American Idol's 'Most Improved' and 'Most Resilient' Contestants: Anoop Desai and Megan Joy

While American Idol fans gave a sad farewell to contestant Alexis Grace on Wednesday's March 18 results show, their hearts were warmed by 10 other contestants, most notably Anoop Desai and Megan Joy. With their impressive performances, they are described best as the "Most Improved" and the "Most Resilient". This reputation has made them shine and has awarded them a safe spot in the competition.

The 21-year-old contestant Anoop Desai of Chapel Hill, NC sang the country song "You're Always on My Mind" by Willie Nelson. His performance accentuated his melodic vocals that impressed all of the judges. While Judge Kara described Anoop Desai's performance as "The best of the night and the biggest surprise," Judge Randy expressed that his performance represented the reason why he was chosen for this competition. Anoop Desai has earned the title of "Most Improved" since his latest performance was a step up from his previous week's rendition of Michael Jackson's "Beat It", which the judges viewed as unsuitable for him. It should also be recalled that Anoop Desai was eliminated during the top 36 performances and was brought back during the wild card round. Remarkably, Wednesday's American Idol result show was the first time that Anoop Desai was held safe and not in the bottom three.

Also impressive was 22-year-old Megan Joy of Sandy, UT who sang the country song "Walkin' After Midnight" by Patsy Cline. The arrangement of this song suited her acoustic, jazzy style very well. She earned the title of "Most Resilient" due to the fact that she managed to give a fabulous performance despite her contraction of the flu during her preparation week which slightly showed in a few notes where she sounded hoarse. Judge Simon joked that she should be sick every week to sing so amazingly. The judges also agreed that her wonderful performance amidst adversity revealed that she was very serious about her music.

Undoubtedly, the achievements of Anoop Desai and Megan Joy make them two of the most striking contestants. They earned their stay in the competition on Wednesday's result show by impressing both the judges and the American viewers. Both contestants proved that they can rise above adversity. After Tuesday's performances, these contestants have left their prints in Season 8's American Idol history as "Most Improved" and "Most Resilient".