Out Loud

Week 1 of the battle for America’s vote for the ultimate American Idol payed tribute to the Rolling Stones, one of the greatest Rock and Roll bands of all time. Can this group of idols rock it out to such legendary songs?

Michael Lynche

Michael opened the show with Rolling Stone’s song “Miss You”. Big Mike definitely showed his pipes on this song, adding a good bit of falsetto and totally changing the dynamics of the song. My favorite so far of all of Mike’s performances. Randy thought he slayed it. Ellen said, “At some point I’m going to be disappointed but not yet.” Kara thought he delivered the swagger and attitude of Mick Jagger. Mike definitely delivered, but I wouldn’t compare it to Mick Jagger. Their styles are radically different. Simon poked a hole in Mike’s balloon, agreeing that he “sang it well” but added that the dancing was a little bit corny and overall the performance was “a tiny bit desparate”. Leave it to Simon to end with such a positive note.

Didi Benami

Didi was next up. For me she’s been struggling through the weeks, never quite making herself believable as a pop singer. As with all the Idols they showed childhood mug shots and family clips including “Mommy Benami” in tears saying she couldn’t bear to watch her Didi get judged so she turned down the volume when the judge’s started to talk. Didi sang the Rolling Stone’s song “Play With Fire”. She definitely lost her innocence with this performance attempting to show her bad boy side but for me, it didn’t work. The song was sleepy. The judges didn’t agree. Randy said she was on fire for the first time in weeks. Ellen noticed that she made the word “fire” into two syllables. Kara thought that the sweetness of Didi’s voice coupled with the eerieness of the song was a good combo, adding that Didi took two steps in the right direction. Simon called it a “solid performance”.

Casey James

According to Casey’s mother, he could hum before he could talk. Casey wasn’t humming for this song, however, giving us a country version of the Rolling Stone’s song “It’s All Over Now”. I’m not a country fan but I absolutely loved it. I believe Casey would make a great country singer if he wanted to go down that road. He hasn’t quite offered up his chosen direction but then, most of the Idol’s haven’t. The few exceptions really stand out. Randy called it “bluesy, stonesy, rocky” and thought he could make a career out of it. Ellen called it fantastic. Kara said it was his best performance since they day he auditioned and called him a “rock star”. Simon, however, thought it was more like an audition performance and said he didn’t use the stage. For the most part, the Idol’s aren’t owning the stage which is something they really need to do. The exceptions stand out. Casey, who played his guitar, expected the judges to eat him up for his guitar. They didn’t.

Lacey Brown

Lacey followed Casey with the Rolling Stone’s song “Ruby Tuesday”. She definitely sported a dangerous look but the song came out more like a sweet lullabye to the string quartet that accompanied her. So far, her voice has lacked the power needed to grab my ears. She has such a beautiful voice but she sounds like a little kid singing, getting lost in the background. She needs to belt them out a little harder. For Randy, there wasn’t a wow moment but he was pleasantly surprised and called her “the most interesting one of the night”. With so many contestant’s left to perform we couldn’t know if he still thought that by night’s end. Ellen noticed that Lacey liked to sit on the edge of things and offered up the advice that Lacey shouldn’t ever go to the Grand Canyon. Kara liked the drama but said she didn’t hit the notes quite right. Simon thought she performed more like an actress than a singer and said she was in danger of doing the same thing week after week.

Andrew Garcia

Andrew came out with Rolling Stone’s song “Gimme Shelter”. Interesting that 8 of the 12 songs chosen were off the Hot Rocks double CD. (I caught that as I happen to own the CD set. They missed my favorite song from the set, “Mother’s Little Helper”.) While it was one of Andrew’s better performances I couldn’t connect with it. I can’t put my finger on what was wrong but I just felt totally disconnected from both Andrew and the song. Randy thought it was pitchy everywhere. Ellen thought it was one of his better performances. Kara and I were on the same page. She said it was missing the connection and that she just didn’t feel it. Simon said it was obvious that Andrew had given it 100% and hoped he’d stick around another week, but thought he’d done much better with the song in rehearsal. Maybe Andrew is battling nerves. I tried Karaoke once totally expecting to nail it but when I got up there, it was HARD singing in front of the people. My friends could only say that I had “picked a hard song”… gentle speak for “you suck, man!”

Katie Stevens

As you all know, I’m not a Katie fan but if she’d nailed it, I’d tell you that. Katie came out dressed like a little girl in a lacy dress getting ready to perform at a children’s recital to sing a Rolling Stones song. The combo was a complete failure for me. Katie has a good voice but it’s really hard to take her seriously. She sang “Wild Horses” sitting on a stool. I could hear echoes of Simon’s comment last week about the boring songs sung by contestants sitting on stools. The judges were a little softer. Randy thought she “sang it well” and that it was a “strong performance”. Ellen thought that once Katie got into it that it sounded great. Kara said that it was never technically perfect but that she’d done better than last week. Simon said that this was the only week where she’d chosen a “really strong song”.

Tim Urban

Our favorite underdog Tim Urban sang the Rolling Stone’s song “Under My Thumb”. Not that I’m rooting for him to win because that spot should be for Crystal or Siobhan, but there’s an appeal for this fellow who Simon thought was a mistake. Tim has fought hard to earn his right to be on the stage and he’s made incredible progress. This week he reminded me of the teenage heartthrob’s of the 70s such as David Cassidy of the Partridge Family, Davy Jones of the Monkees, Leif Garrett and others. His style, voice and hair were totally reminiscent of the look and songs of that day. He offered us a great pop version of the song with a bit of a reggae twist. I thought it was interesting and I enjoyed it.

For Randy it didn’t work, he didn’t get it. Ellen felt like she was at a resort drinking a pina colada on the beach, relaxing to a cool song. I’m not sure this was intended as a compliment. Kara applauded him for doing something different with the song but she wasn’t gushing with the praise, either. Simon said it didn’t work and that Stone’s fans would be turning the TV off. I’m a Stone’s fan and I wanted to hear more. Isn’t it all about changing up a song so that it appeals to different people? Wasn’t that part of Adam’s winning strategy last year? (Yes, Adam didn’t actually win but his fame far surpassed that of the actual winner.) Tim’s defense was that he knew he couldn’t be a Rolling Stone so he played it to his own abilities.

Siobhan Magnus

Siobhan offered one of the most interesting performances of the night. She brought an actual stage set to the mix with a long staircase as her backdrop. Siobhan treated us to an usual version of the Rolling Stone’s song “Paint It Black”. Instead of making the song dark as you would expect, she started out with a sweet, almost Tinkerbell sound like a music box. While there were a couple of pitchy notes here and there, she took a song that’s hard to change and she really changed it up. I loved the changes. She ended with the screechy note that got everyone’s attention last week followed by a soft, sweet ending.

Randy said she brought drama to the night and called it “hot”. Ellen said that she rises above “like Snookie’s poof”. Apparently Snookie is a soap opera character with very big hair. For Ellen, she stands out. Siobhan gave Kara flashbacks of Adam Lambert. Simon called it the “stand out peformance of the night”. He said people would either love it or hate it and that was a good thing, because it was far better than indifference.

Lee Dewyze

Lee sang the Rolling Stone’s song “Beast of Burden”. He added more believability to the song than the Stones themselves had. I totally felt the song. Lee didn’t offer much activity on stage and if you were watching him, you’d lose sight of the song itself. You had to close your eyes and hear the song as you would on the radio and this way, he totally nailed it. Randy thought he “came home” with this song and compared him to Rob Thomas and Dave Matthews, calling it one of his better performances. Ellen was expecting more from him, and said the song didn’t quite come together, sort of like a hospital gown. Kara thought he was growing faster than any other contestant. Simon noted that Lee’s personality (or lack of) didn’t shine through but that he had an incredibly good voice. Simon hoped he’d be back next week.

Paige Miles

Paige sang the Rolling Stone’s song “Honky Tonk Woman”. She was obviously having a lot of fun with it but there was a lot of pitchiness. Paige added a country twist and for some reason, the song sounded off. So far, Siobhan was the only contestant to own the stage with only two left to perform. Randy wished Paige had shown more energy. Ellen thought she had “star quality” and made sure we all knew that Paige had voice issues this week. Apparently she was suffering from laryingitis so voter’s should take that into account. Kara said this was the Paige we originally fell in love with. Simon said she still hasn’t connected but that there were moments of the big voice we loved in Hollywood.

Aaron Kelly

Aaron sang the Rolling Stone’s song “Angie”, taking more ownership of the stage as Siobhan had done with the rising staircase as his backdrop. By far this was his best performance yet. I thought it was better than the original version. He totally connected with the song and sang it with so much emotion that I forgot how young he was. For the first time ever, I saw genuine talent in him. For the first time, I actually hope he comes back. Randy said he was “born to sing”. Ellen said that he and Siobhan were the two stand out performances of the night so far. Kara commented on her earlier negative opinions of Aaron and said, “You showed me!” She called it “very powerful”. Simon had originally feared for him, not believing he could handle a Rolling Stones song. Aaron “cleverly” pulled it off and had chosen the “100% right song” according to Simon, who called it one of his strongest performances so far.

Crystal Bowersox

Crystal closed out the show with the Rolling Stone’s song “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”. She was my favorite of the night which was pretty amazing since I’d totally loved several of the previous contestants. It’s refreshing that Crystal doesn’t scream songs like so many singers with powerful voices. She lets the power of her voice flow naturally. I’d buy the song exactly as she sang it. For me, she had the wow factor. The judges however, were sailing on a different boat.

Randy said it wasn’t her best but that even so, she didn’t disappoint. Ellen echoed Randy that it wasn’t her best but added that Crystal was born to be on stage. Ellen noted that for the first time, Crystal showed her personality. I agree. Crystal really shined this week actually smiling as she sang it and appearing to have fun. Kara said it was good to see her “let loose” but made a pretty big deal that previously, it felt like Crystal had the attitude that she was already the winner. I never felt that from Crystal. I always felt like she didn’t care whether she won or not until later in the competition. I believe she was protecting herself from an expected rejection but once she thought she actually had a chance, she could start opening up and let loose. Crystal defended herself to Kara by saying she never believed that she owned the competition but thanked Kara for saying it. Simon said the song didn’t have the drama and for the first time, Siobhan beat her. He’s right that the performance wasn’t as dramatic as Siobhan’s performance, but drama isn’t Crystal’s style or strength. She’s more down to earth and I truly believe she has a bright future regardless of the outcome of American Idol.

Who’s in danger? None of the judges really made a prediction. However, I believe that the weakest singers are: Didi Benami, Lacey Brown, Andrew Garcia and Katie Stevens. I expect the bottom three to come from this group and that Andrew will be voted off.

Who is out: Katelyn Epperly, Todrick Hall, Alex Lambert, Lilly Scott

Who is in: Didi Benami, Siobhan Magnus, Paige Miles, Casey James, Tim Urban, Lee Dewyze, Crystal Bowersox, Michael Lynche, Lacey Brown, Aaron Kelly, Andrew Garcia, Katie Stevens

If you’re looking for mainstream opinion on American Idol, you won’t find it here. I, for one, am glad that none of the current contestants appear to be Whitney Houston or Celine Dion wannabes. I’m not a big fan of that. This year we’ve got different and I like different. Didi, Siobhan, Crystal and Lacey, they promise to entertain us with unusual song choices in a unique voice. Lilly should have been among them. I liked her style. Mainstream thinking voted her out.

The boys aren’t really in the race yet. Now that they’re faced with this gangbuster group of girls, they’re in trouble. The boys are going to have to seriously turn up their game.

Does anybody ever wonder how the final choices are made? Of the tens of thousands who try out, only a few make it to Hollywood and you know that so many others had the talent. How do they pick which talent to support? I’m sure looks are a factor. The person has to either be very likeable, very sellable visually or entertaining in some other way. But what else?

I believe that names are a factor. Consider the year that Jason Castro and Danny Noriega both made it to the finals. Castro and Noriega? As in Cuban dictator Fidel Castro and South American dictator Manuel Noriega? While there was not likely an actual connection to the dictators, it seemed unlikely that the choice to include the two was coincidental. Perhaps it just simply amused the judges who hoped to spark some sort of controversy.

This year it was Alex Lambert. C’mon, are you serious? No way this is a coincidence. Sure, Alex can sing but no doubt others could sing better. In some way American Idol was riding the coattails of Adam Lambert with this choice. Alex Lambert didn’t make it to the top 12 in spite of his name and I genuinely felt bad for him. Like Alex, Danny Noriega from Season 7 didn’t make it to the top 12 either. I’m sure if Ellen had been a judge back then she’d have called Danny a “cocky banana”. He definitely had the attitude.

That brings me to Ellen. I’ve grown quite fond of her as a judge in spite of my earlier misgivings about her lack of musical background. However, there is something I worry about. Ellen’s fans. She’s a powerhouse of fans and if she says “I hope you’ll stick around another week” I fear that her fans will intentionally make it so. That really tips the scale with the voting and could cause a lot of upsets this season. She appears to have a soft heart and if she feels sorry for a contestant, even if they should be outed, and accidentally says those magic words, they could end up like Chicken Little of Season 5.

Chicken Little (Kevin Covais) was the nerdy, little boy contestant who couldn’t sing very well but all the grandmas wanted to pinch his cheeks and somehow, he hung in week after week. While he didn’t last long once he made it to the top 12 he did prevent other, more talented singers from making it to the top 12 such as Stevie Scott and Gedeon McKinney. Ellen has the power to catapult the weaker singers just by feeling sorry for them.

With a new judge and several singers bringing styles we haven’t heard on American Idol before, it promises to be an interesting season. The question is, will you vote? Or will you let your phone sit idle while your favorite gets voted off, like what happened to Lilly?

Ryan started the night by asking, “Who do YOU want in the top 12? We could be in for a surprise or two…” Surprises usually mean that someone who we expected to stay, is out. Surprises on American Idol are usually bad.

Didi Benami was the first to get her results. She’d been pretty nervous through the weeks because she’d never performed in front of so many people before. Well it looks like she’s going to get a lot more practice because she made it. Randy’s advice to her was to be more consistent.

Siobhan Magnus was the next up. Simon had pegged her as the dark horse during Hollywood week. The definition of a dark horse is “a little-known person or thing that emerges to prominence”. I don’t know about Hollywood week but Siobhan has consistently kept me wanting more since the top 24 emerged. She isn’t emerging, for me she has already emerged. The good news is that I’m going to get to see more of her which makes me really happy. Ellen’s advice to Siobhan was to keep on doing exactly what she’s been doing.

Paige Miles and Katelyn Epperly were next up. Of the two, I couldn’t predict who’d be out. Simon said that Paige had the most potential of the two and sure enough, America agreed with Simon. Katelyn is out and Paige is in. Katelyn’s parting words were, “I’m not stopping now!”

Casey James was the first of the guys to get the news. No big surprise here, Casey made it in.

Tim Urban was up next. Usually the first two called don’t get booted and against all the odds, Tim Urban did indeed make it into the top 12. I’m guessing this was one of the surprises that Ryan hinted at before any results were given. What a happy surprise!

Lee Dewyze and Todrick Hall were called up next. One of the two would be outed. When asked which one should get the top spot, Randy thought that Lee had been the most consistent. America agreed and Lee made it. After the Queen song I actually hated to see Todrick go.

We were treated to a piano duet by two previous idols: Matt Giraud and Scott MacIntyre. Playing back to back pianos they sang Billy Joel’s song “Tell Her About It”.

Crystal Bowersox was called up next and for the first time during the entire competition, she looked worried. She’d always appeared so composed, almost as if it didn’t matter to her, seeing Crystal worried was a big surprise. The worry was short-lived as they gave the good news. Crystal is in. Simon said, “It’s yours to lose.” Crystal for me has been one of the most consistent singers, never failing to give a virtually flawless performance in a style that perfectly suits her.

No more just the guys or just the girls, Michael Lynche was next up for his news. Ryan asked if Big Mike thought he could fit onto one stool. Mike said yes and the stool was his. No surprise here, Mike made it.

For Lacey Brown this was her second shot at American Idol. If at first you don’t succeed, try again because you might be like Lacey, who secured the next spot in the top 12. I was surprised that both Didi and Lacey made it. I thought maybe one of the two had a chance but surely not both.

Aaron Kelly was up next. I just knew he’d be outed. I predicted as much after his last performance. Aaron grew up watching American Idol and now he gets to be one, because the next big surprise was that he made it.

That left Alex Lambert and Andrew Garcia for the last male slot. I guessed that it would be Andrew, who’d had so many bad weeks. Apparently the genie hadn’t come out of the bottle too late after all because much to my surprise, Andrew got in and Alex was out. I felt so badly for Alex. Try as he might he couldn’t stop the tears from flowing in front of millions of viewers. That’s gotta be hard on a guy. He believed that nervousness was his downfall and he was probably right.

By then both Siobhan and Lilly were in tears. Siobhan cried for those who hadn’t made it and Lilly just cried. Her fate was still hanging over her. The only two left were Lilly Scott and Katie Stevens. Katie had been looking like a deer caught in the headlights for most of the results, as if she knew she was out. By the time everyone else had been given the word, Lilly’s head was hung low as if she knew the bomb was going to be dropped on her. Katie appeared a little more confident standing next to Lilly.

The results were given and my immediate reaction was to let loose a four letter word. This must have been the final surprise that Ryan hinted at. My darling Lilly was out and the only girl who I was hoping wouldn’t make it, took Lilly’s spot. Lilly who always made me smile was gone. The only other idol who made me smile with every song was George Huff, of Season 3.

Lilly was devastated. I wish she’d shown more of her heart through the weeks as maybe it would have helped her. She and Crystal always seemed so closed emotionally. I don’t think Lilly expected to be voted out just yet. She said, “I don’t know what America wants to hear, but I know there are definitely people who want to jam with me.” Yes Lilly, there are. And we will miss you terribly!

It was a very emotional night. Even Crystal cried at the end when Lilly got outed. Katie cried though I imagine it was more for relief. Tears flowed everywhere and so did the hugs. For those who made it, the Rolling Stones will be the first theme to tackle. Welcome to American Idol’s top 12! Didi, Siobhan, Crystal, Lacey, Paige and Katie. Casey, Tim, Lee, Mike, Aaron and Andrew.

Tonight was the last chance for the girls to make it into the top 12. Some performances were just “peanut performances” that “kinda sucked the energy out” while others had wow moments for their entire performance. Here’s the lowdown for the top 8 girls fighting to be in American Idol’s top 12.

Katie Stevens

Katie sang the Kelly Clarkson song “Breakaway”. For me it was flat. The key didn’t suit her voice. She made no attempt to change the song and as Simon likes to say, it wasn’t as good as the original. The crowd, however, seemed to love it. Randy agreed with me and said that it paled in comparison to the original. Ellen didn’t think it was the right song choice. Kara said that tonight especially the singing needed to be perfect and it wasn’t. Simon thought she “kinda sucked the energy out of it and made it a little bit gloomy”, but he gave her a 10 for effort.

Siobhan Magnus

Siobhan totally wowed me with her rendition of “House of the Rising Sun” by The Animals. She started out a capella and immediately had me mesmerized by putting her haunting twist on a favorite old song. For me, this performance definitely had the wow factor and yes, I’d buy her singing this song. The crowd agreed and she got a standing ovation. Randy said she wasn’t very good at listening to their advice, and that she should keep on doing exactly what she was doing because it was HOT. Ellen said that music is supposed to move you and it did. Kara called her an “unlikely character” and said she was unique and different. Simon, however, surprised me. He’s typically the downer but I really expected a standing ovation from him. Instead, he “didn’t get it” and was “underimpressed”. Simon didn’t think Siobhan had that wow moment and I totally disagree. For me, she’s the bomb. My favorite performance of the night.

Lacey Brown

Lacey got a standing ovation with “The Story” by Brandi Carlile. It wasn’t a strong performance for me but her voice does have an interesting lilt. Randy called it “sleepy” and “boring” but thought it was her best song in a long time. That’s pretty bad when you think about it. For your best song in a long time to be sleepy and boring? Ellen also thought it was her best song to date. Kara said she was back on her path and Simon didn’t love the song but thought she sang it very well. He said that this performance was “in danger of being forgotten.” I think she might be in trouble.

Katelyn Epperly

Katelyn sang the Carole King song “I Feel The Earth Move”. What a brave song choice. This song is so well known and loved that you better not take it on unless you can really do something different with it. Katelyn didn’t. She attempted to clone the original and the effort totally failed. She did have fun singing it and even attempted to clone the Carole King hairdo from the Tapestry album cover. Randy thought it was “sleepy” and “boring” putting her neck and neck with Lacey for the night. Ellen said it was “not the song to choose to wow people to pick up the phone”. Kara didn’t feel that Katelyn was competing and Simon said that “this might have been a mistake for you tonight”. Was he predicting her downfall? In her own defense, Katelyn said she was trying to be “less corny”.

Didi Benami

Didi did the Fleetwood Mac song “Rhiannon”. She definitely changed it up and added her uniqueness to it. However, I don’t think she’s strong enough for this competition. She’s like a mouse whispering in the background. I do like her voice but I wouldn’t have bought the song and that’s what it’s all about. You have to ask yourself, would you actually pay money to buy this song as you are hearing it right now? Randy hopes she stays awhile longer but said it wasn’t her best. Ellen said “yes indeedy, Didi”. Kara said it was one of her favorite moments of the show and Simon agreed with Kara. He said it was the best performance of the night and that her wow moment was the whole performance. Nope, I don’t agree with Simon. That’s a compliment I would have given Siobhan.

Paige Miles

Paige sang the song “Smile” by Charlie Chaplin. I didn’t know he wrote songs! I had no idea what to expect until she started singing. Smile is a song we’ve all heard: “Smile though your heart is aching, smile even though it’s breaking…” It was obvious that Paige put a lot of feeling into it but I didn’t feel the connection. It seemed a little shaky and I’m thinking she may be in trouble. Some of the notes just got away from her. Randy agreed with me. He said it just didn’t work and that it went completely flat for him. Ellen said that this song was supposed to be uplifting, not sad. Kara thought it was all wrong and Simon thought it was a horrible song choice. Simon called it a “peanut performance”. He said it was the sort of performance where you’d see people sitting at the bar eating peanuts, totally ignoring the song. Simon predicted the end of the road for Paige.

Crystal Bowersox

Crystal rocked it with another awesome performance, this time singing “Give Me One Reason To Stay” by Tracy Chapman. She sang with soft notes and salty notes, totally infusing the song with soul. I definitely felt the connection between Crystal and the song and I could easily hear it on the radio just as she sang it. For me, it was better than the original. For Randy, this is what the show is all about. He loved the honesty. Ellen said she needed new adjectives and that it was the best performance of the night. Kara sees it as the type of record that Crystal should be making. Simon said that “one million billion percent” this would put her in the top 12, and that Crystal was the one to beat. I put her number two to Siobhan for the night, personally, but then again, I happen to favor Siobhan’s song choice over Crystal’s.

Lilly Scott

Lilly totally lost me this week. My heart broke into pieces to see her fall so flat on one of my favorite songs. Lilly sang “I Fall To Pieces” by Patsy Cline. Taking on a Patsy song is a huge risk because Patsy was so uniquely memorable. Lilly definitely changed it up but for me, it just didn’t work. Randy, however, thought she was “in the zone”. Ellen loved the originality and style. Kara said it made Patsy Cline feel current. Simon thought she was very brave to choose that song on a night like this. He thought it was cute and quirky, but very risky. He wasn’t clear as to whether this was a prediction or not. I’m hoping not.

This week it’s easier to pick two to stay than it is to pick two to go. My top two picks are Siobhan and Crystal. I can’t put Lilly in the number three spot but I do hope she makes it through. Katie I’m hoping is outed but I can’t pick another one to out.

The results are in. Of the girls, Haeley Vaughn and Michelle Delamor were voted off. Of the guys, it was John Park and Jermaine Sellers.

I’m okay with the choice except for Jermaine. There were at least two other guys who should have been the ones to go. It wasn’t his time but America voted and disagreed with me. Was it the onesie? At least he was gracious in his goodbye leaving the world on a positive note. His parting words were, “With God there is no failure.”

As for Michelle, I’ll be surprised if doors don’t open for her. If not for her singing, surely her incredible smile will open up doors. If not, she can count on the promise made by Maria in The Sound of Music: “When the Lord closes a door, somewhere he opens a window.”

Didi appeared to be in shock that she wasn’t voted off. Not quite as vividly surprised as Tim Urban had been last week. It was almost worth keeping him in to see the absolute, utter shock on his face. However, he is one of the weakest guys so he’ll need to fight a lot harder if he wants to stay.

I was happy that Big Mike, Casey, Lee and Andrew will stick around. Andrew really needs to pick up his game, though. I’m totally with the judges. He wowed me with his rendition of the Paula Abdul song “Straight Up” and I keep waiting for him to wow me again, but so far he’s left me hanging. Without the memory of that song, he hasn’t offered much.

My biggest beef was Simon’s comment that after watching the show, the compliment he’d given to one of the girls wasn’t deserved. He wouldn’t say who. While on the surface that might seem honorable not to point the finger, it was a really rotten thing to say. He left every single girl who’d gotten a compliment wondering if she was the one who didn’t deserve it. All the compliments given were thus diluted. He should have either pointed the finger or kept it shut.

Who am I hoping makes it into the top 12? Casey, Andrew, Big Mike, Lee, Aaron, and not Todrick, whose bad press really turned me off. For the girls it would be Crystal, Lilly, Siobhan, Didi, Paige and the last is a toss up between Katelyn and Lacey. Katelyn has shown stronger talent so far but I keep thinking Lacey has it and is just too nervous to let it out.

I’m a bit late coming into this season but I’m so full of thoughts I have to let it out. I definitely agree that it’s the girl’s year. Overall the girls are much stronger and more memorable than the guys. Several of the guys are very weak and leave me wondering how they got in. Even my favorites for the guys left me empty this week. The girls however, gave some strong performances.

Crystal Bowersox

She’s been one of my favorites from day one. She’s different and she’s fresh. You’re not going to hear the same worn out songs that past idols have chosen. I enjoy listening to Crystal and she’s believeable. While I wasn’t fond of tonight’s song “Long As I Can See the Light” by Creedence Clearwater Revival, I thought she really nailed it. I much preferred last week’s song “Hand In My Pocket”. I hope she stays. I was surprised that both Simon and Ellen saw her as THE potential winner. Crystal is not the type of singer they usually stand behind. Most often it’s what I call the “Whitney Celine” style that the judges love. I much prefer different.

Didi Benami

Didi has a unique sound and I do enjoy her, but I’ve already forgotten her song choice and had to look it up to write this. Turns out it was Bill Wither’s song “Lean On Me.” A bold choice but one that just didn’t fit her voice or her look. I thought she did much better last week. She may be in trouble this week.

Haeley Vaughn

I understand the appeal. Haeley is bubbly and there’s an air of innocence about her. However, her voice tends to wobble and her words don’t come out as clearly as they should. If she stays, it’s probably more for the likeability than the talent. While I doubt she’ll get voted off this week, she would be one of my picks for someone to go.

Katelyn Epperly

I totally agreed with Ellen. The song “Scientist” was way too slow and it didn’t keep me hooked. I much preferred Katelyn singing last week’s song “Oh Darling”. However, neither song really showcases her as a current pop artist.

Katie Stevens

I do hear the potential in her voice. However, for some reason she just doesn’t appeal to me. She hasn’t hooked me once so far although I thought she really connected with last week’s song “I’m Feeling Good”. Katie reminds me of an actress on a TV show only I can’t remember who. If I were going to vote someone off, she’d be one of my picks. She sang “Put Your Records On” and I couldn’t help hearing the echoes of the song as it was sung last season. Katie did a much better job but it just didn’t click for me.

Lacey Brown

I love the sound of her voice and she is picking songs that match her voice, but they aren’t working. Last week’s “Landslide” was a total disaster. Her voice was a good fit but it sounded wobbly and pitchy. She may have been too nervous. This week’s “Kiss Me” was a big improvement and for the most part she did a much better job with it. However, her version was a replica of the original and not quite as good. While I’m not ready to see her go yet, there are several others who rank higher for me and I wouldn’t want her to stay at their expense.

Lilly Scott

She’s another of my favorites and I was very unhappy that Simon compared her unfavorably to Crystal. Lilly is not the same. She has a very unique sound and whenever I watch her perform, I find myself smiling. She’s the only idol who has that affect. I usually don’t enjoy songs I’ve never heard before but last week’s “Fixing A Hole” really sucked me in and this week’s song “Change Is Gonna Come” by Sam Cook really showed her talent as an artist. She totally made that song her own and connected with it. I believed it.

Michelle Delamor

I disagreed with the judges yet again. I really enjoyed her performance last week of “Falling (In and Out of Love With You)” but this week she fell flat for me. Apparently it was the exact opposite for the judges. Her rendition of “With Arms Wide Open” might have appealed to the judges, but it didn’t appeal to me.

Paige Miles

This was the first time I connected with Paige. Last week I’d hoped for her to get voted out but this week, we connected. I thought she did a great job with Kelly Clarkson’s song “Walk Away” and I disagreed with Kara that Paige lacked the anger needed to pull it off. Her version was just different enough to play on a different type of radio station and I enjoyed her performance. She does need to work on owning the stage.

Siobhan Magnus

Another favorite for me. I’ve enjoyed every performance she’s done and tonight was no exception. Her rendition of Aretha Franklin’s “Think” would have put me on the dance floor. While she didn’t change it up as they often tell the contestants to do, it didn’t matter because she totally nailed it. I did disagree with one of the judge’s comments, however. I thought she totally aced the song except for that one note, which sounded a bit screechy to me. Apparently, the judges and I didn’t agree. They preferred that one note to the rest of the song.

I can’t offer up a favorite but if I had to pick two to go, I’d pick Katie and Haeley. However, my picks don’t usually match the rest of the world so if I were going to predict who is going to get voted off, it would be Didi, Lacey or Michelle.