Top 20! - 10 Guys

I liked the subtle nod Ryan gave to Oscar-winning Jennifer Hudson at the start of the show in which he emphasized (literally) how the AI judges had discovered her (even if they thought she wasn't good enough) - a sad attempt at damage control, but a good example of what we psych people call 'reframing'... ; )

I also fine-tuned my home stereo system this week, given the sucky audio I encountered last week. So far it sounds much better.

Phil Stacey - I agreed pretty much with Simon. Good, but not outstanding.

Jared Cotter - Sounded a little strained and unpolished to me. Paula picked up on him pushing the song. I didn't disagree with Simon's cabaret appraisal. About the same as last week. He may survive on looks for awhile.

AJ Tabaldo - Very smooth start, and adds some kick and owns it pretty well. Best so far tonight, but not huge.

Sanjaya Malakar - Let's hope he's found some fire. Not so much. Smooth and pleasant, but he needs some growl in his voice, especially with that song! Randy agreed. Paula remains the patron saint of diplomatic, positive feedback, and Simon remains intent on squashing her like a bug when she does that. Still, it wasn't bad, so maybe he'll last another week and finally show us something more impressive. I was the same way as a singer - too sweet, and not enough bite, though I did manage to make a lot of girls cry... ; )

Chris Sligh - Nice looking wife, and I'll bet he deserves her completely. The song is unknown to me, but he certainly kept me interested in it. I like his suit and sneakers. He gave me some chills, so that's the key for me. Very good, and I'm glad to hear the judges agree.

Nick Pedro - Smooth and smokey...about the same as last week, with a couple of tries at adding some pizazz. Unfortunately, those attempts took him off-key. Just okay for me. I think the judges liked it a little better than I did.

Blake Lewis - I can see he gets a lot of his strength and confidence from his parents. He let himself be himself in tonight's song choice. Once again he owned the stage, the song and the audience. Awesome! Randy agrees. Paula nails how smart he's being, and I agree. Simon's being tough, but I know where he's coming from - he's expressing his disappointment as though he's talking to the American Idol already. What's clear to me is how strongly the energy of his performance has affected the judges. Both last week and this week they are all over each other. Clearly they were strongly impacted and it manifests in energetic interactions. I've seen the same thing with mental health clients with powerful energies surrounding them - the entire treatment team becomes galvanized, and no one remains indifferent.

Brandon Rogers - Pitchy and timid, to start, and the song wasn't played fast enough. I understand the dedication and intent to express feeling, but I agree somewhat with Simon that it's still a competition, and this wasn't up to par.

Chris Richardson - A good example of a dedicated song with feeling and some pop to it. Simon's point is made, and Paula has nowhere to hide except humor. Up there with Blake's performance, though I liked Blake a little better.

I must say I'm liking the pace of the show much better tonight.

Sundance Head - He makes a good attempt at bringing it and not sucking. I admire his efforts, but I don't think it was as impressive as Randy and Paula. Like Simon, I feel like, "let's not get carried away".

Tops: Blake Lewis, Chris Sligh, Chris Richardson, AJ Tabaldo.

Bottoms: Brandon Rogers, Jared Cotter, and, for me, if I'm honest, Sundance Head.

I'm expecting much better from the girls...

...John