'American Idol' top 8 results recap: who's out next?
Sam Woolf was the person I called to win this competition five weeks ago before the top 13 live show.
That was a mistake.
He hasn't lived up to early expectations and has not improved enough to garner a bigger fan base.
Voters have placed him in the bottom three three times and he got the fewest votes this week.
But the judges used their save for the first and only time this week. So nobody is eliminated.
Did Sam earn the save?
Marginally. His chances of winning over stronger performers such as Jena, Caleb and Alex are slim to none at this stage.
He clearly isn't ready for this show. He has a great voice but not much else at his age. He lacks polish and comes off rather dull on the big stage. He isn't connecting with the audience. He had a hard time funneling proper emotion into his songs. While he has gotten a bit better over the past five weeks, he hasn't shown to be more than a pretty voice and a pretty face.
The judges are hoping he improves some more, the way Malaya has, so they gave him a second shot after he sang a decent version of "Babylon." And she fell into the bottom three, too, along with CJ Harris, who just seems one note. And that note is sharp.
Although CJ was the consensus call for going home, his Southern fans kept him around. The Alabama effect lives on.
Randy Jackson felt Jena, Dexter, Caleb and Jena shone. And all were safe.
About the Author
Rodney Ho writes about entertainment for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution including TV, radio, film, comedy and all things in between. A native New Yorker, he has covered education at The Virginian-Pilot, small business for The Wall Street Journal and a host of beats at the AJC over 20-plus years. He loves tennis, pop culture & seeing live events.
