The Force Is with American Idol‘s Aaron Kelly

Sure, Aaron Kelly was the youngest contestant left in American Idol‘s Top 5. But he was also Yoda, according to his friends on the show. Wiser than his years, Kelly, 17, took his departure from the competition in stride. He spoke to People Magazine about meeting his heroes, being close to his mom and judging the best Yoda imitation of the bunch.

You had a chance to meet your idols, Rascal Flatts. How did you keep from being star struck?
Yes, that was incredible! In the beginning I was star struck by everybody I met. And then you get to where you learn that they are just people and they like to be treated as people more than they like to be treated as stars, and so I felt the more I went through, that’s how it became. When I met Rascal Flatts, I was still pretty excited! But I tried to keep my cool and everything. I got to take a picture with them all and getting to talk to them, they are really nice guys.

What did you learn most from the celebrity mentors on the show?
The mentors have taught you to put yourself into your song, don’t just sing the song; believe the song, because if you believe it, than the audience is going to believe it.

Was it an advantage to have your mom with you throughout the rehearsals and shows? Did this experience bring you closer?
My mom is always there and I can always talk to her about anything. Everybody always says, “The love a mother has for her son,” but there really is a deep connection between me and my mom. I’m very close to her and she is definitely my best friend and I’m just so glad I got to take her on this incredible journey.

Do you have a special keepsake from your time on Idol?
Gibson had given us all guitars and, I mean, that is something I can take home. Also, the memory from this competition, the memory of the friends I made, the chance to perform on the American Idol stage, to perform before 25 million people, that is something I can also take away as a keepsake that I will always have, forever, to look back on.

You’re regarded as the Yoda figure on Idol. Did you impart wisdom to your fellow contestants?
We all keep each other very grounded and it’s nice to have each other there to just talk to. I’m not sure what I taught them! But … I hope I left a good mark. Once you are here and you are in this bubble, you have no one else to talk to, and these contestants are all you’ve got right now, and it’s so good to be close with them. When you look back, you don’t want to be like, “I had no friends on that show.” You want to look back and say, “I loved everybody here.”

After Andrew Garcia left, who did the best Yoda impression?
Siobhan was actually the best Yoda, then Big Mike. Well, Big Mike, he’s the one who started it, so he is always the one that does the best with it!

What will your future album sound like?
When I come out with an album, I would love to write some of the songs on it. Since we’re not allowed to perform originals on the show, I would love to perform and record them so America can hear the style of music and the things in my life through song and hear the things special to me. Country music is what I feel I fit most comfortably with.

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.