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Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Adam Lambert, and Jennifer Hudson are some of the most famous names to come from American Idol. These stars certainly deserve their fame, but what about the lesser-known American Idol alumni? Singers like MacKenzie Bourg and Elise Testone are sometimes forgotten in Idol discourse because of their eliminations or where their careers went after the singing competition. However, many fans believe the world has seriously slept on these artists. Here’s a closer look at Bourg, Testone, and more underrated American Idol contestants.

‘American Idol’ Season 4 contestant Bo Bice | Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images Bo Bice (Season 4)

Let’s start with Bo Bice, the runner-up of American Idol Season 4. He took a big risk as one of the first Idol contestants within the rock genre, but it paid off. All three judges — even the notoriously brutal Simon Cowell — loved his audition song, The Allman Brothers Band’s “Whipping Post.

Kieran, turn out the lights.

Our American Idol “journey” has come to an end, but let us not weep for what’s been cancelled, let us instead go to iTunes and download the Season 15 winner’s new single. Hey, from a songwriting vantage point, it may not be “Home,” but it definitely ranks above “No Boundaries” and “Inside Your Heaven” — and we bought those, too. And if this show can produce one more bona fide radio/touring superstar, maybe the inevitable reboot will happen sooner than expected, no?

RelatedFarewell for Now, American Idol, and Thanks for All the Memories...

Sorry for the three "American Idol" recaps I missed the past two weeks. The combination of film responsibilities at the Sundance Film Festival and predictably atrocious wifi at the Sundance Film Festival had me casting aside some of my TV responsibilities.  But I'm back and I'm all caught up after rushing through three "Idol" episodes in around 90 minutes over the weekend. There were some pretty good singers in New Orleans and San Francisco. I'd point to Maddy Hudson, Greyson Turner, Tyanna Jones, Rocky Peter and Hunter Larsen as just a few performers I'd be happy to see/hear again if the opportunity presents itself. Ditto with Carlos Santana's nephew and a few of the White Guys With Guitars who were better-than-generic, but not immediately nameable in my memory. We're starting Hollywood Week on Wednesday (February 4), so follow along! 8:00 p.m. Et. In case we've forgotten, in order to become American Idol,...

"American Idol" returned on Wednesday (January 7) night to somewhat tepid ratings and with a one-hour episode that was almost entirely devoid of likely breakout talent. Fox posted the first episode online for critics and then wisely posted the second, which is airing tonight. The move was wise because, as you'll soon see, Thursday's episode is much, much better. There are three or four contestants who appeared on Thursday's episode and seem like plausible Finalists. So click through and follow along as I recap the highlights and lowlights. [Key Warning: It turned out yesterday that the Fox-provided screener for the premiere wasn't exactly what aired. It was mostly what aired, but apparently I saw some singing viewers didn't get. And vice versa. So take this recap, especially the time-code, with a grain of salt. Hopefully the people I liked will make it to air.] 00:00:00 Is it my screener or are we starting with some righteous "Inception"-style bass? I guess that adds some drama to the reminder that "Idol" makes stars and that it's about the kids, not gimmicks or judges. But really, it's making me believe that "Idol" is all about the bass. 00:02:00 We're beginning again in Nashville. The judges want to find a superstar.

Elise Testone's debut album, In This Life, hits shelves Tuesday, but the American Idol season 11 singer is giving fans an early treat with the release of her new music video for "I Will Not Break." The clip, directed by David Keller, features Testone and her love interest take a journey on a rowboat under a lush southern backdrop. Video: American Idol Hollywood Week Kicks Off With Nikki McKibbin, Son Tristen Langley Recorded in Charleston, S.C., In This Life--available for pre-order on her website--features appearances by fellow Idol alum Erika Van Pelt and Darius Rucker.  The

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American Idol‘s 13th season premieres tonight with a new(-ish) cast of judges including the irascible Dolphin Tale star Harry Connick Jr., budding U-Turn actress Jennifer Lopez, and grown-up Peppermint Patty Keith Urban. Maybe they’ll do a good job! I don’t know! But I’ll be there watching because American Idol is still, despite sinking (but relatively phenomenal) ratings, the greatest singing cotillion on TV. Here are five reasons why.

5. The Hollywood rounds give you the best highs and most hilarious lows.

Twelve seasons in, the Hollywood rounds of American Idol remain the most underrated part of the show and maybe the entire reality-competition genre. The bustling energy of the second tryout, where attention-starved contestants who’ve passed the city auditions jump to Hollywood and attempt group numbers in a Fanny Brice-on-roller-skates way, is often the best indicator of how truly talented and likable the auditioning contestants are.

I love American Idol, and therefore I can't stand when certain kickass Idol performances are forgotten years later. Here are eight you should keep close to your heart and voice box.

1. Von Smith, "You're All I Need" (season 8)

The ultra-talented Von Smith had the misfortune of auditioning for American Idol during season eight, the year when the Top 36 was slashed down to a Top 13 using a dubious voting system. It didn't help that folks like Adam Lambert and Alexis Grace (!) were endlessly touted before the Top 36, making their inclusion in the Top 13 almost inevitable compared to their little-seen competitors. Von's voice speaks -- nay, soars! -- for itself. So grand and crystal clear, and if I do say so myself, better than 99% of the vocalists we've heard on the show since.

2. Allison Iraheta and Cyndi Lauper, "Time After Time" (season 8)

I've always said that Idol's masterstroke is the season finale,...

"American Idol" finalist Elise Testone is a no-good man-thief who broke up the 6-year marriage of an 'Idol' guitarist -- at least according to the dude's wife, but Elise tells TMZ she never did the deed. Here's the deal ... Elise met Errol Cooney during Season 11 of 'Idol' -- when she made it to the top 6, and he played guitar for the band. Both Elise and Errol were on Idol's summer tour.

‘American Idol Live!’ 2012 touched down in Newark, N.J. on Tuesday night, and while the pacing of the show suffered more stops and starts than an octogenarian trying out a stick-shift for the first time, the Season 11 Top 10 nevertheless proved they have plenty of gas in their tanks as the tour enters its final two weeks.

Paired with the right material, a number of the finalists confirmed they can indeed command a stadium-sized crowd: Country gal Skylar Laine dropped charisma-bombs all the way to the cheap seats. Erika Van Pelt put on a display of vocal firepower that left me...

For American Idol (TV) fans, nothing beats a concert packed with live music, psychedelic lights, and their very own Top Ten belting out the season's most popular Idol performances. This time, however, there's no judges, no tireless, never-ending commercials (except for the occasional, strategically placed plugs for Idol sponsored products), and no abbreviated songs. This year's Top Ten made Chicago their second stop in the 2012 American Idols Live! tour following an opening night in Detroit, Mi. Fresh out of rehearsals in Los Angeles, the tour is young, and the fatigue of a rigorous travel schedule and an inevitable bout or two of homesickness has not set in with it's cast. Full of excitement and anticipation, they are steadily making their way across America to meet their fans and spread some Idol love. On this occasion, three of the Idols - Colton Dixon, Joshua Ledet and Skylar Laine sat down with...

Phillip Phillips has headed the recent launch of the American Idol tour in Detroit, Michigan. The Season 11 winner of the reality show was joined by Top 10 finalists DeAndre Brackensick, Hollie Cavanagh, Colton Dixon, Heejun Han, Skylar Laine, Joshua Ledet, Phillips, Jessica Sanchez, Elise Testone and Erika Van Pelt at the inaugural concert on Friday (July 6). Phillips, who made his appearance towards the end of the show, performed a four-song set, including his audition song 'Supersition' and his (more)...

Philip Phillips has spoken of his excitement about the upcoming American Idol tour. The tour, which kicks off on Friday, July 6 in Detroit, will feature this year's Top 10 finalists DeAndre Brackensick, Hollie Cavanagh, Colton Dixon, Heejun Han, Skylar Laine, Joshua Ledet, Phillips, Jessica Sanchez, Elise Testone and Erika Van Pelt. "It's going to be a lot of fun at the beginning, and then probably a few weeks into the tour - I give it about six weeks - people are probably are probably going to want (more)...

'It's going to be a big learning experience,' says 'Idol' champ Phillip Phillips of the 45-city tour.

By Gil Kaufman, with reporting by Kelly Marino

Phillip Phillips at the 'Idols Live' Rehearsals

Photo:

It's hard enough for bands with one singer to get their musical heads together for a major summer tour. Just imagine coordinating a band with 10 lead singers and you can begin to see how much work goes into getting ready for this summer's American Idols Live! Tour featuring the top singers from season 11.The top 10 have begun getting things together for the tour, which kicks off on July 6 in Detroit. They gathered in a studio in Los Angeles on Wednesday to continue getting their act together. During an a cappella run through One Direction's "What Makes You Beautiful" a smiling Phillip Phillips stood in the back of the pack as fellow finalist Colton Dixon...

The "American Idol" Season 11 summer tour doesn't officially start until July 6 in Detroit, but Zap2it caught up with the Top 10 finalists for a preview of the big extravaganza, which, as of right now, spans three hours. The cast even gave reporters a preview performance of one of the new group numbers, a cover of the One Direction hit "You Don't Know You're Beautiful."

While winner Phillip Phillips hasn't been able to rehearse too much while he recovers from major kidney surgery (he's doing "better than expected" and should be back to 100 percent soon), the rest of the gang has been putting in long hours at a North Hollywood rehearsal space.

Phillips walked in to join his castmates after they'd finished their a cappella version of the One Direction song (the real thing will feature a full band with a "sick" drummer, promises Elise Testone), and the group decided they'd...

Last night, America crowned Phillip Phillips, the 21-year-old pawn shop worker from Georgia, as the latest "American Idol."

This should've come as a surprise to exactly no one, given that Phillip is now the fifth in an uninterrupted line of "White Guys With Guitars" who have snagged the coveted crown over the past few seasons. I was noting the bias towards "Wgwg" way back in my recap of the Top 24 -- although in those halcyon days, I was foolishly giving the edge to Colton, just because he was more conventionally attractive (and more annoying), even going so far as to note: "He's white, male and can play an instrument, so he'll probably win." Close enough, right?

Clearly, I was discounting the sympathy votes Phil-Phil would earn for his kidney problems, but I did note that he had one of the stand-out performances in the first live round. I've enjoyed a...

America has voted, and Phillip Phillips is the new "American Idol!"The 21-year-old pawn shop worker from Georgia bested 16-year-old singing sensation Jessica Sanchez of California to claim the title. A record 132 million votes were cast in the finale.Phillip is the show's eleventh winner and the fifth male contestant in a row to win. His winning single, "Home," will be released this week.Phillip was consistently praised for his originality and never found himself in the bottom group. Jessica was actually the lowest vote getter among the Top 7, but got a reprieve from judges Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler.Had she won, Jessica would have been the first saved contestant to win "American Idol" and also the youngest (Jordin Sparks, "Idol's" last female winner, was 17 when she won Season 6).The two finalists will join Joshua Ledet, Hollie Cavanagh, Skylar Laine, Elise Testone, Colton Dixon, DeAndre Brackensick,...

The American Idol journey for Phillip Phillips and Jessica Sanchez ends tonight. At the time the finale started, nearly 3,000 TV Fanatics had voted in our Face-Off and y'all have Jessica winning by a narrow margin.

Let's see if you got it right.

American Idol Season 11 Winner: Announced!

The 10 castoffs open the night with "Runaway Baby" by Bruno Mars. Man, there was a whole lot of talent in this season's contestants. This is easily one of the best group numbers I've ever seen on this show and I'm almost never a fan of the group sings. I even feel like there's more choreography than we've seen in years. Dare I say it, I think this tour will be a fun one.

In Phillip Phillips' first performance of the night, he's teaming up with John Fogerty from Ccr for "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" and "Bad Moon Rising." The performances aren't spectacular,...

Unlike the actual "American Idol" results show, we don't intend to keep you in suspense about the winner with two hours of filler. After 132 million votes cast last night (really, people?), the 11th winner of the juggernaut reality competition is ...

Phillip Phillips.

The White Guy With Guitar strikes again! Looks like that stereotypical streak on "American Idol" isn't being broken any time soon. Whatever else you might say about P-squared (and I fully expect you to in the comments section), the ladies seem to love him. He's got a radio-ready sound -- especially with his Mumford & Sons-esque winner's song, "Home" -- and he probably has the greatest chance of making an impact on the charts, as so many previous "American Idol" winners have failed to do.

Did he have the best vocals, an impressive range or the ability to work the stage? No. But that doesn't preclude him from being a successful artist,...

Unlike the actual "American Idol" results show, we don't intend to keep you in suspense about the winner with two hours of filler. After 132 million votes cast last night (really, people?), the 11th winner of the juggernaut reality competition is ...

Phillip Phillips.

The White Guy With Guitar strikes again! Looks like that stereotypical streak on "American Idol" isn't being broken any time soon. Whatever else you might say about P-squared (and I fully expect you to in the comments section), the ladies seem to love him. He's got a radio-ready sound -- especially with his Mumford & Sons-esque winner's song, "Home" -- and he probably has the greatest chance of making an impact on the charts, as so many previous "American Idol" winners have failed to do.

Did he have the best vocals, an impressive range or the ability to work the stage? No. But that doesn't preclude him from being a successful artist,...

If the Phillip Phillips-vs.-Jessica Sanchez showdown of American Idol‘s eleventh season was an apples-vs-oranges kind of affair, then tonight’s season finale — featuring the inarguably terrific Top 13 12* — was a weird and occasionally wonderful smorgasbord. (*Uncle Nigel: “Jermaine Jones was just a figment of your imagination!”)

We had Season 3 champ Fantasia Barrino in a Crystal Gayle wig and, um, unfortunate spangled catsuit with side-leg cutouts (!) grabbing Joshua Ledet and turning the Nokia into a beautiful, howling messerie. We had John Fogerty, Reba McEntire, and Jordin Sparks dueting with Season 11 standouts Phillip Phillips, Skylar Laine, and Hollie Cavanagh.

Photos...

When NBC’s rival singing competition The Voice returned in February, I felt like I was the only Idol fan left in America. Media outlets championed NBC’s chair-spinning competition, with its flashy format — an audition style that’s admittedly superior to Idol’s — and sass-spewing judges, Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine, and Blake Shelton. “The Voice is more relevant, more meaningful, more compelling and more entertaining right now,” said Alex Strachan of the Montreal Gazette. “After a decade, we no longer believe in the Idol factory,” wrote EW’s Mark Harris. Those barbs stung me (an American Idol junkie) personally...

Though Phillip Phillips and Jessica Sanchez will surely super-sing and hyper-emote their way through tonight's Top 2 performance show, American Idol's eleventh season has already left a trail of thoroughly professional, if not legendary performances. Fortunately, we''ve counted up the 11 that really, really ruled, and I'll tell you a secret: The top two performances on this list may be the two best in the history of the series -- aside from my darling Melinda Doolittle's "My Funny Valentine," of course. They're an astonishing pair of clips, and I hope reality competition scientists study them with microscopes and applause for decades.

Let's count down the 11 best, kids! Hurl your dissent in the comments, please.

11. DeAndre Brackensick, "Master Blaster"

The revisionism begins here, because I originally rated DeAndre's Stevie Wonder cover as a middle-of-the-pack entry that week. What was I thinking? This 1980 Stevie jam is such a weird, boppy, hokey, reggae,...

MTV News 'Idol' experts share their choices for the top two.

By Gil Kaufman and James Montgomery

Phillip Phillips and Jessica Sanchez

Photo: Fox

It's the final countdown. On Tuesday night (May 22), Phillip Phillips and Jessica Sanchez will face off for the season 11 crown, capping a roller-coaster ride filled with soaring highs — Sanchez's "I Will Always Love You," Joshua Ledet's "To Love Somebody," Skylar Laine's "Wind Beneath My Wings," that time Steven Tyler wore Roy Lichtenstein pants — and just as many crushing lows — Heejun Han's impromptu strip show, Colton Dixon's hair, Randy Jackson's collection of pins, etc. — with the majority, of course, falling somewhere in between. If anything, this season has given us more of the same: nothing more, nothing less.

Of course, through it all, our "American Idol" experts have stuck it out, providing us with their own, uh, unique insights and...

Jessica Sanchez and Phillip Phillips will battle it out for the American Idol crown next Tuesday, and the new American Idol will be revealed the following night during the big two-hour-plus finale. Make sure to set your DVR’s correctly; the episode will run over with an extra seven minutes. Current American Idol champ Scotty McCreery and pop superstar Rihanna, plus a slew of surprise guests, are set to appear.

The final performance themes, according to producer Nigel Lythgoe will be: 1. The finalist’s favorite song of the series. 2. A song chosen by Simon Fuller. 3. The finalist’s new single.

As American Idol gets closer to the Season 11 finale, its results shows should — by the laws of reality television — get more and more suspenseful. The only problem is that with fewer dreams hanging in the balance, and fewer contestants for evil kitty Ryan Seacrest to bat about like so many trapped mice, the show’s producers have to pad the telecast with alarming amounts of pink slime to fill out the burger.

Related | American Idol Top 3 Performance Night Recap: Feeling Right at Home(town)

And thus we get multiple promos for Ice Age: Continental Drift, a Ford “Music Video” so...

Joshua Ledet just misses out on the big showdown.

By Adam Graham

Jessica Sanchez and Phillip Phillips on "American Idol"

Photo: Michael Becker/ Fox

The "American Idol" finale is set, and Joshua Ledet didn't get an invite.

Phillip Phillips and Jessica Sanchez will compete in next week's season finale after Ledet was voted off the show Thursday (May 17). Ledet, the 20-year-old from Westlake, Louisiana, who was continually praised as one of the best contestants to ever grace the "Idol" stage, received the lowest number of votes from the 90 million votes cast, according to "Idol" host Ryan Seacrest.

Ledet set a record for standing ovations from the judges this season on "Idol"; barely a week went by when he didn't get the judges on their feet after one of his stellar performances. Ledet performed James Brown's "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" at the close of the show Thursday, repeating a...

American Idol‘s Season 11 Top 3 is in place — thanks to Joshua speaking an alien language, Phillip stripping down (musically, not literally, of course), and Jessica demanding that you’re gonna luh-uh-uh-uhhhhhh-vvee her.

Video | Idology: Elise Testone on ‘Vienna,’ ‘Whole Lotta Love’ and the Moment J.Lo ‘Crossed the Line’

On this week’s Idology, Season 6 star Melinda Doolittle and I discuss Joshua’s insanely good performance of “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World” while also offering the kind of constructive criticism that the Idol judges have ceased to give him; debate whether or not Phillip deserved...

We’ve reached that point in the American Idol season guaranteed to bring the average Idoloonie to tears. Yep, it’s Top 3 Week — Aka “Hometown Visits” — and there’ll be parades, adorable parents, throngs of adoring fans, and uncontrollable sobbing from Jessica Sanchez, Joshua Ledet, and Phillip Phillips.

Still, with each finalist performing three songs — “Judges’ Choice”; “Jimmy’s Choice”; and “Their Choice” — there’s also the possibility that we’ll be crying over unfortunate song selection.

Video | Idology: Elise Testone on ‘Vienna,’ ‘Whole Lotta Love’ and the Moment J.Lo ‘Crossed the Line’

In my mind, it’s the...

Body swapping came a week early to Fox. While next Tuesday’s Glee will find the fictional kids of William McKinley High waking up inside each other’s frames, tonight’s American Idol‘s Top 4 results-show telecast brought a number of surprising fliperoos, too.

Video | Idology: Elise Testone on ‘Vienna,’ ‘Whole Lotta Love’ and the Moment J.Lo ‘Crossed the Line’

Joshua Ledet admitted to channeling his inner Phillip Phillips after Ryan Seacrest asked him what language he was speaking during his astonishing Wednesday-night cover of “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World.” Hollie Cavanagh got a...

To say Elise Testone‘s American Idol trajectory had its ups and downs would be like saying the 2012 presidential campaign is mildly contentious. Indeed, the Season 11 rocker chick gave us some of the choicest moments of Season 11 — think “Vienna,” “Whole Lotta Love,” and “Bold as Love” — but also struggled with what some observers felt was an unbecoming attitude when faced with trips to the Bottom 3 and tough criticism from Jennifer Lopez and Randy Jackson.

Now, in a two-part Idology interview, Elise addresses her fans and detractors, explaining her state of mind when she found herself repeatedly in jeopardy early in the season,...

With just two weeks to go, Phillip, Hollie, Joshua and Jessica are pulling out all the stops as they gun for the American Idol crown. And they didn't disappoint on Wednesday night as the final four continued to bring some of their best performances, tackling California-themed songs and personal faves they wished they'd written. Those two themes worked wonders for Jessica Sanchez. After a rocky few weeks and earning the final judges' save, the California-native rebounded Wednesday with dynamite performances of Jennifer Holliday's "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going" and Etta James's "Steal Away," during which she...

MTV News' 'Idol' experts share their choices for Jessica Sanchez, Joshua Ledet, Phillip Phillips and Hollie Cavanagh.

By Gil Kaufman and James Montgomery

Phillip Phillips, Hollie Cavanagh, Joshua Ledet and Jessica Sanchez on "American Idol"

Photo: Michael Becker/ Fox

For the most part, the themes on this season's "American Idol" have been pretty straightforward: Queen, Whitney Houston, Personal Idols, Songs From the Year You Were Born, Songs From the 1980s, More Songs About Buildings and Food (look it up).

But when the final four take the stage Wednesday night (May 9), they'll be tasked with performing two songs in one of the most ambiguous, wide-open themes in the show's history: California Dreamin' (songs by Californians) and Songs I Wish I'd Written.

Considering that the only singer left on the show who might reasonably write his own songs is Phillip Phillips (sample chorus: "Growwwwwl") and that Joshua Ledet has proven...

A lot has been said about the high level of talent in the "American Idol" Season 11 Top 5 (or 6, or 7) -- but if so many people are talking about it, there must be an element of truth there. The final four singers, Hollie Cavanagh, Joshua Ledet, Phillip Phillips and Jessica Sanchez, are no doubt fantastic at what they do -- but do they deserve to be there over the most recently booted finalists, Skylar Laine, Elise Testone or Colton Dixon?

Laine had a lot going for her as a contestant -- high energy, great attitude, command of the stage and the coveted position of being the lone country singer in a sea full of balladeers. Country music is a huge genre that will go untapped for the rest of the "Idol" season. Last year's finalists were two teen country singers -- so how come the charismatic Laine couldn't make it further in the competition?...

Next Wednesday on American Idol, the Top 4 will choose songs from California artists for a “California Dreamin’”-themed performance show. On Thursday’s results show, judge Jennifer Lopez will perform her new single “Dance Again” and season 7 champ David Cook will debut his new single “The Last Song I’ll Write for You.”

Carrie Underwood’s fourth album, Blown Away, is set to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart next week. It’s her third No. 1, following 2009’s Play On and 2007′s Carnival Ride. Her post-Idol debut, 2005′s Some Hearts debuted and peaked at No. 2. The new...

Randy Jackson isn't as infuriating when I think of him as less of a person, and more as a fountain of nonsense. Oh, look at the fountain! Spitty spit spit! Nonsense aplenty! Great party, Diane! But mysteriously, Randy abandoned his love of nonsense for a split second during last night's results show when he noted one truth: This may be the best final five in Idol history. Think of it. Season eight? Had Danny Gokey. Season three? Had George Huff. Even season six, which featured my candidate for the greatest American Idol contestant history -- Ms. Melinda Doolittle -- featured Blake Lewis in the Top 2. In other words: Season 11, you're the top.

And that makes this week's elimination damn difficult. Which of the five remaining troubadours shuffled on out of the Idol murderdome? Was it Phillip, Jessica, Hollie, Skylar, or Joshua? We reveal all below.

First, your bottom two:

And...

I told you we'd be better off without raspy frump superstar Elise Testone in the competition. Now we have five contenders who could -- unless Phil Phillips is truly obliterating the home vote, which is possible -- win the damn contest. I like a grudge match. I like my American Idols roiling in the pit and beating each other up like hard-bodied slaves in the "Express Yourself" video. I want to see Hollie Cavanagh climbing up Joshua Ledet's limbs like a gibbon and ripping out his vocal cords with her pearly incisors. Do we have any graphic novelists in the house? Storyboard this for me and I swear to God I'll pimp you for weeks on AfterElton.

This week's set of themes included the 1960s and British pop. Because those don't overlap at all, idiots. Why is Idol like this sometimes? Make these kids do disparate genres I care about,...

There was some dissension in the American Idol ranks of TV Fanatic regarding last Thursday's elimination of Elise Testone. Some of you were quite fired up about Hollie vs. Elise. I like that kind of passion!

This week, the remaining five contestants have vowed to bring their "A" games to the dual-themed night. We'll hear music from the 60s in one round and Brit Pop in another. Jimmy has called in his friend Steven Van Zandt to mentor the contestants.

Here goes Round One: The 60s

Hollie Cavanagh is up first singing "River Deep Mountain High." Steven and Jimmy tell her to stop trying to please people when she's performing, which is exactly what J.Lo's been telling her for weeks. Stop thinking so much! It's definitely a nice, uptempo way to open the night. Steven said "thank you, Lord." J.Lo said she bit into the song and attacked it.

The finish line is in sight - and as the final five contestants fight to be the winner of American Idol, the competition is fierce. Just like last week, the contestants brought top-notch performances, tackling classic songs from the 1960s and the British pop songbook. No one seemed to fight harder than Hollie Cavanagh. After another appearance in the bottom last week, she delivered Wednesday with a high-energy version of Ike and Tina Turner's rock-soul rave-up "River Deep-Mountain High," which found her shimmying and shaking across the stage while wearing sky-high heels. For her second tune, she brought tender...

With just five singers left in the competition, it's inevitable that the more and more "American Idol" finalists will end up in the Bottom 3 each week. Perhaps it's easy for Phillip Phillips to say, considering he's the only one left who hasn't had a brush with elimination, but he tries to forget about the stress involved in each week's results show.

"I try not to let pressure get to me. You've got to have fun. You can't make it into a job that makes it not fun anymore," he tells Zap2it ahead of the Top 5 performance show. "You've just got to take it week by week and day by day and not let it stress you out."

The weirdest thing for Hollie Cavanagh as the competition continues is that the group keeps getting smaller and smaller. "I remember we were in the green room and they were like 'Ok,...

Remaining contestants will also take on a song from the 1960s — here's how our 'Idol' experts see the whole thing going down.

By Gil Kaufman and James Montgomery

"American Idol" Top 5

Photo: Fox

One week after featuring the songs of Queen, "American Idol" producers are shaking things up on Wednesday night's (May 2) show, by, uh ... showcasing British music. Never mind. But that's not all: The top five will also be singing a song from the 1960s too, which makes us wish Elise Testone would've stuck around for another week.

Still, with so many great songs to choose from, chances are someone's gonna have a breakout night. Can Jessica Sanchez reclaim her past glories? Will Josh Ledet burn the house down? And what tune will Hollie Cavanagh sleepwalk through this week?

For the answers to those questions and more, we turn to MTV News' resident "American Idol" experts — Gil...

For performances Wednesday night, the #Idols took on a Queen song and another song of their choice. So that meant a total of 12 fabulous fashion looks! Here is the low-down on what the Top 6 men and ladies wore.

And, don't forget to send your style questions or comments to me on Twitter at @SoysFashion. I'd #love to hear from you!

Hollie Cavanagh

You can achieve so many moods with a suit, and with Hollie's look this week I wanted her to look clean, chic, and cool with just a simple black tank underneath. Her red suit and statement necklace tied the outfit together perfectly. I started off Hollie's fittings with simple gowns for "The Climb" and nothing seemed right. Since the beginning of the season I've had a black modern poodle skirt for Hollie. She pointed to it as a reminder and said, "What about that one?" I wasn't quite...

After consistently being seated in the bottom three of American Idol (TV) each week, Elise Testone's journey has finally come to an end. The 28 year-old rock/soul performer finished out her run last Thursday as Season 11's sixth place contestant. Are many surprised? Probably not. Some are disappointed nonetheless. Elise, who received a standing ovation from judges for her performance of Billy Joel's "Vienna," and yet another for her gritty rendition of Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love," demonstrated some fierce vocal chops on the show, but when all is sung and done, it's not just America's ears you have to win over, it's their hearts. In the end, Idol voters simply weren't feeling it. Elise sat down with journalists for a post-elimination interview to give her own account of the events leading up to her departure. She talked about public perception, her fellow contestants, and the judges occasional "confusion.

We’re down to just five contestants on Season 11 of American Idol, and even though one of ‘em isn’t Elise Testone, the show must go on*. On this week’s Idology, Season 6 standout Melinda Doolittle and I discuss the surprising rise of Hollie Cavanagh and what that means for her female competitors Jessica Sanchez and Skylar Laine; the Terminator-like march of Phillip Phillips; the nonstop standing ovations for Joshua Ledet (and why they make us nervous); and the fact that the judges are now advancing their collective agenda not with their words, but with the tones of their voices.

It’s British Week on American Idol this week. And while you can expect the remaining five finalists to be singing songs made famous by artists from across the pond, they’ll be mentored by a musician who is decidedly all-American. EW has learned that Steven Van Zandt, the guitarist from Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, will be the guest mentor on Idol tomorrow. Little Steven, as he is affectionately known, will be lending Jimmy Iovine a hand as the Idol mentor coaches the kids on English rock and pop on the May 2 performance show (Fox 8 p.m.).

Little Steven...

I've sailed through the eleventh season of American Idol and the second season of The Voice like a damn trooper. I've skewered them both for your entertainment. But now the time has come to pick the better show, and I'm using seven categories of criteria to reach a verdict. Idol is better in some regards while The Voice wins in others, but the overall results are in! Dim the lights and let's crown one singing competition king. We'll start the showdown with my favorite category: hosting.

1. Hosting: Carson Daly vs. Ryan Seacrest

Is there a reason why the hosts on talent competitions aren't discussed more? Frankly, they're the most critical element of the proceedings. Both The Voice and American Idol are uncontrolled blitzes of power ballads, lighting cues, and talky interludes, and it takes the finesse of a killer emcee to rein it all in. And if we're being honest,...

Jennifer Lopez calls latest castoff a 'fighter' for speaking her mind during the show.

By James Montgomery, with reporting by Christina Garibaldi

Elise Testone

Photo: MTV News

Elise Testone's ouster from "American Idol" last week wasn't exactly shocking — after all, she'd practically built "a vacation home" in the bottom three (thanks Jimmy Iovine!). But that doesn't mean she ever really expected to go home either.

"I never really allowed myself to think about it," Testone told MTV News. "But, you know, it happened. I don't take it to heart; it's a TV show, you know? It's dramatic. People agree, they don't agree. No matter what you do, people are going to respect you and people aren't."

It's telling that Testone mentioned the whole agree/disagree thing, mostly because, during her time on the show, it seemed like the "Idol" judges could never truly agree on their critiques of her performances.

Jennifer Lopez and Casper Smart stopped for lunch at Aroma Cafe in La Saturday. Casper played cameraman when the valet asked for a photo with Jennifer as they left the restaurant with takeout in hand. The couple spent the sunny afternoon together following J Lo's busy week on American Idol. J Lo wore two sexy looks for her judging duties and was in sequins when she said goodbye to Elise Testone, leaving five contestants still in the running for the title. The show's host, Ryan Seacrest, had a tough week following the death of pal Dick Clark and a brief illness, but he got some good news when his two-year contract with NBC was announced. View Slideshow ›...

Season 10's Haley Reinhart stopped by The Hollywood Reporter's cover lounge on Friday, joining music editor Shirley Halperin for the latest Idol Hangover interview.  And to quote Randy Jackson -- THR had a hot one! Noting the "steamy" vibe of Reinhart's forthcoming debut album Listen Up! (due out May 22), and especially opening track "Oh My," the talk was all about feeling sexy and bringing that essence to her record, which is stellar.  Video: 'American Idol': Jennifer Lopez Wishes She Could Mentor More Also on tap for this week's discussion: Haley's thoughts on why Elise Testone was eliminated,

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Minutes after Elise Testone was eliminated on Thursday's American Idol, season 11 judge Jennifer Lopez lamented the fact that she and her table-mates can't mentor the finalists one-on-one.  Video: 'American Idol': Eliminated Contestant Elise Testone On Talking Back to the Judges, Tour, Regrets "We try to get as much in there as we can," Lopez told The Hollywood Reporter's special correspondent (and season 9 Idol alum) Didi Benami, even if that means occassionally being "harsh." Unlike seasons past, when "funny" was the order of the day, she continued. Today, it's all about truth.  Story: 'American Idol' Burning

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Elise Testone told Hollywoodlife.com about her dream duets and how she plans on keeping her music career alive post-'Idol'! Elise Testone may have ended her journey to become an American Idol, but she is not giving up her dream of becoming a performing artist. The 28-year-old from South Carolina has a fighting spirit and is hoping that her feisty personality and rocker-voice will keep people from forgetting her. "I am going to surprise people, I am going to be myself and hope people will not forget me," she revealed to Hollywoodlife.com, immediately after being kicked off April 26. The spunky songstress also admitted she hopes to reach out to some of the artists she connected with on the show to work on some new musical collaborations. "I want to reach out to everyone -- Stevie Nicks, Brian May and I are pretty much best friends now so we will probably hang out.