No stayin’ alive for Anoop, Lil

“American Idol’s” eighth season took a big lurch closer to its final act as the journeys of Anoop Desai and Lil Rounds came to an end in a rare double elimination on Wednesday night. The extra body count was required after last week’s first-ever invocation of the “save rule” by the judges, which prevented piano player Matt Giraud from being sent home.

The save proved valuable for Giraud, who despite drawing mixed reviews with a performance of “Stayin’ Alive” in Tuesday’s Disco Week show, sailed through to the Top 5.

The eliminations came after 45 million votes were cast this week, a total host Ryan Seacrest called “record-breaking,” though it was not immediately clear what record was broken.

The result was an especially cruel turn of fate for Rounds, who was considered a front-runner to win the entire contest after her knockout audition. Boasting powerhouse R&B; vocals, an adorable family with three young children and a tragic back story of living as a refugee after her house was destroyed by a tornado, Rounds seemed the one to beat at the season’s open.

However, she struggled in recent weeks to establish an identity of her own on the “Idol” stage, drawing savage criticism from judge Simon Cowell, who displayed a wrath he saves only for those who disappoint his early hopes.

Desai initially seemed the most unlikely of contestants; nerdy and khaki-clad in the audition, he appeared utterly out of place on the glitzy “Idol” stage. But he won fans with some strong performances and his self-deprecating humor, asking to be called “Anoop Dogg.” Desai had perhaps the rockiest ride of all contestants this year; he was admitted to the finals in the wild-card round only with the surprise addition of a 13th contestant.

Desai and Rounds had seemed plagued in recent weeks by nerves and struggles to deal with the judges’ withering critiques. But after the emotional catharsis brought on by last week’s save, they appeared as relaxed and confident as ever. Even as their “Idol” moments ended, the two seemed more proud and enthusiastic to go home after a long adventure than feeling recrimination and despair.

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richard.rushfield @latimes.com