AI 11 - 8 Remain for the '80s

I was shocked that Skylar was in the bottom three last week, but not surprised that Heejun went. He was really the least good-sounding singer left, on the whole. I don't think he was bad, but he had the accent he wasn't getting rid of, and he . . . well, Deandre was horrendous, but there was a little more novelty to him. But I think he should go next, for sure. Like Heejun this past week, Deandre just can't measure up to who's left. They're all 8-10 and he's maybe a 6.

Why are they using the Dirty Dancing font and playing "Broken Wings"? Is this going to be '80s week or something? It seems like they kind of already did that with the birth year song week.

Ryan is such a cheeseball. His hair looks yallower than usual. Oh, or maybe that's just the light. So it is '80s week. Well, I hope they choose more really '80s-sounding songs this time. Although I guess there were a few during the birth year one.

Deandre is so disgustingly obsessed with that hair. It's nice curls, sure, but he's worse than most girls with the touching and the flipping and head tilting. It's such a turnoff. Plus, you can see that he has a handsome face, and it would stand out so much more if he chopped that feminine Michael Bolton mop.

Every song Deandre sings sounds exactly the same the way he delivers it (in falsetto), so at this point it doesn't matter what he chooses. Falsetto--oh-oh, falsetti-oh-ooh-oh-oh is all you hear. It's like Charlie Brown adults, but high pitched instead of low.

I think Gwen Stefani is misinterpreting Deandre's look as "worried" when really it's "checking to see that you're watching me/the camera is on me." Gwen's companion looks fittingly bored, but so maybe that is slightly worrying him. I think the producers are actually trying to play up the idea that he's nervous or self-conscious because he really comes across to an audience like an overconfident, undertalented, cocky-arrogant jerk.

Oh my gosh! I agree, but I'm shocked Jimmy Iovine admitted that he thinks Deandre is in the bottom three even before his performance! It sounded like they tried to cover that up a little with the start of the music, but someone put it in there to start with. I feel like that could cause trouble, if only behind the scenes. I wouldn't be surprised if people blamed JImmy when he gets low votes, though. I just hope it doesn't cause an irregularity in backlash protective voting. That's the last thing the competition needs, because he really is the worst.

There it is again, as he starts: Deandre's interests are the camera and his hair, not his audience. The singing isn't as bad as it's been in the past. There's a little bit of non-falsetto, which is best. But he's clearly not really feeling the song or thinking about what he's saying, he's just singing. There's absolutely no connection to the meaning or to the audience. That doesn't work for me.

Thank you, Randy, for pointing out that Deandre should sing less in falsetto and more in his natural voice, maybe with a falsetto garnish.

Oh, I love Foreigner, and I love Elise, so I'm looking forward to this. What? Now she's doing Hallelujah? No, no, no. Okay---oh! and she realizes it herself, that's good. Foreigner is better for this week. I don't think of Hallelujuah as '80s-sounding so much as '70s.

But I don't like this beginning. I don't know what the other people's experiences are with this song, but this is too like it and not enough like it at the same time.It's not special enough, compared to her other performances. It's apt, and she does sound believable, but it doesn't measure up to what she can do. I don't understand the clocks background either. It's just weird. She got a little better near the end, but the R&B run at the very end wasn't right, and was a clear copy of her Vienna run, almost a copout.

It seems like the judges agree with me. I hope this doesn't do her in. She doesn't deserve that. I don't agree with Randy. He should have said this last week to Colton! He was the one under the note the whole time.

It sounds like maybe she psyched herself out trying to pick just the right song this week to pick something showing versatility, instead of just going with whatever felt right. She should worry less about that and more about showing herself through instinct.

Why do they have Colton singing Islands in the Stream with Skylar? It seems right in her genre, but out of his, so if they wanted to change it up, it would work better for him than for her, though for her it would be better if they stuck to the traditional. They're going the traditional route, which definitely works better for her, but is kind of lackluster for both of them. It's good, and they are right on the harmonies, but maybe it isn't special enough for people to take notice. I love the song, so I like it. But I'm not thirteen. The end was more powerful than the start, and I'm glad Randy pointed out the complexity of the duet.

Why does Ryan have to embarrass everyone by implying romances? Nice that Skylar tried to clear it up, but I'm sure rumors will continue.

I'm not surprised Phillip is doing a Genesis song, because he clearly likes that sound, and appreciates Phil Collins at least. It has sounded to me like he at least has been influenced by older musicians he's worked with. And now they prove the point showing him playing with his brother-in-law! But no, his brother-in-law is younger than I meant---though still old enough to offer a few different musical selecti9ons than he might have otherwise been exposed to.

It's nice that they're showing Phillip's brother-in-law, too, because there's an example of a talented musician who can never, ever be on American Idol because he's old, old, old! Over 28! A corpse walking!

They really need to eliminate the age limit.

Oh my god! Phillip sounded awful in the rehearsal. I guess he just had work to do, but they should have let him do a little more of it before they showed him.

Gwen Stefani's companion definitely gave good advice to stop and deliver the line with no guitar.

This, like Elise but worse, just doesn't seem special compared to what he's done. And there's something about the way he's translated the song melodically that makes the end of every line (and more) sound off key. It isn't working. And it's another one where he sounds more angry than tough or scruffy or whatever it is he's usually doing. He looks like he knows it too, or maybe he's just straining with it so much that he looks upset. Altogether, I think this is the worst he's done so far. He also looks the worst. He's got one of those weird half-inch-of-staright-fine-hair "beards" started. He looks unkempt and worn out. I wonder if he's not feeling well. I wonder if they put makeup on the other guys and he won't let them. He looks red-rimmed and ---what? He skipped over the "been" on a "there's been no one." Why would he do that? He knows those lyrics, clearly. Maybe he just got screwed up trying not to play the guitar.

Wow, that was his brother-in-law onstage! The styling made him look so good he was almost unrecognizable to me. I wonder how good Phillip could look, if he'd give them a chance.

The judges are blowing smoke, possibly just because they want to insure his survival. I would like to insure his survival as well, because he's definitely deserving. But this was not good.

Why oh why did they pair Hollie with Deandre? maybe since it's an all-girls' song, it's not a bad choice. It's cute. It sounds similar to the original. It's funny that they have Deandre singing most of the higher parts and Hollie doing the deep. I really like what Hollie showed she could do with the semisolo at the end. Strong, without being forced kissyjujjing---how do you spell "jujj"? "Zhuzzh?" I hope the word is coming across.

Joshua has picked a perfect song for himself in "If You Don't Know Me By Now", but he really should make sure not to overdo it. Gwen Stefani agrees with me. The fact that she calls it "the whatever he does right there" it's clear that she's not quite appreciating it. I hope the adjustments they made in the rehearsal fixed the overdoing, because in my eyes that's his one downfall.

The "never kn-me--woo!' was a little weird, and the trick bits of repetition just to make sounds were pointless, but he was pretty good. I'd put him in front right now (although that's not saying much). He was aware of what he was singing and it was all on key and strong. It could have been a performance at a professional concert. It wasn't exactly what I wanted, but I'm sure it was many people's potfuls of tea.

Clearly all the judges enjoyed the tea. That's good, because I'd like to see him stay. He's got talent. I'd like to see him show even more of his breadth, though. He can do more, he's just doing the same right now. Someone push him to do a little different, just so we can hear it.

Wow, I'm shocked Joshua is only 19. I thought he was older. But I really think he should have had a little of experience

So, Jessica is doing Whitney Houston again. Maybe that will help her live up to her previous good performance of Whitney Houston. If there's an opportunity to do it, I suppose this would be it. A cheat to live up to yourself.

I don't know if it's a good idea to have an alter ego, or categorize what you do as someone else inside you. But if it's a tool she has to use, I guess she has to.

She's pushing way too hard at the end of every line, and it sounds ugly. Every time she gets loud, actually, even on the ooos. I don't like the trilling on the "know"s either. She sounds pretty good, clean, a little nicely tough. Oddly enough, at the power point, she looks fake in her "comfort" and doesn't sound as strong. And uh-oh, once again she gets out of breath (like she did in "Turn the Beat Around") and it's clearly audible. She has to get control of that. There's no way you should get out of breath just walking around.

Unlike Jennifer, I don't think her actions seem natural, they seem like playing pretend to me, and like she doesn't always quite believe herself. I don't understand why the judges aren't saying anything to her about her shortcomings here. Randy even pointed out how Whitney sang it so effortlessly, but that was exactly what Jessica did not do here.

I hope Phillip and Elise redeem themselves on "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around." Good, sounds like it. Especially Elise. Why didn't she sing something smoky and sexy like this for her individual performance? I think even Heart would have been a better choice for her. I like that Phillip stays more with his nonscruff voice in the duets and and group songs. They sounded a little tired near the end, but all in all, it was a good show of what these two should have done in their own performances, rather than what they did. And thank god! I hope this is what the voters remember. Phillip looked way more put together for this performance also.

Did Hollie say her dog was Shankly? How cute! Frankly, Mr. Shankly. I agree with Jimmy that the song is cheesy, but so is so much pop! It's perfect in its cheesiosity. It tells the whole story straight out, plain jane, but with hooks. Gwen Stefani is right---the song starts out quietly, but it's an excited, hopeful quiet, the calm before the explosion. What is this talking when Hollie's talking to Ryan? I hope whatever this technical issue is, it doesn't throw her off. Her dress is beautiful and flattering to her, for once.

Shit. Why does she always have to start off with that Broadway drama and thick sound? Why can't she just sing and relax? She's better once she passes the first "what a feeling," but she doesn't look relaxed. She looks like she's going to attack or something, with her crouched stance. Her hair isn't doing her any favors either. It's okay, but it's not that great. The predator-like stance is unnervingly reminiscent of Shannon's posture in her elimination performance. I hope doesn't presage anything bad for her.

Jennifer is exactly on target. I think listening to all the advice is wrecking Hollie. It's a crying shame, because she's got some of the top talent in this group. I hope she has the time to fix it.

It's nice that Ryan finally introduces Gwen's companion, because he's not recognizable to me, or I'm sure many others. Tony Canal, from her band.

Joshua and Jessica sound good together. Joshua looks very un-passionate, though, which I don't like, especially with such a fabulous song. I don't think either of them appreciate the song enough. They're trying to deliver, but to show off, not to show off the song. It's almost like it wouldn't have mattered what they sang. But they were good. Sounded professional. It was funny, though, since the growl-soul and smooth soul were reversed here from the original. I only disagree with the judges because the original song had understanding passion, and this one was more like desperate delivery.

So of course Colton is doing "Time After Time" if he's doing Cyndi Lauper. Yup. Let's see how his take works.

We may have the top performance here tonight. And weirdly, it sounds very '80s, though totally different than the original. It has a Psych Furs-meets-Duran Duran with maybe a little more mixed in. Very John Hughes soundtrack. There are tinges of annoying '90s Green Day garbage and current emo faux-stuffynose whining, but on the whole, it's good. And sounds original to Colton. It's definitely the top tonight for me.

Randy is wrong in the comparisons to Joshua and especially to Phillip. But not wrong in his assessment of Colton. Though it's clear Colton needs no bolstering. Oh, so Colton ripped off the arrangement. Well, it's happened before, and without credit given. I don't think anyone will care. It may mean he's less creative than I thought, but at least he recognizes quality.

I hope Skylar's hunting, deer-eating ways don't lessen her appeal to the audience.

I don't know if I liked Skylar's take on "9 to 5." It didn't even sound like she was pronouncing the "5." I'll be glad to hear "Wind Beneath My WIngs" instead. And I want to hear what she sounds like with a ballad, yay. I always like to hear the differences people can offer.

She's little more unsteady in her starts and finishes in the ballad, but she sounds pretty good. I think with practice, she'd be all over this style. In the more powerful chorus, she's right there and sounds unique and lovely. She's a little too nasal for my tastes in some of this, but she's good. The end was exceptional. She really showed that she could do something completely different really well, which is awesome. I can't believe she was in the bottom three last week! So unfair. She's my second place again this week, maybe even first in terms of heart and vocal ability.

Tonight's ranking, based solely on individual performances:

1. & 2. Skylar & Colton, because I don't want to pick. They get the top spots for individual reasons.

3. Joshua

4. Jessica

5. Deandre

6. Elise

7. Hollie

8. Phillip

Tonight's ranking including duets:

1. & 2. Skylar & Colton

3. Elise

4. Jessica

5. Joshua

6. Hollie

7. Deandre

8. Phillip

I don't think Phillip is really in danger of leaving, but he may be in the bottom three for the first time. I think it will be Hollie, Deandre, and Phillip, possibly with Elise, hopefully not wit the totally undeserving of bottom Skylar. Deandre looked ridiculous in the recap.

Who should go? Deandre.

Who will go? I hope Deandre, but I'm worried for Hollie.