After the "American Idol" judges used their save on Jessica Sanchez last week, the April 19 results were impossible to predict. Would the voters rally around Jessica and Joshua after their stint in the bottom three, or would the voting public follow through on last week's choices and eliminate one of the judges' favorites?
Though the show featured performances from LMFAO and previous winner Kris Allen (sounding almost exactly like Colton) and an appearance from a tangerine-colored Taylor Hicks (he's hitting Vegas, y'all!), the results are what really matter, so without further ado ...
The next contestant to be eliminated was:
Colton Dixon
I'm not going to lie, this makes me pretty happy. While Colton has a diverse range and undeniable confidence on stage, there's nothing truly distinctive about his voice to distinguish him from many of the other male alt-rock artists (like Kris Allen) in the industry today. He doesn't have the originality of Phillip or the powerhouse vocals of Joshua, and there's been a certain arrogance to his performances ever since he walked into the audition room and arguably stole his sister's thunder and her ticket into the Top 24.
This was Colton's worst week so far, with his song choices failing to represent who he wants to be as an artist, so it's fitting that his first trip to the bottom three also resulted in his exit. He doesn't need "American Idol" to have a successful recording career, since he has a marketable sound already, and I'm sure his elimination isn't going to hamper him at all.
I also respected his graceful exit, in which he said, "I need to apologize, I wasn't myself last night and I get it." He promised to take what the judges told him about picking the right songs and being true to himself into his career, prompting Jennifer Lopez to tell him, "You'll make many records," and Randy Jackson to assure him, "You've got a huge career ahead of you." Joining him in the bottom three were Hollie Cavanagh and Elise Testone.
Do you think America made the right choice in eliminating Colton? Who do you think will be the next artist to go home? Weigh in below.
"American Idol" airs Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.