Another Singer Heads Home on American Idol

The journey ended for another American Idol contestant Wednesday, following performances by the top five of Frank Sinatra songs on a night mentored by Harry Connick Jr.

Young Blue Eyes is gone.

Aaron Kelly, who went from 16 to 17 in the course of this season, was the one sent home. I’m not sure why voters finally decided against him — or at least not in favor of him — although having to perform an old standard like “Fly Me to the Moon” for Sinatra Week couldn’t have been an advantage. He might as well been dressed as a monk and made to sing Gregorian chant.

But I also never understood how he lasted as long as he did. Boyish likability may have sustained him, as Simon observed Tuesday, while better performers like Siobhan Magnus and even Katie Stevens fell away.

Along with boyish likability was a boyish vulnerability or sadness. Siobhan and Katie never seemed vulnerably sad, either.

Aaron was joined in the bottom two by Michael Lynche, a big, talented performer who nonetheless is slightly smarmy (and was once saved by the judges). That spot probably should have been occupied by Casey James. His performance Tuesday of “Blue Skies,” played without his handy guitar, was probably a season lowpoint. Yet voters rescued him this week, after almost rejecting him last week for a much better performance.

Then again, non-musical factors are always a major Idol element: Michael is punished for being slickly perfect, Casey is rewarded for his sincere, aw-shucks blunder.

For now, Lee DeWyze seems like the clear frontrunner. This seems sensible enough, but it’s not altogether satisfactory: It will make for a very odd finale if he faces off against Crystal Bowersox. You’ll have two good singers who nonetheless act as if they’re ashamed to have gotten their break participating on a show like Idol.

The one highpoint of the long hour was the return of Lady Gaga for a performance of “Alejandro.” Costumed to look like a lacey vampiress (or a moth in couture) and surrounded by writhing male couples, it was another unique performance.

Next week, the Top 4 will be performing songs from the movies with Jamie Foxx doing the mentoring.