You may have been surprised by Phillip Phillips‘ American Idol win on Wednesday, but the singer’s father, also named Phillip Phillips, revealed an even bigger shocker: the 21-year-old Georgian actually underwent a total of eight kidney surgeries during his tenure on the 11th season of Idol.

“He’s been doing [well], but it’s just grueling hours and it’s just amazing what he’s done through the journey,” the senior Phillips told People. “Eight operations since we started American Idol… He’s hitting 50 percent, but he’s still up there swinging away.”

In addition to snagging the Idol crown this year, Phillips achieved another victory yesterday when his coronation song “Home” rose to the top of the iTunes download chart. Today the plucky guitar jam is still sitting in the peak position at the online music retailer.

Phillip's goofiest 'Idol' Faces

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But according to People, before Phillips can head out on the annual Idols Live Tour, he still needs to undergo another surgery:

The younger Phillips, 21, suffered with a build up of kidney stones and underwent multiple operations to remove them. In the next few weeks, after another surgery to reconstruct his kidneys, he is expected to make a full recovery in time for the Idols Live tour.

“I’m going to get some surgery done, so I’m going to get all better for the tour,” the singer told reporters following his Idol triumph the other day. “It was very tough [getting through the season]. I had great doctors and great people surrounding me [who] really helped out, so it’s just a blessing to be here.”

Will you be heading out to see Phillip and the Season 11 singers when they hit the road this summer?

American Idol champion Phillip Phillips may be the show’s fifth WGWG (White Guy With A Guitar), but the Georgia native already has something not many other Idol winners possess: a universally loved coronation song.

“Home” was penned by Drew Pearson (who has worked with previous Idols Adam Lambert, Lee DeWyze and Casey Abrams) and UK singer Greg Holden. It was originally intended for Holden, but was submitted to Interscope’s Jimmy Iovine, who (accurately) thought it was perfect for Phil. The single is currently #1 on iTunes and has been getting an overwhelmingly positive response from fans and music bloggers. In fact, the one person who may not be that crazy about the song is Phillip Phillips.

“I don’t write songs like that,” Phillips told reporters of the track. “It’s a very good song and I’m glad people enjoyed it, but I’m itching to do my own stuff.”

“The song that I did tonight that supposedly is my single, it’s not really my single, I told them it’s not my single,” he continued. “I have my own stories to tell,” he said, “[But] I couldn’t do my song [on the finale]; we just didn’t have enough time.”

So what would Phil’s personally-written original tunes sound like? “Jazz and rock alternative sound; not really rock-rock — pretty different,” he says.

It’s too bad that Phillip doesn’t appear to be totally on board with the sound of “Home”, especially since pretty much everyone is shocked by how much they like it. Look below to see what we mean:

Popdust likes the song, and believes it ”runs with the necessary thematic elements needed to market someone who came from a reality competition show, while picking up more interesting styles that focus on instrumentals and arrangement in addition to vocals.”

Idol Chatter thinks Phillips’ song is ”very commercially viable and sounds like radio today mixed with a little old-school Simon and Garfunkel.” They add, “Home has to rank as one of the best Idol coronation songs ever.”

MJsBigBlog seems surprised, calling the song “actually pretty damn good” and “I’m not ashamed to admit that I downloaded this one.”

EW Music Mix gives the song an A-, and (like pretty much everyone else) likens it to Mumford & Sons and Fleet Foxes. They give it quite a compliment, saying, “The triumphant track is easily the coolest, most relevant song ever used as a reality TV coronation song.”

Rickey.org keeps it simple in their review: “I love this song. I hope it becomes a hit. It sounds like a remix of Mumford and Sons and Arcade Fire! Go Phillip!”

Spin, who titles their post “American Idol Shocker: Phillip Phillips’ Coronation Song ‘Home’ Doesn’t Suck” calls the tune “shockingly good — especially for an Idol coronation song, which have a tendency to be horrifyingly embarrassing.”

Vulture‘s Idol blogger Dave Holmes admits that he loves it, as it’s “the first of these Idol winner songs I can actually imagine becoming a hit song.” He gushes, “It is perfect for him: It’s right in his range, the arrangement updates his shtick to this decade, and a nation of pubescent girls imagines him singing its lyric directly to them. Game over.”

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What do you think of Phillip’s coronation song? Did you download it? Or are still too bummed out that Jessica didn’t win? Sound off below!

Before Phillip Phillips teared his way through his coronation song “Home” on the American Idol finale, Idol judge Steven Tyler took the stage with Aerosmith to bust out the group’s new single “Legendary Child”. The rock tune comes off the band’s forthcoming album Music From Another Dimension, due August 28 on Columbia. The LP is their first studio release since 2004′s Honkin’ On Bobo, and their first album to feature only original music since 2001′s Just Push Play. So, it’s been over a decade since Aerosmith have attempted a serious try for radio domination. Can “Legendary Child” nab them their first Top 10 hit since 2001′s “Jaded”?

Hear the studio recording of the single below, then check out the tracklisting for their 15th studio album.

Aerosmith – “Legendary Child”

Aerosmith - Music From Another Dimension

1. What Could Have Been Love
2. Beautiful
3. Street Jesus
4. Legendary Child
5. Oh Yeah
6. We All Fall Down
7. Another Last Goodbye
8. Out Go the Lights
9. Love Three Times a Day
10. Closer
11. Shakey Ground
12. Love a Lot
13. Freedom Fighter
14. Up on the Mountain

Phillip Phillips wasn’t the only one realizing his dreams on Wednesday night’s American Idol Season 11 finale. Top 3 finalist — and our not-so-secret favorite from this cycle — Joshua Ledet made a triumphant return to the Idol stage alongside “the biggest inspiration of [his] life” Season 3 winner Fantasia Barrino. And whoo boy was that inspiration apparent as the two soul powerhouses let loose on “Take Me To The Pilot”, turning Elton John‘s 1970 B-side into an old-school gospel revival. It was something like a family act, Fantasia in a form-fitting sequin catsuit and Josh in a iridescent cream blazer, screaming in call-and-answer to one another from across the crowd. See if you can’t resist clapping along with Jennifer Lopez and Randy Jackson, or having a good chuckle at the downright beffuddled-looking Scotty McCreery at the 2:46 mark.

Well, Season 11 of American Idol is officially over and Phillip Phillips has been crowned its winner. Now that the confetti has settled on the least watched AI finale ever, we thought it was high time to properly honor the Georgia native with the thing that we know him for best. No, not for that Dave Matthews‘ doppelganger sound — we’re taking a look back at those awkward grimaces he makes when he sings. So press play on the studio version of his coronation song “Home”, sit back and have yourself a good chuckle — especially if you voted for Jessica Sanchez.

132 million votes may have been cast for last night’s Phillip Phillips-championing American Idol finale, but 132 million people weren’t watching. Preliminary Neilsen ratings show that 20.7 million viewers watched the Wednesday night finale, a 29% drop from last year’s Scotty McCreery-winning finale. Those numbers still make the Season 11 send-off the most-watched show since the Oscars back in February, but they’re low enough to make it the least-watched Idol finale in the show’s history. (The debut season of the show tapped 23 million viewers, while the show’s high came during Season 2 when 38.1 million tuned in to see Clay Aiken not win.)

Don’t worry, Phillip² — your debut single “Home” is #1 on iTunes. Those are the only numbers right now that matter as far as you’re concerned.

[Via E! Online]

Jessica Sanchez‘s potential American Idol winner’s song (newsflash: Phillip Phillips won last night) is called “Change Nothing”, though we have a feeling there are a few things the 16-year-old wouldn’t mind changing — one of them being the fact that while Phillips’ coronation single “Home” is currently the top download on iTunes, “Change Nothing” is nowhere to be found on the online retailer’s chart, which tracks the 200 most-downloaded songs.

“It did bomb, didn’t it? The song didn’t work well live,” Interscope chief/Idol mentor Jimmy Iovine said to The Hollywood Reporter. Agree with his sentiment? Give the studio version of “Change Nothing” a listen below and decide whether you think the 16-year-old runner-up’s pop ballad deserved better or not.

Jessica Sanchez — ”Change Nothing”

Do you like Phillip Phillips‘ Idol winner’s song, America? Apparently you do! Since “Home” was slapped on iTunes following Tuesday night’s final performance round ahead of the American Idol finale, the single has become the top download on the retailer’s chart. And so it’s pretty safe to assume that, naturally, some of those 132 million votes that came in (!!) for the show’s results have translated into money spent on sending “Home” to its new home of #1.

The whimsical, plucky guitar tune was co-written by Drew Pearson and Greg Holden, and aims for a Coldplay-like ambiance. Does it succeed? We’ll let you be the judge. Give a listen to the studio version of “Home” below.

Phillip Phillips — ”Home”

Does Phillip Phillips’ first single remind you of “Home”? Sound off in the comments below, or on Facebook and Twitter.

Phillip Phillips' goofiest sing-faces

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Well, America, after Wednesday night’s (May 23) never-ending assembly line of celebrity guests and sequined bodysuits, you and your world record 132 million votes gave us a shocker, but not really, because the guys always win American Idol. Fellow citizens, even though in the end it really doesn’t matter who gets to call themselves the winner, you got it wrong. Yes, Phillip Phillips is a good performer, and his voice has character, and he would presumably write his own songs, which is admirable.

Phil is energetic, likable and earnest, and we’re sure he’ll have some success. But listening to him, it’s just nice. That’s it. Jessica Sanchez has a vocal gift. Her voice has the power to move you, to make your eyes well up, and to literally move you as in “get you to stand up out of your chair and throw your hands on top of your head because you can’t believe what you’re hearing.” By this reality singing competition’s eleventh season, let’s all just admit that the “crowd-sourcing our stars” experiment has officially failed.

Jessica proved that on her “And I Am Telling You…” duet with its original singer, Jennifer Holliday, in a performance that probably had a lot of people wishing they could take back their Phillip votes. You guys, this performance, what can we even say about it?! A 16-year-old has NO BUSINESS holding her own with a legendary power singer like that. It was the impressive spectacle we knew she was capable of, and exactly what she was missing on Tuesday night (May 22).

So while it was heartwarming to see Phil break down in tears in the middle of singing “Home” after his victory, Jessica’s duet is the moment people will remember from Season 11.

So how did we get to that last dramatic light-dimming and announcement? The show started with the season 11 rejects all in white (take THAT, Memorial Day fashion police) singing Bruno Mars‘ “Runaway Baby.” It felt like years ago that we had last heard the likes of Colton Dixon, Shannon Magrane, Jeremy Rosado, and Erika Van Pelt singing. But for the most part everyone sounded good.

Next, Phil was joined by the legendary John Fogerty for Creedence Clearwater Revival‘s “Have You Ever Seen The Rain?” and “Bad Moon Rising.” Yes, the author of your parents’ favorite anti-war anthem “Fortunate Son” was now performing on the Idol stage. Times they are a-changin’.

Then Joshua Ledet took the stage with his inspiration, Season 3 winner Fantasia, for Elton John‘s “Take Me To The Pilot.” And there was so much improvised screeching coming from both parties that the performance got cut off by the commercial break. Now that there’s no competition on the line, Josh apparently had no qualms about straight-up screaming through an entire song.

The ladies of the Top 12 were up next, with a medley of Chaka Khan‘s “Ain’t Nobody” and “Through The Fire” before a surprise visit from Chaka herself on “I’m Every Woman.”  Even today her voice cuts right through the air like a soulful ninja star.

Rihanna next took the stage for her latest smash hit “Where Have You Been” while sporting her new dreads. Whereas her SNL performance consisted mainly of crotch-patting, this one involved a laser pyramid, sky-dancers, shirtless tribal drummers, and overall she was more active and entertaining.

Rihanna, “Where Have You Been”

Sick of all the guest stars? Tough, we’re not even close to being done. Lil’ Reba a/k/a Skylar Laine fulfilled the prophecies by performing “Turn On The Radio” with Reba McEntire in what was one of the night’s most entertaining sets. Like Dr. Evil with Mini Me, Reba was happy to show off Skylar and it may end up being a “passing of the torch” moment.

Jessica then did what she always does to Whitney Houston songs with another take of “I Will Always Love You.” Do I even need to describe it? Just a classic sound from a barely-old-enough-to-drive girl.

And then…yikes. The guys of the Top 12 came together for a medley before Neil Diamond jumped in. And while our Idols (even Jeremy) sounded great, we think it might be time for Neil to hang it up. He did the William Shatner talk-sing thing through all of “Sweet Caroline” and we’re pretty sure he botched the “touch-ing youuuu” line. We feel bad, so we’re gonna stop talking about it.

After that, venerable judge Jennifer Lopez opened the 2004 time capsule and found Lil Jon so he backed her on “Goin’ In.” Her next song, “Follow The Leader”, was Jon-less. We have to say, we were expecting the backing track to do much more of the heavy lifting than it did. Bravo, JLo.

Among all the star power and music industry pimping, did you think Idol would fit in a moment for true love? We didn’t! But former contestants Ace Young and Diana DeGarmo walked onstage and Ace proposed and she said yes. Both were clearly nervous and she seemed genuinely shocked, so it was a touching moment. Except, ya know, for that part where Ace mentioned that it was sponsored by some jewelry company that we won’t mention because, God, how cheeser was that? Otherwise, though, cute.

After that, little Hollie Cavanagh and Jordin Sparks owned “You’ll Never Walk Alone” in another of the night’s highlights. We think Hollie might do OK after all.

But it was one step forward, two steps back as the guys paid “tribute” (using that word loosely) to the late Robin Gibb with a Bee Gees medley. Everyone was off-key and even Josh sounded flat, making this the worst performance of the night.

After that, of course, was Jessica’s ferocious, unreal duet. In a just world, Ryan Seacrest would’ve stopped the show at that point, torn up the envelope and handed her the trophy.

The second honorable judge was next up, as Steven Tyler joined drummer Guy Fieri and the rest of Aerosmith for their new song “Legendary Child”, which shocked us by how much it sounded like vintage Aerosmith. This is a good thing! They also played “Walk This Way” and ya know what? Tyler may not hit those high wails anymore, but they still got it.

And finally, Jessica and Phillip joined for a duet of “Up Where We Belong” right before being called up for the final results. Phillip Phillips won, confetti and tears fell, Jessica handled it like a pro, and that was that.

Congratulations to Phil, and also to Jessica. We look forward to seeing what those kids can do in the real world. Don’t you ruin them, Iovine!

Did Jessica get robbed, or was Phil the right choice? Sound off in the comments, or on Twitter and Facebook.

No nonsense this time, just wall-to-wall singing for the final performance show of American Idol season 11. Jessica Sanchez and Phillip Phillips faced off in three rounds; for Round 1, they did songs chosen by American Idol creator Simon Fuller. The contestants chose their favorite song of the season for the second outing, and the final round saw them performing what would be their first single if they win. Read on for the round-by-round breakdown.

Before we get to the good stuff, we’re contractually obligated to mention the performances by Jason Derulo and season 10 winner Scotty McCreery. Derulo made his triumphant, neck brace-free return with the new song “Undefeated,” which I guess all you guys wrote the lyrics to along with Coca-Cola or something? Anyway, it was good to see him healthy again, working a sweat and busting out some fly moves all across the stage. Basically, it was like watching a bizarro, likeable version of Chris Brown.

And to close out the show, Scotty McCreery performed the song that soundtracks all the eliminated Idols’ nightmares, “Please Remember Me.” If you don’t listen to country that often (i.e. only when it’s on Idol), that kid’s voice just comes out and shocks the s*** out of you. Every. Single. Time. It’s like aged molasses dripping out of a vintage clay pitcher held by the most innocent-looking  cartoon 10-year-old. Hard to process.

Now, to the real issues.

ROUND 1

Jessica opened the show with “I Have Nothing” by Whitney Houston. Jessica’s been invincible with Whitney all season, and this was no different. Just because we expect her to be flawless when she sings this song doesn’t mean it still isn’t impressive when she delivers.

Jessica Sanchez, “I Have Nothing”

Phil countered with a slowed down version of the classic “Stand By Me”  by Ben E. King. The new arrangement was daring, since it removed all the original’s familiarity. And we’re not sure his voice is strong enough to reinvent such an iconic tune. That said, he still has a refined sound he didn’t have earlier this year.

Phillip Phillips, “Stand By Me”

Round 1 winner: Randy Jackson and Jennifer Lopez handed this round to Jessica, and we’d have to agree.

ROUND 2

Jessica chose to perform “The Prayer” by Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli, which is the song that got her into the Top 24. We were a little disappointed, since she already gave us a ballad highlighting her voice’s power. But then she held out that “alllll” allll the way to the sky and we changed our minds. Everything seems effortless with her: the key changes, the crescendos and decrescendos, the vibrato, any other music-related term ending in a vowel, she can do it naturally.

Jessica Sanchez, “The Prayer”

Phil chose “Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)”, which he sang in the Top 10 for Billy Joel week. This one saw him moving back into Dave Matthews territory, but it was certainly entertaining, and more fun than Jessica’s. But that doesn’t necessarily mean better.

Phillip Phillips, “Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)”

Round 2 winner: Steven Tyler gave it to Jessica, JLo gave it to Phillip, and Randy felt it was a tie. Well, we’ll gladly play the role of tiebreaker here: Jessica won. This is a singing competition, yes?

ROUND 3

Jessica’s potential winning single was a syrupy piece of disposable pop balladry called “Change Nothing.” Better title: “Change EVERYTHING (Caps Lock)”. Where was the energy, the soul, the trademark fierceness?? Who advised her to do three slow songs? We know Jessica can be just as captivating as Phil on stage, but we didn’t see it tonight. As for her performance, Randy thought she did the best she could with a bad song. We’d agree, although there was some pitchiness sneaking in. Man, that song was a dud.

Jessica Sanchez, “Change Nothing”

Phil’s single was a folk number called “Home” and despite the fact that it was a total Mumford & Sons rip-off, it sounded good. Or maybe it was because of that fact. Either way, it was much more marketable and listenable than Jessica’s cut. Phil flexed his “actual singer” muscles again here, but we’re not so sure it deserved that judges’ standing ovation. Also, our heads almost exploded when JLo said, “There’s nothing on the radio that sounds like that.” So she only listens to talk radio, then? Like, JLo…there’s a hit song that sounds the same and has THE SAME NAME.

Phillip Phillips, “Home”

Round 3 winner: Judges say Phil, we’d have to agree.

Best of the night: Jessica Sanchez’s first song, “I Have Nothing.” But did she turn in her best performance too early in the show? 

Worst of the night: Jessica’s strategy. We don’t know who made her big decisions last night, but they totally buried her personality. Phil was able to display his artistic and energetic sides, but Jessica relied on vocals alone. Even though she has a vibrant, soulful stage presence, it was nowhere to be found.

Honestly, this could go either way. Phil showed more evolution throughout the season and peaked in these last two weeks. Jessica had a crazy number of honest-to-God “moments” this year, but didn’t really deliver any last night. It’s hard to compare a singer-songwriter and a budding diva, so it comes down to what people look for in an Idol: Do they want an artist with vocal limitations, or a vocal powerhouse who’s still figuring out her musical identity? Tonight we’ll have our answer.

Who do you think will take the title? Sound off in the comments, or on Twitter and Facebook.

As much as we love Kris Allen‘s acoustic covers (even when they’re interrupted by grumpy policemen), we’ve been awaiting his brand new tunes on his sophomore album Thank You Camellia, which comes out today (May 22). To celebrate Allen’s first release in three years, we had a lovely chat with American Idol‘s Season 8 champ, where he spoke quite freely with us on a number of matters: he tells us how he’s matured as a singer and songwriter since his debut, who (or what, we should say) Camellia is, and the coincidence of his Top 2 mate Adam Lambert releasing an album within a week of Kris dropping an album yet again.

Find out all about Kris Allen’s new music (and his super-cute French bulldog) in our Q&A below.

IDOLATOR: First things first — who is Camellia, and why are you thanking her?
KRIS ALLEN: It’s a place that stayed at here in LA. I made the record out here. It’s one of those places where I feel comfortable, my friends are there, they’ve given me a place to stay out here, which is really cool. It means a lot — it’s an emotional place. Going through a record is not the easiest thing in the world, it’s been that place where I can go and vent and be myself.

Is that the name of the property?
It’s the street name. Don’t go look it up! It’s an homage to my friends, they stay there… they have given a lot to help me, and this was my thank you to them. They’re amazing people.

Is that your dog on the album cover? Why did you choose that particular photo?
I wanted to take some photos with him, because we have never taken photos before, I thought it could end up being cool… he’s a pretty cool-looking dog. I’ve had him about a year and a half. He’s been a big part of my life, maybe that’s sad, but he’s my little boy. I wanted him to be a part of it somehow… this photo ended up being the best. I’m glad we went with it.

What’s his name? 
Zorro, with the mask. Which is terrible, because he’s a French bulldog. It doesn’t make a lot of sense. I feel like he’s confused all the time.

Is there any concept behind the album?
The concept is… the songs are about love, whether it be good or bad or trying to figure it out. I write love songs and that’s the stuff that I go through. I wanted to make it relatable. Bringing the things I go through in my life to song form, and make people go, ‘I’ve been through that! Kris Allen is like me!’

Your lead single, “The Vision Of Love”, seems to follow the trend of all these It Gets Better-esque, self-empowerment songs. Do you think all these songs really can create change in teens’ lives?
I think music has been affecting people’s idea of things for a long time, and this is no different. That’s not exactly what the song is about, but it can be about it. I’m glad people are jumping on board with that, because it’s a problem, and I’m glad that I can help out in some way… in the small things in life, you can help somebody out, either that’s by feeding a homeless guy or telling some other kid to not pick on the other kid.

Kris Allen – “The Vision Of Love”

Your debut came out in 2009. How have u developed as a singer, a songwriter and a musician in the past 3 years?
I feel like I’ve grown the most throughout my life through this time as a songwriter, as a musician, as a singer, as a performer… I was on the road a lot, and I learned a lot from the people I was on the road with. When you’re opening for Keith Urban or Maroon 5 or Lifehouse or Barenaked Ladies, you’re gonna learn something from those people, and I watched the show every night. It’s like, ‘Well, they did that, I’m gonna do my own version of that.’ Every night, when we would open, maybe those people aren’t there to see me, but I’m gonna make you like my show. That was always the challenge. And I think I’ve grown as a songwriter, and I think that shows in the album.

You were a songwriter before American Idol, correct?
Absolutely, I was. And sometimes I can’t listen to those songs because I don’t think they’re any good. [Laughs.] I know some of the fans really like some of that stuff, but I’m very, very proud of this stuff. I think it’s more mature, I think it’s more thoughtful, the lyrics are more meaningful.

You’ve written songs for artists like Matthew Morrison and The Voice‘s Javier Colon.
And I may have another song on another record coming out!

How do you work for other artists as a songwriter?
Usually what happens is I’ll be writing for my record, and I’ll be writing with certain songwriters, and maybe the song just doesn’t end up on the record somehow, and not because it’s not good — it just doesn’t find its place on it somewhere. I’m proud that people pick it up and think it’s good enough, that they’ve made it their own…. It’s the proof that I’m growing as a songwriter and that people want to sing my stuff.

Your American Idol Season 8 buddy, Adam Lambert, had his sophomore album Trespassing come out around the same time as your sophomore album.
I think that was the way it was last time, too! I’m excited about his record, he’s obviously spent a lot of time on his record, and I really like the single and I can’t wait to hear the same stuff.

Think we’ll ever get to see you two collaborate on a song or live performance again?
That would be very cool. We do have some of the same fans, and if that happened, it’d be cool… we’re both so busy, but I wish nothing but good things for Adam, he’s a greart dude and a great singer.

Kris Allen’s Thank You Camellia is out now.

Tonight marks the final performance episode of American Idol Season 11. And while many viewers (like, say, us) were deprived of the Jessica Sanchez-Joshua Ledet heavyweight bout they wanted, the diametrically opposed styles and fan bases of Phillip Phillips and Jessica make for an intriguing finale. In one corner we have the miniaturized Beyonce-via-growling-tiger teenager, in the other corner we have a gruff Dave Matthews-style strummer. While Jessica showcased prodigious vocals and a commanding stage presence right away in the Top 13, Phil has evolved from a dude scatting and just having a good time into an actual singer — if his performance last week wasn’t a fluke.

So will squealing girls come out of the woodwork to again hand the title to a charming young man? Or will Jessica’s incredible voice break the ladies’ drought through sheer force of will? Before making your prediction, take a look back at the finalists’ most impressive and most disappointing performances.

JESSICA SANCHEZ

Best Performance: “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” (Top 4)

As if there were any doubt! Little Jessica sang the hell out of this song on May 9. One of our commenters compared it to a Blake Griffin dunk, and she’s exactly right: this was a thunderous posterization stretched out for two minutes. It combined all of Jessica’s best qualities: the powerful vibrato, knowing when to run and when to hold out a note evenly, and that ferocious growl. And to think, the judges had to use a save on this girl. Let’s watch it again, shall we?

Runner-up: “Stuttering” (Top 7)

For this spot, we could’ve chosen her conquering another landmark vocal with her Top 13 performance of “I Will Always Love You.” But on “Stuttering” she displayed such amazing control, and such a honing of her craft that is far beyond her 16 years. What’s more shocking is that she landed on the bottom after this performance. But if you can do what this girl did to “Stuttering” and Jennifer Hudson, even if you lose the vote you pretty much win at life.

Worst Performance: “My All” (Top 3)

The judges gave Hollie Cavanagh a lot of flack for overthinking songs, and Jessica had that same problem with this one last week. She sounded uncomfortable; if a voice could sound confused, this was it. Jessica gave a string of noncommittal runs and her vibrato ran roughshod all over the delicate song, resulting in a warbly whimper throughout.

PHILLIP PHILLIPS

Best Performance: “We’ve Got Tonight” (Top 3)

It was immediately clear that Phil had the jovial rock song thing down pat, but this song highlighted his growth into a singer who can hold his own without the gruff scatting and jam band behind him. His voice had a softness to it that was previously lacking, stripped of the Dave Matthews comparisons and landing somewhere more classic and timeless.

Runner-up: “Beggin’” (Top 3)

This was a dexterous combination of his familiar “rawk” sound and his newfound delicateness and ability to hold a melody. More proof that Phil made “The Leap” last week. While Jessica stumbled in the Top 3, Phil seemed to be peaking at the right time.

Worst Performance: “Time Of The Season” (Top 5)

Phil’s tone and pitch were all over the place here. The needless scatting, plus seeing and hearing him strain for those high notes in the melody resulted in a truly cringeworthy performance.

Our Prediction: Look, Jessica Sanchez is clearly the better singer. But that means jack when tweeting tweens decide your fate — especially when you factor in the fact that Phillip Phillips is bound to get the pity vote on account of his increasingly serious health problems. So the only way Jessica can break the guys’ streak of winning Idol is by outdoing “And I Am Telling You…” Can she deliver the year’s best performance tonight? We think so. Girl’s got the killer instinct.

Which performances were your favorite? Sound off in the comments, or on Twitter and Facebook.

Jennifer lopez's hottest 'idol' looks

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Ahead of Wednesday night’s finale (May 23), we’re continuing our look back at American Idol Season 11, this time by revisiting all the moments that gave us “goosies”, that made us cringe or that left us scratching our heads.

We’ve seen it all this year: wannabe comedians, historic saves, criminal behavior — ALLEGEDLY! — and, um, bidets. It may not have been the most exciting run (hence the conspiracy theories surrounding Jessica Sanchez‘s bottom finish that one time), but we’ve been treated to some gifted singers and extravagant guest performances. If that means sitting through countless dramatic pauses and awkward product placements, so be it. Anyway, here’s what we think were the most memorable moments, be they good, bad or WTF…but mostly good!

THE GOOD: PHILLIP PHILLIPS REWORKS USHER
Phillip Phillips sang Usher’s “U Got It Bad” in the Top 7. This folky, aspiring jam-band singer gave one of the season’s steamiest performances. Who knew Dave Matthews acolytes could be so suave?

THE BAD: SEXY SAX LADY STEALS THE SPOTLIGHT EVERY TIME
She was on stage for seemingly every Phillipsquared performance this year. And all it made us think of was this.

THE WTF: PHILLIP PHILLIPS’ FOLKSY BACKSTORY
Dude used to work in a pawn shop, where his dad was always strapped like some sort of antiquing sheriff.

THE GOOD: JESSICA SANCHEZ REWORKS BEYONCE
Jessica Sanchez deconstructed Beyonce‘s “Sweet Dreams” during the Top 9. We were expecting Jessica to go all Bey cray on us, but instead she did the opposite and gave us a a stripped-down, emotional arrangement that JLo said was good enough for Beyonce to adopt as an unplugged version.

THE BAD: JIMMY IOVINE HATORADE’S ALL OVER JESSICA’S “PROUD MARY”
Jessica delivered a rollicking version of Ike and Tina’s cover of “Proud Mary” on the Top 5 show, even pulling out her little Tina trot. It was one of the few times this season she really let loose — and based on Jimmy’s reaction, it might be the last. He all but ignored her actual performance, instead taking umbrage at her tight dress, which he deemed a “travesty.” Real talk: men who wear baseball caps regularly after age 25 are not fit to dispense fashion advice.

THE WTF: JESSICA SANCHEZ SUMMONS A HYDRA
Jessica’s triple head-scratcher during “Bohemian Rhapsody” in the Queen round of the Top 6 show had us wondering how that decision got approved. It was a spotty performance, and this bit of unintentional comedy didn’t help her cause:

THE GOOD: JOSHUA LEDET CONQUERS A “MAN’S WORLD”
This year we had a whole host of contestants dealing in gravelly vocals. But Joshua’s straight-out-of-a-gramophone timbre edged out Jessica’s trademark growl and fellow sassy singers Elise Testone and Skylar Laine. When he hits it, like he did on Bruno Mars’ “Runaway Baby,” his voice has this effortless but raw force that the others lack. During the Top 4 performances, and again as he took his final bow, Josh killed James Brown‘s “It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World.” One moment he’s shredding his vocal cords, then the next he’s so restrained he’s singing through clenched teeth. This was Josh at his most emotional and most nuanced.

THE BAD: WHAT THE H, AMERICA? JOSH GOES HOME
We get it, someone had to go home last week. But, what, America, do you just not like getting chills down your spine when someone pours their entire being into a song for you? Was the prospect of seeing two vocal powerhouses like Jessica and Josh facing off just TOO mind-blowing for you?

THE WTF: JOSH IS FORCED TO EAT CRAWFISH BEFORE SINGING
Yes, Idol producers, we know Josh is from Louisiana, land of creole and Cajuns and crawfish. We’re well aware. So you didn’t have to wheel out a giant tub of crawfish, then force him to show Ryan Seacrest how to peel and eat them moments before he had to sing. But a true pro, Josh had no problem brushing off the curious crawfish incident and giving one of the season’s best numbers with “When A Man Loves A Woman.”

THE GOOD: JENNIFER HUDSON COMES HOME
Jennifer Hudson and Ne-Yo teamed up for “Think Like A Man” on the infamous Top 7 results show on April 12. This performance lacked the theatrics of Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry, and Coldplay‘s Idol performances, but J-Hud doesn’t need any extracurriculars: Her voice is its own spectacle.

THE BAD: KATY PERRY GOES TO BOOT CAMP
Of course, on the other end of the spectrum we had Katy Perry’s blown-out military quagmire on the Top 6 results show. We’re not sure why she’s so staunchly committed to this awkward military thing (is camo sexy?), but she descended from the ceiling for “Part of Me” and there was even a faux-nightvision dance breakdown.

THE WTF: LANA DEL REY SOMEHOW LANDS IDOL AIR TIME
Presumably to show the contestants how lucky they are to have already developed a level of confidence and comfort on stage? Lana Del Rey pre-taped “Video Games” for the Top 10 results show, and let’s just say it was a refreshing improvement from her maligned SNL appearance. She swayed a little bit and even smiled a few times!

THE GOOD: ERIKA VAN PELT BECOMES A KARDASHIAN
Erika Van Pelt was plagued with some cheesy prom stylistic choices before becoming Kris Jenner ahead of the Top 10 show. Alas, she was eliminated the next night. But we’ll get to see if she kept the look for the American Idols LIVE! tour this summer.

THE BAD: JENNIFER LOPEZ REALLY WANTED TO BE IN PROMETHEUS
The Idol judge trotted out in this H.R. Giger-inspired sexy alien dress for the Top 7 show. Not sure it’s wise to cop your style from a man-eating, acid-bleeding, intergalactic terror.

THE WTF: RANDY JACKSON BROOCHES A BAD SUBJECT
Of all the odd Randy fashions to choose from — the “Yo” pin, the candy-colored necklace, the ’80s polka-dot getup and a lapel-fastened pocketwatch— the brooch he wore on the Top 5 show a couple weeks ago had us screaming at our televisions:

THE GOOD: ELISE TESTONE GETS HEAVY
Elise nailed Led Zeppelin‘s “Whole Lotta Love” in the Top 9. We weren’t sure she could deliver on such an iconic, untouchable rock song, but hearing her howl to the Gods of Rock at the 1:38 mark made us believers. If the Idol fame doesn’t work out, there’s always a demand for a good Zep cover band.

THE GOOD: HEEJUN HAN FINALLY GOES HOME
It’s sort of crazy to think of all the young singers in the country, Heejun Han somehow cracked the Top 9, despite clearly not having the greatest chops. Chalk it up to his goofy shtick?

THE BAD: SKYLAR LAINE GOES HOME TOO SOON
Skylar Laine found herself on the bottom despite captivating performances of CCR and Dusty Springfield during the Top 5 show. But we’re pretty sure she’ll do just fine.

THE WTF: JEREMY ROSADO’S LIFELINE IS CUT SHORT
Jeremy Rosado was the first elimination after the Top 13, just one week after getting a lifeline from the judges to extend his run. His exit was expected and all, but come on! The poor kid’s going to get whiplash.

THE GOOD: THE STEVIES ARE AWESOME MENTORS
Stevie Nicks massaged all the contestants’ egos on the Top 9 show, like when she told Phil if it were 40 years earlier she’d want him in Fleetwood Mac, and broke down in tears after hearing Hollie Cavanagh sing. It all must’ve worked because the judges handed out five standing ovations that night. As for Steven Van Zandt, he provided useful guidance in terms of song arrangements and stage presence for several singers on the Top 5 show.

THE BAD: AKON IS THE WORST MENTOR EVER
Akon managed to deprive will.i.am of the title this season. He joined Idol for the Top 7 and mainly provided exclamatory phrases about how good everyone sounded and seemed more interested in pallin’ around with Jimmy Iovine than in doing any actual mentoring.

THE WTF: JERMAINE JONES IS A CRIMINAL, P.S.
After Jermaine Jones made the Top 12, the world learned he had somewhere in the range of five outstanding warrants! Yeah, Nigel Lythgoe is gonna want to know about those.

Who gets your top honors this season? Sound off in the comments, or on Twitter and Facebook.

Phillip Phillips, American Idol‘s last standing male finalist of Season 11, has struck some good news this week, as he was voted into the Top 2 and will compete in next week’s finals against Jessica Sanchez. Unfortunately, the Dave Matthews-esque contestant has been suffering health issues with his kidneys all season, and doctors have urged him to undergo emergency kidney surgery as soon as possible, TMZ reports. However, Phillips has refused so he can continue competing on the show.

During a trip back home to Georgia (to film his homecoming segment), the 21-year-old singer had a doctor by his side. “Phillip wasn’t eating and looked horrible,” claims a source. His condition has also taken a toll on his voice, as medication he’s taking has caused him to have dry mouth.

Phillips was also hospitalized back in March after suffering from pain in his abdomen. His father revealed that his son suffered from kidney stones, and had five previous procedures attempting to remove them.

“Phillip said he was not going to drop out of the show so the doctor told him he ABSOLUTELY had to go under the knife immediately after the finale,” the source adds.

Recovery from a kidney surgery is said to take about six weeks, so whether Phillips comes in first or second place next week, he’ll be out of the heavy promotional cycle the Top 2 is scheduled for following the finale.

Performing in the finals for the chance to win American Idol is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But let’s hope Phillip, and his kidneys, can hold tight for one more week.

Favorites is our recurring video series on the personal preferences of the pop artists who inspire us. Because the artists we love love stuff too.

Here’s what you probably didn’t know about Haley Reinhart: The 21-year-old American Idol Season 10 alumna loves herself some family time. We only chatted for a bit, but in practically every question we asked, the “Free” singer managed to mention a sweet childhood memory involving her mom and pops, or good ol’ home sweet home.

The Chicago native has a warm spot in her heart — make that, her belly — for the city’s famed deep-dish pizza, as well the Historic Navy Pier’s Great Ferris Wheel. But that doesn’t mean the girl doesn’t travel. These days the sun-loving blonde likes to get down poolside, drinking Jack & Cokes, in L.A. And if her picks for favorite album are any indication, she’s probably spinning The Beatles while she soaks up Vitamin D.

Hear Haley confess even more of her favorite things in the video above, and don’t forget to pick up her debut album, Listen Up!, when it drops on May 22.

Well, at last we have a match-up for next week’s American Idol finale — and it wasn’t quite what we expected. All three of the contestants remaining as of Wednesday night (May 16) delivered shakier-than-usual performances, and even though we viewed Joshua Ledet as the night’s winner, America felt differently. After 90 million (!) votes, Jessica Sanchez and Phillip Phillips were catapulted to the title bout. Of course, before we learned the identities of our two finalists, we had to sit through about 15 minutes worth of in-show commercials. Thank God for that Adam Lambert performance to break it up.

To start the night off, the trio performed The Beatles‘ “Got To Get You Into My Life” but it was sort of in a cheesy, brass-heavy lounge lizard arrangement. Luckily, the singers managed to shine, each showing a confidence in their ability to deliver on any song, no matter how curious the interpretation.

As for Jimmy Iovine’s critiques, they were mostly in line with ours (*pats self on back*). However, he had Phil’s Bob Seger cover at the top of his list. During each segment, Jimmy offered some high praise, perhaps a sign that stardom may yet lie ahead for more than one Idol finalist. He said Joshua was an exciting showman who’s good enough to sound great on a song that doesn’t even fit his style. He said Jessica was worthy of singing at the Grammys (though we’re not sure if that’s a compliment, considering who’s graced that stage in recent years). And in rating Phil, Jimmy lauded his originality and willingness to take risks.

For the first guest artist performance, newly resurfaced pop singer Lisa Marie Presley turned out the season’s most blatant display of lip-synching with her new song “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet.” The song was… fine. But it seemed she’s trying pretty hard to capitalize on Lana Del Rey‘s moody chanteuse vibes. And also on Lana’s swaying awkwardly vibes.

Later in the show, Ryan Seacrest asked actress/singer Rita Wilson and music multi-hyphenate Carole Bayer Sager — who were in attendance — their thoughts on the death of Donna Summer. “Her music really did define a decade,” Rita told him. “You couldn’t live in the ’70s and not sing along to every single one of her songs.”

Carole added: “Donna was a friend. I think she had one of the greatest voices of all decades. I think she was amazing.”

Next, Adam Lambert got on stage to perform “Never Close Our Eyes” in all its glammy neon, dance-pop glory. It was energetic and surprisingly tame, keeping the focus on his powerful howl. And, man, those high notes are still something else.

Then, it was the moment we’ve all been waiting (and waiting… and waiting) for. Seacrest excitedly asked that they dim the lights, and announced that Jessica Sanchez and Phillip Phillips would be moving on to the finale. So it’s the end of Joshua Ledet’s run. He said farewell by singing “It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World”, the song that gave us chills last week. In a sweet gesture, this time he brought his mom on stage.

Whatever your thoughts, I think we can agree the two most marketable singers advanced. Josh is a special talent, but not in the Idol “tweens telling their parents to hand over the credit card so they can download his new album” kind of way. Jessica and Phillip are more bankable in that respect. And when 90 million votes come to the same conclusion, it’s hard to disagree.

We’ll miss Josh, but we couldn’t ask for a better finale match-up, considering the clash of styles: the dudely heartthrob vs. the fierce future diva. Idol history sides with Phillip, but Jessica’s had some jaw-dropping moments that could buck the trend. Can’t wait to see how it shakes out.

Next week: A champion is finally, FINALLY crowned!

Who will you be pulling for in the finale? Sound off in the comments, or on Twitter and Facebook.

The Top 3 had their grand homecomings on Wednesday night’s (May 16) episode of American Idol, so we got an interesting glimpse into their pre-fame lives. And we got three rounds of singing: the judges chose the songs in round one, the Idols chose their second, and Jimmy Iovine picked their final numbers. At this stage in the game you have to start thinking about marketability, and that was apparent in the choices. Joshua Ledet aimed to prove he’s not just an outdated soul crooner, that  Phillip Phillips is more than a Dave Matthews retread, and that Jessica Sanchez can give moment-less songs a moment. Read on to see if they came through.

All three Idols got the presidential treatment for their hometown hero visits — private planes, police motorcades, glad-handing and all. Josh returned to Westlake, LA to a giant crawfish boil and the first sellout at the local arena. As for Jessica, she performed on an aircraft carrier (her dad’s in the Navy) and we learned she was a home-schooled dork (her words). As for Phil, he got a plate of nachos named after him at his favorite local haunt, and we saw that his dad is usually packin’ heat (sort of comes with the territory when you own a pawn shop).

But enough folksy family nonsense, let’s get judgy.

THE GOOD

For Joshua Ledet’s final song, Jimmy pitched the juicy gopher ball of “No More Drama” by Mary J. Blige, and Josh smashed it out of the park. The last minute or so was special, commanding, ferocious. This dude was born in the wrong decade, for real.

In a move that shows he’s got that Survivor scheming going on, Josh chose John Lennon‘s “Imagine” to prove he’s not a one-trick pony. Not to get all hyperbolic like the judges, but at times it was almost like hearing Stevie Wonder cover it. The amount of control Josh has developed in these final weeks is astounding and could lead to the title.

Joshua Ledet, “Imagine”

For Phillip Phillips’ last song, Jimmy chose Bob Seger‘s “We’ve Got Tonight,” which had us face-palming ourselves: “Duh, why hasn’t Phil done Seger yet?!” This delicate one could’ve gone either way, but Phil shocked the world here. It was slightly higher than we’re used to hearing him, and he was right on key and right on melody. Phil sounded like an actual, normal singer. Weird! And really good!

Phillip Phillips, “We’ve Got Tonight”

Though we would’ve liked to see Jimmy pick a bigger song for Jessica, his choice of “I’ll Be There” by The Jackson 5 turned out wonderfully. Jessica was silky smooth, pitch perfect, and tone- perfect (drawing comparisons to little Michael Jackson). Expertly done.

Jessica Sanchez, “I’ll Be There”

For Phil’s first song, Steven Tyler chose the Madcon version of “Beggin’” by The Four Seasons, to see if he could carry a strong melody (which he did later with Seger). Phil gave the chorus his own flourish, but kept the core recognizable part. In that sense, it was basically like seeing an actual accomplished band cover a song. It was a focused, passionate take that got Steven to say Phil “could be a new age Boss, a new Springsteen.” We can’t say anything, on account of that earlier Stevie Wonder comment.

For the dealer’s choice round, Jessica made one of the ballsier picks with “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing” by Aerosmith. It was a much more approachable song than her first (which we’ll get to) and she turned out a buttery smooth cover better than Steven’s version. Which he readily admitted: “You just took a great song and made it greater.” Can’t ask for higher praise than that from a song’s original singer. But that doesn’t mean Randy Jackson didn’t trot out his own high praise. This is not made up, he said “Yo, whoa, I’m like, yo. Aight.” That was actually our reaction when we heard she was THREE YEARS OLD when that song came out.

THE SO-SO

Randy picked Etta James‘ “I’d Rather Go Blind” for Joshua Ledet’s first song. Even though we’re suckers for the vintage microphone, this song didn’t do it for us. The first half was too low for Josh — granted, that was probably for the key change, after which he was in his wheelhouse. A few weeks ago, this makes it into the Good section, but it was too inconsistent for a late performance.

For his own choice, Phil selected “Disease” by Matchbox Twenty, accompanied by the sexy sax lady, as always. He gave a smoldering performance, letting the song do most of the talking. It was solid, but he didn’t seem to be pushing himself on this one. Again, a few weeks ago this is stamped with the Good label. Though the judges weren’t crazy about it, tween girl voters will be.

THE BAD

Commence more Jessica conspiracy theories: The judges pick a wheelhouse song for Josh and give him the auto standing O, then give Jessica the uber-delicate “My All” by Mariah Carey, and she bombs (relatively speaking). Verrrry fishy. The real problem here is that it’s hard to judge any Jessica performance without now comparing it to last week’s game-changer. Like Josh on his first song last night, she struggled with the low notes. But from there her voice never found its footing, sounding less like a vibrato and more warbly, searching for the right pitch and tone throughout.

Best of the night: Joshua Ledet’s “No More Drama” was good enough to land him in the finale, but that doesn’t always mean the votes will follow.

Worst of the night: This will strike a blow to the “we need a girl to win Idol” contingent, but it’s undeniable that Jessica’s first performance (“My All”) was one of her weakest of the season.

Tonight: The live results show with performances from Season 8′s Adam Lambert and Lisa Marie Presley. Huh, so she’s still a thing? OK then.

Who do you think will make the final cut? Sound off in the comments, or on Twitter and Facebook.

This is a special week for Carrie Underwood. The Oklahoma-born beauty has the #1 album in the country — her third in a row — and 2012′s second-highest first week sales total.

Not bad for a small town girl who had pretty much given up on music before auditioning for American Idol in 2004. No doubt the success tastes even sweeter due to the risks America’s favorite “Good Girl” took on Blown Away. She cowrote eight of the album’s 14 tracks and explored some unexpectedly murky waters, particularly on the almost Hitchcockian revenge fantasy track “Two Black Cadillacs.”

Carrie kindly took some time to talk us about her freshly exposed dark side, upcoming world tour and glamorous new image. Jump below to read what she had to say.

“Good Girl” is an adorable crossover country-pop song. Was it a conscious decision to spearhead the album with a more commercial track?
I really don’t get into that whole “which song gets released when” game. I just try to make great music and, hopefully, can give everyone 14 tracks that could all be singles to choose from!

The album explores some dark themes: There’s a murder plot in “Two Black Cadillacs” and references to abuse in “Blown Away.” What inspired the change of direction?
We just seemed to go in that direction. It wasn’t on purpose. I heard “Blown Away” and loved the song. Plain and simple! Then we ended up writing a couple more that were a little edgier. Like I said, I didn’t make a conscious decision to sing songs that were darker. That’s just the way the album wanted it.

You cowrote most of the album. Was it exciting to bring your own point of view and life experience to the lyrics?
It’s always fun to write. I love creating a song out of thin air. That said, I submit my cowrites like everyone else and the best songs are the ones that make the album. I love to write, but it’s not imperative that I write every song on the album. I just want the best album possible!

You’re leading the CMT award nominations — who do you think is your main competition?
You never know who’s going to win awards. But we’re such a tight community of performers, that we all support each other and love to get together and celebrate country music. That said, I do hope I take home something!

“Remind Me” is up for a couple of awards. How did your collaboration with Brad Paisley come about and what was it like working with him?
Brad and I know each other pretty well. We toured together a few years ago and have been hosting the CMA Awards for the past four years. A duet was inevitable at some point in time… we were just waiting on the right song. He came up with “Remind Me” right before he wrapped up his album and asked me if I would come sing on it. A few days later, I was in his studio laying down my part. He is such a great guy and I am happy that I can call him and his family my friends.

You look amazing on your new Billboard cover. Tell us about your new super-glamorous image!
Thank you! I love fashion and love to try new things. It was all about “stepping it up” this time around. I wanted this album to sound, feel and look different from my previous three albums. I got to create more drama in my looks and play around with some styles that I haven’t tried before.

Despite your initial reluctance to use Twitter, you already have a huge presence through unofficial fan accounts. How do you feel about that level of loyalty and do you read tweets that people send you?
The whole Twitter experience has really opened my eyes to fans that I have in other countries. So far, I am having a lot fun with it. It really can be a great way to communicate instantly with fans!

You’re about to embark on a huge tour. What can fans expect from the show?
We have a lot of fun on stage and we want the people in the audience to do the same. I think people can expect to show up and have a great time! I love singing and I think that it really shows in our live concerts.

Of all your great songs, “Jesus Take The Wheel” seems to have struck the deepest chord with fans around the world. Why do you think it has connected with so many different people?
I think we’ve all had those moments in our lives that we realize we need to change some things about ourselves or change the way we’ve been living our lives. It’s a very real sentiment that everyone can relate to. It is certainly one of my favorite songs to sing.

What do you think of Carrie Underwood’s latest album Blown Away? Sound off in the comments below, or on Twitter and Facebook.

It’s that time of year again, when eager, doe-eyed adolescents get excited for the last day of school. A whole summer awaits them, a wondrous stretch offering freedom and numerous chances to see their peers in bathing suits. In the coming weeks, they’ll be signing each other’s yearbooks, hormones aflutter as they wonder “Will Johnny kiss me at the malt shop?” Or something. We don’t really remember how it works; for us, summer just means a gaping American Idol void filled with a sweatier-than-usual work commute. So before we’re hit with that reality, we wanted to reflect back on our semester with Idol. We came up with this batch of Season 11 superlatives while drawing big hearts around the Top 12′s yearbook photos.

MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED
Jessica Sanchez

MOST LIKELY TO BE A SINGING TERMINATOR WHO TRAVELED FROM 1962
Joshua Ledet

MOST LIKELY TO STAR IN AN OFF-BROADWAY PRODUCTION OF RENT
Elise Testone

MOST LIKELY TO APPEAR IN AN ANTI-BULLYING AFTER-SCHOOL SPECIAL
Jermaine Jones

MOST LIKELY TO BE HEARD IN YOUR MOM’S CAR
(Tie) Hollie Cavanagh and Skylar Laine

MOST LIKELY TO BE HEARD IN YOUR BROTHER’S CAR
Phillip Phillips

BEST WITH A GUN
Skylar Laine

MOST ATTRACTIVE
Phillip Phillips

BEST HAIR
DeAndre Brackensick

MOST LIKELY TO TAKE HIS SISTER TO HER PROM
Colton Dixon

CLASS CLOWN
Heejun Han

CUDDLIEST
Jeremy Rosado

MOST NORMAL
Shannon Magrane

BEST KRIS JENNER IMPRESSION
Erika Van Pelt

What superlatives would you hand out? Sound off in the comments, or on Twitter and Facebook.

And then there were three! Our apologies to Hollie Cavanagh, who was voted off during last night’s American Idol results show, but there was pretty much no way she had a shot at the Top 3 when pitted against the likes of Joshua Ledet, Phillip Phillips and the pint-sized powerhouse that is Jessica Sanchez, our frontrunner to win the whole thing. Actually, maybe Jennifer Lopez should win this season of Idol? Her performance of her new single “Dance Again” (or as the bottom of our TV screen wrote it, “#DanceAgain”) was pretty on point, even if it was sorely lacking in Pitbull. She looked like she had a blast singing and dancing on stage, which is more joyful than we would have looked if we found out Britney Spears was getting $15 freaking million for The X Factor. (Oh wait, her number was pre-taped last week. That explains it!)

Wednesday’s California-themed performance night was a pretty good indication that the group number would be Cali-related as well, and so it was: the Top 4 performed the Mamas And The Papas‘ “California Dreaming”, but don’t you so wish they had busted out Tupac‘s “California Love” instead? We wouldn’t even need a hologram to make that entertaining (though you’ll never catch us saying no to an offered hologram).

And is it just us (it’s not), or is it super weird that they are performing this on a red carpet? We understand that red carpets obviously tie into Hollywood, and the song is about California, but man, this song is just too dreary.

Top 4 Idols – “California Dreaming” (Live On American Idol)

Opening Number – California Dreamin – American… by IdolxMuzic

Next we get the behind-the-scenes of this week’s Ford commercial, because the only thing that’s more of a time-waster than watching a Ford music video during a primetime show is watching how that terrible commercial got made.

Wait, we were wrong – a bigger time-waster is watching clips of the contestants’ performances from the night before and reiterating what the judges’ exact thoughts were. Does anyone out there only watch the American Idol results episodes? Because those are the only types of people we can imagine would need such an in-depth recap of something that happened literally 24 hours earlier.

We digress. While the show continued procrastinating what could literally take two seconds to tell us, David Cook returned to the Idol stage to perform his new single “The Last Song I’ll Write For You”. The good news is that Idol keeps inviting him back to perform four years past his championing season. The bad news is that David revealed to Shirley Halperin of The Hollywood Reporter that he no longer has a record deal with RCA, and his song is self-released.

This is what you have to look forward to, Season 11 winner! What we’re saying it: save your cash.

David Cook – “The Last Song I’ll Write For You” (Live On American Idol)

David Cook – The Last Song I’ll Write For You -… by IdolxMuzic

Phillip² and Hollie ended up in the Bottom 2, and after what may have been the seventeenth commercial break, it was time to tell Hollie the inevitable: she’s going home, and Jessica will win Season 11 of American Idol. Well, they didn’t say that in so many words, but we hope so, anyway. Pre-teen girls of the world voting for hours upon hours for the cutest boy, can you throw the ladies a bone and have Jess win this one so we don’t get our fifth male winner in a row? Thanks in advance.

Did you think Hollie would be sent home this week? (Of course you did.) Sound off in the comments, or on Twitter and Facebook.