Heejun Han brought an unmatched flavor to "American Idol" this season, but entertainment does not always equal overall success.
Wednesday night marked the arrival of a more serious Heejun, a foil to the charismatic, lively singer of the previous week. But while his performance of Donny Hathaway's "A Song for You" was pleasant, it simply wasn't up to the high standard the other competitors set.
And on Thursday night (Mar. 29), the "Idol" voters let him know it.
After obtaining the lowest number of votes, Heejun sang for the judges' save with, yet again, "A Song for You." But while it was yet again a solid showing, even Heejun himself seemed to know that he wouldn't be saved. "I'm singing this song..." he sang, "...to everyone! Thank you so much!"
Steven Tyler acknowledged that he came out swinging after a dismal previous week, but told an understanding Heejun that they were "going to have to let you go."
Hollie Cavanagh and Skylar Laine joined Heejun in the bottom three vote-getters, though the latter was dismissed to the benches quite quickly. Though Skylar's Wednesday performance was quite strong, which made her inclusion in the bottom three puzzling, Hollie struggled through "Jesus Take the Wheel," with mentor Jimmy Iovine comparing her to frontrunner Jessica Sanchez, saying, "You don't win it ("Idol") on technique, you win it on soul."
It was a celebratory evening for Elise Testone and Deandre Brackensick, two performers who have flirted with the bottom three in the past but were among the top six in voting last night. Jimmy had nothing but the best to say of Elise in particular. "She was a dark horse," he said, "but not anymore."
The contestants were joined onstage by Nicki Minaj and former "Idol" victor Scotty McCreery. Nicki's performance of "Starships" was all muscle (despite the lip-synced chorus), establishing the song as a definite spring/summer jam. Meanwhile, Scotty introduced his newest single, "Water Tower Town," and was presented with a plaque commemorating his platinum-certified debut album, "Clear as Day."
Next week, "Idol" returns with an '80s theme, a motif sure to please Elise, Deandre and more.
