Top 4 - Bee Gees Night?

This promises to be a strange night. Bee Gees music? I mean I liked his music back in the 70s, but it's dated and their vocal stylings with their unique harmony seem like a longshot for successful AI performances...but let's see - two performances each, tonight.

Melinda Doolittle 1 - 'Inside And Out' - Yeah, she handles it well and gives it some heat, and me, some chills. It's not her best, but solid. The judges agree, essentially, that she's hard to criticize but needs to bring it more, at this late stage.

Blake Lewis 1 - 'You Should Be Dancin', Yeah' - He's gonna BEAT it! Good falsetto and echo effects, and the beat boxing is not overdone, and a GREAT touch. He could sell this one right now! Wonderful job, and has that 'Eye of Tiger' added element that puts it, perhaps, a cut above Melinda. The judges unanimously disagree with my assessment, but I think the audience and his fans will agree with me.

Lakisha Jones 1 - 'Stayin' Alive' - She does a decent job, but sounds off-key at one point, and indulges in a bit of yelling. Not good for me, compared to the last two performances. The judges agree, and Simon nails the shouting and denies her a kiss.

Jordin Sparks 1 - Jordin has a real chance to improve her standing if she just listens to the feedback the judges have been giving, and sticks to singing a clean version of her song, 'You Don't Know What It's Like'. Judging by the effect of her rehearsal version on Barry Gibb, she's got it nailed. Sure enough, she does a very good job, and gives me way more chills than Melinda's performance. It wasn't perfect - the ending was a bit of a letdown compared to the power surge - but it was definitely the best so far tonight, and the judges, wisely, agree with me.

Lakisha is on the bottom, for me, at this point.

Melinda Doolittle 2 - 'How Can You Mend A Broken Heart' - She's planning to mess with the lyrics. I hope the judges don't count that against her. This is better than her first one, and very good. The judges liked it better, especially Simon.

Blake Lewis 2 - This is an obscure song choice, and he's adding more beat box. Focusing so heavily on his original style may not be the wisest move right now. It doesn't really connect with me, partly because I've never heard it before, and partly because I don't think the boxing worked as well on this song. Randy and Paula seemed to like it better, but Simon thought it sucked.

Lakisha Jones 2 - 'Run To Me' - Great looking dress and a solid beginning. The chorus adds a nice touch on this song. This is a more solid performance, and the power surge definitely brings it up a notch. The ending is a bit weak. Overall, good, but not great. Simon says she and Blake may be in trouble tonight. From his point of view, I agree, but I think Blake has more popularity than Simon believes, so I'd be more worried about Lakisha.

Jordin Sparks 2 - 'A Woman In Love' - Jordin's combination of power and vulnerability in this song put her over the top. She almost brought me to tears at the end. Randy and Paula didn't like it as much as I did, and Simon had some irrelevant critiques.

Tops and Bottoms - For tonight, Jordin, Melinda, Blake, and Lakisha. For the long haul, Lakisha may have a bit of an edge on Blake, but I think he'll edge her out tomorrow. Jordin has been so consistent for the last several performances that she has a very real chance of winning the top spot. I'd be surprised if either Blake or Lakisha unseated either one of them, unless the female listeners all align behind Blake for a boy/girl finale.

See you tomorrow!

John