Chikezie Eze, who became as just Chikezie, sang for the last time on the set of American Idol Wednesday after he was eliminated from the finals.
On Tuesday’s show, Chikezie sang Brenda Russell’s ballad “If Only for One Night.” Before the performance, host Ryan Seacrest asked him about song selection and Chikezie seemed uncertain at best about his choice.
“After the first time that I sang a ballad, I kind of got torn apart for it,” Chikezie told Seacrest. “I was afraid to go back to doing that again, but then … I picked a song that resonates really deeply within me.”
Judges Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell were not fans. “It wasn’t hip and cool,” Jackson complained. “It was just kind of boring.”
Cowell called the performance “cheesy” and told the 22-year-old, “You have to show originality, and I didn’t see anything original.”
Paula Abdul disagreed, telling the soft-spoken singer, “You did a great job,” but Chikezie landed in the bottom three, as predicted by many observers.
Joining Chikezie Eze in the American Idol bottom three Wednesday night were Syesha Mercado and, in somewhat of a surprise, Jason Castro.
Castro, who regularly impresses the judges — and elicits as many screams from female fans in the audience as anyone — knew it was coming.
“I knew it!” he exclaimed when learning of his fate.
Chopping block regular Kristy Lee Cook looked surprised and happy to escape the bottom three this week after covering Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the U.S.A.,” which the judges loved. Ramiele Malubay also escaped the bottom three.
There are now only nine remaining. Who’s your favorite to make it all the way on American Idol – and should Chikezie have been voted off?