The Terrific Top Ten

Paul is dead. Ok he isn’t actually dead, but Beatles week has gone the way of Heather Mills’s integrity. The Idol producers probably made a mistake when they tried to get two weeks out of the Fab Four, but let’s face it, itunes gotta get paid yo! This week the Idols may select any song from the year they were born. Unforuntately for Michael Johns, that means he is picking a song from the 1960s again. What, he is only 29? Whoops my bad. This is the first week we really get to see what type of artist the Idols might become; they aren’t limited to a specific genre anymore. Of course, that assumes any of them recognize a song from the year they were born. Let’s hope someone knows what they are doing this week.

Ryan is in full suit mode tonight, which is good, you can’t introduce the top 10 without wearing a tie. I wonder if they script out his wardrobe at the start of the season or just makes it up as he goes along. Ryan became the show at the back of the audience but after the credits he is standing behind the moving stage doors, which means he just moved pretty quickly for a metrosexual. Our first shameless plug of the night – Brad Garrett, star of a crappy Fox show, is in the audience. The judges look happier than they did before the show last week. I hope that’s a good sign. If they are going in the order they are standing Ramiele is first and Kristy is last. Last week they let Kristy show pictures of all her animals and now the pimp spot? They really want to keep the tom boy around.

Ramiele - Alone

She was born in 1998 in Saudi Arabia. Ok she is actually a little older. She stopped biting and instead picked up singing when she was three years old. But she started singing in front of people when she was 13, and now she wants to prove she deserves to be in the top 10. Uh oh, this song is going to be too big for her voice. A little pitch problem near the start, but this is the easy part, here comes the hard stuff. Nope, her voice is too small for this song. Ann Wilson just laughed at her pathetic attempt to emulate greatness. Ramiele is clashing with the back up singers. I’m guessing the back up singers are hitting the right note, which means Ramiele is off pitch. This is just barely ‘ok.’ The song is clearly too big for her and she is straining to hit the big notes, and when she does she is lacking any real power. I would be shocked if the judges don’t say she picked the wrong song. The crowd seems subdued. Randy says she is under the weather, but it still wasn’t the right song choice. He says it was a little pitchy all over the place. Paula is really glad that America got to hear her voice, but she is so sing she barely has a voice right now. Paula gives her a tremendous amount of credit for doing such a tough song while she is sick. Simon doesn’t think it was quite as bad as Randy. The middle part went shrieky, but if she survived last week when she was horrible, he thinks she will survive again this week. Ryan tries to start something between Randy and Simon. They both defend their opinions, and in doing so Randy points out he didn’t think Ramiele was good last week either. Way to help Ramiele out Ryan, let’s get all the judges saying she sucked last week too; this is the worst redemption Ryan has ever attempted. If Ramiele advances it will not be based on talent, potential, or performance. No, if she advances she is simply more popular than at least one of the remaining ten.

Jason – Fragile

Ryan is telling us about the song-writing contest; I hope they are better than last year’s winner. Tonight is his birthday and he still remembers how people loved his eyes ever since he was a little kid. They show video of him jamming out at the age of 8, but he didn’t have dreads back then. He is sitting on a stool strumming the guitar. I’m not sure why he felt the need to have the guitar with him if all he is doing is playing a few simple chords. His voice sounds pretty good on the first part but at the end of his phrases he doesn’t finish off the notes. One the back up singers enter his voice disappears and then he starts singing a foreign language. Huh? Really? Is he obsessed with foreign languages after last week? The entire last half of the song he is covered up by the back up singers and it’s just a mess. The last half is so bad I think it negates the decent first half making this a really weak performance. He finally stands up when the song is over. Randy loves the song, but he doesn’t know if he did anything different vocally, but he did dig the Spanish; it was nice. Paula thinks he stayed true to who he is and she loves Sting, but she doesn’t think she saw anything different that made people say wow. Simon thinks Jason has had two bad week and that it’s time for him to take thing a little more seriously. He says he could hear the same thing outside of a bus station. It was too laid back and too much in his own world. He doesn’t think Jason can win if he does this week after week. Ryan asks Jason if he is taking it seriously, and he says “yeah.” He does admit his playing was a little sloppy and he could spend more time practicing. At least he doesn’t admit he is stoned right now.

Syesha – If I Was Your Woman

She finds a way to do her baby cry again; if all else fails she can fall back on the whole pretending to be a baby thing. She was on a dance team when she was a kid and they won a lot of gold medals. She has her hair out big again tonight. You can already tell she is more comfortable with this song than any of the Beatles stuff. She sounds really good and, unlike Ramiele, is blending in nicely with the back ups. She shows off a little falsetto near the end. This is probably her best performance in weeks. She is in tune, doesn’t scream, emotes, and connects with the audience. However, the song is so boring it prevents her from having a ‘moment.’ I bet Randy or Paula welcomes her back with one of those ‘that’s the Syesha we met in Hollywood.’ She is the best of the night so far, which is sadly not that impressive because of the first two performances. Randy thinks this is great because this is the best he has ever heard her sing, even better than her auditions. He thinks she was unbelievable; he is shocked! Translation, “I thought you sucked until now.” Paula says this is her ‘moment.’ She loved everything about the song, calling it brilliant. Simon says it was definitely the best so far, but he doesn’t think the ending was as good as Randy. He believes that song stretched her vocals to the very limits. Ryan ends up saying the ‘she is back’ line. I knew someone had to say it to remind us how horrible Syesha was the last two weeks.

Chikeze – If Only For One Night

Isn’t it time for an itunes in show commercial? He gets the first interview of the night. Ryan asks him about song selection. Chik says he has been afraid to do a ballad again, but the voice coach explained to him that he must follow his heart. He paid attention and picked a song that really resonates with his heart. He was born on September 11th. Dang that must have been a crappy birthday 7 years ago. Unfortunately, we get to hear his mother sing. I hope that never ever happens again. Ever. I’m just saying. She cannot sing at all. Chik says he is still just a big kid. He sounds like Reuben at the start and goes into his falsetto nicely. He is showing off a lot of range. Like Syesha, this song is boring, but he is singing it really well. The song’s tempo picks up a little near the end and he hits an intune pick note. Wow he goes really low at the end. I haven’t heard him down there before. Step back Syesha, this is the new best of the night. Randy says for Syesha she moved it around and made it feel younger, but this one felt really old school; he didn’t love it for Chik. Randy was bored. Chik has a ‘why the **** did I sing a ballad this week, I knew I shoudn’t sing a ballad, but the stupid voice coach talked me into singing the ******* ballad’ look on his face. Paula of course liked it more than Randy and thinks he did an amazing job. She calls him a really great singer. Simon thinks he sang it well, but the performance was very cheesy. Simon says he didn’t like the reaching out the audience during the song. Chik defends his hand movements saying he did so because he was singing for the audience. Simon misses Chik’s personality tonight.

Brooke White – Every Breathe You Take

Here we go, we finally get a plug for itunes. Brooke is the oldest of four children. She remembers the day they got their piano. Her fingers just knew what to play. She could hear something and play it; to this day she only plays by ear, which explains why she simplified the piano playing on “Let it Be.” She has a false start or something at the beginning; she starts singing and then starts again. It looks like someone off stage told her to play and she wasn’t sure exactly when to begin. She is wisely not doing the original version. Instead, she is doing a piano heavy arrangement. She changes up the melody just a bit adding her own vibe to the song. More than anyone else in this show, she knows who she is and what she should sing. During the bridge the song gets a little too big for her and she runs out of breathe and at the end has to take down the big note. Her piano playing is ok, but she honestly isn’t very good, at least not that she has shown us so far. She ends the song pretty well. Again, she isn’t the best singer or the best performer but how can anyone not enjoy listening to Brooke? Randy says it was an interesting song choice. He is glad that she started again and liked the front part, but when she got to the bridge he didn’t like the arrangement. Paula enjoyed her a lot more this week than last week. She says Idol wants unique people like Brooke. Simon totally agrees with Randy. He thinks if she had stayed with just the piano it would have been much better; he agrees with Randy that it was great in the first half and with Paula that she was better than last week. He thinks she will be safe. Ryan compliments her for screwing up at the start of her song.

Michael Johns – We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions

Ryan says we can help pick a new design for the Coke cups. Thank god I’ve been waiting for this my entire life. Michael was born in 1847. His mother says he always had to be the best at everything he tried. He again brags about how awesome he is with a tennis racket, but can he sing Queen? I wonder if David Cook is upset he didn’t get to sing this arrangement. When he starts off I really don’t think I’ve ever seen the Idol band having more fun – they are rocking out. He sounds pretty good, until the end of the first phrase when he runs out of breathe. The transition into the next song sounds weird without the guitar solo. He also sounds good on the first part of Champions, until the song gets big, then his voice feels too small. He is really struggling near the end to hit the notes; his voice even crackles – perhaps a tribute to Live Aid? At least he finishes up the song nicely. But Michael needs to stop singing songs he loves and instead sing songs he sings well. This is just ‘ok’ and if the judges are consistent they will give him the same treatment they give the girls when they try to sing Whitney songs; if you cannot sound as good as the original do not even try to sing this stuff. The crowd is going super nuts. Randy says Michael finally believes in himself and thinks this was the best performance from him this season. Paula says he finally found his right song and had his shining moment. She is so proud of him tonight; she calls it fantastic. Simon says this is the first time with him he saw star potential, because tonight “he just got it right.” For him it was the only memorable performance of the night so far. I guess I’ve just heard the Queen version one too many times – for me, he did nothing super impressive tonight.

Carly – Total Eclipse of the Heart

Wow she is Irish? Her mom got the name Carly from Carly Simon because Carly was playing on the radio when she got the idea. It’s a darn good thing her mom wasn’t listening to Engelbert Humperdinck that day, because man that would have been a difficult childhood. She starts the song dueting with the back up singer. Carly sounds good singing very subtle. When the big chorus comes in she sounds even better. She is at her best when she can really belt out the notes. This is a really good song for her; she can show off what her big vocals. With the exception of maybe one note she is in tune the entire song and then finishes it off with a big note. So big in fact she needs to almost kneel down to force it all out of her lungs. She is really good tonight, maybe the best so far. Randy says it was an interesting song choice but he only liked it, he didn’t love it; he thinks the last note went sharp (I thought she started above the note and rolled down to it on purpose). He also says he doesn’t like the ‘whole rock thing.’ Huh? Paula loves her and thinks she is willing to stretch herself; she thinks Carly can do no wrong tonight. Simon says something didn’t quite work. Maybe because she was so uptight she couldn’t enjoy the song; he suggests she lighten up a little bit. Ryan asks her if she was relaxed. She says she went the bathroom before. Huh? Ok well that’s something I didn’t need to know.

David A. – A song his father probably made him sing

Not surprisingly David gets an interview with Ryan. He is missing normal school and he might end up missing prom. Ryan asks him David who he will be taking to prom and apparently his girlfriend is sitting in the audience. David was born in 2003. His mother says everyone loves him. His dad is wearing a hat in the clip, does he ever take that thing off? David liked to dance with his sister when he was younger. Wow this song sucks. It starts off way too low for David’s voice. This song sounds like something you’d find on a Christian rock album. Did I mention I hate Christian rock. This cannot be the best song from his birth year. Yes he hits some big power notes, but other than those, this is just not good, in fact this is one of the worst performances of the entire night. Near the end I think his voice broke up a little, but with the back up singers and the band playing loud I cannot be sure. Randy says this was a strange song choice, but guess what, he thinks David has mad skill. Paula says they were all trying to figure out the song and kids him for not picking a song form an American writer. She says he could sing the phone book and they would love it. Simon says he didn’t like it at all; it reminded him of a theme park performance. He says it is one of those ghastly songs you sing when you are surrounded by animated characters. Simon guesses David did not select the song himself – is this a not so veil insult towards David’s controlling father? I’m so proud of Simon for not sucking up to David, you go girl!

Kristy – The Best Song Choice in the History of Television

Ryan once again tries to get us to buy some itunes. They show her dad topless. Maybe he can be a male stripper like a certain ousted Idol contestant. Kristy says her singing doesn’t annoy her parents now like it did when she was a youngin. She starts the song sitting on the stool, and we know she will stand up at the ‘big part.’ I don’t know who she bribed to get this song. How can the judges say her song choice was awful? They can’t unless they hate America! The beginning of the song is in her lower register and she sounds really good. She stands up when she hits the chorus and still sounds good. She is added some country flair to the song with a little twang here and there. I honestly thought this song came out during the Gulf War, whoops. I think she sounds better than she ever has, yes even more so than Amazing Grace. She shows off some great vocal control hitting some notes on the half step Elliot style. Randy loves the song and really liked it other than the pitchy parts. Paula thinks the song was a very good choice but she has seen better performances from Kristy. Simon calls it her best performance by a mile. He says this is the most clever song choice he has heard in years. He thinks her pefromance will keep her in the competition. Kristy hasn’t been this happy since she was riding a horse.

David Cook – Billie Jean

Ryan is sitting in the audience to introduce David Cook’s video. David had a massive skull when he was a kid. He got his first guitar when he was only two years old. Growing up music was available to him, but never forced on him – like I was on David A.! Wow no guitar for David tonight. Is that legal? This is laid back and subtle. I hope he doesn’t make the song into a rock anthem when it hits the chorus. This is exactly what I’ve been wanting from David. He isn’t hiding behind the guitar and it’s power chords. Instead he is actually trying to connect with the audience and emote. He hits a really impressive note near the end that I never would have thought he could hit. Wow, I’m really impressed. He has definitely passed Michael Johns as the best male rocker and he might have just become the one to beat. This isn’t only the best performance of the night, it’s the best of the entire season. Randy asks him to check it out and says he has to say that David is the most original on the show. He says David might be the one to win the entire thing! He says it was blazing molten hot. Paula is so happy she cannot sit down. She says David is brave to stretch the boundaries so far without going over. Simon says that was brave and could have been really bad or amazing – he says it was amazing.

Final Thoughts

Ramiele still sounds horrible. Jason, now that I’ve heard David Cook tonight, sounds like he needs to go home. Syesha sounds pitchy this time around. Chik is still regretting singing a ballad. I hope he doesn’t beat down the vocal coach after the show. Brooke still can’t play the piano that well. Michael is still swallowed by the song. Carly still sounds better than the judges said. David A. looks like he is singing in his high school talent show. Maybe he can get David Hernandez to strip at his prom. Kristy still loves America and David still sounds awesome. Paula still will not sit down as Ryan is closing the show. So who ends up in the bottom three tonight. For the first time, I think, in season 7, there are not three people who obviously belong at the bottom. Despite her improved performance, I think Kristy returns to the bottom three. In fact I bet Ryan puts her in the bottom three first and then tells her she is safe first. I hope, assuming she doesn’t go home, they do not make her endure the ‘I’m just about to go home’ feeling again. If Carly ends up in the bottom three again then last week was not a fluke, rather, a trend, which would really be a shame; America is dumb, but not that dumb (I hope). Ramiele was horrible tonight. Not even the sympathy votes will save her this time. She has to go home, but who will be the final person in the bottom three. By default (she sang better than several other people) Syesha will round out the bottom three. I would not be shocked if Syesha went home instead of Ramiele. Nor would I be shocked if Kristy went home, not because of this week, but the bad performances from the last two weeks might still be on the minds of voters. I would be TOTALLY shocked if someone other than these three went home, even thought I would be thrilled if it was David A. The teenage girls of America would never recover.

All you need is Idol

The itunes gods must have demanded more Beatles airtime because we have another week full of the John/Paul catalog. It would have been more fun if they did the Ringo catalog, sure it would only give them like 10 songs, but it would be interesting. The big questions this week are as follows. Can Amanda actually sing? Will Kristy finally pick a decent song to show off her voice? Will David A. rebound and demonstrate last week was just a fluke? And finally, will we be able to survive the loss of American’s favorite stripper?

Ryan says tonight by popular demand we are back with the Beatles. Again, I’m sure the whole itunes/Beatles/American Idol deal has nothing to do with the decision to do these songs again. I bet they had the whole season arranged, and then based on emails and calls decided they should scrap their plan and instead add another week of Beatles’s songs. Sure that must be it. A tie less shirt open Ryan emerges from the opening stage door to the raucous applause of 500 people. They are introducing the idols like beauty pageant contestants to start the show. Whoah, Syesha got a new hairstyle over the week. After they all line up on stage Ryan makes them disappear again. Randy is so pumped up tonight he is yawning. Considering they just saw the rehearsal show I wonder if this is a bad sign for tonight’s performances. Randy answers Ryan’s question by quoting the title of his new song with Paula. Simon says Idol is 50-50 popularity and talent, and of course suggests everyone needs to sing well.

Amanda Overmeyer – Back in the USSR

She loves performing in front of a large audience. She says she picked this song because she loves communism and hates America, ok actually she picked this one because it’s upbeat and she can get the crowd into the song. She promised to put her own southern rock into the song. Translation – she will growl and scream and generally ruin a wonderful song. She is wearing jeans, a tremendous improvement over the hideous pants she sported last week. Within the first few notes she starts to fall behind and just ruin the song’s melody. I could assume she is doing this on purpose, but I don’t know, I think she just can’t carry an actual melody. Her enunciation is still horrible; I can hardly make out the word she is screaming. This is another patented train wreck Amanda performance. She has not had a good singing moment sing, well I think sometime in 1985. If her goal was to destroy the melody of the song and make it sound like every other song she has sun, then congratulations Amanda you achieved your goal. Randy will probably commend her for doing her thing, but I hope at least Simon points out she cannot sing. Seeing how this is a singing competition you would think that might be relevant. There is a reason people play music like this in a bar – it sounds better when people are drunk. Randy felt she was pitchy in the beginning and really liked the end, and he gives her only a 7 out of 10. Paula thinks Amanda was a little ahead of the beat, but says she is who she is…huh? She wants to see Amanda do a ballad at some point. Simon says it was what it was, and a bit of a mess in parts. He wants her to do something that is a surprise because otherwise she runs the risk of becoming a bit boring. Amanda says ballads are boring! She says she is trying to show people what they would see at her concert and then screams and throws her hands in the air. Simon warns her that there are not tickets on sale yet, so be careful. Ryan randomly buttons up his jacket before he gives Amanda’s numbers.

Kristy David – You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away

Kristy gets a coveted interview next to Ryan in the uncomfortable seats. Sadly, Kristy is more of a man than Ryan will ever hope to be. Kristy shows Ryan her photo book she uses to remember home. They are trying to make us like her I think; the photos might just work. Kristy says being the last one standing is very stressful. This week she is doing a song she really likes, unlike last week I guess. She picked the song based on it’s title, but she has never heard it before. Sadly, she decided not to slut it up this week. She is doing a really good job in her lower register. I’m not sure how many of the girls can survive down there. This has almost a Cranberries feel to it, which is a good thing. And gone is the weird way she normally stands when she sings like she is ready to jump onto a horse. Other than maybe one mess up this is a really strong performance, easily her best to date. The last power note should make a lot of people dial her number tonight. Randy calls this song one of his favorites but wanted the whole song a little more emotional. Paula says this is the best Kristy has ever looked and thinks she played it a little safe this week. Simon thinks she needs hypnosis to help turn her into a better performer; she is like musical wallpaper. He says the only impact she made was when she was terrible last week. She says she tried to do her own thing and hopes she will be back next week. The judges get all over her about the way she interpreted the melody and the arrangement. Yeah because she was supposed to redo the arrangement of a song SHE HAS NEVER HEARD BEFORE. Let’s think about this for a moment. She is a country singer. When Carrie was on the show she could do country music throughout the early rounds and could pick just about any song she wanted. Kristy selects her songs from a very limited universe each week. Has she even had the option to pick a legitimate country song, not the awful arrangement last week that she did not create herself, but a bona fide real country song? I’m guessing no, so cut her a little slack judges. That being said, Kristy might be the last one standing yet again. She promises to blow the socks off of Simon if she returns; maybe that will earn her a few more votes.

Resurrected Jesus – Long and Winding Road

They show David mess up his lyrics from last week. The first thing he thought was ‘dangit.’ He is excited he gets another chance to sing the Beatles and hopes he remembers all the words time around. He sounds good, this is much more his type of song than last week, but he sounds the same every time. He is doing the ‘hold the note out longer than it’s supposed to be held out’ thing again, which I guess is now his official trademark. The completely unwarranted screams from the teenager girls in the audience make me like David a little less every time I hear them above his singing. His sound drops out a little when he tries to hit the lower notes and he runs out of breath before he could finish a phrase. Overall this is a pretty good performance but I bet the judges will act as thought they just saw David discover fire. The crowd gives him a standing ovation. Randy says David brought the hotness back to his game, but he wants him to add a couple of runs next time. Paula says this is a wonderful performance because of the purity of his voice. He is wonderful she says. Simon says last week was a complete mess, but this week he thinks he was amazing. They show David’s dad again, the dude is always wearing a hat. He calls David a masterclass of singing. David is of course back to his ‘omg’ face. He thinks the slower songs make it easier to show his sensitive side. David is a talented Sanjaya, I’m not sure he can be stopped. David does have a pretty little voice, but when I hear him sing I never think ‘this is a star!’

Michael Johns – A day in the Life

Tomorrow Kellie Pickler sings, maybe in her red high heels. Ryan grabs an iphone out of the audience and does his own little commercial. The man has no shame; neither do the judges who are holding up their Coke glasses. You have to love product placement. Michael loves the Beatles because they are the best band ever. He is trying to compress a 6 min song into 2 minutes, good luck with that. He sounds good on the John part, except for perhaps the falsetto note. It’s hard to tell if he actually hit the note. His breath support could be a little better on the vibrato part of the song. But, unlike David A., when he sings he does not have a really odd look on his face, which is a major plus. This arrangement does a pretty good job of including all the good parts of the song. Unfortunately compared to the original he is not as good as John or Paul, however, based on just his singing, this is a pretty good performance, aided greatly by his stage presence. Despite a couple of rough patches he sings really well tonight. Randy says it wasn’t one of his best performances. He wants him to use his big ol’ voice, but says this is not one of his good ones. Paula thinks he sounded better in rehearsals and wonders if the monitor in his ear hurt his performance. Simon says it was a mess. He doesn’t think he hit the right notes and the song went all over the place. Hey Simon, that’s the way the song is written. It’s a very Beatles song where it goes all over the place. Simon says Michael has to be more like David A. Sigh. Ryan asks Paula to explain the earpiece the contestants wear. Michael says he doesn’t have one in his ear; nice job Paula. Michael dedicates his horrible song, according to the judges, to his dead friend. Nice job judges maybe next time you will not trash the guy until you know if he is singing it for a dead guy. The judges are far too harsh on Michael.

Brooke White – Here Comes the Sun

It’s blonde interview night, since Brooke, like Kristy, is getting an interview with Ryan. He calls her the sweetest person alive. Little does he know she used to work in New York under the name Kristen. Her favorite moment of her entire life was last week when she sang ‘Let it Be.’ She started playing piano when she was seven, yet she still simplified the piano part. Maybe if she started playing when she was five she could have played the original version. No piano this week, instead she is sitting on the stairs. Like Kristy, she has a really good lower register. Uh oh, she stands up, which means it’s time for us to ‘get down.’ I guess she got really bored sitting down because after she stands up she does a little spin while she is waking. Why? I have no idea, but at least she didn’t over. Actually I wish she fell over, how much fun would that be to see if she tried to keep singing as her body hit the stage. The screen behind the stage actually looks like a sun. She gives us a little falsetto at the end of the song to mixed results, she hits the note, but it’s extremely thin. This is a typical Brooke performance – thin vocals but when you hear her you enjoy the performance. She is just very likeable, much like American cheese. A little boring yes, but you feel really comfortable and happy when it’s consumed. Randy says she was really awkward tonight, she makes a ‘really’ face when he says it. He says it was not hot tonight. Paula thinks its impossible to see her and not like her and she really loves her lower notes. Simon just knew that she would wear yellow for this song. He thinks the performance was terrible and devoid of conviction. Brooke says because they have been really nice it’s ok they are going off on her tonight. She keeps saying ‘it’s ok.’ We get to see her rationalizing on live TV. She says next week, assuming she returns, she will return to her comfort zone.

David Cook – Day Tripper

Ryan is in the mosh pit selling itunes when we return. Apparently they do not allow men in the mosh pit. David’s most memorable moment happened last week. I wish they asked this question a few years ago so we could have heard Corey Clark’s answer. David is doing a Whitesnake version of his song. Notice, unlike last week he credits who credited his version of the song. He is playing this trusty guitar again. He uses the Ritchie Sambora voice modifier device near the end of the song. It’s like he does every thing he can to avoid actually singing. Strip him of his guitar and make him sing a country song and this guy goes down faster than Elliot Spitzer. I enjoy David, but he is getting a little too predictable. Hey do you think David will do a rock version of a song this week? Considering the answer to that question seems to always be yes, he removes any excitement and wonderment before he begins. As usual his vocals take a back seat to his rock god persona and his guitars power chords. I wonder what other technological devices they will let David use in the weeks to come. Vocally, he is not better than Michael Johns tonight, but I bet the judges will love this version. Paula is already giving him a standing ovation. A smiling Randy loves seeing David every week because it’s like being at his concert. Even thought he can’t call it his best, he loved David tonight. Paula thinks he can get insurance commercials now…huh? David said he learned how to use the voice box yesterday. Simon has the line of the night, “David I don’t think that was good as you thought it was actually.” He thinks he looked smug and the voice box in the middle was stupid. He thinks David lost the element of surprise and he didn’t like the version of the song. When Ryan comes over to David he bumps into David and David takes a comic fall. Ryan refuses to use the voice box even though everyone really wants to his digitally altered voice.

The Irish Girl - Blackbird

Paula tries to explain what Simon whispers into her ear, but she makes no sense; Simon is cracking up hearing her try to be coherent. Randy says the Beatles songs connect because they stand the test of time. Carly’s most memorable moment was last week, just like everyone else it seems. Carly is from Europe, so that means she is better than us Americans. Ryan says, “Did she make the right choice, it’s your call.” Get it? It’s our call! We call to vote, get it now? I love puns. She is in her lower register too; it’s now officially girls lower register night on Idol. She still makes the painful looking face when she hits the power notes. This is her most scaled back performance and she does a good job emoting in her voice. The pitch patrol is not on the prowl, since she hits just about every note. I am not sure how much I enjoy her performance, she is a little boring, but the vocals were almost perfect. Randy calls it another great controlled emotive performance. He says she has her cooliousous. Paula loves her amazing tone in her voice and the fact all the contestants are challenging each other, but Carly has a capital F for fantastic. Simon says she picked a song about a Black Bird, which was not a smart choice, since the song was indulgent. Carly says she sang this song because of how hard the music business is for a newcomer. Simon says he know feels uncomfortable because Carly is like a broken bird, but the conversation quickly devolves into talk of cream cheese and sparrows. She shows America her 7 tattoo on her finger. Ok, that’s taking it to an extreme Carly. If she wins the show I bet she’ll get a tattoo of Ryan on her body somewhere.

The Man with the Dreads – Michelle

Thankfully Jason picks a moment other than last week. Even though he has never spoken French he is ready to tackle this song, which has an entire section in French. Ryan introduces him in French. His voice completely disappears in the lower register. Unlike some previous songs he is struggling to make an emotional connection with the song. He cannot and actually looks bored while he is singing. Without the emotion this vocals just aren’t that good and the song suffers. This is an ‘ok’ performance, by far Jason’s weakest. This is almost not good. Randy says the song was a good choice, but he doesn’t know if he really really got it and thinks Jason wasn’t connected to the song. Paula loves his charm but feels like Jason is mortal without his guitar. She thinks the song almost went polka. Simon says tonight is a very weird show. He suggests they should not have done Beatles again this week. He thinks Jason’s charm and his goofy face made it work, but on the radio it would have been horrible. Randy again tries to work in the name of Paula’s new song and Simon laughs and calls him out on his pathetic attempts to sell more albums. Jason is unable to give the numbers in French, which means he lost the Quebec vote. Oh wait, they can’t vote anyway. No harm no foul! Jason should be safe this week, but a few more performances like this will have the mellow mush mouth in serious trouble.

Syesha - Yesterday

She gets an interview with Ryan and we learn for the first time her family is in the audience. Her most memorable moment came last week, just like everyone else, when she ended up in the bottom three. She thinks the kick in the butt will give her all the inspiration she needs. She picked her song because she sang a Beatles medley in 7th grade. She is sitting on the stage with the acoustic guitar sitting next to her. She does not transition into the ‘suddenly’ correctly and feels like she is lagging behind through the entire beginning phrase. I guess she is doing this for dramatic effect but it feels like she can’t follow the rhythm. Then she throws a massively big note into what is supposed to be a very simple elegant song; the note sounds totally out of place. This song works because the Paul is constantly pushing it along and giving it energy. Syesha either is not capable or willing to give this song any propellant. She has one of the best voices on the show, but this is not the song for her to sing. Brooke would have done this significantly better; I feel no emotion in Syesha’s voice. This is not a good performance. ‘Yesterday’ is already a really slow song, DO NOT MAKE IT SLOWER YOU CANNOT WRITE A BETTER SONG THAN PAUL AND JOHN DO NOT ASSUME YOU CAN AND ALTER THE ORIGINAL! Somewhere back stage David A. is probably applauding her extending random notes for no apparent reason, since that’s his trademark. Randy says she took some liberties and he thinks she gave a very good performance. Paula loves how Syesha lets herself be vulnerable, which sets her apart from everyone; yeah because Brooke and Jason are never vulnerable. Simon thought this was probably her best performance so far, not incredible, but she picked the best song. He says Brooke probably should have sung this song. The judges give her far more praise than she deserves, which might end up saying her again this week.

Chikeze – I’ve Just Seen A Face

Ryan is standing with an old guy near the back of the theater telling us about itunes again. I’m not sure who this guy is but he makes John McCain look young. Chik says the first round of Hollywood was his most memorable moment. He also enjoyed last week when Ryan touched his face. Looks like he is going to play an instrument tonight, even though he doesn’t know how? Ok I guess he was kidding. The song starts off a little boring with Chik being extremely subtle. I think he lied, because he sounded pretty good on the harmonica; he really is the black Taylor. Chik keeps surprising me going almost bluegrass on the second half of the song. Just like last week I’m thinking where did this come from, this is not the R&B singer we saw in all the early rounds. Unlike the last performance, Syesha horribly boring song, this is a lot of fun and has the entire crowd shaking their booty. Unlike a lot of the contestants, Chik has demonstrated he has more than one voice, as opposed to say David A., who sounds the same every time he sings. Chik’s family and teacher love him tonight. His teacher? Randy didn’t like the slow part but liked the fast part; he thinks maybe this could be a good country song, but it was a little stranger. Paula disagrees because Chik is showing his versatility, she loves seeing who Chik is in just 2 minutes. Simon thought it started off ok, until he played the harmonica (remember he hates Taylor, so that probably brought back some memories he didn’t enjoy) and then it went Achy Breaky Heart. Simon thinks it was gimmicky. I totally disagree, I would rather listen to Chik than some of the judges’ favorites tonight, yes even on itunes on my iphone while I’m drinking Coca Cola and listening to “Dance like there’s no Tomorrow.”

Ramiele – I Should have Known Better (than to put her in the pimp spot)

They are doing the song writing competition again this year, so start creating songs at home kids. She says making new friends is one of the best things about Idol. Brooke is like her mom, David C. is her big brother, and they are all her new best friends, except for Carly who must die. Ok I made the Carly part up. She looks especially small on stage tonight. Carnival Cruise is calling Idol right now asking about her availability. This has a very talent show vibe to it; this is not the ‘best America has to offer.’ Her voice sounds ok I suppose but like always there is NO emotional connection to with the song. Eh…this is just ok, there is nothing really special about her singing. She is hitting the right notes, except for maybe a couple, but as I’m watching I’m thinking, as Simon might, so what? In fact I have no idea why they let this girl have the coveted ‘pimp spot.’ There is no way she is better than Chik tonight, I wonder if the judges will give her an honest assessment. Randy says he wasn’t jumping up and down but he liked it because she showed confidence – it was alright. Paula says she was better than last week and wants her to get back in the ballad zone when she sings the Dusty Springfield song? Is that foreshadowing to next week? Simon says it sounded like Chik was playing harmonica on her song too – he hates that instrument. The problem for him, was the track sounded terrible, the whole thing. He thinks she picked a mediocre song – wait I thought everything the Beatles wrong was a classic, itunes is going to kill Simon – that did not show off her voice.

Final Thinkings (Thoughts)

Amanda still screams instead of sings. Carly still sounds better than the judges thought. David A. is still David. Michael still sounds better than the judges thought. Brooke is still adorable and likeable and very yellow. David C. is still hiding behind his guitar. Carly is still making the ‘I’m giving birth face’ when she hits the big notes. Jason still looks really high, not Paula high, even higher. Syesha is still boring and killing a classic song. Chik is still a lot of fun. Ramiele is still out of place in the pimp spot. It’s now over to us; only we can protect our favorites! Can we vote off Ricky Minor? Is that legal? So who is in trouble tomorrow night? I’m not sure if we had a ‘best of the night’ but I think Chikeze is in the running for that award. Michael Johns should have received more credit for attempting such a difficult song – guess what it was a lot harder then the Long and Winding Road. Amanda, Kristy, Syesha, and Ramiele will be in trouble. The judges loved on Syesha tonight, so I’ll assume she avoids the bottom three. Kristy, I hope, will stay around long enough to get a song she can feel really comfortable singing. I think she is warming up to people so she’ll be safe, leaving Ramiele and Amanda in the bottom two. Since she has had several sub par performances in a row, and just killed the momentum of the show last night, I predict Ramiele will be heading back to the Shire.

Hey Jude did you hear the Beatles wrote a lot of songs?

The Beatles song catalog is finally available to American Idol this season. Supposedly they received permission because of the outstanding contestants on Idol this season. Gee, I bet the fact itunes finally reached an agreement for the Beatles song catalog had NOTHING to do with the sudden availability of songs. And I’m really the fact itunes is constantly pimped on Idol since they joined forces this year had NOTHING to do with Beatles night. Tonight might be a really tough night for the Idols. Anytime idols tackle classic songs they run the risk of being compared to the original artist. Further, if they alter the songs to ‘make it their own’ they run the risk of recreating a classic. Finding the right balance between the two is extremely difficult. You get the feeling Ramiele, Kristy Lee Cook, and David H. might need big nights to ensure they remain in Hollywood.

Ryan is wearing a full suit and tie, and his collar is buttoned, which means tonight is very important. The best talent yet has a whole new look. Wait is over say hello to our new set and the band is up in the rafters. Normally you put your band in a pit, but not idol, they put them in the heavens. This year we have a mosh pit in front of the judges. Ryan tells Simon to button up his shirt. The stage door opens to reveal the top 12. They have to wait to walk out and you can tell they all want to move right away. Have to be careful that someone doesn’t step on Ramiele. We have a special theme tonight – the Lennon McCartney Song book. I’m surprised they weren’t obligated to show heather mills in this video montage as part of her divorce settlement. Paula says the song are full of melody and sing the song straight great tribute, but great risk if you change it up, but she thinks they can pull it off. Simon says difficultly of the songs depends on which ones you choose.

Syesha

She lives in Miami student at FIU and a working actress. She was always active growing up, involved in dance and surrounded by music. Her mom is a singer and she remembers listening to the oldies station in her car. Now she get the chance to do some of the music she grew up listening to. She loves the song and felt like she can get into it and show off her personality. Her lower register is getting a little lost behind the band. She has an old school Whitney hairstyle. Of all the Beatles songs, no one is thinking ‘wow this song is one of the best.’ I wonder if she really picked this on her own or was told hey look David A. doesn’t want to sing this song so here you go you can sing it if you want to as long as Carly doesn’t want to sing it either. As the first performer in the top 12 she has the unfair burden of ‘knocking our socks off.’ My socks are still on. She sound ok, despite a few early pitch problems, but this is a ‘so what’ performance. Near the end of the song she finally builds some momentum and the song gets going. If she sang the entire song like this she would have had a pretty good night. She is not doing anything wrong with the song, but she isn’t doing anything spectacular either. The judges will probably say she did a good job but they expected more from her. Even the mosh pit looks a little bored. Randy likes the arrangement of the song. He thinks she had the early pitch problems but loosened up during the song. Paula also thinks she started off pitch but found her zone at the midway mark, after which she sounded great. Simon says she was better than alright, but he thinks she looked very very nervous. He believes she was better than last week. Syesha says she likes this stage better than the other stage because you can feed off other people’s energy.

Chikeze

Idol’s new font is freaking me out a little. Chik gets the coveted sit down chat with Ryan. Ryan asks him about working security at LAX. Chik says Paula is very good at the airport. He says he expected to go home last week because Danny is such a loveable guy. Chik is doing the ‘i’m humble thing’ well lately. Chik got to feel people up by working at the airport. Hear that perverts? Get a job with airport security. Chik promises to put his own funk on his song choice. Before he sings we get to see Ryan doing some very weird looking white man dance. Chik is sitting on the stage with the Charlie Daniels band or something. This is totally unexpected from Chik. He is rocking out right now. Wow, this is the first time on Idol this season I’m totally surprised. He sounds great doing a rock song. Who would have guessed this? Not me. His mom must have taught him something about classic rock. The transition from folk song into rock song is risky and brilliant. His vocals, despite maybe a missed not or two at the very start, are right on. If the judges did not enjoy this I give up. His family and friends sure like Chik. Randy says ‘dawg let me tell you I was thouroughly entertained.’ He loves the arrangement and thinks Chik smashed it. Paula says this is what she was talking about when she said take a risk. She has been waiting for this – the reward paid off. Simon is really surprised that he agrees with Randy and Paula. Chik turns into Taylor Hicks when he hears this compliment. Simon says he looked completely drunk and unlike the first singer has changed within a week. Chik controlled the stage, it did not control him. He says Chik was terrific. Ryan is really pumped up tonight running around the stage with Chik. IN fact, Ryan ran around so much he can barely breathe. And it turns out Chik sweats almost as much as Reuben. Chik has to be safe tomorrow.

Ramiele

She works at a Sushi place and smells like soy sauce all the time. Her family is musical and all very small. She dedicates the song to the people that have left the show already. She starts on the stairs looking at the camera on high. Standing on the fourth step she is the average height of a fully grown female. The crowd is swaying aback and forth but I have the same problem with her that I did last week – she is not good at conveying emotion through her voice. It’s like she is singing the words but she doesn’t know what they mean and therefore cannot properly emote their meaning through her singing. She also has the unenviable task of following Chik. She has some pitch and breathe support problems near the end of the song. Granted only two have performed in front of her, but she is quickly moving towards the worst so far prize. This is maybe a little less than a ‘so what’ performance. If Simon enjoyed this I will be shocked. All those great new lights and they were all off. Randy says it was kinda pretty, but kinda pretty boring. HE doesn’t think she did anything interesting and apologizing for not liking it more. Paula, as she does whenever someone has not sung well, starts off by saying Ramiele looks great tonight. She thinks Ramiele played it safe tonight and her voice could have handled a bigger song. She thinks she held back tonight. Simon makes fun of Paula and says he was bored to tears throughout the entire song from the awful standing on the stairs to the walking in the middle with a dreary song choice that did nothing for her. He expected more from her because she is better than that performance. Randy says he doesn’t know if she did enough to make it through to next week because it was sooooo boring. Ryan doesn’t even bother trying to redeem her before he tries to make money for Fox.

Jason Castro

We get our first itunes plug of the night. Jason goes to Texas A*&M and failed his one music class. He says making the top 12 is idol times 10. He spent a summer in Columbia and even down there they listened to the Beatles. Jason is on stage with his guitar. The song begins with just him playing. Will he do the entire thing with just him playing. No, the band starts to come in layered. His phrasing could be better but he souds good and really picked the perfect song for his style. I do not think he could have pulled off a rocking song, but this laid back mellow song is perfect. His vocals are pretty good and he does not have a lot of pitch problems. It looks like Barbara bush is sitting with is family. Randy says he liked but didn’t love the song. With a melody that classic he wished Jason did not change the melody, but thinks it was alright alright. Paula disagrees with Randy because she can feel Jason’s heart. The connection with his heart makes him unique because he is emotionally connect with the songs he sings. Simon thinks Jason was a bit student in a bedroom at midnight. He thought Jason was quite boring, even though he is unique and different. Even thought Simon doesn’t think it was as good as last week he thinks it was good enough to stay in another week.

Carly

Carly gets the second sit down interview of the night. Ryan asks her what life is like off the set. Carly is roommates with Amanda and they both need orange juice. Carly love San Diego but she missed her homeland. She works 7 days a week at a bar and on Sat nights she plays music. She sings Come Together every week in her set. Ironic she got to sing this even thought I bet 11 other people might have wanted to sing it also. No pimping here. Her voice sounds different tonight. Better actually. She sounds really good, but she keeps doing the ‘I’ve just been shot in my leg face’ every time she hits a big note. She really has to eliminate these facial expressions. This version of the song is very similar to the original and I think she is really hitting it out of the park. I would be surprised if the judges don’t like this version. Randy can’t even talk because the audience is so boisterous. He asks her if that felt amazing, she of course says yes. He loves her confidence and thinks she was stellar. Paula felt like she was already watching a star. She thinks Carly is amazing. Simon says week after week he thinks she has chosen the wrong song…until now. Simon says he remembers exactly the same week 6 years ago Kelly Clarkson broke out during her first top 12 song.. Carly is one happy girl.

David Cook

Ryan is sitting in Jackson’s seat when they return from commercial. David had a pretty standard upbringing and before Idol he was a male stripper, oh wait, that’s the other David. This David just served drinks. He thinks this song is so powerful he doesn’t need to play the guitar and go over the top. This has a Goo Goo Dolls feel to it. Through the first half of the song he sings about three notes, but sounds good. He shows us near the middle of the song he has no falsetto. He isn’t singing so much as screaming, especially the last note. For someone that didn’t not to ‘overkill’ the song I think a primal scream at the end might qualify. This is an enjoyable performance, but vocally, I’m not sure just how good until he reaches the end. Sooner or later David will have to prove he can sing. Tonight’s performance should give him another chance next week. David’s family is going nuts, as is David by jumping up and down on stage. Randy says this proves people can rock out on Idol. He thinks David started out a little pitchy but nailed it at the midway mark. Paula says there is more than one horse in the race; David might be the dark one. Randy asks Paula what kind of horse Simon would be, and Paula isn’t able to think quickly enough to give us something funny. Simon thinks David was brilliant and suggests if the voters base their votes on talent and not popularity then David might have a chance to win the entire competition. David says tonight went well but there is always next week; incorporating a little humility is always good for some extra votes. He should be safe tomorrow night.

Brooke White

Ryan is with Ricky Minor up in the stratosphere when they return. I am not that big on heights, and I’m guessing at least one member of the band isn’t either. How do you think that went over when they showed up for rehearsal. “Hey guys you are going to be sitting 50 feet off the stage right against the railing – enjoy.” I wouldn’t be surprised if on a real funky number one of the guitar players falls over the ledge and we get the first ever ‘cut to commercial in the middle of a song’ moment in Idol history. Brooke moved to LA so she could work on her music. She says she is very grateful to be here with Idol, and unlike some of the other people you can tell she really means that; she think this is a privilege not a right. She is finally sitting behind a piano. She is having a little trouble with her phrasing, but she sounds good. She does not have the biggest voice in the competition, but she might have the most pleasant sounding. She hits a little pitch problem in the middle of the song. Near the end the song gets a little too big for her voice. She is limited in the songs she can sing because of her voice, but she sings what she sings very well. She breaks down crying near the end of the song. Randy says he isn’t sure if this is her strongest performance but tells her this must be a dream come true. He loves her conviction and her heartfelt performance. “The dawg is a fan,” he says. Paula says she is great at picking songs where we can feel her heart so we can fall in love with her. Simon thinks it was again one of the best of the night and a brilliant choice of songs. He thinks she is believable; three weeks running she is great. Ryan brings a shaking Brooke a Kleenex to wipe away her tears. Even though she is semi falling apart she does a really good job summing up her emotions. Brooke cannot play with her shoes on so she is barefoot, but the helpful Ryan fetches her shoes from the piano. Ryan and Randy tease Ryan as though he will keep the shoes for himself. I wonder if you strip away the piano, the tears, and her sincerity would the judges give her vocals a standing ovation? Probably not. If Ramiele wants any chance in this competition she needs to learn from Brooke how to emote during a song. If they could combine Ramiele’s big voice with Brooke’s heart we would have a contestant performing finishing in the top 2. Brooke isn’t going anywhere tomorrow, except into the top 11.

David Hernandez

Gone is the Kodak theater, instead this year the finales will be in the Nokia theater. David works at a pizza place and goes to school. Darn it, I was hoping for some footage of him stripping at work, because what’s makes better TV than stripping footage on a family friendly show. David took a Beatles class in college so should give us the best performance of the the night – right? Uh oh, in the first 20 seconds he has already changed he melody. Yes world, David is better at writing melodies than John and Paul. He is doing the David A. thing, where you extend notes for no reason and destroy the melody. He copes out on the ‘whooooooo’ by letting the back up singers hit it while he holds the microphone by his side. He hits a completely indulgent big note at the end. Why? Why do you think that note sounds good? Wow this is awful. Randy says he thinks David did way too much on such a simple song; he was lost. Paula says she loves David’s voice, but thinks he over did it a little bit. Wasn’t he listening to David Cook about not overdoing songs? Simon says NO, NO, NO. He thinks it was corny bordering on desperate and calls it like a rabbit in the headlights. Huh? A rabbit? Ryan tries to redeem him and asks him about his song choice. David says next time, if he comes back, he’ll turn it down a notch. Thankfully is not stupid enough to attempt a defense.

Amanda

She gets another sit down interview. Ryan, and this is why I love him, makes fun of the fact tomorrow night they have a full hour with only one result. Kids get your shots, because there is a good chance of catching McFever tomorrow night. Amanda says there is a TV in the back where they can watch the other idols while they sing. She likes sitting in a corner by herself while the others perform. Back at home, if you need durable medical equipment, she is your girl. She is singing a song that she never heard until this week. Gee, do you think she was denied her first choice on her song selection? I’m guessing yes, otherwise she wouldn’t have shared she had NEVER heard this song before. One the first sentence I think I understand maybe three words. I’m not saying her enunciation is bad but there is a person signing in the corner of the screen for the people at home. This is not very good. She is screaming and straining her way through the song. I think she sings about three notes the entire time, the rest is just belting out notes. Unfortunately for her she did not get the best song, but this is just not that good. Randy says she brought a Beatles song to a southern bar and rocked it out; he loved it and thinks it was cool. Paula calls her a star and says this is the best season of Idol ever. Simon says she wasn’t as good as last week because he understood only about 30 percent of what she was singing. He thinks it’s a good thing she is in the competition because she is a breathe of fresh air every time she comes on the stage. Notice the judges didn’t say anything about Amanda nailing her vocals. Why? Because her vocals just are not that good.

Michael

Ryan is at the back of the crowd pitching itunes yet again. Hmm any correlation between Itunes, the Beatles and idol? Michael reminds us again he is from Australia. Thank you Michael I keep forgetting. He teaches Tennis on the side and tries to keep music his life. He was 10 when he discovered the Beatles. Unlike some of the other idols, you get the feeling Michael really really likes the Beatles. Let’s fact it, Ramiele is not listening to the Beatles in her ipod. Michael has one of thte most complete voices on the show. He might have the best lower register of all the guys. He is doing a good job displaying emotion in his face and his voice. His vocals are pretty good and if he judges don’t call him boring they should give him a good evaluation. Randy wanted a little more, but says it was alright. Paula disagrees again, because it takes an inner strength to sing center stage and do nothing but sing brilliantly. Simon agrees with Randy because he was right. He asks what the Irish girl’s name is (see he forgets everyone’s names, not just the crappy ones), and says Michael should could have done what she did with her song. He is still frustrated that we haven’t heard what Michael is fully capable of yet. Carly did not really change anything up with her song so I don’t know what Simon is talking about. If we agree with Paula we can vote for Michael. Poor Michael he looks really sad he didn’t do well on Beatles night.

Kristy

Her family is a big music family and she listened to the Beatles growing up. She asked her mom for help; she is changing up her song into a country version. Good lord. I might have a little vomit in my mouth hearing this as a country song, however, her voice sounds pretty good at the start of the song. Her voice disappears a little on the lower notes. I am so distracted by the arrangement I’m not sure I can even evaluate her singing. This is just weird, not horrible, but not great, I think. Ok this is just wrong, no more butchering of classic songs. Vocally this is not her best, but she tries her best to have a lot of fun. Randy says he liked parts of the song, but vocally thought she was trying too many runs. He is torn with this – it’s a half and halfer; he liked half and hated half. Paula says Kristy cannot go too crazy with the country thing. Simon thought it was horrendous. He thinks she sounded like Dolly Parton on helium. He commends her for her bravery, but thinks she was foolish. Simon and Ryan go after each other a little and Ryan offers to build Simon the old set so he can host it in his back yard. Kristy says she had fun with it and tries to give us a fake smile.

Judas

Big surprise who gets the pimp spot tonight. One left until we can vote! David is only a junior in high school. David says he hated the Beatles and wanted them to die, oh I mean he just didn’t listen to them that much. He picked his song because he liked Stevie Wonder’s version. He then pretends he is so stressed out he is almost crying. Just not buying it David. He starts on the stairs. This must be the Stevie version, because the song is totally altered. I can barely hear his lower register, oh that’s right, because he doesn’t’ have one. He blanks on the word near the start, I wonder if the judges will bring that up. He is doing the extending the notes thing again. For the first time this season David looks like he should be performing in his high school talent show. How did they give this guy the pimp spot. Good lord this is awful. I mean he is still better than David H. tonight but wow. He butchers his transition into his limited falsetto. This is why David likes to sing the slow song with the big notes; I don’t know if it’s his nerves or what, but this is just not good. Come on judges, murder him! Randy says tonight David was not on point. He thinks David was really forced and it didn’t quite work. Paula says event though this wasn’t his week, he is still a frontrunner. She actually brings up the fact he forgot his lyrics. Simon says David was a mess. He brought up the lyrics, criticize the Stevie version and calls it David’s weakest performance so far. David says he wasn’t too sure about the song before he sang, but he gave it his best shot. For maybe the first time all season we see the ‘real’ David, not the fake ‘omg you are so nice to me’ version.

Final Thoughts

During the recap it’s like oh yeah Syesha performed. I forgot about that, which means she might not get many votes. Chik still sounds great. Ramiele is still boring. Jason is still mellow – sooner or later he has to sing something a little harder. Carly still sounds good as does David. Brooke still sounds good and David H. is still awful. Amanda is still screaming. Michael is still subtle with a little Pearl Jam vibe. Kristy’s arrangement still scares me and David is still in his talent show. Tomorrow night we learn the mentors for the season and find out who returns home devastated, dejected, and dispirited. A lot of people should be worried tomorrow night. Kristy, David H., Ramiele, and Syesha are all in trouble. I will guess Kristy will get the country vote thus saving her one more week. Ramiele is a fan favorite, much like Jasmine Trias a few years back, so she will stay. That leaves Syesha and David H. in the bottom two. Don’t worry gay men around the world, David will be on your laps again soon because I’m predicting he will be going home!

Women like to Sing Too

As with many past seasons, most people think the girls are better than the guys in the early rounds. Ironically, last week the guys had slightly better ratings than the girls; maybe the programming on other networks explains this disconnect, or maybe David Hernandez has a devout following of gay men from his stripper days. Hey if a guy gives you a lap dance the least you can do is watch him sing on television. The guys delivered 5 great performances last night, leaving 3 in serious danger. Can the girls match the guys or even surpass them with 6 great performances? Will someone finally have a ‘moment?’ Will Asiah recover from her sickness? Will Kady finally show us the personality and ability we all think she has hidden deep inside? Will Amanda not suck this week? These are many more questions will soon have answers. Ryan, take us away….

The show starts with the camera panning over all the girls and Brooke has the fakest smile I’ve ever seen plastered on her face. I wonder if she took some thing from Paula’s stash. This is obviously an important night; we know this because Ryan is wearing a tie, even if the knot is falling apart. Ryan asks Randy why he is so nice this season, and Randy looks at the girls and tells them to all bring it tonight. Wow when they show the girls Ramiele really looks like a small child. Paula asks the girls why they aren’t wearing bad hair and makeup to celebrate the 80s. Simon says everyone must step it up – no one is safe.

Ashiah

She was an extra on the set of a movie and had to rollerskate, but she ran into the big set light and busted her butt. But it was ok because David H. gave her a free lap dance. She is starting out at the top of the stairs, which is becoming the new ‘cool’ way to start your song this season. Here comes Whitney Houston, except without the voice. She is prancing around the stage when she hits the chorus. She is trying to perk up this karyoke classic. Her ridiculously high pants are distracting me from her singing. Paula loves this song and is dancing like she was still a Laker girl. The crowd is really getting into the song. She sounds pretty good I guess, but this isn’t exactly a ground-breaking performance. I feel like I should be ordering a second round of chicken wings in my local kayoke bar. Did I mention this feels too karaoke for my tastes? I’m guessing Randy will say it was alright, Paula will love it, and Simon will think it is either karoke or a cruise ship…if he says karoke on a cruise ship she should just pull herself out of the show. Randy laughs because he recorded that song with Whitney, but despite the tall order of the song, she proved she belonged, because that was hot. Paula admits she wasn’t sure she could pull it off, but now that she is well, she nailed it, she really nailed it. Simon is not quite so enthusiastic. He says at best it was second rate Whitney Houston. Asiah says she’ll take second rate Whitney. Simon says with respect, she couldn’t hit the big notes at the end and didn’t come close to being America’s favorite crack addict. Ryan says no pitch protrol from Randy, that’s a new one, and it’s quite creative. Simon does add his hope that Asiah makes the top 12.

Kady

Back in the Coke room, Ryan is sitting with Kady. They talk about how dramatic last week was for her, and how she thought she would be going home. She says she was really shocked because Alaina was so great. Her most embarrsing moment was during her 9th grade talent show audition where she didn’t sing well, and triped over a microphone cord destroying the speaker system. She is singing a Queen song, one where she might be able to finally show off her voice. She has a rich voice and might be able to go lower than the other girls. Kat McPhee did this a couple years ago I wonder if the judges remember. She sounds like she is just missing the note on the big ones, not quite able to put together a complete performance. However, she sounds good on most of the notes and ends with a pretty sound. I think her chances on Idol will be sealed by the judges’ comments. If they like her tonight she stays, if they do not she goes. I have a feeling the pitch patrol might be prowling for Kady. She does get a standing ovation. Randy says it was an interesting song choice, but it was a pretty good job of it, the good thing for you is you hit the big notes really well. Paula thinks this was her best performance to date and disagrees with Randy, because she loves the softer notes the most. Simon says it was better than last week, but he is still having issues with her massive lack of personality when she sings; he just can’t get anything out of her when she sings. Kady says it was a sad song, but he replys you can still make a sad song emotional, and he felt no emotion. Kady says she thinks she did enough. Ryan asks her why she is different on stage, but Kady says she isn’t sure what Simon means. Ryan asks Simon, but the Brit slaps him down. Kady is in trouble.

Amanda

She is wearing Robbie’s old dew rag. Her moment is just a little scary. She burnt down a pool. Umm I don’t think that’s what they meant by embarrassing moments Amanda, in fact, I think you just admitted to arson. And anyway, wouldn’t her most embrassing moment be pulling out in front of a semi? Or what about her hair last week, that’s more embarrassing than buring down an entire national forest. She is rocking out again this week. She has Steven Tyler’s scarves around her neck. The band has more fun playing her songs than any other Idol. The judges spend so much time talking about Kady’s lack of personality, but what personality does Amanda have? All she does is put on an Elvis snarl the entire time and move around a little. She sounds ok, but she sounds her best when the back up singers join in. This is a 4 note song, which means if you can’t really sing and just want a good performance, then this is your song. The judges will probably eat this up. In fact, Paula is giving her a standing ovation. Randy says that’s the Amanda we love, and thinks she should be singing these kinda songs. Paula wants to say so many things. She loves Amanda’s hair and her song choice. Simon thinks it was fantastic. He says she nailed that song, a perfect song for her, and this is one of his favorite girl performances so far. She barely cracks a smile after hearing his praise. Amanda then puts on a Brooke style fake smile to show Ryan she can in fact look happy, even on demand. Her hair really does look a lot better, but her vocals are not that much stronger than last week. She still did not prove she can sing, at least not to my ears. Great performance yes, but great vocals? No. That being said, the people at home will eat up the rocking nurses Hillary like come back and vote, vote, vote for her, meaning she should be safe tomorrow night.

Carly

Ryan welcomes us back and gets in his first itunes plug of the night, at least he laughs while he sells stuff. Carly’s most embarrassing moment involved getting her leg getting stuck in the railing at her bar so badly, they needed butter, oil, and bathroom soap to slip her leg free. Carly’s has great hair again, I wonder if she just wasn’t washing it the first few weeks. She sounds good and is giving a good performance. See this is how you combine good vocals with a good performance. In fact, I am going to go so far as to say this is what happens when you combine great vocals with a great performance. Carly nails the big sustained notes and sounds great in the moving melodic parts. She is now the best of the night. Hopefully the judges agree with my assessment. Randy says ‘yo Carly you keep smashing it every week.” He calls her dude and says she had another great performance. Paula calls her dude as well, imitating Randy and thinks Carly’s singing defies description. Simon doesn’t think she picked the right song because he knows it as the Celine version of the song. The crowd boos, but Simon persists this is not a great song. Ryan is hovering off stage killing time until Simon is finished ranting. Carly’s mom is in the audience from Ireland, and oh my god, David H. is giving her a lap dance. The judges put so much emphasis on ‘song choice’ but how much choice do the contestants really have in the early rounds. There are only 50 songs every week, for 8 people. That means you might end up with your 9th favorite choice as your song. How well do you think you are going to perform that if all the songs you wanted went to other contestants. The judges keep inferring the Idols could have picked any of the thousands of the songs from the 80s, but this is just not true. If you vocals are ‘spot on,’ then the judges should comment on the vocals and leave the discussion of song choice for someone that failed to adequately perform.

Kristy

Her embarrassment apex came when she was 7 years old because she used to pretend she was a dog, for about a year. I wonder if she is just saying she pretended she was a dog to get some nice comments from Randy tonight, and she is singing Journey. If Randy doesn’t love her tonight she has no chance. She has her legs in that odd position again; the one that looks like she is about to ride a horse. She is giving the song a little bit of a country vibe and she has a few new facial expressions. I think she goes a little sharp when she hits the big notes, but overall her voice sounds good. However, this is like Kady II. Kristy is trying for the moment, but like Kady, I do not think she can quite get where she is aiming. This is just an ‘ok’ performance and I have to believe there were better songs, even if they only had 50 at their disposal. Randy says he loves dogs and journey and he loves this girl. He loves the song of course, and even though she is not Steve Perry he likes her country vibe on the song. He actually liked it. Paula thinks this could be a country music hit, an amazing country music hit. She also likes the way Kristy looks tonight. Simon liked the country influence, but he still thinks Kristy is forgettable, so at best he could see her coming in 10th. Kristy is fine with that! Ryan asks her about her voice and she says she woke up this morning with a little voice problem, but she persevered and overcame. Kristy might be in trouble tomorrow, depending how the remaining girls sound.

Ramiele

Back from commercial we join Ryan in the Coke room as he joins Ramiele on the balcony. The girls that already performed look relaxed. He tells Ramielle to run down to the stage now because her little legs can only carry her so fast. So its ok to make fun of someone because they are short does that mean Ryan will be cracking jokes about ‘coloreds’ next week with Chikeze? Ramieles most embarrassing moment is when she accidently flushed herself down the toilet – it’s dangerous being so small. In 5th grade she rode her pink bike to a boy’s house she liked and dropped off her picture, but instead of fawning over the girl crushing on him, the punk laughed at her picture, much like millions of people are currently laughing at her Facebook pictures someone posted online. What is the 80s without Phil Collins? Awful that’s what, so we get another Phil song tonight. She isn’t sustaining her phrases, unable to breathe through all the notes. Her big note falls flat in the middle – alert the pitch patrol. This song only works if the singer makes an emotional connection with the lister, and I don’t think Ramiele is connecting with me tonight. This is a rather listless performance rife with pitch problems. This is one of the poorer vocals tonight. She knows; she is not happy with herself. Randy says another big song with big vocals, and he is happy she returned to this style, but she needs to find the confidence again. He liked her vocals but he wants more of her ‘mad vocals’ next time. Paula starts off talking about Ramiele’s face, never a good sign. She then talks about the colors of Ramiele’s voice…uh oh, not that again. She is completely gone now making no sense. She has reached Admiral Stockdale territory. But she recovers near the end of her soliloquy to declare Ramiele should make the top 12. Simon thinks she was old fashioned tonight and predictable. He is not jumping out of his chair despite the big vocals from the little girl. Ryan asks her why she sang this song and Ramiele says because of past experiences, but she will not elaborate. Yet she is more than willing to tell us one of the boys is wearing her glasses. And of course it is Danny. He is going to dominate the drag queen theme week. Ramiele should not feel safe tomorrow.

Brooke White

Ryan is frolocking with the judges, asking what Simon says to Paula before she gives her comments. Simon is cracking up and turning red, but Ryan doesn’t let that stop him from plugging itunes yet again. Brooke’s most embarrassing moment is when she was a little kid and jumped on some random guys back because she thought it was her father. David H. just stood up and told everyone how he always jumps on random guys, even Brooke’s father during the crazy Shriners Convention of 98. She is sitting on the stage to start the song. Never thought this would be a sit down song. Somewhere Pat just hanged herself. She wouldn’t be able to do all that great Thriller ripped off dancing with such a slow version. I hope Brooke sits the entire time, don’t be like everyone else and stand up halfway through the song. She is giving the song a country vibe with her vocal inflections. There isn’t anything particularly brilliant about Brooke, but she is very likeable and easy listening. If I came across her on the radio I don’t think I would change the station. The scaled back sitting down performance is risky but I think it is working and she is giving us some pretty good vocals. Randy says he liked her just sitting and singing and he really liked it, even if she didn’t bring anything new to the song. What? Randy are you serious? The original version was pop/rock and you don’t know if she brought anything new to the song? Seriously? This sounds NOTHING like the original, I’d call that bringing something different. Brooke has a ‘huh’ look on her face when she says that misstatement. Randy then says Paula choreographed the video for the song and Paula I think says she didn’t, it just got weird. Paula thinks Brooke’s song choice was wise but would have liked the band involved more. Simon thinks it worked because there was no band. This was an original take on the song he said, and once again, two weeks running, he thinks she did a great performance. The judges all try and talk but cancel each other out before Ryan regains control. Brooke should be safe; she deserves to make the top 12.

Syesha

This time Ryan is on stage when we return and he introduces us to Syesha’s embarrassing 2nd grade moment when she wrote a guy a letter with bubble gum in the note. But, the kid told on her for passing notes, ate her gum, and then killed Asiah’s father, ok, I made the last one up, but someone should see if he has an alibi. She is foolishly doing a Whitney song, can she pull it off? She sounds pretty good but the song is so big she is screaming to get out the higher notes and screaming produces sharp notes. If I had never heard the original version I might stand and clap for her, but instead all I can think is how bad she sounds compared to Ms. Houston. How did this get her the pimp spot? I guess big vocals = pimp spot, even if the vocals aren’t all that good. Simon looks unimpressed when they go to the judges, who are apparently short on time. Randy simply says good good. Paula thinks it was sophisticated and lovely. Simon liked it but thought it was predictable. This is really not fair to Syesha. Because Ryan did not manage the show well she gets 10 seconds from the judges. It’s like on the Oscars when they let the best film editing guy ramble on for 4 minutes and then cut off the best actress winner 30 seconds into her thank yous. I guess its ok for Syesha to do Whitney since they judges don’t mention the danger of doing one of Houston’s songs…oh wait, I know why, because they had NO time to comment.

Final Thoughts

Ramiele sounds better during the recap, but I think this footage is from the run through before the actual show, so I am not going to revise my earlier comments knocking her singing. Ryan implores us to call even telling us what to do in the case of a busy signal. Randy thinks they did their thing, Paula doesn’t want anyone to go, but Simon is not happy. He doesn’t think they are anywhere near the guys, except for Amanda, who delivered his favorite performance. While Simon is talking Kady is giving him a thumbs down. This should earn her a few more votes; if she ever figures out how to show some of her spunk while she sings she could go really far, assuming she survives judgment day tomorrow. Paula tries to say something, but Ryan cuts her off so eh can thank sthe band and plug Blake Lewis’s Idol return. Brooke seems really happy to hear he is coming. I know when I think Brooke I think beat boxing. As they fade out Asiah goes for a ride on Kady’s back, again with the personality. It’s like she has two personalities. So how goes home tomorrow? Carly had the best vocals tonight, even if the judges didn’t realize it at the time. Brooke was fantastic with her variation of a classic pop song. Amanda performed well, even if her vocals were less than spectacular. All three of them are lock solid safe tomorrow, everyone else should be very worried. Especially Kady and Kristy. I’m certain another Barbie will go, but I am not sure which one. Kady under whelmed again but Kristy’s country take will be offset by Brooke’s country vibe, stealing essential votes from the former dog imitator. Joining one of the blondes will be either Asiah or Syesha, who should cancel out each other’s votes. I think despite Ramiele’s poor performance, her fan base, comprised mostly of midgets and dwarves, will launch her into the top 12.

Men like to Sing

“8 guys are chasing 6 places in the top 12, unfortunately two of them will fail. The math is easy but performing in front of 30 million people isn’t. This is American Idol.” You really have to love the way Ryan opens the show every night. I wonder if he has writers or makes this stuff up on his own. Tonight’s 80s theme should allow the Idols a better chance to pick a song they are comfortable with, however, in the case of young David he wasn’t even born yet when these songs were popular.

Luke

He reveals his most embarrassing moment is when he sang on Idol the last two weeks. Ok actually it was about how his sister used to dress him up like a ballerina, and of course the Idol producers have a picture to prove the story. Wow, of all the songs form this decade I wouldn’t have imagined Luke picking this one. Danny maybe, but not Luke, or maybe David H., basically one of the gay guys. And why isn’t Luke wearing the super short shorts, if you are going to sing this song go all the way! Considering Luke barely survived last week and then they put him first in the rotation, I dare say the Idol gods would like Luke off the show now! Not even his fellow contestants are enjoying this song; only one of them is dancing on the balcony. Luke sounds ok on the song. He prefers the upper register, but unlike George he cannot go down into a rich tenor at the beginning of the phrases. He has almost no confidence and I think he is boring even himself. Fans of Luke I recommend you cherish this moment because this is the probably his penultimate performance. Randy says its started out tough for him and he felt like Luke was rushing through the song and getting ahead of the band. Of course he was rushing Randy, he knows he sounded horrible and wants to get off the stage as quick as possible so he can go look in a mirror again. Randy was surprised by Luke’s song choice and thinks the whole thing was a little corny. Despite Randy just trying to keep it real, the women in the audience boos. Paula is also surprised by the song choice and guess what she choreographed George’s tour. She thanks him for not wearing the short shorts, but loves Luke’s instrument. She simply loved his interpretation – the camera shows Luke’s family who is so happy Paula is one of the judges so their son gets a little credit every Tuesday night. Simon did not like Luke tonight and says he has no chance of advancing into the top 12. “It wasn’t very good Luke, sorry,” he says. A very sad looking Luke tells Ryan he just wanted to have fun and do something up-tempo. Luke has a pleasant voice, but it is not distinctive and should be kept within a group where he could hit some high notes and compliment his fellow singers; or maybe as a back up singer, but not on American Idol. Luke will go home on Thursday night.

Jesus

As they stand on the balcony Ryan says that David A. is thirsty yet has to pee. David, legitimately this time, looks embarrassed, unlike all the times he looks embarrassed when the judges compliment his singing. David’s embarrassing moment came when an organization flew him down to Honduras to sing at a fundraiser. Huh? What? Are you serious? This kid is getting flown into Central America to sing at fundraisers and he is still shocked that people compliment his singing. Sigh. Anyway, after they went to all the trouble to fly him in, he chocked, could not remember the lyrics, and his mom ran on stage singing the rest of the song instead. Interesting, David A. is at the piano, I figured we’d see Brooke here before anyone else. He has slowed down the melody, I wonder if like his cover of Imagine last week he is stealing this version from someone else or if he came up with it on his own. He sounds good, but I do not like his trademark ‘I’m going to extend the last note of a phrase really long in my higher register.” Sure it sounds good, but why do it every time, once and awhile, but otherwise he will become extremely predictable. He is also varying the melody, placing hesitation on some of the words. I give him credit for trying to make the song his own, but I do not like his alterations. Halfway through the song he gives up the piano and takes center stage so he can assume the serious song pose. This is a pretty good performance, but his vocals are not as good as last week. David sounds nice on this song, his voice is good, but unlike the rest of American I find his voice devoid of distinctiveness, it is a nice voice to be sure, but I don’t hear this voice and immediately think ‘hey that’s David Arculetta.’ Randy says he has never heard anyone, in his entire life, sing a song as well as David just did. Ok I made that up, in fact, he even notes that David had a few pitch problems. Randy is immediately fired from American Idol for having the audacity to say something less than glowing about the messiah. Paula loved the fact David missed a few notes because it reminds us he isn’t perfect. She thinks David has a great ability to pick the right songs to showcase his ability. Simon doesn’t think David was as good as last week and warns him to avoid being so gloomy all the time. He thinks David would have been better served by staying at the piano. However, he predicts David might make it to the top 2 and will definitely make it into the top 12. David tells Ryan he picked this song because it brings attention to those around the world that have nothing because the song talks about people that don’t have homes. Good lord are you serious? If David really is this nice then he should immediately be charged with running the world. As they go to break we see that Danny and David H. are up next. It’s almost like they both share something in common.

Danny

Look there is Denise Richards in the audience. See if she was still married to Charlie Sheen she couldn’t attend amazing shows like American Idol. Danny’s most embarrassing moment should be that video he made that is all over the internet, but instead he tells us about the time his friend tripped him at the movies. He is doing his own version of the song, and not surprisingly, his alterations are not an improvement. His voice gets a little lost in the lower register and this jazz version is getting more and more annoying. This is just all around weird. Danny can sing yet it’s like he is trying to avoid singing and just shimmy around the stage instead. This is one of the rare times a shorter performance would have better served the contestant; he is losing steam every second. Danny is really not helping himself advance. But he might have just guaranteed himself a spot in a drag queen review. Randy starts by saying ‘yo dawg,’ then tells Danny that it was pitchy, but unlike me, he actually like the arrangement. He wants Danny to have more confidence in his voice while he sings. Paula love show Danny is a bright light in the competition and thinks his sensitive side compliments his spicy side, but she wants him to take the purple out of his hair. Simon, who doesn’t care about hair, thinks Danny was horrible, the whole thing, he hated the vocals, the arrangement, and everything about the performance. While Ryan and Danny talk about the purple hair Paula blurts out Danny is fantastic because this is a singing competition.

David “I like to dance naked for men who pay me to sit on their laps” H.

His embarrassing moment is the time he sat through an entire photo shot with a booger in his hair. David has no real lower register, at least not on this song and he is standing pretty still. Shouldn’t a stripper know how to ‘work it’ and move around the stage with a little flare? He is having more pitch problems tonight than last week and he really has pitch problems on the second big note. It’s like he is throwing a knife at a bulls eye and just barely missing the center of the target. This is just a little better than ok performance. Randy likes David H. doing his thing, but heard the pitch problems on the big notes. Paula feels like David H. is finding this grove and becoming a very good performer. Simon doesn’t think David was as good as last week, however he thinks David has 100 percent secured a spot in the top 12. Such effusive praise from Simon can only mean one thing – he wants a lap dance before David goes home. David might be in trouble, despite Simon’s prediction. David Cook is coming up after the break, so get the tivos running.

Michael

Yeah about that whole David Cook thing – WRONG, because of a technical glitch, not being able to work David’s guitar, he will go later in the show. Michael is sitting in the Coke room with Ryan and he says he wants to make a rock album with a little bit of dance music involved. Going out of turn is truly not fair to Michael and could derail a less experienced performer, but the 53 year old Johns should be ok. His most embarrassing moment is when he was dressed as a kangaroo and four guys jumped him and beat him up in front of 20,000 people. But really, who hasn’t had that happen to them at least once in their lives. Great song choice, and like he does most of the time, he is putting his own spin on the song. He even kicks it up with a key change near the end. Michael’s style is so fluid I could picture him singing in the 70s, 80s, 90s, and even today. This is the best of the night by far. Randy loves the aussie and says he reminds him of the deceased front man for INXS. So look for Michael to hang himself in a few years. Paula is glad that Michael is defining himself as an artist and thinks this was the perfect song choice. She loves his strength in the lower notes and his presence. Simon liked it but didn’t love it and thinks Michael is hugely talented but hasn’t’ quite connected on the right song choice. He prefers him singing soul than rocking, but he does really like him and thinks he will go far in the competition.

David Cook

Did they get the guitar to work? Yes, we know because David just strummed a chord for Ryan. David’s hide your head in shame came when he was in a talent competition and he forgot the second verse of his song, when suddenly David A.’s mother ran on stage and sang the rest of the song…whoops sorry I thought he was David A. for a second. Wow this is totally not the song I expected when I think electric guitar. His hair looks more normal this week and this is actually kind of cool. His vocals are pretty good with a few screams thrown in throughout. However, without holding his guitar, I’m not sure how much I would be enjoying David Cook, but he has it, and I’m digging the white Lionel. Vocally this is not the best of the night, but it might be the best performance. Randy loves that David turned a Lionel Ritchie song into an emo song. Paula loves the song and thinks this could be a hit song today. She predicts David Cook with be a great shinning star. Simon says David was very brave tonight…pauses…then says he loved it. He commends David for taking such a big chance. Not only does he think Lionel would like this version, he says he was just in the supermarket with him while he was buying carrots and Lionel was buying cereal. Simon really hopes David is safe and we see him next week. Simon’s wishes should come true.David should be safe on Thursday.

Jason Castro

His worst moment came during a date when something happened with his hair and a girl. I am not really sure Jason is saying because he is borderline incoherent. I assume Jason’s interview shyness explains his inability to communicate his story. This song has been overdone on television the last few years (OC anyone?), but he is doing his own unique version. His choice to avoid using the guitar provides more intimacy and the light shining down on him from behind creates an ethereal quality. Jason stands up halfway through and finishes out the song with a very sincere vocal. He is really doing a good job. Randy says it was alright, especially on such a difficult song. He gives him props and thanks him for not using the guitar. Paula says Jason sang the song with ease and she loves his beautiful vulnerability. Jason is what she loves about this season, specifically his phrasing. Simon says the Jeff Buckley version of this song is one of the favorites and despite the tall order, he thinks Jason was brilliant. He thinks Jason is getting better and better. Jason thanks the judges for their kind words and assures Ryan he is getting better at interviewing.

Chikeze

His most embarrassing moment came in a bathroom. He used the same bathroom over and over again when suddenly he heard an older white man tapping his foot in the next stall. Actually, it was embarrassing because he was using a women’s restroom, which explained why there were no urinals. He has a Reuben Studdard feel tonight and sounds good. Is this his audition song, or do they just sound alike? He has a nice transition into his falsetto, but unlike last week this song is failing to connect. He is unable to find the right notes at the end of the song. This is an ‘almost really good but there is just something not really working for me’ performance. Randy thinks Chik picked an interesting song but did a good job with it, despite surprising himself with the last note. Paula wanting a more upbeat song but thinks Chik’s vocals were really good. Simon asks if this was a Whitney song, as soon as Chik says yes Simon says it didn’t work. Huh? So if Whitney did not sing the song it would have worked? To Chik’s credit, when Simon asked him if Whitney sang it, he started listing off every person who has ever sang the song. I’m impressed. Simon feels Chik was more cabaret than last week and doesn’t think this song was a wise move. Randy chimes in the song finished up strong and Chik deserves a spot in the show next week. Thankfully, Chik didn’t make any rude comments towards Simon, which should get him a few extra votes.


Final Thoughts

Luke is gone. Joining him should be either David H. or Danny. If it’s not then someone who performed pretty well is going home.