Hector Berlioz, active as a music journalist in Paris in the 1830s and 1840s.

Music journalism is criticism and reportage about music. It began in the eighteenth century as comment on what is now thought of as 'classical music'. This aspect of music journalism, today often referred to as music criticism (although that risks confusion with the academic discipline), comprises the study, discussion, evaluation, and interpretation of music and its performance. Modern art music journalism is often informed by music theory consideration of the many diverse elements of a musical piece or performance, including (as regards a musical composition) its form and style, and as regards performance, standards of technique and expression. It was expressed, for example, in journals such as Neue Zeitschrift für Musik founded by Robert Schumann, and is continued today in the columns of serious newspapers and journals such as The Musical Times.

Today a major branch of music journalism is an aspect of entertainment journalism — covering popular music and including profiles of singers and bands and album reviews. In the 2000s, online music bloggers are to some degree displacing newspaper and magazine-based pop music critics.

Origins[link]

Before about the 1840s, reporting on music was either done by musical journals, such as Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung or the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik (founded by Robert Schumann), and in London such journals as The Musical Times (founded in 1844 as The Musical Times and Singing-class Circular); or else by reporters at general newspapers where music did not form part of the central objectives of the publication. An influential English 19th-century music critic, for example, was John Davison of The Times. The composer Hector Berlioz also wrote reviews and criticisms for the Paris press of the 1830s and 1840s.

Several factors — including growth of education, the influence of the Romantic movement generally and in music, popularization (including the 'star-status' of many performers such as Liszt and Paganini), among others — led to an increasing interest in music among non-specialist journals, and an increase in the number of critics by profession, of varying degrees of competence and integrity. The situation here was distinguished from that before the 1840s, in that the critics now — on the whole — were not also practising musicians; this could be considered a turning‐point.

Amongst modern practitioners of the classical music tradition who also write (or wrote) on music may be included Alfred Brendel, Charles Rosen, Paul Hindemith and Ernst Krenek.

Decline of art music journalism[link]

A "decline in [quantity of] classical criticism" has been occurring since the early 1980s, "when classical-music criticism visibly started to disappear". In the early 1980s, "Time magazine had a full-time classical critic" and "Vanity Fair had a classical critic", but by the early 1990s, Classical critics were dropped in many magazines. In part this is because there "...been a decline of interest in classical music, especially among younger people".^[1]

In 2007, The New York Times stated that "Classical music criticism, a high-minded endeavor that has been around at least as long as newspapers...has taken a series of hits in recent months", because "[c]ritics’ jobs have been eliminated, downgraded or redefined at newspapers in Atlanta, Minneapolis and elsewhere around the country and at New York magazine, where Peter G. Davis, one of the most respected voices of the craft, said he had been forced out after 26 years".^[2] The Classical music scene views "...robust analysis, commentary and reportage as vital to the health of the art form".^[2] In the late 2000s, Classical music criticism is increasingly available on blogs. Nevertheless, a "number of major newspapers still have full-time classical music critics, including The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The Baltimore Sun, The Philadelphia Inquirer [,] The Boston Globe" and "The New York Times [,which] maintains a staff of three full-time classical music critics and three freelancers".^[2]

Popular music[link]

Music writers only started "treating pop and rock music seriously" in 1964 "after the breakthrough of the Beatles...".^[3] One of the early music magazines in Britain, Melody Maker, complained in 1967 about how "newspapers and magazines are continually hammering [i.e., attacking] pop music".^[4] Melody Maker magazine advocated the new forms of pop music of the late 1960s. "By 1999, the 'quality' press was regularly carrying reviews of popular music gigs and albums", which had a "key role in keeping pop" in the public eye. As more pop music critics began writing, this had the effect of "legitimating pop as an art form"; as a result, "newspaper coverage shifted towards pop as music rather than pop as social phenomenon".^[5]

Steve Jones claims that both popular music articles and academic articles about pop music are usually written from "masculine subject positions". As more pop music critics began writing, this had the effect of "legitimating pop as an art form"; as a result, "newspaper coverage shifted towards pop as music rather than pop as social phenomenon";^[6] as well, in the way that critics differentiate between pop music and rock, using terms like "trivial", "fluffy", or "formulaic" for pop (versus "serious", "raw", and "sincere" for rock), there is an implicit or even explicitly gendered dichotomy.^[7] Simon Frith notes that pop and rock music are closely associated with gender; that is, with conventions of male and female behaviour.^[8]

In the world of pop music criticism, there tends to be a quick turnover. The "pop music industry expects that any particular [music critic] star can disappear within five years; in contrast, the "stars" of rock criticism are more likely to have long careers with "book contracts, featured columns, and editorial and staff positions at magazines and newspapers. Critic Robert Christgau was the "originator of the 'consumer guide' approach to pop music reviews", an approach to writing pop recording reviews that was designed to help consumers to decide whether to buy a new album.^[9]

In the realm of rock music (as indeed in that of classical music),^[10] critics have not always been respected by their subjects. Frank Zappa declared that, "Most rock journalism is people who can't write, interviewing people who can't talk, for people who can't read." In the Guns N' Roses song "Get in the Ring", Axl Rose verbally attacked critics who gave the band negative reviews because of their actions on stage; such critics as Andy Secher, Mick Wall and Bob Guccione, Jr. were mentioned by name.

US music writer Robert Christgau was one of the first rock critics in the 1960s.

Carl Wilson describes "an upsurge in pro-pop sentiment among critics" during the early 2000s, a "new generation [of music critics] moved into positions of critical influence" and then "mounted a wholesale critique against the syndrome of measuring all popular music by the norms of rock culture."^[11] In 2008, Ann Powers of the LA Times argued that "[p]op music critics have always been contrarians", because "pop music [criticism] rose up as a challenge to taste hierarchies, and has remained a pugilistic, exhibitionist business throughout pop's own evolution."^[12]

Powers claims that "[i]nsults, rejections of others' authority, bratty assertions of superior knowledge and even threats of physical violence are the stuff of which pop criticism is made"; at the same time, the "best [pop criticism] also offers loving appreciation and profound insights about how music creates and collides with our everyday realities." She states that pop criticism developed as a "slap at the establishment, at publications such as the hippie homestead Rolling Stone and the rawker outpost Creem." She notes that the "1980s generation" of post-punk indie rockers "has lately [i.e., in the 2000s] been taken down by younger "poptimists," who argue that lovers of underground rock are elitists for not embracing the more multicultural mainstream". Powers claims that with the 2000s-era "poptimism" critical approach, debates about bands and styles are "like the scrum in rugby", because "[e]verybody pushes against everybody else, and we move forward in a huge blob of vehement opinion and mutual judgment".^[12]

Slate magazine writer Jody Rosen discussed the 2000s-era trends in pop music criticism in the article "The Perils of Poptimism". Rosen notes that much of the debate is centred over the perception that that rock critics "...regard rock as "normative … the standard state of popular music … to which everything else is compared."^[13] At a 2006 pop critic conference, attendees discussed their "...guilty pop pleasures, reconsidering musicians (Tiny Tim, Dan Fogelberg, Phil Collins) and genres (blue-eyed soul, Muzak)" which rock critics have long dismissed as lightweight, commercial music. Rosen states that "this new critical paradigm" is called "popism"—or, more evocatively (and goofily), "poptimism". The "poptimism" approach states that "Pop (and, especially, hip-hop) producers are as important as rock auteurs, Beyoncé is as worthy of serious consideration as Bruce Springsteen, and ascribing shame to pop pleasure is itself a shameful act".^[14] In 2006, Martin Edlund from the New York Sun argued that music bloggers are to some degree displacing newspaper and magazine-based pop music critics. Edlund notes that while the "Internet has democratized music criticism, it seems it's also spread its penchant for uncritical hype".^[15]

See also[link]

• List of writers on popular music
• Women in Music (1935-1940) Periodicals chronicling the activities of women classical musicians from ancient Egyptian times to the then present, published by conductor Frédérique Petrides)

Sources[link]

• Bojan Bujic, Criticism of Music in The Oxford Companion to Music, Oxford Music Online.

References[link]

External links[link]

• International Federation of Music Journalists - an international group of media professionals who treat any aspect of music on any media. Publishes the "Directory of Music Journalists" and confers "Music Journalist Award".
• Our critics' advice - In this article Alex Petridis gives advice to young, aspiring, would-be music journalists.
• Don't look back - The Guardian, 27 June 2009. In this article John Harris writes about music journalism with reference to the well-known journalists Nick Kent and Lester Bangs.
• Is Music Journalism Dead? - Drowned in Sound, 21 July 2009. Popular music website Drowned in Sound dedicated a week to the subject of the past, present and future of music journalism. Included are articles by Everett True and Stuart Braithwaite.
• Master in Music Journalism - an international professional distance course organized by the International Federation of Music Journalists.
• BA(Hons) Popular Music Journalism course - a three years BA(hons) degree course at Southampton Solent University, UK
• Who cares what critics say? - Jay Nordlinger

American Idol
Season 8
Broadcast from	January 14, 2009 – May 20, 2009
Judges	Paula Abdul Simon Cowell Kara DioGuardi Randy Jackson
Host(s)	Ryan Seacrest
Broadcaster	Fox Broadcasting Company
Finals venue	Nokia Theatre Los Angeles
Winner: Kris Allen
Origin	Conway, Arkansas
Song	"No Boundaries"
Genre(s)	Pop rock, alternative rock, acoustic rock, CCM
Runner-up
Adam Lambert
Chronology
◄ 2009 ►

The eighth season of American Idol premiered on January 13, 2009, and concluded on May 20, 2009. Judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson continued to judge the show's contestants, along with Ryan Seacrest as host. The season introduced Kara DioGuardi as the fourth judge on the Idol panel.^[1] It was also Abdul's final season as a judge.^[2] Kris Allen, a native of Conway, Arkansas, was announced the winner of the competition on May 20, 2009, defeating runner-up Adam Lambert after nearly 100 million votes. Kris Allen is the only married winner of the competition at the time of his victory. This was the second season where both of the final 2 contestants had been in the bottom 3 or 2 at least once before the finale, with the first being season 3.

The eighth season saw numerous changes to the format of the show. There were 36 semi-finalists instead of 24, and thirteen finalists instead of twelve, nine contestants chosen by the public and four by the judges in a wild card round. Another addition was the "save," which was used on the top seven results show to veto Matt Giraud's elimination.

The winner Kris Allen was then signed to 19 Entertainment/Jive Records. In addition to Allen, Adam Lambert, Danny Gokey, Allison Iraheta, Lil Rounds and Michael Sarver all signed record deals. Anoop Desai signed an independent record deal.

Changes from Season 7[link]

Several changes were planned for season 8. Fox Entertainment president Kevin Reilly stated that Idol would feature fewer "William Hung-like" contestants and "funny auditions," and would quickly move its focus to the potential singers during the earlier stages of the competition, thus moving the season at a faster pace.^[3] Mike Darnell, president of Fox's alternative programming, said the contestants would be more emotional and that viewers would learn more about them and their pasts than they had in the previous season.^[4] Songwriter and record producer Kara DioGuardi was added as a fourth judge on the panel. She had previously collaborated with Celine Dion, Hilary Duff, Enrique Iglesias, Leona Lewis and Christina Aguilera, and produced several Top 40 hits. As a songwriter, she had already worked with several American Idol alumni and winners, including Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, David Archuleta and David Cook.^[5] Meanwhile, Ken Warwick became the new executive producer, as Nigel Lythgoe had left the show to focus on So You Think You Can Dance and his new show with Simon Fuller, Superstars of Dance.^[6] Idol Gives Back was canceled for season 8, as the ongoing economic crisis and recession, left Idol officials uncomfortable asking financially struggling viewers to donate.^[7] The semifinals saw the biggest change as the wild card round returned for the first time since the third season. After voters picked three finalists from each of three groups of 12 semi-finalists, the judges selected eight of the previously eliminated 27 semifinalists to return and perform a song on the March 5, 2009, show. They were judged by the panel, instead of a vote by the viewers, with four advancing to the finals.^[8][9] Although the finals had been billed from the beginning of the season as a set of 12 contestants, the judges announced at the last minute that they would be advancing a fourth wild card/thirteenth contestant, Anoop Desai, as well.

Judges' Save[link]

Another change in the Idol format is judges' save, an element previously used in France's Nouvelle Star (French Idol).^[10] The judges were given the power to exercise a veto on one eliminated contestant in the finals and spare them from elimination for that particular week. This can only be invoked up until the Final 5. The following week two contestants will be eliminated if the save is used because nobody is eliminated on the week that the save is used, except in season 11 where one only contestant was eliminated at top 7. The save can only be used once pers season and it must be unanimous. The new format change was revealed on March 11, 2009. The first recipient of the Judges' Save is Matt Giraud, used on top 7 week. The highest placed recipient is season 11's runner-up Jessica Sanchez.

Regional auditions[link]

Auditions began July 17 the previous year, and were held in the following cities:^[11]

Contestants were required to be between the ages 16 and 28 on July 15, 2008 and eligible to work in the United States. Contestants were ineligible if they had previously reached the semifinal in Season 1-3 and 7, or the top 44 from season 4 and 5, or top 40 from season 6. They were also ineligible if they held then current recording or management contracts or if they were not U.S. citizens or landed immigrants (i.e. temporary residents).

One auditioner who received widespread publicity was Katrina Darrell, also known as "Bikini Girl", for auditioning in her bikini. She reached the Hollywood stage but was cut in the group round.^[17]

Hollywood week[link]

For this season, the Hollywood round moved from the Orpheum Theatre to the Kodak Theatre, which was previously used for the finale in seasons 1 and 3–6. In addition, the Hollywood round was extended to two weeks.

In the first round, the 147 contestants each sang a short solo a cappella performance of any song. The next round had the remaining 107 contestants performing in groups of three or four. Group rounds had returned since season 6. The 72 contestants that passed group day performed one more solo song, this time accompanied by a band, before being narrowed down to 54. The final 54 then went to the "judges' mansion" in Los Angeles for the final results, and the Top 36 were announced. Some contestants had a sing-off to determine who would enter the top 36. Lacey Brown, who lost in a sing-off with 9th placer Megan Joy, later made the following season's Top 12 where she became the first finalist voted out.

Semi-finals[link]

The top 36 were announced in a special two-hour broadcast on Wednesday, February 11, 2009.^[18]
All 36 contestants, performing in three groups of twelve, sang songs that were Billboard Hot 100 Hits.

Below are the three semi-final groups with contestants listed in their performance order. In each group, three people advanced to the next round, based on votes by the viewers. The top male and female recipient advanced, along with the next highest vote recipient of the remaining ten contestants in each group. Each week two males advanced however it was never revealed who was the highest voted and which advanced through the non-gender specific slot. Following those nine singers advancing, eight of the remaining 27 semi-finalists were selected by the judges to compete in the Wild Card round. Following another performance by each Wild Card contender, the judges selected four contestants to advance to the final group of 13.

[edit] Semi-Final Group 1 – Billboard Hot 100 hits

[edit] Semi-Final Group 2 – Billboard Hot 100 hits

• ^Note 1  : Mitchell performed his song as his alter ego "Norman Gentle".

[edit] Semi-Final Group 3 – Billboard Hot 100 hits

• ^Note 1 : Barton was initially eliminated prior to the semifinals. However, after the disqualification of Joanna Pacitti, she was invited back into the competition.

[edit] Wild Card Round – Billboard Hot 100 hits

Finalists[link]

Kris Allen

• Kris Allen (born June 21, 1985 in Jacksonville, Arkansas, 23 years at the time of the show) is from Conway, Arkansas and auditioned in Louisville, Kentucky with Leon Russell's A Song For You. Allen's interest in music began at an early age; he taught himself how to play guitar at the age of 13, as well as numerous other instruments.^[19] Prior to Idol, he worked as a worship leader at New Life Church in Maumelle, Arkansas, and is a member of Chi Alpha Campus Ministries at the University of Central Arkansas, where he is a business major. Allen was announced the winner of the eighth season of American Idol on May 20, 2009.^[20] He went on to release his first official single, No Boundaries, which was written by Idol judge Kara DioGuardi. As a part of winning Idol, Allen was signed by Jive Records and 19 Entertainment.^[21] His first official album under the new label released November 17, 2009.

Adam Lambert

• Adam Lambert (born January 29, 1982 in Indianapolis, Indiana, 26 years at the time of his audition) is from San Diego, California and auditioned in San Francisco, California with Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody. Lambert grew up in Rancho Peñasquitos, San Diego, California and attended Deer Canyon Elementary School, Mesa Verde Middle School, and Mt. Carmel High School, where he was in theater, choir, and also performed with the school's jazz band.^[22] Lambert has been a stage actor since the age of ten, performing in such productions as You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, and Wicked.^[23] He joined a band The Citizen Vein briefly. He also worked as a demo singer and his recordings was released after his appearance on American Idol in an album Take One. Lambert roomed with Kris Allen during the show.^[24] Lambert was announced as the runner-up for the eighth season of American Idol on May 20, 2009.^[20] He was signed to RCA Records after the show and released his debut album For Your Entertainment.

Danny Gokey

• Danny Gokey (born April 24, 1980, 28 years at the time of his audition) is from Milwaukee, Wisconsin and auditioned in Kansas City, Missouri. Gokey first began singing in church with his family, and has been a worship leader for his church in Milwaukee, Faith Builders International Ministries, for several years.^[25] Four weeks before Gokey auditioned for American Idol, in July 2008, his wife Sophia underwent surgery due to congenital heart disease. She later died from complications regarding the extensive surgery.^[26][27] He was eliminated from the Top 3 on May 13, 2009.^[20]

Allison Iraheta

• Allison Iraheta (born April 27, 1992 in Glendale, California, 16 years at the time of her audition) is from Los Angeles and auditioned in San Francisco, California. Iraheta began singing at an early age, performing at small venues for her family and friends.^[28] In 2006, Iraheta won the Telemundo television series Quinceañera, where she won $50,000 and a recording contract, where only the prize money was granted.^[29] She was eliminated from the Top 4 on May 6, 2009. She has been the youngest finalist as a 16 year-old turning 17 during Top 5 week. Her debut album, Just Like You was released on December 1, 2009 to positive reviews, with the single Friday I'll Be Over U.

Matt Giraud

• Matt Giraud (born May 11, 1985 in Dearborn, Michigan, 23 years at his time of the show) is from Kalamazoo, Michigan and auditioned in Louisville, Kentucky with Gavin DeGraw's "I Don't Want to Be". Giraud grew up in Ypsilanti, Michigan, where he graduated from Lincoln High School in 2003.^[30][31] Initially eliminated from the Top 13, Giraud was chosen by the judges to rejoin the competition during the Wild Card round. Giraud was the lowest vote-getter during the Top 7, but was saved by the judges and eventually eliminated in Top 5. He released an album called Perspective in 2003 and another in 2006 called Mind Body and Soul.^[31]

Anoop Desai

• Anoop Desai (born December 20, 1986 in Cary, North Carolina, 22 years at the time of the show) is from Chapel Hill, North Carolina and auditioned in Kansas City, Missouri. Desai is an only child,^[32] whose father was born in India and mother was born in South Africa.^[33] Beginning his career as an actor for the television station WRAL-TV in Raleigh in a local television series entitled "CentralXpress.com", and played the character "Raj."^[34] Desai attended Carnage Middle School and Phillips Middle School, then later went on to attend East Chapel Hill High School, graduating in 2004.^[35] Desai’s performance as a soloist on the song “She Has No Time” was included on the 2007 iteration of the annual BOCA (Best of College A Cappella) compilation album.^[36] Desai has credited his decision to audition for American Idol to the death of a friend, Eve Carson,^[37] who was murdered.^[37] Initially eliminated from the Top 13, he was chosen by the judges to rejoin the competition during the Wild Card round. His advancement to the finals made American Idol history, making it a top 13.

Lil Rounds

• Lil Rounds (born October 20, 1984, 24 years at the time of the show) is from Memphis, Tennessee and auditioned in Kansas City, Missouri with Stevie Wonder's "All I Do" . Shortly before her audition on Idol, a tornado hit Memphis, forcing Rounds to temporarily live in a motel.^[38][39] Her grandfather once worked with the music legend B.B. King.^[40] Her performance of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You" in the Hollywood round impressed the judges, however she failed to impress the judges in the finals and was eliminated in joint-seventh place with Anoop Desai.

• Scott MacIntyre (born June 22, 1985, 23 years at the time of the show) is from Scottsdale, Arizona and auditioned in Phoenix, Arizona. MacIntyre is the first legally blind person to audition for American Idol.^[41] MacIntyre began practicing music at the age of six.^[42] Home-schooled until the age of fourteen,^[43] he later attended Arizona State University's Barrett Honors College and Herberger College of the Arts soon afterwards.^[44] In 2005, USA Today named him one of its twenty College Academic All-Stars.^[45] He obtained his masters degree at Royal Holloway, University of London and the Royal College of Music, where he studied on a Marshall Scholarship. MacIntyre produced his first CD when he was eleven, and has recorded five more CDs since then. He was accepted to both Oxford University and Cambridge University for further graduate-level education.

Megan Joy

• Megan Joy (born September 18, 1985, 23 years at the time of the show) is a single mother from Sandy, Utah and auditioned in Salt Lake City, Utah with Helen Morgan's "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man". Initially eliminated from the Top 13, Joy was chosen by the judges to rejoin the competition during the Wild Card round. In high school, Joy unsuccessfully tried out for numerous performance groups, including choir, and never had any singing lessons before her audition on Idol.^[46] Joy graduated from Taylorsville High School in Taylorsville, Utah in 2003. She has one son named Ryder.^[47]

Michael Sarver

• Michael Sarver (born March 28, 1981 in Sulphur, Louisiana, 27 years at the time of the show) is from Jasper, Texas and auditioned in Phoenix, Arizona with Boyz II Men's "Thank You". Sarver, an oil rig worker, began singing at the age of twelve, and has written over 890 songs for himself since that time.^[48] Sarver graduated from Sulphur High School in 1998.^[49] Sarver is married to his wife Tiffany, and has two children.

Alexis Grace

• Alexis Grace (born June 9, 1987, 21 years at the time of the show) is from Memphis, Tennessee and auditioned in Kansas City, Missouri with Aretha Franklin's Dr Feelgood. She gave birth to her daughter when she was nineteen. Grace began singing at an early age .^[50] She performed Aretha Franklin's "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" and Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats" in the Hollywood rounds.

• Jorge Núñez (born October 1, 1987 in Cidra, Puerto Rico, 21 years at the time of the show) is from Carolina, Puerto Rico and auditioned in San Juan, Puerto Rico. For the audition he sang My Way in Spanish and Louis Armstrong's What a Wonderful World in English. Núñez speaks three languages fluently, English, Spanish and French.^[51] After he sang during the third semi-finals week, many people were amazed by his big voice including, Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez, who had stated they wanted to perform with him.^[52][53][54] He performed Jon Secada's "Angel" during the Hollywood round. Of the Top 13, Núñez was the only contestant who auditioned in Puerto Rico. He was the eliminated from the Top 13 in the first week of the finals, along with Jasmine Murray.^[55]

• Jasmine Murray (born March 14, 1992, in Columbus, Mississippi, 16 years at the time of the show) is from Starkville, Mississippi and auditioned in Jacksonville, Florida. Initially eliminated from the Top 13, Murray was chosen by the judges to rejoin the competition during the Wild Card round. In addition to competing on Idol, she also competed in the Miss America's Outstanding Teen pageant in 2007.^[56][57] She was eliminated from the Top 13 in the first week of the finals, along with Jorge Núñez.

Finals[link]

[edit] Top 13 – Michael Jackson

This episode was re-aired on June 29, 2009, in a tribute to the death of Michael Jackson on June 25. This makes it the only episode of the show to be re-aired by Fox.^[58]

• Note 1: It was never revealed, between Jasmine Murray and Jorge Núñez, who received the lowest amount of votes even though Jasmine was eliminated first.

• Note 2: See IDOLS-13 controversy below.

[edit] Top 11 – Grand Ole Opry

Mentor: Randy Travis

[edit] Top 10 – Motown

Mentor: Smokey Robinson

Top 9 – Popular iTunes Downloads[link]

Top 8 – Year They Were Born[link]

Top 7 (first week) – Songs of the Cinema[link]

Mentor: Quentin Tarantino

• Note 1: Matt Giraud received the lowest number of votes but the judges decided to use their save on him and was not eliminated.

Top 7 (second week) – Disco[link]

• Note 1: With no elimination the previous week, there was a second "Top 7" week and two people were eliminated. It was never revealed who, between Anoop Desai and Lil Rounds, received the lowest amount of votes, however Rounds's elimination was announced first with Desai being the second eliminee.

[edit] Top 5 – Rat Pack Standards

Mentor: Jamie Foxx

[edit] Top 4 – Rock music

Mentor: Slash

Each contestant sang one solo and one duet with a fellow contestant.

Top 3 – Judges' choice and Contestants' choice[link]

Each contestant sang two songs.

[edit] Top 2 – Contestant’s choice, Simon Fuller’s choice & the winner’s single

Each contestant sang three songs.

Elimination chart[link]