It was a hit and miss week on "American Idol," as the remaining contestants tackled the music of Queen and another song of their choice. Elise and Skylar both nailed the Queen round, but stumbled during the artists' choice, while Jessica and Hollie found their footing with more recent hits after floundering with the '70s rockers' catalog. But who rocked us, and who seemed "under pressure"?
The next contestant to be eliminated was ...
Elise Testone.
It's a testament to Elise's distinctive, bluesy tone that she managed to survive far longer in the competition than I expected she would (even though she deserved to make it the whole way). But like Phillip Phillips and Heejun Han, the "Idol" machine never seemed like a perfect fit for her graveled, soulful authenticity. She's not marketable enough to be an "Idol," but she's certainly talented enough to become a successful artist in her own right. I'll miss her unique take on songs, but this wasn't a game she could win. She was joined in the bottom three by Hollie Cavanagh (probably the next in line to be eliminated) and Skylar Laine.
The episode was padded by the usual filler performances, including something called "The Queen Extravaganza," a tribute band handpicked by Queen drummer Roger Taylor, boasting a lead singer who both looks and sounds eerily like a reincarnated Freddie Mercury -- I was surprisingly impressed. Sadly, that was followed up by a decidedly less impressive song from Season 10's Stefano (who apparently no longer has a last name), and a shaky single from Katy Perry.
Do you think that America made the right choice? Are you sad to see Elise go? Weigh in below!
"American Idol" airs Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.