American Idol | Eric McCandless/ABC
Sunday’s “American Idol” may have featured performances, but it was not a conventional “performance show.”
It also featured a live vote — and live eliminations based on the results of that vote.
Specifically, it waved goodbye to Ada Vox, Michelle Sussett and Dennis Lorenzo.
Vox performed “Circle Of Life” during Sunday’s show, which adhered to a “Disney Night” theme. Sussett and Lorenzo sang “Remember Me” and “Can You Feel The Love Tonight,” respectively.
Insofar as all three had received considerable exposure throughout the competition (and strong marks from the judges Sunday night), the eliminations struck some viewers by surprise. Others are discussing the potential injustice of the live vote; since Lorenzo performed last, he had the smallest window of opportunity to convince non-fans to vote his way (established fans would have been voting for Lorenzo prior to his performance, since voting for all contestants opened at the start of the broadcast).
It is, however, worth noting that all three also came up short in last week’s vote — and only advanced thanks to saves from the judges. And given that Vox and Sussett both performed comparatively early in the broadcast, there is no way to be sure that an earlier performance would have markedly improved Lorenzo’s chances.
In any event, they have been eliminated from the competition. Only seven — Jurnee, Catie Turner, Maddie Poppe, Gabby Barrett, Cade Foehner, Caleb Lee Hutchinson and Michael J Woodward — remain. They will return to the stage next Sunday.