Final 2

Oh my goodness! They haven't had this good of a finale since Ruben and Clay, in my opinion. Possibly Bo-Carrie, but with a TON more likeability. They are both SO GOOD!!

Let me rate them, not against each other, but just on how well it was sung/performed. 1-10, 1 being abysmal and 10 being phenomenal.

First song:

Blake - Bon Jovi song- 9
Jordin - Christina song - 8

They're both SO GOOD!! I'm so glad he chose that one as his favorite. They always say you shouldn't do Christina, but she rocked.

Second song:

Blake - Maroon 5's She Will Be Loved - 9
Jordin - With A Broken Wing - 8

I'm so glad she chose that as her favorite (it's mine, too, of hers) and omigosh ANYTHING Maroon 5 on Blake totally works. Love them both!

Third song (finale song):

Blake - 7
Jordin - 8

Ugh, that song doesn't fit Blake, but he still did well and the guy has a lot of class to not get negative about it, especially after 2 guys just got congratulated for writing the song. And big kudos to Blake for letting Jordin choose after the coin toss, too. Jordin is phenomenal, there's no question, but she was actually off quite a bit in that song! I do think she's amazing and totally deserves the win, though it's anyone's ball game and they're both CLEARLY successful and rightly so. It's really a matter of taste on this one. I like them both. :) The band was loud, the judges were fine tonight. Great finale!

Chris Daughtry (who I like) was off tonight, too. What's the deal?!

I love seeing the finalists all excited about the big stage and audience. THEY ARE SO CUTE!! Woohoo! I *think* Jordin's going to win, but I really don't know. This is a FUN finale!! It's about time!

Top 3

Well, Blake didn't get a shout out from the judges for a place in the finale, but I think the judges best be prepared. It could be ANY 2 of those 3. And quite frankly, it very well COULD be a Jordin-Blake finale, given that Melinda, while fantastic, is old fashioned and both Blake and Jordin and hip, contemporary, and great in their own rights. It's tough to call, in my opinion. Really.

We've got about a million things to do, so here's a short recap:

Jordin:
Wishing on a Star - very good
She Works Hard for her Money - I realllllllllly dislike that song, blech. But good job.
I Who Have Nothing - Fantastic! Just like the first time she sang it!

Blake:
Roxanne - Hot! Very good! Love his tone and his voice!
This Love - PERFECT! Bloggers everywhere have been begging for him to sing that song.
Robin Thicke song (isn't that the dad from growing pains?) - BRILLIANT! Love the beatboxing. Love the performance. Love Blake.

Melinda:
I Believe in Me and You - Randy gets to name drop. Great job.
Tina Turner something - Very Tina Turner-ish. Great performance!
W.O.M.A.N. - Smart to remind us of when we were all wowed by her in the Top 24.

So, who will it be? Tough call. They're all great in their own ways. Melinda is flawless. Jordin is YEARS ahead of her age--phenomenal really! And Blake is SO unique and contemporary and has such great tone to his voice (and likely has all of Chris Richardson's votes). :P

Truth be told, except that people follow Simon like sheep, I think it could be a Jordin-Blake finale. (Shrug.) They're all good. Weird season, but great top 3. It oughta be interesting.

Top 6 (Again)

Well! THAT was a GREAT night! Save one poor song selection and very uncomfortable and under confident performance, everyone was fantastic!

Best to worst tonight for me for them:

Blake
Melinda and Lakisha (I can't decide)
Phil (I know. I surprise myself. I can give credit where credit's due.)
Chris
Jordin (UGH. This pains me.)

Phil started the show REALLY well and did a surprisingly good job, I must admit. I don't care for his mugging and kissing up, but he DID do a really good job tonight. I'm not sure it's enough to save him though, given his competition. And besides, he said he's going down in a blaze of glory, so you know . . .

Jordin realllllly did not pick the right song. It's the first time I've seen her do that (not pick the right song) and it was really rough. She looked totally uncomfortable and I was uncomfortable for her. I don't think it's enough to boot her. I still think she has a shot at winning it all, but it was WAY rough tonight. I do love that she admits it and doesn't go on and on about "having fun!" She calls a spade a spade. Good for her. I love how genuine she is. It's refreshing. It's marketable. Plus, her name is Jordin Sparks. I can't think of a name that could be more marketable than that one without making up a stage name. She's great! Rough night, but she's great. And for the record, I didn't think this past week's performance was THAT great. It was really, really good, but the praise was over the top--it wasn't her best, her vocals were strained, and it was a bit pitchy. That said, it was still GREAT, but not "the best ever" yadda yadda. But anyway, I think that considering the two weeks together, she's fine. (And for the record, I totally knew they wouldn't boot anyone this past week--I suspected before the show, felt it would be out of place if they had, and knew when Ryan said "biggest shocker ever" to start the show). So, neener neener.

Lakisha was FANTASTIC! Probably her best week ever. And I loved the interchange with Simon (who "llllllllloved" her at her audition, too). He kissed her! And said she has great lips! Now that's an idol highlight! She did a great job--very controlled, very powerful, not oversung. Kudos to Kiki. Smart song choice. It was phenomenal.

BLAKE DESERVES ALL CAPS BECAUSE HE WAS HOT HOT HOT AND PHE-FREAKING-NOMENAL! I LOVE THAT GUY. LOVE HIM. HE WAS "DA BOMB!" AND TOOK SUCH A GARGANTUAN RISK AND TOTALLY, TOTALLY PULLED IT OFF. LOVE THE BEAT BOXING, LOVE THE RECORD PLAYING, LOVE HOW HE MAKES IT HIS OWN. HE NEEDED TO BEAT BOX THIS WEEK AND IT WILL PAY OFF. HE'S NOT GOING ANYWHERE. HE HAS US ALL BEGGING FOR MORE. LOVE THIS GUY. I PREDICT THAT THAT WILL BREAK SOME SORT OF DOWNLOAD RECORD TONIGHT. THAT WAS ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC. LOVE BLAKE. BEST TONIGHT. HANDS DOWN.

Chris got more credit than I think it deserved, but it really wasn't bad. I think he's in danger. It wasn't horrible. It wasn't great. Overall, it was good. I like him. I don't think he's making top 3 or anything. I *do* think he's generally better than Phil, though. Curious to see how it plays out.

Melinda was SMOKIN' hot!! She is SO good, SO fun, SO amazing! She was phenomenal as well. (What a great night of performances!!) I love Melinda's sassy performances and she rocked it out with sass and attitude and I loved it! I really like her and do think she'll be in the top 2, if not winning it all. Way to go, Melinda. GREAT song choice.

I predict Chris and (urgh, this past week, I would've said Lakisha even though I think she did well with "I Believe" and the judges were harsh--though I totally agree that ABSOLUTELY NO ONE can touch Fantasia's performance of it and hers is one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE Idol performances EVER, but given the judges' comments, I thought she'd go). Anyway. I predict Chris and Phil.

Sanjaya is going home

Nice kid, but right person to go home. I bet it's been really tough for him.

I found Martina McBride's song to be very inspirational for us. Thank you!

I'm tired and not feeling particularly witty or remembering much about the show. OH! Except that I am SO SICK AND TIRED of hearing what people on Hollywood Boulevard have to say! Guess what? I don't CARE what people on Hollywood Boulevard have to say. I'd rather have a half hour results show! Grrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Ryan. I like Ryan. Always have. But he is seeming dorkier and dorkier ALL the time. I don't know what's happened to him. He's turning into dweeby uptight dorky TV show host guy. What happened to cool Ryan? Bring back the inside out T-shirts and scruffy looks. Throw out the skinny ties. Whaaaaa, where's the old Ryan?!

So, anyway, Blake does NOT deserve to be ranked lower than Phil. No way. No how. Phil is annoying the bejeebers out of me. I've had enough. He's a mugger. Blech.

I find myself totally digging Blake and really liking Jordin and Melinda. Believe it or not, I'm liking Chris more and more. Lakisha just seems so put out to be there. And Phil? Well, do I really need to go there again?

Top 7

Wow. What an interesting night.

I'm going to start by ranking them this time:

Jordin
Melinda/Blake
Phil
Chris
Lakisha
Sanjaya

Now, take a good look at that. Weird list, isn't it?

Phil - I know I didn't write this past week, but suffice it to say that this guy BUGS me. That little flippy thing he did with his bow? Lame. BUT as much as I dislike the guy, I give credit where it's due and he wasn't bad tonight. And I know I didn't write to say as much, but believe me when I say that I totally predicted this. I predicted that he'd pull a Josh Gracin. And that he did. But Simon nailed it when he said, 10 weeks later and now we know what kind of a singer he is. And spare me the agreeable antics, Phil. If this is what you really want to do, why haven't you been doing it?? I'm bored with you now.

Jordin - Phe-FREAKING-nomenal. Melinda-Lakisha finale? No. Quite frankly, SHE is the one to beat. Jordin is amazing, whatever her age. That performance gave me waves of chills again and again. It was moving, she looked beautiful, and she's simply extraordinary and so stinking cute and bubbly. I really, really like her. I said it before Simon did tonight (ask Mark!)--she could definitely win this whole thing. And deservedly so. And what a marketable name she has! I'm prediciting a win for her.

Sanjaya - Ugh. It was awful. Nice kid, but it was really awful. Poor Bonnie Raitt. That was hideous. He did a nice job a week ago, but it was bloody awful tonight. Totally off and . . . just ugh. I'm just tired of even writing about this.

Lakisha - Yikes. That was not good. She just doesn't seem to have the passion for this competition. Tonight made it crystal clear that Jordin and Melinda are leagues ahead of Lakisha. She was very and uncomfortably off the whole time. I'm just not buying her that much anymore. She doesn't seem to want it that badly. Her poker face is getting tiresome to decipher. She's really got to bring it if she has any interest in the finale, though again, I think she's been out-sung and out-performed again and again. And I think she may be in the bottom 3 this week. Yep.

Chris - I don't know what the judges were listening to; I think he did a good job. Sure, it wasn't out of this world, but it was better than they gave him credit for. When he started with his condolences, at first I was thinking it was a ploy or whatever, but he is from Virginia and I agree with Simon that the whole thing had to have been difficult for them. And did you hear his lyrics? Wishing for Mayberry? Don't we all? :(

Melinda - Fantastic! And a big ol' public THANK YOU to Simon for telling her to knock off the surprised act. We've all tired of it. We know she's good and she knows that we know it. Great job, Melinda. Smile and say thank you. That's all. She looked and sounded great.

Blake - I. Love. This. Guy. He is AWESOME. He is like a walking Scrubs soundtrack. Or the soundtrack to "A Lot Like Love." Or a combination of a hip, alternative 80's band (THANK YOU, BLAKE for bringing THAT back. Justin can have his sexy.) combined with a bit of 90s edge and a little taste of Paul McCartney a la Wings and you have Blake's delicious tone infused with his own unique style. He knows who he is. He picks great songs. He is a true musician. He is a great performer. I love his falsetto. I love his confident style. I love his choreography. I love his voice. I love his attitude. Of all the contestants this season, I would buy HIS album. Love this guy. Fantastic!

Bottom 3: Sanjaya (Yes, I think he may find himself there this week), Lakisha, and Chris.
Leaving: Unfairly, Chris. OR seemingly shockingly (though at this point, it's not really), Lakisha.

Gina's Going Home

Well, that just SUCKS. I like Gina. I've liked her more and more every week. And at least THREE people deserve, based on this week's performances (and the season for that matter), to go home before Gina. I'm disappointed. I've enjoyed watching her and wouldn't mind seeing her perform more. I certainly prefer seeing her to Phil, Haley, and, dare I mention him at all? No, you know who I mean. Not his fault, but just the same. We all full well know he doesn't deserve top 6 status. I'm sickened. But I'm honestly more shocked that Phil and Haley beat Gina more than he-who-should-not-be-named, because HWSNBN is at least some, albeit odd, phenomenon, whereas Gina leaving is just WRONG. She's a rocker girl with class. She did great tonight on a VERY tough song to sing while crying!!

As for the other stuff, well, HURRAH! MICHAEL BUBLE!! Poor Tony Bennet--that really stinks. I'm so glad, though, that they got MICHAEL BUBLE!! I think he had a cold and he looks more grown up and woohoo, has an album coming out. We love Michael Buble!

Oh, and did Gina throw her pickle on the ground?

And could someone please tell Haley that mini-skirts are so 90s?

Top 9

Well, THAT was a great night of performances! It's taken long enough but NOW it's an interesting season! One of my favorite nights so far this season! 7 (varying degrees of) GREAT performances and 2 bleh ones. Not bad!

1. Blake - "Mack the Knife" is a great song for him! Now, I like Blake FAR better than Chris Richardson, but I have to say that Chris made it more his own than Blake did, but Blake still did a great job and I like jazz on him. He's a cool cat.

2. Phil - "Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay aaaaaaaaaaaaand Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiight" was . . . so . . . dull . . . and . . . boring . . . and . . . weird. He sounded off to me. And all different in a weird way. Like that time all of a sudden Josh Gracin sang country. It's strange. I think Phil's getting the boot tomorrow.

3. Melinda - "I've Got Rhythm" is awesome on her! She sings with attitude and I like that. Thank goodness it was up tempo for a couple of reasons. One, it's about time she do something up tempo--it sounds good on her and she hasn't done it much and she, in my opinion, needed that this week. Two, she followed Phil and I don't think I could've handled much more stagnant plodding. That was awesome. Go Melinda!

4. Chris - I loved it! "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" was SO SO good! I'm happy for him that he got such praise. I *love* that he makes it his own, week after week. THAT is always impressive for me. He made a standard hip without taking away from its classic integrity. That takes talent. Talent he has. I hope that he's not in the bottom 3 tomorrow as he's been for a while. He doesn't deserve it. That was fantastic.

5. Jordin - "On A Clear Day" was SO GOOD. She is PHENOMENAL. I get what Simon's saying about making it contemporary, but WOW that girl can sing. She looked cute, sounded great. And she IS a magnet of joy! What the heck was with that stupid camera shot of Simon's snickering mug? Spare us all.

6. Gina - "Smile" was very good! She is a beautiful girl. She did a nice job and I like her. She didn't exactly make it her own, but she did a good job. I'm not jumping out of my seat, but I like it.

7. Sanjaya - I wish they'd stop playing it up. Just act normal and let it go. There's some sort of odd movement going on with Dave (votefortheworst host) and Howard Stern to get this guy to win. It's so stupid. Their whole reasoning is that they like to see the crappy singers. Then do what everyone else like you does--watch the auditions and then go watch something else. And, if you really like Sanjaya, then vote for him the way everyone else does, but please don't subject us to this torture. He's getting weirder by the week. It's like watching Michael Jackson's years of strangeness in a much faster and more condensed version to see him every week. It ("Cheek to Cheek") was so high school and he excels at picking songs that really emphasize that. I'm so uncomfortable every week. I think the judges are wise to just praise him and shut up. It's too much. It was weird, awkward, unoriginal, icky, and uncomfortable for me for him. I hope his pseudo-fans are as stupid as they are tone deaf and feel that he's safe enough due to the judges' comments to not vote for him much. Maybe he'll get the boot. I doubt it, but maybe.

8. Haley - She doesn't believe in covered thighs, does she? It ("Ain't Misbehaving") was okay. I mean it wasn't bad, but it WAS pageant-y. And the Bennet clip was hilarious--uh, you can't exactly be doing that for "you and you and you" if you're true to one person. ROTFL! She's so sick of hearing that she looks good since it's a singing competition and I don't blame her, but ugh. She's up against some stiff competition. And be bopping her head around isn't going to make up for that. It's not her fault, but ugh. She could be bottom 3. With Phil and then someone who doesn't deserve to be there.

9. Lakisha - "Stormy Weather" was very good. She looked and sounded amazing. I loved her saucy skirt tug and sassy looks. She's got moxy. That's at least the second time that the guest star has suggested something and she did what she wanted anyway. It comes across as a bit full of herself. Don't get me wrong, she's amazing. But she seems to think she's beyond suggestions from others and quite frankly, Lulu and Tony Bennet have both been right so far, so . . .anyway, it was great.

Tony Bennet is impressive for a man of 80. He really is. It was sweet that he teared up like that. He did a nice job with them.

I don't really miss Sligh. And I won't be missing Phil either--I think he's gone tomorrow.

Chris Sligh is going home

Well, that was fun! Gwen Stefani is a breath of fresh air. It's nice to have some hip, contemporary stuff on AI. It's about time, too.

Chris Sligh. No big surprise. I thought it would be Haley, but he'd be my next guess anyway.

My favorite part of the evening is when he hugged Phil and said -- in the middle of his song -- "You owe me 50 bucks!" ROTFL!

Top 10

Urgh, when is cool Seacrest coming back? The guy who's "been Ryan Seacrest" is too dweeby! Where's the Ryan we love? If Simon can dress the way he does week after week, surely Ryan can go back to inside out T-shirts and sports jackets. Please?

So, Gwen Stefani seems so . . . normal. It was kind of weird. But interesting.

Lakisha - "Let's Dance" by Donna Summer
Well, I have officially forgotten her last name. Isn't that sign #1 of a diva? Um, so, I like her hair. She does seem younger. I've noticed Simon really does remember his advice to them from the previous week and watches to see if they'll follow it. But Donna Summer? Blech. She was great, but the song was just a'aight for me for her.

Sligh - Does it matter any more? But for the record, he sang "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic."
He was out of breath and all over the place. He was off on his rhythm and he's too accommodating of whatever the judges tell him ("Chris, your hair is green tonight." "I know. I should work on that. I'll try to make it less green next time and more some other color that will please you."). You just want to throw a pair of cojones on the stage for him to use next time. So, I'm bored with him now. His voice is too Broadway to pull of anything by The Police. And the echo thing that was going on all night was totally distracting (okay, that's not his fault, though if the judges told him it was, I'm sure he'd profusely apologize and promise America that instead of knitting or crocheting on his down time, he'd talk to those sound guys). I was super uncomfortable for him. And Simon has the same facial expression he's had with Taylor. He dislikes Taylor. And he dislikes Sligh. Simon likes some spitfire in the contestants. I bet Simon wants to toss a pair on stage for Sligh, too.

Gina Glocksen - "I'll Stand By You"
Wow! Great song for her! I love it! Weird outfit, but great vocal! Nice personality, too. She has a lovely smile and such nice teeth! Wow, she got mad praise tonight. I'd like to see her go far and do well. I doubt it'll happen, but hey, maybe it could--I think a Gina-Blake finale would be interesting.

Sanjaya Malakar - Something by No Doubt
Oh. My. Gosh. What in the world did he do to his hair? I suppose since his dignity has been all but flushed down the toilet, why fight it. It gave me bad Nadia Turner flashbacks. You know, the kind of thing where you're grimacing in confusion as you watch the TV, half wanting to fast forward, but too sickly fascinated to hit the button? Yeah, that was his hair for me for him. GREAT comments by Simon. I totally agree. Being totally real about the vocals, though, I kind of liked it! Except for the part where he forgot his lyrics (I'm amazed they didn't say anything, but then again why bother). He was better than Sligh tonight.

Haley Scarnato - "True Colors"
Boring song. Boring performance. And I bet those girls get sick of hearing that Paula thinks they're pretty right after they mucked up a performance.

Phil Stacey - That Stalker Song by the Police
"Every Breath You Take" worked well on Phil. 1. He sounds good on it. 2. He kind of looks like a stalker. I so prefer him with the goofy knitted hats. I'm totally distracted by his chrome dome for some reason. He's good, but he annoys me and I'm bored with him now, too.

Melinda Doolittle - Something else by Donna Summer
Great hair and outfit (despite Simon's opinion). She looks pretty. Boring song. Very good vocal, blah, blah, blah. It's not her fault, but she's good every week. So what is there to say?

Blake Lewis - Love Song by the Cure
First of all, I totally called that he'd sing The Cure. And he even dressed the part (except for no crazy hair, which is fine with me). Cough. Sanjaya. Cough. I love the Reggae arrangement. I'm always glued to his performances to see what he'll do. I love that he teases us by not always doing beatbox stuff. I love this guy. He's contemporary. He's hip. He has a great voice for this kind of thing. He's different. He's unique. He's original. He's daring. He's interesting. He's great. More on this later.

Jordin Sparks - "Hey Baby, Hey Baby, Hey Baby, Hey!" or something like that
It was a little boring and weird for me. The whole naughty school girl uniform doesn't work on her. She's too cute and adorable and likeable. It wasn't "performed" enough for me. It wasn't bad, but I didn't love it either. But I do like her a lot. So, she's forgiven. :P

Chris Richardson - "Don't Speak"
LOL at Gwen Stefani's "vocal olympics" comment! I usually like the cross gender songs (you know, when a guy sings a girl's song and vice versa), but this was just okay for me. He messed up his lyrics, too. Why is no one calling them on this?! When it's the first week on the big stage, the judges jump ALL OVER the contestants telling them that "at this point in the competition, there is just no excuse" yadda yadda. But for the top 10, it's suddenly not an issue?? And BOY was he MIFFED when Ryan interviewed him about Blake being told he's the top guy. That tight smile and "Hey, Blake and I are friends. If he's the front runner, great!" was just soooo believable.

Okay, I have something to say about "style over substance." That's what I'm liking this year. Don't get me wrong, Lakisha and Melinda are great, but a finale with both of them in it and even EITHER of them in it is just kind of boring. I don't know that I'd buy an album by either one of them even though they are technically and vocally AMAZING. Isn't that interesting? And why not? For the same reason we don't buy many Whitney, Celine, and Mariah CDs. They're AMAZING, yes, but that's not our style. It's kind of predictable (not a bad thing) and boring (a bad thing). Blake is not technically as good, but he's INTERESTING. He's different. He's unique. He's contemporary. He keeps your interest. You watch JUST to see what he'll do. He's a phenomenal and smooth performer. And while he may have less substance in terms of vocal ability and perfection, his style trumps that for me. I'd buy his album over a diva's any day. So, there's my spiel on why I like Blake more than more polished singers.

Top 10 performances, best to worst, in my opinion--keeping it real:

Gina Glocksen
Blake Lewis
Melinda Doolittle
Lakisha Jones
Phil Stacey
Jordin Sparks
Chris Richardson
Sanjaya
Haley
Sligh


Bottom 3 (or is it 2 now? I'm confused. Makes you wonder why they didn't mention the 3rd bottom a week ago): Sligh and Haley

Leaving: Haley

Stephanie's Going Home

So, looking back over my list of best to worst, my second-from-the bottom got the boot. She didn't do well yesterday, but she deserved to be on the tour, vocally anyway. Her personality just wasn't that warm. And those with personality are really Blake and Jordin. Gina's okay, too. Sligh's getting old for me for him. Anyway, I digress.

So, Herman sounded better than Diana Ross. What a shocker. And Lulu? Wow, she sings that song differently than she did in the 60s. I love that song. I miss the old style. If she was going to make it contemporary, she could've let Blake beatbox it. (Blake has single-handedly introduced ALL of America to that term, by the way). Anyway, she sounded better than Diana Ross, too. And she's so cute!

Two things that bugged me about tonight. No, three.

1. Phil's camera mugging and constant cheering. He doesn't know when to stop.

2. Ryan's repeatedly erroneous statement, "You are not in the bottom 3 tonight." Liar! Clearly, he lied to someone. (For those who are mathematically challenged, there are 11 contestants and he only said who the bottom 2 were, so when he said, 'You are not in the bottom 3 tonight" to the other 9 people, he was lying to somebody).

3. Product Placement and Plugs. Hey look, everyone! There's a top 12 again! Brad Garrett has joined us! Isn't that clever? You see, what's happened? Tivo has happened. So, advertisers started sweating the fact that most of America happily fast forwards commercials (except my mom who has seriously said to me, "Those are the best part!" Sorry, Mom, I know that was years ago, but you DID say it), thus totally ignoring the fruits of their money and efforts.

So, what do they do? They put big, giant coke cups on the judges' table. And big red swirls on the floor and walls. They have little Ford vehicles drive right across the TV screen! And they put Brad Garrett in the top 10. It's such an imposition really. I mean, it's being THROWN at us. Even if we choose to not fast forward commercials, at least we can get up, walk out, grab a snack or use the bathroom (but, ewww, so not at the same time), walk back in, and not miss a second of our favorite shows while totally ignoring the commercials (except for my mom who will be sitting there watching every one of them).

But now we see it all while we watch our favorite shows. And I don't like it. It's like an invasion of privacy. Sort of. It's a violation anyway. And it bugs me. Grrrrr.

So, more Haley and more Sanjaya. And they're on the tour instead of Brandon and Stephanie. Harumph.

All in all, not super surprising just the same. Oh! But Chris R. being bottom two--yeah, that WAS surprising really. And interesting.

What I *am* beginning to see is the possibility of a finale between Melinda and Jordin or one of them and Blake . . .

Top 11

Well, that was much better, wasn't it. And the audience was on one. Geez-a-loo. I like Ryan (always have), but I like sarcastic Ryan. He's getting a bit too cheesy and dweeby for my liking. Too much "Vegasness" in his hosting. Blech. And calling that crying tween to the stage? Were they trying to give that girl an attack?

Haley Scarnato - "Tell Him"
Good song for her, you would think. But eek. It was all over the place and her outfit was distracting (Is she wearing a bra? How does one wear a bra in a shirt like that?). The look on her face after Simon's comment tells me she knows full well what she's doing when she wears those ridiculously short outfits. I think she likes her legs. And her back.

Chris Richardson - "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying"
It got better throughout. I don't really care for Chris. For some reason, I can't get into him. Not sure what it is. But I can give credit where it's due--he did a good job.

Stephanie Edwards - "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me"
What. Did she do. To that song? She was off. I haven't ever liked her. It's not her "fun" that's "missing" (I mean, has that ever shown up? Does it even exist?). I say it again. She's got the LaToya London syndrome. She thinks she's better than everyone else. Nothing wrong with confidence, but cockiness? It kicked LaToya right out of the competition. It kicked LaToya's CD (according to a reliable source) right to the .99 cent rack. A .99 cents, by the way, my friend couldn't bring herself to spend. Could Steph Stink Eye be on the way out?

Blake Lewis - "Time of a Season"
That was a PERFECT match for his voice! He's PERFECT for that genre. And his performance was HOT. I LOVE him. Very good, very sexy, very fitting, very likeable, very, very top 2 for me for him. This guy is a musician and a singer and a performer and he is tops. I can't really put this better than Randy, so I'll just repeat: "This week, you've put together a very cool, vibey, edgy, massive yo factor version of a song!" What could I possibly add to that?

LaKisha - "Diamonds are Forever"
She should've listened to Lulu and sung the other song. It was monotonous, old, boring, and a bit too Broadway for me. Though I love her comeback to Simon (so did he). Lakisha was actually bottom 6 for me tonight.

Phil Stacey - "Tobacco Row"
He has quite a range. It was a bit pitchy. I agree with Simon about him needing more "grit." Every time I start liking Phil, he kisses up to America and it BUGS me. "Did you enjoy it? I love singing for you." Bleh. Just sing, shut up, and hold up your fingers. I was liking it until he opened his mouth with that comment. I don't, however, agree with Simon about his insinuation that Phil could be headed out tomorrow. I mean, bottom 3 maybe, but if there's any mercy at all in this competition, Sanjaya will go and spare him and us all. Mind you, I thought that before hearing him sing tonight.

Jordin Sparks - "I Who Have Nothing"
"I'm So Excited!" How could anyone NOT like her?! And, while we're at it, Lulu is SO freaking adorable. Jordin is hands down the BEST "youngest contestant" this show has EVER had. That was PHE-freaking-NOMENAL. She's 17?! She's AMAZING! And so stinking cute. "Omigosh, that was so empowering and I don't even have a boyfriend!" LOL! You go, girl!

Sanjaya Malakar - "You Really Got Me"
What in the bloody hell was that? That was bloody awful, that's what that was. British Invasion indeed. To the pained girl crying in the audience: "Oh, Honey, I know. I'm crying, too. It hurts, doesn't it. Just try to block it out and have a nice glass of warm milk before bed tonight and think happy thoughts."

Gina Glocksen - "Paint It Black"
She was off. And you know it's bad when Randy starts with, "Gina, Gina, Gina, you having fun?" While we're on the topic of "fun," IS it about fun?? I get SO sick of the phrase almost always preceded by a shrug, "Well, I had fun!" As if that's enough to make us forget or not mind all the awful notes. Ohhhhh! She had fun! Well then, who cares about all of those sucky notes and uncomfortable moments! Singing competition? Bah! She had fun!! Can you hand me the phone, dear? Give me a break. What a better response would be, I don't know, but ANYTHING is better than (shrug), "Well, I had fun!" It's Season 6. Please someone come up with something better than that. Or at least something else.

Chris Sligh - "She's Not There"
That was great! Perfect on him (except for the jumping around on the stage part which would've been fine if it hadn't winded him for the next part of the song). I agree with Simon that he worked the audience fine and did indeed not need to "lick them." I kind of like hearing Simon talk Randy. "You did your thing." Well then. All right!

Melinda Dolittle - "As Long As He Needs Me"
I got chills and it was fantastic, no question. I'd like to see her do some fun stuff to mix it up. She always sings with such conviction and power that I don't want that to get old. She could sing the phone book and the look in her eye would say that in her heart of hearts and in the deepest depths of her soul she really DOES believe that if you feel you've been poorly treated by a medical professional, you really should call Schulster, Simon, and Schulster. 10 more weeks of that might get tiring and I really don't want to tire of her, because I like her a lot. Let's see some more "W-O-M-A-N!" Oh, and I think it's hilarious that Simon's in shock over meeting such a genuinely nice person. Though I know it's not the first time. Remember Season 5? Elliott? Yeah, it's my post, so I can make whatever shameless plugs I want. We got his CD today and it's fantastic and HE'S fantastic. LOVE it. Oh, and love Melinda, too.

Here's my ranking for tonight:

Jordin/Blake (Toss up for me)
Melinda
Chris R
Chris Sligh
Lakisha
Phil Stacey
Gina
Haley
Stephanie
Sanjaya

Bottom 3 - Same as my list: Haley, Stephanie, and Sanjaya
If there's any mercy at all, leaving is Sanjaya so that there's at least a decent touring Top 10.

Brandon's Going Home

Well, bleh, bleh. Dare I admit that, huge fan that I am of this show, I'm not feeling very attached or passionate about anyone? It reminds me of Fantasia's season--you know, you're sort of mildly entertained for 12 weeks and then they crown her winner.

So, score one for Boquinha's predictions. Brandon's going home. I don't think his heart was in it.

But hey, don't lose heart! Poof your hair, wear a big red feathered boa, throw your arms in the air, have smoke and fireworks announce your entrance on stage, sing like crap, and YOU, TOO can be a diva!

That bottom 3 wasn't super shocking either. Biggest shocker of the night was Simon's collared shirt.

Yawn.

So, if you're bored, I highly recommend you read Magistra's post from yesterday. Far more entertaining than tonight's show.

I Think Goosebumps are Good.

Hallelujah, it's my favorite part of this show - theme weeks and top 12! Okay, let's start with random thoughts and questions.

1. Have the judges always had those skinny mics on their table? Those seemed new.
2. Diana Ross. Sigh. She seems nice at least, but bleh songs, if you ask me. GSITKU or not.
3. How cute that Ryan's Nana was there tonight.
4. Randy Jackson is so *#$#%@ condescending! And it really irritates me.

BRANDON ROGERS - "Can't Hurry Love"
Blechy song. Snore. I cannot believe that someone hasn't said, "Melinda has proven herself as a back up singer who should be up front. You have not." He just doesn't have it. He hasn't the WHOLE TIME either! I'm not shocked that Sanjaya made it into the top 12. I'm shocked that Brandon has! It reminds me of Anwar - great guy, great singer, great smile, but just not cut out for the stage. Is he sick? It was flat. He was drowned out. He forgot his lyrics right after that John Travolta leg move. I'll grant him that it's GOTTA be rough to be first, but ugh. He is polite!

MELINDA DOOLITTLE - "Home"
She's genuine and phenomenal. What more really needs to be said? Yes, Melinda, I think goosebumps are good. Just crown her now.

CHRIS SLIGH - "Endless Love"
I'm gonna go ahead and disagree with the judges. I rather liked his interpretation of the song. I liked it even more than (gasp!) Blake's. They're just different. Blake's was more techno and Sligh's was more contemporary. I love the U2 piano syncopation during his song. He's a musician and he did a great job, very original. Geez, judges. They can't make up their minds. Don't be a copycat. Oh wait, DO be a copycat. Don't be original. That's what we meant.

GINA GLOCKSEN - "Love Child"
So, Miss Ross thinks she should "pronunciate." Okay. Great choice. I really liked it.

SANJAYA MALAKAR - "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"
Argh. He's just too quiet and sweet for this. Gotta give him A LOT of credit though because this was his best performance so far and it was on the big stage, so big props for that. And see what I mean about Randy? He laughs, sighs, groans, laughs, tears the kid down (again), and then says, "But your hair is rockin'!" Fool. He sounds like an ignorant baboon when he does that. Just stick to the music and shut up. Grrrrrr. And the dumbing down of America was apparent tonight, was it not? Let's have a lesson on homonyms, shall we? Whale vs. Wail. One is a mammal of the sea. One is a scream or cry. Apparently, most Americans are NOT smarter than a 5th grader. So you can just skip the next show.

HALEY SCARNATO - "Missing You"
Other than forgetting the skirt that goes with that shirt that was tied with a big ribbon under her backside, she did pretty well! Very nice emotion and stage presence. I was surprised, because before tonight's show, I pretty much thought she'd be the next one to go. She does have a great studio voice. She forgot the lyrics (urgh). Those squats made me VERY nervous. Why in the world would anyone choose that night and that stage to wear something so dangerously short?? In high heels no less! Have you read these people's interviews on the American Idol site? They all fall! She showed some personality tonight and I think people will warm up to that. She may not even be in the bottom 3. And yay to Simon for remembering her name.

PHIL STACEY - "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me"
Is he? I haven't been liking Phil recently, but tonight he did a nice job!

LAKISHA JONES - "God Bless the Child"
Okay, well the finale is set. Melinda and LaKisha. That was fantastic! Great control, great vocals, great look. Well done!

BLAKE LEWIS - "You Keep Me Hanging On"
I love Blake. But for me that was good, not great. And that jacket flippy thing? A little overdone. But it's true what Simon says, he'll be fine. Did you hear the audience? I think it's going to be a challenge for him when it comes to song selections if they keep having horrible weeks like this one. Diana Ross??

STEPHANIE EDWARDS - "Love Hangover"
Or something. That was pitchy all over the place. I haven't ever really liked her and apparently the judges don't either. And you know what? She is royally pissed off, because she thinks she's a diva and that she's in the running with Melinda, Kiki, and company. But America has news for her--we didn't like LaToya either. The attitude is WAY too off-putting.

CHRIS RICHARDSON - "The Boss"
Damn. I thought he meant he was going to screw the theme week all together and sing some Springsteen. I know I haven't ever been a big fan, but he's already getting old for me. That sneer thing he does when he sings? Yawn. He's good, but it's old already. It was pitchy. I do give him credit, though, for making it his own without messing too much with the integrity of the song, which tonight came across much smoother than Sligh's or Blake's efforts.

JORDIN SPARKS - "If We Hold On Together"
She is the complete antithesis of Stephanie Edwards. And that's why we like her. How can you help BUT like her?! Wow! That was some mad praise. And she accepts it so adorably. Dang, 3 girls pushing for the top spot! Way. To. Go.

Magistra is right about that old Stink Eye. Competitors beware. I think Stephanie is TICKED off.

Tops tonight for me: Lakisha and Melinda
Bottom 3 tonight for me: Brandon, Sanjaya, and Chris Richardson

Bottom 3 predictions: Brandon, Stephanie, and Sanjaya
Going Home: Brandon

Your Top 12, America

So, it's the usual, isn't it? A Top 12 with the obvious first 2 to get the boot (Haley and Sanjaya) and the others doing the tour. My favorite part of the evening, truth be told, is the big announcement. It's about time a show of this magnitude step up like that. I think it's fantastic and I'm all the prouder to be a fan of this show. I bet that trip was good for Simon. I enjoyed the clips. Having lived in Africa myself, I know those kids. The announcement brought tears to my eyes. I think it's great.

Blake needs shorter cuffs. I thought he'd broken both arms. But I'm thrilled (and not surprised) that he's top 12.

Blake, Lakisha, Sligh, and Doolittle. Duh. No-brainers.

I still fall for Ryan's antics--he can get my tummy flipping with his "You are NOT . . . [big pause] . . . ." He made me nervous with Sligh. PHA-EW! I mean with this show, who knows?!

Jared Cotter. I'm sad. I like him. Darn it. I wonder how it would be for people like him, Nikko Smith, Rickey Smith, and other ousted idols to get together and form a band like "Take 6." That's be awesome.

Carrie Underwhere is not likeable and is getting too skinny. What happened to her healthy weight?

Antonella's not in the Top 12?! That's a shocker really. But good. I'm so glad I don't have to hear her again. She reminds me of someone who sings along to the radio and belts it out thinking they sound just like the voice coming out of the speakers when in reality, they don't. She's already been offered $250,000 by the "Girls Gone Wild" people and Playboy is after her, too. I think she'll be okay. Ta-tas (pun totally intended).

Haley vs. Sabrina. Crap. That is just SO wrong. Mary Poppins over a dang good diva. And if one of those two good "middles" is getting the boot, I would've preferred Stephanie, to be honest. Her LaToya like-ness is off putting.

Again, VERY cool project. April 24th and 25th. I think it's great. Way to go, American Idol people.

Sanjaya vs. Sundance--good set up. Either one getting in is a shock at this point, truth be told. I love Sundance's plea, "Somebody, give me a job!" Maybe Fuel is still looking for a lead singer.

Top 8 Girls

Well, the top 6 are pretty clear in my opinion. Yet we'll see if Salmonella gets an undeserved spot while another languishes in obscurity. Ever since they've switched from Top 10 to Top 12, there have been 2 obvious out-of-their-leaguers. Sigh. And Ryan? Ditch the turtleneck.

Jordin Sparks - Is she running out of breath again? She's not quite hitting all the notes, but overall it's very good and I really like her. She looks beautiful. What exactly was she drawing on her chest during the numbers?

Sabrina Sloan - These songs are flying by! I'm excited for 3-minute songs! Very solid performance.

Salmonella - Well, she can play violin! Yikes, it's off, she's too timid, and then she shouts so loudly there's mic feedback. Not good (though that's not surprising). The song is more her style though. I'll give her that. One of her better weeks, but it's still not great and it's frankly not good enough. She has such little belief in herself and it's so apparent. It was classy of Simon to mention the media and how she's handled it. I feel such conflicting things about Antonella all at the same time. On the one hand, urgh, she's not very good! But hey, THEY put her there against all those powerhouses. Remember Marisa? The one who didn't get the spot that Antonella did. Boy, I bet she's pissed.

Anyway, Antonella's there, so what's she going to do, step down? She keeps getting voted through so what's she going to do, not sing (I know that's debatable, but let's focus)? So, the media thing--another URGH. She's the one who TOOK the pictures. But yeah, it's pretty cheap that someone sold them to the media (but DUH on her part for taking them and having them at large like that). I was glad that Paula got the focus back to "a warm place" because they'd grilled her enough and heck, I, was getting uncomfortable.

But what BUGS me is Salmonella's defensiveness (though, again, gotta feel for her and the immense psychological pressure she must be under to A. have her breasts and butt all over the internet and TV (though again she DID take the pictures and I bet she at least gets a modeling or advertising gig from the frenzy) and B. sing in a competition against the likes of Doolittle and LaKisha). She keeps talking nonsense! Last week she said, "Hey, they were wrong about Jennifer Hudson" and this week she's saying stupid things like, "I wish the judges would stop comparing me against the others and just base it on me." Uh, number one, basing it on you alone reveals the same outcome (you're not that good a singer). And number two, it's a *%&%# competition! What the heck do you think you signed up for?? Gibberish. Take Simon's nice comment, let America vote, and stop talking. You're coming across as whiny.

If America has any sense they'll put her (and all of America) out of her misery and not vote her through.

Haley Scarnato - She's a Disney/Broadway/showgirl kind of singer. Not for this. Poor Haley. And stupid Simon. It's HIS fault he doesn't know her name, not hers. Idiot.

Stephanie Edwards - We already have a Fantasia and if you recall, she raced past the impeccable but presumptuous LaToya so Steph better watch her step. She's coming across as arrogant and that's just not endearing to America. She couldn't have told us something else about herself? I can let Mark comment on this since he's all fired up about it. Stephanie is LaToya-like cocky. Do I need to give my speech on the difference between confident and cocky? Okay. Confident is knowing you're good. Cocky is thinking you're better than everyone else and thinking of others as "less than." Confident is good. Cocky is not. She's got mad talent, but the higher-than-others sense of self may hurt her.

***You can gauge the likability of the contestants by how warm/close Ryan is with them. There's distance whenever he's with Stephanie. Reminds me of someone . . . who is it . . . oh yeah! LaToya.

LaKisha - That girl has Whitney chutzpah! At this point, anyone who sings Whitney is either crazy, deranged, or incredibly good. We all know what LaKisha is. Nice hair! She looks gorgeous! Wow, she gives me chills! She has "Yo." That was another class act moment for Simon to compliment the way she looked. Every once in a while, there's a glimmer of humanity in him.

***PET PEEVE. If it's a family show, why do they have inappropriate commercials during the family show? 24?? Are you kidding me?!***

Gina Glocksen - I love it, to be honest. I like her. And woohoo, Simon likes her, too.

Melinda Doolittle - I love that she's OCD!! Her range is fabulous! Her low notes are spot on and her high notes are powerfully on, too! No one else can boast that. She is far and away better than all the rest. This reminds me of season 3. It was sort of a weird season - you simply watch every other contestant get voted off waiting for Fantasia to be officially crowned victor. This season's AI is the same. I think she's got it in the bag. It'll be an all-girl finale. Her and somebody (probably LaKisha) and then she'll win. I love how she worked the stage, sang TO the back up singers, and threw down the idol gauntlet. Even with an in-your-face song like W-O-M-A-N, she brought tears to my eyes. Seriously. I love her. She's so genuine. She'd be a fun friend. I love her! Phenomenal!

Bottom 2: Salmonella and Haley
Tops: Melinda and LaKisha

No question.

Top 8 Guys!

Oh boy, TV minus Tivo. I don't like it.

Ryan's on one tonight. Weight loss, extensions, etc. I've never seen so many guys discuss hair
care and weight in one show before. And I've seen David Letterman interview Richard Simmons. No comparison.

Blake Lewis - I have no idea what that song is either, but I don't care. I love him, I love
his voice, he will be here next week!

Sanjaya Malakar - He hulas? That and the hair? A little effeminate, though that seems to be the theme of the evening, if you ask me. But I'm digging the John Mayer sound on him. I mean, he is so not my favorite, but it was his best week yet and a good song choice. That poor kid. Just once, I bet he'd like to hear some praise from that troika. I think even he could tell it was better. They couldn't cut him the slack to acknowledge that?

Sundance Head - Yikes. Jeremy has spoken? I loved his interview about the fat suit--LOL! But the performance was way, way off. Those background singers are loving life with the song choices this season, though I bet it's tough to sing back up when someone is way off. I wonder if they'd like to try out for American Idol. Now, there's a backstory! Oh, and too much makeup for Sundance. Eek.

Chris Richardson - He did make it his own, but too many runs for me. I don't like that guy that much.

Jared Cotter - Oh no, a Stevie song! But he pulls it off! Pretty solid that for me. Geez, Paula's harsh on him!

Brandon Rogers - Classical pianist, too, eh? Huh. Cool. Simon called him Travis. Did you catch that?! LOL! What a dork. He so doesn't get very close to people, does he? Okay, big pet peeve of mine when the contestants say, "I just want to have fun!" Really? Is that all you want to do? Okay, well that's easy. Goodbye. Only one guy has to get the boot on Thursday. Hello?!?!

Phil Stacey - What is going ON this season?! He's top 24? Yikes, he's scaring me. Weird voice for me. "I Need You" by LeeAnn Rhimes? Too much make-up. Eek, it's like someone hit the transpose button for the band and they're 2 octaves too low, oh wait, and too high for him. He's yelling, it's strange. NOT good. His kissing up really bugs me, too.

Chris Sligh - More hair talk! UNreal. Chris just wants to be loved. He's doing the Chris Daughtry mic thing. Kind of funny when Sligh does it, but MAN OH MAN that was awesome! Best one tonight! He has a great falsetto, too. I like that. But what the hell is wrong with Paula tonight?! That was fantastic!

My tops - Blake and Sligh
My least favorites tonight - Phil Stacey and Sundance Head

What I want to know is who are the "4" to which the judges refer? It's Blake, Chris, Chris, and ?????? Who?? I have no idea. Of those that are remaining, I like Jared Cotter best.

Top 10 Girls

Anyone else notice the fine Paula banter we're getting this season? She is quick and witty with the British cynic this year and I like it! Let's get right to it.

GINA GLOCKSEN- "Alone" by Heart
I love that song! Honestly? Chills, great control. She hit the lower notes better than Carrie Underwhere. I think her image and the song are edgy, but she could've been a bit "edgier," I suppose, in her delivery. Still, not bad. I like her.

Stupid Finger Tricks: Did she?

ALAINA ALEXANDER- "Ready To Make Nice" by The Dixie Chicks
Aw, her mom was crying! She looks beautiful. She was WAY drowned out by the background and seemed to run out of breath (Simon agrees). It was a bit off. And UGH, do NOT ask the judges for advice! That doesn't ever help. It results in you looking needy and them engaging in more stupid banter. I know it's a competition and in a perfect world, they'd provide more constructive criticism than "Dawg, that was a'ight," but it IS technically a reality TV show.

Stupid Finger Tricks: A study in the number 2. A peace sign. Frontwards. Backwards. "2." "2." *kiss the number 2* "1. 2." Wow, she was over compensating.

LAKISHA- "Midnight Train" by Gladys Knight
I'm forgetting her last name. That's a positive "Diva" sign, eh? Excellent! More reigned in, very good. She's VERY enjoyable and relaxing to watch, because you don't get nervous for her. She gets unfairly compared to Mandisa. She's MUCH better than Mandisa and more consistently on. Simon's full of fashion advice tonight. You say Salmon. I say Orange. Potato. Potata.

Stupid Finger Tricks: Again, none necessary and she knows it

MELINDA DOOLITTLE- "My Funny Valentine"
What's to say? She's phenomenal and has really, REALLY good control. I LOVE watching her perform because she constantly amazes herself with her own abilities. She's adorable and so so good. I REALLY like her. Very, very much.

Stupid Finger Tricks: Nope. Just shock.

ANTONELLA BARBA- Does it matter what song by Celine?
Celine?! CELINE?! You've GOT to be kidding me. Nope.

Stupid Finger Tricks: Forward. Backward.

JORDIN SPARKS- "Reflection" by Christina Aguilera
Shaky start and some spots (she started out crying--gotta love that kind of sibling closeness), but overall, WOW! She's 17?! She's adorable and amazing. She was so sincerely and sweetly emotional.

Stupid Finger Tricks: 3+3 =7? No wait. 3+3=6.

STEPHANIE EDWARDS- "Dangerously in Love" by Beyonce
She's sort of a mix of Fantasia (who I like a lot) and LaToya London (who I do not like). She has quite a range. Fantastic dynamics. She doesn't have that refreshing humility that Melinda does. She's too cocky and I think that's a dangerous thing, especially at this stage.

Stupid Finger Tricks: A Fantasia-like "7"

LESLIE HUNT- "Feelin' Good" by Nina Simone
Less oddly manic moves, but some weird scatting that didn't even come close to comparing with Blake's impressive delivery.

Stupid Finger Tricks: Kind of a psycho "8"

HALEY "Marie Osmond" SCARNATO- "Queen of the Night" by Whitney Houston
What the HECK are people thinking?! If you *don't* do well the first week and all the while you hear constant criticism from the judges to your competitors saying things such as, "That song was way too big for you" and "If you're going to take on Mariah or Whitney or Celine, you've got to be able to back it up in a big way" and the like, hey, I know. Maybe don't do Whitney or Celine. Especially if it's way too big for you. And especially when you can't back it up.

Stupid Finger Tricks: None. She was crying. But hey, she did get an "A for Effort."

SABRINA SLOAN- Something I don't know or remember
I know who she reminds me of! Gloria Estefan! She has a beautiful tone to her voice and she is a powerhouse!

Stupid Finger Tricks: 10 fingers WHILE holding the mic. Impressive.

Tops: Melinda and Lakisha
Bottom 2: Antonella and Alaina and Leslie
Going Home: Leslie and Haley. But if Haley gets sympathy votes crying after the judges' harsh criticism (which seems especially rough to take after you clearly think you've done better and have worked so hard), Leslie and Alaina

Top 24 Becomes Top 20

Urgh. First week boots are rough. No shockers, but you still feel badly for the ones getting the boot. They've packed more clothes than one week's worth! Darn it. And then to make them sing when they're crying?!

And my, they're mixing it up!

1. They're adding cheesy group numbers to the top 24, 20, and 16. Yippee.

2. They're announcing the mentors already--it's about time they do that.

3. They're adding stupid anti-Tivo quiz contests. I predict a class action lawsuit for carpal tunnel syndrome from texting AI numbers so much. What's wrong with an email?! Why cell phones? We don't have cell phones. We're being discriminated against!

So, "Sowing the Seeds of Love," J-Lo, Diana Ross, Tony Bennett and more. You know that AI just can't keep up with the rumor mill online so they may as well tell us. I love theme weeks! :)

So, Paul and Rudy. No big shockers (other than Sundance not joining one of them). I think Rudy just picked a boring song. Paul just sounded awful. Sundance is being featured on "Vote for the Worst.com" - stupid website.

Amy and Nicole. Again, no big shockers there (except that Antonella is STILL in the competition--have mercy, what pictures will seep to the world wide web next?!).

Nicole's from a town about 15 minutes down the road. I still don't know what she was singing. "Alleyayayeeewoowoo?" And apparently someone didn't want the girls joining her on stage to dance. Did you guys catch that?

Antonella and Sundance, your days are numbered.

I'm happy that Nick is still there ("by the grace ah Gahd"). He could be my cousin. I'm being totally serious.

FANTASIA! I love her! I always have! She is SO SO SO SO SO fun to watch. She has such passion. I don't care if she screeches now and then. THAT WAS AWESOME. Ryan's sure to feel like a schmuck when he figures out that he cut off QUINCY JONES HIMSELF. Talk about TBSITKU. He was about to tell us about "The Color Purple!" She was amazing and I'm very excited for her! Go Fantasia!

Okay and what the heck is with Ryan's new sign off? Bring back "Seacrest Out." "I've been Ryan Seacrest?" Who's he going to be next?

Predictions - Sound Off!

Okay, the votes are in and we find out tonight! Who do you think is getting the boot (as opposed to who you'd like to see ousted)? Post in the comments!

Here are mine:

Girls: Antonella and Amy Krebs
Guys: Sundance Head and hmmm, Rudy or Paul Kim, Rudy or Paul Kim. I'm gonna say Rudy since he sang first. Sundance and Rudy

Top 12 Girls

Top 12 Girls

Well, my, my, my! THAT was a fun night! And can I just say that we love Tivo? We start 20-30 minutes in and skip every commercial. LOVE it. Here we go.

Stephanie Edwards- I suspect, before her performance, that she's a bit of a Fantasia wannabe from the few clips we've seen. Yeah, she's very Fantasia-like. WOWzers, she's good! Gorgeous, attractive girl. Great performance. On her knees. Mad praise from the judges . . . and then she plays "Where is Pointer?" to show us which number to vote.

Amy Krebs- Knowing little else about her, her name is too science-y for me. Hey, I'm a nerd. "I Can't Make You Love Me" is not a good choice. Now that Constantine has done it, it's done. No one can do it like he has. It was flat and boring. And dang, it's gotta be rough to follow Stephanie. Yeah, it was very milquetoast for me.

Leslie Hunt- Great, now all I see is Harriet from Studio 60. Thanks, Mags! :P I like her! "You Make Me Feel" is another untouchable a la Kelly Clarkson. She was a bit drowned out by the background again. This is a Kelly Clarkson classic. Leslie looks great and is fun and perky, reminiscent of Meg Ryan in any 80s romantic flick. What could be viewed as awkward dance moves, on her come across as cute and quirky. I like her raspy voice. The judges are rough on her. I, however, like her. And given how some of the others fared, I think she'll be okay. She's not tops, but she's not bottoms either.

Sabrina Sloan- My first impressions were "skanky outfit" and, aside from that, she reminds me of Lisa Tucker looks wise. But you know? She has Chris Sligh on his feet. And with good reason. That was hot!! Some pitchy parts, but really a GREAT performance! Great stage presence. The judges love her. That's gotta feel good.

Antonella Barba- I bet her friend is kicking her TV set right now. "*I* should've been on that stage!" I've had enough of both of them even before this performance, but now I've really had my fill. You know who's really got good reason to be pissed? Marisa. The one they didn't pick in order to let Antonella, er, entertain us tonight. Before she sang, I was not predicting good things. I get nervous for her the way I used to with Ayla Brown (unnecessarily with Ayla maybe), but so be it. It's not just the tall, pretty thing either. She's untrained and "nervous girl" all over the place. And I've seen pictures of her on the potty. *I* don't even do that in front of people much less invite a camera in the bathroom. Yuck. I'm a little Elliott Reed that way. And oooh, she is off. Badly. She's a nervous wreck. "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing," she says. She does better controlling her voice than she does belting it. Belting is bad. That was bad. Urgh.

Jordin Sparks- She seems big next to Ryan! She's cute and very likeable (Robynne, that IS right--stupid spell checker :P) and she's very good!! Pass the sugar, Dawg. This girl can sang! I think it's cute how she can hardly contain herself. Beautiful smile. Beautiful girl and good singer.

Nicole Tranquillo- That was weird. Awkward beginning. It was spaztic, kinetic, frenetic. It was all over the place! I don't feel like that was her and I don't even know her! I have little sense of who she is. A yeller? Is she having a fit? Yeah, Randy, that is not her vibe. It didn't fit her. And that entire conversation about the word "indulgent" was just painful, too. How awkward must it have been for her to stand there and discuss a word she didn't understand?! She runs for a dictionary while we take a commercial break.

Haley Scarnato- I've had high hopes for her since a lot of people who find our site are searching for her. She has a Marie Osmond face. She's the backless pantsuit girl. She sang Celine, but she sounded like Belle from "Beauty and the Beast." I think the Disney people just found their next princess. The smokey lights and the sweet tone and looks? She did NOT do her homework like Sabrina did. It was a very Miss America/Disney Movie performance. Her voice is too sweet for this song ("All Coming Back To Me") and while it wasn't the worst tonight, I didn't like it. Um, the judges say, "It's not good" and then you tell Ryan, "Well, that's my style." Okay, so essentially, you just said, "I'm not good." Goodbye.

Woohoo, Fantasia is performing! I don't really like her songs, but I do LOVE to watch her perform! She's one of my favorites!!

Melinda Doolittle- Is anyone else seeing the "Doolittle" irony (Eliza)? I LOVE HER! And you just know those back up singers are gonna make her proud. Go, Melinda! She is so good, no, GREAT and unaffected. That was totally effortless and she's having fun. I like her very much! I love watching her perform and seeing her expression alternate between "I am hot!" and a pleasantly surprised "Holy cow! I'm hot!!" LOL! LOVE her! She's nervous for feedback?!?! Love her. And so does Simon! He must really tire of people thinking they're all that. I think he's enjoying how amazing it is to see someone discover their own greatness. And she does it so humbly. She's fantastic!

Alaina Alexander- She seems likeable, but she's very off. Randy has this new kind of "duh" groan/whine this season that does not mean good things. And she agrees! Another stupid, "Well, that's me!" comment. Again!

Gina Glocksen- Brave song. She has quite a range! I wasn't sure she was going to hit that note, but she pulled it off! She's actually very good! And, for the record, she DID hit it. It wasn't effortless, but she DID pull it off. And Simon will eat his words on that one, too, on the playback.

Lakisha Jones- How long will this diva queen keep her second name? It's so weird how she's so deadpan before and after in her interviews but a passionate smokin' powerhouse when she performs. THAT was phe-freaking-nomenal! It's a brave song, especially right now (kind of like when Nikko sang "Georgia" when the movie "Ray" came out), but she'll do it. I'm not nervous for her at all. Look out, Jennifer Hudson. THAT was HOT!! It's taking everything in Simon to not stand up. I think it's a rule he has for himself. Sometimes you just want to see him break free, don't you? :P Rewind it and watch him. That's the most difficult time I've ever seen him have containing himself. This could prove to be a boring season if we already know the winner, eh? He's already implying that 23 people should be packing their bags. Wow. Go Lakisha!!

So tops tonight are certainly Lakisha, Stephanie, and Melinda. Jordin is great, too. And there's very little middle ground tonight. They were either really great or really not.

Bottom Two? Amy Krebs, Antonella Barba, Nicole Tranquillo, Haley "Disney Princess" Scarnato, Alaina Alexander. I don't care. Pick 2 and make one of them Antonella. My guess is that Amy Krebs and Antonella are joining Sundance and Paul Kim.