It's not my town, it's not your town, it's MOTOWN!

After suffering through a less than stellar country music themed week, Idol returns to more familiar footing with the sounds of Motown. I wonder if when they planned out the season they thought ‘hey we are doing white people music one week so maybe we should do the exact opposite the week after.’ I’m still in mourning from Alexis’s far too early departure. Really America? You voted more for Michael Scott than Alexis? Not since the 2004 Presidential election has America spoken with as much collective stupidity. I understand the judges’ decision to not ‘save’ her, but their power only lasts until the Top 5, which means they only have 4 more chances to remove a contestant from death row. How hilarious would it be if the judges never even used their new power? And what if Scott and Michael make up the bottom two tomorrow night, will Simon say the judges won’t save either of them before Ryan announces the one leaving?


With the exception of Megan, everyone should be able to slide right into the Motown groove. Especially Danny, Lil Rounds, and Anoop – this is their week to shine. The biggest unknown heading into tonight is Adam Lambert. Will he defile a classic Motown song, sing the song like the original, or modernize the song without offending half the judges and half the voting public. Michael Sarver wound up in the bottom three last week, so he might want to sing a song where we can actually make out the lyrics this time. Finally, Scott needs to find his inner coolness; if he can’t do it with these songs his blindness may save him no longer.

Ryan asks what happens when you mix the most talked about singers in America with some of the most influential songs of the world. Of the world? Sure Motown has some great songs but I don’t think the Warsaw Pact countries were jamming to Motown during the Cold War. Again with the way over the top judges introductions while Ryan walks down the lighted staircase. Sigh. I guess this new introduction is the new official beginning of the show. Everyone is healthy this week, but they haven’t recovered from the shocking elimination of Alexis. Ryan asks Randy if last week felt brutal for him, and he says yes. Kara also felt it was tough, and although Alexis was a good singer, she says Alexis picked some bad songs the last few times. Ok let’s analyze this brilliant judging moment from Kara. Alexis sang during her Group week, then during the Top 13, and then during the Top 11; a grand total of three performances before the American public. Kara said she picked bad songs the last few times she sang. Few normally means ‘three,’ so Kara is saying every time we saw Alexis sing, she was singing a bad song choice. Of course, with the exception of last week, Kara gushed effusive praise for Alexis and never once questioned her song choice. Thanks for the great insight Kara. Ryan asks Paula what she wants to see tonight and she says she wants the contestants to challenge their artistic integrity. She wants them to mix it up and surprise the judges. Simon says he wants the contestants to make the songs original. Unless of course it’s Adam, then he will hate it and call it rubbish. Lil leads the contestants out on stage. She is like a full 5 feet in front of everyone. She really wants to hit her mark quickly. Michael is on ‘Scott duty’ and helps him walk to the front of the stage.

The Idols get to visit Motown’s home office. They received the grand tour of all the Motown memorabilia. Lil is so moved by the things hanging on the wall she tears up. Michael and Megan, apparently too sick to travel, did not make the trip. Hear that Michael’s wife? Megan and your husband spent a few days alone together in the mansion, probably in the hot tub with each other. Smokey Robinson flew back to LA to help out the Idols. There is a random slightly overweight white kid sitting next to Smokey in the audience. He looks terrified when the camera moves into his personal space.

Matt – Let’s Get it On

Matt never thought he’d get to play piano in front of Smokey. Smokey thinks Matt did more than justice to the song and thinks Marvin would love his version. This compliment blows Matt’s mind. Matt hit the falsetto note in pitch during his run through with Smokey, but will he find the right pitch tonight? He starts the song with just him on the piano. He is hitting his falsetto notes at the start, especially the ‘big one.’ He has a little trouble hitting the low notes in the chorus. He gets up from the piano and starts to move around; he has three back up singers on stage behind him. Poor Scott. How can he get up and move around the stage like Matt can? Simple, he cannot. I think he should go for the sympathy vote and get up from the piano, and then ‘accidentally’ fall off the stage. Sure he will probably break a few bones, but he is a lock for the finals if he pulls off that type of stunt. Matt makes it all the way down in front of the judges. He sounds very good, and this is not a copycat version. He hums for a few measures in the middle of the song and I wonder if he took out a big falsetto note or if he just decided to hum this part. It still sounds good, but it feels a little out of place. This is his first performance without any major pitch problems. Matt is normally good for one or two ‘dude what the heck was that’ moments, but not tonight. Really other than his inability to get low enough on the ‘let’s get it on’ he is flawless. He is easily the best of the night so far. Randy is really happy about Motown night and thinks Matt set us off on a tone. He knows that there are some other frontrunners in the competition, but he thinks Matt has worked it out and put himself in position to be real contender. Kara thinks a lot of girls want to ‘get it on’ with Matt. She is happy he left the piano and did his thing, but she wouldn’t mind him pushing it a little more next time. Paula is glad he showed off his sexy cool vibe. Unlike so many current artists, she says Matt doesn’t over riff; he respects the melody. She says he is like wearing a great pair of old jeans. Simon calls the song choice brilliant, and other than the corny part when he came up to the judges, he says the performance was cool. He says his voice absolutely suits this song. He says Matt is officially one of the frontrunners now. Matt tells Ryan he is trying to step up his game a little bit and keep getting better every week.


Kris – How Sweet it Is

Not only are all of the songs available on Itunes, but the contestants will be singing with the original band recordings. Wait a minute, that means if someone sings their own new version of the song we cannot download it right? Last week we saw Kris’s sensitive side, this week we get to see his black side. Kris was really nervous singing for Smokey. Smokey’s great advice to Kris was to laugh hysterically while clapping and then utter a barely audible ‘alright man.’ You can’t buy this type of mentoring. Kris asks Smokey a question about how to start the song and Smokey says he should do exactly what he just did. Smokey was really impressed with Kris’s ability to chew gum and walk at the same time, no wait, it’s his ability to play the guitar while he sings. Because you know, hardly anyone ever does that. Kris does start off the song with the chorus; he does so acappela. He also has back up singers on the stage. Maybe they are there all night. Kris must have found some confidence last week, because he sounds great. He always manages to infuse the song with his likeability. His version sounds current – a mix between early John Mayer and Jason Mraz. Throw him on the Disney channel and this song would sells millions. Maybe he could be the fourth Jonas Brother. Paula is loving the song and dancing along. He hits a huge note to end things off followed by a nice riff. What a great song choice. He gets a chance to show off his voice while having a really good time. He even showed off some originality with his arrangement. The first two performances tonight are already better than anything we saw last week. This might be my favorite Kris performance so far. A beaming Kara says she loved that he didn’t do James Taylor, he didn’t do Marvin Gaye, instead, he did Kris. His phrasing and rhythm were different than the original. She says he did everything right on that performance. Paula says he has such a comfort level and an infectious personality. She says he was brilliant and she is really proud of his growth every week. Simon says he did a smart version of the song, but thinks he has to start believing in himself; he says he is standing on stage like he is waiting at a bus stop. He wants him to be a ‘star,’ and stars are conceited. Randy thinks he hit his zone and shouldn’t change anything since it’s “all good right now baby.” Simon still wants Kris to watch videos of him to learn how to be confident. Kris understands the judges’ comments and agrees he needs self belief, but isn’t sure about the conceit part.

Scott – You Can’t Hurry Love

Scott gets a sit down with Ryan. I wonder if Ryan will be the one to walk him onto the stage during the video introduction. Scott is all up for taking risks, but the piano is part of who he is, so he cannot abandon his ivory friend. Paula thinks Scott is going to bring it and up the ante tonight. Scott says being a guy and singing Diana Ross is difficult. Umm Scott have you ever heard of Phil Collins? He did a version of this song when you were a kid, maybe you should look that up big guy. Smokey thinks Scott brought the song up to date and made it very contemporary. Scott is single right now and still waiting for the perfect girl. Smokey says he had no negative comments for Scott, but he doesn’t seem as excited about him as he was with Matt and Kris. Foreshadowing anyone? He starts the song as if it’s a very slow and boring ballad. I hope he gets faster or at least one person watching will take their own life. The back up singers are now directly behind the piano. They are getting more screen time tonight than they did all last season. This is the most stripped down we’ve heard Scott and the thinness of his voice is really clear now. This beginning makes it sound like it belongs in a Disney animated movie. The song picks up tempo, but Scott is still very bland. When he tries to ‘dirty’ up his voice, his pitch control disappears. I’ve never actually seen a lounge singer in person, but I imagine it’s a lot like this performance. Decent voice, decent piano playing, but nothing you want to listen to if you are not drunk. I had high hopes for Scott when he started his Idol journey but after this train wreck I think he is officially on life support. I wonder if the judges will flash their fangs to the blind guy or give him faint praise. Paula thinks Scott pleased both Simon and her by bringing something different. She liked the fact the singers were around the piano. She liked his chord changes to start the song. Simon quotes the song, ‘how much more can you take,’ and says come on his version wasn’t great. He did not like his piano playing nor the back up singers. He thought it was completely the wrong song for him, and a little cheap. He thinks Scott is better than that as an artist – he keeps picking the wrong songs to stand out as a relevant artist today. Randy says he doesn’t often agree with Simon, but…at this point Paula starts interrupting Randy assuming he is about to disagree with Simon, but she missed the part when he said ‘but’ and screams YES YES, until Randy says he agrees with Simon. Then a very confused Paula says she cannot believe he is agreeing and disappears into her own confused little world. Randy says each contestant is getting tougher, but he picked the wrong song and nothing great happened. It was very average. Kara likes the song’s tempo, but she wasn’t crazy that he took liberties with the melody. She doesn’t think he perfectly executed his good ideas. Scott wanted to accelerate the tempo of his song choice. He still wants to do a song with just the piano. Simon says his back up song choice would have been much better. Randy agrees. Is it too late to bring back Alexis? Ryan asks Paula how Scott compared with Kris and Matt and Paula doesn’t answer the question. Simon demands she does and she says she has something for him and then her head disappears below the table, near Simon’s lap. Ryan, unable to resist the chance to make a sexual joke, says they aren’t allowed to show that. Ryan just made the most obvious sexual reference in Idol history. Paula pulls out crayons and a coloring book for Simon and calls him a child. As they go to commercial Simon is coloring Paula’s face with a crayon. With all the make up she wears I doubt it would even make a difference what he draws on her cheek.

Megan – For Once in My Life

Simon and Paula are coloring the new books when Ryan asks Paula what else she has under the table. Her answer, “it’s under my skirt.” It’s only a matter of time until the FCC takes this show off the air and we will be watching this on HBO. Simon covers her mouth so she can’t say anything else fine worthy. Smokey says Megan is half jazz half cabaret, and very refreshing. Megan is overwhelmed Smokey likes her. Smokey either really likes the contestants or doesn’t care, because Megan asked him what she should do and told her to do it the same way on the show as she did in her run through. He says she is one of the most original contestants in Idol history. A fully recovered Megan starts the song with a full horn section. Like always, I can’t tell if she is missing the pitches or just ‘doing her thing,’ until the second verse, where she definitely has some pitch issues. She has the same odd body movements as she makes her way behind the judges. I feel like this performance should be in the recent Hairspray movie. Compared to the boring and predictable Scott, Megan is a breath of not quite technically proficient but enjoyable fresh air. Paula is playing with Simon’s face once Megan returns to the stage. Megan has a little trouble with the higher notes and screams them instead of sings them. I think Megan lovers will like this, but those outside her fan base will not be impressed. Randy says he has mad love for her, and he loves her outfit, but dude this song was a train wreck for him. That type of song doesn’t fit with what she does; he wanted a slower less rushed and hectic mad crazy song. Kara agrees with Randy and says she should have picked another song. She says the phrasing and rhythms were weird and the song took her over. Paula compliments Megan’s beauty and then agrees with Kara and Randy. Simon says the good news is she looks good and the bad news is it was horrible. He suggests she fire whoever is giving her musical advice. He says it was a terrible arrangement and the vocals were all over the place. The crowd isn’t booing their disagreement, which usually means they didn’t like the performance either. Megan is tearing up. I actually think the judges are being too harsh. I liked her performance, flaws and all. Maybe it’s just because she followed Scott. I would have enjoyed hearing almost anyone sing after his borefest. Ryan asks Megan if she was comfortable and she says she had fun and asks her fans to ‘give a call guys.’

Anoop – Ooo Baby Baby

Smokey explains the origins of Anoop’s song choice. Smokey felt the song with Anoop and AGAIN tells the contestant not to change anything. Come on Smokey step up and give some advice dog. Anoop is sitting on the stage to start the song. He still dresses like he is on his way to class at Chapel Hill. He has a nice tone when he goes into the falsetto notes. Anoop can definitely sing, but this is borderline boring. He seems to prefer the slow ballads to the up tempo numbers; his fan base seems to want the faster songs, which could be a problem in a few weeks. He is hitting all the right notes but I’m just not feeling his song choice. Back to back weeks with slow Anoop songs is one week too many. Since he doesn’t hit any bad notes, other than a few issues with his falsetto, I suppose this is a good performance, but I wish he did something with a little more personality. His parents are very happy in the audience. Kara says this is one of the most beautiful songs ever written and one of the hardest to sing. Kara thinks he missed a few notes, but overall he did a pretty good job on a hard song. She says he can sing and has a skill set. She wants him to be more creative with how he changes up the melodies. Paula cannot imagine singing this song in front of its creators sitting in the audience. She wants to see more confidence, but for the most part his phrasing, delivery, and falsetto is not only spot on, it’s sweet. Simon says it was a great vocal, but he felt like Anoop looked half asleep the entire song. He warns Anoop to not be boring when he sings. He says he had two good weeks in a row now. Randy wants more energy next week. He thinks he is more than the balladeer guy. Next week Randy wants him to ‘get the party on.’ Ryan asks Randy where he ranks with the other guys and he says he is right up there with the other guys. Anoop tells Ryan he believes he can win this competition.

Michael Sarver – Ain’t Too Proud to Beg

He gets a sit down with Ryan and discusses his sickness. He missed the trip to Detroit, but is healthy now. Michael says he is going to ‘take the song to church’ and get back to his soul roots. Smokey wants Michael to use his big voice on the song. Wow, Smokey actually gave advice. Holy cow, he is trying. Smokey doesn’t want Michael to sweet talk the song; lay it all out on the line. I really wish Anoop picked this song instead of Michael. Michael is giving the song an almost country feel. I guess this is what he means by giving it soul. He looks so goofy when he sings and he adds to his goofiness when he reaches down and touches the hands of a few people in the mosh pit. He sounds alright but this is very karaoke and he is doing the random microphone hand switching thing again. His attempts to add his own originality are pretty weak and then the train officially comes off the tracks during his big finish when he totally misses a note. He sounds awful on the note, but quickly recovers. He is vying with Scott for worst of the night. I hope the judges are as critical of nice guy Michael as they were with Megan. Paula says the performance was tough because it had a Las Vegas lounge feel. She says he needs to dominate the song and drive it, not the other way around. She says he didn’t always reach the right note. Simon says he couldn’t wait for it to end because he was screaming and shouting the song. He doesn’t think he has any chance to win the competition with these type of vocals. In the real world it just isn’t good enough. He says he was below par. Michael agrees with Simon and says he knew he was in trouble tonight. What? Wow! A contestant that agrees with Simon that he sucked. This is a first. If he knew he wasn’t going to do well tonight why did he stick with this song? I hope Ryan asks him about that comment once the judges are done rambling. Randy says this song is unbelievable and just a little too big for Michael. He doesn’t think he had the right vibe to pull it off; he made it corny because he tried to do too much with it. Kara says it’s not about singing anymore, it’s about artistry. She wants someone that interrupts it in their own way and makes it their own. She wants him to show who he is an artist and what he can do different to a song to make the judges say ‘wow that is hot.’ Now Kara is quoting Paris Hilton. Ryan asks Michael how it feels to get destroyed by the judges and he says the truth is he is having a blast and being true to who he is, even if they don’t get him as an artist.

Lil Rounds – Copycatwave

Ryan again reminds us of Itunes and the original instrumental recordings they are offering this week. Oh no, Smokey goes all Randy and says Lil can sing the phone book. Smokey come on baby you really need to try harder. Lil talks to Smokey about Detroit and how far he made it from that point to now and she gets emotional. Smokey is touched she feels his legacy. Lil wants to do well tonight to make all the old Motown artists proud. When Ryan introduces Lil from the mosh pit there is a girl in traditional Islamic headdress next to him, which just looks odd. I mean sure everyone watches this show, but I’m a little surprised the Idol producers didn’t replace her with a hot blonde before the show began. Lil has another new hairstyle (is it really her hair though), but she still has no originality. She is doing a very copycat version, just like very other song she performs. I still have no idea what type of album she would make and I know nothing about her as an artist. I wonder if Kara will repeat all the stuff about artistry with Lil, as she should, or just ignore her previous comments and says she was brilliant. Come on judges, one of you needs to point out this girl has less originality than Rocky 5. Sure she sounds good, but I’ve heard this before, about 100 times on the radio. She is doing NOTHING to make this song her own. She is just singing the same exact version we’ve heard for 40 years. Please judges criticize her for this karaoke performance. I don’t care she is hitting every note, not when she is either unwilling or unable to add any of herself to her singing. Randy says the song was torture for him at the front. He felt like she was rushing through the song because there are so many words. He wants her to sing a song with a little more room for her voice. Kara compliments her looks and then says this night was her chance to become a diva and nail the performance, but she doesn’t think she picked the right song. She says she stayed true to what the song was, but she wants more from her at this point in the show. She thinks Lil was screaming at points, and Kara never wants to hear her scream. Kara is actually not contradicting her comments to Michael. You go girl, I’m impressed. Paula disagrees with Randy and Kara, except for the fact they think she looks good. Paula thinks Lil’s vocals feel fresh and make it feel like she is hearing it for the first time. Simon says she did an authentic tribute to Motown tonight, but he wouldn’t have picked this song since it doesn’t give her a moment. He reminds everyone that she is one of the best singers in the competition and wants her to do what she did a few weeks ago and blow them away. Lil says she understands the judges’ comments and agrees with both Kara and Paula. She promises to execute their comments if she remains another week. Ryan says if we think we have Adam pegged get ready for a surprise and the camera shows a non-emo suit wearing Adam – this should be interesting.


Adam – Tracks of My Tears

Adam is really nervous standing next to Smokey. Smokey loves to hear other people interpret his songs and he has never heard anyone sing the song like Adam. He was very proud of Adam’s interpretation. Adam asks Smokey what inspired the song and Smokey says he imagined what it would be like if someone cried so much you could see the tracks left on their face from the tears. Adams appears emotionally moved. His goal is to do the song justice. He is on a stool surrounded by an acoustic stripped down band. He looks like he might if he was singing on Ed Sullivan in the 60s, except maybe the earrings. His falsetto is amazing, easily the best ever from a male contestant on Idol. In fact, I think Anoop and Matt should just stop using their falsetto from now on. Paula and Kara both put their hands up in approval. He transitions down into his normal voice for a second and then goes back into his falsetto. It’s a lot harder than it looks boys and girls. This is almost mesmerizing. Anoop, take some notes, because this is how you sing a slow song without it being super boring. Adam is perfect on all the notes and finishes the song with an unfinished phrase that really leaves you wanting more. He has the ability to hit subtle falsetto notes. If the judges don’t like this performance I might have to stop watching Idol. When he is finished he shakes the hands of his band mates and thanks them; Adam is such a seasoned performer, I don’t think any other contestant would have the composure to do the same thing. Smokey gives Adam a standing ovation. I think Adam is genuinely moved by the gesture. Paula is also standing. Kara stands up too. She says she has six words for Adam, “one of the best performances of the night.” Um Kara, that’s umm 8 words. Nice job. She seems so intelligent until she starts speaking, and then it’s all down hill. Maybe Paula should give her a few coloring books. Kara says Adam showed artistry on the stage. Paula loves this season because someone like Adam, who is completely in his own league, comes along with the element of surprise. She loves his look tonight and thinks he is handsome and classy. She says he is exciting. Simon disagrees with Kara because it was the best performance of the night. He says Adam just summed up everything they have been saying tonight about being original. He says Adam has really emerged as a star tonight. Randy says from day one he felt Adam had the range and now he showed he isn’t just a cool rocker; he can straighten it up and sing tender moments. He calls him the unbelievably hot bomb tonight. Ryan says there is nothing to talk about and quickly goes to commercial. This is probably helpful to Adam because the only thing he could do wrong at this point is to say something stupid.

Danny – Get Ready

For some reason Ryan is holding a horn while he introduces Danny’s video. Geez, Danny walks in calling his mentor Smokey. What, no Mr. Robinson? Danny is no longer wearing his glasses. Smokey, for only the second time tonight, gives some helpful comments and tells Danny he shouldn’t let the back up singers sing a part by themselves, instead he should join in. Danny says Smokey has been in the business a lot longer than him (40 years vs. 40 days) so he will listen to the advice. Smokey gives Danny a big hug and predicts Danny will be wonderful tonight. So far through the first verse, Danny (who is wearing his glasses again) is completely ignoring Smokey’s advice and letting the back up singers sing that part. Maybe he is doing this so he can build the song and then sing the part next time around. If that’s the case I understand, but if he totally ignored Smokey he won’t get the coveted standing ovation from Mr. Robinson. Danny sounds more and more like Taylor Hicks every week. Nope, second time through he is still totally ignoring Smokey’s advice. Dude, you said he knew more than you did, so why aren’t you listening to Motown’s finest? In a very fun moment he walks back to the back up singers and momentarily does some choreography. Well done Danny; Motown deserves at least a few dance moves. Danny sounds great and is adding a lot of himself to the song with different phrasing and he is emphasizing certain words in his own style. But I can’t get over the fact he just gave Smokey the proverbial middle finger by ignoring his mentor. I guess Danny felt he couldn’t sing the song if he had to include such complicated lyrics like ‘you’re alright’ and ‘you’re out of sight.’ I hope the judges mention the fact he disrespected his mentor. Come on Simon don’t let me down. A rushed Paula, I guess they are running short on time, says Danny is undeniable, identifiable and always reliable to give them a first class performance. Simon says he was clumsy and amateurish. Randy says Danny has a dope voice and loves his energy even though it wasn’t his best performance. Kara thinks he was good but not great and is still a huge Danny fan. So that’s a NO, none of the judges pointed out the fact he treated Smokey like a piece of old cheese and threw him out by the curb. I wonder if Smokey will confront him after the show and hit him so hard he cries tears from a clown that leave tracks on his face.

16-year-old Allison – Papa Was a Rolling Stone

Paula is sitting on Ryan’s lap when he introduces Allison’s video. Smokey explains the meaning of the song, but who cares about the meaning if you don’t know the lyrics. Allison was probably too busy studying for her Idol school to learn the words. She missed several in front of Smokey and he says she just needs to study the lyrics and then she’ll do really great because she sang the song her way. She starts the song in her lower register. She really does have great stage presence for someone so young. She throws in a quick falsetto note and then goes back to her low voice. She sounds really good and is giving the song a rock vibe. When she opens up her voice and goes into the higher notes she really could be Kelly Clarkson’s little sister. Unlike Lil she manages to make the songs her own and unlike Megan she hits the right notes. She hits a massive power note to end the song. She is easily the second best of the night behind only Adam. Randy says even though she is only 16 she is one of the dopest singers and says she was hot. Kara can’t believe she was in the bottom three last week and says she sings like she has been singing for 400 years. She says Allison’s gift is from god and cannot be taught. Paula, who has a fake crayon mustache from Simon, says Allison looks fantastic and calls her awesome and amazing. Simon says Allison is a survivor after a terrible performance last week. He thinks she gave one of her best performances on a very difficult song. Ryan says her numbers as fast as humanly possible.

Final Thoughts

Matt doesn’t sound as good after hearing Adam and Allison. Kris is in the same boat as Matt. Scott still sounds like a deaf guy, not a blind one. Megan still sounds all over the place. Anoop still sounds like he is performing at his own funeral. Michael still sounds like he should have gone last week instead of Alexis. Lil still sounds like everyone else who has ever sang this song. Adam still sounds like he is in a different league while playing for the other team. Danny still sounds like a lot of fun. Allison still sounds like a rocker. Ryan asks Smokey and Barry about tonight and Barry says he is blown away. He rambles on and on and Ryan has to cut him off. Smokey says they were all awesome and he had a great time being part of the show.

Thank you Idol producers for not having two weeks of country. A few performers stood out tonight: Adam and Allison. Matt, Kris, and Danny were all good, but not at the same level. After those five, things went downhill faster than Paula went under the table. Lil sounded good, but she is so unoriginal it’s getting old. Other than a few notes during Michael Jackson week, she goes out there and sings the song exactly the same way as the original. Who wants to hear that? If I wanted to hear that same version of the song I’d just go to Itunes. We watch Idol each week to hear the new take on the songs by the contestants. Lil is apparently ‘take less.’ Unless she shows some ability to inject her own ideas into her performances I cannot see her winning the show. Anoop has some strange love affair with boring ballads. He had a chance to sing an up-tempo Motown song. Dude, that’s your strength! But no, he whips out another boring ballad. After Adam nailed his song I wonder how inspired Anoop’s fans will be to vote for their guy. I would not be surprised if he fell into the bottom three. However, the most likely bottom three is Megan, Michael, and Scott. Megan was quirky like always but missed more notes than normal. I don’t know what type of fan base her off Broadway style has fostered. I think she might have a small but passionate following. Scott is in way over his head. I don’t know if being blind hinders his ability to learn the songs or select the songs, mediocre describes his last three outings. Not only does he pick the wrong song, he then proceeds to poorly perform the wrong song. I know he is the feel good story this season, but it might be time for his journey to end. People are voting for him because it feels good, not because they like his music. Sooner or later that feel good feeling will disappear and his journey well end. But, I think it’s time for Michael to hit the road. Even if he isn’t too proud to beg, not even begging can get the judges to use their veto if he ends up in the bottom of the voting. He is a nice guy that probably shouldn’t have made the Top 13. He should be proud he advanced so far and enjoy some time with his daughter before he heads out on tour. Idol is all about the shocking outcomes, but if anyone other than Megan, Scott, or Michael ends up in the bottom three they really do need to check out the computers that tabulate the votes and make sure they are actually counting the votes and not just guessing.