American Idol Season 10 Top Seven Perform Songs of 21st Century

Since showtime is in about an hour and fifteen minutes we're going to make this short and sweet, kids:

We started off the show with an Idol first: The performance show showcased the castoffs in a rare, but grating, pre-finale musical number that made it all too clear why they were no longer in the running.

And this continual pimping of Pia is really starting to wear on my nerves. In fact, it's making me kinda start to hate her when I was content just to not like her before.

If the audience still wanted her to wail her way through songs, she'd still be there.

I don't care who she is dating, she really kind of needs to go away now.

KTHANXBAI

Scotty decided to go with "Swinging" - which wasn't all that contemporary when it was originally released in the early 1980s. The judges used rare critique, even Steven, to let Scotty know that while he's a solid contestant time was short for him to have his "big moment." Given this rather ho-hum performance, unusual judge critique and the fact he went first, if this doesn't land our good ol boy in the bottom three, I'll know for sure he's finale-bound. He's got the fan base to carry him through no matter what he does (or doesn't do.)

Durbin had a much earlier slot this week than he normally has enjoyed in the past, and he opted for Muse's "Uprising" for his song choice. I was good with it - I don't know much more about Muse than what I learned playing Guitar Hero... but what I have heard I liked. I would even go so far that his vocal (before the octave challenge change in the latter part of the song) was smoother and more melodic than the original singer. (No disrespect to any Muse people out there.)

That he made it much more of a performance means he'll most likely be safe, and it was definitely one of my favorites of the night. The hubby liked it so much he watched it three times in a row before he allowed the rest of the show to run.

Haley chose an Adele number, and while I'm not familiar with her music I really liked Haley more this week than pretty much any other. She wasn't relying on kitsch and actually performed like she meant it. She connected to the song in such a way that I believed it entirely and felt bad about suggesting something more low-brow and one dimensional.

This was Favorite Performance #2.

Jacob had a rough start but pulled it together to sing "Dance With My Father" by Luther Vandross. It was probably too easy to call, but he did well enough with it that even I welled up with tears on the sentiment of the song. I really think he's going to have to dig much deeper to make it more exciting - because he hasn't been able to match the moment he had during Motown week. This could land him in the bottom three.

Casey opted for Maroon 5, which wasn't half as much fun as the Blue Man Group song would have been. This is the drawback of trying to handicap what songs would work out best for them - if they go off the beaten track the disappointment can overshadow the performance, even when it's pretty good.

Problem was, it wasn't anything *special* - even with the stolen smooch at the end.

He was also wearing plaid.. which is the Geevie Kiss of Death.

S-Teflon-o sang a Neo song that was upbeat and contemporary, but I still would have liked to see him do Justin Timberlake. I don't see the whole flirty/woman's man thing but apparently enough women do - Twitter was aflutter last night after his performance.

Lauren brought up the rear of the show in the much coveted pimp spot and chose to sing a country song... sadly it wasn't the kind of fun one that I wanted and I thought the judges and Jimmy actually had a lot of insight as to why the performances have lost some of their luster. She feels intimidated, and understandably so. She's very young so she may equate those big voices as better than her... and it can't have escaped her notice that as one of the few girls left in the competition she really has to bring it.

Personally I don't think she's as compromised as she thinks she is. I can totally see the top three coming down to Lauren, Scotty and James.

At least it better.

As for the bottom three I think this is where we break down between the top three and the bottom three and have the unenviable choice given to one contestant to choose between the groups.

I predict it'll come down something like this:

James, Lauren and Scotty in one group...

Stefano, Haley and Casey in the other...

Jacob gets to choose but it doesn't matter where he goes (though it's pretty obvious he'll try to go to he first group)... because he'll be the one going home.

American Idol Season 10 Top Nine Results: The Emancipation of Pia

After Wednesday's show it was hard to pin down who would be going home, so it comes as no surprise that it would have been a surprise to discover who that unlucky individual might be. However none of us saw it coming that a contestant considered a frontrunner, a fan favorite AND judge darling would be sent a'packing.

I was actually okay with the bottom three, even though it contained one of my personal favorites (Jacob.) I felt that of the performances the night before, these results were on target.

Stefano failed to really "bring it" the way I had hoped. I keep thinking that he hasn't fully defined his brand yet but I'm coming to the conclusion that his overblown, overdone style *is* - indeed - his brand.

Pia, though extremely talented, continued to bore me even with an uptempo number. To be fair I'm not really a big fan of big song divas anyway - and aside from a few choice songs have nothing much to do with the Mariahs and the Whitneys of the world.

So even if that piece of cheesecake is the best cheesecake on the planet, if you're lactose intolerant you're not going to order it.

(I do like Celine, but Pia is no Celine. She simply doesn't have the charisma, and I generally don't care for people who take themselves *too* seriously. Celine is a goof and a ham, which is what makes her fun to watch.)

I figured Jacob would end up in the bottom three for three very distinct reasons:

1. He went first. The curse of first has felled many a contestant, especially on nights where other finalists stepped it up and made their performance count.

2. There was nothing really special about his performance to make it overcome the curse of first.

3. His snarky, "If I end up in the bottom three," comment was unnecessary and off-putting. It's a little too early in the game to get that cocky, honey.

In fact when he rounded out the bottom three I grew concerned that his comment had been the kiss of death.

Instead he was sent to safety which left Pia standing alone with Stefano - which, of course, was writing on the wall for any long-time viewer of Idol. A dramatic TV moment was about to occur.

While I didn't personally care for Pia's style, I definitely didn't think it was time for her to go home. I figured she'd go all the way to the end like the equally talented but equally boring Carrie Underwood from Season 4. I was never a fan of Carrie because she, like Pia, had all the steak without the sizzle. Yeah she was good but there was nothing there to whet my appetite, and if you're going to earn a title like "Idol," you need that lil' sumthin-sumthin'.

Everyone likes to drive home that American Idol is a singing competition, but the show is not called American Singer. It's called American Idol.

It takes more than a great voice to be an Idol. Sure there are Idol type folks like Elvis, Prince, Freddie Mercury, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder or Mariah Carey who had or have great voices. But there are also those like - oh I dunno, spitballing here - Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger, Steven Tyler, Janis Joplin, Stevie Nicks, James Brown and Lady Gaga that all had *distinctive* voices with rock star swagger and marketing savvy to make up for the rest. There are also the Madonnas, Britney Spears and Justin Biebers of the world who make up for any vocal shortcomings with nifty marketing.

It takes star quality that sets one apart, and that is many times independent of the quality of the voice. A great voice in the style of someone else doesn't make you a star. I was lurking around the Idol message boards last night and someone made a comment that really kind of nailed it: Everyone can compare Pia to Celine all they want to, but there's already a Celine.

But I held out hope that if Pia had been open to the idea of stretching her wings and learning from the experience she could have grown like Carrie did and gone on to be quite successful in her own right.

It wasn't abandoning the ballads that did her in. Ballads were a safety zone for her that would have inevitably got her booted anyway for not bringing anything special to the table. Like I've said before, having a great voice and hitting those glory notes lose their effectiveness if that's all you're going to do week after week.

Personally I don't know how or why she went from front runner to castoff so quickly. It ultimately happens year after year, and there's really no rhyme or reason for it other than other folks - for whatever reason - are getting the votes to keep them in the game.

Which, by the way, I've decided to change Stefano's name to Teflon, because absolutely nothing sticks to this guy. He's not reaching or connecting with me the way I had hoped he would but he's definitely got a campaign to keep him in the game when some other folks who seemed to have more fans/judge support (Casey, Pia) get led to the chopping block. I almost felt sorry for him, he looked as though he was suffering through survivor's guilt.

Maybe her fans thought she was safe because the judges always heap loads of praise on her. Maybe by their assumption she'd be around a while it lulled her fans into a false sense of security.

Either way, what's done is done. Many are outraged the "save" was used on Casey but let's face it folks. This is the way Idol has always worked. Even if a save was employed she may not have made it to the finale anyway, it may have only saved her skin for a few more weeks at best. I'm still not convinced Casey will win after his fortuitous save, and I *like* Casey.

The good news is that these kids don't have to win. As Tony nominated Constantine proved last night, you can find your niche in the world even without the top title.

Which, btw... I liked his controversial version of "Unchained Melody" even though I know somewhere Simon Cowell was jabbing his eardrums out with an ice pick. And I know it makes some of you folks feel all dirty the way he "leers" at the camera but I have about six years worth of Constantine "leering," "smirking" and otherwise "mugging" to catch up on after I feel prey to it in Season 4.

I like it... I like him... and I thought it brought some "rock" to an otherwise Rock-Lite Rock and Roll Hall of Fame week. The only problem I had was his over-styled hair. I like the dirty rocker boy look as much as the next gal, but I want silky locks to run my fingers through.

Is this really so much to ask?

Another bone of contention: As much as I like Skynyrd, "Sweet Home Alabama" is not a group number. It's a rock jam. They should have gone with this:



In fact, "Rock" week had a severe lack of the Rolling Stones... so you know what that means. Time for another Artist Theme Week.

Maybe then James will sing "Paint it Black." (A girl can dream.)

Speaking of rock, Iggy Pop brought his shirtless and... unique... style to the Idol stage for the first time on elimination night.

Which... I just... I don't... I can't... um... yeah.

And that's all I have to say about that.

So to sum up... I'm not brokenhearted about Pia's departure. Shocked, sure, but it was bound to happen with this crop of hopefuls. And it's going to keep happening as more and more fan/judge favorites hit the road one by one in the coming weeks. No one, with the exception maybe of Scotty, is safe.

Let's all just take a deep breath and put it in perspective. Without Idol we wouldn't have known who Pia was - and thanks to her placement in the top 11 she will get to tour across the country this summer so her fans can still enjoy her as part of the Idol family.

Beyond that, she's now free to pursue new opportunities.

It's all good.

American Idol Season 10 Top Nine Perform Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

I came into tonight with much trepidation, and I somehow suspected that the rock and roll music used to introduce the theme of the night (things like, go figure... Sweet Emotion) were, at best, misleading. This group, aside from James and *maybe* Casey are not rockers. Like we discussed on my wish list blog, there were hundreds of inductees and thousands of songs that could have been chosen to fit this particular theme. Since song choice remains a point of contention with me for our Season Ten finalists, I wasn't especially optimistic.

Overall it was a good show. These were solid performances that make it hard to pick which finalists will actually make the bottom three. The problem is I didn't *love* it. There's only one performance I was really excited about, but those I was looking forward to disappointed me and those who I didn't expect much from surprised me.

It was a weird night.

Jacob started out the night with a song change from the sexy Get Busy anthem "Let's Get it On" by Marvin Gaye to the more noble "Man in the Mirror" by Michael Jackson. Smart move - he ran the risk of being hokey and inauthentic with the Marvin Gaye classic. He did well because he generally always does well. But unlike Motown night he didn't blow me away. Being in the first position meant he had to and he just didn't make the impression I feel he needed to make. This could mean the first trip to the bottom three for our favorite male diva.

Haley actually picked one of the songs I wanted to see her sing with "Piece of My Heart" by Janis Joplin. For the most part she gave me chills with her more authentic performance that I felt was a definite window inside the artist she truly wants to be. It's a performance where she abandoned the sex kitteny stuff for legitimate emotion AND her growl added to rather than detracted from the vocal. It fit, it made sense... but she also fights the tide going early in this show where other girls (especially fan favorites) maybe made more of an impression. If she does end up in the bottom three, it won't be because her performance wasn't good enough to keep her out. If anything, it'd be bad timing.

Casey returned to his roots by bringing out his bassy to deliver a more mellow version of CCR's "Have You Ever Seen the Rain." The only thing this performance was missing was a set of steel drums, an ocean breeze and a nice margarita. I loved how it felt Casey-fied, and I hope that his fans didn't mistake the praise he got as a reason to get lazy with the voting push to keep him out of the bottom three. He's obviously got a legion of fans who forgave such missteps as "Smells Like Teen Spirit," so I think his placement in the bottom three and possible elimination had little to do with his not having support. Last week proved his fans weren't willing to let him go. But they have to keep the momentum going, and we won't know until tomorrow if has.

Lauren took on some Aretha Franklin, which was quite ballsy of her. I had wanted her to avoid anything that required any real depth or emotion because she's a bit of the cotton candy of this bunch. To my surprise she did fairly well given the material she chose, and dug deep to deliver a performance that I never would have expected from her given her Idol journey thus far. Having done so she may be fresher in the memory of the voters than Haley, who simply had the misfortune of performing early on.

Admittedly I gave James a blank check this week to pick whatever song he wanted to sing. I guess I never expected a ballad, or else I might have advised against it. It seemed like a wasted opportunity. When else this season is he going to have access to the gritty rock stuff we've never seen on Idol before? I wanted something a little dark and sinister, like "Paint it Black" or something more theatrical like Alice Cooper. Instead I got treated to yet ANOTHER Beatles tune from James. And a slow one. I would be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed. He was my one chance to actually see some ROCK on R&RHOF night, and I felt somewhat cheated.

HOWEVER...

It was shrewd of him to lay himself bare and show another side of himself as a performer. While it was slow, it was still authentic to who he is and better yet - he got to do a song that meant something to him. You could feel that by the tender vocal performance that was far deeper and richer than his normal "glory" note. This gave him one of his best vocal performances of the season so far, and even though it was a ballad my ballad-hating hubby did NOT fast forward through it and - even more miraculous - even liked it.

I think it just adds another color to his palette that proves he's in this thing for the long haul. I wasn't sold on him before they hit the finals, but now he's a contestant I look forward to seeing every week. No one is as surprised by this as me, and it really kind of maybe makes me like him more.

Like I had wanted, Scotty picked an Elvis song. Unlike the one I chose for him (a ballad) he decided to do something more uptempo and ran the very real risk of being hokey or corny by digging up some kind of half-baked Elvis imitation. He's still quite green as a performer and that manifests itself in awkward ticks, which he fell prey to as he attempted to bring a little rock to the stage. I thought it sounded great, but he has some work to do in order to refine his performance. Having said that, Scotty has a pretty staunch fan base that consistently keeps him in the top three over on the Dial Idol prediction site. I'd be very surprised if he doesn't make it to the top three, especially since he attempts to grow each week.

Pia came through on her promise to sing "River Deep, Mountain High." It was uptempo, it was a song I loved... but imagine my surprise when I was still *bored* by her... I guess it was a performance? I didn't buy it and it made me miss BOTH Celine and Tina Turner. Pia sings. She sings amazingly well. But when it comes to a performance she still has a lot to learn - which might be why she opts for the safer ballad route. She's safe, because her fans aren't going to let her go anywhere, but if she goes back to the ballads and stops pushing herself and following JLo's very astute and needed advice, she's not doing herself any favors to become the artist she wants to be.

American Idol is a turbo-charged training ground that she needs to utilize to the fullest, or else she'll fall the wayside just like the other wannabe divas who came before her.

When I heard that Stefano wanted to do a "romantic" song I immediately knew we were going to be "treated" to yet another ballad on a night when I wanted to see how people could rock. Or at least do pop. Then of course he does the almost hackneyed "When a Man Loves a Woman," so I immediately know he's going to make it all Broadway; overblown and overdone.

To my surprise he started out the performance the way I have been *begging* him to do. A spotlight... and just his voice tenderly singing a song to the millions of women just waiting for him to live up to the potential of his good looks. But of course he had to go and "Stefano" it and blew his chance to make it really, truly special. This performance lands him in my bottom three. He just doesn't have the "it" factor like some of the other performers, and I think that will be his undoing in the very near future... if not this week then at least before the top 7.

Paul took the pimp spot with a rousing version of Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues." I have long been on the fence with Paul. I love his voice, but watching him perform can be a bit of a train wreck. He's either spastic or inappropriately cheerful, and the best I could hope for was that he would put an instrument in front of him and otherwise occupy his nervous energy so I wouldn't be subjected to the discomfort of watching him flail about the stage.

I was even more concerned with Jimmy and Will.i.Am both advised him to sing the song like he was out of his mind - which I felt might have been like putting a match to a powder keg when it comes to the near manic style we've seen thus far from Paul.

Imagine my surprise when Paul gave me THE performance of the night. For the first time since we started I felt like I saw who he really was as a performer and I enjoyed everything about it. It was authentic and "right in his lane." He involved the crowd, which I love, and most important he had FUN. THIS is how you perform. This is what I want to pay money to see.

I can hear anyone sing on the radio... but when it comes to a concert I want to see a *show.* Thanks to Paul, I think this year's Idol tour could be just that - and it doesn't have to just rest on the shoulders of the more seasoned and interesting James and Casey.

So... picking the bottom three at this point is a coin toss. No one had a performance *worthy* of the bottom three (unless you count Stefano, and that was only by a hair.)

All I can hope is that my Jacob and Casey can escape the bottom three or going home altogether.

But I'm worried. I won't lie.

Only elimination night knows for sure... and I hear that Constantine will be making an appearance. That fangirly squee you hear resonating from Texas will be from me.

So get out your earplugs and wrap your crystal. That's the only warning you're going to get.

American Idol Season 10 Top 11 Perform Elton John

You will note that none of the top 11 paid any heed to my kind advice, and though I didn't *forbid* it, the absolute most overplayed, over-hyped EJ song of ALL time was chosen and performed in this overwhelming YAWNER of an episode.

Maybe I came into the whole thing just expecting too much. So much talent and yet with this crop it's proving to be a crapshoot week after week.

Only a handful really understand the concept of a performance, the rest is just nationally televised karaoke that always leaves me yearning to hear the original track (or at least a better version than we were treated tonight.)

It's sad. So sad.

It is, in fact, a sad sad situation.

And it's getting more and more absurd.

With that said, and with Simon gone, this is my Painfully Honest Critique of the Top 11 Redux.

First up was Scotty, which is where I had wanted him on Motown night. He's got a following and there's no way he's not making it to at *least* the top five... but I tire a bit of the judges praising him so much on his steadfastness to his genre while meanwhile skewering the likes of Naima, who at least made "I'm Still Standing" *interesting*.

Taking a country song and making it country... not so interesting. (And am I the only person who had never heard that song before? I would have rather seen him take a more well known song and tried to flip that to country... kind of like what I advised him days ago with "Your Song" but WHATEVER.)

In fact, the judges flip-flopped on so much of their advice (except for Steven, who seems to find the good in anything) that I was the one feeling dizzy. This was especially true for Pia, but we'll get to that in a minute.

But at least the judges were *trying* to find a reason why the first two songs of the night left the audience wanting more.

If Naima had taken my advice with "Circle of Life," who knows? The exotic flavor might have worked.

Again... WHATEVER.

Paul came out and chose "Rocket Man," and I was fairly okay with that. EJ should be his comfort zone since they both have a similar singer/songwriter vibe. And Paul chose a song that he'd performed in the past, so in a way he was "playing it safe" and doing what so many have come to love him to do.

The problem is, at this stage in the game especially, I'm wondering what else is in his repertoire - if indeed anything else is. The judges think that he should push himself a little harder and stretch himself but it's entirely possible what we've seen is really all there is. It could be that he's just a simple singer/musician like the likes of James Taylor and Bob Dylan before him.

Which is *fine.* Not my cup of tea overall... but no one can argue people *can* carve out this niche for themselves if that's their vibe. I don't think, at this point, that we're going to see much more from Paul than he's already given us.

All he can do is follow Scotty's lead until the judges decide that's not good enough anymore because other people actually do listen to their critiques (when given) and attempt to grow.

One of those who has yet to prove to me has this ability is Pia. I very nearly screamed out loud in utter frustration when she opted - ONCE AGAIN - to do an indulgent ballad to - ONCE AGAIN - show us she's the queen diva of the ballads this season.

So been there.

So over it.

Like someone else noted, this is where you lose the wow factor. We've seen you belt out the schmaltz. What else ya got?

And here's the rub... whether it's my utter frustration with her at this point or not... she actually *didn't* do that great of a job. George Michael, probably one of the most amazing voices in pop music, turned out a superior cover (with Elton) that was actually what I yearned to hear after ... scratch that... during her performance.



If I had been scoring these contestants I'd have given her an automatic zero and accuse her of being like Scotty and Paul... just another one trick pony who can do that one trick really well - but it's not something I'm going to shell out money to buy an album for or see a concert of.

At least Scotty and Paul have more than one tempo.

The thing that pisses me off about Pia is that I *know* she can stretch her wings and she just refuses to. This is what the judges were trying to say last week but kind of backed away from this week, which shame on them. They're not helping her by not calling her out on it. She's playing it safe, and every week she does so my tolerance of it slips a notch.

She has promised to do "River Deep Mountain High" next week. As one of my favorite songs, I'm excited to hear it and it may be enough to earn her way back into my good graces.

But I will believe it when I see it.

Stefano is another contestant I just have lost faith can grow any more in the competition. I keep begging that he dig deep and find his inner sex appeal and learn how to connect with what could have been his core audience (i.e., the women.) Instead Scotty, Paul and even Casey have learned what I'm beginning to suspect he never will. He keeps bringing this big, overblown performance to the stage each and every week until they just run together in one big confusing ball of mess. He needed to strip it all away and just sit on a stool or on the steps and *sing* from his heart.

Instead we got "Tiny Dancer" with Broadway indulgence.

He did decide to end his performance by reaching out, literally, to JLo in a pretty suave move that could save his ass if he ever decided to own his own sexual magnetism. Instead he played it safe and sucked up to the judge when he should have been doing that to the audience.

I just don't know if it will be enough.

Lauren sang "Candle in the Wind." I *hate* "Candle in the Wind." My husband brought it up last week when we were tossing around possible tunes and I rejected it out of hand, lumping it up there with "Endless Love" as one of those songs that just should never, ever be sung anywhere in my presence *E*V*E*R.

So I muted her.

I had to. For the safety of my TV.

I didn't even watch the performance - that's how bad an offense I consider choosing that song to be. I read somewhere that she once again smiled her way through what is probably one of the most maudlin songs in the known universe. It was first written to memorialize Marylin Monroe and her tragic demise, then once again to honor Princess Di after HER tragic demise... both of which shocked the world to the core. The sentiment is sad. The words are sad.

DON'T SMILE.

These youngsters could benefit much from an acting class. That's all I'm saying. They don't understand if you don't feel the words you sing there is no way you can touch others with the song you sing. This was done wrong by a following contestant, and done right with a contestant beyond that.

But again, I'm getting ahead of myself.

I'm just going to say it - thank God for James Durbin. This kid brings excitement to the table almost every single week. He didn't do "The Bitch is Back" like I had impishly wanted (but knew it wasn't going to happen.) He did do something rock-ish and over the top with "Saturday Night's All Right For Fighting." It wasn't as exciting as his performance last week but his going Hendrix on the grand piano was a neat little effect we've yet to see from Idols past. The kid owns the stage and knows who he is, so Jimmy Iovine needs to just give him the freedom to figure out how and what he's going to do. He's got that innate sense of what works on a creative level; let the boy do his thing. It's not just Idol when he's up there... and that's a good thing, for him and for us.

Earlier in the evening when I saw things going so seriously awry I thought to myself the only way it could get worse was if Thia sang "Daniel."

Me and my big mouth.

Whoever sang the song was up to extra scrutiny with me because I *do* have a very strong emotional connection to this song. My first husband's name was Daniel and I knew fairly early on in our relationship if he ever left or died that would be how I remembered him. We played it at his funeral in 2003. The words have always had a special poignancy to me but even more so after he died. In the hands of Thia, who does *not* have the kind of depth necessary to sell a song like that, it was nothing more than limp karaoke.

I just... I can't even...



Casey took the advice I had saved for Stefano and applied it to his performance, which - unlike Thia - I could connect to and feel emotionally. It was a necessary step back that showed the audience that he could have a little heart in addition to all the craziness. "Your Song" isn't one of my favorite EJ tunes (I can't get past the lyric "if I was a sculptor, but then again.. no...") but he did it justice, especially with that tender high note at the end.

I'm glad to see even with Jimmy's horrible advice (to change everything) Casey stayed true to himself with his performance AND his appearance. The reason he ended up in the bottom three is the reason a lot of season favorites go from never being in the bottom three to being booted off entirely. His audience thought he was safe. He doesn't have to change who he is, he has to GO BACK to who he was before the Nirvana misstep.

(Although my feelings won't be hurt if he ever decides to ditch the beard.)

That being said tonight's performance was much improved over the last couple of weeks, but I think I would have liked to see him play an instrument and show yet another layer of THAT.

Since Pia greedily nabbed "Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me," the song I had wanted for last week's superstar Jacob to sing, I was unsure how much he could Jacobfy "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word." What I didn't expect was the way he embodied the song. The man looked absolutely tortured by the heartbreaking lyrics and sold me all over again on this song simply by the emotion he conveyed.

THIS is how it's done, people. That is a master class in connecting the words to the emotion... rather than just hitting some notes in key. And that note at the end? I still have chills. This kid has got it and then some. As last week proved anyone can go home at any time, so I hope that doesn't happen with Jacob. He's a master at what he does and deserves to be on that stage all the way to at LEAST the top 3.

Haley closed the show with "Bennie & the Jets." I don't know much more than the first 30 seconds or so because she's another I just can't connect to and didn't dig the arrangement of that song at ALL. By this time I was fairly over EJ night on Idol as a whole and kinda sorry I didn't choose that time to go make dinner or something, thinking my husband had it easy he could just go back and zip through all the boring performances.

Which were all but maybe three or four.

This is why I don't like theme songs that center on one particular artist. Give me genre night any ol day of the week. Broadway. Disco. Country. ANYTHING.

As for who will go home? It won't be who *needs* to go home by simple math. Stefano's and Thia's fans will likely save them from the bottom three this week since they were there last week, which means people like Naima could end up there instead.

At this point as long as it's not Jacob, James or Casey - who at least bring a little spice to the show - I'm okay.

Here's hoping the voters don't disappoint me as much as EJ night did.

(But again... I'll believe it when I see it.)

My American Idol Top 11 Elton John Wish List

After a heart-stopping dramatic moment where fan favorite Casey Abrams almost went home and missed out on the tour, we learned not only did he earn the season's one and only "save" but now the top ELEVEN would be able to hit the road this summer when Idols Live rolls across the nation.

It was a pretty epic results show where such emotional highs and lows are generally reserved for when the stakes are a lot higher - like a finale.

Either way I'm happy with the decision. Two go home next week but the tour is set, and I think it's going to be a fun one.

The next theme our Top 11 get to find their way through is Elton John's songbook. This can be a good thing and it can also be another ballad-heavy snoozefest. Since Paul benefited so much from my wisdom *last* week by following my wish list almost to the letter (and having one of his best performances because of it) (go me!) I figured I'd go ahead and get a head start on my next wish list.

I like Elton John, but I like a lot of ballady EJ - this does not bode well for my ballad-hatin' hubby Steven who - with regularity - zips right on past these performances because they bore him silly.

It also doesn't help that the one with the strongest pipes this season can't do a couple of the stronger demonstrations of vocal prowess located in Elton's discography.

(She shoulda listened to me last week but newwwoooo.)

I will say that no matter who sings Daniel they will make me cry. You'll see why when I plug in the video for it below. (And it's his birthday today - which means it's going to be even tougher.)

So.... let's get a'crackin'.

Stefano has a lot to prove after last week's misfortune of picking an iconic tune from Idol Seasons Past. He has to connect to the song, he has to connect to the audience. He has to go past just singing a song and really deliver a heartfelt performance. Since this was his challenge, I think he needs to strip down all the cheesier performance techniques and just sit at a piano (because he can) and sing a song with his heart on his sleeve.

Lucky for him, EJ is the perfect guy for this.

I'm going to keep begging Stefano to reach his female base by singing something to THEM. This one has always been a favorite of mine:



James has a bit harder row to hoe in that Elton is definitely not what you'd consider "metal." He IS, however, over the top. I would LOVE LOVE LOVE for him to sing this:



BUT... I'd be equally okay if he sang something more substantial to demonstrate yet another layer. This ode to John Lennon doesn't offer much room to scream, but it could be a moment to allow the tenderness he showed in Paul McCartney's "Maybe I'm Amazed" several weeks back. This could also be the time to put him behind a piano (since I read a bio that he does, and that fits this week probably more than any other.)



If I didn't have Pia on a ballad fast for at LEAST two weeks to make up for the three previous ballads we've had to endure, I'd have her sing this EJ/Leann Rimes duet:



Instead she's got to do something more show-stopping. Or at least something that doesn't put us all into a collective coma.

Since "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" will likely be saved for the group number on elimination night, we'll give her:



Thia has already done a tune from a Disney musical - but the Lion King were penned by EJ and have a ton of material that are not only age-appropriate but no doubt songs she must have grown up on.

The trick of course is to find something a little more playful rather than mature.

I'm afraid the only thing that fits would be...



(Which if she actually did perform I'd literally LOL. It'd be a hoot and a half.)

Afraid she's going to have to do a ballad, guys - sorry. For a piece where she can stretch some acting chops AND play piano:



Another youngster in the competition, Scotty is probably going to country-fy anything he gets his little paws on. This would be fairly flexible, and I can see a bit of that Elvis peek out while he makes the young girls he already knows to play to weak in the knees.



Speaking of The Lion King, this may sound cliche but... I can see our girl Naima taking on "Circle of Life" complete with African flavor with backup singers, drummers and dancers.



I don't want to stereotype her, but I am excited to see more of her exotic showmanship spice up what could be a more subtle night of performances.

Lauren is another who is going to be hard to predict because she likes to have fun with her performances, but doesn't always channel the appropriate emotion for some of the more complicated pieces.

She could add a little twang and a whole lotta attitude to:



Jacob is going to have to work REALLY hard to top last week... and there's really only one song that can match that level of potential for greatness. This has the built in crescendo that worked so well for Jacob on Motown night - and is one of the most powerful vocal performances you can have in a EJ song. He can take this one to church with a choir behind him and just nail it.



The temptation is QUITE strong to give "I'm Still Standing" to Casey after his harrowing, emotional roller coaster of last Thursday. Personally I think this fits him better:



But even:



fits and gives him chances to play an instrument.

(Personally I think if you're going to have an EJ night you HAVE to include the instruments.)

As always I'm sort of at a loss for what Haley could do that fits both her personality and the theme. I can definitely hear her growl and see her strut in songs like:



Another option:



If there was anyone who fits the theme of the evening it's Paul, who is still my favorite for taking all my wonderful advice last week. This week I want him behind a piano singing this tune:



Wow I didn't see anyone I wanted to sing "Daniel."

So I guess I'll just have to link it to link it... in honor of my first husband who passed away in 2003... way before I got involved in Idol at all.

That kinda makes me a little sad. I think he would have liked them - and especially our new judges, one of whom shares this special day with him. So happy birthday Daniel and Steven Tyler. <3

American Idol Season 10 Top 11 Perform Motown

Last night the top 11 performers sang their little funky hearts out for the top 10 spots that make up the summer Idols Live tour. For some, like Jacob, Motown fit just like a glove. Others had to be a little more creative with the genre. I posted my Wish List for Motown night yesterday afternoon and by the gods one of the idols actually took the advice almost down to letter.

That's the first time that has ever happened, and that it was one of his better performances over the past few weeks will forever be a symbol of exactly how right the great and powerful OGWO is.

As if you doubted.

Sadly Casey did not take my advice to sing "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" and all I could think through his performance of "I Heard it Through the Grapevine" was what could have been. Granted I'm not a big fan of the song given I was a kid in the 80s and I was treated to a constant heaping helping of funky dried fruit:



I still love him and he's not going *anywhere* - but ...

Thia was facing the wrath of the judges - no matter how nice they have been - if she dared to sing a ballad again this week. I wanted something a little more Jackson 5 but she opted for that other more overplayed hit "Heatwave." She looked like she had fun and sounded as good as a song like that could let her sound. I just still can't really connect with her the way I did in her audition. I think her material has all been so mature that she, with her limited life experience, can't quite fill out in all three dimensions. That she had a fairly forgettable performance (especially in light of those that followed) early on means that she may just face the bottom three.

(Kudos to J-Lo for using it as a building block for some much-needed constructive criticism.)

I have a confession to make. Though I love him, for the last couple of weeks I haven't been connecting with Jacob. I think a lot of it is that he has all those vocal acrobats each week where the song isn't really "heard." I agreed with Jimmy that he needed to give us a little more depth to the performance and learn how to utilize those subtle, tender moments than can make a song like "You're All I Need to Get By" more than just a testament of love. It can make it a freaking religious experience. With this one performance, last week's performance show became a faint wisp of a memory. Steven hopped from his chair and ran on stage to give Jacob a big ol bear hug - I didn't have my AI handbook but I assumed that he liked it.

This started a love fest that Jacob Lusk rightly deserved. I personally think it was his best performance we've seen thus far. I nearly came up off the couch and danced right along with him... and if you knew the pain I've been in the last week or so you'd know that's sayin' somethin'.

I was *moved.*

In fact, I gotta go watch it again. BRB....

CHILLS, baby. Wow...good stuff.

Next up was Lauren, and I did not envy her following that act. She opted for "You Keep Me Hanging On" - which I had wanted Haley to tackle. Either way both girls have a certain performance style that doesn't necessarily work for all songs. For Lauren to use her sunnier disposition and big smile for a song of this nature is a little tougher sell. Again, sounded good but there was a disconnect to the lyrical content of the song...at least for me. The judges did not agree. (It could be that I was still high from Jacob...)

Remember way back to yesterday when I said the one thing these contestants should never ever ever ever EVER do is to take on a Motown hit immortalized in previous seasons by other Idols? Stefano, sadly, wasn't listening. He tackled Lionel Richie's "Hello" - which David Cook absolutely shattered the mold for back during his season. In fact, it was the defining moment for DC that showed us *exactly* who he was as a performer. There was no karaoke there, he *recreated* it. It was ah-freakin-mazing and no one, ever, should try to take that on again.

Stefano did, and thereby missed his opportunity to a.) establish himself as an artist b.) put his own fingerprint on a classic. Too many others were able to do that this week that he might indeed find himself in the bottom three.

Oh Haley. Haley, Haley, Haley. I don't really know why I don't connect with you. It's not that you're not talented. You obviously are. It's not that you're not attractive and even likable. Check, check. But either something is missing or something is way too present. Granted I'm not the target audience but that sex kitten schtick doesn't really reach me. It doesn't feel quite authentic enough. It's like a caricature... and it's just a little too over the top even for me. Whether or not her growling rendition of "You Really Got a Hold On Me" will save her from the bottom three remains to be seen. If she hasn't connected to the fans by now, will it be enough?

Only time will tell if she'll get to repeat that particular performance on various different stages across the country this summer.

Scotty came next and he sunk his teeth into Motown week. I think the reason he's so likable for so many, he really does approach everything with a level of fun and enthusiasm that comes from knowing exactly who he is even when he's that young. He sang "For Once in My Life" and of course it sounded like a twangy old fashioned country and western song. Not country... he throws back to the days of yore when my parents lived off of Hee Haw. I *hated* this music way back then, but for Scotty it works. I like seeing him grow as a performer - and keep true to who he is. He knows who his fans are (strangely unlike Stefano) and knows to play it up and make them come out of their seats. He ain't goin' nowhere. (imagine that as twangy as it sounded in my head.)

That blood-curdling scream you heard that may have shattered every window in your house and maybe a glass or two of your favorite crystal came from me. I would apologize but I *DID* warn you guys yesterday. You just should have wrapped everything knowing that Pia the Diva would be digging out yet ANOTHER ballad out of the PLETHORA of Motown hits she could have sung.

Here's the thing. She's gorgeous. She's got amazing pipes. But she's a paper doll at this point. There's no depth... there are no facets. It's the same thing week after week. She doesn't take the chances that even Scotty does, and if she doesn't learn to grow and stretch out of this obvious comfort zone, she'll never graduate from torch singer to superstar. All the greats - Celine... Whitney...Mariah... they ALL have a well-rounded song list that does more than just show off one facet.

Even Babs had a disco hit.

Again J-Lo nailed my discontent with a spot-on critique. And she did it without saying, "If I'm going to be honest with you... it was all a bit boring. I want to hear something that isn't run on loop in an elevator somewhere."

(Imagine that with the English accent.)

I just fell in love with Paul last night. He took my advice almost word for word - the only thing missing was a stool and spotlight. He sang the song I wanted to hear him sing (and it worked,) they let him finally use his guitar (which they should never let him put down again... EVER.) He put his own spin on the song that molded it to him rather than the other way around... which is what needs to happen at this level of the competition. That's how we know exactly who these artists are, and after Paul's version of "The Tracks of My Tears" there was no question who that was. In short... it *worked.*

Do not question the OGWO.

Another confession... I didn't want Naima to dance. I love my girl, Naima, from her head to her funky toes. She's crazy unique and fearless and I dig that. When I found out she was doing "Dancing in the Streets," I was scared FOR her. Especially when she decided to do an African dance in the performance. When she began to sing I crossed everything that would cross she would be able to restrain her enthusiasm to keep in pitch. She stalked that stage like a tigress in her funky bell bottoms and sounded *great*. She's not as vocally talented as Pia but strangely I'd rather watch/hear her than Pia any day of the week.

When Naima broke it down with an African dance with a tribal drum beat that actually became a part of the song I was practically dancing in the street myself. That was on FIRE. It was EXCITING! This woman needs to make the tour or the tour will suffer for it. She indeed is the full package in a way no one before her on Idol has ever been.

I love you, girrrrl!

James enjoyed his first night in the pimp spot. I say first because I see this guy really coming into his own each and every week. He did opt for a Stevie Wonder rocker tune but it wasn't "Higher Ground" like I had hoped. I really think that could have been a moment that would have been his alone to own. Since he sang "Living for the City" he has to share the glory with Siobhan Magnus:



And of course Taylor Hicks:



The good news is James still had his own moment and closed the show on a high note. He dug out that soul that true rockers really have and made it work as a rocker anthem more than an R&B classic. This is due mostly because of the swagger and cocksure attitude James has in abundance. Any successful rock star has this, because they convince us they're stars by making sure we know they think they are one.

And people love him. They respond to it. So an excellent way to close the show, which was light years in awesome away from last week's snoozefest.

The winners tonight were Jacob, James and Naima... with a big A+ to Paul for finally hitting his stride.

I think Stefano will join Thia in the bottom three based on the general forgettable quality of their performances. As for the other spot? We'll see if Haley escapes the curse of the bottom three for another consecutive week... but if not her, who?

Only tonight will tell.

American Idol Season Ten Top 12 Performances

Tonight was the "Year of Your Birth" theme night which never fails to make me feel ANCIENT, especially as the years march on. Back in 2005 I still had some 70s rock love courtesy of Constantine Maroulis taking on "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen. I remember being a bit apprehensive about the song choice because tackling Freddy Mercury when you don't have Freddy Mercury's vocal chops is a risky endeavor at best.

But what Constantine did have was swagger... and he carved out one of the most memorable performances of his tenure on Idol.



It was electrifying. It was sexy. And it was a performance that trumped every single performance that tried to vie for our votes tonight six seasons later.

Now, maybe it's because I've been doing Nyquil shots to combat a lingering flu/fever... maybe I just expected too much... but everyone I normally love disappointed me tonight. Some of it was song choice, some of it was performance... some of it was a bad mix of the two. The flu apparently has run rampant at the Idol mansion affecting Paul and Lauren tonight in ways that were not comfortable to watch or hear.

And the judges, while a bit more "judgy" tonight than they have been in the past - particularly J-Lo - didn't really call them out as much as we were at home. It was the first time this whole season I really missed Simon.

Because I think he would have called the whole thing the hot mess that it was.

And there were two hours of it.

That I'm going to have to watch twice because my husband will want to catch up when he gets home.

Fortunately most of the performances he will zip through. I can't imagine his watching *any* of them all the way through. He has a definite "no ballad" policy, and will only stop and listen if it's really, really good.

I'd be really surprised if he gets through a one.

Naima started us off, and the curse of first will sadly work against her far from pitch-perfect performance of the 1984 Tina Turner hit, "What's Love Got to Do With It." Not a great big fan of the song to begin with, I think I might have liked to see her do something a little edgier - like "When Doves Cry," but at least she didn't sing "I Feel For You" by Chaka Khan, which I will give her a few points for at least. She was missing some notes in a big way, and I think she needs to strip her performances way back to restore the true beauty of her voice and the range of her talent. She wants to get out there and have fun, but she loses her way in her songs and has to find some balance between the two. Naima is my girl, but this was easily one of the bottom performances of the night.

I don't hate Paul but I find it very uncomfortable to watch him sing. I love his voice but I definitely believe that he should get behind an instrument IMMEDIATELY. He sang another tune from 1984, Elton's "I Guess That's Why They Call it the Blues" and it was probably the worst performance of the night. Adding all the trappings of his normally manic performances did not help his vocal in the least little bit. Granted he was sick, but his vocal was as painful as his chicken dance. Thinking maybe just having him stand still and sing something simple and straightforward ("Drive" by the Cars maybe) would have been a bit more shrewd.

Thia came next and sang - oh so surprisingly - a ballad. Where's the bubbling personality that gave us "Chasing Pavements" in her audition? All these ballads are becoming quite boring, especially given her young age. She sang the 1995 Vanessa Williams tune "Colors of the Wind," and it was almost one of the best vocals of the night if you overlook some bum note here and there. Performance wise, though, she's just not giving the audience anything to sink their teeth into. Which is a shame. She could have broken out of the mold and had a bit more fun with a more up tempo song ("Fantasy" by Mariah Carey perhaps?) but we were stuck with the same ol, same ol. I think she'll make it another week, hopefully she'll find something more age-appropriate to do next time around.

James, whom I've come to like courtesy of his atypical Judas Priest cover a couple of weeks ago, opted for the 1989 Bon Jovi hit "I'll Be There For You." I like the song, and his performance was aiight... but it wasn't as tough or as edgy as I would have liked, or who I've come to expect this guy to be. I would have loved to see him dig out some Guns n Roses ("Paradise City" or "Patience") or even Aerosmith ("Janie's Got a Gun")... which we know he would have gotten clearance for. Alas it was one of the many many instances of the night I had to go hear the song of my choice rather than the song they chose because that was how lacking I found the performance. Easily in the top 5 performances of the night and a clear fan favorite but next time you go to pick a song I have two words for you... heavy+metal. And if you can pick an older song - Iron+Maiden.

Haley took on Whitney Houston. Do I really need to go on? I have to tell you that if someone chooses to sing a Whitney song they're already fighting an uphill battle with me because I am just NOT a fan of the music (and we got two, count em, TWO Whitney songs tonight.) And in this case I'm not really a fan of Haley's style. It's a little too sex kittenish for my taste, and I agree with Steven she needs to go find that bluesy rock vibe to really sell it to me. All this other stuff is just fluff.

Stefano was another 1989 baby, which incidentally was the year I was pregnant with my 21-year-old. So maybe my disillusionment with the entire show was just how OLD it made me feel... but again with Stefano I fell so short on song selection. It's really hard to beat Melvin and the Blue Notes "If You Don't Know Me by Now," and even Simply Red fell short with me in 1989 when they came out with their cover. As cougar-y as this makes me sound I want to see Stefano go *sexier.* As much as I am not a boy band fan even NKOTB's "I'll Be Loving You Forever" might have been preferable... though having said this I think Stefano had the best - or at least for me, the most palatable - performance of the night.

Pia took on Whitney, but not just any Whitney another freaking BALLAD. Pia runs the risk of boring me with this schtick as well, no matter how much she tried to pep it up with some strange arrangement that didn't endear this song to me in the least little bit. I give her the same advice I give Thia.... show me some range beyond the ballad quick or you will lose me. An Idol is not a one-trick pony, or a one-note wonder... no matter how great the note.

Speaking of a one-trick pony.... Scotty did - surprise surprise - a country song in the same twangy, over-accented country schtick he's become famous for. I found his backstory about his Idol worship with Elvis a lot more eye-opening and entertaining. He needs to bring *that* to his performance and have more fun with it. Likewise he needs to ditch the ballads and slow songs and actually give us a hoe-down. If the boy plays an instrument, for God's sake let him play.

Karen came out looking like she might sing David Bowie's Space Odyssey, though I wasn't sure if it was re-released in 1989. Despite the space go-go dancer look she opted for yet ANOTHER ballad, Taylor Dane's "Love Will Lead You Back." I don't know why J-Lo feels she's the strongest female voice, I think people like Pia have her well beat. How she fell short with this tune is just proof positive of that. Since her voice isn't comparable she'd be better served doing something more fun and dynamic than just a ballad. Madonna released "Like a Prayer" and "Express Yourself" that year... she could have taken a cue from Madge herself and amped up the performance to take the emphasis away from rather mediocre vocals.

These are the tricks of true Idols.

The performance we'll all be talking about for probably weeks to come was the unpredictable Casey pulling "Smells Like Teen Spirit" out of the bottom of the songbook. There's a reason that Nirvana has never been done on Idol before... and Casey proved it by screaming and growling his way through a performance that was painful for even his staunchest fans. He did prove some fearlessness, but like my dear friend Paula so aptly put it... it's fearless to tie yourself to the bumper of a truck but that doesn't mean it will end well.

Casey, I love you and I have no doubt you'll be around for a while yet so please...

Don't do that again.

A flu-ridden Lauren decided to forsake a typical country tune for Melissa Ethridge's "I'm the Only One." Had she been well, she would have really done the song justice. As it was, her vocal was painful in quite a few spots. But she has what Thia has thus far failed to prove she can match... star quality. She knows who she is as a singer, as evidenced by she could sing a rock song and still be true to her country core, and she knows how to sell a performance. She's also quickly becoming one I look forward to seeing each week. She's just fun. And way more talented than her performance tonight... but that's just the nature of the flu.

(I feel your pain, girl.)

Jacob closed the night with the 1987 Heart classic "Alone." Here's my problem with this... It was the 1987 Heart classic "Alone." Like any Whitney song, he lost about 25 points just by singing this song I've hated ever since it was in heavy rotation. So his vocal acrobatics, therefore, became that much more aggravating to me thanks to the overplayed, over-hyped tune they were jumping all over. I'd rather he had sung "I Wanna Dance With Somebody," and since that's Whitney I think you can appreciate the depths of my hatred for this song. I'm kinda done with Jacob's ballads too. Let him diva out on a dance tune and really let his freak flag fly. He could have gone full Aretha and sang "I Knew You Were Waiting" ... anything, ANYTHING other than this stupid, stupid, STUPID song.

So as you can see...

It was not my favorite night of the season. When the judges popped off how great it was I immediately wanted to know what they were sipping out of their little red Coke cups. Whatever it was, I figured a few sips of that and I could not only hear a much different show BUT get over my own stupid, stupid, STUPID flu.

I think Naima, Paul and Karen are in the bottom three, but at this point - they all kinda deserve to be there... except maybe for Stefano and James. (But barely.)

Deep cleansing breath... next week.... next week....

American Idol Top 12 Ladies

The girls face the same looming guillotine that the boys did last night; 12 are riding out but only five will be coming back. Since they were able to pick their own music, one would have hoped they would have avoided any cliche, overplayed tunes that are consistently trotted out year after year by many a contestant before them... but luck would not be with us tonight. We heard Kelly, we heard Alicia and we got to hear Mariah too.

Only not as good as Kelly, Alicia and Mariah... which is the problem.

Ta-tynisa Wilson, however, decided to buck the system and sing a Rihanna tune, and tried her level best to overcome the Hollywood fiasco of her mangled lyrics that - in any other year - would have tossed her out on her fanny.

I still don't see what she had in her voice or performance that would get her to the big stage, but God bless her she sure did try to make an impression. I just don't know if it was a good one - and certainly not memorable enough to overcome the curse of first. (Apparently the producers want to make sure she gets cut as well... they have other blatant favorites - which we will discuss later.)

I have been a fan of Naima Adedapo since we first saw her in Milwaukee.

I love her name, I love her style, and most importantly I love her voice. The only thing she could do wrong at this point is pick the wrong song. Something, oh... I dunno... that had been done before on the show so memorably it is considered one of the best performances of ALL TIME in Idol history.

I'm really not sure what makes these folks try to walk in the footsteps of other idols. Are these the only songs that they can get clearance for? I get that she had a personal connection to the song but she's far too original to try to show up a showstopper when she could have just be eclectic and interesting.

The performance was fine, her voice is good but frankly I was disappointed.

Kendra Chantelle is another semi-new face we hadn't really seen much of before tonight, and this sultry songstress decided to make a very sexy impression indeed.

She sang Christina Aguilera's tune "Impossible" and managed effortlessly what other contestant Haley tries so hard to do. She vamped it up without going over the top, but still managed to remain somewhat forgettable in the slew of singers trotted out for our amusement. That she got a slot closer to the start of the show and Haley more toward the end just proves that producers still control the voting to one degree or another.

Somewhere my friend Hal's head exploded with a blinding pain tonight and he probably didn't know why. It was because Rachel Zevita decided to take one of his favorite artists (Tori Amos) and turn her into a Broadway act.

Granted she marches to the beat of her very own drum, but unlike Brett it's not all that endearing - at least to me. I know she has plenty of fans but I find her a bit ... much. And after her reaction to the unfavorable criticism I'm not sure if she's got the stamina to survive the hairy few months that are to come.

Karen Rodriguez attempted to make her mark and seal her brand with a bilingual version of Mariah Carey's "Hero."

While I like that she included some ethnic flavor into the song (and wish that Jovany had done that yesterday,) the problem was it was Mariah Carey. Boring, overdone ballads are still boring, overdone ballads no matter how many languages you use. But I don't recall anyone using this approach before tonight so I anticipate that she might get scads of votes just because she took an exotic approach that instantly defined her brand.

I've liked Lauren Turner for a couple of weeks now. She's got a strong vibe and I like that she doesn't fit in a cookie cutter pop mold (i.e., she's a "real girl".)

She trotted out a song that helped define her without making her look like a karaoke copy of someone else. She sang "Seven Day Fool" by Etta James, and although I think I would have loved to see her do a more rock-edged song I liked what she did with it.

But it wasn't "special" - and it kinda had to be.

Ashthon Jones, on the other hand, couldn't be anything else BUT special.

She's got the look, the sound AND the attitude. Steven Tyler remarked about how her confidence was that of a queen, and one could hardly argue. Everything about her is effortless and unapologetic. She's sensual and self-possessed and has the voice to back up the whole Diva package. If this girl doesn't make top 10 I'll eat a sock.

Provided it's made of icing and sugar...

Julie Zorrilla is another contestant I just really don't get, nor have I understood the hype since they declared she might be the "one."

I mean, she's talented for sure. I think she's a better singer when she plays an instrument, but she's obviously good at what she does to get this far. And of course she's pretty but so are several other contestants.

Beyond that there's nothing original about her aside from her flared skirts that make her look like she's singing for a school recital.

Taking on the original idol - Kelly Clarkson - only sealed that impression.

I know she's a judge favorite but not sure the audience will warm up to her as well; if not maybe she'll be spared by a Wild Card. (I think there are others who might be better choices, though.)

Haley Reinhart. Sigh. Later on the judges would rave how another (younger) contestant makes it all look so easy. This gal is the opposite of that.

From the first time we saw her she has overdone what others do so effortlessly. Even her much praised version of "God Bless the Child" was practically incoherent as she garbled her vocal acrobatics all over it. Whatever the judges - or even the producers - see, I just don't.

Tonight she growled and strutted her way through Alicia Keys' song of ultimate gut-wrenching heartache with sassy, flirty pageanty overindulgence. She didn't connect with the words at all, she just pranced around like a show pony.

(Personally I'm ready for her to be reined in.)

Thia Megia must be the oldest 15-year old I've ever seen. She has that almost-too-polished air of someone bred to perform but she does it with such finesse it borders annoying without stepping completely over it. (At least not yet.)

She made the very shrewd decision to introduce her ballad a cappella under a single spotlight, demonstrating her amazing voice as well as setting her apart from the pack that were trying so hard to make a good first impression. I loved the performance and the critique and everything about her right up till Ryan attempted to crack a joke about her age and she looked decidedly thrown - like she didn't now how to be a person aside from the performer on the stage. Add that there is a lot of validity to some of the criticism I'm seeing that she didn't connect to her song either, and it could prove problematic.

That worries me a bit, but I have full faith that her performance was enough to get her through whether she gets the votes or not. It still stood out though, and easily the top three of the night.

Not to be undone, fellow teen prodigy Lauren Alaina took the stage and confidently strutted her way through a sassy Reba McEntire tune called "Turn On The Radio."

Despite the fact - or probably because of the fact - Steven Tyler proclaimed her "The One" after her Nashville audition, I've kind of been put off by her even though this Georgia peach in bloom is rather charming in her own way. She actually seems surprised by the lavish praise the judges have no problem at all heaping upon her.

Today she won me over and she showed me that she's already head and shoulders above where Carrie Underwood was at this point in the AI competition by knowing how to have fun and perform, not just sing well.

It was the most fun I'd had all night watching her perform, and that alone makes me want to root for her to make it to tour.

(But I have no doubts whatsoever she'll make it through to the top ten now matter how the votes fall.)

Surprisingly Lauren was bumped from the pimp spot but the previously untested Pia Toscano.

When she sang "I'll Stand By You" I was even more befuddled. Sure she's pretty. Sure she has a rich, powerful voice. But the pimp spot? Really?

Then she brought the roof down and all the judges (and everyone else) to their feet with the power notes she dug out last minute and I kinda understood.

I don't think it was THAT stellar of a performance aside from those notes, but it was certainly set to make a lasting impression on voters as they were released to vote for their favorites.

For me, it fell kinda like this:

1. Thia
2. Lauren A
3. Pia
4. Ashthon
5. Naima

But again, like with the men, it's hard to tell who might make it through and who might be ruthlessly cut. How the voters will respond to each of the very different singers remains to be seen, and unlike seasons before we don't get eased into this voting cycle.

At this point I think Casey, Lauren, Jacob, Pia and Thia are pretty safe bets.

Everything else?

We're just going to have to wait and see.