American Idol has eliminated another contestant and determined its Top 7 thirteenth-season finalists.

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Malaya Watson, a 16-year-old student from Southfield, MI, became the sixth finalist sent home from American Idol's thirteenth season after she received the fewest home viewer votes cast following Wednesday night's performance show, which featured the Top 8 finalists performing songs from the 1980s.

"I dreamed of this experience. It's so surreal that it's coming alive," Malaya said in a video montage that played following her ouster. "For me to be doing this right now is a blessing to me and it's pretty awesome."

Although she was crying, Malaya tried her best to get through her final performance of "I Am Changing" by Jennifer Hudson.

Malaya's elimination could not have been prevented because American Idol judges Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr. already used their one save of the season on Sam Woolf last week.

The spunky tuba-playing teen had received fairly positive reviews and some suggestions for improvement from the judges following her performance of "Through the Fire" by Chaka Khan on Wednesday's performance show.

"Firstly, there's never any doubt in your vocal ability. It's absolutely superb. David Cook said you're a firecracker, which I completely agree with. The one thing I would say -- because you got that voice and it's so good -- is try and like lay back into it a little bit more," Keith told Malaya.

"Because I felt like there were a lot of places where you were anticipating this [big note] coming up, and I could feel that and I could see it. And you don't have to. If you had a voice that was limiting, you'd have to worry. You have nothing to worry about. Just chill out, man, and coast through it up and back down. You can do it, really."

"Malaya, you're like our little baby. You're the baby of the group. We all love you so much and we all know how talented you are. I would say the same thing as Keith. I have nothing to add," Jennifer explained.

"You just need to relax up there. We all get tense when we know those moments are coming, and the trick that nobody needs to see or worry about is to totally relax in that moment and just go for it, especially with somebody who has a vocal ability that you have. You don't even have to try. It's going to be there for you every time. As long as you have the breath behind it, it's going to be there for you."

"Hey, so, there's not a lot of people who can hit that Chaka note in full voice, especially at your age. I was really impressed with that," added Harry.

"However, I feel like the entire performance was geared up for that, like you had that in the back of your mind. You're going to hit it anyway. All you need to do is focus right when that note comes, and I feel like you sacrificed some of the early parts of the song -- what you were really singing about to set that up... I felt like that quiet part in the beginning of the song, even in the back of your mind, you're like, 'I have to hit this note.'"

Malaya landed in the week's bottom two vote-getters alongside C.J. Harris, a 23-year-old from Jasper, AL. C.J. surprisingly avoided elimination again although it was his third time in a row at the bottom.

Idol's seven remaining finalists are as follows: C.J., Sam Woolf, Dexter Roberts, Jena Irene, Jessica Meuse, Caleb Johnson, and Alex Preston.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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