‘Idol’ Double Elimination Night: Two Contenders Sent Packing; Did Casey Abrams Get Cut, Again?

There are just nine contestants left vying for the title of the “American Idol.”

Two contestants were cut on Thursday night, but neither of them were Casey Abrams.

The bearded, soulful crooner, who the judges quickly used their save on last week, proved to be a hit with the viewers following his rendition of Elton John’s “Your Song” on Wednesday night, a version good enough to help him easily sail through to the Top 9.

While Casey found redemption after the judges’ save, the two who were given the boot were Naima Adedapo and Thia Megia.

Paul McDonald was in the bottom three, but survived to sing another week.

Naima wasn’t a surprising elimination choice. Her reggae rendition – complete with a Jamaican accent – of Elton’s “I’m Still Standing,” was branded “corny” by judge Randy Jackson, while Jennifer Lopez suggested that “some of the songs are just not meant to be flipped.”

Teenager Thia, an “America’s Got Talent” alum, was also cut from the show, not netting enough votes for her rendition of the much-loved Elton song “Daniel.”

Randy said on Wednesday that her song had “a couple [of] little pitch issues,” something the voters clearly agreed with.

Show host Ryan Seacrest revealed that more than 55 million votes were cast following Wednesday’s performances, 25 million more than last week, and a new record for votes at this point in the season.

Beyond the elimination, the show featured several performances by the contestants, including an “Idol” male supergroup, made up of Casey, Paul, Stefano Langone and James Durbin, who took to the stage with the Wings classic, “Band on the Run.”

“You can open up for Aerosmith next tour,” judge Steven Tyler said after hearing their rendition.

Hailey Reinhart, Pia Toscano and Thia also performed together — Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream.”