American Idol Gossip and News | Page 9

Haley Reinhart returned to the stage that made her famous on last night American Idol results show. The fun, growling singer donned some wild hair and incorporated some cages into her debut of the single "Free," which is now available for download and which is off Haley's debut album. It comes out on May 22. Take a look and a listen at the third-place finisher from season 10 now: Haley Reinhart - "Free" (American Idol Results Show) Did Haley outperform Lana Del Rey, who sang a version of her hit "Video Games?" Watch both renditions and decide for yourself.

SPOILER ALERT: It was not a good night for Erika Van Pelt on Thursday. This American Idol hopeful was sent home after a disappointing Billy Joel cover the evening before. But what about Lana Del Rey? Did she redeem herself on one of the country's biggest stages, after she so memorably flopped on another (Saturday Night Live)? In a word: meh. Del Rey simply might not be suited for the live stage, considering how breathless she sounds at times and, yes, just how boring she comes across as a performance. Make like Randy, Steven and J. Lo and judge for yourself now: Lana Del Rey - "Video Games" (American Idol Results Show)

Joe Perry wasn't the only person in the house to help Steven Tyler celebrate his birthday on American Idol tonight! Tyler's famous daughter Liv Tyler attended Idol's results...

American Idol pared its field down to nine singers this week. Following their performances Wednesday night, DeAndre Brackensick and Heejun Han seemed destined for the bottom three on tonight's results show. Did they land there? And who else ended up on the block? The dreaded bottom three did indeed come down to the aforementioned two gentlemen, as many predicted, along with Erika Van Pelt, with the judges indicating right off the bat that they would not be saving any of the above. Rough! When the results were read, the fewest number of votes went to... Erika Van Pelt! Yes, America actually preferred DeAndre Brackensick and Heejun Han. The viewers of this show really don't like female singers, huh? She had been a staple in the bottom three, but after a total makeover and a strong performance this week, many felt she would be in the clear. Erika just didn't connect with enough voters to stay on Idol, though, leaving DeAndre and Heejun to fight another week ... ...

Who's movin' out of the hotel and into the American Idol mansion in the Hollywood Hills? Nine hopefuls remain after Thursday's elimination, which we assumed was going to fall...

Hair changes, crazy performances, weird mentoring session, oh my! Last night's American Idol was definitely entertaining, to say the least, and the night's theme, Billy Joel...

Steven Tyler was NOT amused by Heejun Han on American Idol last night. The season 11 finalist chose to clown around throughout his performance of Billy Joel's "My Life," starting by telling the band to speed it up and then prancing around on stage, making faces, dancing like a goofball in front of the judges' table. “Are you happy that you took the piss out of that song?” Tyler asked after Han was done, adding: “The music business will kick your ass. Sometimes you gotta be a bit more serious.” But does he? Could this be a schtick that appeals to viewers? Watch and then vote below: Heejun Han - "My Life" What did you think of Heejun Han's performance?

Skylar Laine left the rocker side of her personality at home last night. This American Idol contestant covered the Billy Joel single "Shameless" and really embraced her country twang on the track, starting slow and picking up the pace to eventually finish with one of the more authentic performances of the evening. Steven and Randy both noted a few pitch problems, but we didn't notice any. Do you? Skylar Laine - "Shameless" Watch the rendition above and then compare it to a pair of other strong female auditions from this week: Jessica Sanchez's "Everybody Has a Dream" and Elise Testone' "Vienna."

Forgive this broken-record-sounding statement, but: Phillip Phillips put on the best performance of any American Idol male last night. The Dave Matthews wannabe nailed a version of Billy Joel's "Moving Out," sticking to his typical guitar use but adding almost a bit of anger to the cover. He definitely brought an edge to this slowed-down version of a classic. All the judges have Phillip props to sticking to who he is as a singer. Watch him do so here: On the woman's side? Elise Testone and Jessica Sanchez both had winning weeks. Phillip Phillips - "Moving Out"

Simply put, the girls ruled Billy Joel night on American Idol. It was a ballad heavy evening, after all, which played well into the wheelhouses of such finalists as Elise Testone (and her version of "Vienna") and, as you can see below, Jessica Sanchez. The contestant fought through some early critiques from guest mentor Diddy, who rightfully said she was initially oversinging the track, to knock a rendition of "Everybody Has a Dream" out of the proverbial park. Steven said it best in telling Jessica she "was at the front of the line when God gave out vocal cords" See what we mean now: Jessica Sanchez - "Everybody Has A Dream"

Elise Testone sure showed us on American Idol last night. Just hours after THG ranked this finalist eighth out of the remaining contenders, she took to the stage for Billy Joel Week and covered the classic "Vienna," bringing tears to the eyes of many in attendance and bringing the judges to their feet. Randy said this represented Testone's "moment," while J. Lo was thrilled the audience finally got to connect with Elise's personality. Was it the best performance of the night? Watch now and decide for yourself: Elise Testone - "Vienna"

Heejun Han gave us the heads-up that he was planning to do something "crazy" tonight on American Idol and he didn't disappoint! Plus, he wasn't the only contestant to pull a...

Billy Joel is a master musician and songwriter, no question, but he's actually very underrated as a singer. We were reminded just how epic his talent is as we listened to the...

With the American Idol top 10 taking the stage again tonight, and with this shaping up to be one of the more hotly-contested seasons to date, it's time for the first THG Power Poll of the season. Who do you see as the favorite right now? 10. Deandre Brackensick: Would have been our choice to leave after last week's debacle. He can hit the high notes... and that's about it. 9. Heejun Han: Love the personality, don't see anything on stage that makes him standout above the rest. It's solid and nothing more or less. 8. Elise Testone: Might suffer some likability issues. Did you notice her NOT applauding for Erika last week? Or not hugging Skylar? Yes, we're forced to nitpick when the talent is this even. We did love her version of "Let's Stay Together." 7. Joshua Ledet: We expect plenty of disagreement here. It's not a question of his voice, just of his theatrics. Ledet's "When a Man Loves a Woman" may ...

Better start collecting money, American Idol producers, because Heejun Han is plotting something "crazy"! Now that he's made the Top 10 and the summer tour, Heejun tells us...