SAM'S CLUB--AMERICAN IDOL REVIEW

SAM’S CLUB—American Idol Results Recap

Teen Heartthrob Rescued by Judges’ Fabled Save

The Elite Eight remains intact.

American Idol judges Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr. unanimously elected to use their one-time save for Season 13 Thursday night, rescuing 17-year-old boy-next-door Sam Woolf from elimination. This after the popular but passion-impaired teen proved the lowest vote-getter of a Bottom Three that also included CJ Harris and Malaya Watson, and following a last-ditch rendition of the song that made him one of the favorites way back in Rush Week—David Gray’s “Babylon”. I’m not entirely sure of the post-save rules, but I believe this means two people will get eliminated next week, when the Elite Eight will tackle-according to host Ryan Seacrest-music from the 1980s.

Though I boasted last night I just knew the judges would use their save tonight, I looked at the Bottom Three and decided the judges would only save Watson out of the mix. Clearly, I was wrong. Woolf has now made three stints in the Bottom Three in the last four weeks, and, given his difficulties connecting and bringing real energy to his performances, he no longer seems a real threat to win the Idol crown. That being said, his save was greeted with wild enthusiasm by his fellow contestants; Harris led the charge back out to center stage, where he snatched Sam up and tossed him over one shoulder while the others patted him on the back and gabbled excitedly. To add to the frenzied scene (the girls in attendance were shrieking themselves hoarse, if you didn’t figure), an explosion of red, white and blue confetti poured from the rafters, making it nearly impossible to discern the figures of the contestants dancing onstage.

Results shows now being thirty minutes thanks to the 9:30 start-time of the new popular sitcom Surviving Jack, the only thing the show contained other than the results was a live performance by the band Daughtry of their new single, “Waiting for Superman”. Front man Chris Daughtry—who was famously voted off a shocking fourth back in Season 5—gave a superb performance, showing off his impressive upper range and singing with great passion and energy (Sam Woolf, take note).

I could go on more about what I think this means, but I’ll just go ahead with my Power Rankings:

1. Jessica Meuse—Finally! For someone who has constantly referenced her considerable experience performing live in countless bars, Jessica hadn’t really impressed me as a performer until this week. Her performance of her own song, “Blue-Eyed Lie”, was brilliant—raspy, explosive, memorable, and genuinely her. It was her best performance by a mile, so good she seemed like she was already a professional at her own concert. She has yet to be in danger, and she’s been steadily building momentum over the last few weeks.
2. Caleb Johnson—It’s a little awkward that Caleb vowed to slow things down and sing a tender ballad during a week (next week) that ended up being themed The 1980s, which is pretty much the decade of big, loud rock’n’roll, which is Caleb's bread and butter. But, then again, I’m sure he’ll find something good to do. I have to say, Caleb was lucky to avoid the Bottom Three (which he’s never been in) after a so-so performance on a strong night, but he’s been the one to catch all season. The gap between him and some of the others in terms of watchability has obviously narrowed, but he still brings an energy that's uniquely his.
3. Jena Irene—Jena’s winning streak continued with a terrific rendition of “Rolling in the Deep”. Once a sleeper, she’s now a full-on contender, one who’s last four weeks have given everyone a clear picture of what her album/concert would look and sound like. She’s faired much better when she’s singing ballads than when she tries to go uppity—but I’m sure she’ll stick with that going forward.
4. Alex Preston—Alex just keeps plugging along in his quirky, quiet way. He’s never been in jeopardy, and while only a few of his performances have been genuinely great, he’s always interesting, and I’m among those who’s slowly developing a taste for his style of music. Impressively, he’s shown an affinity for adapting even chart-topper hits (No Doubt’s “Don’t Speak”, One Direction’s “The Story of My Life”) into his own style, and he’s one of the judges’ favorites for his musical knowledge alone.
5. Dexter Roberts—Rebounding with a performance that reminded us what a voice this guy really has, Dexter doesn’t strike me as a potential winner, but he’s probably in the Top Five. He has one of the sturdiest voting bases this year, has an easily-defined musical style, and he has a genuinely great singing voice. Really standing out and being different from a hundred other country singers remains a bit of an issue, though.
6. Malaya Watson—I was disappointed to see Malaya in the Bottom Three, as she’s been rock-solid the last three or four weeks and I was considering her a Top Five contestant along with Jena, Jessica, Alex and Caleb, but ‘80s week should be fun for her. Despite her obvious vocal prowess, I don’t see Malaya as a potential winner, either, even though she’s a remarkable talent for 16.
7. Sam Woolf—Even though Sam just barely survived this week, he avoids the bottom spot on my rankings because his Adoring Teen fan base is sure to rally after a close call. Not to mention he’s been instructed to single out a girl in the crowd to stare at and sing to, and he tried a little bit of it in his Sing-For-the-Save performance, and it made a big difference (That rendition of Babylon was his best performance on the show by a wide margin). Sam’s got a great-sounding voice, and, while I still don’t think he’s even a Top Five contestant, he’s got amazing potential.
8. CJ Harris—Can CJ do anything we haven’t seen yet? The guy obviously sings from his heart, and he’s a great guy, but he continues to have issues staying on beat and on pitch, as the judges keep reminding him. Short of his tremendous Top 11 performance, he hasn’t really blown us away, either, despite coming into the finals a potential favorite. In a pinch, I’d rather watch CJ than Sam, but I still think CJ is the least-talented of the remaining singers.