The "American Idol" competition heated up last night when, after just two weeks of performances, judges Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr. unanimously decided to use their save vote to keep Qaasim Middleton in the game.
Middleton received the lowest number of votes among the Top 10 competitors, so with the pressure, he delivered an exuberant performance of The Beatles classic "Come Together" to live another day.
The audience roared when he finished and the judges quickly made their decision. That was a tremendous performance and you deserve the save," Connick said, delivering the good news.
"It does suck to know I got the lowest number of votes," Middleton told Headlines & Global News after the show. "I had to give my all up there. I was performing my heart out and I wanted to let them know if I was going home... this performer you won't get to see anymore. But at the same time the judges believe in me and I'm thankful for that."
One thing not safe for the "Idol" hopeful last night was his pearly whites.
"I even chipped a tooth during the performance," he laughed. "I did it on the mic. I'm going to have to go to the dentist and get it filled in.
The remaining contestants were thrilled to see Middleton survive another week, but without the safety net of a judges' save, they all will have to readjust their game plan.
"There's no guarantee that everyone is singing," Tyanna Jones tells HNGN. "A portion of us will sing, someone has to go home and that's it."
Clark Beckham added, "It makes it scary because next week two people go home. If someone huge accidentally gets voted down, they're gone."
Fellow singer Rayvon Owens also feels the presssure, but says it won't change his approach going forward.
"It's definitely in the back of your mind that [the save] is not there anymore," Rayvon Owens said. "But I feel as long as I give my best performance I'll stay in the competition as long as I'm supposed to and hopefully that's to win."
The theme for next week is '80s night. Culture Club front man Boy George will mentor the finalists, who will also perform "Karma Chameleon" with the pop icon.
"American Idol" returns next week to Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on FOX.
