Top 5: Results

Tonight's bottom three represents more than half of the contestants, so take it with a grain of salt. We kick in with a video of the top 5 completely destroying a kitchen when trying to make a cake. I want to get that on YouTube and watch it on loop. Epic.  

Matt goes to the right side of the stage, and Danny to the left. Probably Danny is the safe pile, but if he doesn't, I will dance. Allison joins Danny, and Kris joins Matt. Adam is asked to choose where he thinks he belongs, and he would have really good reason to hesitate here and consider going to Matt/Kris instead of Danny/Allison. However, he moves to Danny and Allison, which is revealed to be the safe pile. One of them, though, will have to leave. I'm hoping Danny and

JESUS MARY AND JOSEPH ADAM LAMBERT IS IN THE BOTTOM THREE.  

OK, now let's take a breath here. Adam was probably #3 tonight. He is going to be safe. You saw the expressions on Danny's and Allison's faces--no one expected that.  

What's happening here is voter dynamics. Danny and Allison and Adam and Kris all turned in great performances. Simon lured in the pity votes for Allison, and I think that a lot of Adam fans are Allison fans as well. I think what happened was a combination of several things.

 

1. The Adam/Allison fanbase voted for Allison this week because they got complacent. Adam's on top, they think. Adam's always on top. Allison could use the votes more. 

2. Adam is being held to his own standard, rather than anyone else's. Last night was not his best performance. 

3. Over 47,000,000 votes were submitted last night. That's about 10 million over the normal number... probably coming from fans of other contestants.  

Now, as I write this, Ryan is about to send Adam back to safety.  

WHAT?! Kris is safe, Adam is in the bottom 2 with Matt! What is this?! Look, I love Kris and I'll be buying his albums, but at this point I have no words. The only thing we can say at this point is that this is insane. Could Adam Lambert possibly be eliminated tonight?  

I'm going to put my tin hat back on tonight. Is this a ploy by the producers to spice the show back up by knocking the votes down on the one contestant we always thought was safe?  

Look, Fox, quit with the commercials, don't make me go get the Valium. (Tonight is not a good night at Turn up the Volume. My internet is patchy at best, and Adam Lambert is not safe.)  

OK. Results are in. Adam is safe. God's in his heaven, there's a chicken in every pot, all's right with the world. Matt Giraud has been eliminated. I wish him well.

Top 5: Rat Pack Week

I admit: I am not old enough to know the Rat Pack.  So the videotaped history lesson would have been really helpful to me.  I’m not entirely sure what Jaime Foxx has to do with them, but he has certainly been a successful artist.

Kris Allen is in the bitch spot tonight, but if Jaime Foxx is right about his performance of “The Way You Look Tonight,” it won’t matter.  A smooth song even with the jazz kicking in after the first verse, this song is not a vocal stretch for Kris, but he nails every note, powering his voice up and then settling back down.  The last note was beautiful.  I’m not sure how I feel about the arrangement—having the jazz kick in and the tempo upswing for about 30 seconds made the song feel rushed in place.  But it was a very solid, quality performance, technically outstanding.  Simon is right that Kris’s low-key style is likely to not win him this competition, but I think he will be a successful recording artist—especially if Jaime is willing to do an album with him, as he mentioned.

Allison Iraheta, based on her appearance in the bottom 3 last week, needed the pimp spot most this week.  Instead she is up second.  Granted, at this point in the competition the bottom 3 represents more than half of the competition, but I am still worried.  She is singing “Someone To Watch Over Me.”  Allison has clearly taken Jamie’s advice to heart because she is singing the hell out of this song, with a lot of emotion behind her lyrics.  I would have loved to hear her use her upper range better; she powered through a lot of notes rather than lifting the note high.  Still, I don’t think anyone will have a problem voting her up high this week!  Allison has some real strengths in this competition: she can mix up a song to suit herself, she has a great, versatile voice, and she has excellent showmanship.  Now, Allison fans—GET OFF YOUR BUTTS AND VOTE!

Matt Giraud, who is hopefully not the underdog this week, is smack in the middle of the pack.  This is a great week for him because, as he mentions, he is a jazzy type of artist.  He is singing “My Funny Valentine” tonight, and with any luck he’ll mix it up a bit.  I loved Jaime’s suggestion of raising the pitch a bit, but as he starts singing, I don’t think Matt has listened—and as I hear him miss one of his high notes, I think we know why he didn’t.  Matt has some really good moments, but the problem is that he also has some really BAD moments, and ultimately it was mediocre.  I do not know what Simon is smoking tonight, but I do not agree with him; I thought Matt’s performance was miles BELOW Kris’s and Allison’s.

Danny Gokey is going next.  Simon has predicted that Danny will be in the top two with Adam… let’s see.  Danny is not, admittedly, going to change up “Come Rain or Come Shine.”  Who is surprised?  Danny doesn’t change up anything.  Vocally, of course, this is a quality performance, because Danny’s vocals are great.  Still, up until he kicked in about 30 seconds from the end, this was Karaeoke Gokey at his best.  The last 30 seconds redeemed the boringness of the song, but Danny does need to step it up.  Yes, he is vocally great, but if he ends up in the top 2 against Adam, I will enjoy seeing him get killed by someone that knows how to mix up a song and make it original and contemporary.

Adam Lambert is up next to wipe away all my memories of Karaeoke Gokey.  Adam is singing the Muse cover of “Feeling Good,” and this is going to be awesome.  He adds a jazzy tone to it, but every note is perfect.  What is that last note?  How long did he hold it?  This is a sexy, powerful, wicked cool performance, excellent showmanship, excellent vocals, excuse me while I go vote on both his numbers.

Top performances of the night

1. Adam Lambert

2. Allison Iraheta

3. Kris Allen

4. Danny Gokey

5. Matt Giraud

Bride of Top 7: Results

America, you still suck, but only a little.

It is true that Allison Iraheta was in the bottom 3 tonight, where she absolutely did not belong.  However, at least America had the good sense to vote more for her than they did for Lil and Anoop, who were eliminated as they deserved to be.

A plea to all of Allison's fans--get on your phones and vote!  There are clearly not enough of us active!

Bride of Top 7 Week: DialIdol Predicts

Let's hope that three is not the charm for DialIdol.  For the last two weeks, the 97% accurate elimination-prediction program has shown that the lowest number of votes were for Kris, and demonstrated that he would go home.  As we all know, that was false.  This week, though, both Kris and Allison are in the bottom 3 as predicted by DialIdol, along with Matt Giraud.

Can that possibly be reflective of all the votes sent in?  There are about 31 million votes sent in on any given night, and not all of them are submitted through DialIdol.  Although DialIdol is often reflective of the votes given, this season (with Kris in particular) it seems that it is not as reflective as it has been.  People are texting votes in a different pattern than they are DialIdoling them.

What will it mean for the show, though, if Kris and Allison really are in the bottom 3 (along with Matt?)  Well, certainly Matt will go home, but it would be a travesty to lose one of these two singers.  Moreover, it would bring more backlash on that ridiculous use of the Judges' Save last week.  Matt did not deserve to be saved--and Simon's reaction made it clear that he was approving the save not because he wanted to, but because the producers had told him to.  If Kris or Allison are eliminated tonight, that will turn that farcical save last week into a despicable power play by the producers to "add interest" to a show.  American Idol is rigged and we all know it, but I don't think that, in any case other than ringer contestants like Joanna Pacitti this year and Carly Smithson last year (and don't get me wrong, I loved Carly,) anyone really raised eyebrows at how rigged it is.  If the save proves to have been wasted on an unworthy contestant, I predict a real fan reaction.

Who should be in the bottom 3?  I hold to last night's statement that it should be Lil, Danny, and Anoop, with Anoop and Lil going home.  However, people will probably vote more on the quality of overall performances, not just last night. 

In that case, the bottom 3 will probably contain Lil, Anoop, and Matt, with Anoop and Matt going home.  Lil's fanbase will surely react to Simon's prediction that she would be voted off.  Anoop's fanbase has saved him thus far, although his time is running out.  Matt turned in a great performance last night, but like Paula said, he throws strikes or gutter balls--the man does not do mediocre, it's either killer or a trainwreck.

So what's it going to be, AI?  Will the eliminations be of people who deserve to go home, or America, did you really vote two of the competition's top singers into the bottom 3?  

Bride of Top 7: Disco Week

Lil Rounds, “I’m Every Woman.”  Oh, Lil.  Lil, I am so disappointed in your song choice.  The arrangement was out of control and completely unoriginal.  Her voice sounded good, but not really that good enough.  And yet again, she interrupts the judges and cuts Simon off.  Last stop for Lil.

Kris Allen, “She Works Hard for the Money.”  I’m going to quote Simon here—“it was like coming out of karaeoke hell into a breath of fresh air.”  He said that about David Cook last year and the comparison is apt.  Kris Allen did exactly what he needed to do this week.  The man could not sing any disco song as it was written, so he mixed it up and made it his own.  An excellent performance.

Danny Gokey, “September.”  His voice sounds off—is he sick?  It’s rough around the edges.  The arrangement is good, making an otherwise “ehh” song choice into a good way for him to show off his vocals, and I think he MUST be sick because he would be killing this otherwise but today he sounds strained.  Someone has also given him dancing lessons, because this is much better than the last time he tried to bust a move.  I’m going to forgive him for the roughness of his voice this week because it is an aberration for him.  It was not his best performance and I think he will end up in the middle of the pack this week, but he will stay in.  Simon does not think that he demonstrated "star power" tonight, and he's right--tonight Danny was just a kid having fun.  He seems to be getting complacent.

Allison Iraheta, “Hot Stuff.”  Oh my gosh—sitting up there on the steps, that is no 16-year-old girl, that’s a bombshell.  Allison stands up to sing and she’s killer on stage too, rocking up a disco song.  Randy and Kara didn't like the arrangement, but I liked the slightly slowed-down, guitared-up sound.  Simon practically grins as he calls her "brilliant."  Allison Iraheta is HOT STUFF BABY TONIGHT!

Adam Lambert, “If I Can’t Have You.”  Yet again Adam is taking a song and turning it on its head.  This song’s lyrics become much more poignant when slowed down like this.  Adam is again hitting notes unknown to men (and to me, too) although the big “you” in the middle got screamy.  Still, he shows off excellent control by coming down off of the scream and smoothing straight up to a soft high note.  Not his best performance (will anything ever top “Mad World”?) but very, very good.

Matt Giraud, “Stayin’ Alive.”  Matt, no.  No no no.  WHOA WHOA WHOA.  I did not expect this kind of amazing to come out of Matt this week, but he has learned something from last week, dialed up the awesome, and come out on pitch and just generally being GOOD.  There wasn’t much in the way of an altered arrangement, so it wasn't terribly original (as Simon points out,) but he sung it very well and took some risks with the high notes.  Paula made a great analogy: “You sing like I bowl.  Sometimes you throw gutterballs and sometimes you throw strikes.”  Tonight it was a strike.

Anoop Desai, “Dim All The Lights“.  DaNoop is getting the pimp spot.  Will it be enough to save him?  (One thing is for certain, that moustache is doing him no favors.)  What is this, Noop?  Vocally weak in places, going nowhere, and completely lacks the OOMPH that preceding performances (Kris, Allison, Adam… even Lil!) had.  And he went flat on the last note.  Sorry Noop.  Peace Dawg.

 

Bottom 3:

Danny

Lil

Anoop

 

Boogie niiiiights, o-o-ohhhhh...

So tonight is Disco Night.  Other than a lot of terrible dancing, what does that mean we are in for?

Adam Lambert should be top of the night yet again.  His flair, style, incredible vocals, and ability to go over the top will stand him in good stead on a night that rewards all of that (except perhaps the last bit.)

Lil Rounds might be fine, or she might be a trainwreck.  It will all come down to song choice.  Lil realized only last week that she is not the second coming of Whitney Houston.  This week, she has access to Donna Summers, Tina Turner, "I Will Survive," and "I'm Every Woman," all choices that could prove her undoing.  Lil has a good voice for this type of music, though.

Allison Iraheta might struggle a little.  I think that what she must really do tonight in order to be successful is to put a really good spin on one of these songs and arrange it more her way.  She could do great things with, for example, a rocked-up version of "Turn The Beat Around."

Kris Allen is in the same boat as Allison, but he has already proven that in addition to being an outstanding vocalist, he is also a master at revamping old songs and making them new.  I think his talent with arrangement will give him a leg up on contestants like Anoop and Matt whose voices are not suited for this style and who are also not as good at arranging songs to suit.

Anoop Desai could either bring the house down tonight, or bring down his house of cards.  It will all come down to song choice, and he will probably have to really play with the arrangement.  I am not hopeful, to be honest.

Matt Giraud just missed elimination this week and I think he has come back just to be eliminated again.  Matt loves to slow things down and add runs and piano, none of which suit the disco style.  If he stepped out of his comfort zone a bit and, again, arranged something to suit him, he could succeed, but I don't think that he will be out of the bottom 3 this week.

Danny Gokey will stay on this show this week no matter whether he sings "Boogie Wonderland" or "I'm A Little Teapot."  (He will stay on until he gets directly compared to the only remaining male contestant, that being Adam, and found wanting.  Everybody and their dog is still riding the Gokey train.)  He is suave enough to find something a little slower and really put the velvety tone of his voice to work for him tonight.

Predictions for bottom 3:

Anoop Desai

Matt Giraud (going home)

Lil Rounds

Top 7: Results

Simon looked vaguely murderous (the same expression he has on his face every time he does something he doesn't like to do--like talking smack about David Cook last year) as he said that, no matter how little Matt's chances of winning the competition were, he was being saved. It was clearly the producers saying "I don't care HOW badly he sings, if we put it off until Top 5 it will look like we're only using it to use it." Matt turned in a better performance tonight than last night, but he still deserved elimination. I still think, though, that the wrong person sung for his life tonight, and with next week being Disco Week, we're looking at more Lil.

Top 7: Songs from the Cinema

Allison Iraheta, “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing.”  This is a great choice for her because it synthesizes what we heard last week, her emotionality, with the rocker belting we know she can do.  David Cook sang this last year, and her arrangement is different enough not to draw comparison.  Allison’s stage presence is awesome, and her vocals are right on, but it feels subdued.  It is a very good performance, but I am worried that she will be upstaged later.  Simon’s critique of her will certainly help her voters get off their butts, though—he says she is “the best hope for the girls” and thought she could be the winner.

Anoop Desai, “Everything I Do (I Do For You).”  I was a little afraid of him doing this song.  It fits his style, and it’s not that it’s a bad song, but it’s very similar to what Scott did, and with Noop’s smooth, soulful style, it comes out sounding… not effeminate, but he isn’t connecting with the song, and his tonality doesn’t match the original.  It came out sounding like a break-up song, reaching out to someone walking away, rather than singing to a lover.  That’s not a bad thing, but in comparison to the original, it might sound like he’s going through the motions.  Vocally, a very good performance.

Adam Lambert, “Born to be Wild.”  Quentin has one thing right—you never know what Adam is going to do until he does it.  He’s working the crowd, dancing and singing like he means it.  The chorus gets a tad shouty, but that dooes fit the song.  What I love most about Adam is that he can go from shouting to hitting insanely high notes, and then at the end of the song, he shouts those high notes.    This may not be a performance that will appeal to Simon (edit: Simon says that parts of it were “like watching Rocky Horror” and he’s got a point; Adam does have a predilection for getting over the top) but it was pure rock concert. 

Matt Giraud, “Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman.”  This is a song that will be great with his slightly gravelly voice and his piano.  The beginning sounded like background music at a small, intimate restaurant (the kind that played when you went out to dinner on your anniversary) but the second half really built up, both in emotion and in energy.  Quentin was right: to me it is one of his top 3 performances.  Randy and Kara, however, think that it fell flat, especially over the bridge.  Matt’s problem is that he is inconsistent from week to week, but on the other hand, I absolutely do not agree with the amount of kicking-in-the-balls that the judges are giving him tonight.

Danny Gokey, “Endless Love.”  Danny has gone out and bought a guitar and intends to learn to play it.  Hmm.  This is going to be a very emotional song for him… in fact, he starts out looking on the verge of tears.  The softness and restrained emotionality in his voice is touching—he’s very clearly holding in a lot of feeling at the same time he’s holding every note perfect.  It was sung beautifully, but he did not change it up and add originality—which Simon pointed out, using David Cook’s version of a Lionel Ritchie song as an example. 

Kris Allen, “Slowly.”  I’m not familiar with this song, and after hearing Kris sing it, I don’t want to be familiar with the original—I am fine with this version.  His voice makes it seem deceptively simple, but he is employing a lot of vocal control—it is not easy to sing such a quiet, precise, beautiful song.  Randy said it never quite “caught on” for him, but to me, it didn’t need to catch on anywhere, because it was right there the whole time.  I agree with Kara that it is one of his best performances.  It might just be his best.

Lil Rounds, “The Rose.”  This is the sort of choice I have been wanting Lil to make for awhile—something that is not all belting.  She starts off, in my mind, a little too vocally strong, but that makes for a very smooth segue into her more gospel-like chorus.  This is a fun arrangement, although to me it takes the focus away from the lyrical power and the poetry of the song and puts it on her voice—which is OK for this competition, I’m just saying.  A beautiful shift back down to the smoother, less dramatic ending, and a great last note.  Lil’s best performance yet.  Unfortunately, her back-talk to the judges will do her absolutely no favors, making her sound rude and defiant.

Top 3:

Kris, best of the week!

Adam

Allison

 

Keep in mind that at this point in the competition, the bottom 3 reflects about half of the contestants.  I predict that the judges’ save will be used tomorrow night if any of these singers go home.

Lil

Anoop

Matt

 

Song predictions: Top 7: Songs from the Cinema

The theme for Top 7 week is "Songs from the Cinema."  I'm not sure what is included in the definition of "cinema," but because I am a nerd, I went through a whole bunch of soundtracks and picked out songs that would suit our top 7.

This is an interesting week.  It opens up a lot of different song types and styles.  It also opens up a lot of the Beatles songs (via Across the Universe and A Hard Day's Night,) Prince (through Purple Rain) and, if anyone dares go there, ABBA (Mamma Mia!)

Adam is best placed this week because he has such a variety of songs to choose from.  He comes from a musical theatre background, and with the number of musicals adapted for the screen, he could end up on familiar ground.  However, this could backfire for him if he wants to be seen as a recording artist, not a Broadway star. 

Lil could be in trouble because of her penchant for picking songs that are too big for her.  The problem for Lil is that she has access to "I Will Always Love You" from The Bodyguard. 

Lil, take a big step back from The Bodyguard. You cannot sing "I Will Always Love You." I think even Tatiana could do it better than you. Step away from "My Heart Will Go On."  I actually think that if she mixed it up some, Dolly's "9 to 5" (from, duh, 9 to 5) could be a good song for her.  It could suit that all-one-volume thing she likes to do.  If she went the musical route, and she was willing to take to heart what the judges have told her, she has the potential to take on Queen Latifah with "Come So Far (Got So Far To Go)" (Hairspray) and turn it into a poignant performance. 

I would pay really good money to hear Allison Iraheta sing "Decode," by Paramore, which is on the Twilight soundtrack. Cons: it is on the Twilight soundtrack. Pros: Allison could sing the hell out of it. Vocally, she reminds me a lot of Paramore, and that comparison could help her.  To avoid comparison to artists with similar vocals, she could pull out the anthem "Don't You Forget About Me" from The Breakfast Club. 

Matt Giraud could end up going the cheap way out and singing Seal's "Kiss from a Rose" (Batman Forever), which would be a fairly safe choice.  I'd be interested to see what he'd do with "In Your Eyes" (Say Anything soundtrack).  Set that to a piano, it'd be awesome.  He could also piano-rock "Such Great Heights" from Garden State (the movie featured the Iron and Wine version, but the Postal Service did a faster version that has a really catchy intro he could play out on piano, then get up off the bench and sing.  He has access to "Signal Fire" by Snow Patrol (Spiderman 3) which is a great song that he could do his piano thing on, but he might have the same problem he had with "You Found Me"--sounding too close to the original. 

Kris Allen. I think he could do a really nice version of "She's Like The Wind" (Dirty Dancing) but the question is, will he want to?  He is standing on the brink of bottom 3-ness and this song might be too safe for him.  Somebody is going to sing "Mrs. Robinson" this week, and it might just be Kris.  But given Kris's talent at taking older songs and making them new, "Walking On Sunshine" (High Fidelity) could be a good one for him to try.

Danny Gokey.  For some reason, I can see him doing a good job on Aladdin's part from "A Whole New World" because it is right up his alley: smooth vocal, slightly cheesy.  Alternatively, "Against All Odds" (Phil Collins, from Against All Odds.)  There is also "The Blower's Daughter" by Damien Rice (Closer) and “One Song Glory” from RENT. 

 Anoop Desai.  "Purple Rain" by Prince (Purple Rain) would give him the freedom to do what he does, which is soul-y, borderline sultry slow stuff.  For hilarity's sake: Noop Dawg singing "White Rabbit" by Jefferson Airplane (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.)  Come on and tell me that wouldn't be awesome.

 Adam is really in a good spot this week considering that there are a number of musicals which have made their way to the cinema.  Hell, he could redeem "The Winner Takes It All" (Mamma Mia!) from when Arianna murdered it earlier in the season.  I could see him having a lot of fun with "Jailhouse Rock."  He is also possibly the only member of this season who could legitimately sing "I Am The Walrus" (Across The Universe) and make it cool, not ridiculous.  He has a great shot with “Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me” (U2, from Batman Forever) because he has the stage presence, the voice, and above all the capacity to hit high notes.  But what I really want to see is Adam singing rock, which is why I am hoping he will sing "Welcome To The Jungle" by Guns 'n' Roses, from "Lean On Me."

 

Songs NO ONE SHOULD SING NO NO NO:

"I Will Always Love You" (I'm'a lookin' a'CHU, Lil)

"Somewhere Over The Rainbow"

"Moon River"

"Because You Loved Me"

"My Heart Will Go On"

"Come What May"

"I Do It For You" (I mean you, Danny)

"Footloose"

"I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" (because it is lyrically insipid)

"Bohemian Rhapsody."  Adam could do it, Matt could attempt it, but haven't we heard this one enough already?

Anything from High School Musical.

Predictions

We're far enough along in the season that I feel justified making some predictions.  Now, we all know that at this point, singers are competing to finish second, because Adam Lambert is going to win this shindig unless voters pull off an upset (hey Allison fans, come talk to me.)  But second place still gets a record contract, so that's OK.

Seventh place: Anoop Desai.  Noop Dawg has been suffering for the last several weeks and unless he really pulls out the stops this week, his next trip to the bottom 3 will be his last.

Sixth place: Kris Allen.  Now, I like Kris, but according to DialIdol, he doesn't have a strong enough fanbase.  Truthfully I have a hard time remembering his performances from week to week, because he is such a mellow type of singer.  

Fifth place: Lil Rounds.  Lil has a lot of power behind her voice and that makes her a good singer, but she doesn't have the potential for diversity that Allison does.  She invites comparison to Syesha Mercado... and in comparison, she suffers.

Fourth place: Matt Giraud.  In places, Matt has been better than Danny, but he lacks consistency.

Third place: Danny Gokey.  Everybody and their sister's dog is riding the Gokey train (and for good reason--go back and watch "What Hurts The Most") but at this point in competition, he will be compared to the remaining male... and you don't want to get compared to Adam Lambert.

Second place: Allison Iraheta.  This rocker chick invites comparisons to No Doubt and Paramore, both of which have been immensely successful.  At only 16, and with a voice like that, she has nowhere to go but up.

WINNER: Adam Lambert.  Duh.

Top 8: Songs from the singer's birthyear

Kris Allen, "All She Wants To Do Is Dance." This was a really interesting pick, and I wasn't sure what he was going to do with it, but I love the funked up, down in the mosh pit, really personalized interpretation. Vocally I didn't feel it was a stretch for him and I would have liked to have seen a little more of his range in here, but here is a contestant who listens to the judges when they say, "Make it your own." A very solid performance from Kris.

Danny Gokey, "Stand By Me." This was a cheap pick--there are many better songs he could have picked without resorting to a cover version of an earlier song. How about some U2, Danny? The really slowed-down, soft intro did his voice no favors, and he ended up sounding nasal (but looking a little like Elton John.) Also, Paula dances like a self-conscious 14-year-old. The only part of this song that I liked was when he got out from behind the mic stand and revved it up. Other than that, it was boring.

Lil Rounds, "What's Love Got To Do With It." This is a really unfortunate song pick because it shows us nothing new of Lil (who looks really cute with bangs and her hair down.) Lil has a great sense of showmanship, and a big voice... but she's adding too many little riffs into the notes. I love this song, and I thought that slowing it down did both the song and Lil no favors, especially when she went flat on notes in the first half. Towards the end, she just started hollering, and what was that last note? I don't want to say she destroyed a great song, but... vocally it was only decent, and in terms of performance value, boring.

DaNoop, “True Colors.” I got into the groove a little bit in the middle. It’s kind of a drab song, but he just did his Noopy thing with it. Missed some notes in places. Not a terrific performance, but very good, solid, and killer note at the end.

Scott MacIntyre, “The Search Is Over.” I would really like what he was doing if I hadn’t gotten sick of him about three weeks ago. Vocally, it was a decent performance, although he missed his biggest note.  Word to contestants this season: you are competing against Adam Lambert.  Do not sing songs if you can't hit the notes, because you will invite comparison. I like that he stepped away from the piano and went to guitar. Kara said she thought he was over-ambitious, and I agree, it was not a great song choice. I would have picked “You’re The Inspiration” for him, nauseating as it would have been.

Allison Iraheta, “I Can’t Make You Love Me.” Now this is an interesting choice (I was pulling for "Smells Like Teen Spirit" from her until I realized that 1991 and 1992 are not, in fact, the same year) and from word one I love it. Love it, love it, love it. I hadn’t suspected her of being a good balladeer, and she NAILS it. Allison, you are starting to peak at the right time!

Matt Giraud, “Part Time Lover.” Bringing back the soul. Good song choice. I would have liked to see him belt a little more like he did at the end and show off that big voice; it seemed a little safe. But you can’t argue with just standing up there and nailing it.

Adam Lambert, “Mad World.” We have the zen of Adam again.  This is very, very good. He has such incredible control over his voice, blasting up loud and then coming down quiet, for a beautiful, haunting performance. I would buy this song on iTunes. I don’t buy music. JESUS CHRIST DID SIMON JUST GET ON HIS FEET? SIMON GOT ON HIS FEET I HAVE NO WORDS.

Top 3:
Adam
Allison
Matt

Bottom 3:
Lil
Danny (!)
Scott

Top 9: Top iTunes Downloads

Noop Dawg, “Caught Up.” I really like this song and I think da Dawg could do well with it… and the more he gets into it, the more I like it. He’s a little too soulful in places, and I think he missed the last note by a hair. Not sure it was the best choice, but it was a solid performance. Sadly, because of where he went in the order, he might get the curse of being forgotten. The judges do not agree and, save for Randy, blast him.

Megan Corkrey, “Turn The Lights Down Low.” This could be really good. I’m not a fan of the song, but it does suit her. I think she turned in a really solid performance tonight, but after last week, she needed more than solid.

Danny Gokey, “What Hurts The Most.” Oh, Danny. He is going to really connect with this, and it’s a great song. That said, he has GOT to do something different! …and I wrote that, and then he started, and I started bawling, and he hit the ball out of the park, and I’ve gotta go get a Kleenex now.  Sniff.

Allison Iraheta, “Don’t Speak.” I was really hoping she’d pull out No Doubt, and she is! Before Simon says anything, she’s dressing like a Japanese rock star, and I think she looks great. Great song choice, very good singing. Not her best, but very good. No Doubt really suits her.

Scott Macintyre, “Just The Way You Are.” Is Scott TRYING to get eliminated? He is already the old man of the competition, and he is singing this. It’s a great song, but not at all right for the competition. Snore.

Matt Giraud, “You Found Me“. I was really pulling for Matt to sing “How To Save A Life." Piano rock suits him.  I am concerned, however, that he sounds so close to the original version, especially as this song is still on the radio.  It is a good performance, and I love it, but I am not sure he will stick around

Lil Rounds, “I Surrender.” Kelly Clarkson nailed this first season. Sadly, Lil cannot match up. She looked bad tonight, missed notes right and left, and although it wasn’t too big for her, it verged on it. And although I try not to comment on people's expressions, she looked at times pained.

Adam Lambert, “Play That Funky Music.” This could be really good. It was—very Gnarls Barkley (I’m surprised he didn’t do “Crazy”—check Youtube for that). A little over the top with the screaming, but a really solid performance.

Kris Allen, “Ain’t No Sunshine“. The new bitch spot is after Adam, just saying, but that doesn’t bother Kris! He just threw himself into the limelight with that song. Brilliant performance.

Top 3:
I can't pick just three. This was a really good night.  In no particular order:
Danny
Allison
Kris
Matt
Adam

In trouble:
Anoop
Megan
Scott

Top 10: Motown

Matt Giraud, "Let's Get It On." He was a little off key for the first quarter of the song, but stepped it up a notch and stayed on pitch for the rest of the song. A good performance, but he will want to watch his tendency to get flat.

Kris Allen, "How Sweet It Is." Brilliant performance--very laid back, kind of Jason Mraz-y. Consistent.  A definite top performance of the night.

Scott MacIntyre, "You Can't Hurry Love." I am concerned for his sanity. Thou shalt not mess with the Supremes. Only five words in, I was already thinking, "Indulgent nonsense." And then he got into it, and I was kind of digging it... except it was bland and average. "How much more can you take," indeed.

A brilliant move by Paula, giving Simon crayons and a coloring book! 

Megan Corkrey, "For Once In My Life." I appreciate the uniqueness of Megan's voice, but today, she just sounded out of tune. I liked the higher notes, but she fell out on her lower ones. Baaaaaaad song choice. Badbadbad. She is going to be in trouble tonight.

Noop Dawg, "Oh Baby Baby." Very chill, slow-dancey version. Very good vocals.  The crowd goes wild. This is a good week for the Dawg. Nicely done!

Michael Sarver.  I missed the title of this song, but it was too big for him, and ended up showing exactly how much he is outclassed by the other singers.  Have a safe flight back home, Michael.

Lil Rounds, "HeatWave." Now, this is a good performance, and a good song for her... but the reason it's good for her is that this girl does not seem capable of toning it down and doing a softer song. I think she is maybe a one-trick, or really rather a one-volume, pony.

Adam Lambert, "Tracks of my Tears." I love the Elvis look, the stripped down performance. He can sing just as well quiet as he can loud, which really speaks well for his voice. I prefer hearing his power voice, but WHOA JESUS CHRIST his vocal range is higher than mine did he really just hit that note? An amazing performance. Paula's usually on her feet, but to have Smokey Robinson get up on his feet for you? Wow.

Danny Gokey, "Get Ready." I think he forgot to do what Smokey told him to do (partially because he sped up the song, I think) but it was quite a good performance. Simon, stuff it. Not his best, but solid.

Allison Iraheta, "Papa Was A Rolling Stone." I LOVE this song. Hit the ball out of the park. Brilliant.  Rivals Adam for best performance of the night.  I just sat there and listened.


Best performances of the night:
Allison

Adam

Anoop

In trouble:
Michael
Scott
Megan

Top 11: Grand Ole Opry

Michael Sarver, “Ain’t Goin’ Down ‘til the Sun Comes Up.” Good song choice, solid execution… but boring. Not as boring as the original song, though, which is good.  Of all the contestants, Michael is the one in the best place to succeed this week, and he did not do as well as he should have.

Allison Iraheta, “Blame It On Your Heart.” I thought she would struggle a hair this week, but damn she has pipes and that gravel in her voice is working really well for her. I’m not sure how I feel about the song choice, but it’s a very solid performance. Two singers down and I’m thinking she’s going to be in the top 5 of the night.

Kris Allen, "To Make You Feel My Love."  I love Garth Brooks, but what a boring song. Kris sings it well. It’s solid, but not a performance I’m going to buy, and he took his sweet time getting to that last note.  I think it is definitely enough to keep him in, although it was not a standout.

Lil Rounds, “Independence Day.” Lil has no business singing country, and it was wretched. I think she made a poor song choice but sung it as well as she could have. The judges threw out some other songs that she could have done instead, including Dolly's version of "I Will Always Love You," but my pick for her would actually have been "Fancy" by Reba McIntyre, which she could have belted.  Poor performance, but her vocal ability will keep her in.

Adam Lambert, “Ring of Fire.” Good for him for not even trying to sing country. Liked the falsetto, liked the arrangement. Liked Paula’s description of a “Kashmir Led Zeppelin.” Not his best performance but a smart choice for this week.

Scott MacIntyre, “Wild Angels.” Scott, Scott, Scott, what are you thinking? Flat the whole way through, horrible song choice.  Very poor performance.

Alexis Grace, “Jolene.” Yes! Great choice! Sadly… bad execution. Don’t blues and waltz up “Jolene.” No no no. Bad Alexis!  And definitely don't blues and waltz up "Jolene" if you're going to go flat.  Alexis is on thin ice.

Danny Gokey, “Jesus Take the Wheel.” What is he wearing? This is American Idol, not an igloo. Nicely performed, if uninspiring and a bit boring. The chorus was the high point.  Still—solid, and tonight, that’s all anyone has to do.

Noop Dawg, “Always On My Mind.” And THIS is why Anoop is in the top 11.  Smooth, on-pitch, and an excellent song choice.  One of the best tonight.

Megan Corkrey, “I Go Walking After Midnight.” I liked it, overall, but it was just all right. It was nicely performed, especially considering she is ill, and I thought she did about as well as she could have with a country song.  

Matt Giraud, “So Small.” I was worried at first… and then I loved it. Best performance of the night.  Simon is right: he certainly did outsing Danny.

Top 3:
Matt
Alison
Noop Dawg

Going home:
Michael
Scott
Lil

This week was not fair to ANY of the contestants. Yes, we want them to be adaptable. But there is not a single country singer in there and Grand Ol' Opry week encouraged a bunch of train wrecks.

Top 13: Michael Jackson

Lil Rounds, “The Way You Make Me Feel.” What a way to start off the show. Technically very good, she has excellent showmanship. The song suited her well. Fantastic performance.

Scott MacIntyre, “Keep The Faith.” Of course he sang this song. He sounds like a more mature version of David Archuleta, and I am not sure if that is a compliment or an insult. He can’t sing as well as the other performers but he can certainly play the piano. Sadly this is not Pianist Idol.

Danny Gokey, “P.Y.T.” At the beginning I thought, “Danny, this is going to be a trainwreck.” And then he got into it and I liked it. Not his best performance vocally, but very solid. 

Michael Sarver, “You Are Not Alone.” This was a technically solid performance. Michael doesn’t have a fantastic voice and he hasn’t a great range but he did as much as he could with what he had. If he keeps picking good songs that showcase what he has instead of what he doesn’t have, he could last longer in this competition than anyone expects.

Jasmine Murray. “I’ll Be There.” It shows something that I consistently forget she is in this competition. She tried a big song but was consistently under the notes and didn’t quite get where she wanted.

Kris Allen. "Remember The Time."  I like his Jason Mraz-y vibe and although the vocals are average, it's still a good enough performance to keep him in.  I am intrigued by Kris.

Allison Iraheta. “Give Into Me.” First of all, she looks killer tonight. (Hate to pull a Paula, but she does.) Her gravelly voice suits this song. I was a little underwhelmed in the beginning and then she kicked it up a notch at the end. I liked the second half better than the first, but the halves combined for a quality performance.

Noop Dawg. “Beat It.” I am worried, I don’t think he has the power behind his voice for this song… and he doesn’t. He’s a cool guy singing a cool song but he doesn’t have the power to really belt it. It’s a very soulful version and it’s not bad, but it’s a disappointment. I think a poor song choice.

Jorge Nunez, “Never Can Say Goodbye.” Technically good. I didn’t mind the song although everyone else did. Average performance. I am a fan of his and I am utterly underwhelmed. Forgettable.

Megan Corkrey, “Rockin’ Robin.” Waaaaaaay out there song choice and not what I expected from her. The first quarter, plainly, sucked. The rest was pretty damned OK. Nothing spectacular. Solid, though. Simon had it completely right.

Adam Lambert, “Black and White.” Smart choice. Stylistically he starts off way different than what we’ve seen from him before. Vocally it was interesting, perhaps not my favorite arrangement, but extremely solid. The way he can hit notes is amazing. Kick-ass performance.

Matt Giraud, "Human Nature." Couldn’t hear half of what he was singing; not a lot of enunciation, and I had a hard time hearing his voice over everything that was going on. The piano helps him. Good, but not great.

Alexis Grace, "Dirty Diana."  Quite good, and I enjoyed the sexiness she brought to the stage.  Katrina Darrell, take notice: sexy works best when you're letting it happen, not making it happen. Not the best performance tonight, but top five for sure.

Top 3 of the night:
Adam

Lil
Allison

Bottom 3: 

Anoop

Jasmine

Jorge

Wild Card Round

Jesse Langseth, "Tell Me Something Good."  Despite her last performance, I like Jesse, but she's making herself very hard to like with this song.  Vocally wacky and off-key.  She is not helped by being in the bitch spot this week.  It was nice knowing you, Jesse.

Matt Giraud, "Who's Loving You" (Jackson Five.) I don't like the bluesier style of singing, just not my cup of tea, but it definitely suits Matt. He showed off his incredible pipes and nailed some really tough vocal gymnastics. Overall an excellent performance.

Megan Corkrey, "Black Horse and a Cherry Tree" (KT Tunstall.) I was worried about this song choice for her because I wasn't sure it would allow her to show off her voice to the best potential. She definitely sang it well, though, and her voice is suited to it. Sadly, she completely flubbed the last note. People will not remember the last note, though, and between the rest of the song and the judges' praise, she will be moving on. 

Von Smith, "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word." We still have the quiet, subtle Von. Sadly, we have the quiet Von that doesn't have enough power behind his voice to nail the notes, and he missed a lot of them. There were flashes of brilliance in among a mediocre-to-bad performance.

I don't know why Simon says he's sorry when he's clearly not.

Jasmine Murray, "Reflection" (Christina Aguilera.) Abysmal song choice, she doesn't have the pipes to pull it off and goes off key. She has big, big notes that she nails, but she also have big, big notes that are wretched. At least it ended well. The judges seem to disagree. Ah well.


Ricky Braddy, "Superstition." The audience thinks he hit the ball out of the park, and he sang very well, but the problem is... I won't remember him tomorrow.

Ryan Seacrest clearly does not like Tatiana any more than we do. She's crying.

Tatiana del Toro, "Saving All My Love For You" (Whitney Houston.) This was a very poor choice. We need a different reason to vote you back on, Tatiana, not the same thing you did last week, even though that was good. The judges are not amused by her antics. Simon is beyond caring.

Noop Dawg is in da house! "My Prerogative." Didn't he sing this before? Oh dear. Not the best vocal performance but he's still a great competitor and I still like him a lot.  He is entertaining, more than the other competitors this round.

Results... AFTER the break. Yeah, Seacrest, we get it.

Jasmine is in! She is going to bawl. Simon is not amused--clearly this was not his choice.

Megan is in, of COURSE.

Tatiana is clearly not dealing. At all. She is KNEELING in supplication in front of the judges. Wow.

Noop AND Matt are in! It's going to be a top 13!

Top 36- Third set of 12

Von Smith, “All I Need To Get By” (Marvin Gaye). I was getting ready to sing “la la la” throughout the whole thing, but I’ll be damned—he toned it down and sung a great song. Solid performance and a good way to start off the night.

Taylor Vaifanua, “If I Ain’t Got You” (Alicia Keyes). Mediocre. Not a great performance. Would win a karaeoke contest, but not this.  

Alex Wagner-Trugman, “That’s Why They Call It The Blues” (Elton John). There was a point where it bordered on WTF, but I really enjoyed the rest. I don’t think he will make it through tonight, sadly, so I’m going to be voting my fingers off because I want to give him another chance.

Arianna Afsar, “The Winner Takes It All” (ABBA). It could have been a win, but it was a fail.  This is sad, because Arianna is talented and "The Winner Takes It All" is a good song.  Unfortunately, as the judges say every season, it all comes down to song choice.  Arianna made the wrong one.  It ends tonight for her.

Junot Joyner, “Hey There Delilah” (Plain White T’s). He sung this one before, although the arrangement was different (and better) the last time.  Vocally it was excellent, but the arrangement was boring.  I like Junot and I'll be sorry to see him to leave tonight.

Kristin MacNamara, “Give Me One Reason” (Tracy Chapman). The judges are saying they don’t know who she is, but I think we don’t have to know who she is right now. She was on pitch the entire way, showed off a great range, and was rockin’. Two thumbs up, at this point in tonight's show, she is my favorite girl.

Nathaniel the Drama Queen, “Anything For Love” (Meat Loaf). An intriguing choice but unfortunately after the first two lines we could tell it was a bad one.  He tries to kick it into hear with the verses but he doesn’t have the rocker cred to pull it off. Adam could have nailed this song. David Cook could have nailed this song. Nathaniel cannot. And his headband is ridiculous. Not even his grandmother could say something good about it.

I interject to mention that Muse's "Butterflies and Hurricanes" is a great theme song for Watchmen.

Felicia Barton, "No One" (Alicia Keyes).  Her voice cracks about five times during the chorus. I'm not sure I love the arrangement. She came back for the top 36 and she's going to go right back home with this shoddy performance, I'm afraid. Her voice is fine, it is everything else that worked against her.

Scott MacIntyre, "Mandolin Rain." Vocally, a very strong performance. A little bit boring, but I think it will be enough to get him into the next round. He doesn't even need the pity vote tonight--he is singing better than he did before and I'm starting to like him a lot.

Kendall Beard, "This One's For The Girls" (Martina McBride). Sadly, she looks like a pumpkin in this dress, just saying. But she sounds like a professional to kick off. Not much stage presence (needs to move around), but she'll develop it. I loved that she showed off some high notes. She went flat on some notes and had some pitch issues but I think she had a very solid performance overall. She could be a very well-selling country artist in future. 

Jorge Nunez, "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" (Elton John). Lots of Elton tonight. I haven't heard this guy before, but I'm really impressed. It's like what I liked about Anoop only with a better song choice. A couple of pitch problems but overall a strong performance. But what the heck are they doing, ragging on his accent? Let the man speak how he chooses.

Lil Rounds, "Be Without You" (Mary J. Blige.)  Great song for her voice type, executed well. This is why song choice matters, guys; Lil's voice is shown off in this song, rather than left trying to hold it up.  Moving on to the next round in 3... 2... 1...

Moving on:
Lil Rounds
Jorge Nunez
Kristin

Wildcard possibilities:
Kendall
Scott

Alex

My ideal moving-on list would be the 3 I picked plus Alex. I want to give him another chance because I think the kid will do well. Sadly, I don't think he'll make it.

Top 36: Second set of 12

Jasmine Murray, "Love Song" (Sara Bareilles). This is not a song that I like, but I think she did an all right job with it. I liked where she took it and what she did, but I don't feel that it was a good song for her. I hated the last note. I like Jasmine but I think that she will be going home tonight.

Matt Giraud, "Viva La Vida" (Coldplay). I thought it could either be really good, or really bad. I don't like the vibrato and I think his voice is not suited for the song. Sadly, it just didn't work for me, dawg. He doesn't have the range to pull it off and he over-complicated a simple song. The best was when he hit a big note at the end, but then he missed it trying to do a run.  I am not impressed by the song choice.

Jeannine Vailes, "This Love" (Maroon 5.) I loved the sultry beginning, but I'm not so sure about about her lower register in the faster chorus part. Bad song choice and she had to work too hard to get the notes. I'm disappointed.

Nick/Norman: I'm not sure what he's singing, but I hate the nasal tone of his voice and I really am not sure what the hell he is doing here, especially when he misses half his notes. I've heard comparisons to Tim Curry--and I don't see them.  Tim Curry has talent.

Allison Iraheta, "Alone" (Heart). I love the timbre of her voice. Not sure it's a great choice of song for her, not sure she can handle the big part... and she kind of DOES. This shapes up to be awesome until the second chorus, where she misses almost every note. It was too big for her but she did pretty damned well. My favorite thus far.

Kris Allen, "Man in the Mirror." He has a damned fine voice. I sat back and enjoyed--I tend to be impressed with anyone who can take Michael Jackson and not completely wreck the train. Loved the arrangement and him as a performer. Adam Lambert, my early favorite, has competition.  Kara hated it, Paula loved it, Simon liked it, and Randy is not speaking any variant of English that I have ever heard in my life.

Megan Corkrey, "Put Your Records On." This girl has a really interesting gravelly voice and I am not sure how well she will hold up in competition, but she knows how to use it! I love all the different timbres she is able to reach. Excellent song choice.

Matt Breitzke, "If You Could Only See" (Tonic). A great song. And I loved the rendition. I am not sure what about it I was hearing that the judges weren't, but 

Jesse Langseth, "Bette Davis Eyes". Not the type of voice I would associate with this song, but I really like what she's doing with it. Not really rangy, like Kara was saying, but a good solid performance.

Kai Kalama, "Look What Comes of a Broken Heart." Sadly, Kai is good, but he is not good enough to compete with Matt, Kris, and Adam. He'd make the top 12 but not go much further. 

Mishavonna Henson, "Drops of Jupiter" (Train.) An interesting choice, and I am really liking what she's doing with it. I enjoy the tone of her voice, and although she's not "making this song her own" and instead singing it straight, it is a good quality performance--her best yet, I think.

Adam Lambert, "Satisfaction" (The Stones.) I was really worried about this song choice, but the man can ROCK! Just sit back and watch, ladies and gents.

Top 3:
Adam
Mishavonna
Allison

Wildcard pick from this round: You know what, I'm going with Matt Breitzke.