The American Idol Judges Song Contest Top 10 episode was set to reveal a Top 7, but just like last season, the winning judge was able to save a contestant from elimination to make a Top 8. Katy Perry “won” the contest, but deliberated with her fellow judges Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan to make the decision.
A couple of notes: I half-heartedly predicted yesterday that Oliver Steele, Marybeth Byrd and Tyson Venegas would be eliminated, and that was a pretty good guess! Marybeth delivered one of her best performances of the season. Based on the night’s performances, the judges should have saved her. But when Oliver announced that his dad, who is struggling with the aftermath of a debilitating stroke, planned to attend next week, the panel probably could not resist saving him. American Idol is a reality show, first and foremost.
Both Marybeth and Oliver have had uneven performances this season. Marybeth hasn’t quite figured out the kind of artist she wants to be. Oliver needs to light a fire under himself. He’s not taking risks. His performances are proficient but too low key. With three singers leaving the competition next week, he’ll probably head home.
As far as Tyson is concerned, like Nutsa, being an international contestant (Canada) means no homegrown fan base that’s eligible to vote.
Interesting that the judges scores were so close. The idea is probably NOT to humiliate anybody. Notice that on a few occasions, the vocal coaches steered the singers away from their initial selections. The votes were even last season as well.
Watch for a roundup of poll results later in the week.
