American Idol 11 – Top 5 – What Do the Critics Say?

The American Idol 11 Top 5  performed songs from the 60s and Brit pop.  Read my Recap. Now, read what the rest of the blogosphere had to say about the performances.

‘American Idol’ recap: It’s the Time of the Season for Wanting It, Ryan! – With the help of hilarious and insightful guest mentor Steven Van Zandt (TV’s Silvio Dante), four of the Top 5 put on their bravest “gotta have it” faces and Phillip Phillips put on his “I’m in severe pain” face for two rounds: The ’60s and British Pop. Lots of great performances this week, but the real story here was that we got a never-this-close-before glimpse of the infamous American Idol cheat sheet/script! –  Entertainment Weekly

Is it ‘Time’ Phillip Phillips winds up in ‘American Idol’s’ bottom three? – Phillip Phillips has been the favorite on “American Idol” for most of season 11. On Thursday night, viewers will find out how strong a position he’s really in. Dave Matthews version 2.0 had the worst solo of any of the five finalists on Wednesday with “Time of the Season” by The Zombies. And while the judges praised the melody, the chorus was too high for his voice and it was the weakest performance he’s had so far. –  MSNBC

‘American Idol’ recap: Top 5 tackle the ’60s and the Brits – We learned so much on “American Idol” on Wednesday night, when the final five contestants took the stage to sing two solo songs each -– one from the ’60s and one by a British artist -– plus either a duet (the boys: Joshua Ledet and Phillip Phillips) or a trio (the girls: Hollie Cavanagh, Skylar Laine and Jessica Sanchez). –  LA Times

‘American Idol’ Recap: Five for Fighting – It’s the final stretch of this season of American Idol, and now that Elise Testone has been sent to the retirement home, the remaining contestants are all young, lean, mean fighting machines who, in the new-and-improved words of Randy Jackson, “gotta have it.” And nothing builds drama more than an echo and reverb-laden introduction and drawn-out single camera shots that run from backstage to the audience where a young girl holds a sign that reads, “Ryan, can you do my hair?” As the show starts Ryan Seacrest nods yes, yes he can. –  Rolling Stone

‘American Idol’ Recap: Underdog Hollie Cavanagh Finally Gets Her Moment – Two big winners emerged on Wednesday’s American Idol: Hollie Cavanagh, the shy little vocal powerhouse who could, and Joshua Ledet, who delivered another spectacular, gospel-tinged performance that earned a standing ovation from the judges. The theme: British pop and the songs of the ’60s. –  The Hollywood Reporter

Recap: ‘American Idol’ Top 5 Performances – British Pop and ’60s Night – It’s a double theme night on “American Idol.” Apparently Wednesday will find the season’s Top 5 singing British pop songs and Songs from the ’60s. And yes, I’m also disappointed that the theme is British Pop and not Brit Pop, because I wanted to hear some Pulp, Blur and Oasis tonight. Instead, we get two themes that might as well be the same theme. Let’s see how it goes… – Hit Fix

‘American Idol,’ Season 11, Finalists Compete: TV Recap – The scramble was on to land a spot in the final four on “American Idol,” but to say any one competitor has a lock on this season would be ridiculous. It’s anyone’s game, as we saw tonight, with back-to-back solid showings. Everyone is bringing their A-game as the week’s dwindle, and one wannabe Idol is attempting a serious comeback from behind. – WSJ

‘American Idol’: mentor Steven Van Zandt wowed when Josh masters Bee Gees tune in 15 minutes. – Only five Idolettes left on “American Idol” which means we’re in the home stretch, and each will have to sing two songs – one from the 60’s and one Britpop tune. Haven’t we covered both genres already this season? After a week at death’s door, host Ryan Seacrest is feeling well eough again to resume tripping lightly down the Stairway from Paradise, in a gorgeous grey sharkskin suit. – Washington Post

American Idol Recap: Who Did Jennifer Lopez Call ‘Best Singer… In 50 Years’? – “American Idol” celebrated the music of the 1960s and Brit pop on Wednesday night and one singer took his songs and knocked them out of the stratosphere. Joshua Ledet received, perhaps, the greatest praise ever given out on “Idol” during his second number of the night – “To Love Somebody” – a classic from the Bee Gees. – Reality Rocks

“5 Finalists Compete” – Idol tends to wears out its welcome and then wear out its farewell. It takes too long to get from the auditions to the performances, and now, we’re at the part of the season where it’s really not necessary for the Wednesday night episodes to last two hours. The show would be so much more enjoyable if it budgeted its time and really forced the singers to do their best with each performance, as opposed to giving them multiple chances. No show succeeds when it feels like the time is being filled rather than used. – AV Club

About mj santilli 34894 Articles
Founder and editor of mjsbigblog.com, home of the awesomest fan community on the net. I love cheesy singing shows of all kinds, whether reality or scripted. I adore American Idol, but also love The Voice, Glee, X Factor and more!