Elise Testone may have ended her journey to become an American Idol, but she is not giving up her dream of becoming a performing artist. The 28-year-old from South Carolina has a fighting spirit and is hoping that her feisty personality and rocker-voice will keep people from forgetting her.

“I am going to surprise people, I am going to be myself and hope people will not forget me,” she revealed to Hollywoodlife.com, immediately after being kicked off April 26.

The spunky songstress also admitted she hopes to reach out to some of the artists she connected with on the show to work on some new musical collaborations.

“I want to reach out to everyone – Stevie Nicks, Brian May and I are pretty much best friends now so we will probably hang out. But I would love to do a whole song with Steven Tyler and Bonnie Raiit as well,” she said.

Those are some pretty big names in music, but we would love to see Elise combine her talents with the wisdom and experience of seasoned artists. Elise also said if all else fails, she can always depend on Ellen DeGeneres.

“Ellen is my girl, she tweeted me and said that she loves me,” she said.

American Idol was such a positive experience for Elise that she says she might even consider doing another reality show. We wish her all the best in her future endeavors and want to know what YOU think about Elise Testone. Were you sad she got voted off?

Nicole Fukuoka with reporting by Russ Weakland

Phillip Phillips defied the American Idol odds once again this week, staying out of the bottom three and leaving Elise Testone, Skylar Laine and Hollie Cavanagh at risk of being cut by America.

Skylar wowed the judges last night with her rendition of a lesser known Queen song, which seemed to help her, as she was quickly saved. Hollie’s decision to sing Miley Cyrus‘s “The Climb” was a good one, as she was safe as well — which left Elise to say her goodbye.

We’re Elise fans here at HollywoodLife.com, so it’s sad to see her go. However, she seemed okay with the decision and acted ready to be done.

What did you think of tonight’s results? Did the right Idol get sent home? Sound off below!

It must be music to the ears of producers of American Idol that most likely a girl will win this year’s show. Let’s be honest, now that Colton Dixon is gone and Phillip Phillips had a rough night, it should be a easy road for some of the remaining girls. Plus, it’s safe to say that female American Idol winners have had quite a lot of success! (Can anyone say Kelly Clarkson or Carrie Underwood?) Now, let’s get down to business: who shined the most in a night full of ups and downs?

Jessica Sanchez:

‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ by Queen: The infamous death spot of singing first was given to Jessica, as she started the show with arguably Queen’s most popular song ever. At first I liked it and she really had me, but when the floating Jessica Sanchez heads appeared behind her, I started laughing in my chair. I was sitting immediately next to Brian May, legendary guitarist of Queen so I contained my laughter enough and tried to get back to her performance. I just couldn’t get back into it and was distracted by all the other stuff on the stage. I really have to agree with Steven Tyler when he said, “Rock isn’t your forte”. It wasn’t a bad performance, but was not the game changer it could of been and started out to be.

‘Dance With My Father’ by Luther Vandross: This song should be heart-wrenching, but I just didn’t feel it from Jessica, who sang it for her father who will be going overseas to serve in the military. This song is actually about a dead father and wanting to see him again. When the Idols get to pick their own songs, it really goes astray. Jessica needs to do a song that shows she is young. She needs to try singing Taylor Swift, Demi Lovato or Miley Cyrus. She’s 16, not 78 years old. Its time for her to grow as an artist, but she seems to be standing still — which will not get her in the finals. Jennifer Lopez said, “That may have been the best I’ve heard that song sang.” I couldn’t disagree more. Luther Vandross sang the song perfectly because he had legitimate emotion behind it. Regardless, she is safe for another week.

Skylar Laine:

“Show Must Go On” by Queen: This was simply the best performance that Skylar has done all season. She should almost sometimes separate herself from country and attempt songs like this because it was a complete home run. The performance, the song and the whole package was perfect. This gave her the chance to falter in the following round because this was so good. For anyone else, this song would have been a risk but she did it so effortlessly. She made her performance very memorable. I have to agree with Randy Jackson when he said, “That was incredible”.

“Tattoos On This Town” by Jason Aldean: With being a country artist and coming off her greatest performance of the season, this song should have been a cake walk for Skylar. Well, let’s just say that it didn’t really go as well as it should have. J. Lo mentioned, “In the end you took us there again.” But the problem was everywhere else was a bit of a mess. This could have been Skylar’s breakout night, as her first song was spectacular. However, she brought us back to earth…but she should be safe for at least a few more weeks. If she can grab the lightning she had with the “Show Must Go On,” she will win American Idol. This second performance scared me a little bit. We shall all see what happens…but the potential is there.

Joshua Ledet:

“Crazy Little Thing Called Love” by Queen: Joshua is good, but there are other Queen songs that he could have had a lot of fun with. This seemed a little weird and when I was looking over to Brian May, he seemed to agree with me. If a member of Queen wasn’t signing off on it, I really will stick to my instincts. The judges with their endless standing ovations want him in the finals, as they loved it, but I don’t think he should have that opportunity to be in the finals. There are better contestants. It’s more than just a voice and he just doesn’t have the total package. I think he should have done “Somebody To Love” as that could have had a great mix of rock and choir. Not his worst, but not of his best.

“Ready For Love” by India.Arie: He is continuing the trend that this year’s Idols pick horrible songs. It was leaps and bounds better than his Queen performance, but I don’t agree with Randy Jackson who said, “I’m so speechless.” It was far from epic, but a good enough performance to keep him in the show for another week.

Elise Testone:

“I Want It All” by Queen: Elise really is a rock girl at heart and this song actually gave her the chance to throw some of that out to the world. This song was written by Brian May and he was really loving what he was seeing during the performance. You never know what Elise is going to bring from week to week but this was a solid performance. Jennifer Lopez chose her words wisely when she said, “It was natural, it was sexy.” This is the Elise that should continue and make records in the future. Good work on this song. She could be safe.

“Bold As Love” by Jimi Hendrix: This was a horrible performance. Elise really had momentum that completely took a nose dive with this performance. It was a complete mess. Jennifer Lopez liked the performance saying, “You slayed that song.” But she killed it in a bad way. This could really be the week that she finally goes home. It’s too bad but she has really overstayed her welcome and this Jimi Hendrix song may have done the trick.

Phillip Phillips:

“Fat Bottomed Girls” by Queen: Phillip has been able to do any wrong this season, but tonight was probably his worst set of performances to date. Even though the judges were fairly positive about his performance, it almost seemed pitchy to me. Plus, Stephen complimented him on the way he ran out of breath, but over all, I thought it was distracting. Phillip should steer clear of Queen in the future. Not a good fit for him.

“The Stone” by Dave Matthews Band: All season long, Phillip has been compared to Dave Matthews, so I expected him to slay this song (in a good way). While it wasn’t pitchy or anything, it just was too abstract for American Idol. I’ll be shocked if Phillip isn’t in the bottom three tomorrow. He had his worst night of the season.

Hollie Cavanagh:

“Save Me” by Queen: This was the equivalent of singing Michael Buble‘s “Home.” Simon Cowell would have had a field day with this one. He would have ripped into her pretty good, I think — but I have to agree with Randy who said, “It was a good performance.” I have to stress on the word good because it was far from great. However, she might be safe since Phillip wasn’t at his best tonight.

“The Climb” by Miley Cyrus: Great choice of song here, which shocked me as once again the Idol hopefuls don’t often pick good songs for themselves. This performance and being last of the night should save her for at least one more week. She did something young and fun and didn’t try to be the Diva. Lets say it all together with Randy, “Hollie is back!” Good way to end the show.

So HollywoodLifers, who will be in the bottom three and more importantly who will go home? Sound off below!

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Russ Weakland

Follow @mrsandwich96

We are still sitting here in shock after tonight’s American Idol elimination. Even the bottom three, Colton Dixon, Hollie Cavanagh and Elise Testone, weren’t who we would have guessed to be facing elimination.

That said, after Elise talked back to Jennifer Lopez last night, we had our concerns about her going home. However, when Ryan Seacrest announced it was actually Colton who was getting the boot, our mouths dropped to the floor. He was supposed to win!

Can you believe Colton was eliminated? Sound off below!

Viewers were stunned when Elise Testone talked back to Jennifer Lopez on the April 18 episode of American Idol, but the controversial contestant doesn’t think she did anything wrong. “I don’t feel like I was being rude,” she told HollywoodLife.com and other outlets immediately after the episode aired. “The thing that compelled me to do it was [J. Lo] said I wasn’t … connecting with my song, and I didn’t want to stand there and smile.”

“I wanted to engage … and I didn’t discredit anything [the judges] said,” Elise continued. “I just felt like I needed to explain that I am always approaching my songs for an emotional standpoint, but maybe they brought to my attention that this competition is making me forget.”

We respect Elise for standing her ground, but we have a feeling her decision to challenge J. Lo may have also sealed her fate in the competition. We wouldn’t be surprised to see her voted off tonight. Would you?

— Written by Andy Swift, Reporting by Russ Weakland

Follow @AndySwift

The American Idol hopefuls are in the home stretch and have no chance to be saved, which means they should really be at their best — or it’s the end of the road. Like usual, some chose good and some bad. Unfortunately, nobody was really spectacular!

1st Round: Songs Of Now

Hollie Cavanagh: She started the night with “Rolling In The Deep” by Adele. Can we please stop having Adele being a selection for any singing show? It is so overdone and it’s often done terribly…which leads us to Hollie’s performance, which was horrible. She will 100% be voted off the show this week, unless she performs some sort of miracle with her next song. And, of course, the judges who don’t actually judge loved it. I really wonder sometimes what show the judges are watching.

Colton Dixon: Colton risked trying “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga, which I thought was going to be awful. I honestly don’t think he should have chose this song and this performance might drop him down a few pegs. It wasn’t terrible — it just didn’t work. I’m a fan of Colton and what he has done on the show up until this point. This was his weakest performance of the season. However, the judges loved it. Honestly, the judges are completely pointless this season. They don’t know how to judge good and bad performances. It’s ridiculous!

Elise Testone: The bottom three favorite is back again and sang “No One” by Alicia Keys. She was working the Mariah Carey look tonight…but without Mariah’s voice. However, the song seemed to be a good pick for Elise (even if it was a little bit safe). She didn’t lose any votes on this performance, but she didn’t blow the roof off the place. She should be all right unless her second performance stumbles. I also didn’t like that she kind of used her future dead dog as a emotional voting point. Just leave it to the music.

Phillip Phillips: The choice of “U Got It Bad” by Usher was a great selection and I wanted Phillip to break out from his normal performances. It still had the Phillip stamp on it, but a little different to be a really fun performance. It wasn’t his best performance, but it was a great performance by the band — which made the whole performance really top notch. He should be more than safe. The judges gushed about him as well, so he will be in no danger whatsoever. He doesn’t even need to sing his next song.

Jessica Sanchez: Since Jessica is the producers’ favorite, the judges’ favorite and has tons of fans, I am really interested to see what Jessica will do with her two performances. Her first choice was “Fallin” by Alicia Keys (which is like singing Adele – everyone sings it). It sounded like she was screaming the big notes rather than singing them on this performance. But surprise, surprise the judges loved it…what else is new? (Random question: Will the open umbrellas on stage pose more bad luck for her this week?)

Skylar Laine: Skylar countrified “Born This Way” by Lady Gaga. Skylar did what Colton did not do and that was make a Lady Gaga song her own. I am not much of a country fan, but this was currently the best performance of the night. If Skylar continues on the path she has been on, she will easily be in the final three of the show. She will not win American Idol but she will get very far. The judges agreed…but they don’t judge, so do their opinions even count? I’m eager to see what Jimmy Iovine has to say about the performances tomorrow. I think he’ll really like Skylar and she should avoid the bottom three, unless her second song is atrocious.

Joshua Ledet: Joshua chose “I Believe” by Fantasia. He chose a song in his wheelhouse and whatever you think about Fantasia, this is her best and most catchy song she has ever recorded. The judges gave him a standing ovation but it wasn’t his defining moment. It was a good performance and should allow him to get some votes to get him out of the bottom three. He chose wisely to go safe, because others (like Elise and Hollie) are most likely going to stumble in round two. We shall see, but Joshua should be in good shape after this performance.

2nd Round: Songs Of Then

Hollie Cavanagh: Her second song was “Son Of A Preacher Man” by Dusty Springfield, which was a million times better than what she started out with — but it just might not be enough. She went back to thinking on stage and not just rocking out.  Stephen Tyler agreed and wants her to be more than just the voice. She didn’t embarrass herself in any way, but she might not have any more chances, as she may have not done enough. At least she has the tour to anticipate this summer.

Colton Dixon: Yet another big risk by Colton as he tried “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire. Talk about a serious test. However, Colton likes to play by his own rules, which makes him a favorite. He changed the song to be a little slower, but I thought it should have been slower and more haunting. The judges actually hated it, but I think his fan base will save him. Colton really tried some things this week and it was 50/50 at best. Honestly, I think he will learn from this and completely rock it out next week.

Elise Testone: She did her usual Elise thing to the classic “Let’s Get It On” by Marvin Gaye, but she provided no emotion to her performance — just the voice. This song is about making love and not making us think we are in a karaoke bar. Jennifer Lopez actually agreed with me; Elise lacked the connection. Elise then challenged Jennifer, which sealed her fate. Mark my words: she will for sure be going home tomorrow. She then decided to keep talking and talking. Elise is going home swinging.

Phillip Phillips: He went back to what he does best, and that is being Phillip. He chose “In The Midnight Hour” by Wilson Pickett, which seemed a little hokey at first, but it turned into a good performance toward the end. It felt a little Las Vegas lounge singer, but let’s be honest — he will be OK tomorrow and will not be going home at all. He has the girls on his side, something that really helped him even more was going after a weak performance by Elise. See you next week, Phillip.

Jessica Sanchez: Talk about over singing a classic song. Jessica sang “Try A Little Tenderness” by Otis Redding and it was completely AWFUL! I defy you not to listen to the original song and hear how it should have been done. However, nobody cares how bad she does as I think this competition is rigged in her favor. If the voting was legit last week, she should be in the bottom three yet again. But I doubt that will happen. I’m sure the commenters are going to hate on me for this review, but Jessica was not good in this performance.

Skylar Laine: Another song by a legendary singer that was not really done well. Skylar chose “Heard It Through The Grapevine” by Marvin Gaye. Her first performance was leaps and bounds better and this was a major misstep. Others did worse and her first performance will help keep her another week for sure. In the end, it was a 50/50 night for Skylar, which could have been at one point a spectacular night. Oh well!

Joshua Ledet: To end the night, Joshua chose “A Change Is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke. We already saw Fantasia win American Idol, we don’t need her to win again. Say no to Man-tasia! This song ended the night on a blah note.

So HollywoodLifers, Who do you think is in the bottom three and who will be going home tomorrow? Sound off below!

Russ Weakland

Follow @mrsandwich96

I don’t think anyone was expecting what happened on American Idol April 11. Even though the song choices weren’t fantastic the night before, I still had the bottom three pegged completely wrong.

Elise Testone, Joshua Ledet and Jessica Sanchez were all at risk of leaving. Elise and Josh were sent back to safety, leaving Jessica(!?) to sing for her life. However, before she even got through the song, all three judges rushed up to the stage and announced they were using their one and only save.

The whole thing should have been really emotional, but it came across to me as staged and dumb. After successfully keeping Jessica for another week, Randy Jackson gave a lecture to America about Jessica being one of the best singers in the country. Blah, blah, blah.

I definitely wasn’t expecting Jessica to be the one who got the boot tonight, although I had a feeling the judges were going to use the save no matter what. At this point, nearly everyone is flawless…which makes decisions like who’s going to win very hard.

Currently, my top three are Colton Dixon, Phillip Phillips and Elise. What did YOU think about tonight’s non-elimination?

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The Top 7 finally had the chance to do songs from the last three years, which you would think would give zero excuse for the Idol hopefuls to actually pick a good song! Unfortunately, it looks like some of them didn’t get the memo… especially Hollie Cavanagh!

The American Idol hopefuls had this entire decade to pick some awesome and epic songs, but out of so many monster hits like Lady Gaga‘s “You And I” how were Kellie Pickler‘s “You Don’t Know How Much I Loved You” and Jazmine Sullivan‘s “Stuttering” some of the options? Regardless, some of the bad song choices led to good performances!

Skylar Laine: Skylar performed “You Don’t Know How Much I Loved You” by Kellie Pickler. While she made waves last week, she was given the dreaded opening spot of the show — which is never a good sign. But for a song that not even Kellie Pickler knows, she did it justice. That said, it was easily Skylar’s best performance of the entire season. The judges agreed and it looks like we have a serious threat on the American Idol stage that may have the potential to be one of the final two. Even with all of that, I think she’ll be in the bottom three – but if she continues to stay in the zone, she’ll be safe for a few more weeks!

Colton Dixon: Colton performed, “Love The Way You Lie” by Skylar Grey. The one to beat is Colton Dixon and tonight he did pretty damn good job. People remember this song with what Eminem and Rihanna did with it. Colton made it his own (he still should have picked a better song), but he is miles away from going home. He should be in the final two for sure. No questions asked!

Jessica Sanchez: Jessica performed, “Stuttering” by Jazmine Sullivan. You’re telling me out of the last few years this is the only song she could have picked? Seriously? I know I have gotten some heat from Jessica’s fans — but try to explain to me this song choice!  It was just an awful song selection. She’s 16, why not do a song people have heard of and Jessica can have fun with? First three songs of the night have been terrible picks and performed drastically different. Her voice stuck out and was very good, but the song is boring and by the end of the performance, I was waiting for it to end. The judges loved it and said it was probably one of her better performances to date. I agree with Jennifer Lopez that she should mix it up and give us something different. If not she’ll end up the next Pia Toscano, voted off and forgotten forever.

Joshua Ledet: Joshua performed “Runaway Baby” by Bruno Mars. This wasn’t one of Bruno’s biggest hits, but a decent song, nonetheless. This didn’t show off Joshua’s voice, but it was nice to see something different from him. I think that he’ll be safe, but will find himself in the bottom three. The judges loved it and love Joshua. However, the real question might be what’s the deal with his relationship with his Dad? That was a very awkward moment toward the end of his performance. He should be commended for trying something different. Not the best and not the worst.

Hollie Cavanagh: Hollie performed “Perfect” by P!nk. Well, we found the person who will be in the bottom three and probably will go home. She never told the story that the song actually is meant to deliver. She just sang the song and didn’t tell the story. And then when the judges told her she was beautiful, you just knew it was over. If Hollie survives this week, it will be a miracle. It just wasn’t Idol material.

Phillip Phillips: Phillip performed “Give A Little More” by Maroon 5 and did the same thing he does every single week. It continues to work for him and he is in no way in trouble. He performed way better than last week, but here we go again with a song that nobody really knows at all. And then — in the biggest surprise of the night, that the judges were not wowed at all. I can’t believe it; the judges who don’t judge actually judged something correctly and possibly made Phillip do something completely different next week. Even the front runners need a reality check. And Phillip may have finally gotten his wake-up call.

Elise Testone: Elise performed “You And I” by Lady Gaga. Elise is obviously a favorite with the show’s producers and judges, who are basically having to do anything to keep her on the show. Her performance wasn’t bad but should have never seen the last spot of the night. It just wasn’t strong enough. It wasn’t a highlight of the night at all. She should be thankful that Hollie was so bad. However, if anything happens, it’s obvious the judges will save her — even if America votes her out.

So Hollywoodlifers, who will be in the bottom three and will this be the week that the judges use their save? Sound off below!

Russ Weakland

Follow @mrsandwich96