Top 10, oops, 11, touring company Square Off – 2 Will Go Home

Here we are, the week after the save was used to keep Casey Abrams in the game.  Will it work for him to move on or will he be one of the 2 that go home this week.  The theme:  It’s Elton John week on American Idol.  There hasn’t been an Elton John theme since Season 3, when Elton dropped by to mentor the kids.  Suppose he’ll show up again?  What would you have them sing? 

In other Idol news:  Jennifer Hudson’s new album has sold 167,373.  That’s pretty good these days.  Nothing else out there new from Idols alums with the exception of Jason Aldean’s “My Kind of Party” which features a duet with Kelly Clarkson. It is currently at 31.  Speaking of Kelly C, she was going to release her new album, but TPTB, decided that a September release would be more beneficial. Clarkson broke that news that her album was being pushed to a fall release. “I recently found out that my album won’t be coming out until September,” she tweeted. “The album has been recorded, but I can’t release it until then. I realize that is a long time but that’s the best time to release it, apparently, so I’m sorry for the wait but I promise you it sounds great!”

 Her writer Claude Kelly revealed that Clarkson’s album may be her best yet. The music, according to Kelly, is more uptempo and fun and brings her back to “true Kelly Clarkson form. “[It’s] always up-tempo for me when it comes to Kelly,” [Claude] Kelly told MTV. “I like to hear her in kick-butt mode.   She has an edge to her voice that you want to hear her sing high and get in your face.”    Clarkson recently said that the album was heavily influenced by Radiohead, Prince, Tina Turner, Sheryl Crow, Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder. “The album is gonna be a great pop record! said Clarkson. “I can’t wait for ya’ll to hear it!”   Most of the tracks have been under wraps, but Clarkson recently debuted one song, a cover of Eric Hutchinson-penned ballad ‘Why Don’t You Try,’ at Muhammad Ali’s 17th Annual Celebrity Fight Night.   Here’s the performance.  Sounds not great, but the song is good.