Top 6 minus 1 - Leona Lewis Performs!

I'm glad Andrew had a chance to say that Brooke was flawless in rehearsal. Sadly, he also confirmed Jason's song choice as quite questionable (<-- q alliteration, or qualliteration).

The Davids are first on the spot. No mystery here.

Neil Diamond next week! I love that guy!

There's Leona Lewis! That bulge in Simon's pants is his wallet getting bigger. She certainly does have it all, though - what a performance!

Syesha and Brooke are next. Brooke is safe, and appropriately shocked! Syesha is in the bottom two. I guess there are other who feel as Bo does.

Jason and Carly are last up. Jason is rightfully nervous, but he is safe, leaving Carly in the bottom two. Judging by the audience's screams, Jason will have to do much worse before he's voted off.

Carly and Syesha both give great reduxes of their songs from last night. I'm glad to see that they both look happy, as well.

Carly is leaving. Deep breath, Bo. I can easily her succeeding on Broadway, or in some other venue.

See you next week...

Sir Andrew Week

I've been looking so forward to this week and I can't believe it's over already. You can choose how much of that to believe.

RANDOM THOUGHTS: Andrew Lloyd Webber was refreshingly normal for being so famous and all. I thought he was really good with the contestants and had a lot of constructive advice for each of them. Simon usually hates Broadway weeks so either he's grown accustomed to them or resigned. Either way, he was remarkably useful this week. Maybe it's because his countryman was the mentor. I think he made one excellent point (one I was thinking beforehand): the challenge this week is to make each performance contemporary and relevant, not just a good replica. For a unique performance in a Broadway week see Nikko Smith doing this one. I wish we'd had a Broadway theme rather than just Andrew Lloyd Webber. Like Mariah and Stevie Wonder type of weeks it's a setup for disaster for most of them. What is wrong with Ryan this season? He's so dorky. In the past he was quirkily cool, but now he's just weird. Was it strange for anyone else to see Ricky Minor conducting an orchestra rather than grooving with the bass guitar? He's almost one of the stars this season.

Syesha Mercado: I have to say she did very, very well, except for that sitting on the piano bit. Hated that. She obviously has talent besides all that attitude. Musical theater is her niche so it's no surprise this "working actress" did so well this week. Having said that, she didn't put any contemporary or "pop" feel into her arrangement at all. I would have liked to have seen someone make that comment. Oh well.

Jason Castro: Terrible song choice (I've actually hated this song ever since I was forced to play it as part of a 6th grade jazz band). Adequate performance. He'll be grateful he has a strong following because this week was just awkward and mediocre. I liked the video intro with the jumping back and forth between Lord Webber and Jason. Nice edit job.

Brooke White: Ouch! I think she misunderstood when she restarted her song weeks ago. That worked out then (sort of) but it wasn't supposed to happen again. She has come off as very nervous and rattled over the past few weeks. The performance was decent but lacked anything original. Another Broadway-ish performance. And not in the good way.

David Archuleta: This was the first unique performance of the night. I was pleasantly surprised. I called the song he'd sing before they announced it, but I didn't think he'd be original at all. Even with a flubbed lyric, that apparently escaped the judges' notice, it was great. Kudos to The Kid.

Carly Smithson: How long was that shirt ready? I'm glad she got to use it. She did great. I'm glad Sir Andrew switched her pick because this song was much better for her. It stood out from the other Karaoke-ish performances and should help her keep rising.

David Cook: First off, good, solid vocal. I am actually a bit shocked at how good his voice is and how much he can do. With that said, I was completely disappointed that he didn't do anything original with his choice. Even if he rips off another unique arrangement from someone else, he usually picks things that stand out and "define" him. Others did worse enough to get booted, but I'm expecting a bit more from him next week.

TOPS FOR ME: David Archuleta.
BOTTOM TWO: Syesha Mercado, Brooke White
TAKING HER MEMORIES WITH HER: Brooke White

Top 6 - Andrew Lloyd Webber Mentors!

Broadway music is an odd choice, and should make for some interesting performances.

Syesha - 'One Rock and Roll Too Many' - Her vamped up version is very nicely done. The judges all agreed that this is her element and it allowed her to display a lot of personality. Definitely one of, if not her best. Perhaps what Bo dislikes as her "acting" in some previous songs is precisely her strength with this type of music?

Jason - 'Memory' - A big song. I don't think he lets himself go with it, as Andrew had suggested. He did okay, but it felt a bit like riding on a bike with the tires low on air. Randy agrees it was too big of a song and calls it a trainwreck. Paula is supportive. Simon didn't like it, either. This may be the end for him, though on looks alone, he may yet have enough adoring fans.

Brooke - 'You Must Love Me' - A false start, but she handles it. She delivers a heartfelt rendition which is very believable for me. Randy thought her voice wasn't up to it. Simon says it was iffy, and she won't like it when she sees it back. It may well hurt her, but I didn't not like it.

David A. - 'Think Of Me' - Another fine performance of a difficult choice. Randy loved it. Paula calls it "perfect." Simon calls it "pleasant," but a weak, forgettable performance.

Carly - 'Superstar' - A better choice for her lungs, per Andrew, but not necessarily a good choice for this stage of the competition. She handles it quite well and the audience seems to like it. Randy liked it overall. Paula liked it. Simon calls it one of his favorites of the night, if "shouty" at times.

David C. - 'The Power Of The Music Of The Night' - Incredibly powerful performance. The judges all loved it, though Simon prefers his rougher side.


Tops and Props: David C., followed by David A. and Carly, in no particular order, and props to Syesha.

Bottoms: Brooke and Jason.

Leaving: I think Jason has a stronger following than Brooke, at this point, so I'll guess Brooke.

Randy Jackson On Ellen Degeneres!

And he predicted it would be a David vs David rather than a David vs Goliath contest at the finish! He also seconded Ellen's love of David C.'s originality and creativity. Then they praised the other contestants and their unique skillz.

Kristy Lee Cook Performs on Ellen!

Wow! Kristy Lee Cook just gave a flawless performance of a song called 'Love'Em Anyway' on the Ellen Degeneres Show. I've never heard the song before, but her voice was crystalline, flawless, and powerful. For me, it was her best performance ever. Maybe being away from the pressure of AI has allowed her to spread her wings with more confidence.