AI 11 - Lucky 7 Take On All Three Years of "This Decade"

Ah yes, :sob:, Deandre went home. About time. How do you go on when someone's eliminated? You say "thank god it wasn't me!" and get your butt ready to sing.

What's going on tonight? Why is everyone so excited? (Because Deandre's gone? Maybe that's just me.) And didn't Ryan just say Akon was coming out? All right, I guess that's all going to go without explanation.

Poor Tommy Hilfiger is back again trying to steer the contestants toward clothing he feels will express their personal styles. Trashy for Jessica, Hippie for Elise, No Hippie for Skylar! And then Trashy again for Hollie! Are the contestants really picking all these outfits? I was blaming stylists for some of the poor choices, but from the looks of it, maybe a couple of these girls just have unfortunate fashion sense.

Skylar generally looks cute, though, and as much as I think Kellie Pickler was a lucky DOB in the right place at the right time to get where she got, Skylar's made a good choice in this song. I don't think using the guitar is a good idea, but I hope if she uses it, it doesn't detract from what she delivered in the rehearsal room.

Oh, crap, she did use the guitar. But she seems relaxed enough, and I don't think they're even using her guitar track. It looks like she's just doing basic chords.

Wow, she is really impressive. She sounds like she's been doing this for years, and like somoene who does it professionally. Maybe it was kind of good she had the guitar to restrain herself a little bit from the passionate gesticulating she tends to do. She's fantastic. And she's so sweet and likable. Very well done.

Awesome! Randy and Jennifer thought she was perfect also. I'm so glad. Yes, and you did feel her right from her soul. All the pieces come together, oh, or as Steven just said, "when [she] sing[s] a song, it's a complete sentence." She's even cute talking to Ryan! "Yes, sir!"

Colton is doing a perfect-for him song, "Love the Way You Lie," by an artists named Skylar to feed into the rumors that he's dating Skylar! Just kidding. But good job continuing the rumor, Colton. If it's really him against Phillip, I think Colton's the one ahead. I think Jimmy knows that too, but he wants to push Colton to keep him fighting fresh. It's a good idea.

Back at the piano again. He's a little wavery, but in an appealing way. And Colton's certainly got the winning style and attitude for the audience. In a Twilight world, he's got the sweet sexy vamping thing going. He absolutely sounds like he could be on the radio right now. and of course he has the looks for it. He's really grown on me. I think for someone his age, he's got great musical taste, and proper poise without being off-puttingly overconfident. Yes, this is way more current and mass-market than Phillip, but it's also got a nice artistry for someone as young as he is.

I almost thought Jennifer was going to say "Colton baby, you just won this competition." But I guess she couldn't really say that. I don't know what she means in wishing the song were "more of a song," but judging by what she presented as her own last week, she clearly doesn't have the taste Colton does. I almost loved this coat too, Steven. I actually typed, then deleted when they went in for a closeup and I saw it was striped and a little batty at the collar. I think Randy had the description pretty well perfect. If I didn't think Skylar blew things away with sincerity tonight, I'd say Colton overtook her. It was close, but I think Colton comes in just below her.

Hm! They're using the same matchups as they used last week for the duets. I hope the stupid viewing audience understands that the package video was a joke.

I don't like the way Phillip makes those weird faces and says his "I"s as he does. Elise doesn't sound like she quite has the range to get this song in the bag. She's smearing the words a little too much, too. She's sounding more like a cheap R&B singer with this than she usually does. There's certainly no comparison between this weirdness and last week's incredible duet. It was a little better near the end, though Phillip's last "know" was uncomfortable. It wasn't my favorite.

It's nice to "duet" with Phillip! It's lucky she said that so very carefully.

Jessica Sanchez has chosen a fairly unknown song, but that sort of works for this week. I'm getting a little tired of Jessica's pushy pushy voice. I'm not saying it's not a fantastic voice, I'm just sick of the way she's using it. It's nice that they're pointing out how very thin she looks, because she could do with a little more.

I don't like the song and I don't like her put-on tough attitude for it. It sounds like she's imitating someone else's accent while she's singing. Maybe it's the original singer.

Jessica seemed like she really liked it herself and was quite proud. I guess she sang it well, but as I said I didn't like the song. It sounded like a crappy Mariah Carey or something.

I'm not surprised Randy is impressed with the performance. I'm sure a lot of people really enjoyed it. I don't think there were any technical problems with it. I just didn't like it, and I'm starting to find her boring. Maybe Jennifer is explaining why I'm feeling the way I am. Obviously the girl can sing, but she's not interesting enough to be a star, and I think that's what the American Idol is supposed to be.

I still can't believe Joshua is only 20! He's so mature. Wow, they got the non-star Fantasia to wish Joshua a Happy Birthday. I hope he really likes her, so that makes a least a little sense more than the "mantasia" Fantasia thing, which has never made sense to me.

I'm shocked at Joshua's choice, but I'm excited and hopeful it will show a new side to him. "In the 'urban' world"? What is Jimmy referring to?

Okay, this isn't exactly playing modern. It's going right to the heart of what I always saw him as, a '60s-ish era soul singer. he's just faster here. All he needs are go-go dancers! Oh, I guess he has a go-go dancer, of sorts. It's still new for him, though. It definitely works. It shows he could do a Cee Lo Green type of thing and work on the charts. Perfect. Well done.

Jennifer likes to pet herself like a cat. Ah, ah, ah. But she pulls it together to give him a coherent comment on how he was the whole package tonight. Randy is back with his new catch phrase that makes even less sense than saying everyone in the competition was in it to win it.

Colton and Skylar are back doing their oddly mixed duet this week. Poor Colton has to do country again. Let's see if they can at least equal last week. Uh-oh, Skylar---no, both of them---sounded a little flat. It's the harmony throwing them off, I think. Skylar shows a nice solo to recover some dignity. Are they giving Colton one also? It doesn't look like it. But he reclaims himself with a charming, flirty smile. He's not doing much to fight the rumors, the way he looks at her!

Ha, nice that Steven throws them right under the bus with it. I think I'm in between Randy and the rest. . . I don't know how much it was all due to Skylar, but they did mess up a little. It was still pretty good, though.

Hollie is so amazing, I hope she can deliver this week. I wish she would just sing naturally, like she does in the rehearsal. I was literally just finishing this sentence as Jimmy said what she needed to be was "natural."

But no. She can't do it. She's back to her Shirley Temply breath poof tough face thing. Stop it! Stop it! Why can't she just sing normally like she can? However, unlike most of the other recent performances, she's not going off key at all. As long as the judges don't mind the weird overly powerful shove-out of vocals and pushy strain, it will be okay. The last belt was impressive.

She was good---almost perfect in the notes, except that style I don't like. I guess I agree with Randy. And maybe a little bit of what Jennifer didn't say. . . I think she needed to be less desperate and frightened and more relaxed and confident and feeling the song.

Here we go again with the same old Phillip thing. Are Jimmy and Akon trying to explain that to him? I don't know, given the way they've edited the commentary. They've fixed him up quite a bit with just the steering they've given him. I hope it works out all the way through.

His voice sounds a lot cleaner, and that's really good. I've wanted to hear his voice sound like this (if it was possible) for a long time. Wow, this even sounds little Top 40 marketable. And this week his outfit is from this century. I'm not a fan of Maroon 5,but I think this song is doing him some favors. The notes aren't all perfect, but it's pretty good. The end dissolved a bit into the spitty smiley sort of regular blah, but it was a small step into showing he can be slightly versatile.

Phillip looks confused by the Steve McQueen Johnny Cash talk. Maybe he doesn't know who Steve McQueen is, since he wasn't a musician. He definitely looks like him, though.

I agree with Randy that the start was better---I think I pretty exactly agree with Randy, except to me it was kind of a wow because I was starting to doubt Phillip would (I assumed he could) do this at all.

Okay, so they're dropping fixing the missing duet half to make a threesome of Joshua, Hollie, and Jessica. I hope nobody---yikes! Jessica came out like crap. Whoever dressed the girls for this is nuts, especially with the accessories. I think in general, your earrings should not cover your boobs. And animal teeth or bone should not look like they've been dipped in blood unless you're dressed for Halloween. Hollie sounds better here, but unfortunately nobody judges you on your group sets.

I'm glad Randy pointed out that everyone was good, but I think it was a little unfair to single out Joshua, because he had more to sing.

I really wish Hollie wouldn't have

Oh my gosh, this is hilarious! Elise agrees with me, I hear. I'll have to check out that video on how to vote for her. Oh, man, that's so funny. Elise has occasionally reminded me of Haley Reinhart from last year, and she sang "You and I" also. With her, it was more of a risk, since the song was virtually unknown then. But I think it worked well for her, and I hope it works for Elise too. I think it's also a smart song because of Lady Gaga's unusual looks. AI voters sometimes tend to skew toward the "I'm voting for the prettiest!" and since Elise has a less traditional look, I think it serves her well to remind everyone that you can be an uber-star without the face of someone from Gossip Girl (post nose job). If you have the body to wear a vinyl bikini, of course! But never mind that, we're talking about the face here.

I'm glad Elise listened to Jimmy and Akon in getting rid of the drums. I hope she doesn't improvise too much, because it's obvious that this song is loved as-is.

She starts off well. Did she just screw up, or is that a word I don't hear in there, an extra "this"? Oops. First loud "you and I" was sharp (sounding). What is she talking about? Singing about? Maybe she's singing some version I don't know, interjected with random words and lines. It sounds good, a little overtaxed, maybe like a pro at the end of a long show, but it's okay. There's a little too much zoomba-zoomba-zoom throat gooeyiness to some of it---and by that I mean a kind of buzzing, sloppy lack of anunciation---but it's fine. I think she's definitely winning over more people than she did last week, but I think that's mainly due to the song choice.

I don't know why Randy's gushing quite the way he is. . . she is great, but this wasn't as incredible as all the judges are saying. I think maybe they just want to make sure she stays in the competition. As they should.

Tonight's ranking

1. Skylar

2. Colton

3. Joshua

4. Elise

5. Jessica

6. Hollie is kind of tied with Phillip, and I could go back and forth for different reasons.

7. Phillip

Who's in danger? I think Hollie is going this week. She keeps landing in the bottom and therefore she's obviously not one of the more popular contestants. I think Elise may still be in the bottom too, but I don't know who else. I would absolutely love for it it be Jessica, to knock her down a peg, but more likely it will be Phillip or Joshua. Like I said, though, I think it's a pretty safe bet that Hollie's leaving, so I guess it doesn't really matter who's in the bottom with her (unless it's Jessica!) I wish we could give Hollie one more chance to do things right (like in rehearsal), but I think this is just it for her. It's a real shame, because she has the potential to be amazing.