 2012
4:57 pm
When I saw her walk out in that micro short black dress, I thought of you guys. I knew you would be tickled silly!!!!!
Pitchy
April 27th, 2012
4:59 pm
I did miss that part Jenny. My child had a little crisis and I had it on but turned volume down. I’d catch the repeat over the weekend.
Pitchy
April 27th, 2012
4:59 pm
Thanks Jenny!
Jenny
April 27th, 2012
5:03 pm
Ah. Yep, that’s what happened… because I too kept pausing on the ultrasound trying to figure out what was wrong (and it DID look like a middle schooler! haha!)
But finally, she talks about it. And the irony of her being a neurosurgeon. You’ll see… it all plays in with the brain-dead patient, the little girl. (And speaking of that… was it just me, or did you KNOW it was the sister who did it from the first word she said?? I instantly thought, that kid is hiding something.)
Rickster
April 27th, 2012
5:08 pm
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Jenny
April 27th, 2012
5:20 pm
For those who watch Grey’s and not PP (see, tying in again
) — Amelia is McDreamy’s baby sister. The one who was with him and saw their dad get killed. She is a GREAT character and Pitchy is right, PP has gotten as good or almost better than Grey’s!
Mercedes S.
April 27th, 2012
5:24 pm
Several lols to the post wondering what happened to Tommy Hilfiger’s advice Since he “disappeared”, the contestants’ clothes have been better
JT, I too wondered why JLo’s bare back seemed so padded.
Oh, almost forgot: for a fun, semi-intellectual movie, try “Damsels in Distress”!
JTesla
April 27th, 2012
5:27 pm
Unless one of the episodes involve installing a gluteus maximus ingenero, then I have no interest.
‘American Idol’ top 6 results recap | wedding chair covers | WeddingWare.net
April 27th, 2012
11:51 pm
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Deirdre
April 28th, 2012
7:30 am
Apparently Ryan’s deal with the Today Show involves more than just the Olympics:
http://tv.msn.com/tv/article.aspx?news=724390
Deirdre
April 28th, 2012
8:22 am
Just a quick snippet from Elise’s exit interview. I’m posting this because there was more than one singer getting regular negative reviews from the judges:
The judges did seem to come down harder on Elise than they did on some other contestants, perhaps because of her age, but Elise didn’t appear to harbor any resentment over this. “I don’t think it’s a completely bad thing when people are hard on you, because it just means they want you to be better. If they didn’t care that much, they’d probably just be, ‘Good job, it was good,’” she shrugged.
Mercedes S.
April 28th, 2012
11:10 am
D. – have a feeling Elise is “playing nice”. After all, there is the tour to think of… maybe when it’s over she’ll speak her mind.
For kcf – there’s a nice two page spread on Carrie U/ in the new Entertainment Weekly. She’s talking about her new album, “Blown Away”, out May 1. Some quotes:
The song that makes me think of my childhood: “Top of the World”, The Carpenters. “I remember going to grandma’s house on the weekends and my parents would listen to the oldies station. It was only a 45 minute drive, but it seemed like three hours each way. Whether you love it of dont like it, karen Carpenter just had a unique, velvety, and deep voice; she didn’t sound like anyone else.”
Mercedes S.
April 28th, 2012
11:14 am
More Carrie quotes about music:
The song that makes me want to dance: “Dancing With Myself”, Billy Idol.
“I love 80’s music. When I am working out and I just want to get amped up, I listen to Billy Idol. ‘Dancing With Myself’ is my theme song because (my husband) Mike doesn’t dance, really. So I’m always dancing with myself!”
Mercedes S.
April 28th, 2012
11:18 am
More Carrie:
The song that always makes me cry: “Forever Changed,” Carrie Underwood. ‘It’s one of mine, from the new record. I have yet to actually succesfully make it through that song. It’s not meant to be sad, but it’s that whole circle-of-life kind of thing. It’s from the point of view of a daughter singing about her mother. I even get emotional talking about it. The last verse goes ‘Someday she’ll talk about Aunt Rose, the sister she lost/ Asking when she’s coming over and why she hasn’t called.’ That gets to me. I’m going to cry right now!”
And finally
The song I want to be remembered for: “jesus
Mercedes S.
April 28th, 2012
11:20 am
Sorry, comment square keeps disappearing…
“Jesus, Take the Wheel” – I would pick an important one. Not ‘Before He cheats’ or ‘Good Girl’
Mercedes S.
April 28th, 2012
11:22 am
I give up, it is very difficult to get something to stick here today. anyway, it’s a nice interview.
Also, Adam Lambert’s belated “Trespassing” comes out May 15.
Highlander
April 28th, 2012
7:31 pm
Wasn’t surprised at Elise finally leaving after being in the bottom 3 so many times. Obviously, she just didn’t have the same kind of voting block.
I would have preferred, however, to see Josh-uh-ua-uh Led-uh-et-uh or Phillip rrrrrrrrrrrr Phillips go first.
And I wouldn’t have been surprised if Hollie had gone, either. But I still think all the girls are better than the guys.
Seth T
April 28th, 2012
10:37 pm
Oddsmaker tiering for your top 5:
1st tier = Phillip Phillips Jr.& Jessica Sanchez
2nd tier = Joshua Ledet & Skylar Laine
3rd tier = Hollie Cavanaugh
(Not based upon singing ability, but the oddsmakers guesstimate of how the voting will procede.)
The average age of the remaining top 5 is 18.6 years.
Most standing ovations from Judges Panel this season so far = Joshua
Appears they feel the “save Hollie” movement has now abated, and the departure of Elise will actually cause the flow of votes to move more toward other contestants,than to Hollie.
I did notice that in the last group-sing , Elise was more the “lead singer” holding the performance together, with Jessica and Joshua the main back-ups.
To be in the top 5 is a plus, not only for potentials in the Music Business, but in the entertainment business in general. A little more game, a little more fame, a few more knowin’ your name.
Deirdre
April 29th, 2012
9:03 am
Quotes about Christina(hilarious) from The Wanted after their appearance on The Voice, from mj:
She was a bit scary to be honest,” band member Max George says during an interview with New York’s 92.3 FM.
“She was a total bitch!” says Tom Parker, adding, “She might not be a bitch in real life, but to us she was a bitch to us. She just sat there and didn’t speak to us.”
Unlike Jennifer Lopez, who, when the boys appeared on Idol, was really friendly. “Yeah, well JLo’s hot, Christina’s nothing special,” Max explains.
JTesla
April 29th, 2012
11:04 am
“Yeah, well JLo’s hot, Christina’s nothing special”
Ouch. Beauty is only skin deep, ugly goes clear to the bone.
Seth T
April 30th, 2012
1:08 am
Just a tidbit from the L.A. Times – They listed the performers from both the Voice and Idol in a poll, where voters could rank their favorite performances from last week – so here is how the scoring went,
don’t know the number of people who voted, but assume it was a pretty good sample – and I can only assume the voters were watching both shows, but there was no disclaimer on that.
So listing the imaginary “top 10″ combining the 5 remaining Idol contestants along with the top 5 of the remaining Voice contestants ———
Jessica = 29.25
Joshua = 13.03
Phillip = 11.70
Skylar = 6.76
Katrina Parker = 5.41 (The Voice)
Hollie = 5.35
Jamar Rogers = 4.28 (The Voice)
Juliet Simms = 4.00 (The Voice)
Tony Lucca = 3.65 (The Voice)
Lindsey Pavao = 1.17 (The Voice)
——————————————-(The other 3 left on the Voice were even less in scoring)
So, if that microcosm of a poll is any real indication – the Idol top 5 would be pretty tough for the Voice crew to compete with. Jessica alone, got more “best performance” votes than the entire top 8 of The Voice, put together.
Deirdre
April 30th, 2012
7:43 am
Morning!
Thanks for the stats, Seth. I’m not sure I’d give them any more credence than dialidol. I think that, mostly what this measures is the audience numbers and we already know that Idol is getting higher ratings than The Voice and singer popularity. Not surprised by the order of Idol contestants there either.
Deirdre
April 30th, 2012
7:48 am
I don’t see Skylar being very popular in LA whereas, she’s very popular in the south.
Woodpappy
April 30th, 2012
8:59 am
Good Morning Folks….interesting stats.
Sam-A
April 30th, 2012
9:19 am
Just got an email from the home office in Finland – They’re closed tomorrow for “May Day” – man, we here in the US office alway get the short end of the stick – they have so many more holidays than we do! Not fair. And not to mention 6 weeks vaca, as opposed to our 3 (not that I’m not grateful for the 3).
Don’t remember, what’s the theme for this week, or have they announced?
Deirdre
April 30th, 2012
9:34 am
Theme is British music
Deirdre
April 30th, 2012
9:36 am
I think they were thinking “British Invasion” but that makes it too narrow.
Sam-A
April 30th, 2012
9:57 am
Thanks, D.
At least these kids are too young for “Shirley Bassey”! Wonder if all the girls will try to do Adele songs? Just about enough big hits to cover then all. Boys would have to go way back – I can’t think of any biggie Brit guy in years (ions). I think Phillipx2 could do a pretty good “Maggie May” – that’s what I’d choose for him. For the crying screamer, can’t imagine – don’t know of any Brit Church kind of stuff for his sqeals – so good, maybe he’ll finally go home this week.
I’d like to see one of the girls do LuLu – she had some great songs!
Or maybe, let’s go back a few months, D and Mercedes (I think. Maybe Harriett) and see if anyone might do “Walking Back To Happiness” by Helen Shapiro.
Could conceivably be a fun week, at least with Px2, Hollie and Jessica. The other two – urp! Hope Country Sue doesn’t do any Beatles/Paul, ie “Jr’s Farm”, “Bungalo Bill”, or a couple other with slightest country twinge,
Mercedes S.
April 30th, 2012
10:05 am
Morning!
Am I the only one who’s decided to record “Thrones” and “Borgias” so I can fast-forward the many torture-scenes? Death by rat-in-bucket – ick.
SNL had a brilliant skit a few weeks back about who writes the screenplay for “Thrones” – the books’ author and a hormon-laden 13-year old boy.