MTV News ‘Idol’ experts share their choices for Jessica Sanchez, Joshua Ledet and Phillips Phillips. By Gil Kaufman and James Montgomery Joshua Ledet and Phillip Phillips on “American Idol” Photo: FOX The “American Idol” season 11 top three have a lot to prove as we head into Wednesday night’s (May 16) second-to-last lap. Likely winner Phillip Phillips has skated through virtually unscathed by pretty much doing a season-long homage to Dave Matthews, while Joshua Ledet has thrilled us with his gritty soul shouting but failed to show much personality along the way (unless you count that one week he wore a flower in his lapel). And Jessica Sanchez? Well, the 16-year-old definitely has powerful pipes and is a diva in the waiting, but she’s still not quite ready for prime time. All three will be tested this week when they have to sing three songs: a judges’ choice, a tune picked by mentor Jimmy Iovine and, finally, one of their own choosing. Though the track record of MTV News’ resident “Idol” experts has been a bit spotty to date (OK, James, we get it, you have gotten it right four more times than Gil), that hasn’t stopped Gil Kaufman and James Montgomery from posting their last set of secret-ballot picks before next week’s finale. Phillip Phillips He threw us for a curve last week when he went for Damien Rice’s “Volcano,” and he’s already done a DMB cover, so chances are, Phil will steer clear of anything too obvious. I suspect the judges will pick something firmly in his wheelhouse, though, maybe Counting Crows’ “Mr. Jones.” Iovine has a deep understanding of music and knows that the girls want their hearts melted, so he might opt for something in the classic-rock mode like the Allman Brothers’ “Melissa.” After the Rice-bomb last week, it’s anyone’s guess what P-Phunk will choose, so, what the hell, let’s go with David Gray’s appropriately vanilla 2000 breakthrough smash “Babylon.” — Kaufman It’s nice of him to take time off from his “Idol” crown fittings (Scotty McCreery was a 7 and three-eighths, BTW) to grace us with his presence this week. I suspect he’ll reward us with more of the same anyway. The judges should just have him do a medley of the past four champs’ singles — including Lee DeWyze’s latest, “Can I Borrow, Like, Five Dollars?” — just to let America realize what they’ve done, but, of course, they won’t. Instead, I’ll say they stick him with one of Steven Tyler’s songs; maybe they have him do “I Don’t Want To Miss a Thing”? As for Iovine’s pick, I’m thinking he gives him Santana and Rob Thomas’ “Smooth,” because Jimmy’s mad old, or maybe John Mayer’s “Your Body Is a Wonderland,” since it will make his female fanbase spontaneously combust. And as for his personal pick? Dude, he’s already gone deep-cut twice (with DMB and Rice), so who’s to say he doesn’t just cover Phish’s “Icarus” and call it a day. Regardless, the judges will praise his “uniqueness.” — Montgomery Jessica Sanchez It’s gonna be an uphill battle for JSanch to shimmy her way into the finale. Aside from the curse of near-elimination and the fact that a girl hasn’t won since season six, she’s been somewhat erratic lately and her go-to big ballads have landed as often as her uptempos have flopped. The judges want to see her shine, so they will surely gift her with a big, fat ballad along the lines of Anita Baker’s “Sweet Love.” Jimmy knows she needs to show she can be a contemporary star, which is why he’ll opt for Rihanna’s “California King Bed.” As for what BeBe will pick for herself, well, she’s proven a tough one to nail down. She’s already hit on Whitney, Jennifer Hudson, Beyonc
