American Idol "Top 4" Review: It's a Phillip Phillip Phillips' World

If nothing else, last week's Hollie-surgence all the way to the top of my chart showed how closely-packed the three legitimate singers left in this competition are. With only three weeks left in the season after Wednesday night, it was time for Hollie, Jessica and Joshua to give their very best and deliver a couple surprises to keep us talking about them over the Phillip-hatred cacophony that's rapidly engulfing what was a fabulous season.

The marks:

Phillip Phillips (Have You Ever Seen the Rain): Part of me wants to stop grading Phillip's performances out of protest - the way you might avoid discussing season six of 24 when recapping its remarkable run - but, like the Bauer Power Hour, AI has been so good for so long that I'll tough it out and hope for better next time, a distinct possibility given the absurdly good top three he performs around (and is destined to prevent). To Phillip's credit, he left his guitar behind and focused on putting his full effort into the vocal despite the fact that he clearly didn't understand what the sound was about. It still sounded like a stroke victim bleating over a P.A. system, but God bless him for trying. Moving on... 25   

Hollie Cavanagh (Faithfully): Hollie's drifting perilously into ballads-only territory, a somber place where I trade drinks with Anoop Desai, Elliot Yamin and Clay Aiken and lament their Idol fortunes. Nonetheless, this was a deftly executed missionary position ballad. Hollie broke away from the wind-swept, stationary delivery only in lacking a prom dress, and ultimately this performance felt well-executed but unremarkable. Not at all bad, but not life-changing either. 65

Joshua Ledet (You Raise Me Up): Garbled delivery, tears in the eyes and a choked voice, while showing a great deal of passion, do not a good performance make. (Neither does raising him up on a literal platform, continually on-the-nose producers.) The inevitable key change felt completely unearned and alienated me further from the first ordinary stinker of Joshua's Idol run. At least he surprised me. 25

Jessica Sanchez (Steal Away): I completely dug the vibe and delivery of this performance, which normally spells legendary status with Jessica. Again, though, I was surprised; Season 11's most consistently technically-sound performer completely butchered the melody of this song and missed several notes along the way. Yikes. 40

Joshua Ledet and Phillip Phillips (This Love): After one of my favorite (cheesy) songs carried Joshua and Phillip to a perfectly mediocre duet despite less chemistry than me and gym equipment, another favorite didn't repeat the trick. The completely disconnected delivery bled into a uninspired vocal that left me longing for it to be over. Forget last week, Idolsphere. This is the worst duet in Idol history. 5

Hollie Cavanagh and Jessica Sanchez (Eternal Flame): Did Idol hire Blue Man Group to help arrange its staging? I can't think of any other explanation for the bizarre cloth swings that made this staid performance even less interesting. A mid-song tempo change generated a little excitement, and their harmony was sublime - these are the two best competitors standing, remember - but overall forgettable. 55

Phillip Phillips (Volcano): A brilliantly-staged, understated performance - I'm a sucker for a cello - that reminded me how Phillip earned a spot in the finals in the first place. I'm still never going to love Phillip's complete lack of tone, but I think this is as close as it gets. 70

Hollie Cavanagh (I Can't Make You Love Me): Hollie apparently missed the memo that this song is now property: Allison Iraheta, but I'm glad to hear it nonetheless. Again, I love the orchestral arrangement, and it was a fine vocal, but lacked any excitement whatsoever. Could last week's #1 already go home? 60

Joshua Ledet (It's a Man's Man's Man's World): Absolutely love the staging; well-done with violins; yet another overbaked vocal from the second-most perplexing performer of the season. I've avoided invoking Jacob Lusk with Joshua the last couple weeks, but this performance had crying faces and stank all over it. No. Just no. 30

Jessica Sanchez (And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going): Speaking of stepping on hallowed ground, Jessica ignored the "J-Hud" label on this song - granted, she was eight years old when that happened -  and proceeded to nail it with just enough attitude to make a real connection and be tuneful at the same time, the defining dichotomy of this ever-stranger season. I'm not fully on board with this being the Idol Moment the producers seem to want it to be - too much blandness in the middle before an unbelievable finish - but a very good way to wrap up a lackluster, uneven show. 80

The top four power poll, complete this week with prediction! (I'd forgotten what it felt like to actually handicap an elimination.)

4. Phillip Phillips

Yes, he sucks. No, he's not going anywhere. Will he win? I still doubt it - the love for Jessica is too strong, and still growing - but he's more than popular enough to stay through the finale and put his distasteful mark on every show this season. If anything could squander a solid season ten and a spectacular season 11 top ten, it's a black star winner like Phillip. Forget Danny Gokey; we're entering the Taylor Hicks zone of inexplicable Idol atrocity.

3. Joshua Ledet

2. Hollie Cavanagh

Joshua. like his competition for the second slot, is up and down, but it's becoming rapidly clear that all other things equal I'm going to enjoy Hollie's more. Neither was especially good this week, but given the love for Joshua's ridiculousness I have to pick the joyously resurgent Hollie to leave tonight. Thank God for...

1. Jessica Sanchez

It's hard to believe in a season this talented I'm bracing myself for a final three in which I'll hate two, but Jessica's continued brilliance is more than enough to keep me watching no matter how bad her competitors are. It's hard to believe the hormone-throttled power voters behind Phillip-squared could block her from the crown, but nonetheless Jessica has placed herself in the Idol pantheon and has an excellent shot at ending the tween-fueled white-guy-with-guitar reign of Idol's recent past. I might even consider voting.

That's all for top four. Allow me to check tonight's results...

Not surprisingly, Hollie rides off into the sunset. After spending so many weeks rooting for Elise against Hollie in the punching-bag derby, I was stunned how quickly and how much I enjoyed Hollie's last couple weeks, and I look forward to finding out what niche she plans to carve in a radio world increasingly disinterested in wholesome pop singers.

Idol has yet to release a top three theme, although based on previous years it's likely to be contestant's choice, judge's choice and producer's choice to accompany hometown visits. Here's hoping Jessica gets great material, Joshua receives some solid guidance and they tag-team Phillip back home next Thursday.