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 Seven Last Minute Songs of 21st Century Wish List

When I first learned the new theme for the week was Songs from the 21st Century, I thought I'd skip this part of the proceedings altogether. I'm not that familiar with a wealth of music from the 21st Century - or so I thought - and so I felt woefully and unusually ambivalent.

By about Sunday I perused through several "Top 100" song lists through the new century and feel at least somewhat qualified to make a few recommendations and interject my overweening ego into song choices that were probably picked two weeks ago.

But when has that ever stopped me?

It would tickle me silly for Jacob to pick something more upbeat and playful:



But that's a bit risque and he's already made it plain he prefers more inspirational stuff. So he could add a little gospel the following, which - as sung originally by a female - could actually be bent a little more interestingly to fit his particular style.



Another who may pick that song would include Lauren, even though I think she'd play to her strengths (and her audience) by revving up the fun again with:



(Or is that too obvious?)

(Still be fun though...)

Speaking of country, I'm not too familiar with the new songs and acts from today's country megastars, but I wouldn't mind seeing Scotty singing something along the lines of:



He could also pick something a little more mainstream like:



I don't know much about current heavy metal but my sons would absolutely flip out in metalhead glee if Durbin picks the likes of Bullet for My Valentine. I wouldn't mind something like Velvet Revolver. Again, with James I'm pretty content to let him pick whatever he thinks would be best. My only request? Don't sing this:



As for Casey and his Bassy, he could bring out something a little harder with:



Or stay eclectic with the likes of:



Which would pretty make both the hubby and me freak out in BMG fanboy and fangirl glee.

I think S-Teflon-o should stay true to his boy band roots by bringing sexy back with a lil JT:



This would give him the opportunity to scratch all the jazz hands and Broadway arms with an actual contemporary pop performance.

Somehow, though, I fear he'll pick something more obvious like:



Haley can also benefit from something more contemporary, and since she has that whole sex kitten thing going on some of the more risque music would play to her strengths. These are half-joking, half-serious suggestions:





But she could also add a lil sauce to:



or



Or all seven can do songs I've never heard before - and the odds of that happening this week are fairly high.

In fact... finding that one nugget of a song I'm familiar with may indeed be the treasure hunt of tonight's show.

I think I'm ready....

My only real request with any of the contestants, aside from the Darkness prohibition I mentioned above, is that none of these folks should even THINK about doing songs released by prior Idols.

Instant Zeros for any JHud, Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, Daughtry or a host of others who launched their claim to fame on the Idol Stage.

Trust your Idol Mama... and just say no.

American Idol Season 10 Top Eight Perform Music from the Movies

Like I predicted in my Wish List blog, the music for last night's movie theme was wide open with songs no one could really fully accurately anticipate (except for Scotty doing country... that was pretty much a given.) Despite that, except for a couple of notable exceptions, the night was rather ho-hum.

Paul went first and selected "Old Time Rock and Roll" - which I had kinda really wanted Casey to do. Instead of doing something more acoustic and songwritery like "Everybody's Talkin' at Me," he opted for something that would get his feet moving.

With Paul, this is not always a good thing.

The performance in and of itself wasn't bad, and for the most part his crazy, spastic Paul dance wasn't as awkward as I remember it being. The problem as I see it is that it wasn't anything spectacular and he had the misfortune of going first. As we learned from Jacob last week even someone solid can make it into the bottom three just by bad placement.

Lauren went next and sang, almost predictably, a Miley Cyrus song. I've never seen a Miley Cyrus or Hannah Montana movie (aside maybe from Bolt) so I would never would have been able to make this call. Having said that, this MC song doesn't make me involuntarily gag, especially when someone OTHER than Miley sings it. And Lauren has more talent in her little finger than Miley does in her entire body, so it was a shrewd move to actually take a song from a lesser singer and sing the heck out of it.

Better than that, at least for me, was the way she connected with the song. I believed every single word that came out of her mouth - something I wasn't quite sure she could pull off before last night. Everything worked, her look, her sound, her song choice... it was just a win all the way around. Girls may be a dying breed in American Idol Season 10, but I think she cemented her spot in the Top Seven with that performance.

Stefano/S-Teflon-o came out and predictably sang another ballad. It was a boy band cheese fest with Boys II Men's "End of the Road," and it pretty much illustrated why Stefano will not win American Idol. He was meant to be part of a group - not a solo performer. After last week's near miss, he might escape the bottom three tonight by sheer bounce-back alone... but the performance, while not necessarily bad, wasn't as stellar as the judges would have you believe.

In fact, it almost felt like the judges were using reverse psychology by overly gushing on *everyone.*

The lovefest continued with Scotty, who returned to his country roots with a George Strait song. Personally I never knew that he left them, this boy could perform a rap hit and it come out more Hank Williams than 50 Cent. The judges all crowed about his staying true to himself as an artist and never really encourage him to branch out and do more.

Some may think that this is unfair since these are the same judges who clamored for Pia to try something other than her successful ballads. I don't know how valid a criticism that is for the judges because I kinda see what they were going for. Despite her vocal prowess she was pretty one dimensional as far as a performer. It may all be country what Scotty does but it isn't all the same type of song. He can do something upbeat, he can do ballads... he's at least trying to own the stage in a way I'm not so sure Pia ever could.

Pop is a mix of ballads and of upbeat, peppy stuff. Just like Barry Manilow can do "Mandy," "Weekend in New England," and "I Write the Songs" he also pulled off "American Bandstand," and "Copacabana."

Keep it interesting. Mix it up.

The fact is according to producer Nigel Pia was never in the top no matter how much acclaim she got from the judges... so there's the huge possibility that the criticism she got wasn't just from the kind of song she was singing. The judges couldn't put their finger on why the performances, while technically good, left them cold.

Therefore it was as warranted as some of the criticism pseudo-judges like me level on the likes of Stefano that basically says, "Give me more than what you're giving me."

Note even when she sang that upbeat song Pia still got criticism from JLo. It wasn't just the ballad thing.

Although that certainly didn't help.

Casey brought his bass and a jazzy rendition of Nat King Cole's "Nature Boy" to the stage. It immediately had me wishing he would have stayed with Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight" or a variety of other songs I picked for him in my Wish List blog. I had a sneaking suspicion that he would pull something relatively obscure out of his arse for the occasion and he most certainly did. The crowd loved it, the judges gave him a standing-O but frankly the whole thing left me absolutely cold. I'm not a jazz fan to begin with; it sounds a bit like they're making it up as they go along and I never could fit it in my head. I think this was a risky move for him in that his fans will no doubt love what he did with it but those he has yet to win over might opt for something a little more mainstream. That his fans may think he's safe from the positive reaction he got from the crowd and the judges, he needs every last one of their votes.

If they didn't bother because they thought he was safe, this could be Casey's swan song.

Haley tried to get funky with a Blondie tune, the sexy anthem from "American Gigolo." It just really couldn't get more perfect as far as a song choice goes. It suited her sex siren style, although last night it was more Debbie Harry than Marilyn Monroe (and that's a good thing.) Not to mention she looked sensational in her purple go-go boots I immediately coveted, though I could never look as good in them as she did.

Unfortunately for Haley those boots may have been made for walking because her off-key rendition of a rock classic was almost painful to grit my way through as a listener. I've come to grudgingly like Haley over the last few weeks but last night was not good - so not good it earned her the rare judge criticism heard through last night's praise-o-rama. It also no doubt earned her a spot in the bottom three, although it will depend on Paul's and Casey's fan base to decide whether she stays or goes home.

Jacob went next and was immediately reprimanded for the cocky statements he made last week by the love'im or hate'im Jimmy Iovine. He was also cautioned away from the cheesy songs he had chosen to sing. Duly chastised he gave in and decided to sing "Bridge Over Troubled Water" - which is a very difficult song for me to hear on a good day, due to some intensely personal memories I have with it.



For that reason alone I can't really say whether I liked it or not. He did very well, and made it his own - but it still felt like an emotional kick in the gut. In fact the better its sung the worse it hurts, which makes the entire thing bittersweet. I do think he earned his way out of the bottom three, though.

Durbin (which I've decided to call him now because he's just too badass to call just "James" anymore) closed the show - again - with a song I wasn't all that familiar with: Sammy Hagar's "Heavy Metal" from the movie of the same name. I was EXTREMELY pleased by the promise of such a title, though, and quite annoyed when Jimmy tried to talk him down from the choice that he made.

Again I wanted to shout at the TV to let the man do his thing. I've come to trust him over these past many weeks, you'd think that some of these folks who work with him week in and week out would do the same.

Lucky for us Durbin stuck to his guns and made it happen no matter what opposition he faced. He was determined to continue on with his crusade for America to "Give Metal a Chance!"

Nothing could have prepared us for how this show would end, or who would help Durbin in his noble quest.

None other than guitar god Zakk Wylde graced the Idol stage with a WICKED guitar solo in a pre-finale Idol FIRST that nearly had me come out of the seat, horns thrown and head banging away. It was the most exciting thing we've seen on Idol thus far this season without a doubt:



Now there are those who might say the producers are pimping Durbin with this unexpected boost to his performance, and in fact many people may have been so blown away by Zakk's solo that the vocal - which is supposedly what Idol is based upon - got lost in the mix. Maybe there were some folks who thought that they were voting for Zakk when they called in on Durbin's number.

Either way, it WORKED. This is what being an Idol is about IMO and it saved an otherwise lackluster Idol from being just another ordinary episode. I immediately went on Twitter and tracked Durbin down to follow him, whereupon I learned that he would love to do a Journey song (squee!) but unfortunately Steve Perry won't release any for the show. (Really, Steve? Don't force me to watch Glee to see people perform my favorite band's material... I beg of you.) He also said that Perry was one of his vocal influences, which endured me to him even more.

So if this is what it takes to make Idol exciting and bring about a finale that rivals - if not beats - Adam Lambert's season... COUNT ME IN.

That performance right there just sold a ticket for the summer tour.

For me the top three: Durbin, Lauren and Jacob.

I predict the bottom three will be shared among Paul (curse of first,) Casey (and his Bassy) and Haley.

It's not looking good for a girl to be in the bottom three this season, but it also could be the night that the lights went out in Nashville - or at least Paul McDonald's smile.

Personally I think Casey may have the highest probability to go, given the more obscure nature of his performance and song choice.

(Granted heavy metal can be equally as off-putting, but Durbin's performance was way more grab you by the throat and throttle you into rocking out than Casey's more subtle choice... and by sheer excitement alone will win over an audience it may not ordinarily have had.)

I really don't want *anyone* to go necessarily, as I kind of like most of them enough to want to see what they do next week.

But that is the yin and yang of Idol... and we're all just kinda along for the ride.

Thanks to Durbin (and no doubt Steven Tyler,) this year I can hear a lot of music that I wouldn't normally hear courtesy of American Idol.

For that I say...

\m/(><)\m/

GIVE METAL A CHANCE!

American Idol Season 10 Top Eight Perform Music from the Movies

If I thought predicting *last* week's show was difficult, I really can't even begin to guess what the remaining top eight will choose for their song this week. With Pia gone, we can probably safely avoid:



or...



and maybe even...



But then again... Jacob is still in the mix, so there's just no tellin' what he's going to sing.

As long as it's not:



I guess I can't complain much.

In fact, this week's theme is so wide open that I could almost narrow it down to songs I *don't* want to hear.

So here are a few of my soundtrack faves.

For James just about anything on the Dazed and Confused soundtrack could qualify. He could also do:



or...



With his pipes I'd even let him take on Journey.

I really hope that Lauren doesn't do a repeat performance of:



I think I'd rather see her take on:



Or she could make my husband happy and sing something more upbeat like...



Haley could play to her strengths and do something suitably sex-kittenish with:



Paul could put his own unique spin on...



But somehow I suspect he might do something like...



Or he invoke the spirit of his doppleganger Kenny Loggins with:



(But for our sake let's hope he doesn't. I'm quite wary of what a Footloose Paul might actually look like.)

As a film student Casey probably knows all those obscure tunes we couldn't even think of. I can't even venture to GUESS what he might pull out of his hat this week. He could appeal to his Cougar base with:



There's a part of me that wants someone, anyone, to do my all time favorite soundtrack tune:



He could have fun with:



I can also see him doing something more old school:



Since Scotty already played his Elvis card, he can go back to his country roots with:



Or he could make my 80s country loving heart happy with...



As for Teflon Stefano (Steflano?), it really doesn't matter what he sings. He'll probably get the pimp spot (because I don't think he's been there yet.) And he'll get voted through yet another week because it appears he has a following that may put him in the bottom spot but can save him week after week.

At this point he's kind of earned:



And:



So essentially anything goes. For that reason we should all be a little excited... but a little afraid as well.

It's like answering a call from an unfamiliar number.

It's either going to be the person you could only dream would be calling you, or it's going to be a bill collector.

I'm crossing everything that will cross and just hoping for the best.

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 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 Guys

This year Idol is going to make the first voter cut pretty darned deep by shrinking a talented cast of twelve down to five. That meant the guys had to bring their A-game to even stand out among the pack, which in this group can be kinda difficult.

Usually Idol fills a certain "type" quota, but this year our new panel of judges went a bit against type and pushed through those people that we weren't expecting or didn't know very well, while getting rid of immediate fan favorites.

To say that this first performance night on the big stage was a hodge-podge is putting it mildly.

The Karaoke King, Clint Jun Gamboa, went first and sang (typically) a Stevie Wonder tune, "Superstition."

"Superstition" is quite possibly my favorite Stevie tune of all time, but I have an almost instant gag reflex whenever an Idol hopeful digs it out of their songbook. It's become almost cliche.

And I'm not a big fan of June-bug anyway. He's a talented guy, there's no question about it. I just don't find him all that likable. And his over-the-top rendition, while kind of annoying to me, set the crowd on fire and prepared us for a bigger night than we'd ever experienced at this level of the competition.

One thing is for sure, the cream will definitely rise to the top quickly with this new format. This high energy performance probably would have pushed him through in any other year. This year... the curse of first threatens to rear its ugly head because by the end of the night I had completely forgotten about his performance.

As much eye-candy as Jovany Barreto is, and a crooner besides, his kiss of death was picking another overplayed-to-death guy standard with "I'll Be."

This is where our contestants make these decisions based on what they think the audience will like rather than their own strengths. If Jovany had chosen a song that allowed him to flex his Latin Lover crooner ladies man persona, he might have had a chance.

With seven guys due to get cut... it's a serious misstep. He took the one thing that made him stand out and traded it in for generic pop karaoke.

I don't even think singing that song shirtless would have helped.

Controversial Jordan Dorsey chose - or rumor has it, had "chosen for him" - the upbeat Usher tune "OMG."

As much as he had ego and swagger, the fact was he couldn't live up to either in terms of quality. The performance fell flat and of course this is when he, according to certain reports by those who were there when the performance was recorded, admitted he was "offered" the song and implied it wasn't necessarily his choice. After his hissy fit during the Hollywood audition where he justified his dickish behavior as his desire to win when he dissed different singers and then abandoned his own group at the last minute so he could align himself with the most talented, I find that a tad hard to believe. In fact, it sounds more like he didn't want to face up to the fact he couldn't deliver the goods when it counted.

But... whatever.

I'm not really a fan.

One of the virtual strangers we were introduced to last night was Tim Halperin, and after his amazing performance last week of the Beatles song "Something," I was really looking forward to seeing what Tim could do. My heart sank when he decided to go with "Streetcorner Symphony."

It was another poor fit, and that doesn't fly when the contestants can pick their own song to demonstrate their own style, rather than whittle a theme-night choice to fit them. I don't know if none of the contestants were allowed to play instruments, but that definitely hurt this particular guy - whom I fear won't get another chance to show us who he is as an artist.

(And I don't think that's what we saw last night. It just didn't ring true.)

I was pretty psyched to see what Brett Loewenstern could do. This redheaded ray of sunshine has taken me by surprise with his unusual voice and his own unique brand of showmanship throughout the audition process. I was, however, a little nervous to see how that might have translated to the big stage... and it turns out I was right to worry.

He let his freak flag fly with his own version of The Doors "Light My Fire." The Lizard King he is not and it was almost awkwardly, painfully obvious. His performance earned him top honors at That Website That Will Not Be Named, which might save him through another week (I hope so, I'd really like to see him get another shot) but this was a definite let-down for me.

(But I still love you, Brett. Keep being you because that's fabulous.)

I have had some problems with James Durbin, the biggest one is that he's trying to force himself into this Adam Lambert mold that was effectively broken all to pieces when Adam strutted and screamed his way across this stage two years ago.

Another is that he shows off this huge power-voice indiscriminately and there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. At least Adam had layers and understood when to be subtle, and it was this versatility that made him so interesting to watch.

With James' song choice, however, I finally got why James is so over the top. As the first contestant - EVER - to trot out a Judas Priest song, James brought METAL to Idol and his over-the-top voice actually fit. Metal IS over the top and this is a guy who knows that is where he lives. The Adam Lambert comparison flew right out the window and for the first time since we met him, James won me over.

The performance was exciting and unpredictable, and THAT is what gets the votes.

Good on you, dude.

Or should I say... \m/(><)\m/ Robbie Rosen has everything it takes to be a teen dream. He's cute, he sings well, he's got a smile that never quits. But he's also kinda generic. There's nothing that stands out with him and makes him particularly exciting... which could be his downfall in this competition if twelve-year-olds across the country break their texting fingers and aren't able to vote for him until their knuckles bleed.

He hasn't done anything wrong throughout the entire competition and I thought picking a ballad made famous by a woman, "In the Arms of an Angel" by Sarah McLachlan, was actually pretty shrewd. But... it was a ballad that probably wouldn't do much to reach his core fans and, in the midst of all these other performances, didn't do a whole lot to stand out.

Any other year and any other semi-final round that might have been okay. This year... not so much.

Scott McCreery, on the other hand, enjoys distinction no matter what song he sings because of that almost mind-blowing low voice he possesses.

As the only country guy in the competition, singing a country song in one of the most distinctive voices we've heard this season, he stood out by default. I'd be very surprised to see this guy go home. He's got all middle America voting for him, and they're smart to do so. This guy has a future on country radio, no question about it.

Another guy we really don't know that much about beyond the accident he suffered and fought his way back from, Stefano Langone was another big question mark going into this very important round of the competition, and his voice really took me by surprise.

Unlike Robbie, Stefano knew *exactly* who he was singing to impress. He picked "Just The Way You Are" and sang it right to every lady in the house and at home. He painfully blew the big note of the song, which could definitely hurt his chances moving on, but he was the only guy so far who gets it when it comes to connecting with his fan base.

I frankly don't know what to make of Paul McDonald. I like his voice... and his style is growing on me although every he hits the stage I can't help but make the Kenny Loggins connection.

He reprised his version of "Maggie May" by Rod Stewart, which he sang for his original audition. I found that kind of risky. It denotes a one-trick pony, and I really don't think that's what this guy is. He's a likable guy and cute as bug, so I'd definitely like to see more of him, but we should definitely put him behind an instrument ASAP.

I am a Jacob Lusk fan, and I am unabashed and unashamed. I have been since we saw what he could do in Hollywood. I had no doubts he would hit that stage and deliver an amazing performance.

He sang "A House is Not a Home" and established himself solidly as the male diva of Season 10. I can't see that divine performance NOT taking him through to the Top Ten, but if by some chance aliens intercepted every vote for Jacob Lusk and diverted into their mother ship for energy, there would no doubt be a wild card with his name on it.

Not only is he most likely the most talented guy of the group - he's just so darned likable.

Fan favorite (and Geevie-approved) Casey Abrams won the coveted pimp spot and sang another tune that had never been done on the show before... "I Put a Spell on You."

He took what was an outrageous novelty tune I never liked and actually made it crazy, jazzy, sexy good. I think Jacob outsung him, but Casey definitely knows who he is as a performer. He's not afraid to take risks and stand out and - most importantly - be different. He's quickly becoming the one we have to watch each week, and I don't see him going anywhere anytime too soon.

My top five were Jacob, Casey, James, Paul and Scotty, and I'd love to see Brett go through.

But this is one race that is too close for me to even try to call. And the ladies are even tougher.

One thing is undeniably clear...

AI might have been on life support last season, but the new judges and new format is raising it from the dead.