Tuesday and Wednesday this week, the twenty-four American Idol contestants were divided into groups of twelve. Tuesday was ladies night, and last night the men performed. There was a reason the twenty-four were chosen. Critics are saying this is the most talented American Idol group to date, but after two nights of poor song choices and rough criticism from the judges, viewers have been on the edge of their seats waiting to find out if their favorites were good enough to go on to the next round.
Before the big announcement about which four will be going home, all twenty-four contestants joined voices to sing “American Boy.” It was interesting watching them strut their stuff together, as the body language was so clear. Some of them still seem a little discouraged after their first performance, while others took the experience in stride.
One by one, Ryan went over the criticism received for each of the ladies. At the end of their criticism, he let them know if they were safe. Siobhan, Haeley, Michelle, Katelyn and Katey all received enough votes from the public to go on and compete. Janell Wheeler was the first contestant voted off the show, and though you could see the disappointment in her face, she admitted that she had a bad feeling about her fate. She bowed out gracefully, and sang “What About Love,” before saying goodbye.
Holding up the suspense, former Idol contestant, Allison Iraheta performed before Ryan announced the fate of the rest of the contestants. After her performance, Ryan asked the final ladies to stand. Paige, Lacey, Lilly, Crystal and Didi were all safe, and Ashley Rodriguez was given the bad news. After thanking her family, she sang “Happy,” and though she was probably unhappy about being sent home, Ellen said it best when she noted this was the beginning of an opportunity, not an ending.
Big Mike, John, Aaron, Todrick and Tim were all safe, but Joe Munoz sang his final goodbye. When it came down to Joe and Tim, I really thought Tim would go, as Joe performed better, but as the judges noted, Tim is cute, and that very likely got him the votes he needed.
Before announcing the final cast off, “American Idol” announced their efforts to raise money for Haiti, and Chris Allen performed “let It Be.” The download for his performance will be available on iTunes, and all proceeds will go to the Haitian Relief Effort.
Casey, Jermaine, Lee, Andrew and Alex were waved on to the next round. Tyler Grady felt like he didn’t get enough constructive criticism during Hollywood week to help him once he reached the stage. Everyone believed he had the presence of a rock star, without the chops to carry that frontman presence. Tyler Grady performed his version of American Woman one last time.
Next week, the remaining twenty return to battle it out for the American Idol title.
Photo via FOX
