Idol's Alexis: A Different Encore Might Have "Saved" Me
Alexis Grace singing "Jolene."
Hindsight is 20/20 and yes, rules are rules. But if American Idol's week-old twist, the Judges' Save, is truly intended to drum up drama and make us wonder if a singer with one foot out the door might get plucked from the ashes, Alexis Grace (as well as Jorge and Jasmine before her) should have been afforded the chance to revisit any of her previous performances, and not just the one most responsible for getting her booted.
"I'm going to be honest — I think it could have [made a difference]", Alexis told TVGuide.com when asked if a different encore might have succeeded in saving her. "If I sang the first song that I sang, 'Never Loved a Man,' maybe I'd still be there."
The 21-year-old Tennessean, however, instead had to re-croon "Jolene." The second time around, and as Simon & Co. ostensibly reconsidered her fate, Alexis nervously tried to "dirty" it up a bit with edgier vocals. But no tweak to the country tune could reverse her fortune.
"'Jolene' is a beautiful song and I loved to sing it; I just don't think it was [the judges'] favorite performance [of mine]," Alexis shrugs. As such, she says, "I didn't really get to ... remind them why they picked me, or why America picked me."
Under a different set of rules, Alexis reiterates, "I probably would have chosen a different song."
What's your take, Idol fans? Do you think the Judges' Save could be assigned greater weight and actual unpredictability if the in-limbo singer could pull from any of their past Hollywood performances?
Got questions for Alexis? Share them in Comments and maybe we'll run yours by her when she drops by TVGuide.com for her video Q&A.
For the latest on American Idol, tune into TV Guide Network's Idol Tonight every Wednesday at 8 pm/ET and Idol Wrap every Friday at 8 pm/ET with co-hosts Kimberly Caldwell and Justin Guarini. Plus get more on your favorite Idols every Friday with American Idol Rewind at 7 pm/ET.