Tossing Salt Is American Idol - March 28, 2012

Tossing Salt Is American Idol
March 28, 2012
Doug Maynard

Can you believe that it's Week 4 of the competition already? It's American Idol and last week, the men and women who want to be the next American Idol sang the songs of the man himself, Billy Joel. And when the smoke cleared, it was she who cut her hair and changed her look, Erika Van Pelt, who had performed "New York State Of Mind" who was knocked out of contention by the votes of the fans and kicked off the island. And now, this week it's time to do it again.

The judges are Steven Tyler, Randy Jackson and Jennifer Lopez. The coach is Jimmy Iovine and assisting him tonight is the legendary Stevie Nicks. The host is Ryan Seacrest. And me... I'm just happy as a clam. The contestants are singing songs from their own personal idols. I don't know what was in the water tonight, but everyone did a great job and every single contestant stepped up and pushed their skills to the max. A fantastic night of singing. Let's do this!

Colton Dixon started off the show by doing the song "Everything" by Lighthouse. And he set the bar for the rest of the night by doing a great job. It was a little pitchy to me in the beginning, but got better and better as the song went along, plus it showed a side of Colton that we hadn't seen yet. I think he did very well. J-Lo said that she was really moved and the song was beautiful. Randy said that he could feel Colton's heart and passion and the song was "unbelievable". And Steven said that Colton was an American Idol Judges' "dream come true" and that Colton has "star quality".

Skylar Laine was the next to perform and her song pick was the Miranda Lambert song "Gunpowder And Lead". Skylar was really in her element with this song and really did a good job. Skylar has that Gretchen Wilson vibe about her and will have, I think, a good future in country music. J-Lo said that Skylar had "unbridled energy" and that this was the "perfect song for her". Randy loved it and called Skylar a great performer and powerhouse singer. And Steven said that it was "over the top" and "beautiful".

Next up was our first "trio" songfest as Colton, Elise and Phillip worked together to do a melody of Fleetwood Mac songs in honor of the guest mentor, Stevie Nicks. Steven Tyler said that the merry threesome was "damn good" and "most excellent".

And the Clown Prince of Idol, Heejun Han was the next to perform. His choice was "A Song For You", originally done by Leon Russell and guess what? Heejun left the jokes in the back and sang his heart out. The young man showed exactly why he was selected to be on Idol in the first place and did an amazing job. He got a standing ovation from the judges and most of the audience. Steven, who last week ripped Heejun a new one, said that Heejun "did it" and made the song "come alive" and was "great". Randy said that Heejun was "back" and while the song wasn't perfect, it had a beautiful tone. And J-Lo said that when Heejun connects with the song, it really moves people.

Hollie Cavanagh was the next to perform and her selection was a Carrie Underwood song called "Jesus At The Wheel". Hollie was really emotionally into the song and it showed with every movement and every expression on her face. J-Lo said that it was one of her best and she really connected with the song. Randy said that Hollie had a few pitchy moments, but did a good job and he was impressed. Steven said that he could feel the emotion, but he wished that she had picked and performed a different song. This one was just "okay" to him.

The Hairy One, DeAndre Brockensick was the next to come up and perform and his song was a song called "Sometimes I Cry" by Eric Benot. Damn, DeAndre can sing! Those high pitched notes and that falsetto coming from his throat just isn't natural. He did an amazing job. Steven said that it was 100% passion, beautiful and that DeAndre could give Prince a run for his money. J-Lo said that people need to pick up the phones and vote for DeAndre, saying that his music went straight to the heart. And Randy called it "beautiful", noting that DeAndre knows who he is and where he should be and that, just like Heejun earlier, DeAndre is back!

Jessica Sanchez came up next and the song she performed was "Sweet Dreams", originally done by Beyonce. Jessica slowed it down a bit and made it into a ballad and did a really good job. She has an amazing voice. J-Lo said that it was really, really beautiful and left them wanting more. Steven called it a great performance and said that Jessica was a star, no matter what. She really knows her notes and was "delicious". And Randy said that Jessica had "unbelievable talent" and was one of the "best singers in many years".

And then we got a melody of Michael Jackson songs from the trio of Heejun, DeAndre and Joshua who proved that they're great singers, but not very good dancers. It was a fun performance to watch though and J-Lo gave them all an "A" for effort and said it was perfect.

Phillip Phillips was the next to perform and he did the Johnny Lang classic, "Still Raining". Phillip really gets into his music and he's probably the most real and natural performer competing this year. In my opinion, he's definitely the front-runner of a very talented pack of singers and entertainers. J-Lo said that Phillip makes everyone feel the music and everything else just goes away. She called Phillip "amazing". Steven said that Phillip owns every song that he sings and that he "loves it!" And Randy said that Johnny Lang is probably very proud right now and that Phillip has big things in front of him.

Here comes Joshua Ledet up next and his song is the Mariah Carey song "Without You". That's a tough song and though the start was a little pitchy, Joshua really got into the song and took it over and did a great job, breaking into a few tears at the end. The emotion was amazing! Steven said Joshua pushed his limits and did it so well. It was "beautiful" and Joshua poured his heart out. J-Lo called Joshua a "phenom" and an "angel from Heaven" and closed by calling him "something special". And Randy noted that Joshua has a giant voice made for big songs and this was flawless and brilliant.

One more trio of talent as Hollie, Skylar and Jessica came out and did a melody of Madonna songs. Randy called the effort "very fun", "cool" and "very nice".

And finally,we got our last performance of the night, Elise Testone, who brought down the house and did an amazing rendition of the Led Zeppelin classic "Whole Lotta Love". So far this season, Elise hasn't impressed me very much, but she owned this song and did an unbelievable job. I was very impressed. J-Lo called her a "real rock star" and said it was "crazy". Randy noted that her choice was one of the hardest songs in the world to sing and that Elise did an amazing job. And Steven said Elise "made Robert Plant proud tonight".

And that closed the show of what was easily was the best night, voice-wise, this season by far. Everyone brought their A-games tonight and did some amazing jobs. So who will be going home tomorrow night? The voters and fans really have their work cut out for them tonight. But as is my way, I've got my picks for the Bottom Three. I don't think they're actually the worst singers in the competion, but everyone did so well tonight, I just think these were just slightly behind the curve. So who will it be? I think the "Bottom Three" tomorrow night will be: Heejun Han, Hollie Cavanagh and Joshua Ledet. And when the votes are counted and the final bell tolls, it will be Hollie Cavanagh taking that "Walk of Shame" and heading home.

So what did you think of Idol tonight? Am I right with my "Bottom Three" or am I totally full of it and clueless? Let me know what you think.

And on that, I'm out of here until next week. Don't forget to watch Wrestlemania XXVIII on Sunday night at 7:00pm. Thanks for reading. Im Doug and I'll catch you on the flip side.

Ubuntu!