This week’s theme of Soul and R&B was literally Ushered in by the artist himself, Usher. As a mentor, he seemed to genuinely want to offer helpful advice though the advice was often the same for several Idols on how to connect with the audience.

Siobhan Magnus

Siobhan ushered in the evening singing the Chaka Khan song “Through The Fire” in a dress and big, bulky boots. I loved the look of the boots with a dress, somehow that so suited her. She different and that’s a good thing. Usher thought she had a “unique vocal ability” and normally I agree but tonight she was off her usual game. The song was definitely pitchy. As always, Siobhan showed she can carry the big notes but sometimes it’s not about the big notes. I’d like to see her tone it down a bit and pick a song she can just have fun with.

The judges and I were on the same page. Randy thought it was pitchy and all over the place. He said it was not one of her shining moments and that she needed to trust herself with the big songs. Ellen compared her to “dessert before the meal”. Kara said the screaming parts worked but that the rest of it didn’t. Kara added that Siobhan has been consistent throughout the competition and that she was entitled to an off night. Simon thought it sounded like she was trying to sing while out of breath from running a marathon. Simon is getting bored with the screaming at the end. Siobhan answered, “Even if I didn’t kill it, I wanted to prove I was willing to try,” to which Simon replied, “You slaughtered it.” This was the first time the judges were hard on her and poor Siobhan could barely hold back the tears. I hope she’s not too hard on herself because as Kara said, one off week out of several is a pretty good batting average.

Casey James

Casey seems to be in his element these days. He just totally lets go and just follows his flow. He offered up the Sam & Dave song “Hold On I’m Coming”. Casey called this type of music his roots and Usher said that win or not, Casey was definitely an Idol to keep your eye on. Casey just looks so completely comfortable and at ease when he sings. The music just flows out so naturally. The look of sheer joy lights up his face when he sings and the guitar totally nails it. I’ve never seen an American Idol hit the guitar as well as Casey does. This is definitely what he was born to do.

Randy called it another hot night for Casey. Ellen said he was always so consistent, so good, but that the song felt a little generic for her, a little too safe. Kara believes he isn’t showing the range he is capable of. She wants him to show her everything he’s got. Simon called it his strongest week so far. Simon gave him three “reallys” saying that tonight “showed a different side of you as an artist. I’m really really REALLY impressed with you.” Go Simon!

Michael Lynche

Big Mike did his warm up with that fish lips thing he does. The fish lips are becoming his signature move, like a punctuation mark to a particularly potent moment. He sang “Ready For Love” by India.Arie. Usher thought he should work on letting everybody feel his energy and to make sure to project to the back of the room. Michael is almost becoming predictable by singing love songs and I’d really like to see him try something different. He nailed the song but overall, it didn’t move me.

Randy is loving every performance and thought Big Mike was in the zone. Ellen loved it. Kara thought that he’d totally mastered the intent of the song and called it one of her favorite performances. Simon said that this was the first time we could take Mike seriously as an artist. He did add that the song itself was gloomy. After the glowing reviews from the judges, Ryan said he feared for his life whenever Mike got good feedback from the judges and pantomimed the bearhug that would follow.

Didi Benami

Then there’s Didi. This girl can’t catch a break. She sang What Becomes of the Broken Hearted, a song that was apparently near and dear to her heart. Ryan tried to pry it out of her, the dirty details of her attachment to the song. All he did was frustrate her and fill her eyes with tears to try to hold back from the cameras. Way to go, Ryan. I feel so badly for Didi. She has a beautiful voice and she’s unique but she can’t seem to find her niche. If she ever does she might blow us all away but I’m not sure she’ll last long enough to find it. This song didn’t fit her voice.

Randy wasn’t feeling it either. The whole performance flatlined for Randy. Ellen agreed that it wasn’t her best performance. Kara thought she’d lost her way. Didi started out more as a singer/songwriter and now she’s just lost. Simon compared it to “swimming in jelly”. He said it was off melody, that she was no longer contemporary, and he agreed with Kara and I that Didi had lost her way.

Tim Urban

Tim Urban shook off the doom and gloom and brought a big smile to the stage earning the nickname “Teflon Tim”. Even when the judges are beating up on him, Tim just shines on with a great big smile. When asked why he was always smiling even after the judges cremated him he answered, “I had a blast singing and I wasn’t going to suddenly be depressed because Simon didn’t like it.”

Usher made the attempt to teach Tim how to be believable with the song he’d chosen, “Sweet Love” by Anita Baker. The effort totally failed. Tim tried to sing into the camera, a ploy that has worked for many an Idol such as Constantine Maroulis, one of the masters of the trade of working the camera. Tim however, is totally missing something when he tries. Not only does it not work for him, it hilights his negatives. Tim needs to stick with happy, joyful songs to match the big smile. Tonight it was like a high school kid at a prom, grabbing a microphone and singing to some girl in the hopes of getting lucky.

Randy compared him to a singing waiter adding that he was in tune but that there was no vibe, no swag to the song and that Tim needed to put a little grease on it. Not sure what he meant by that but okay, Tim, grab your grease and slide across the stage to another week. Ellen said she heard there was a drinking game going on where every time she called him “adorable” the viewers would have to drink a drink. The judges were in a weird way about Tim tonight. Ellen said he was walking like he was sneaking into a bedroom. It wasn’t clear whether the sneaking involved stealing something or having sex but if you add Randy’s grease… okay, I cannot imagine Tim that way so I’m not going there! Kara said he took the soul right out of the song. Simon compared him to a mouse picking a fight with an elephant and commented on the Teflon Tim smile to which Tim replied of the judges in general, “They’ve picked on me for a lot of things but I never expected it to be about smiling.” You just keep on smiling, Tim, because it’s one of your strong suits.

Andrew Garcia

Andrew took on “Forever” by Chris Brown. While it was one of his better performances it just didn’t do it for me. I keep hoping he’ll come out and wow me but it never happens. Randy, however, called it his best performance in a long time and said that “Andrew is back!” Ellen called it a strong performance. Kara said that nothing made her happier than to say that this was one giant leap in the right direction. Simon said it was miles better than the last couple weeks but that Andrew, as a person, came off as very boring. Simon predicted that Tim would make it through to next week because he wasn’t boring, making the point that personality is important.

Katie Stevens

Katie has totally continued the makeover which bumped her up a notch. She sang the Aretha Franklin song “Chain of Fools”. The song felt too old for her but it definitely did show off her strong voice. I’m beginning to think maybe she needs to match her voice and not her age because no matter how hard she tries, she can’t seem to match her age.

Randy called it one of the best vocal performances of the night and compared her to a young Christina. Ellen commented that she always sounded so mature. Kara thought she’d found her niche but that she needed to be younger and more commercial. Simon thought she came across as robotic and cold, totally disagreed with the comparison to Christina which sparked a debate among the judges as to what genre most suited Katie. They couldn’t agree and it finally moved to the next contestant.

Lee Dewyze

Lee sang the song “Treat Her Like A Lady” by the Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose. Usher told him he had an incredible voice and that he needed to own it, that if Lee didn’t believe it neither would anybody else. Well he definitely made me believe it. This was his best yet for me and it was better than the original. I know I say that a lot but hey, I was there for the originals and I still remember them clearly. Lee has definitely found his niche and I think tonight raised him three notches on the totem pole.

Randy called it unbelievable and said it was the bomb. I think that’s the first bomb this season. Ellen called it the best performance of the night. Kara said it was amazing and could easily be a record. Did she just date herself? Today they don’t play records, they play CDs and MP3s. Simon said, “I’ve always believed in you even though you don’t believe in yourself. This is the night your life may have changed forever.” Simon’s powerful statement almost brought Lee to tears.

Crystal Bowersox

Crystal followed a different path this week coming on stage with stiletto heels and trading her guitar for a piano. Usher thought if she could make the piano second nature and pour herself into the singing she’d be incredible. She sang “Midnight Train to Georgia” by Gladys Knight & the Pips. It was too slow for me. I miss the more energetic songs from her, the lighter songs. This was just too heavy. Crystal totally nailed the song but it didn’t have the wow factor that most of her songs have had.

Randy called it another great performance. Ellen said, “You’re never not good. You’re always great.” Kara was glad she’d taken the risk and showed another side. Simon thought the choice of song was sensational but he added a warning: “Do not let this process suck the identity out of you. Don’t change into something you’re not.” Crystal answered that she wanted to prove she was a multi-faceted artist. That worked for Adam Lambert last season but I don’t believe Crystal should change it up that way. The makeover didn’t suit her nor did the song.

Aaron Kelly

Aaron finished the show with the song “Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers. It’s odd how many songs chosen are 30+ years old. I wonder how many viewers were around for the originals or even realize that these songs are oldies. It’s really cool when an American Idol takes an old song and reworks it so that it’s brand new. Aaron didn’t do that but even so, Usher thought Aaron had a chance of scoring high or even winning if he played his cards right. For me, the song didn’t have enough range or melody to showcase Aaron. It was too much of a straight line.

Randy thought it was just alright and a little rough. Ellen said it was a good song choice. Kara liked it but she didn’t love it. She wished he’d gone a little higher in his register. Simon wasn’t blown away but predicted that Aaron would be safe this week.

For me, Lee and Casey owned this week, knocking Crystal from the top spot. Who’s out? Honestly it’s hard to predict this week especially since I’m so often wrong. My out picks are always radically different than America’s out picks. My personal bottom three are Didi, Andrew and Katie.

Tags: aaron, aaron kelly, american idol, andrew, andrew garcia, benami, bowersox, casey, casey james, cowell, crystal bowersox, degeneres, dewyze, didi benami, ellen, ellen degeneres, kara dioguardi, katie stevens, lee dewyze, lynche, magnus, michael lynche, miles, ryan, ryan seacrest, seacrest, season 9, simon, simon cowell, siobhan magnus, stevens, tim urban, urban, usher

Category: American Idol 2010

Another Idol must fall. Tonight was results night and it was a biggie. The last man down doesn’t go on tour so the stakes were off the charts.

Big Mike’s wife looked much happier, laughing at a story Mike was telling. Apparently she and the baby are staying nearby in a small apartment so he is able to spend evenings with them.

Siobhan Magnus was first up. Simon had some comments about the screechy note and Siobhan said she added it last night in the hopes that it would be different enough to put her in the Top 10. Apparently it was because she made it. I’m sure if she hadn’t the Judge’s Save would have fixed it. No way she can go yet!

Paige Miles was still battling the rough voice, which helped to put her side by side with Tim Urban for the first seat in the bottom three. When Randy was asked which of the two would take the seat, he predicted Paige. But they fooled us. Instead of sending just one, both Tim and Paige were sent to the bottom three stools. No doubt a sigh of relief went through the others with only one seat left to fill. Tim said he wouldn’t have done anything different in hindsight, that he’d had great fun last night and felt the need to expand his horizons, which he surely did.

They left Lee Dewyze and Casey James hanging, waiting for their results the whole time Paige and Tim were getting theirs. Lee and Casey had been told to stand up earlier but were never freed from their torment. The announcement was made that next week would bring Usher, soul and R&B.

Miley Cyrus played the piano and sang “When I Look At You” to a backdrop of trees draped with Spanish moss and twinkling with starry lights. Swamp fog came rolling in as she sang, showing her off as the perfect Southern Belle from the bayou. Okay, so she’s not from the bayou, she’s from Nashville, but it still was an interesting theme.

Miley believes that the judges aren’t as rough as we might think, that they are simply offering tough love in the hopes of helping the contestants grow. Tough love must have worked for Lee and Casey because they were finally sent to safety.

Aaron Kelly made it to the Top 10 without much fanfare as Simon had predicted the night before.

Then it came to Didi Benami, who’d gotten the brunt of the judge’s harshness for several weeks running. She said the judges often confused her with their comments. She definitely did something right because she got the thumbs up for the Top 10. Was it the flirtiness? Did she tickle the fancy of men to be poking their fingers at the telephone keys?

Michael Lynche played the opposite end of the spectrum, selling love instead of sex. If you believe in love you have to vote for Big Mike because it’s all over him when he sings, and love is in the air for Mike who took the next love seat in the Top 10.

Crystal Bowersox got called up next. Randy reminded us that Kara wanted Crystal to lose the guitar while Simon loved the guitar and wanted it to stay. Randy asked, “Who do you listen to?” Crystal broke into an impish smile and answered, “Me!” She dropped a hint for us to expect something different from her next week and yes, we’ll definitely be seeing her again.

That left Katie Stevens and Andrew Garcia fighting for the last spot in the bottom three. I just knew it would be Andrew, who underwhelmed the judges and who’s had more bad weeks than good weeks since the Paula song. Somewhere that dude’s got a bunch of voters because against all odds, he was sent to safety while Katie took the last hotseat from which someone would be sent packing.

They didn’t leave her in suspense however, Katie was the first of the bottom three sent back to safety, leaving Tim and Paige to sweat it out while Demi Lovato and Joe Jonas took the stage singing the “Make A Wave” song. The crowd loved them, squealing with glee to show their approval.

Finally it was time for the bad news. Tim and Paige were left to sweat it out for who was going home. To his absolute amazement, Tim was sent to safety leaving Paige Miles to sing in hopes of a Judge’s Save.

Tim, the underdog who wasn’t supposed to even be in the finals, and who has taken such a beating from the judges, fought his way into the Top 10 proving that all things are possible in this world. His 110% effort week after week paid off. Way to go, Tim!

Before Paige could sing for hope, Simon figuratively threw a glass of ice cold water on her dreams telling her that no singing would save her, that it was the end of the road for her. They made a pretty big deal out of it being unanimous. Geez, they could have at least let her believe that someone might have argued on her behalf. I felt so bad for her. Yes, she had some rough weeks but truly, it should have been Andrew. He was the weakest link. Paige, I do wish America would agree with me more often because you would have been there. May your journeys continue to a joyful place of songs. Good luck!

So our Top 10 American Idol’s are: Lee Dewyze, Tim Urban, Aaron Kelly, Crystal Bowersox, Michael “Big Mike” Lynche, Andrew Garcia, Katie Stevens, Casey James, Didi Benami, and Siobhan Magnus. Let the singing begin!

Tags: aaron, aaron kelly, american idol, andrew, andrew garcia, benami, bowersox, casey, casey james, cowell, crystal bowersox, degeneres, demi lovado, demi lovato, dewyze, didi benami, ellen, ellen degeneres, joe jonas, kara dioguardi, katie stevens, lee dewyze, lynche, magnus, michael lynche, miles, miley cyrus, paige miles, ryan, ryan seacrest, seacrest, season 9, simon, simon cowell, siobhan magnus, stevens, tim urban, urban, usher

Category: American Idol 2010

Week 2 of the battle for America’s vote for the ultimate American Idol payed tribute to the Billboard chart toppers. Ryan dropped the tidbit that since the show’s inception in 2002, Idol hits have hit the Billboard #1 spot 261 times. Themes like this leave it wide open for the Idols to really show their stuff with no limits. No one should ever bomb out on wide open theme nights.

Bombing out this week takes them out of the loop for the tour. Simon made the comment that not only would the person voted off miss out on the tour but that they’d lose a lot of money as well. Only the top 10 American Idols will go on tour so let’s see how they played it out.

Lee Dewyze

Lee started the night off with the song “The Letter” by the Box Tops. He was so much more animated on stage than in previous weeks. He was so much more connected to the audience and maintained eye contact most of the way through. He even smiled. The audience must have felt it because he got a major ovation. I wasn’t blown away by the song choice but he sang it well. I fully expect to see him in the top 10. Randy called it a bluesy soul version and that he’d “knocked it out of the box”. Ellen compared him to her favorite pen, the pen you love so much that when it runs out of ink you light a match under it in the hopes of coaxing out just a little more ink. She said her “favorite pen” was back. Kara said he’d raised the bar for himself and that he’d made tremendous progress. Simon said it definitely wasn’t a recording performance and that Lee was missing the point. Simon said it didn’t define him as a contemporary artist.

Paige Miles

Paige was still battling laryngitis and it showed. She sang the Phil Collins’ song “Against All Odds”. Paige has a solid voice but tonight was the worst I’ve ever heard from her. The song was totally the wrong song choice. The entire song sounded off key and pitchy. It was all over the place and I don’t think she ever hit a good note. I felt so bad for her. She’s definitely got talent but for her to bomb so badly tonight, I think she might be in big trouble. Randy was almost speechless, starting out with “Yo man. Yo. Wow!” and finishing with “That was terrible!” Ellen didn’t want to touch it. She told Paige she looked beautiful (which she did) and then turned it over to Kara and Simon for the music critique. Kara told her that somewhere along the way she’d stopped competing and that this was the worst vocal we’d ever heard from her and possibly the worst vocal of the season. Simon compared her to Sybil but not in so many words. He said, “It was like there were 5 of you singing that song.” He thought it was all over the place and predicted that she was in serious trouble, sealing her fate with the comment: “That song has just killed you.”

Tim Urban

In an incredibly brave move, Tim Urban tackled the Queen song “Crazy Little Thing Called Love.” He put down his guitar and worked the audience, at one point sliding across the stage on one knee. He’s a fighter, no doubt about it. He’s definitely fighting hard to stay in from week to week. It wasn’t my favorite vocal from him but it’s obvious that he takes whatever suggestion is offered and runs with it. I give him 110% for effort. Randy said “the dopest thing you did was the slide” but thought that the vocals were boring. Ellen noted that he had a huge fan base which would probably save him but that it felt like he was auditioning for a high school musical. Kara didn’t think he’d done anything with the song and she didn’t like how he worked the audience as if he’d already made it. Simon thought it was completely pointless and silly, that he had a zero chance of winning, and that he needed singing lessons.

Aaron Kelly

Aaron sang the Aerosmith song “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing”. Apparently he’d caught Paige’s laryngitis and raised her with tonsilitis. It didn’t stop him from getting a hug from Miley Cyrus who was the Idol’s mentor this week. It was hard to imagine someone so young and innocent tackling an Aerosmith song but he totally pulled it off. Adding a bit of a country twang, it was a good song choice for Aaron though a bit pitchy here and there. It earned him a major ovation from the audience. Randy said it wasn’t a perfect performance but that it was better than the previous two (Paige and Tim) and that he was a fan. Ellen thought it was the perfect song choice and noted that he was usually pitch perfect and that obviously the illness had affected his singing. She added, “I can see your career already.” Nice touch, Ellen! Kara called it “the best song choice of the night” (so far, of course). She noticed the country twang and loved that he’d shown more stage presence. Simon called it brave but too old fashioned for someone his age. He did predict that Aaron had zero chance of going home.

Crystal Bowersox

Crystal chose the song we’d all been waiting to hear her sing, “Me and Bobby McGee” by Janis Joplin. She didn’t disappoint. Crystal actually brought tears to my eyes though I can’t explain why. She took me back to the sixties as if I were really there. Every week she comes out and totally blows me away. For me, the entire song was a wow moment and the audience must have agreed because she got a major ovation, biggest of the night. Randy said, “That’s what’s called being a star!” and said that Crystal was what American Idol is all about. Ellen wanted to see more connection. She said, “These people love you. Take it all in and respond.” Ellen said that the audience wants to share and that Crystal just needs to let people in. Kara wants her to give up the guitar and let go completely. Simon wouldn’t change a thing (and neither would I). He said it was as good as the best version of that song. He liked that she wasn’t gimmicky, sliding across the stage (taking a jab at Tim) and that her only gimmick was the carpet. She performed on a small square of carpet. I don’t know if it’s always there or was put there at her request. All I know is that I’d buy her singing that song. That makes two songs of hers I’d buy.

Michael Lynche

Michael crooned another love song, “When A Man Loves A Woman”, no doubt in honor of his wife. You can feel the emotion when he sings this type of song. He puts his whole heart into it. His wife is his muse, his inspiration, but I’m not sure she was feeling the love because when they panned the camera out to her she didn’t look very happy. I always worry about Idols with families. I cringe when an Idol comes out showing their beloved spouse and children because if they actually do hit it big, the fame will tear their family apart. Being a singer means being on the road away from your family most of the time. Single parents are the worst because nothing good can come for the children if that one parent goes missing. No amount of money could surely replace being a parent though I know the Idol hopefuls disagree. Whatever Mike’s wife was feeling in that moment, Michael himself fully connected with the song. Randy loved it but said it wasn’t his best vocal. Ellen called it a safe song choice and compared it to driving the speed limit. Kara said that while it was technically good, it was also boring and safe. Simon thought it was overboard. He said it was like craving one scoop of ice cream but getting eleven. He called the performance loungy and said that Michael needed to be more relevant. Once Simon had his say, he turned to someone (Ryan?) and gave them a thumbs up for allowing him to have his say without interuption.

Andrew Garcia

Andrew tried the Motown hit “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” by Marvin Gaye. He had decided to take a risk by putting the guitar down so that he could connect with the audience. He moved around the stage and gave it an effort but for me it just didn’t work. While this was definitely one of his better vocals it still fell flat and I just don’t see him as American Idol material. While others also had bad weeks this week, overall Andrew just doesn’t do it and I think if someone should be voted off, it really should be him. Randy said, “Oh dog, man… it wasn’t good.” Randy thought it was not the kind of vocal for Andrew. Ellen said it was the wrong song choice but hoped his fans would vote for him. Here’s where I get irritable. Ellen saying that might keep him in which wouldn’t be fair to the more talented singers such as Paige, who is having a bad week for battling laryngitis. Overall Paige has done so much better and deserves the spot. Kara doesn’t know what to do with him and said he just keeps chasing that moment (from Straight Up) but never catching it. Simon thought that maybe they’d overrated the Straight Up performance. Simon said, “You sucked the soul out of that song and tortured it.” He thought Andrew’s problem was that he didn’t know who he was as an artist.

Katie Stevens

Even Katie deserves the spot more than Andrew. I don’t know if she reads this blog but she absolutely took my advice to heart and gave up the little girl recital dresses and underwent a clothing makeover. The new outfit definitely worked. She sang the Fergie song “Big Girls Don’t Cry”. While I totally applaud the outfit makeover I wasn’t a big fan of the song. It was too copycat, almost a clone of the original and not quite as good, though she did get close. Randy called it sharp and pitchy but was happy that she’d chosen a younger song. Ellen called it her best performance so far and said she was like the Dakota Fanning of American Idol. I don’t see that. Dakota is pretty amazing and I think if I had to choose one person to compare to Dakota, it would be Crystal for her consistently solid performances. Kara said that while she did have pitch issues, this pop with R&B leanings was where Katie belonged. Simon thought that Katie meeting Miley Cyrus was the best thing that could have happened to her.

Casey James

Casey offered up the Huey Lewis song “The Power Of Love”. I’m not a big fan of that song but I LOVED what Casey did with it. Contrary to what the judges thought, for me it was definitely different than the original. Maybe it was because Casey has a different voice for it, maybe it’s the country twang he injects, I don’t know but it definitely worked for me and I liked it better than the original. Casey wasn’t competing, he was already there as if he were performing in concert for his fans. He looked so at ease and comfortable, smiling as he sang. This song really showed off his voice and it may be my favorite of his performances. Great job, Casey! The audience must have agreed because he got a major ovation for it. Randy said he was “the best musician guitar player we’ve ever had” but wasn’t overjoyed with the song choice. Ellen wasn’t a fan of the song choice either. Kara said he was definitely ready to make an album. Simon was a total downer, saying it was identical to the original and comparing him to an 80s cover band. My suggestion for Casey: Don’t forget to hold up your fingers and ask for the vote!

Didi Benami

Didi sang the Linda Ronstadt song “You’re No Good”. During rehearsals she said she was going to sing the song to her nerves as they are her biggest issue. This is a hard song because it lacks melody, but I’ve got to hand it to her, Didi added the melody that was missing from the original. She got quite flirty with the audience and the men will surely love her. My fella certainly did! Randy loved the idea of it except for the pitches. Ellen thought it was the wrong song choice but still is a fan of Didi’s. Kara felt like Didi was playing a character. Okay now THAT pissed me off. Kara has been telling people for weeks to be the song and not to choose songs that don’t fit their life experience. Now someone gives it their all to be the song and Kara smashes them for it. Simon rarely makes me angry because he’s usually right on but Kara has really been irking me this season, giving a lot of harsh criticism where it doesn’t belong. Simon did also critique Didi comparing it to “the bad part of a musical” and telling her that she was falling into the Lacey trap. Didi took the harsh critique with good grace which is always a plus for the Idol. Overall Didi reminds me of a doll from an old gangster movie.

Siobhan Magnus

Siobhan pulled the last straw again and got to finish out the show with the Stevie Wonder song “Superstition”. Wow, what a makeover she came out with! From head to toe Siobhan sported a whole new look and hairstyle. While I really liked her old hairstyle with the headband, I must say that the new look is probably more fitting for where she’s trying to go. The new look definitely added to her stage presence but it wasn’t my favorite song for her. She absolutely nailed the song but it lacked the wow factor that she usually brings to a song. She did, however, inject the screechy note that she’s become famous for. Apparently she’d sing a whole song in the screechy note if she could. I really do not like the screechy note. However you slice it she got a thumbs up from Miley. Randy called her “fearless” and loved her conviction. Ellen loves her and wants more, please. Kara loves how she expresses herself and calls the end note “amazing”. Simon said that while some would like the performance, many would not. In his diatribe he said that Crystal was in a different league.

Who’s in danger? The closest thing to a prediction was Simon telling Paige she was in serious trouble and that the song had killed her. I believe that the bottom three will come from Paige, Andrew, and then Katie or Tim. My choice is Andrew for the fall guy because he has consistently fallen short. I really believe the others deserve to move forward and it would be a travesty if he took a top 10 spot.

Tags: aaron, aaron kelly, american idol, andrew, andrew garcia, benami, bowersox, casey, casey james, cowell, crystal bowersox, degeneres, dewyze, didi benami, ellen, ellen degeneres, kara dioguardi, katie stevens, lee dewyze, lynche, magnus, michael lynche, miles, paige miles, ryan, ryan seacrest, seacrest, season 9, simon, simon cowell, siobhan magnus, stevens, tim urban, urban

Category: American Idol 2010