Shannon Magrane American Idol - P 2012
FOXOn Thursday, someone had to go home on American Idol, and that person was Shannon Magrane.
The 16-year-old from Tampa sang one last time for the judges, hoping they’d use their “save” privilege to keep her in the competition. Her song choice: Mariah Carey‘s “One Sweet Day.”
“Unfortunately, we’re not going to use it tonight, Shannon,” said Randy Jackson. “Thank you.”
Surrounded by her Idol rivals-slash-friends, a teary Magrane remarked: “I feel so good standing on this stage.”
Without further ado, here are your top 10: Joshua Ledet, Phillip Phillips, Skylar Laine, Jessica Sanchez, Colton Dixon, DeAndre Brackensick, Hollie Cavanagh, Heejun Han, Elise Testone and Erika Van Pelt.
The remaining hopefuls will go on a nationwide tour following the finale in May.
Testone and Van Pelt wound up alongside Magrane in a trio of the lowest vote-getters.
“I’m not happy with the bottom three, especially with the performance that Elise had last night,” responded Jennifer Lopez.
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Demi Lovato, former Disney star-turned-fleeting rehab resident-turned-rising pop princess, performed her single “Give Your Heart a Break.” She’s no stranger to Idol: in the past, she’s performed a duet with Joe Jonas.
Chris Daughtry and his band also marked a return to the Idol stage to perform their new song “Outta My Head.” The season-five standout has been mentoring emo-rocker Dixon, with whom he had dinner in L.A. this week.
Meanwhile, Tommy Hilfiger, Idol‘s brand-new “image consultant,” made his debut in a taped interview. “In order to rise into stardom, talent has to have an interesting identity. Contestants have to look the part, from head to toe,” observed the designer, who praised alum Adam Lambert‘s “incredible imagery.”
STORY: ‘American Idol’ Recap: Jermaine Jones Kicked Off; Joshua Ledet, Hollie Cavanagh Have A Moment
Magrane’s exit marks the end of season 11’s most dramatic week yet. On Wednesday, Jermaine Jones was disqualified after concealing five outstanding arrest warrants, throwing contestants for a loop.
Despite the drama, several standouts emerged from the rubble of weirdness and scandal. It was Ledet’s turn to really shine during performance night: the Louisiana-raised soul singer nailed his cover of “When a Man Loves a Woman,” causing Lopez to squee: “That was the best thing I’ve ever seen on American Idol!”
Host Ryan Seacrest said Thursday that Percy Sledge, who originally recorded the R&B classic, had reached out to Ledet to commend him on the performance. Mentor Jimmy Iovine also praised the 19-year-old, saying that with all the talent combined, this season was turning into a full-fledged “horse race.”
As for Magrane, Iovine said: “She pushed too hard last night. When she pushes, she shows her weakness.”
(We witnessed Magrane’s downward-Idol spiral during Whitney Houston week, where her nerves got the better of her, and the week before that, when her song choice — and prom-queen ensemble — fell flat.)
Behold, a clip from her performance on Wednesday:
Twitter: @ErinLCarlson
Email: erin.carlson@thr.com
