It was Stefano Langone of Kent, Wash., who sang his final song on “American Idol” tonight, while the lone black contestant, Jacob Lusk, barely escaped elimination. Lusk, Langone and Hailey Reinhart, one of only two females left on the show, were in the bottom three.
After Lusk’s performance of Luther Vandross’ “Dance With My Father Again” on last night’s show, the judges comments were mixed. Randy Jackson said the performance was “good, but I wasn’t jumping up and down.” He implied that Lusk has become predictable.
As with most talent reality shows these days, “Idol” has become a showcase for entertainers who already have made a name for themselves. It’s a win-win situation: The performers gain publicity, the shows secure ratings.
During tonight’s results show, Katy Perry and crew entered the smoke-filled stage singing her latest hit, “Extraterrestrial,” dressed in silvery, futuristic, fantasy costumes. The song began with a rap introduction by Kanye West, which was projected on a huge on-stage screen. Next, Perry sang another part of the song. Then, in his usual fashion, Kanye surprised the audience and viewers by walking out on stage, rapping his next part in person. The audience went wild.
Because “ET” contains some obscene, graphic imagery and “Idol” is considered family programming, West either faded his voice on critical words or the technical crew did it for him.
The performance was a nice treat, and the element of surprise was a nice touch. Way to go, “Idol,” for what has become one of the best seasons to date.
–arnell pharr
